Chapter 1

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The desert’s vastness stretched before the new arrivals, who stepped through the blue-ish white of the swirling portal behind them. Beatrix Belladonna was the first to step out, followed closely by her companions Midnight Blitzer, Cerise Silhouette, and Moonlight River. Last to leave the vanishing rift strode out Iclyn, the icy doe substituting for Oona Ewe.

The sun baked overhead in a cloudless sky, the sight of Ashen Dune's pastel airship parked far in the distance visible across the dunes.

"Damn, not as close as I'd hoped," frowned Beatrix, who dusted off her heels.

Heat waves visibly rolled throughout their vision; Iclyn's eyes narrowed when she raised a hand to shield her face. She experimented with her ice magic, the ice shard sizzling against the intense heat. “Ahh, yes. Good thinking, Oona,” she muttered. “Let’s send me on a mission where my magic isn’t as potent!”

Moonlight cut in with a furrowed brow. "Yap yap yap! Do you ever stop whining?”

"Said the thestral still in self-pity over her wings," countered the deighdyr.

“Hey, that’s a low blow!” Midnight snapped. “We’re supposed to be on the same side here!”

“I’m on my side,” Iclyn scoffed. “And if there’s a brain in that bulky body, you’d stay out of my way.”

While the three continued to fuss needlessly, Cerise leaned toward the witch and whispered, “Are you sure it’s too late to open another portal and send her packing?”

Beatrix groaned. “Look, having Iclyn join us wasn’t my idea. It was Oona’s. And she has a point. I have to make peace with her childhood friend if she’s going to help me get a grip over my dimensional abilities!”

"Hey, Belladonna!" Iclyn called to pull the violet mare’s attention. “I’m not going to be like Lady Ewe and coddle you like a nanny. I expect you to pull your weight!"

"Oh, you don’t have to worry about that," assured Beatrix, a cocky smirk on her snout. “I vanquished the Burning King, remember~?”

“Yeah, after you released him from Pathos,” reminded the cyan deer, deepening her frown. “Which resulted in realities fusing to the point that a Lost World dragon is now prowling the desert! Good job.”

“This is going to be a long journey,” the princess sighed, hands on her hips. Her focus was on her brothers and what else might be up with her world. Yet the pair's bickering was already rivaling the sun’s unbearable heat. Ashen had told her about a potential territory for her to one day rule...one that could help expand their vast nation. As a Queen, she would have to become more mature and learn discipline. Not to mention she needed to practice her powers more.

"I can't wait to see Rheneas again," Cerise told her husband, her neon pink eyes locked on her silver wedding ring, matching Midnight’s golden one. Thanks to its protective magic, it was the one thing the Vice Lord Doppia couldn’t remove when she was body-snatched. Thankfully, the pair had worked to rejuvenate the jewelry each night as Moon Hammer instructed. "I hope she’s doing better after everything that happened…”

"Why wouldn’t she?" Moonlight chimed in, smiling when she wrapped an arm about her waist. “You helped save her from her fate. And from what we saw, she’s already settling into a new life!”

Cerise perked up, her pointy ears lifted. "You're right! She did look a lot happier with my brother. It’ll be nice knowing she’ll be by our side when I start making those tough decisions."

Midnight stared up at the skies and said, "We'd better move before the next storm hits!"

"Good idea," nodded Cerise, who tugged on Beatrix's arm to pull her out of a sniping match with Iclyn. "Come on, you two! Now isn’t the time for-"

Their attention snapped to a black mass in the distance. It loomed closer, a dark silhouette that kicked up sandstorms as the earth started to quake. At first, they thought maybe it was the multi-headed dragon they'd seen, but instead, they realized it was a stampede of the scorpions.

A multitude of eyes covered their armored bodies, stingers raised that dripped a vicious venom. Immediately Midnight and Cerise shot into the air, lances at the ready, while Moonlight readied her claws and strained to follow them, only to realize she could only glide, at best.

"Damn it," muttered Moonlight under her breath as she touched down in a dust cloud. "I’m not gonna be a burden this time! I'm a soldier!"

Beatrix began weaving her spells while Iclyn gathered what little moisture was in the air to create icicle spears. Yet their combined efforts didn’t phase the giant anthropods, nor leave a dent in their exoskeletal armor. The witch chewed her lip, aware she couldn't simply cut and run at the first opportunity, like the last time she visited this world. It wouldn’t be like with the Eldritch, where she almost abandoned the kingdoms. She had come a long way since then!

Yet the scars of those interdimensional terrors remained. These scorpions were but one of their many failed experiments. The elements exploded from her palms once her horn flared, while at her side, Iclyn called upon a blizzard that flash-froze those closest to them in a loud cold snap.

"Gagh! T-there's too many," yelled Cerise while practicing a combination of the shadow and crystal powers Doppia had initially unlocked using her body. Her father had subconsciously infected her with part of his darkness when she was conceived, fearful that his daughter wouldn't be able to survive the apocalyptic world the Eldritch wrought.

Crystalline pillars exploded from the earth and trapped half a dozen scorpions at once. Her eyes widened in shock at what she was now capable of, yet her joy proved short-lived as pinchers were raised at Moonlight. "Oh no, you don't," she cried and fossilized the abomination.

"Sorry about that," grunted Moonlight, grounded as she used her false pinions to hurl poisonous darts into the enemy's manifold eyes. "Wish we had bombs to obliterate these things!"

"There should be some on Ashen Dune's ship," replied Midnight, as the herd had once helped the airship merchant keep down the innumerable numbers of these beasts. "If I get the opportunity, I’ll swoop over there. Cause it looks like there's no end to this!" He spotted more swarming over the dusty hills as his lance skewered one's head.

"It's like they're of one mind," observed Beatrix as she raised a barrier to delay them. "Does that mean Andrei’s already learned to direct them?" Yet the violet mare had little time to speculate as a buzz sounded overhead, and more scorpions arrived, these borne on many bat wings.

"... you can't be serious," said Moonlight, her eyes dilated at sight.

“So not only did they bred like crazy, but they've also mutated and gained the ability to fly,” Iclyn added dully. “Great…”

Worse still, the sand below them started to open like a funnel and threatened to swallow them, as more scorpions tunneled from deep below. Beatrix yelped as her arcane barricade crumbled.

Surrounded on all sides, there were mere moments before the horde started to overwhelm them. Stingers snaked out from all directions, the scorpions heedless to how many of their numbers were lost or immobilized, since they could quickly breed more of their numbers.

They jabbed the travelers with venomous barbs, Moonlight the first to fall as the color drained from her skin. She watched helplessly as her friends crumbled once-after-another around her.

"Nngh! Not like this," wheezed Iclyn as her knees buckled, her arm punctured by a spike.

"Br-brother," whispered Cerise, who stared at the pastel airship miles away.

They remained conscious as the pinchers seized them, tossing their prisoners onto their carapaced backs. The paralyzed party was carried away toward a stone mountain, where the Kralot of Zmey likely resided. Beatrix gazed helplessly while Ashen’s ship grew further away, wondering if they would be added to their larder…

*****

Once they were brought into the hollowed tunnels, the bed of scorpions came to a rest. Sunlight spilled from a hole in the ceiling, Beatrix's eyes half-lidded to keep out the rays. At least everyone was still alive and relatively unharmed, but for how long...?

A whoosh of air sounded when something dropped onto the ground, making Cerise and Moonlight squeak in fear. A stallion in shepherd's garb stared lifelessly at them before a large shadow overcast the cavern. The group gazed up as the terrible tri-headed dragon swooped down from the opening.

Andrei’s heads were differently shaped, each having a slightly distinct muzzle and crown of horns. Fresh blood leaked down his jaws, his right face lapping up with a long forked tongue. The draconic invader gazed upon the mutant beasts, who bowed lowly before him.

“This planet is… strange,” mused the center head, flicking his tongue like a snake. “The atmosphere tastes all wrong.”

“These creatures are rather odd-looking as well,” his left head observed. “Very… alien!”

The right head tittered, eying the paralyzed prey gathered before them. “Who cares? They seem willing to serve and have brought us gift! Five delicious looking morsels~!”

“Yes, far more appetizing than that land of farmers!”

“Focus,” the middle head hissed before all eyes gathered to take in Beatrix and her group. His whip-shape tail coiled around the petrified witch as Andrei brought her closer. “Little witch with overcompensating hat. Tell us… what is this place? Where are we?”

Beatrix strained to find her voice, most of her muscles still paralyzed. "Ye… you’re in an alternate universe," she sputtered out, sweating profusely. “I...might have 'accidentally' brought you here?" She tittered and ignored the death stare of Iclyn near her.

All three heads took turns wafting her scent, two of which sampled the witch’s taste by dragging their tongue along her face and torso. Beatrix shuddered, snout scrunched from the slimy saliva coating her top.

“Mmm, yes,” the left head gurgled. “This one boasts strong magic!”

“As well as other assets,” snickered the right head, eying her ample curves as his claw took a handful of her rump, kneeling her doughy cheeks. “Look at these fat tits! And this ass..~!” He gave both sides a rough clap, making Beatrix yelp. “Perfect breeding material!”

“Why am I not surprised,” grumbled Iclyn.

“Will you shut up!!” Moonlight harshly hissed.

“She would make for lovely concubine,” Andrei’s middle head nodded. “But if she is responsible for bringing us here, we should make ample use of her ability to travel worlds!”

“Oh no…” groaned Cerise. It was just as Ashen had feared. The Kralot of Zmey was already thinking about a hostile takeover.

With a flustered face, Beatrix stammered, “A-aah! As flattering as that sounds, surely you’d want to go home, right? Y-you have loyal subjects waiting for you!”

Each head turned to the other before letting out boisterous laughter, loudly booming throughout the mountain’s interior. “And why would we want to return home?”

“These creatures already revere us as ruler.” He pointed a claw at the scorpions, who were docile. Likely awaiting his next command.

“Not to mention far more resources here than in homeland!” the third head stated.

All three heads spoke at once. “And with no other dragons to challenge us, we will reshape a barren landscape into a proper kingdom! Starting with the pyramids down south."

“No, you can't!” cried the charcoal batmare. “That’s my father’s kingdom!”

“That won’t ever happen!” Midnight blurted out, the poison starting to wear off as he struggled to move. "There already is a Dragon Lord. And his name is Spike!"

Chuckles left the hydra’s mouths. The middle head crowed, "Oh-ho! So Spike does exist in this realm?”

“We have fought before,” huffed the left head. “He got lucky then. I wonder how he’ll fare now!”

“Yes, do tell us where he is,” the right head ordered, lapping at his chops. “We shall seek him out and claim his entire horde… starting with the precious jewels bumbling into our grasp!”

“W-what? No, you’re mistaken,” Beatrix said, squirming. “We’re not a part of Spike’s harem!”

“Then you’re just easy pickings,” Andrei snorted before bringing his triple gaze to the scorpions, learning that they understood simple gestures. With pointed claws, he decreed. “Bring us those two! We’ll have our way with the rest later…”

The scorpions skittered and ferried Iclyn and Midnight towards the stony floor while Andrei tore off Beatrix’s leotard in one swipe. They plopped them down beside each other while the tri-headed dragon explored their bodies with leisurely claws. The witch moaned unwantedly as one head caressed her ample tits with his tongue. Iclyn and Midnight struggled to move when he tore at their own clothing, the pegasus’ white armor crushed and tossed aside with a rattle.

But their eyes widened in dread upon seeing Andrei’s hefty set of genitals erected out a sheath. Two knotted members throbbed underneath a third lengthy cock, tiny barbs poking out the shafts.

“H-holy shit..!” Beatrix exclaimed breathlessly, unable to tear her gaze from the fleshy trident Andrei called a penis. “And you said I was overcompensating..!?”

“Believe it or not, this is burden for us,” admitted Andrei’s center head. “It’s been incredibly complicated finding worthy partners who can handle us.”

“All this unbridled rage and lust with no true outlet,” scowled the left head, veins bulging. “So you'll just have to bear it!”

The right head gave a sinister smile. “Think of it this way! At least we can all thrive together~!”

“N-no! Get off,” snapped Iclyn, who tried in vain to avoid having her clothes shredded off. “Keep that disgusting thing away from me!” Midnight and Beatrix squirmed beside her, the numbness having yet to wear off fully.

"This is bad," wheezed Moonlight, who struggled to wiggle her unresponsive muscles. “Shit!”

"If only I could dance," whispered Cerise directly into her herd mate's bat ear. "I don't know about the scorpions, but I might be able to captivate Andrei with my trance ability?”

As the last of their articles of clothing was torn off, the deprived monster leered over his conquest, his multi-shafted penis pulsating rhythmically. But upon looking over Iclyn, Andrei’s heads paused in perplexity. “Hold on… something’s different about this one.”

“Could have sworn the deer was girl!”

“She dresses like one. And yet…”

Beatrix looked down at the deighdyr’s exposed crotch to find a small, flaccid cock between her shapely legs, much to her shock. “Y-you're a-”

“Don’t look at me like that, hussy,” Iclyn said with utmost disdain. “The last thing I need is for you to judge my body!”

“There is no judging from us,” one of Andrei’s faces assured while the others licked their lips. “We appreciate both oysters and clams~!”

Midnight did his best not to stare at the distraught doe before asking, “Yet you don’t respect consent? I’m really not into guys!”

Another series of chuckles came from the Kralot who casually traced the blue pegasus’ musculature with his tail. “Do not be afraid, stallion. We’ll be gentle with you since it's your first time.”

“But enough waiting!”

“Yes~! We take you now!”

Iclyn, Beatrix, and Midnight groaned as the tri-headed dragon pressed his meaty cocks against their backsides, thick slime leaking out the spaded tips. But before he could indulge his prisoners, Andrei paused when his fin-ears perked at the sound of machinery rattling in the distance. Vibrations rocked the mountain, and a shadow loomed overhead once the pastel airship zoomed into view from the hole. Its multitude of flags were left to flutter in the wind. The cannons immediately fired, blasting Andrei in his faces. The dragon roared before another explosive hit knocked him away from his prisoners.

"Careful not to hit the captives," called the voice of Ashen Dunes from the speakers. He stood visible at the wheel, Rheneas at his side.

Explosions rocked the area when rope ladders were cast down the sides of the vehicle. A chunk of the mountain shattered, only to smash a scorpion into paste under the boulder. The crew members who weren't at the cannons either lobbed hand explosives or slid down to rescue the prisoners. Among their many numbers were Somnambula and Stygian. As they seized the witch and administered a hypodermic, Beatrix called, "O-oh! Thank goodness you both are alright. I was worried that Mortis-"

"We slipped away from him," said Somnambula, who'd flown down to meet them. "Mostly because he was focused on the Necronomicon. We’ll worry about recovering it later. Here, this antitoxin should cure your paralysis."

"It's a good thing Ashen Dunes could find us," Stygian said before gasping as Andrei slowly rose back up. "But we have to leave now!" The scholar and priestess swiftly administered their antidote to Cerise and Moonlight.

The multi-headed monster released a roar before breathing green flames at the airship. Beatrix erected a wide barrier to deflect the draconic licks of flame. Hisses and steam were left to fill the interior, which momentarily blinded Andrei.

Unfortunately, the rising pillar of flames propelled the airship upward; the airship rocked as part of it was immolated, the screams of several crewmembers swallowed up once they blackened to ash in the furious inferno.

"Brace yourselves, friends," called Ashen, ensuring everyone was aboard safely as the aircraft neared the mountain’s summit. "On my signal, I want all cannons to open fire at the peak and cause a cave in!” The crew members scattered to aim their weapons, awaiting further orders.

But Andrei’s roar thundered as the draconic abomination soared through the smog on leathery plumage, hellbent on tearing down the ship. “We’ll never make it out in time!” exclaimed Rhenaes, who clutched the pilot’s arm tightly.

With clenched teeth, Beatrix prepared to conjure a portal in an attempt to teleport the multi-headed beast elsewhere. But it was Iclyn who pushed her aside, antlers and hands flurrying with all the cryomancy she could muster. The cyan doe summoned a snow squall that encased the rocky interior with ice. Andrei bellowed, beating his wings to shake off the growing frost until he ultimately succumbed to the cold. His entire form froze and plummeted back down to the bottom. Nearly a dozen scorpions were crushed under his bulk upon impact.

Pushing out the last of her magic, Iclyn’s legs gave out, only for Beatrix to catch her. Everyone onboard sighed in relief as the smoky airship cleared the mountain’s top. "Fire away!" Ashen Dunes ordered as cannonballs were fired at the summit. The area quaked, smoke rose, and the surface caved in, entombing Andrei and the horde to the mountainside. The monolith rumbled with aftershocks as the ship raced away.

“Well… that’s one problem down,” Moonlight said, wiping her brow.

“A temporary solution,” corrected Cerise, who frowned. “I doubt we’ve seen the last of him…”

“Let’s just be thankful we made it out in one piece," Rheneas encouraged, leaning her head and arms on Ashen, who returned the gesture while signing in dismay.

“Same can’t be said for my ship,” he said, noting the smoldering flames still being put out by extinguishers.

“Nothing a little glue and duct tape can’t fix, right?” joked the violet mare while she helped the dizzy deighdyr to her feet.

Iclyn gripped the railing for support before turning to Beatrix and reluctantly muttered, “... thanks.”

“Aha! So you do have manners!”

“Bite me.”

Ashen chuckled, pecking the ballerina’s snout before proclaiming, "Set a course for homeland! White Shadow Penumbra awaits us!" His crew saluted before resuming their work, fanning out the rest of the dragon’s fire. Unfortunately, several had suffered significant burns and were tended to below deck. Others died of asphyxiation from inhaling the sulfuric fumes.

"Thanks, brother," said Cerise, as the crew brought clothes to the denuded prisoners.

"Not necessary," interjected Beatrix, who winked and waved a fresh costume back onto her form. But her cheeky smile turned upside down while watching Iclyn receive a robe, notably keeping her legs tucked together. “Look, about what happened back-”

“Can it, Belladonna,” the icy deer glowered. “It’s already humiliating that you learned my secret…”

But the witch pressed onward, hands on her hips. “It’s your attitude that puts me off, not your gender. We’re not going to get anywhere if you continue to hold that nasty grudge against me. I get it! You don’t like me! And that’s fine! We don’t have to be friends. But can we please cooperate?”

Iclyn stared hard at the witch as if pondering which witty retort to use next. Instead, she heaved a sigh before turning her head away. “... I suppose I could refrain from chastising you over every detail.”

“See? Now, that’s a start!”

“But if I catch you trying to portal hop your way around a problem again, I’m putting you in the freezer for three days.” Her aurora green eyes narrowed. “Don’t even try to deny it!”

Beatrix heaved her shoulders before nodding. “Yeah, that’s fair…”

“Good. Now go bother someone else. I'm already nauseous as is,” the deighdyr concluded before walking below deck.

“At least we’re making a little progress,” the violet unicorn mumbled as she pulled her attention towards the ship’s inhabitants. It was a relief to know Somnambula and Stygian were well and that losses were low. Yet she had enabled Andrei to enter this world and would eventually have to figure out a way to bring him back to the Lost World. That dragon wasn’t going to remain imprisoned under the mountain forever.

The blue skies raced by once the airship zipped over the walls that bordered the area to keep the scorpions in. Another reminder of the consequences her actions wrought. When Beatrix had escaped the Eldritch, she had lured them across dimensions to a number of uninhabited planets, until they could finally catch up and corner her here.

Still, the wayward witch tried to appreciate the good things her travels brought. Sombra wouldn't have been redeemed, and Cerise wouldn't have been born or eloped with Midnight. She glanced at the couple chatting amongst themselves, unable to keep a sad smile off her face.

‘I’ll set everything right,’ she mentally swore, gripping her Prima Materia tightly. ‘Somehow, someway, I'll learn how to control my spacial powers and put an end to this anomalous chaos!’

*****

Deep beneath the earth, in yet another world, a labyrinth of caverns stretched out over miles. Eerie emerald hues illuminated the rocks, cast by the viscous slime that dripped and congealed throughout the stones. A low hum filled the heart of the hive. Changeling drones skittered about the catacombs where many captives were incubated, preparing their bodies for sustenance or fornication purposes in the hatchery.

Some were still conscious, abandoning any hope of escaping this horrific fate. Yet among them, one prisoner refused to surrender. A light blue pegasus with eyes and a wild mane style that sparked with electricity. Ever since reawakening, the naked prisoner periodically squirmed to weaken her gooey cocoon. And, once she was sure no guards would be around, the lean, athletic mare put her escape plan into action.

Grunts came from the female pegasus, who rocked back and forth in her webbing until she swung to a stalactite, trying to get the stagnated rock to cut through her bind. “C’mon, c’mon!” her voice strained under her breath until the silk snapped and frayed all over the floor.

"F-free," she panted, landing on her feet. The electric pegasus shakingly stood up on limbs she hadn’t used in an undetermined amount of time. Her eyes tried to adjust in the dark cavern, indifferent about being naked as the day she was born, her plume unusually wide. "Now to go get-"

The mare froze, and her eyes went pinpoint, barely able to look at what had become of her mother. Snowy Blizzard had a white coat with a hint of blue, her voluptuous form now swollen to a grotesque degree from all the eggs the drone had pumped directly into her uterus. She was practically ready to burst. "Lightning Spark?!" she managed to wheeze out. “Y-you’re free!”

“And now it’s your turn! Don’t worry, mom! I’m busting us out of here!”

But the older mare shook her head, lightly sobbing over her miserable ordeal as her breasts steadily leaked. “Sweetie, I-I can't move. E-even if I could, I’d slow you down. Save yourself! Go before the changelings discover you’ve escaped!"

Torn by indecision, Lightning Spark choked back her sorrows and gave a nod. "I'll come back with help, I promise! We’ll find you and dad and-"

“No, Lightning… It’s better you don't come back here at all!”

“B-but-”

“Thunder Storm… didn’t make it,” Snowy Blizzard confessed, bowing her head. Silence struck through the young mare like a sword impaling her chest. And she wouldn’t have time to settle with this statement, since a low buzzing and chittering echoed through the hollowed walls.

“They're coming! Go! Hide!!” With what strength she could muster, Snowy Blizzard fished out a pendant she had hidden behind a stalagmite, and tossed it to her daughter. Without a beat missed Lightning Spark chained it into place, as the pendant settled between her small, perky breasts, fluffy fur tickled by cool air.

Stretching her still limp wings, Lightning Spark shot up to the stalactite and took cover behind it, staring down at the lone drone that entered the incubation chamber. Its insectoid features twitched as it expected each of the pods and concealed ponies before leering at the bloated mare with its ovipositor raised in anticipation, determined to fertilize more of the ovums that had been pumped into her stretched womb.

As it crept close enough, Lightning Spark dropped down, threw her entire weight onto the drone's back, and knocked the wind from him. She reached for a nearby rock and slammed it into the creature’s skull, killing it instantly in a mushy splatter. It took her great effort not to continuously cave the changeling’s head in until it was bile and paste. More were just like it, and Lightning needed an entire army to make the vile monsters pay for their heinousness.

With one last haunted look back at her mom, the former cadet tossed the blood-soaked rock away and went into the dim maze. She was forced to take her time not to be spotted, watched the drones almost mindlessly patrol the areas, and ducked from one thin tunnel to another.

She swore that the structure constantly altered when she passed. Was it simply paranoia?

After what felt like hours of navigating the ever-changing labyrinth, Lightning Spark stumbled upon something unexpected. The supposedly dead Queen Chrysalis' throneroom, where an extraterrestrial fungus eerily pulsated.

Was that the reason why the drones had been altered? She recalled how a few behaved erratically, with roots and plant-like growths corroding their carapaces. This strange mutation made them more powerful, demonic, almost like the forbidden dark arts now touched them.

Lightning Spark didn’t ponder on it for long, moving past the royal chamber down more tunnels, until she finally discovered one of the holes to the surface. Trap door burrows where stallions and mares had been pulled down.

She took her chance and flew out, almost blinded by the morning sun rising into the skies. Lightning Spark gave one last, longing look at the hole and flew away before the hive could learn of her disappearance. Her electric blue eyes narrowed, her hand clutching onto the family heirloom tied to her necklace. It was the last piece she had of her father. And she had no clue where her twin brother had gone. All she had to remember her family by was the mysterious pendant, which draped like a pendulum between pert breasts.

No, despite Snowy's wishes, she couldn't abandon her mother. For all the pegasus knew, she was the only family she had left!

So when the next town came, she would find a map. And from there, Lightning could locate her former commander Shining Armor and, with any luck, her twin brother, Midnight Blitzer. They could help rescue her mother and eradicate the changeling threat, once and for all!

Chapter 2

View Online

Shortly after the airship touched down in the capital, the crew docked, and everyone aboard exited. Extensive repairs were necessary, so in the meantime, Ashen Dunes decided to help escort his sister home. Cerise Silhouette smiled at him and Rheneas while she and the travelers walked the dusty streets, lit up by torchlight under the starry skies. The moon shone down on the marketplace, where jaunty music filled the air and many revelers collected to celebrate.

"Ahhh! It's wonderful to be back home," chirped the charcoal mare, her eyes closed and arms raised, swaying to the rhythm alongside several scantily clad dancers. Her ears perked at the cheers that met the return of the prince and princess, as citizens swarmed about them.

Guards rushed over to invoke distance, the buff stallions bare-chested when they raised their spears. "That won't be necessary, fellas," assured Ashen, casting them a playful wink.

"Yeah, let the people through!" added Cerise, satisfied most of their people loved them. But less certain was the princess about the outer territories, where she, Beatrix, and her friends were once almost sold into slavery.

Iclyn surveyed the streets, spotting an alleyway where three stallions encircled a mare, who bobbed her head along each of their cocks. This made the doe's blue-furred snout curl, and she asked, "What is all this?"

"I believe this is part of the fertility festival you were talking about, Ashen," observed Rheneas, who blushed hotly.

Ashen drew his love in close. “Ah, yes! Believe it or not, this is relatively tame compared to how rowdy everyone gets once midnight strikes~!"

Midnight sniffed spiced alcohol on the air and beamed back at the tittering dancers who reached out to stroke his fluffy fur and wings. "E-easy, ladies! Plenty of me to go around," he joked, as his emerald eyes drank them in, alongside the various merchandise that sparkled in the light.

“Makes me wish Demi-Trix was here,” sighed Beatrix. “I’ve gotten so used to having her sleep in my Prima Materia! It's a little lonely here!"

"I dunno. This seems way too ‘adult’ for her," noted Moonlight, as a few of the dancers had started to remove their tops. “Though she has matured a lot since her rebirth, at least?"

"Oh yeah! Really picked up a fashion sense as well. My little tulpa's become a woman!" Beatrix smiled at the idea, her tulpa now partially demi-human, thanks to absorbing the influence of Zeloph and Moxxi. She wondered if that technically made them her ‘parents.’

Nonetheless, they were on a mission. And so, with some reluctance, Cerise thanked the dancers before she hurried up beside Ashen Dunes, the royal heirs flanked by the guards who directed to the pyramid that loomed ahead, where the king and queen awaited. Hopefully, White Shadow Penumbra was there, confident his aid would help ease his troubled heart!

They climbed the stone stairs and entered the lit interior. Wherever they passed, Iclyn's sneer deepened at the number of comely handmaidens, each mare's supple breasts bared, clothed simply in a thin transparent slip that left nothing to an onlooker's imagination. Glows from the torches lit up their succulent contours, some of the party unable to tear their eyes away.

Finally, they arrived at the throne room. "Welcome home, my children," King Sombra’s voice boomed, a broad smile on his snout. He and Queen Inky Rose sat on thrones of platinum, the color of their family. Cerise reflexively stared at her own silver wedding ring, complemented by Midnight's gold ring. He continued, “Ah, Beatrix! My former apprentice! It’s been far too long!”

“It certainly has,” the witch replied, throwing a wink at the matured couple. “I’ve been meaning to catch up with you and the Mrs.~!”

"It's wonderful to see you all back and well,” greeted Inky, who wore a serene smile. Garbed in a spidery black gown that showed off the queen's ample cleavage, her husband similarly left his bare chest proudly on display. “Oh, and I see you've brought a couple new faces!"

"H-hello," said Rheneas, who went to one knee before them and bowed her head.

Inky Rose covered her mouth and tittered. "There's no need for that! Please, rise."

"M-my name's Rheneas," she introduced herself shyly, the jade pegasus still looking to the floor. "I-I would not be standing here had Cerise not saved my life from eternal damnation!"

Cerise blushed darkly. “Ohh, c’mon. I hardly did it alone-!"

"Nonsense, sister," dejected Ashen as he wrapped his slim arms around Cerise and Rheneas. "You should revel in the credit! I bet it was a triumphant moment! Especially since without your timely intervention, I surely never would have met such a wonderful mare!"

"I-I'm hardly that special," assured Rheneas, who nuzzled into his chest. “Though I am grateful to have met you. All of you.”

“She’s quite the catch,” Sombra whispered to Inky, who hid a giggle behind her hand. The dark unicorn then drew his attention toward the icy deer. "Ah, and who might you be?"

"Iclyn," the doe stated, giving a short courtesy bow. "I'm being forced against my will to serve as a caretaker to the multiverse’s most vexing prostitute."

Beatrix said, “W-Wha?! Hey, I am not a-”

“Ah yes, my former apprentice can be quite the handful," he snickered when Beatrix shot him a childish pout. "I often had to keep her in line."

Inky Rose said, “I wondered why Lady Ewe wasn’t with you. Is she no longer your teacher?”

"No, she is," explained the wayward witch. "But she’s on maternity leave, so to speak.”

“Oona’s pregnant?!” They both exclaimed.

Beatrix nodded, her cheeks colored. “It’s a long, complicated story, eheh~.”

"Well, we’d love to hear all about it," assured the shadow queen, smiling widely. "Oh, I think it’s almost time!”

Iclyn raised a skeptical brow and asked, “Time for what?”

“You’ll soon find out! Everyone, come at once!" Both Inky and Sombra rose, leading the travelers out of the throne room and up the stairs. They made their way to the pyramid's apex, which overlooked the lit-up capital far below.

Stygian, who hadn't spoken until now, said, "I regret to inform your majesty that the Necronomicon has been taken."

"The folly is mine," Somnambula further elaborated. “I should have been more cautious…”

"I'm sure it couldn't be helped,” said Sombra, who shook his head. “Nothing good has ever come from that infernal tome. I take it that’s why you’ve come to visit us, Beatrix?”

"Y-yeah, partially!" Beatrix admitted, twiddling her thumbs. "An old foe's stolen the Necronomicon, but he's the least of our worries! Portals have been spawning around multiple dimensions, one of which brought a three-headed dragon to the desert. I-I think it might be my fault..?”

She tittered in an attempt to play it off, but a stern glare from Iclyn made the sigh and relent, “Okay, it’s probably my fault.”

"We managed to seal him in a mountain for the time being," Ashen said, removing a map where he'd marked the area. "Unfortunately, those scorpions appear to see this 'Andrei' as their leader?”

"Hmm. A dark omen indeed," noted Sombra, stroking his fuzzy chin.

Cerise added, "That’s why we came to seek help from Penumbra! Any chance he's here?"

"He should still be with his wife, Lily," replied Inky before gasping in excitement. "Wait, I just realized! All of my children have finally found someone to call their own! Have you started a herd, Ashen?" Her sly smile widened.

Both the young prince and ballerina flourished. While awkwardly rubbing his neck, Ashen said, "Well, you see...Rheneas isn't from our world, so I'm not sure how she'd feel about that custom." He cleared his throat when turning to his friends. "Our world's still on the brink of death after what the Eldritch did. So to repopulate it-"

"Most stallions have formed their own harems with at least two mares," finished Cerise, her cheeks rosy as her hot pink eyes. "That’s one reason I formed a herd with Midnight and Moonlight! Someday, we'll have to help fill the lands with our own children! But not until I'm ready to definitively end our adventures!"

"O-oh my," Rheneas said softly, profoundly considering the implications. “I’m not sure I’m ready to share my life like that. Especially after being a prisoner in my own body!”

Ashen brushed his multicolored silk scarves and cleared his throat. “L-let’s not worry about that, my friends. This is a time for wild celebration!"

"Indeed! The people need this too," surmised Somnambula. "And since we are not tasked to harbor the Necronomicon anymore, I wish to return to your service, as your priestess."

"I wish to aid this country as well," said Stygian, who bowed, a tome clutched in hand. "I am but a humble scholar, so hopefully, my research will prove useful to this land’s prosperity."

Inky shared a nod with her husband when she said, "Of course! You two are always welcome in our kingdom! In truth, we need your aid!"

They were interrupted by the pops of fireworks that exploded across the dark skies. The time of the ceremony had come, after which many citizens below started to cast off their clothes, danced, drank, and openly made love in the streets, numerous soldiers on standby to make sure events didn't spiral out of control. Cheers erupted and threatened to drown out the music.

It wasn't unlike specific festivals Cerise had heard her parents partook in before, usually when they were in the Dragon Lord's realm. Everyone was free to partake in whatever partners they preferred until the morning sun fully dawned. Or, in most cases, several partners at a time. Her mother and father casually disrobed and welcomed them to release themselves, whereupon the couple started to make out.

Cerise beamed, her charcoal fur still afire while glancing at the wary Rhenaes. "I know our customs may seem weird to outsiders! But you don’t have to worry about participating if you don’t want to. Though, truthfully, I wouldn’t oppose it if you joined me, Moony, and Middy for a session!” She drew closer to the ballerina.

“R-really?” The jade crystal mare pursed her lips. “Even after all the things, I’ve put you and your husband through?”

“You and Doppia were two separate people,” the daughter of darkness insisted. “I don’t blame you for her atrocities. You deserve happiness, whether that’s with my brother or with us! You’re better than you think you are, Rhenny.”

“I… don’t know what to say,” the ballerina admitted, though she offered a gracious smile. Cerise took her slender hands and squeezed them tightly, aware that Rhenaes likely didn’t feel like she deserved such kindness.

Iclyn, on the other hand, couldn’t hide her disdain for the shameless hedonism below. "How revolting…" she muttered, her snout pointed high.

"You say that, yet you continue to watch," observed Beatrix, smirking at the icy doe. "C’mon, live up a little! It’s a festival."

“And while they’re busy fucking around, the multiverse crumbles from your tomfoolery,” Iclyn coldly reminded her. “Meanwhile, the deighdyr suffer an insidious blight. Would it kill you to show some initiative to your mission?”

"Now, now." Inky paused between her kisses with Sombra, their snouts still connected by a trail of saliva. "There’s a perfect reason we’re so adamant on public fornication~.”

"Mhm! You have to understand," mumbled Sombra, his palm upon his wife's round ass when he claimed a handful of the squishy flesh. "We estimate the Eldritch wiped out ninety percent of Equestria's population. Then, Zeloph killed thousands more, including many of my best soldiers. The sanctimonious bastard…”

“Oof. I wonder when it’ll be a good time to mention that he’s on our side now,” Midnight whispered quietly to his wife, who gulped.

Sombra continued. “To return life to this planet? I would do whatever it takes, regardless of what anyone thinks. This is about survival!"

"I probably can't bear any more children," Inky confessed, mewling as her husband continued to molest her rump and tits. "But we rulers need to participate, too! This is a tantric ritual of fertility!"

"Ahh," mused Somnambula, smirking. "I see you’ve read my ancient texts for inspiration."

Sombra laid his wife down when he said, "This is the best we can do for our p-people…nnnaaagh~!" He paused, met by a moan when he fully sheathed his stallionhood inside Inky, met by her coos. "While our sons seek out territories to expand our nation!" He rocked his queen, bouncing her jiggling flank atop his lap.

"Wow," said Rheneas, her face heating up when her lover pressed close behind.

"We don't have to participate in all this," reassured Ashen as he nuzzled and traced the crystal pony's shapely hips in his smooth palms.

“More for me then,” Beatrix chimed in, drooling at how hot and heavy the royal couple went at it. "Damn, I wish Oona was here! Or Dion! Or Moxxi~!! Or Omen~!!! Or-"

Iclyn wiggled her fingers to lower the temperature around the witch, who began to shiver. Her violet fur visibly turned a lighter shade of blue. “H-he-hey..!”

“That should cool you down,” huffed the snow caster, who turned to approach a handmaiden on the sidelines. “Show me to my room. The damp smell of musk is suffocating…”

They strode back down as Beatrix eventually heated back up, pouting deeply. “Party Pooper…”

“Ahh, forget her,” Moonlight said. “We should enjoy our time here while we can! You sure took an eyeful of those nude dancers, huh, Middy~?”

The blue pegasus boyishly chuckled. "Y-yeah, a hyper-stallion always has quite an appetite! But they can’t compare with you two!"

Midnight squeezed his herd in close. Spurred on by the royal couple that shamelessly made love before them, not to mention all the nudity and copulation below, he painfully swelled in his pants while his firm hands started to wander across the supple curvature of his lovers.

Cerise resisted her own libido and said, "E-easy, big boy~! Iclyn had a point; business first! Hopefully, Penumbra and Lily aren't...you know!" Her herd nodded before they wandered off, with Ashen and Rheneas deciding to follow them.

Left alone once the others descended into the pyramid, Beatrix cast the royal couple a cheeky smile that spread her snout as Sombra finished inside Inky with a loud grunt. The shadow queen ran her fingers through her king’s mane, their mixing fluids leaking out her well-split pussy.

Licking her lips, the witch waved away her leotard, hat, and cape which faded into the ether and swayed towards the royal couple. The Violet unicorn asked, “Room for one more…~?”

They looked at her with delighted grins as Sombra said, “Thought you’d never ask.” He gently lifted Inky up, his fat black cock popping out of her pussy, allowing all that stuffed cream to messily spill out from the well-used foal-hole.

Beatrix cooed, settling between his legs while stroking in the cum layering his dick. “Ooh! For me? You shouldn’t have~!” She playfully purred once she ran her tongue over the thick base and rigid shaft, smacking her lips coquettishly at savory sensations of their combined tastes.

Sombra muffled into his lover’s kiss, relishing the feeling of his former student suckling up the leftover residue. The witch tended to his breeding sack, licking at each swollen orb before licking back up his length to suckle the tip. After a couple of bobs, Beatrix pulled off, admiring how Sombra’s thick black pillar shined in her saliva.

“Damn, your wife’s pussy tastes delicious~!”

Inky tittered, her eyes half-lidded. “There’s plenty more for you to sample from, dear~!”

Sombra sat up to lay his queen onto one of the thrones situated here, her thighs parted to show off her cum gushing marehood. Getting the hint, Beatrix shuffled closer until her snout was nearly pressed against the pegasus’ mound. And with the king kneeling behind her, the cheeky witch made sure to arch her back enough to push her plump posterior against his hardening shaft, wiggling it enticingly as she presented herself.

With no pleasantries needed, Sombra batted his black cock against Beatrix’s winking labia and impaled her, earning a muffled mewl. “Aaaaauh,” he growled lazily, patting her left butt cheek before slapping his hips into hers steadily. “I missed having this bubble butt to play with~!”

“Ehehe~! You mean you missed treating me like your personal fuck slave~?” Beatrix teasingly gloated, her cheeky remark earning a hard slap across her succulent ass, making her yelp as Sombra snarled and started picking up steam.

“Don’t get distracted,” the queen softly demanded, a hand gripping Beatrix’s platinum locks and guiding her snout back into her pussy. Inky whined needily, feeling her tongue scoop more of her husband’s royal jelly. Each pummeling thrust made the unicorn mare’s tits swing underneath, pushing her further between the queen’s slender legs.

There was a time Beatrix considered putting her vagabond days behind her, living in this world as part of Sombra and Inky’s herd. Despite how fulfilling life with them could be, she was glad to have ultimately decided against it. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have met and fallen in love with Oona, nor conceived Abadonna together. Not only that, there were still many possible places in the galaxy to explore!

But Beatrix could tell the king and queen later, her mind unable to focus on anything but the leaking pussy against her lips and the thick stallionhood trying to remold her pussy into his shape when he violently claimed her.

Once this round came to a close, Beatrix was more than certain another would occur in the couple’s private chambers~!

*****

A fine curved blade split the air. Each thrust and slash was akin to a dance as White Shadow Penumbra narrowed his eyes in concentration, his mane sticky below his turban. He'd lost his arm in the battle with the Burning King...but that mattered little compared to the men under his command sacrificed to end the tyrant. At least the replacement arm provided by the minotaur blacksmith, Moon Hammer, had taken to him as he ceaselessly practiced his swordplay.

His wife, Lily Longsocks, also swung nearby. She constantly told him not to push himself. But the pale pegasus proved just as stubborn as her, aware that rest would only force his pains to the surface. His white cape and tunic swept under each slice, plume rigid to match his dour mood.

Lily broke the silence to say, "I know the rules are different when the ceremony rolls around, so...you can seek the company of another mare or two, if you like. I won't be jealous, I promise!"

"You're all I'll ever need," Penumbra reassured her between precise strokes.

"I know that. But you’ve become too uptight! I can't bear to see you like this!" The earth mare pushed her way to meet him, forcing the swordsman to pause when she touched her snout to his. "You need to let all that tension out! And I don't care if that means using a few mares to do so! Just think of them as stress relief!"

"I would never touch someone like that," he insisted, cupping her cheek. “To wallow in hedonism...only you deserve my affection.”

Lily smiled and purred, “Oh, yeah? Then give it to me~!" The earth mare pushed Penumbra down onto the mat, their swords left to clatter when she straddled him. She pulled her top over her shoulders and let her heavy tits bounce free.

"N-naah! L-Lily, I-" They were interrupted by a knock at the door. "Wait, hold on a se-"

"Come in~," Lily called cheerily, reveling in any chance to tease her stoic husband. Her smile stretched at who came in while Penumbra's colored cheeks darkened, and he swallowed.

"Ah," squeaked Cerise. "Should have known better! We can come back at-"

"Nah, it’s fine! Stick around." Lily moved so her husband could sit up but rested her bare, pendulous breasts on his shoulder. "It's so nice to see you, everybody! Come!" She patted the mat.

Penumbra cleared his throat. “W-where is Beatrix? Wasn’t she with you?"

"She's, err, probably busy with the festivities,” guessed Cerise. "I know; I'm surprised to see you so soon! But I'm afraid we have all kinds of trouble!" She and her herd hastily explained what had happened at the manor, then about their encounter with Andrei in their realm.

"We also heard our homeworld's in trouble," added Moonlight solemnly.

Midnight nodded and proposed, "So we'd like you to come and help! If you want to, of course?"

Penumbra used his wings to gently set his wife aside and rose, his good hand cupped around his chin in thought. "Another dire threat, aye? I suppose that's where I shine best. But what about this ‘Kralot of Zmey?’ Surely, we must deal with the invasive dragon first?“

"Leave that nonsense to me, dear brother," boasted Ashen as he threw an arm around him.

“We’ll keep an eye on him and the scorpions," offered Rheneas before shyly looking to the floor. “Though I doubt I can be of much use…”

Ashen shook his head. "Nonsense! Your moral support is more than enough!"

Lily shook her head, bemused as she said, "I'll help too! Someone ran off and left me behind on that last adventure…” She gave her husband a swat upon his toned rump, making the pegasus yelp. Playfully she added, “But since he lost an arm, well, I'll consider us even!"

Penumbra gave a short cough before bowing his head. "Thank you. Both of you. Now, dear, would you please-?"

"Redress? Pft, why bother?! Not like they hadn’t seen me naked before," Lily tittered playfully, giving her bared breasts a shake. "We're all adults here, and it's far spicier outside! That reminds me, Cerise! Has that hyper-stud finally knocked a few buns into that steamy hot oven~?"

"N-not yet," chirped the princess, who madly blushed when Lily rubbed her belly. "Ashen's recently found me a suitable territory, so someday I'll have to settle down, govern it, and then birth one or two children of my own! But I want to make sure I can handle all that responsibility before I even start settling down!"

"That’s understandable," said Lily. "It's why we've hesitated on having kids as well."

"Especially since we're soldiers," interjected Moonlight. She stroked her metal bat wings that, much like Penumbra, were her own sacrifice to end the Burning King's tyranny. “Honestly, I’m not sure I'll ever be ready for a child..!"

Penumbra clasped his hands around Lily's midsection from behind and said, “That’s something only the future knows. For now, I'd be honored to come with you, sister. Perhaps I can assist in your training?"

"Sounds like a plan! Thanks, brothers," said Cerise when she warmly embraced them.

*****

Unable to make suitable clothes out of what she found in the forest, not to mention she wanted to put tons of distance between her and the changeling hive, Lightning Spark opted to sail fast as she could on her unfurled plume until she stumbled on the first speck of civilization. Her muscles ached when she landed nude on the outskirts, her ears met by the croons of roosters.

Perched in a crouched position on a tree branch, shaded by the leaves as the sun started to rise more, she spotted an apparently abandoned farm ahead. Her fist clenched around the pendant, delirious from the blur her life had been in the hive. She recalled the last time she saw her father and twin brother, and tried not to think about all the victims she was forced to abandon.

‘No, you mustn't think like that. You’ll come back with an army to save them,’ she swore internally.

Lightning swooped down and landed in a field, where blackbirds roosted atop a scarecrow. Swift feet raced into a home, which she immediately raided for food and clothes. "Come on," she grumbled under her breath as she shifted aside debris, smashed dishes strewn across the floor.

The pegasus drooled once her eyes settled on untouched pancakes covered in blueberries, syrup, and buttery. Instantly, she picked up a fork and scarfed breakfast down as her tummy bellowed. While cramming as much food as possible down her gullet, Lightning pondered what became of the previous inhabitants. Obliviously, they abandoned their home in haste.

The reason became apparent when she heard the familiar drone of buzzing. "Oh no!" Despite her hastiness, at least one changeling must have followed her trail. And if one scout had come, a swarm was bound to follow close behind it. Desperately, Lightning Spark fished out a butcher's knife and took cover further inside.

She couldn't afford to be caught now! Not when her mothers and thousands of other mares suffered their cruel fates! The pegasus mare could still picture Snowy’s thinned form swelled up by ovums and almost hurled up her meal.

A crash sounded when something landed on the roof. The staccato buzzing intensified, until a small swarm of changelings blotted out the sun and started to scour the farm. She clutched the knife closer in the shadows. Her heart skipped a beat when the monstrous scout crept inside.

Lightning had slain one already. At least maybe she could take another before she was captured!

When the drone closed in, she let out a shrill war cry and slammed the butcher's knife into his thorax. Gurgles escaped the changeling as he went limp and splashed her form in his stinky, rancid liquid insides. Her expression was fierce, well aware that more devils were on their way.

Windows shattered in a thunderous crash. The demonic insects hurled in amidst a hateful fury, Lightning barely able to swipe and graze one's carapace while several of them pinned her down. She trashed their hold when one of their numbers popped and raised his ovipositor.

One of them twisted his feelers when he telepathically communicated, (What are you-)

(She killed two of our own,) cast back the one poised before her as the spike from his ovipositor traced over her slit. (She will breed us more.)

(We can do that back at the hive! Our numbers will continue to dwindle if we don’t figure out how to rid ourselves of that wretched fungus!)

(Which is why we mustn’t let her slip away… Not until I’ve implanted a few eggs in her womb, to slow her down.) The insectoid creature chittered, its ovipositor inching towards her slit, which inflamed and moistened at the unwanted touch.

"You monsters," she cried, spiteful at the part of her brain that didn't understand consent. Only that the fertile mare was about to be bred for the first time in her life. Her pert breasts heaved while its maw drooled over them, her limbs held wide open by its horrific companions.

Her ears perked at the sound of heavy stomps, her eyes noticing that the rest of the swarm suddenly backed off, as someone else entered the abandoned house. The perpetrator saw too late before fish hooks surged through his face and splattered Lightning’s chest and stomach in its colorless blood, his body left to slump.

The metal blades retracted into the wielder’s gauntlet as she drew back. A muscular thestral mare, covered with scars, wore a threatening grin. “Did someone call for an exterminator~?”

"What-" Lightning could barely follow the blur of activity as her rescuer spun away from a drone's attack, slashing its throat open. The thestral danced between the changelings with practiced eased, all the while laughing maniacally whenener she carved apart the insectoids.

"Not so tough now, huh, pissants?!" The ruthless bat mare taunted, slamming one changeling into the hard wooden floor. A sickening crunch sounded each time she twisted off each of its limbs, almost drowned under its incessant screeching. Her sinister smile stretched back as she grabbed its ovipositor and gave a clean rip, presenting the dissected organ to the swarm which shrank back. “Who wants to go next~?”

Realizing the imminent danger before them, the drones retreated through the hole in the roof. With a ‘tsk,’ she tossed the dismembered appendage away while stomping her clawed foot on the shrieking creature which squished below.

Recovering the butcher’s knife, Lightning Spark rose and cautiously approached her rescuer. The female thestral was clad in a chainmail bikini, the top holding up her petite yet perky bosom. A cowl adorned her shoulders, resembling the shape of a bat. Large leathery wings remained furled behind her back. Bandages coiled thighs beneath steel-high boots. Battle scars caressed musculature, a hint of suppleness to her curves.

When the thestral turned to face her, Lightning found one of her macaroon yellow eyes hidden behind a brown patch. Her lapis blue mane was shaved at the sides, stylized in a mohawk. The two mares stared at one another before one lingering drone dropped down for a surprise attack. Before the bulky bruiser could react, the pegasus chucked her knife and drove the monster into the wall, right through its abdomen.

“Whoa.” The thestral observed the changeling as it twitched feebly. She brought her gaze and smirk back to Lightning and complimented, “Nice throw!”

“T-thanks,” gulped the pegasus mare, hesitantly offering a hand. “I-I’m Lightning Spark.”

The bat mare took it with a firm grip before introducing herself. “Equinox.”

“I would have been a goner if not for you!”

"Ahh, don’t think about it. It was only more trash to dispose of,” she waved off, a hand on her hip. “I was sent here when we got word that a changeling hive had spawned close by. And from the looks of it, our sources were correct.” Equinox briefly scanned the pegasus, noting how frail she was. When Lightning cautiously covered herself with her pale plumage, the thestral grinned and asked, “So what’s your story? You look like you’ve seen better days~.”

Lightning explained with colored cheeks, “I-I was a prisoner in one of their hives! I have to find Commander Shining Armor. Do you know him? O-or, at least, where I could find him?"

At the drop of his name, Equinox’s expression shifted from ferocious predator to curious cat. “Know him? Pha! I work for the old fart,” she chuckled.

“Y-you do? But you don’t look like a soldier!”

The bulky thestral scoffed. “Time has changed, sweetheart. With the changeling’s reemergence, many ponies are preparing for another war, taking shelter, or evacuating the Crystal Empire entirely! Not a lot of brave volunteers for the Peacekeepers with new reports of abducted or strange disappearances every day…”

Lightning’s heart became heavy thinking about Midnight and how he mysteriously vanished.

“That’s where us marauders come in,” Equinox continued as she wandered around the room, scooping food and anything shiny into her arm. “We roam the land in search of any clues pointing towards changeling hives, mostly with deserted establishments like this. If it hasn’t been destroyed and appears valuable, we take it as payment.”

“W-what? But that's stealing?"

“Uh, yeah? Weren’t you raiding their fridge before the swarm dropped by~?”

“T-that was just for survival! I wouldn’t have done this otherwise!”

“That sounds like a you problem,” the scarred beauty shrugged before munching on an apple. “The way I see it, Sparky…” She gulped down her mouthful, wiping some of the juices off her lip. “...when the world goes to shit, everything’s fair game. Best to grab whatever you can and give nothing back!”

Lighting Spark pursed her lips, her eyes narrowing. “Don’t tell me you’re expecting me to pay you for a way back to the Crystal Empire. I have nothing to offer!”

"Pft~! I’ll say,” the pirate batmare said teasingly, taking in the nude pegasus with a cheeky smirk. “Nah, I can take you to him. Locating the changeling queen’s hive takes top property. And any information you have is just as valuable as any jewels stored away here. Though you might wanna find something to wear first. Unless you wanna draw more attention with your saucy display~.”

With a nod, Lightning Spark headed to the back of the house and rifled through the drawers. She slipped into a simple pair of panties, bra, blouse, shorts, and boots, thankful that at least she didn't have to live and feel like an animal anymore.

Yet she couldn't deny her savior worried her. The way Equinox brutally eviscerated those changelings made the pegasus shudder, recalling the sadistic glee on her face when torturing the insectoid monsters.

It was justified, given how she treated the changelings that violated her mother. But did that level of hatred and violence also extend to people who weren't a changeling?

“Times have changed,” Lightning echoed her words with a frown. “And everything is fair game…”

“C’mon, hurry up already!” Equinox's voice boomed through the hollow walls. “I ain’t waiting ten minutes for you to find the prettiest pair of panties!”

Not a minute later, Lightning raced outside the house to find Equinox carrying a sack full of belongings. With a nod, the two took flight as the pegasus tagged behind the marauder mare, hoping their journey towards the Crystal Empire would be prove swift and short.

*****

Amidst the celebration, Cerise decided to retire with her herd, whereupon they settled into her room. She drew a steamy bath in her vast chambers, which steamed and carried the scents of perfume while the threesome undressed.

Pulling her husband aside, she asked, “Can I speak to you, Middy? Just for a moment."

"Huh? O-oh, sure!" He pulled his attention away from Moonlight's shapely form while she settled into the heated waters, her prosthetics set aside to reveal the scarred nubs on her back.

Cerise watched her bathe from behind and commented, "Beautiful, isn't she?"

"Definitely," he chuckled, his emerald eyes pinned on his fellow cadet's plush posterior.

"I can’t stop worrying about her. She's been so depressed, though not that I blame her. To think she took that explosion meant for me..." Cerise cradled herself. "I'm not even naturally a bat mare! It's thanks to my father's sorcery that I mutated! I'd gladly let her have my wings if I could! But I'm not sure that's possible, so-"

"You can't think like that, babe. She was happy to save you," he insisted.

"I-I know. It might have been easier were she mad at me," confessed Cerise, who burrowed into his large plume as the fluffy feathers embraced her naked form. "But I want you to do me a favor. While I’m busy spending time with my family, I want you to focus all your attention on her."

"Fine by me!" He wrapped his arms about her front, pressed behind her as his shaft pulsed between her plush dark buttocks, the pent-up hyper-stallion barely able to restrain himself.

"I mean it, Middy! She needs you. Badly!" She considered it for a moment. "A-and instead of just showering me with affection, I’d like you to teach me how to play chess sometimes."

He cocked an eyebrow in surprise. "B-but why?"

"I know I'm not the smartest, especially regarding strategies. But I want to learn all that I can! And besides, it will be a chance to bond more and have fun! Instead of just having you fuck my brains out whenever we’re super horny~."

She tittered when she pirouetted out of his hold, then playfully traced her palm up his veiny shaft, which throbbed and flared. Midnight whined needily, reaching for her when the dancer stepped away. "Nuh uh! Save all that for her!"

Cerise snickered and blew him a kiss before skipping away. The blue pegasus grumbled, reminded of a conversation he'd shared with Dion and Zeloph. He knew he needed practice with his wings and figured now was the perfect opportunity! "Hey, Moonie," he called and plucked her up with his muscular arms.

"H-huh?" Moonlight gasped amidst a splash when he pulled her from the steamy, ivory tub.

"I-I uh… I wanted to try something with you tonight!" The hyper-stallion drove down his urges to take her right then and there, planted his fellow cadet stomach-down on a towel he draped over a table, then sat on her supple bottom while he used his wings to massage her grayish-purple skin and coat. "So, how does this feel...?"

"Middy? Er...o-ooh~!" She crooned and arced her back under his tender touches. His firm hands and pinions worked her all over in tandem, as he removed the knots from her muscles.

"I picked up a couple tricks from the twins," he explained, while he remembered the crystal maids that usually took care of the mansion Beatrix called home. His hands stroked her scalp, topped by a navy blue mane cut in a thoughtful manner that trailed over one side of her face.

"F-full body contact?" She rolled to face him, her yellow eyes lit up at her own memories.

"Oh yeah~," he beamed once he started to roll her tits in his palms and kneaded them. She bucked her abdomen up to meet his heated crotch, desperate to be taken by her hyper-stud.

Cerise poked her head back in to watch. Despite her own need to be claimed by him, the charcoal mare knew this was Moonlight's time for romantic attention. So, contented, she quietly dipped into the bath with a hand that drifted to her womanly mound. Her heart-shaped hot pink clitoris peeked from its hood, the pink button swollen as it winked when she slowly rubbed it.

She watched Moonlight's limbs wrap around Midnight, her ass raised when he took her in a mating press. The impaled thestral squirmed, squealing happily while her tits bounced and her buttocks smacked under his brutish thrust. Her pussy juice dripped down her puckered asshole.

Cerise toyed with one of her heavy tits while she rubbed herself faster, met by the sounds of her wet, messy schlicks. "Moonie~! A-ahh ah...Middy~!" She pictured herself in the mare's place, pinned down by the virile stud, repeatedly skewered until his meaty flare pierced her cervix.

Then her belly would swell up, her fertile womb filled until overflowing by the hyper-stud's excessive seed. Groans escaped Midnight when he impaled himself one last time, balls deep in Moonlight when he came. The filled mare screamed when she reached climax a moment later, her uterus filled until it threatened to burst, painted by blast-after-blast of sticky sperm.

Spurred on by the show, Cerise's lower holes clenched up when she messily squirted like her herd mate, and witnessed Midnight's fuzzy balls and groin soaked by Moonlight's feminine nectar. He kept her pinned in place by hands around her ankles; his eyes turned white as his erect flare pressed to the very back of her slippery womb.

A plop sounded when he withdrew from Moonlight's stretched cunt, which bubbled up a burst of spunk that rolled between her supple asscheeks and over her rectum, where it settled with her own womanly nectar. She asked, "Mmm...ready for another round, you sexy stud?"

"Just need a moment," he assured, still half-erect.

"Oh, not for me! Come on over here, princess!" Moonlight rose and patted the towel, as her free hand stroked the stud's half-erect pillar.

"Huh? B-but-" Yet the well-laid thestral insisted with her pats, so Cerise sheepishly rose from the tub, where her supple contours dripped on her way over, her usual hot pink pigtails let down and left to drift over her charcoal skin and thin fur. "Are you sure, Moonie? Because I wanted-"

"This is for me too," assured Moonlight, as she seized the princess by the waist and pulled her into a needy kiss. Cerise closed her eyes and leaned into it with a moan, their breasts smashed into a squishy hold as they pressed close, their hands left to wander across their moist flesh.

Moonlight's thighs spread when she pressed her still sperm-drenched, drippy twat to Cerise's own tight, moist cunt. Squishy sounded when they started to scissor each other, their stud now fully erect as his massive tool bobbed back to life, and his dense flare dripped in renewed, lewd need.

Cerise rolled and crawled atop her herd mate, her pert ass raised as the two mares presented their lower holes to him. "A-anywhere you like," she offered with half-lidded pink eyes, as she used a palm to spread an asscheek wide open, the pink of her pussy and asshole bared to him.

"What an offer," he chimed, his flare pressed to her snatch. Gradually he slipped in, filled her to fullness while she slowly moaned, while he stuffed a thumb up the princess's hot little ass.

It was a stud's duty to please his mares. To breed and help them, especially in moments when they were in the throes of estrus, and almost went crazed for relief. As a hyper-stallion, he was perfect for the role, but it also meant he would die early, as his body burned out from strain.

It was estimated that due to this rare condition, he would start to rapidly break down when he reached middle age, the stress his genetics put on his body sufficient to cause his collapse. So he wanted to make the most of his life with them!

Due to this, Cerise had almost bitten the bullet and rushed to have him knock her up, despite her wishes, as she wanted him to live on, if only through his kids. What would she and her herd mate do, were he suddenly lost in battle...?

Yet she restrained herself, since she and Moonlight continued to take the contraceptive potions that Beatrix routinely supplied. Under her, Moonlight continued to lock lips with the princess, as she recovered the hairbands and used them to bind Cerise's hair back into its twin-tailed style. Moonlight paused between kisses and asked, "You like to have your mane pulled?"

"Y-yeah...most mares do," confessed Cerise, her face aflame at the vocalization of a turn-on. She yelped when Midnight's hands firmly seized her pigtails like handlebars, then began to roughly claim her balls deep, as his flared punched past her cervix to breach deep into her slippery womb.

She moaned in what she felt was a whorish manner that didn't suit a princess at all, but knew her herd wouldn't judge each other, that so long as everyone was comfortable, none of their kinks were off-limits. She panted and draped her tongue from her snout, her charcoal cheeks clapped under each short thrust, her plush buttocks spanked by the thestral mare under her.

"Umph...ah...oh~!" Cerise cried each time her hyper-stud punched deep into her core. Smashed breasts collided with Moonlight's from each hump. Growls rose from Midnight's belly, his eyes burning white, since the feral instincts reduced him momentarily to little more than an animal.

Breed. Conquer. Dominate. Ideas that would have once been unthinkable to Midnight's gentle soul, but now consumed him as his musculature expanded, lined in visible veins under his fluffy fur, his titanic plume unfurled to its entire width.

Cerise surrendered utterly to his control, aware he would never hurt her. She trusted him wholly.

Finally, he cast back his head and howled when he came inside her. She, too, wrenched back; her breast arced as his seed started to fill her, and she screamed out her ecstasy. Gushers of her love honey painted his crotch and their lover below, while they rode out their euphoria.

Her stomach blossomed out like she was instantly pregnant with his children. Cerise panted when he finally released her, as an emerald hue and sanity returned to his eyes. Still locked to the hilt inside her, he immediately checked to make sure she was okay, and she cast him a silly smile, her eyes lidded when she shot him a couple of peace signs. "Th-thanks, Middy..."

"No problem," he replied, as he took a moment to proudly admire his work, his mares still swelled up with his spunk that dripped from them, and Cerise's ass spanked raw and red.

Yet the princess couldn't help but feel a tad guilty. This was supposed to be Moonlight's time, and the thestral had made another sacrifice for her sake. Nonetheless their herd mate appeared content. Cerise whispered, "Take care of her, Middy," when he leaned in close over her back.

Midnight looked at his fellow soldier and promised, “Always. You two are my world.”

*****

Time was a blur ever since Beatrix indulged the king and queen in their romantic affairs. She could hardly remember when Somnambula and Stygian excused themselves to continue their studies. Though another part of the witch figured the pair wanted some ‘quality alone time’ too!

Not that she blamed them! During a cool-down period to recover from round two of their steamy threesome, Beatrix shared her recent tales with Sombra and Inky Rose over drinks. Her adventure in the Lost World, encountering mystical creatures from forgotten folktales. The witch also mentioned meeting King Ambros, another universe's version of a Sombra that had found redemption, and the unfortunate fate that had befallen Cerise when her body had temporarily been stolen by Madame Doppia, with a few key details left out. Her parents nodded darkly, thankful her daughter had returned home okay.

Guards and handmaidens were dismissed when the trio went for one more round of passionate fornication. Sometime amid the messy blur of activity in their bedroom, the royal couple had fallen asleep, while Beatrix stayed awake, her naked body cuddled between the lovers settled within the sweat-stained sheets and comforters.

"W-wow," she whispered, as her bare bosom heaved in the dimness, caressed by cool air.

Violet eyes scanned Sombra and Inky as they snored softly, contented smiles on their snouts. The witch knew they routinely took handmaidens to their bedchambers, so this wasn't unusual. And it wasn’t like she hadn’t slept with Cerise’s father and mother before. She just hoped that the princess didn’t take issue with that.

Instead, her attention wistfully returned to her teacher and lover back home. She wondered how Oona was fairing under Omen’s care. Not to mention her sister, Bellatrix Primadonna, and her tulpa, Demi-Trix! As well as everyone else who'd decided to stay behind at the mansion.

“Gaah! What did they say to do again? Oh yeah!"

All she had to do was focus on either the dream faun or the nightmare stag before she drifted back to sleep, and they would be able to locate the wayward witch through her dreams upon entering a deep slumber.

Thanks to being exhausted from their tireless lovemaking, Beatrix was soon out like a light. But instead of the fluffy azure landscape full of lush imaginative flora and colorful bubbles, dark, harrowing woods appeared around her. She gulped, her arms cuddling close to her when she walked through the misty forest, left to shiver through a chill that blew through.

"H-hello? O-Omen, are you there?" called Beatrix. She tried to summon back her clothes, but only manifested her white-brimmed hat, which settled atop the violet unicorn's loose platinum locks.

"I am here," came the familiar baritone of the nightmare stag. His voice proved faint when she scrambled closer into the maze of towering trees, and an eerie miasma rolled over. "And I bring grave news..."

Beatrix gasped as a hand took hers, pulling her towards the gray buck, his melancholy expression not the least bit welcoming. "W-what’s going on?” she asked. “Why are we here?"

"We were betrayed," Omen answered, frowning. "I'm sure Bellatrix would have preferred to confess herself, but… her hubris got the better of her.”

“Confess what?”

Maroon eyes stared deeply into violets as he revealed, “Your sister has been harboring Countess Alma underneath the manor.”

“What..?” Beatrix sucked in a breath. "That can’t be true! She’d never do that… u-unless-"

"Unless she thought the Vice Lord could be ‘redeemed.’ Much like you did for Shadow Scythe and Zeloph when they were considered ‘evil.’”

“N-no, that was different! Alma is…”

“An alluring creature by nature,” nodded Omen. “Such beauty captivated your sister and filled her head with the foolish notion that the Baobhan Sith could be made her mistress. She still dreams of the day she’ll become Queen of Hell. Succubi are amoral, after all. And while you may have tamed your 'sister,' she can't change her basest desires, no matter how much she strives."

Beatrix's heart ached, squeezing the dark deer’s hand. "No, Bella… You should have told me! I wouldn't have judged you..!"

“That's not what matters now,” Omen continued, running a thumb over her knuckle. “Alma was freed by Esmeralda and Carmilla, the Countess convincing the vampires to serve under her. She’s also persuaded the manor to turn on Bellatrix, after which the automaton clockwork maids were then commanded to capture everyone else."

"So once again, it's my fault," Beatrix considered bitterly. She'd trusted Esmeralda and Carmilla, invited them into her home, and allowed them to supply the clockwork automaton maids; which quickly turned on her friends, the moment those that offered them demanded it. Her emotions conjured a gloomy cloud within the area, snow beginning to blanket the hollow earth.

“O-oh no. Oona! Is she-”

“Safe,” the nightmare stag confirmed, summoning a heavy cloak to cover Beatrix as the storm brewed about them. “For the moment.”

Beatrix shuddered, breathing a sigh of relief. "I-I have to return immediately!" Her lover was heavy with child! A miracle child, which she had helped rewrite the multiverse to save! What was the point of that, should she lost Abadonna before she could properly be delivered to live a full life...?

Omen shook his head. "It's not possible. Alma sealed all the paintings in the manor. And should you tried to open a portal there now, you'll tear a hole in reality so deep that it could cause the entire universe there to collapse in on itself.”

“But I can’t stand by while they're in the hands of those monsters! My–o-our baby is endangered!!”

A sad smile graced his face. “The only danger is what you can’t see. Luckily, I can in the form of a vision. So worry not, my dear. You’re doing all that you can for them as we speak.”

“Sure doesn’t feel like it,” she muttered, clutching her cloak tightly over her shoulders. “Iclyn’s right. I haven’t gotten any closer to solving this portal problem. The more time I waste, the worse reality seems to get! I’m... I-I’m afraid, Omen,” she admitted, sniffling. “I’m going to let everyone down one more time, aren’t I..?”

“It’s okay to be scared,” said the gray deer, pulling the troubled mare closer into his chest for warmth and comfort. “But you don’t need to face your fears alone. Oona may not be able to manage much, but I’ve sworn to protect her. And I will guide you along your journey the best I can.”

Beatrix forced a nod and tried to restrain her emotions from bubbling over. For now, she let his words soothe her, and his scent filled her nostrils, the storm rumbling overhead. The witch knew she couldn’t tell her friends about this yet. There was enough on their plates! Looking up at Omen, she asked, “Do you know what Alma’s planning?”

“Not yet,” he said with a grim frown. “So far, she’s tasked me to find and cook dinner for a feast she’s hosting in exchange for safety.”

“A feast?”

“She plans to invite other villains from the Lost World. I’m sure you can guess who I’m referring to…”

Her hands clutched into his fur. Queen Tatyana immediately came to mind, the wicked monarchy that ruled Canterlot through a fascist dictatorship. Which meant Lord Grimmwald was likely invited as well, Omen having hinted his knightly demeanor was just a facade. There was also that other sleazy Vice Lord who abandoned the apocalyptic fight with the Burning King.

The realm rumbled, darkness closing in. “You’re waking up,” muttered Omen, whose own monstrous shadow stretched over him. “We’ll reconvene here the next time you sleep. Until then, press forward, find the solution to fixing your spacial disturbances, and tell everyone.”

Beatrix froze like a child with their hand in a cookie jar and stammered, “B-but I can’t! There’s already enough-”

“No, Beatrix.” Omen’s and clasped around hers, his maroon gaze narrowed and his voice layered with a threatening undertone. “Hiding the truth is what brought this mess. Tell them… or I will!”

Beatrix whimpered; whatever plea she was about to make died in her throat as her entirety was swallowed by the ferocious blizzard, everything fading into black.

The witch shot awake the next moment. Her tits heaved, soaked in perspiration, thankful the drunken royal couple remained undisturbed.

A breath was sucked in when Beatrix spotted Iclyn seated in a chair, her perpetual frown evident. "Gagh! H-hi! What are you doing here!?” She whispered harshly.

"The door was unlocked, so I let myself in," stated the doe, as a thin bit of light spilled in and cast shadows over Iclyn. “A good thing I did. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have overheard your rambling in your sleep, asking about Oona and if she was okay.” The deighdyr’s aurora green eyes narrowed. “I suggest you start talking, Belladonna. Now.”

In response, Beatrix sheepishly hid her face under her hat's brim, cheeks flustered. Even if the witch could withhold Omen’s premonition from her friends, there was no way she could avoid Iclyn. She thought back to something Zeloph said and couldn't agree more at the moment. All deers were dicks.

“Can I at least get dressed first..?”

Chapter 3

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The fertility festival wound down with the dawn’s break, though remnants of it carried on, since many of the revelers were still worked up. After excusing herself to provide Midnight and Moonlight some promised alone time, Cerise Silhouette made her way down the pyramid and into the marketplace, flanked by guards. The stalls she passed were lined in aphrodisiacs, not to mention the baubles carved into phallic and yonic symbols, hoping they would promote more life.

The princess’ charcoal cheeks colored, and her soulful, hot pink eyes darted about the crowds. Some people slumped over naked in stupefied bliss. Save for the one she came to see; Rheneas, the crystal jade pegasus and a fellow dancer.

“Hey there~,” the charcoal thestral called with a wave and dashed across streets that kicked up dust to meet her.

“O-oh, hello, Cerise!” Rheneas returned her smile with a small bow.

Cerise skidded to a stop and asked, “Ashen Dunes isn’t with you? Don’t tell me he’s ditched you!” At this time of year, it wasn’t unusual for her brother to go through a dozen mares...and stallions too, come to think of it. “Don’t worry! If he dares break your heart, I’ll-”

“No, no! Nothing like that,” the ballerina insisted. “I decided to give him some space, actually.”

Cerise blinked a few times. “Huh? Why?”

Rheneas nibbled on her lip as she lamented, “He needs time to grieve the men lost during Andrei’s attack. Ashen assured me their families will be paid handsomely, but I know he feels responsible. All the money in the world can’t return the dead.”

“Y-yeah, that’s true.” Cerise wrapped her arms around her. “Still, can’t imagine you’d want to lurk around these parts. Weren’t you two able to get, erm, ‘intimate’ at the height of the festivities!”

“Well, I mean...” Rheneas flushed. “I did sneak into Ashen’s room for some ‘fun’ before coming here.”

“Raow~!” Cerise teased, pawing at her friend like a cat. Then noticing one of the stalls selling exotic wines, the princess approached the counter and tossed a small pouch that rattled with coins before the merchant. “Hit me with the richest stuff you’ve got. I want to show my friend how to properly party!”

Rheneas pursed her snout, divided as she looked between the bodyguards that followed the princess, despite her attempts to ditch them. “Cerise, I’m not sure-” Yet the dark dancer popped the cork, downed a heavy drink, then exhaled in satisfaction before offering the bottle. After a moment’s hesitation, Rheneas took a small dip. “Mmnh! I-it’s spicy!”

“Only the finest for one of my besties!” More music filled the marketplace as scantily clad (or full-on naked) dancers swayed to the rhythm. Cerise was quick to get into the action, raising her arms. She hiccuped and took another drink with a lazy titter. “Hic! ‘Scuse me,” the charcoal mare said. “Can I confess to something?”

Rhenaes finished another sip “Uhm, sure?”

“I’m still a little upset about what happened to you. To have your body stolen by a Vice Lord! I felt like Doppia and I could’ve been close friends… y’know if she wasn’t so evil! Though I’m not that distraught since I got a wonderful friend in you!”

“I’m mostly over it,” retorted Rheneas, offering a smile.

“Mmm, good,” moaned Cerise, eyes half-lidded, unaware the drink was laced with aphrodisiacs. Tipsily, she got up, pulled the ballerina from her seat, and sashayed towards the dance arena.

Onlookers gave jeers and whistles, kept at bay by the guards, while Cerise shot them a sly smirk and a wink once she lazily disrobed.

“Cerise? A-are you sure we should be-mmmph~!!,” came the muffled voice of Rheneas, as her snout was met by Cerise. Locked in a passionate kiss, Cerise traced her slender form in the midst of undressing the jade pegasus. Soon, their clothes fell away as they stood naked under the sun’s warm embrace, as Rheneas tasted cherries.

A smack sounded when Cerise reluctantly withdrew, their lips connected by a saliva trail as their eyes locked. Cerise rarely drank anything outside social functions, being a lightweight. She swayed on her feet as she admitted, “I wanted to invite you into my herd. I need someone I can trust because even between two mares, it’s hard to keep a hyper-stallion satisfied at all times. Not to mention how pleasantly sore it leaves us.”

Rheneas’ blush deepened. “Ah, really? I-”

“But I’m thankful you and Ashen found each other! If it doesn’t work out, you’ll always have a place ready in my court.” She closed her eyes, held her closer, and squeezed her.

As their hands idly wandered, Rheneas said, “Th-thank you, princess.”

With a head shake, she replied, “Just Cerise. Guess I’ll have to look some more and hope I find another mare to keep Middy healthy?” She tried not to ruminate on his limited lifespan, aware she was helpless to alter it. At best, she could always be there for him. “Hic! You have a really nice butt~,” she slurred and claimed a soft handful.

They lost themselves in another wild, carefree dance, worked up into a sweaty frenzy under the sun’s rays. Over time, Cerise sobered up a little, yet continually traced the contours of her friend’s supple form, as Rheneas playfully felt her up to more cheers. "You're really sexy too~!"

Jeers exploded louder when Rheneas laughed and emptied the rest of the bottle over them as they pressed closed, washed in a cascade of spicy alcohol that sloshed down their supple curves. It was a final opportunity to relax, to be carefree before they started their mission proper.

Unfortunately, their cheer was cut short when Beatrix appeared in a cloud of sparkly smoke, alongside the rest of the travelers she arrived with. “Hey there,” huffed the witch, hands resting on her knees. “Sorry to cut the party short, but we need to head back and start preparing for our departure!”

Cerise said, “Huh? Why, what’s the rush?”

The violet unicorn’s face grimaced as she said, “I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news…”

*****

“Out with it, Belladonna,” Iclyn urged sternly, arms folded. “Or would you rather I tell them?”

“I will! Just give me a moment to catch my breath!!” The wayward witch complained, leading both dancers back to the palace from the capital. Docked a few feet away waited Ashen Dune’s airship, undergoing repairs.

They boarded the downed vehicle, where the Ashen himself approached them with a smile. With a snap of his fingers, his men provided food and refreshments. All of them took their seats at a table, as their numbers included Midnight, Moonlight, and Penumbra. It wouldn’t take long until everyone was ready to follow Beatrix Belladonna into another climactic battle that could decide the fates of entire worlds.

Once she cleared her throat to claim their attention, Beatrix did her best to relay all Omen had told her. About what her sister Bellatrix Primadonna had foolishly done...and how Countess Alma had overtaken the mansion she once called home.

Once she finished, Iclyn spoke up. “I should have known better than to leave her with those monsters...”

“So there’s no way for us to aid Bellatrix and the others?” asked Penumbra, lost in contemplation when he rubbed his chin.

“Afraid not,” clarified Beatrix. “Which means I have to open a portal to Middy’s world if we’re to continue…” At least now, Iclyn couldn’t call her out on that choice this time. “It’s less than ideal, but we can’t afford to waste more time. We better say our farewells!”

Cerise nodded. “Right! Let’s visit my parents then; give them a heads up.”

“Yeah,” replied Moonlight. “We might not be back here for quite a while.”

“At least we won’t leave empty-handed,” said Midnight, as Penumbra had offered to help him further hone his swordplay and use his oversized wings.

Beatrix was about to follow them until Iclyn pulled her aside. “Before you do anything, we should go over a technique I think will give you the most control over your spacial powers.”

“W-wait, really?”

The icy doe nodded, shifting her gaze. “It is one of the reasons Oona sent me. And the less dimensional damage you do, the better.”

“Alright then,” replied Beatrix, as the rest of her friends talked and prepared to part ways.

“Follow me,” intoned Iclyn, leading the unicorn mare towards the balcony, a massive view of the dunes beyond the kingdom’s horizons.

Iclyn’s antlers flurried with snowflakes, harnessing what little moisture she could in the humid air. The ice she summoned was quickly reduced by the desert’s heat to a more liquid state. Carefully, she weaved the frigid shape before Beatrix’s eyes, forming it into a sphere.

“Your spatial magic acts similarly to water,” Iclyn began explaining. “Fluidness can be honed to a fine point, rather than the chaotic cascade it usually ends up in your hands. Go on, try it. Start small.”

Beatrix swallowed and nodded. Gradually, she called on the power of the cosmos and felt it flow throughout her to the surface as the air around her palms warped. No one had been able to formally train her in this unique art since awakening these abilities. The wayward witch had been little more than a child, forced to mature fast when she faced the Cult of the Nemesis. She followed Iclyn’s lead and slowly felt her magic settle, much like the ice doe’s magic.

“Hey! I-I did it!”

Iclyn examined the results before giving a curt nod. “Obviously, it’ll take more concentration to open a stable portal for seven people. But not a bad start.”

“Thank you,” Beatrix replied, smiling graciously. Though Iclyn wore her perpetual frown, part of the witch was relieved to finally see a hint of the doe’s softer side. Perhaps their recent predicament moved her to become less snarky? Either way, it helped Beatrix get a bit more understanding of the person Oona had fallen for before years of bitterness took their toll...

Nonetheless, it was time to leave this world behind. No doubt Sombra, Inky Rose, and Ashen Dunes could deal with Andrei once he escaped, especially with help from Lily, Somnambula, and Stygian. No, more importantly they needed to see what troubled Midnight’s and Moonlight’s world, and whether the changeling hives that threatened it were really so widespread.

*****

On their way towards civilization, Lightning Spark and Equinox stumbled upon a mysteriously placed town that hadn’t been marked on any maps. It looked like a typical rustic villa, not too far from the farm they had left behind, albeit this one filled with many tall, bulky minotaurs and curvy holstaurs. Most were barely clad in little more than loin cloths while they went about their business in the afternoon. Only a few addressed the pegasus and thestral, the latter wary of staying out of their way.

“What is this place?” asked Lightning, her eyes wide with curiosity.

“Hell if I know,” replied Equinox. “I didn’t think the bovine people still thrived here, what with the changeling hoards nearly wiping out most of the other races. Hmmm…” She noted a few minotaurs were armed with halberds and shields, pauldrons guarding their massive shoulders. A thoughtful smirk spread her snout. “I wonder what it would take to persuade them into our Warband…~.”

The pegasus mare tilted her head. “H-huh?”

“Don’t worry about it,” the marauder hastily waved off before lightly pushing Lightning towards a post. “Do me a solid and stay here. I’m gonna ask around, see what I can learn.”

“B-but wouldn’t it be better if we-”

“I don’t take orders from you,” reminded Equinox bluntly, glaring at the pegasus. “Just don’t move from this post! I’ll be back shortly.”

Lightning swallowed a defiant retort as the bat mare walked over to a group of minotaur bruisers. She leaned back into the wooden pillar with a scrunched snout and crossed arms.

She never intended to be a soldier, especially when people like Equinox clearly outranked her. In fact, before the invasion, her ambition was to become a Wonderbolt!

She trained tirelessly under the watchful eye of her mother, anticipating the day of the tryouts. But it never came, since Queen Chrysalis sent a battalion to overtake the skies. The memory made her fist clench up. Electric blue eyes scanned for Equinox, who was still chatting with the locals. Lightning tapped her foot impatiently.

“Who is she to get off treating me like a child?” the pegasus muttered under her breath. “I might not be built like a shit brick house, but I can fend for-”

“Aniki!?!”

A whiny cry pulled Lightning’s attention away. Her ears perked as the sound came from behind. Her eyes spotted a crouching child-shaped figure hiding behind one of the market stands. Yet not one singular minotaur nor holstaur paid any mind to the excessive whining.

After hesitation, she abandoned her post and approached the corner. Her eyes widened to find a small raccoon dog wearing a short basil green kimono. Plump purple hair styled into a hime-bob cut contracted her brownish fur, a leaf ornament clipping her left bang. Tears seeped out of her closed eyes, curling herself further into her bushy ringed tail.

“H-hey hey! It’s okay; I’m not gonna hurt you,” insisted Lightning, kneeling down to her level.

Sniffling, the child turned to face her and repeated, “A-Aniki… Aniki!”

“Oh, is that your mother?”

The raccoon dog shook her head.

“Erm… father?”

Another shake.

“Brother??”

This time, she barked, “Aniki!!”

An endearing smile crossed Lightning's lips. “Brother! Gotcha. Truth be told, I’m looking for my own brother as well! You wanna come with me and see if we can find them?”

The child nodded and eagerly took her hand, following the taller pegasus back to their post, where Equinox was waiting with a look of irritation. “I thought I told you to stay put!”

“S-sorry,” the pegasus sheepishly replied, rubbing the back of her neck. “But I heard this little raccoon girl crying and-”

The marauder arched an eyebrow. “What raccoon girl? And where’d you get that log?”

“Log?”

Lightning looked down and, to her surprise, found herself holding the stem of a wooden piece conveniently shaped like the raccoon dog. “W-what the?!”

Childish snickering drew their attention to the top of the post, where the child wore a cheeky grin. But Lightning’s eyes dilated at what she was holding in her paw. Her family pendant!

“W-what? Hey!!” She cried, checking her neck to confirm it was no longer around her neck. “That’s mine!!”

“Kyūban!” the raccoon girl retorted, sticking out her tongue before making a great leap onto the top of the stands.

“Get back here!!” Lightning yelled as she spread her wide wings to take flight, ignoring Equinox’s orders as she chased after the little thief, who continued to taunt her with laughter.

Unfortunately, it was difficult for Lightning to do more than sail across the enclosed settlement as, like her twin brother, her plume was unusually expansive. At top speeds, she proved almost untouchable, yet strained to reach them as a trade-off.

Further in, she chased the child, unconcerned with the minotaurs and holstaurs that watched them when they thundered past a clothesline, where towels fluttered in the wind.

“Damn it,” she cried, the raccoon child always one step ahead. “Slippery little brat!”

Upon realizing they were reaching the outskirts, the raccoon girl jumped into a stationed cart full of baskets, squirming her pudgy body inside before closing the lid. Lightning swooped down to inspect the woven box, only to find it empty.

Frustrated, she looked through every basket, failing to realize the cheeky raccoon dog slowly popping out of a different weaved case opposing the cart. With a wooden flute in hand, she used it like a blowgun to fire a small pebble at Lightning’s flank, causing her to yelp.

“Gaaauh! Why!?” She groaned, rubbing her cheek. The tanuki child continued to point and laugh at the pegasus’ expense. But it was cut short when a hand seized her by the neck and hoisted her.

“You’re a troublesome tyke, aren’t you?” Equinox scoffed while the child thrashed about in her iron grip. “I outta crush you for wasting my time!” This made the raccoon dog squirm harder, realizing how dangerous the thestral was.

“W-whoa whoa! Take it easy, Equinox!! She’s just a kid,” defended Lightning. Despite her annoyance, she didn’t want the thieving toddler in harm’s way!

“Then if she knows what’s good for her, she’ll return what she stole before I snap her like a twig~” the bat mare threatened, smiling maliciously.

“Aniki! Aniki!!” She managed to call out.

Equinox gave a stiff snort. “Please! I’m not so gullible to fall for that bullshit. Now do what I said or-“

Something lithe and fast leapt onto the thestral’s shoulders, swiping the crying raccoon child out of her grasp and propelling themselves off with a kick. The motion pushed Equinox into the cart as the assailant skidded across the ground.

Lightning rushed to help the marauder, who rudely slapped her arm away while glaring hotly at her attacker.

Placing the raccoon dog down, the figure appeared to be vulpine in nature, with his large, tuff-filled ears poking through his hood and the big bushy tail tipped in blackish violet, which protectively coiled around the frightened child. He was garbed in a purple sleeveless gi, baggy white pants tied around his hips by a green sash. The hood was wrapped by a blue cloth with a cloud pattern, acting as a scarf around his neck.

Lightning noticed a tattoo on his left shoulder, a stylish fox with nine tails fanned out like the sun. And complete his already foxy appearance was the pale mask with crimson markings. Ocean green eyes shone through the holes, staring intently at the two mares.

“Harm a hair on her head, and it’ll be the last mistake you make,” the fox man warned in a husky voice.

“I’d like to see you try, pal,” growled Equinox.

“Your little sister stole something precious to me,” Lightning tried to reason. “Not to mention she shot a stone at my butt!”

“Chisana-Ha…” He looked down at the small raccoon dog, who smiled sheepishly and tucked the pendant away.

With a frustrated sigh, he faced Lightning and said, “Look, we really mean no harm-”

“Oh yeah? Then care to explain why you’re taking stuff that doesn’t belong to you?!” The pegasus mare pointed to the brown bag tied between his sash and hip, likely containing more stolen goods. Her frown deepened, remembering how Equinox stated everything was fair game.

“Now that you mention it,” Equinox added in. “Folks around here said something about a couple of bandits making off with their food and merchandise. I bet that’s you two, isn’t it?”

“Don’t pretend you know me,” glowered the fox man. “If anything, you’re no better than us! I’ve heard many marauders started rising ever since civilization began to collapse! So what gives you the right to judge?!”

The bar mare flashed a grin and retorted, “I’m at least getting paid to hunt low-rate scavengers like you. But don’t worry. There’ll be plenty of time for us to get to know each other… behind bars~!”

When the thestral extended the fish hooks in her gauntlet, the fox bandit instructed his accomplice to, “Run!”

Instinctively, the little raccoon girl snatched the satchel from his belt and made a beeline for the underbrush. As Equinox lunged, he wasted little time in evading the attack. She snarled as every attempt to hit him failed, with the vulpine weaving, blocking, or countering her strikes with his own.

Their skirmish drew attention as a few civilians gathered, some running off to alert the leader. Also observing was a lone stallion layered in a trench coat, who avoided detection by hiding behind a stand. His tired eyes focused on the strangers with interest and speculation.

“Grraagh! Stand still!!” huffed Equinox, growing fatigued. He wasn’t dishing out any real damage to her, but clearly, he didn’t need to when his agility and martial poise were admittingly top-notch. At this rate, the marauder was going to be too tired by the time the foxy bandit started fighting more seriously.

But fortunately for her, solace came in the form of a high jump kick from Lightning, knocking the vulpine away. He grunted, his paw clutching his torso.

“What are you doing?” Wheezed the burly thestral mare. “Stand back. You’ll only get in my way!”

“No,” Lightning refused adamantly, fists raised in front. “I can help!”

Begrudgingly, Equinox cast aside her bruised ego and retook a battle stance, the pair cautiously approaching the fox bandit, who let out a dry chuckle.

“Two against one? Oh, that’s hardly fair…” Clapping his paws together, a greenish blue aura shimmered as a wooden staff formed, spiraling markings etched in the bark. Then his tail unraveled into three as two clones of himself emerged from behind, spinning their own weapons. As they launched into the air, the fox bandits barked in unison, slamming their staffs into Lightning and Equinox, who blocked with their forearms.

The fighting pressed on until the larger mare managed to break one vulpine’s staff and jab her gauntlet into his stomach… only for the decoy to dissolve in a flurry of leaves. “Huh!?”

Lightning managed to lock another fox man in a chicken wing armbar hold before the same thing happened. Perplexed, it took both mares a moment to realize the original had fled into the valley with his accomplice, who piggybacked on his shoulders.

A voice boomed before either of them could pursue the bandits. “Enough!”

Lightning and Equinox pulled their attention towards the lumbering hoof stomps. A bulky minotaur arrived, soaked in perspiration, dressed in an apron that fell over his loincloth. A heavy hammer rested along his shoulders. “This is a peaceful territory,” he stated. “We don’t tolerate any violence here!”

“Oh yeah? And who the hell are you?” demanded Equinox.

“Moon Hammer,” he answered, eying both mares with steely eyes. “I’m the chieftain here. And if you don’t want to be reduced to paste, I suggest you leave. Quietly.”

Equinox clenched her fangs and bristled when she met his cool stare.

“P-please! We didn’t mean any harm,” Lightning Spark pleaded. “Those thieves took my pendant! That’s the last keepsake I have of my mom!” Her eyes welled with tears, the fear of never seeing Snowy Blizzard again swelling within her chest.

Moon Hammer’s gaze softened, a wave of sympathy washing over him. Noticing the familiar emblem on the bat mare’s cowl, he said, “You’re connected to Shining Armor’s forces, aren’t you?”

“We were just passing by until we ran into the raccoon kid and the vulpine,” answered Equinox, who folded her arms.

The minotaur nodded. “We’ve had our fair share of trouble with them the last few days. We’ll be sure to ship it to the Crystal Empire for you when we’ve apprehended them.”

Lightning Spark pouted, “So you’re not gonna help us find them?”

“You have to understand. Every race has suffered thanks to Chrysalis’ resurgence. We already have enough on our plate. We don’t need any more violent outbursts.” He stared hard at Equinox when saying this.

“Hrrrn, damn it all!” cursed Equinox, kicking a nearby rock away. “It’ll take days until we can track him and that raccoon turd. Some help you are…”

The minotaur snorted when he turned. “Regardless of your status with Shining Armor, I will not tolerate anyone who promotes needless aggression. Now, if you excuse me, I must tend to my wives at home.”

Lightning’s cheeks colored a tad. “Wives? How many?” While she wasn’t usually into his type, it was clear he was fit in all the best places as her eyes fell on his chiseled buttocks.

“A pair of twins. A shame you won’t get to meet them. They love to dote on new people.” A silly smile lit the minotaur’s face, a pep in his step while he told his people to continue their business.

Lightning Spark turned to Equinox with a disheartening sigh and said, “Guess we’d better be on our way…”

The marauder mare grumbled, “Fuckin’ pain in the ass blacksmith. I could kick his ass harder than he hammers anvils!”

“He seemed pretty nice to me. And we did cause him some trouble,” the pegasus mare admitted, her snout pursed. “At least the rest of my stuff seems to be in order?”

“Yes, cause Celestia knows what’ll happen if you fall for more crocodile tears,” Equinox said as she shook herself dry. “Let’s hit the road before darkness comes!” The pair resumed their trip, disappointed that they couldn’t stop and rest as intended. They kept a careful watch in case another swarm of drones found them. Or if they ran into those thieving mammalian again.

The only one who saw them off was the lone stallion, who reached into his coat and sparked his fingertip to light a cigarette he placed in his mouth. “Heh! Seems those two aren’t used to tusslin’ with a tanuki and kitsune. The sly bugga hasn’t even earned all his tails yet! Pretty unusual to find a pair of yokai this far out from their realm. Granted, I suspect this whole minotaur town isn’t supposed to be here either…”

Ever since attending Cerise’s wedding at the mansion, Arcanum Folklore tapped into a new form of magic. And, with practice, he had finally replicated the spell he’d seen Beatrix cast.

Unfortunately, this spatial power threatened to burn him out, as he was forced to rest for hours afterward with every cast. Furthermore, the scruffy stallion learned it was beyond him to transport anyone else from the tiny slice he made between dimensions...in fact, the first few times he cast it, he’d arrived fully naked.

“At least this trip blessed me with some smokes, clothes, and a jacket this time ’round,” mused Arcanum. “Fuck me. Seems this dimension really is trapped in a flux, ain’t it? Can’t get a bloody signal to message O.S.S about the mission.”

Undoubtedly, it was responsible for pulling both the villa of bovines and the yokai bandits. Left alone, Arcanum feared this entire universe would crumble from the contradictions, as it strained to finally settle onto one reasonable continuity.

“Bang up job muddling this world, Beatrix,” scoffed the stallion. “What are the chances you’re on your way to clean up this bloody mess?”

For the moment, he finished his smoke, tossed the butt aside, and headed back to his makeshift tent. Looked like he was on his own!

“Shit, at this rate? Things are bound to get worse well before you even arrive…”

*****

Out in the wilds, the fox bandit perched on a stone, surveying the tall grass. Once he was certain no one had followed them, his stare fell to the raccoon below him.

“What have I told you about stealing anything that wasn’t necessary?” he scolded his sibling softly. “Haven’t we made enough enemies as is? It’s bad enough we’ve resorted to multiple raids from these good people...”

“Kyube-san,” pouted Chisana in an apologetic tone, her ears flattened.

Exhaling, he sat down and scooped her into his lap, removing the white mask. Behind it was a sad smile on his bright orange snout. “What’s done is done, I suppose. I’m just glad you didn’t get hurt.”

Chisana nuzzled into his chest as he embraced her tightly. Kyube pointed his nose towards the sky, sniffing the air. “What a strange world this is,” he commented. “The magic here’s been twisted by some unknown force. The question is, is it benevolent...or evil?” His mind wandered to a recent, albeit brief encounter.

In the morning, the fox yokai visited a pond to wash in… and discovered a vixen where his reflection should have been. She didn’t look like any of his birth brothers or sisters, yet she had full nine tails, which denoted she must have been a mighty deity. She certainly carried herself with the poise of one, her movements precise to match her royal beauty as she bathed too.

Had he’d briefly seen into another universe? Perhaps several dimensions were in flux, like this one. And if so, would they ever be able to return home?

“Aniki?” Chisana broke his reverie.

“Sorry, my mind was elsewhere,” he assured, briefly looking over the stolen pendant around his neck. “In any case, we should return this to that poor mare. She looked extremely distraught about it. Hopefully, they haven’t gone too far.”

Kyube hopped down and put on his mask. “And this time, stay where I can see, Chisana-Ha. I don’t want you getting into any more trouble!”

With a nod, the tanuki girl stuffed their latest findings into a sack she carried over her shoulder. Once they collected their bearings, the bandits headed back into the dense wilderness.

*****

A final trip was taken back to the pyramid’s throne room, where King Sombra and Queen Inky Rose awaited. “We’re so proud of you,” said the teary-eyed queen, smiling at Cerise from her silver chair. “All of you,” she added when she looked at her handsome sons and their friends. “I wish you didn’t go on these adventures so frequently, but I’m sure Beatrix will take wonderful care of you, like always.”

“No small part on my end, for sure,” chuckled Sombra. “You’ve come quite a long way, my student. You all have, really. You’ll have to be my sword in my place, White Shadow Penumbra.”

“That I will,” assured Penumbra, who bowed his head. “And Lily will look after this place in my absence.” He returned his wife’s warm smile as she stood beside Somnambula and Stygian, the pair of them also dedicated to protecting their nation’s borders since their swift return.

“I’ll be there to help,” added Ashen Dunes, his arm wrapped around Rheneas’ waist.

Rheneas frowned. “I wish we could come too, but someone has to stay behind and ensure this place is safe! I can at least toss a few bombs from the ship when needed!”

“You’ll do wonderfully,” encouraged Cerise as they embraced again. After a trade of kisses on the cheek, she turned to Ashen and reminded, “You’d better take care of her, brother!”

Beatrix smiled at the royal parents, promising, “I’ll make sure they come home safe.” Cerise was practically a niece to her. Were it not for her intervention in this world, Cerise might have never been born! And the witch couldn’t help but feel responsible for and protective of her.

Yet the fact that the princess continued to mature warmed her heart. She couldn’t wait for the day that Cerise achieved her own territory to rule and mothered her own children!

They had survived the Eldritch, Zeloph, Shadow Scythe, Doppia, the Burning King, plus all the other Vice Lords and monsters they encountered. The youthful princess continued to mature into a woman, with each adventure they undertook!

“You can count on me too,” insisted Midnight as he thumped his white breastplate, his head held high. To him, it was a stallion’s duty to defend his herd with his life. He wouldn’t let them befall the same fate as his family!

“Not without me watching both your flanks,” snickered Moonlight, who brushed her replica plume. “Hopefully, the magical force of our world won’t interfere with these things working, like Kitsune and Wispy Willow said?”

“A lot to hope for, really,” Beatrix agreed, still stricken by the events at the manor. A dark time indeed, as the wayward witch now lacked a proper sanctuary to escape on a whim.

She could only pray for Oona, Bellatrix, Demi-Trix, and Omen’s safety during her absence. But the moment the violet mare did return home, she’d give the Baobhan Sith, and all those associated with her, a proper ass whooping!

“Time is of the essence,” noted Iclyn, who took to the witch’s side. While she was slightly relieved Beatrix had taken a more serious mindset, she remained concerned with how far training could take the unicorn into mastering her anomalous power. “I don’t need to remind you what happens if you let everyone down…”

“Yeah, no pressure or anything,” muttered Beatrix as she inhaled sharply to steel herself for whatever lay ahead. With final farewells out of the way, she drew an oval across the air using her index finger, the dimension itself sliced open to reveal a bluish-white portal that shimmered and hummed to beckon them inside.

One-by-one, the travelers stepped in, prepared to see a whole new world. There was a flash each time one of them passed into the other side, into a land overrun by infested changeling hives...

Chapter 4

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From the moment everyone crossed over the portal, something immediately felt off about Midnight's and Moonlight’s homeworld. The overgrowth of flora covered the land mass, the strange lavender hue of the sky visible behind the gloomy gray clouds. Beatrix couldn’t help but quiver over the foreboding implications…

Midnight and Moonlight suddenly broke into screams, hands clutched to their heads as they crumpled to their knees. Cerise exclaimed, “G-guys?! What’s wrong!”

“I-it hurts!” the other bat mare cried. "H-head feels like it's being pulled apart!" Yet the electrical buzz in her skull hardly compared to her lover's.

Midnight crawled on his knees yelling bloody murder, ready to bash his skull against the nearest tree trunk, before Penumbra seized him from behind. Cerise cried, “Hang in there, Middy!”

The blue pegasus belted, “MAKE IT STOP!!”

“Beatrix, can't we do something?” Cerise cried and seized her arms, her hot pink eyes watery.

But the witch stared helplessly, shaking her head, tempted to send the cadets back until she made sense of all this. “I-I don't understand…”

“I do,” stated Iclyn, who observed them coolly. “Their world has been altered so much that it’s constantly in flux. This may be home soil, but it’s no different than an alien planet. Thus their memories are scrambling to readjust. Not to worry, their migraines should be settling soon.”

And like the snow doe predicted, Moonlight River shook aside the pain with a groan. Likewise, Midnight steadily calmed down, taking deep gulps of air. Iclyn cast her icy stare at Beatrix. “Do you now understand what your meddling has caused? Not only have you pulled different entities out of their dimensions, but their homes are also growing unrecognizable!”

Beatrix frowned and responded, "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen, I swear! I’m going to set it right somehow, I promise-”

"Promise? Don’t you think you’ve made enough of those already?” The deighdyr shot down, unmoved by the violet unicorn’s open frustration. “The only way you fix anything is through deeds, not words. Now quit sniveling and keep your head up, hussy! We have work to do.”

Beatrix scrunched her snout at Iclyn’s harsh demeanor but wiped away any forming tears and nodded. "I'm so sorry," she mumbled to herself.

The cyan deer took in the sights with furrowed brows. "Hmm… the Everfree Forest has clearly developed out of control here. It could eventually cover the entire continent. If there are discrepancies in the continuity here, no doubt that also applies to their memories."

Moonlight shook her head when she leaned on a tree. "So, we can't trust our memories?! Gaagh! That makes zero sense! Talk about a paradox!"

"Yeah, no kidding…” grumbled Midnight while he leaned on his wife and stumbled to his feet. Gently stroking Cerise’s cheek, he reassured, “I-I should be fine now. We’ve got bigger things to worry about. We must locate our old commander and ensure the drones are wiped out!"

"Nonsense, Middy," said Cerise as she affectionately nuzzled his palm. "That’s in due time. Right now, I need to make sure you're both okay!” Tenderly, she caressed their skulls.

The pale pegasus Penumbra nodded before gesturing to the thestral soldier. “Well, what do you think? Is this place familiar?"

Moonlight crouched down and picked up a stone she bounced atop her palm. "No, not quite. Take a closer look at the flora." She nodded at some leaves and flowers, which lacked their usual hue. Some vegetation was completely unsaturated, with stains of violet slowly spreading throughout.

"Definitely not what I'm used to," confirmed Midnight at her side, his eyebrow raised.

Beatrix gently plucked some of the dead-looking flowers to study them. A strange nostalgia washed over her mind like she had seen something like this before. But where...?

Penumbra kept a hand near his sheathed sword. "We'd best be careful until we find civilization. We should assume changelings swarms are currently stalking the land. I still remember the tales you told me about what they do to poor mares...”

Beatrix considered for a moment before she clasped the pendant offered by Omen back at the mansion. “You go on ahead; I’ll catch up.”

"And where are you going?” asked Iclyn.

“Giving my ex a call. Fill him in on what’s going on,” she explained with a hand wave.

The frost doe lowered her snout. “Hmm. That would be smart… but don’t take too long!”

Beatrix waved her off while walking a short distance away. “Let’s hope I catch him at an appropriate time,” she muttered before concentrating her magic through the ‘telecom,’ which shimmered to life in her clasped hand.

“Hello? This is Witch Mother, calling Sunspot. Come in, Sunspot!” She tapped the pendant.

After a pause, Zeloph's disembodied voice answered back, “I don’t remember agreeing on using code names...?”

Her face lit up. “C’mon, where’s the harm in having a little fun~?”

“You do realize it’s that attitude that likely resulted in this whole mess, right?”

“Spare me the passive aggressiveness, will you? I already get enough of it from Iclyn. Besides, you're one to talk after what you've done!”

He relented in a dull tone with a heavy sigh and blandly stated, “This is Sunspot. I read you loud and clear, Witch Mother. Over.”

Beatrix snickered. “Always knew a part of you wasn’t a total buzzkill~!”

“Will you get on with it already? Have you made it to Midnight's world or not?”

Her smile faltered a bit as she took in the environment once more. “Yeah, we’ve arrived. It… doesn’t look good. Everything’s been twisted. The sky. The planets. All of it is just… wrong. And that’s not even the worst news!"

“There’s worse news?”

Beatrix felt her throat tighten before telling Zeloph about the situation back at the manor; how Bellatrix failed to seduce a captive Alma, before the tables were turned and the Vice Lord held Oona, Demi-Trix, and Omen hostage. The witch then told the fallen one about their encounter with Andrei, the odd behavior of the experimental scorpions, and more about the world he nearly ruined until his banishment.

“That… is a lot to take in,” admitted Zell, who was breathing heavily from the sound of it.

The violet mare asked, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Things are not so sunny here either. We immediately ran into Mortis and got our asses handed to us. If it weren’t for the demi-human here, we probably wouldn’t be speaking right now…”

“O-oh, fuck! You found them?”

“More like she found us,” he chuckled stiffly. “Her name’s Julianne. She’s quite the sweetie with her generosity and nigh infectious optimism. I haven’t gotten a good sense of her motives, but she’s nice enough to let us recover at her monastery.”

“You demi’s really like forming communities for yourselves, huh?” The only exception to this recurring trait from her experience was Seb from the 'cyberverse', who baited people into playing games to get into more favorable positions.

“Don’t remind me,” Zeloph scoffed. “Anyway, while we’re figuring out where to go from here, Shadow Scythe has decided to undertake a ‘Trial of Atonement,’ one that could last a week.”

“So you’re stuck there for a while,” surmised Beatrix, who frowned. “Well, here’s hoping she succeeds. Though personally, I believe it's unnecessary. She’s already proven herself!”

“It’s a more personal matter for her than anything,” rebutted Zeloph. “Regardless, I won't abandon her to suffer this alone. She needs me in her corner.”

Her face lit up. “Awww… Where was this side of you when we were together~?”

She heard another chuckle on the other end. “Buried under a lot of smarm and self-entitlement that helped drive Cerise’s world to extinction.” There was a brief pause before he asked, “Hey.… When you can, tell her that I’m-”

"I'm sure she understands," replied Beatrix, her voice lowered into a whisper. "But I’m also sure she’d appreciate a personal apology. You did hurt her parents and killed many of her people from her country. I don’t mean to make you feel bad, Zell, but you can't really blame her."

"Nor can I take it back…” She heard Zeloph exhale. "I'll contact you once I have more news. Here’s hoping Oona and the others can get somewhere safe. Good luck, Beatrix."

“You too, hun,” she replied as the transmission ended, her pendant’s glow dimming. With that said, she ran back to catch up with her party, who were already deep into the shaded forest area.

Not long after, the travelers came upon the first fragments of civilization. Ahead they spotted a village enshrouded by the trees, where minotaurs and holstaurs went about their mundane daily business. Cautiously, Beatrix started to approach.

Having taken the lead, the wayward witch strolled past a stone well and clothesline. Simple but well-built homes dotted the earthy settlement. One of her ears perked at a metallic clink from the distance. Drawn to the sound, she spotted sparks when a two-handed hammer struck an anvil.

A smile spread her snout. "Wait! Is that who I think it is...?" She remembered the 'paradise planet' called 'Eden' and a particular minotaur she befriended there. The same one who'd forged her friend's golden and silver wedding rings, while attending the ceremony to unite Cerise and Midnight. Carefully, she approached to avoid disturbing his work, as the forge operated out in the open and billowed smoke.

She cupped her hands behind her and called, "Hey! Moon Hammer!! Is that you?!"

The minotaur turned and wiped the sweat from his brow, his eyes widening. "Beatrix? Just a moment." When he finished the ax he worked on, a sizzle sounded, the instrument he plunged into the waters amidst steam and vapors. “Excuse my appearance," he said, removing his gloves and smudged apron. “I was not expecting more visitors from beyond this realm so soon!”

"No, you look nice! Girls love a man with skilled hands~!" Beatrix winked, her violet eyes taking in the minotaur's exposed musculature with a whistle. "Sorry to drop in on you unannounced, but–wait, did you say more visitors?!"

Moon Hammer nodded as her friends approached behind her, a few delighted to see the burly blacksmith again. “This really isn't the best place to talk. These are troubled times. Follow me to my home, and I’ll explain."

They arrived in his spacious abode after a short trip later. Guided to a wooden table, Moon Hammer's cheeks warmed up when he called, "Strawberry! Blue! Guests have arrived!"

"We'll set the table properly," came a pair of familiar feminine voices deeper inside.

There was a shuffle of feet and a clink of bells to announce the presence of his twin wives. Gasps rose from the entourage, taking in the sight of the set of crystal mares who'd eloped with him...albeit with more alterations. Not only did the sisters formerly known as Foal-Bearer and Wet Nurse stand taller, but small cow horns rose from atop their skulls, and tails that matched swished behind their curvaceous physiques.

Otherwise, they still sported numerous equine traits. Their bodies were far more voluptuous than before, barely contained within the cow print micro bikinis that adorned their heavily impregnated bodies. "I hope it's not too much," said Strawberry Moon, the elder of the pair. "But I'm afraid we've become very...productive, ever since our handsome hubby knocked us up!"

“We tend to 'leak' a lot," admitted Blue Moon, her cheeks colored. Their nipples dribbled, and their moist loins burned, the wetness absorbed by their skimpy bikinis that contained a supple plushness that threatened to spill out. Their crystalline bodies were still coral pink, manes styled in bob cuts and eyes a brighter shade of pink. "Not that our hubby ever complains!"

“Oh, great,” Iclyn said dully. “Another set of hefty bimbos. What a surprise.”

Penumbra turned to her and hissed, “Do you ever have anything nice to say?”

“Only when it's warranted.”

Around them, the twins helped set the table, as food and refreshments were placed before everyone. Moon Hammer dismissed the insult to his wives, aware they could look after themselves.

“Well, I think that's wonderful news," said Beatrix once she accepted a cup of fresh, steamy tea. "To think you've all settled down here and have a bunch of kids on the way! I'm almost envious~!"

“Thank you,” smiled back Moon Hammer, a meal placed before the blacksmith. “But I get the impression you’re not here for a social visit.”

“Afraid not,” admitted Midnight, who frowned. “We need to get to the Crystal Empire, see if we can discover what’s causing the changelings to reemerge. And then wipe them off the face of the planet! Once and for all!” He slammed a fist.

Everyone was caught off guard by his statement. More specifically Cerise, who stared at her husband with a worrisome look. While she understood these insectoid monsters were vile, genocide wasn’t the right answer. The flash of anger on Midnight’s face reminded her of Zeloph during his false messiah phase, where thousands of her countrymen were culled in an instant.

“E-easy there, Middy,” Moonlight whispered, resting her hand over his. He gave her a perplexed expression when she said, “I want to stop the changelings, too. But we're protectors! We shouldn't quickly resort to that..!”

“Not exactly something you’d expect to hear from a supposed ‘Peacekeeper,’” muttered Penumbra, who folded his arms.

“I know you’re dense, but holy fuck,” Iclyn said harshly. “Learn to read the room, guy!”

“But they’re the enemy! I-I’m… we’re supposed to…” He clutched his head while his herdmates urged him to sit down and drink more tea.

“Y-you’ll have to excuse him,” Beatrix cut in apologetically. “It’s been a while since he’s been back home, and a lot has changed. Speaking of which, what did you mean by other visitors?”

Moon Hammer nodded. “Quite a few travelers have passed through our village recently. Most were locals, but some claimed to be from other dimensions outside this one. Actually, a pair of mares were also heading to the Crystal Empire."

Beatrix asked, “Ohh? What did they look like?”

The minotaur blacksmith frowned, his massive hands trying to shape his description. “One was a scarred thestral marauder with an eyepatch who looked like she bench-pressed five elephants. And judging by the emblem on her cowl, she works under Shining Armor.”

“What!?” It was Moonlight who exclaimed in shock. “No, that can’t be true! The commander would never ally with pillagers!”

“Well, as Beatrix said, a lot here has changed,” noted Penumbra. “With the swarm’s uprising, they must have become desperate for help.”

“Urgh,” grumbled Midnight, who stabbed a fork into a salad offered to him. “This sucks! Nothing makes sense to me anymore…”

Iclyn looked back to Moon Hammer. “And the other mare?”

“Scrawny thing,” he continued. “Looked like she hadn’t had a good meal in months. A bright blue pegasus with a wild mane and large wings. Actually, now that I think about, she looks like-”

“Blue pegasus with... large wings!?!” With a loud gasp, Midnight shot up, his green eyes wide as saucers. “W-wait! This pegasus… d-did she have an ornament on her? Like say a pendant...?”

“Mmm, at the time, no. But she did claim one was stolen from her.”

“Oh my…” Tears welled up and poured down his cheeks, his entire body trembling. “T-then she’s still alive!! I almost can't believe it!”

Cerise and Moonlight rose up, the latter asking, “What is it, Midnight?”

The soldier turned around to ensnare his herd seated around him beneath his wide plume, squeezing them tightly. “M-my sister, Lightning Spark!” he exclaimed loudly. “If what Moon Hammer said is true, then that must be her!!”

“W-wait, really?!” the bat mare beamed, joining him in jubilation. “All this time, we thought… could it be?! Our memories are warped, but-”

"If it is, then we have to find her," replied Cerise, who shared in their heightened mood, her slender arms wrapped around them both.

Beatrix quickly chimed in, asking, “Any idea which direction she went?”

Moon Hammer pondered for a moment before shaking his head. “They likely went back into the forest searching for the pair of yokai bandits that robbed them. If not, they must already be halfway across the county, with their lead.”

Iclyn raised a brow. “Yokai bandits?”

“A fox and a raccoon dog, specifically,” Strawberry Moon explained while she refilled Beatrix's cup.

Her sister Blue Moon added, “They’ve been raiding our village for a week now, stealing a quarter of our goods after the last harvest...”

The blue pegasus grimaced, his face once more twisting into a snarl, a vein visible on his forehead. “If they harmed my sister, I swear, I-I’ll-”

“Easy, friend,” Moon Hammer said, resting a hand on his tense shoulder. “I doubt they’d inflict any damage with that marauder keeping her safe. She seemed like a nasty piece of work, ready to threaten a child, but I can’t deny she’s fierce.”

“Perhaps we should head to the forest then?” suggested the pale pegasus commander. “I’d like to learn more about these ‘Yokai Bandits’.”

Cerise nodded. “If we hurry, we could catch them! Sorry to run! Oh, and thanks a lot for lunch!”

“Best of luck to you, then,” the minotaur huffed. “They’re a crafty and mystical bunch that have escaped our best trackers. It won’t be easy.”

“As if that’s ever stopped us before,” retorted Beatrix with a sly smile and wink.

“Well, I suggest you consider stopping anyway,” Iclyn offered coldly. “What are the chances that Moon Hammer’s villa, along with the yokai, were sucked into this world by your carelessness?”

“Oh, I’d say they're pretty high,” a gruff voice with an accent answered from the hut’s entrance. Everyone turned to find a stallion standing by the doorway, swathed in a heavy overcoat and suit. He took a puff from his smoke before tossing the bud away, his tired eyes swathed by dark circles trained on the witch. “Like a bloody kite about to be hit by a stray thunderbolt in a rainstorm.”

“Arcanum Folklore!” exclaimed Beatrix with a quirked eyebrow. “What are you doin-” In a flash of magic, the warlock blinked directly in front of her. She jumped a little while waving to her alerted friends to settle down, his face in hers.

The side of his snout lifted into a half smirk. “Really screwed the pooch this time, Bea. Thanks to your tamperin’ with the fabrics of space and time, this whole dimension is spreadin' farther apart than your legs when some hot fuck catches your eye! Had me on the run to clean it up!”

Beatrix’s face flustered when she stumbled and attempted to reply, “H-hey, hold up! That’s-”

“Now, now,” Iclyn cut in, a rare smirk on the doe's blue snout. “He has a point.”

“The power you’re clingin' to is causing more worlds to go on the fritz,” continued Arcanum. “Luckily for ye, happened to find me a way to copy yer spacial magic. Hence why I’m here!”

She blanched, her special power derived from her cosmos cutie mark. “W-what!? But how?”

“Well, that’s for me to know and you to fuck off with,” he bluntly dejected. “Because you meddled with this dimension, in particular, everyone inhabitin' it has been altered. Down to their friggin’ memories! Fella, this whole place is strugglin' not to unravel on itself. If we don’t somehow fix this, a lotta people will die!”

Beatrix stiffened, unable to keep her gaze on Arcanum, knowing he was right. Midnight and Moonlight earlier demonstrated the effects of this world’s fluxing state. Not to mention what Shadow Scythe had commented about her world.

“It’s too late to feel sorry about your own buffoonery, Beatrix,” reminded Iclyn. “You can’t undo what your powers have wrought. But you can allow us to help finally stabilize them."

"Too right," Arcanum said with a nod. "Listen. I believe ye wouldn’t intentionally call all this dark abysmal bullshit down on yer friend’s planet! And while I may not have the full extent to your space hoppin’ bullocks, I’ve at least figured out how to do it safely, after a lotta careful experimentation!”

“W-well, what about your squad? O.S.S., was it? Shouldn’t they be able to help us too...?”

“Unfortunately, I was cut off from me crew once I got here,” the erenn unicorn explained. “Until I can discover how to reach ‘em, I ain’t got much choice but to work with you lot. So…” he clapped his hands together, turning to leave. “...best get a move on, shall we? Sorry to dine and dash!”

“Wha-hey!” Beatrix whined, hands thrust on her wide hips. “Who put you in charge?"

Arcanum paused and refaced the violet unicorn with an annoyed glance hands buried in his coat. “Oh, I’m sorry, love. I was under the impression you actually wanted me help gettin’ the piss stainin’ yer knickers cleaned. Am I wrong?”

“Ehh… w-well, no, I do. But-”

“Then I suggest you keep that cockhole shut! This ain’t gonna be a pleasure cruise, Beatrix. I get shit done! Plain n’ simple! And you've left quite a trail!”

The violet unicorn fell silent. Much as she hated to admit it, the warlock was clearly experienced, with how he carried himself. Sure, Beatrix went on plenty of adventures, but unlike her, Arcanum was formally trained and disciplined in his craft.

“Would it interest you to finish lunch first?” offered Moon Hammer, as he and Arcanum recalled they'd attended when Cerise wed.

The scruffy stallion turned to the table of food before walking over and having a seat. “Don’t mind if I do! Been a while since I had me a proper meal! Been starvin' away on canned noodles and instant ramen stored in me pocket dimension!”

Beatrix exhaled in relief once everybody settled back at the table, where they resumed eating and drinking before the trip ahead, a somewhat tranquil mood returned to the cozy abode.

“You're always welcome back here,” Strawberry Moon said between mouthfuls. “So why not consider this your home away from home?"

"Not a bad idea," replied Arcanum when he sampled one of the wines the bovines offered him. "Truth be told, I set me up a 'warp point' nearby. Useless on its own, but once I connect it-"

"We’ll need a suitable matching point," reasoned Penumbra. "Once we've located Lightning Spark and Shining Armor, and I presume the latter still holds dominion over the Crystal Empire, that should prove a sufficient connection point."

"Oh, look at that? Reliable, safe travel," said Arcanum, who continued to shoot Beatrix a dark look. “All without the expense of everyone’s livelihood. Fuckin' ingenious, ain’t it love?”

Beatrix shrank under his and Iclyn's stares, while the looks of sympathy she received from Cerise and her herd only worsened the bitter feelings weighing down her chest. After so much time spent with Oona, she nearly forgot what it was like to be hated, as she leaned on her support.

Was this how Bellatrix currently felt? Perhaps Dion, Shadow Scythe, Zeloph, and Moxxi, too?

A solemn sense of quiet dawned over them, troubled by what Arcanum claimed. The dimensions were in flux, and parts of them were melded into one place here. They continued to eat and drink, making casual conversation among themselves. Iclyn and Arcanum appeared to be getting along swell, while Midnight, Moonlight, Cerise, and Penumbra were diving into a discussion about reuniting with Lightning Spark, hopeful they safely reached the Crystal Empire.

But Beatrix remained silent, letting the guilt chew away at her heart while rubbing her stylized Prima Materia for morale support. The broach reminded her of what happened to Cerise's world...and she swore not to let history repeat!

*****

After their guests left, the twins helped Moon Hammer clean up. He'd warned them many times not to overwork themselves, but the bovine sisters continued to dote on him, the minotaur unable to help but return their smiles as they hummed and cleaned the dishes. Whatever mistakes she'd made, he couldn't help but be thankful Beatrix had helped him find them.

He'd returned home a hero with his 'cows' in tow, whereupon with the help of alchemy, Foal-Bearer and Wet Nurse altered themselves to better suit him and safely bear his children. Likewise, they had changed their names to better match him as the warrior blacksmith rose to become the unofficial chief of this villa. The people here looked to him for support and protection, and he wouldn't let them down. He came behind the sisters and wrapped muscular arms about them.

"It's almost time~," reminded Strawberry Moon, bent over the sink to present her posterior.

Blue Moon undid her older sister's cow print bikini top from behind and let her massive mammaries bounce out, the titflesh adorned by incredibly wide areola, the slits in the perky pink, erect nipples beaded in milky drops. "We need to be properly milked~," she sultrily cooed.

Strawberry Moon freed her twin's swollen, milky titties, which wobbled and slapped into place once they settled, their breasts and loins aflame with a need for relief. They proved overproductive since their alterations to better suited his body, which could break a mare, and depended on their hubby to help sate them.

A duty their husband was all too happy to fulfill. Glowing as he slid down their bikini bottoms, a thin streak of feminine fluid connected their swelled snatches to the crotches of their drawn-down attire, as he stripped his wives completely. Bells around their collars tinkled, which the half-bovine twin sisters wore to show they were claimed by him. Transmuted somewhere between haulster and mare, their pussies winked.

The twins bent over the empty side of the sink and waved their wide bottoms, their tails linked to form a heart in anticipation. He hated to choose between them as he removed his apron and loincloth, the bull's massive cock lined up with Strawberry Moon's winky wet pussy first.

"Yes~!" She cried out in ecstasy when he pierced her moist tunnel, driven balls deep once he carefully took her, thankful that the potions they took kept their unborn babies safe, no matter how wild he bred them. Gradually he started to pound her, met by smacks of assmeat, firm hands wrapped around udders that he squeezed.

Sprays of milk splattered the sink's insides as he slowly emptied her pendolous titties, left to sway about whenever he didn't knead them. He pinched, pulled, and tweaked her pokey nipples, then nipped her ears while he skewered deeper.

She and her twin wantonly moaned; their cutie marks, a pair of intertwined female symbols, lit up as they shared and thus doubled the sensations each felt. They acquired this talent when their cutie marks first manifested and knew they never wanted to be apart. That they were destined to one day share a worthy lover.

He knew from experience they liked him to be rough with them, that they needed his firm hands to manhandle those fat udders, which he yanked up and down, met by their mewls as repeated small orgasms that started in their tits crashed over them while he milked the bovines like cows.

"Please...inside," pleaded Strawberry, as he sank in fully and snorted to loosen himself. His bull cock flared and impacted her slimy pink interior. Gaped wide open once he withdrew, her cunt squirted on him with each lewd wink, as dribbles of her honey and spunk dripped from her wet slit.

He wasted no time repeating the same process on Blue Moon; her udders were also seized and squeezed without mercy as he drove into her. She tittered and moaned as her mashed tits splattered their sweet milk across the sink and mixed with her sister's own thick, white lactation.

"C-cum inside me too," wheezed Blue Moon as her clenched cunt desperately milked his buried cock, still laced in her twin's honey and cum. The sisters squealed happily when he landed firm smacks on their plush asses. He brutally pounded away for several minutes, then fired into her.

"Oh...yes..." Their eyes rolled into their heads as they came on him anew, his abs splashed in their messy squirts, marked by the scent of his lovely cows. Reluctantly, he withdrew from her stretched and creamed funhole too, but continued to milk their swelled-up udders, a twin tit taken in each palm while he worked them over to relieve what soon could turn painful to them.

Moon Hammer's face fell, lost in worries as he milked his cows. He'd never been happier in his life...and yet feared it would soon be ripped away. "Strawberry. Blue. You know I love you more than anyone. But I also have a duty to this villa, so-"

"You want to help Beatrix save this world," murmured Strawberry Moon.

The minotaur nodded, comforted by the soft brush of their breasts, the warm honeyed milk that spurted and dribbled from heavy udders that would sustain their powerful babies.

Blue Moon's eyes teared up when she cried, "But you could die! You can't leave us alone!"

"I...I know," he said, torn between his duty to his family, his people, and this world's fate. "For a warrior, there's always a risk. But should Beatrix fail, we'll lose it all anyway! I can't stand by!"

"You have a point," confessed Strawberry Moon as he yanked and pinched a nipple. "Ah~!" He switched his hands to each sister's not yet milked titty, where he took a moment to feel the heft of each milk-filled udder, before he started to possessively drain the tits with hard squeezes.

In truth, they'd made a small fortune since they bottled and sold their milk, which wasn't unusual for the female bovines in his culture. He liked to sample their lactate himself on occasion, as he'd simultaneously take a plump nipple from each twin into his mouth and suckle away. Their milk proved honey sweet and left him invigorated for well over an hour, which helped him craft tools.

"Swear you'll come back," pleaded Blue, who panted when she held his milk-stained hand to her milky tit, her heartbeat audible as the sisters intertwined their tails with his own. Her rounded belly pressed into his chiseled midsection, her coral pink eyes locked with his troubled stare.

"I swear," he proclaimed. In truth, he wanted nothing more than to stay by their sides. To do his work and come home to his cow wives, who he milked dry and made sweet love to routinely.

Yet, he would have to take up his hammer once more to protect this world! The sisters pushed him to the wooden floor which creaked below.

Grunts rose from Moon Hammer when Strawberry Moon sat upon his face, his bull snout enveloped by her soft, supple asscheeks. "I know you already creamed one hole," she cooed at her well-stretched cunt, still packed with his seed stuffed into her pink, slick walls. "But you're free to play with my asshole~!" She puckered her sphincter for him as his tongue started to trace its warm rim and drove its way deep inside.

At the same time, she and Blue Moon leaned forward, wrapping their milk-laden udders around his veiny bull cock. They cooed, drooled down his dick as it bobbed, then fellated him in tandem. The milk maids cleaned his tool, still slick with their juices, and suckled out the precum from his flared tip, which pulsed and throbbed around their pouty lips in a bid to drain his balls.

They'd repeatedly told him how they wanted to fill the village with his offspring. That they hoped he'd pierce their nipples to better show he'd staked his claim on his submissive cows. Sometimes, he wondered what he'd done to deserve such loyal, lovely half-bovines breeders!

Before the alchemy alterations, he'd had to be careful with them, but haulsters were a hardy lot. They had to be, to endure a bull once he was worked up to mate. Thankfully, the changes also assured their spawn were protected, even when he lost all sense of himself when he fucked them.

Groaning, he emptied his balls all over the sisters, absolutely soaked in a geyser of cum that exploded across their faces and tits, repeatedly slapped by ropes of cum that impacted them. They pressed their mouths to his tip and tried to swallow down his load as their cheeks ballooned. Their eyes rolled back into their heads from euphoria while excess erupted out their nostrils.

Their udders heaved as nostrils bubbled with his spunk, which burned on the way out and left tears in their coral pink eyes. Not that the masochistic half-mares minded the treatment!

After he spent his last shot slathered on their bulbous tits, the Moon twins leaned in and kissed above his still half-erect cock, as they chewed on and traded his dense seed. A mark of life that helped bond the half-bovines to their studly bull.

His hazed-over eyes lazily turned to bottles of milk on a countertop. A concoction they prepared for him in case of something like this. Alchemy had enhanced their lactate and would keep it fresh for quite some time. Most importantly, its many effects could prove useful, in time...

*****

The sun began to set over the forestry once the party ventured deeper inside. Typically, tracking a pair of stealthy thieves would prove all but impossible. Fortunately, with Arcanum leading the front, he provided a spell able to pick up their faint trail. But it was merely a short time later when the melody of a bamboo flute carried across the wind, across the thick maze of trees.

“We’re gettin’ close,” the eeren stallion told the others. “Best be on yer guard. Couldn't port over any of me weapons, but me spells'll work fine!”

Penumbra pondered aloud. “Playing an instrument this loud goes against the idea of drawing less attention, doesn't it? Unless-”

“Not unless they want someone’s attention,” considered Cerise, who skipped at his side. “Maybe they’re calling out for Lightning Spark!”

“Or they know we’ve been tracking them, and we're about to fall into a trap!” assumed Iclyn.

“Or, hear me out, they just like playing music,” Beatrix offered with a sheepish grin, earning a few more hard stars from her two mentors.

"Sister…" Midnight growled under his breath, his massive plumage unfurling and his blue fur puffed u before suddenly shooting off. Cerise and Moonlight tried to grab him, only for his speed to pick up instantly when he raced away in a blur.

“What the hell is he doin’?!” Arcanum harshly said. “He’ll give away our position! A soldier's supposed to be disciplined, not half-cocked all the time!”

“There’s no time to argue,” the pale pegasus berated, Penumbra also taken to the air beside Cerise and her herd mate. “After him! Quickly!!”

Aware there was little choice, the other travelers quickly hurried behind the blue pegasus. "Middy," whispered Cerise, unable to calm him down.

"He'll be okay," assured her fellow herd mate, Moonlight aware she had no hope of keeping up with her false wings. Instead, she dashed across the earth, eyes narrowed in determination. "Damn! I was so wrapped up in all our problems, I forgot to ask Moon Hammer to take a look at my replacements! Would really help if I could fly!"

Penumbra nodded at her replica plume, slowed to let her keep up, and rubbed his own replacement arm. "I too wanted him to take a look. Perhaps when we reached our destination-"

Moonlight skidded to a stop once she found a pristine river that cut across the forest through the clearing. Her hands cupped the water when she knelt and confirmed, “I think it's safe?”

"Looks like the corruption hasn't spread through here yet," noted Arcanum, who opened his palm to catch one of many pink petals floating across the breeze. “Wait, are these… cherry blossoms?”

“Parts of another land sucked into this one," observed Iclyn. “These exotic trees most likely originate from the yokai’s world…” She breathed in an unfamiliar, yet pleasant scent on the wind.

“Over there, look!” Beatrix pointed to the other side, where the supposed bandits rested under one of the strange sakura trees. The fox man providing the ambient flute music laid across a branch, his tail and leg lazily swinging. The raccoon dog child was seated on a rock, fishing with a pole and string. Cautiously the witch started to approach, a smoke bomb in hand.

But their peaceful late afternoon was cut short when Midnight landed in the river, splashing about with heavy steps, approaching the duo. The younger yokai jumped, crying, “Aniki!”

The vulpine put away his woodwind instrument and hopped down to her side, his green eyes narrowed inside the sockets of his mask. “Stay behind me, Chisana-Ha. This one’s unhinged…” he warned, lightly pushing his sibling behind with his tail when the white-armored soldier approached.

Midnight locked on the pendant around the fox’s neck, and a flood of repressed memories surfaced. His eyes turned white from rage, his form bulking up, muscles lined in veins as he yelled, “Thieves! That’s not yours!! Give it back!!!”

Following where the angered stallion was looking, Kyube held up the heirloom before shaking his head. “Not until you’ve calmed down first. There’s no need to get violent. We can resolve this-”

But the kitsune barely had time to finish his sentence when the hyper-stallion hurled himself at him with an open palm. The bandits jumped out of his path, the tanuki girl hiding in the brush while the vulpine landed in the sparkly water.

"It’s mine!” Midnight shrieked, stomping towards him, snout drawn in a feral snarl. “GIVE IT BACK!!”

“Okay… The hard way, then,” growled Kyube, summoning his wooden staff and taking a defensive stance. With every swing and strike the pegasus made, the fox countered through a quick step or deflective block, driven back by his blows.

“We can’t just stand here,” Cerise said when she rushed toward the skirmish. “We’ve gotta stop this!” She readied her own amethyst tip spear.

"W-wait, princess!" warned Moonlight once she held her back. "Midnight's not himself! It's like-" She'd seen him act like this a few times, whenever they encountered changelings. She realized it was due to that pendant...a family heirloom of his she hadn't seen in so many years!

“Hang on, brother!” Beatrix proclaimed after she lit her horn and levitated towards the battle.

“Stupid fuck,” grumbled Arcanum before vanishing as well in a blink, though not anywhere the others could see as they also rushed in.

Kyube’s ears perked up as the violet unicorn hovered and called, “Stop this at once. Just give up the pendant, and no one has to get hurt!”

“We’re past the point of negotiation, I’m afraid,” the fox man grunted as he hardly dodged another wild punch. He noticed part of his mask was fractured and glowered at his crazed opponent, “Now? It’s a little bit personal!”

Kyube somersaulted onto Midnight’s arm to propel himself upward, his bushy tail unfurling into three. The falling pink petals and leaves flared around him with a greenish blue aura, before he launched them all at blinding speed. The hyper-stallion bellowed, his face, arms, and white armor littered with dozens of tiny cuts.

Beatrix glared. “I warned you!” Her horn and hands glowed with her dark sparkly aura as she cast a storm of offensive spells at the fox man. The beams hit their mark, only for him to disperse in more leaves. “What the-? An illusion?!”

Another vulpine arose, thwacking Beatrix hard in the back of her skull with his wooden staff. She fell unconscious into the arms of a third copy, who caught her mid-air and laid her onto the river bank upon landing. Both yokai bandits returned their attention to Midnight and rushed toward the screaming berserker with a battle cry.

Suddenly, water washed over the boys before instantly freezing, encasing the foxes in a glacial casket. Iclyn disenchanted her magic and casually flipped her snow-white mane with her hand.

Beatrix rose up with a groan, clutching her nape. As she saw the giant ice pillar holding Midnight and Kyube, flash-frozen in place, the witch turned to the deighdyr and bitterly berated, “And you didn’t do this from the start because...?!”

“Nobody asked me to,” she responded with a nonchalant shrug. Beatrix groaned while accepting Penumbra’s hand to help her up.

“Middy,” Cerise cried, reaching to touch before reeling her hand away from how stingingly cold the ice was. "Ouch! Please tell me he's-"

“Relax, princess,” the cyan deer assured her. “I’ll unfreeze them in a bit. After they cooled down.”

The real Kyube observed from a distance, thankful to have avoided the icy fate of his decoys. Now to find where Chisana hid, and-

“Oi, willie!”

The male kitsune turned to find Arcanum Folklore, holding a squirming tanuki child by her sash. He gave a cheeky smirk as his coat billowed amidst the petals and said, “This your rugrat?”

“A-Aniki! Aniki!!”

“Let her go!” he warned, drawing his staff again and running at him. But the shaggy unicorn unsheathed his Kurdish dagger from underneath his overcoat, using his aura to telekinetically poise it at the straining tanuki girl. Kyube paused his assault, a hand reaching out. “W-wait! Don’t-”

“Oh, don’t get yer tails in a twist,” remarked Arcanum, who turned his runic etched blade to the vulpine, surprised to find the blade followed him over...almost like it hid in his pocket dimension, until he needed it to manifest. “I ain’t gonna harm a pretty hair on her head… so long as you play nice and do as I say. Sauvy?”

The two bandits looked at each other before the kitsune begrudgingly dropped his large stick and held his arms up in surrender. Likewise, the raccoon dog ceased her struggle, folding her arms and pouting childishly within his iron hold.

Arcanum’s grin widened when the unicorn warlock finally declared, “Checkmate~!”

*****

It felt like they’d been marching forever. But eventually, Lightning Spark and Equinox arrived at their destination. The Crystal Empire had changed since the world fell to the changeling invasion; the icy tundras died away, replaced by forestation that wildly bloomed out of control.

Odder still, its sparkle mainly had been lost, replaced by further militarization. Every youth was trained in basic combat, in case the day arrived where they needed to be conscripted. For some, a life of war was all they'd ever known.

Cautiously, the light blue pegasus tread behind her burly escort when the mares approached the borders that served as a checkpoint ahead.

Guards turned in their direction. "Ahh, Autumn Equinox," one greeted with a solitary nod. "Back from patrol. And who is this scrawny mare?"

"Lightning Spark," she answered with a clipped salute. "I'm not with any unit! I'm an escapee from the hive! I have to see-" The soldiers raised their wands, which shimmered once they ran them close to their bodies. Momentarily, the mares were x-rayd. Then the border patrol gave a nod, satisfied they weren't drones in disguise.

"Can't be too careful around these parts," mused Equinox with a heave of her muscled shoulders.

"Especially when it comes to you marauders," a soldier answered, the distrust clear on his snout.

“And yet we're a rank higher than you! Funny how life works, huh~?” the thestral retorted with a lazy grin. "Bet you liked the show too~," she taunted, the mares briefly rendered nude by the x-ray.

“Hmph! Anyhow, you two are free to enter. But don't cause any trouble. We'll have our eyes on you," he warned as the patrol parted before him.

"Look all you want," taunted Equinox when she pressed her snout to his. "But if you so much as think about harming me, you can kiss your sweet ass goodbye~" She crudely slapped the stallion on his ass with a snicker, then pushed her way inside. Lightning blushed and followed into the walled city, which appeared closer to a military compound after its numerous renovations.

There was barely any time to take in the sights as Equinox shoved citizens that milled about aside. Beyond the walls were mounted with cannons, archers, and casters, into the palace itself, which served as headquarters for the heart of their army. Guards uncrossed their spears to allow them entry, the double doors thrown wide open.

"Oh, splendid," came a sarcastic voice from up ahead as heavy boots stomped on the floor. “And here I was, fantasizing how you met your untimely demise at the hands of those monsters.”

“Happy to see you too, Fiery Kickstart," snorted Equinox, a hand on her hip. Lightning Dust took in one of the commanders approaching them. A yellow pegasus with a flame-red mane to match his name. Like many survivors of the last worldwide war, he bore a hideous scar… that is, half a once handsome face severely burnt. She peered at the towering bat mare, Equinox's own war scars partially hidden behind an eyepatch.

Yet she proudly kept her body on display, her muscled curves barely hidden by her bikini-like attire. She smirked at the stallion in a buttoned up lab coat beside him and said, “You’re up bright and early! The sun hasn’t fully set~!”

"I was rudely woken by my cohort here upon news of your return,” the unicorn stallion yawned, rubbing the sleep from his pale blue eyes before adjusting his spectacles. The disheveled scientist appeared lanky, his apple green mane a shaggy mess, his earthly brown coat green. He spotted the pegasus mare cowering behind Equinox, took a moment to size the scrawny mare up, and asked, “Who's this?”

"Lightning Spark," explained the marauder after she pushed the cautious mare forward. “She escaped from one of their hives.”

The brown-green unicorn studied the timid pegasus for another second before offering his hand. “Web Spinner,” he introduced himself with a warm smile. “Head of the weapons division.”

The electric blue pegasus surveyed his tired expression before hesitantly accepting his hand with a firm shake. Pulling his arm away, he continued, “Any information you could provide me would be greatly appreciated. It may prove vital in eliminating the changeling threat once and for-”

“Yeah, yeah. There’ll be time for that later," broke in Fiery, impatient. "Our resident night owl here still needs to finish a weapon that will eradicate the whole hive! Or at the least, render their race sterile!” He cast an unimpressed gaze over Lightning Spark. “And what business does she have here? This isn't a place for civilians!”

Equinox replied, “She requests permission to speak with Commander Shining Armor...sir. In fact, I think she might actually be his-”

"Daughter?" finished Fiery Kickstart with a roll of his eyes. “Haven’t heard that one before. Everyone’s claiming to be his kid these days…”

The implications riled Lightning Spark up, she was about to tell him off for his disrespect, but Equinox pulled her back, shaking her head. The half-faced pegasus continued to stare her down, reminded of his rival's son, a talented cadet who'd vanished one day in the line of duty, never to return. Perhaps there was some relation...?

"Follow me," he commanded and led them further in, down a series of torch-lit corridors.

They arrived at an office, and after a harsh knock, the door opened. Everyone entered Commander Shining Armor's space, the walls decorated with medals and trophies to remind the paladin of his numerous achievements. The alabaster unicorn was their most decorated war hero, the Crystal Empire's hope, ever since their queen was lost.

Shining Armor limped over, one of his legs crippled in the war, forced to lean on a cane for support. His white suit shimmered in the shadows, his eyes wide when they fell on the familiar-looking mare between his allies. "A-ahh!? Is that-" His face lit up, recognizing Snowy Blizzard in the youthful mare's lovely features.

"L-Lightning Spark, sir," she said with an awkward salute. She swallowed hard in his presence, all eyes thrown upon her. "I'm an escapee from one of the hives. But what matters is lots of ponies are still trapped there! My mother included! I request you send your forces to help save her!"

"Snowy Blizzard's alive? No, that can’t be,” he stated, his face creased in a twitch. "Impossible!"

"It's not impossible! I saw it with my own eyes! We have to move now!" Sparks of electricity zapped across her feathers, stacks of papers scattered from his desk when her fur started to stand on end from the static, much to their astonishment.

She seethed, consumed by memories of her naked, knocked-up mom, Snowy Blizzard ready to spit out who-knows-how-many ovums that had been pumped into her overstuffed womb!

“Whoa, easy there, Sparky,” Equinox warned as she tried to seize her, only for the shock to bite her frazzled hand. “Ouch! W-what the hell!?”

"Fascinating," mused Web Spinner, who carefully approached. An odd, undetectable smell filled Spark's nostrils, who felt a sense of tranquility wash over her while the electricity died away.

The burn scarred half of Fiery's face twitched an eyebrow. "What the hell was that, indeed?"

“I’m not sure,” the shaggy unicorn said, rubbing his chin while he looked over the startled pegasus, who further shrank inward. “At first, it seemed like bio-electricity. But I detect no physical signs of mutation like a generative organ or pouch. Could it be a new form of magic?”

“T-that smell,” she murmured, her snout pointing towards the scientist. “It’s coming from... you!”

“Me? O-oh, you must mean…” Web Spinner removed a wand from his lab coat pocket. A vile weapon carved from a slain unicorn’s horn, one of many contrabands their army had taken back from a crushed hive, which allowed anyone to work simple spells until it burned out. The others recoiled with disgust at the mere sight of it.

"Blech! Would you put that thing away?” spat Fiery. “Have some respect! It’s bad enough we have to resort to using their damned weapons!”

“To defeat our enemy, we must know our enemy,” retorted the disheveled scientist, thrusting his hands back into his lab coat. “Though it seems they’ve affected Lightning’s senses in a way. Normally, our noses wouldn’t be able to pick up such complex pheromones.”

“P-pheromones?” The pegasus mare gulped.

The brown-green unicorn smiled and offered, “If you want, I could examine you and look for any potential internal changes done! That way-”

“On your own time, Web Spinner,” Shining Armor denounced him. “Right now, I want a heavy unit ready by the dawn, with Lightning’s coordinates to the hive she and her mother are from.”

“What?! But that's on such short notice!” fumed Fiery, his fists balled up.

“That’s an order,” the commander firmly restated. “We need to smoke ‘em out and rescue any hostages still alive. Round up your men, and have them prepared by morning. Understood?”

“I-I… urrrrgh! Sir, yes sir,” he saluted before casting his heated glare at Lightning Spark. “You better be worth it, girl!” The yellow pegasus mumbled while storming out of the office.

Shining shook his head as he turned to the marauder mare. “Equinox will make her report. Spinner, show Lightning Spark to her bunk and have her settle down. She must be tired and starved.” His gaze softened on the light blue pegasus. “After you’ve given Fiery Kickstart his coordinates, I’d like to have a word with you.”

“Y-yes, sir!” The unicorn commander gave a nod, dismissing his troops after he turned his back on them all, cupping his hands behind.

Lightning wondered why he was so eager to send them away, but nonetheless followed after Web Spinner towards the bunks set aside for cadets. She wasn't a soldier, not really, merely someone who'd dreamed of the day she'd become a Wonderbolt, then forced to take up arms.

But until then, all she could do was follow the chain of command, hoping it would result in her mother’s swift rescue after dawn broke.

*****

Once they were alone, Shining Armor locked his office and drew the blinds to project his absence. Usually, he'd return to his room by this time, but he'd often sleep here these days. Mostly because back in the comforts of his room, he was reminded of his sweet Cadance's loss; she and Flurry Heart were one of many victims when Queen Chrysalis invaded, and her swarms tore apart their civilization. Stallions were expected to form a herd and bear offspring here, but he was on permanent mourning after his wife's demise, excused from such duties that befell his people.

He limped back to his desk. "Report, marauder."

“Oh, it’s just ‘marauder’ now?" Equinox snickered, her back pressed to the door, her toned arms folded below her breasts. “It’s easier than calling me by my name, huh? After all, I'm not the white knight that everybody looks up to! The heroic paladin, his armor unblemished and his ivory sword stained only in the blood of monsters~!"

"I believe I asked you for your report," he repeated, his snout drawn in a thin line.

She skulked over. "Or what, you’ll have my head? Or my ass? Afraid to get your hands dirty with me?" She rested her barely-clad tits on his back and cackled louder when he turned and threw her off. “When did you become such a wimp~?”

"Don't touch me," Shining warned, his eyes narrowed. "Don't-" The unicorn stiffened after her hands curled into his uniform, ripped open to bear his chiseled white chest. He tossed her off him, only for the thestral to spin in mid-air with mirth and land on her steel boots. Before she fully touched down, he crossed over and tackled her, somewhere between a dance and a skirmish.

"There he is," Equinox taunted, his firm hands on her. “The real Shining Armor~!”

"Shut up!" He snarled, the top of his uniform shredded from his movements as it fell away. His fist curled atop her scant top and tore it clean off, her bared tits dropped loose, left to wobble out.

"If only dear, sweet Cadance could see how far you've fallen," she pressed further as his firm hand snaked into her bikini bottoms to draw them down, her firm ass cheeks and inflamed pussy exposed to the chill air. "How heartbroken would she be, to know you fucked your best friend's wife silly after she kicked the bucket!"

His teeth clenched once she mentioned Thunder Storm, another former commander, his old pal, and the late husband to Snowy Blizzard. Both the mare Snowy and he had lost their spouses in the fires of war...only to find comfort with each other.

"Keep my wife’s name out of your filthy mouth!" He rammed three of his fingers into Equinox's snatch with a squelch and felt her inflamed snatch drip down his palm as he hooked up the digits and rubbed at her spongy g-spot. She moaned in appreciation and tightened her snatch around him as he explored her moist, pink tunnel that winked in need, met by more lewd squelches while he continually probed her warm interior.

The marauder remembered how easy it was, the first day she’d seduced him. Or, more accurately, she'd wound him up until he hate-fucked her, like he did now. Shining Armor dared not turn her away. Not when she could so easily blackmail him and have Fiery Kickstart overtake his position.

Though if she did, the bat mare would miss out on how well her commander fucked her! He slammed her onto the desk, where she landed on her side, the wind almost knocked her as more papers scattered. “But it wouldn’t stop there,” continued Equinox giddily. “I remember the way you leered at your son’s closest friend. Hoping to fuck Moonlight River before she left to find him, huh? And she was little more than a cadet! You like 'em sweet and young, don't you? Nubile innocents, barely flowered out of their teens-"

"Shut! The fuck! Up!" Shining Armor raised one of her legs, fingers withdrawn in a trail of her cunt nectar as he fully slammed his cock hilt deep into her. She squealed as his flared head pierced past her cervix and breached into her slippery womb, in an attempt to claim and dominate the bitch.

His power-bottom bitch cackled in his face, aware she had him wrapped around her. No matter how hard and often he fucked all her holes into submission, the thestral was ultimately in control.

Quickly she screamed and came for the first time tonight. The marauder squirted over his buried cock and balls, her tits and ass manhandled by the stallion that she helped sink to her level.

Grunts came from him, his eyes half-closed as his flared throbbed and pumped his heavy load into her uterus. “You’re so pathetic,” Equinox wheezed as his cumshots impacted her slimy walls, the excess of his semen left to pool down her asscrack once it settled into her puckered pink asshole. “Don’t act like you’re better than me! We both know the truth. There isn’t a mare alive you wouldn’t try to stuff your dick into. Not even Snowy’s pretty daughter, am I right~?”

He didn’t respond outside of heavy glare and deep breaths, but the way his cock twitched back to life was all the answer Equinox needed.

Snickering, she rolled and slammed him onto his back atop the desk, where she straddled him and directed his still half-erect, soaked shaft to her backdoor. Equinox threw back her head and impaled herself with a lusty whine, her bat wings spread when she started to bounce her firm ass atop him to a slap of wet flesh. “That's it! Split this ass wide open, you fucking perverted pig~!”

Shining’s hands clasped her hips, unable to deny her words. The white unicorn had swiftly taken Thunder Storm’s wife to bed after he died in the war. Fathered Midnight Blitzer, giving Lightning Spark a brother in secret, before losing both her and Snowy Blizzard to a swarm. Started to lust after Moonlight River once she served under his unit, since the more he repressed his desires, the further his shameful, twisted lusts were stoked.

Shamelessly, he'd sometimes picture her in Equinox's place when he took her. The marauder was the unicorn’s stress ball, the one he deserved, down in the muck like him after he'd fallen so far. He seized one of the suspended titties that bounced atop him and felt his cock start to flare for fresh relief. “Go ahead,” she seethed between sharp teeth. “Stuff my ass~!”

Unable to hold back anymore, Shining moaned and blasted into her asshole. The thestral screeched in triumph, her nails raked down his bare chest when she squirted anew, his crotch and part of the desk absolutely soaked in her love nectar, since they'd wrecked his office like usual.

He heaved, and his eyes watered, lust turned to shame. “Naawww,” the bulky thestral murmured and patted his cheek. “Poor Shinie Whinie~”

“Fuck off," he muttered, overcome by familiar self-hatred. “Just… leave me alone.”

"But you’re so vulnerable right now," said Equinox, as she draped her nakedness atop him, his palms taken by her and left to rest atop her plush buttocks. “C’mon. Pretend I'm your sweet princess," she whispered in his ear. "I doubt she'd allow you to slap her around and demean her with filthy names. Hell, if not me, I could capture a changeling for you to force into whoredom! Let it pretend to be your lost love! What’s one more slutty bitch to distance yourself from her~?"

“For the last time, marauder, stop talking,” he declared. “No one could ever replace Cadance…”

To punctuate the difference between them, he harshly slapped one of her tits, which wobbled back into her place while Equinox winced. Yet she continued to shoot him a toothy smirk of a leer.

He'd lost count of how many times they'd hate-fucked here. His eyes drifted to a picture of Cadance and Flurry Heart with him in a corner, the one part he made sure remained untouched.

But he could never have his family back. His soul died with them. This was his life now.

Chapter 5

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A campfire was set up the moment night fell. Midnight sat near the smoldering flames to help thaw himself, but outside the occasional teeth chatter, he said nothing else. Internally, he was berating himself for losing control of his actions. Not even the comforting strokes offered by Cerise and Moonlight improved the blue pegasus’s mood, the shamed warrior's emerald eyes pinned on the fire as he tried to settle his still distorted memories.

Beatrix was joining him in the sour corner, downing her third cup of tea in a vain attempt to calm her inner turmoil. If only for the sake that hopefully her lover and unborn child were alright in the hands of the vampires that overtook her home. Iclyn’s presence beside the witch made her shiver, though she was thankful the aloof doe was focused on something other than her shortcomings. That being the infamous yokai bandits sitting opposite of them.

White Shadow Penumbra loomed behind the male kitsune and his tanuki companion, ensuring any attempt to escape was futile. A heavy silence hung in the evening air. Glowing flames crackled and popped as they spat embers, their shadows left to drift around them.

Although Beatrix found that tension alleviated when Arcanum Folklore emerged from the trees, pulling up the zipper on his trousers. With a relieved sigh, the erenn detective motioned to their captives. “Right then. Just so we’re clear, you two have been marked. What that means is I can track your magical signatures from anywhere. You try and make a break for it? I’ll know. And if you’ve stolen anything off me friends, now's the time to fess up!”

The fox man looked at the small raccoon dog, who shook her head. He then mimicked the gesture. “Good,” Arcanum nodded before taking his seat beside Beatrix, folding his arms. “Out with it, then. What’s the story with you two?”

After a moment, the fox exhaled and replied, “I suppose it can’t be helped.” He removed his damaged mask to reveal a youthful, handsome face, contrasting his deep gruff voice. A tuff of fluffy carmine red hair atop his head. His aquatic green eyes held a calm gaze, a gentle grin pulling back his snout. “I am Kyube,” he introduced himself with a short, polite bow. “And this is my sister, Chisana.” The tanuki waved her paw, showing a much friendlier smile.

Wanting to defuse the tension entirely, Cerise returned the gesture and beamed. “I’m Cerise! This is my husband, Midnight, my brother, Penumbra, and my herd mate, Moonlight!”

“H-Hi,” the thestral responded nervously while the pale pegasus gave a simple nod.

The violet unicorn chimed, “My name’s Beatrix. To my sides are Iclyn and Arcanum.” They both narrowed their eyes at the witch, who shrunk down slightly.

“Ahah~! Such a lovely name befitting a beautiful mare,” the vulpine complimented, causing Beatrix to fluster.

Then, with an airy giggle, she flirted, “You’re quite the looker yourself, foxy~!” Iclyn nudged the witch with a hard elbow, earning a sharp “Yowch!”

“You’re not seriously falling for his cheap charms, are you?”

“Wha?! O-of course not!” Insisted Beatrix sheepishly. “I just like making light, friendly banter, that’s all!” The icy deer continued to scowl, unconvinced.

“Fuckin’ gullible,” Folklore muttered under his breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. His focus returned to the yokai bandits, asking, “So I’m right to assume there’s no blood relation?”

“That’s correct,” confirmed Kyube, who petted Chisana’s head as she settled into his lap, smiling widely. “I’m her adopted brother.”

“Aniki!”

“Huh. Given the legendary status most fox spirits have, I figured it be the other way around,” Arcanum said while stroking his stubbled jaw.

The vulpine’s smile faltered. “I'm actually an exile from my clan,” he admitted, twisting his body to show off his tattooed shoulder. A kitsune, whose tails fanned out like sun rays.

“Blimey,” Arcanum softly gasped, getting a closer look.

Beatrix tilted her head, asking, “You recognize that mark?”

“Sure do!” The scruffy stallion reached inside his trench coat to pull out a worn tome entitled ‘Myths, Legends, and Folktales: the Erenn Guide to the Supernatural.’ While flipping through the pages, he elaborated, “Studied this shite me whole life. Many entries of mystical lands beyond Equestria. I reckon the land they’re from is ruled by deities with animal-shaped disguises. Aha!” He paused on one page that contained a similar depiction of Kyube’s tattoo, tapping his finger on it. “One ruler being a fox spirit. Inari, God/Goddess of vulpines, fertility, and agriculture. Said to reward rice to their worshipers; the Cult of the Shinto.”

“God slash Goddess?” questioned Cerise.

“The name ‘Inari’ is actually a title of authority,” explained Kyube as his bushy tail split into three. “Given to the strongest kitsune who has earned all nine of their tails. Currently, that would be my mother…”

“Ooh! So then, that technically makes you a prince,” the dark dancer exclaimed. Once more, the vulpine nodded.

“But you said you were exiled,” recalled Penumbra. “Why?”

“Unlike my brothers and sisters, I never coveted the position. Not when most of our bloodline consists of power-hungry demons. My grandfather, who was God before, governed a sadistic, ruthless age of poverty. The slightest disrespect from other clans, followers, or even other kitsunes was rewarded with eviscerations, defilements, and arson. Not necessarily in that order.” Beatrix placed a hand to her throat, face contorting in disgust as Kyube continued. “Thankfully, my mother is a more benevolent goddess, but that bloodlust carries on in my siblings and relatives. And I wanted no part of that dynasty.”

"So you left the Shinto by choice,” surmised Arcanum as he lit a smoke.

"That’s right," said Kyube, who turned his smile to the tanuki nibbling on a cookie she took from the minotaur market. "Chisana Ha comes from a clan of thieves, who graciously took me in after a forest fire that spiraled out of control. We have lived like brother and sister ever since.” Chisana gave the fox man a light nuzzle. He returned it with a one-arm hug. “Then, one day, we ran into the Itachi Twins, a pair of sickle-wielding weasels. As you might imagine, my family didn’t take me becoming a pariah lightly. So they hired other yokai to hunt me down. We threw them off by hiding inside a well. But when we crawled back out-"

"-you surfaced here," finished Beatrix. "Due to part of your world being sucked into this dimension." ‘Thanks to me,’ she mentally added.

"That's about the sum of it," replied Kyube.

“But that doesn’t excuse you for raiding Moon Hammer,” Midnight spoke up, casting a stern glare on the two bandits. “Nor for the heirloom that you stole from my sister!”

Chisana drew her snout and ears down, as did Kyube. “We really didn’t mean any offense,” the fox insisted. “We only take what we need to survive the night, although Chisana Ha can be quite the kleptomaniac. Regardless, You’re right, and we’re sorry for the inconvenience.” He reached into his gi to remove the pendant. “You two look a lot alike. Twins?”

The stallion nodded, his muscles still tensed.

“Then I’m sure she’ll appreciate its return in her brother’s hands,” he concluded before handing it to the raccoon dog, who shyly walked over to the soldier.

“Gomen,” she said when handing it over.

"Thanks," replied Midnight as he placed the family heirloom on his neck. “I also want to apologize for attacking you. I see now that you’re actually good people!” He exhaled to release his tension, as his fluffed up fur and feathers settled down.

“Things have been weird for us since returning to this world,” added Moonlight, who hugged herself to Midnight’s arm. “We just learned that his sister, Lightning Spark, is still alive.”

“We’re hoping to reunite with her soon!” Cerise beamed.

Penumbra added, “We’re on our way to the Crystal Empire, where we plan to reconvene with the supreme commander and stop the changeling resurgence.”

“As well as fix the influx of space distortions caused by this hussie,” Iclyn said, pointing out Beatrix, who waved off her snide remark and smiled at the yokai bandits.

"Why don't you two come with us?” Beatrix suggested, her eyes half-lidded at the fox bandit and a sly smile on her lips. “It's plain to see you can handle yourself, Kyube, but it'll be safer to travel as one! And eventually, I should be able to take you home!"

The male kitsune looked at his sibling, who bounced a bit in excitement. After a moment to confer, he looked back and smiled. “I don’t see why not. If everyone isn’t bothered by our company?”

“So long as you don’t try to swindle us, we’ll get along fine,” Arcanum shrugged, puffing out a thin veil of smoke, his weary eyes heavy with dark circles.

“Same here,” concurred Penumbra, who routinely stroked his prosthetic arm.

“Not that I would oppose,” the witch purred, playfully adjusting the top of her leotard, purposefully making her breasts jiggle. Kyube couldn’t help but blush at the cleavage display while Chisana snickered. “Not much else is hiding underneath this magician’s robe~!”

The deighdyr sneered with disgust. “Ugh! So shameless..!”

“Aw, fuck me,” Arcanum cursed, patting down his attire. “Must have misplaced me bottle back at the villa! Could use a bloody drink…” A tug on his coat drew his attention to the little tanuki girl, who undid her bag and pulled out an oval-shaped green glass bottle.

Arching his brow, he accepted it, removed the cap, and took a whiff. “Gekkeikan Sake,” labeled Kyube.

The erenn unicorn took a swing, savoring the taste before shrugging his shoulders. “Not nearly as strong as the good stuff, but it’ll do!”

While everyone gathered around their new allies to learn more about their homeland, Beatrix was pulled aside by Iclyn and Arcanum, who thought it prudent to turn over their game plan. There was a lot they needed to take care of. Foremost the possible dissolution of this reality, held together by threads; but not far behind that was Midnight's limited lifespan, since Beatrix feared at this rate he only had a few years left, at most. Plus, there were problems at the mansion, which she was currently helpless to intervene in.

"Alright, lesson one," announced Arcanum after taking a few gulps of his drink. "When teaching discipline and temperance, you want to build a strong foundation. That means taking everything you think you know and flushing it down the shitter!” He withdrew a heavy tome from the folds of his coat, opened the cover, and revealed complicated runes mixed with equations. “I expect you to understand what all this means by two days tops!”

“What?!” Groans came from Beatrix. “Aw, c’mon! I hate math! It's the absolute worst!"

"Tough tits. Shortcuts are why we're in this mess," scoffed Arcanum, watching Iclyn brew some coffee into Beatrix's tea set with an approving nod. “You ain’t sleepin’ till you've memorized the introductory chapters. Oh, and no sugar in your coffee!"

"And when you manage that, I expect you to practice what you’ve learned with me," the deighdyr added, wearing an evil smirk. A cold snap surrounded the doe when her robes rustled in the misty chill that arose about her. "Is that understood?"

"I hate you two," pouted Beatrix once she nevertheless snatched the book and began reading. Not even a page in, and the wayward witch was straining to keep focus. She'd learned much from Trixie, Sombra, and Oona...yet her magic still lacked control. Her arts were more chaotic and intuitive, meaning the results could be unpredictable and backfired occasionally. Useful when she wanted to throw an opponent off balance, but risky to her allies! Nonetheless, she buckled down and applied herself the best she could.

By the time Beatrix had finished chapter five, Cerise, her herd, and the yokai bandits were already fast asleep, the fire not as bright after eating away most of the cinders. Penumbra took the first watch, continuing to rub his false arm, his face stoically drawn. When Arcanum and Iclyn checked in to test her knowledge, the violet unicorn answered their barrage of tricky questions accurately as she could, much to their visible satisfaction.

“A few things were off,” noted the scruffy unicorn sternly. “But, all in all, a moderate effort. Not bad! Keep it up and soon you'll properly earn those stars on your outfit!”

"Maybe there's hope for you yet, Belladonna,” Iclyn commented when she hovered over to the witch. She settled in and helped herself to another cup of tea from Beatrix's kit.

Arcanum yawned and removed his hat. “Alright, get some shut-eye. We’ll pick this up tomorrow morning." He doubled-checked the insides of his overcoat, surprised to learn more of his equipment continued to make its way over. "We ain’t out of the woods yet!”

"Yeah, yeah," murmured Beatrix, who rapidly blinked her hazy eyes, her cape used as bed rest once she reclined on her side. Her head was swamped with the equations and graphs she'd memorized, far more complicated than the alchemy formulas she was used to.

While she intensely loathed the methods of her education, the witch couldn't deny the results. The erenn and the deighdyr were helping her refine her arts. And for that, she was grateful.

Yet after she closed her eyes, she stirred uneasily, unable to shut out the darker possibilities at the mansion. Would they be able to hold out? She would have to trust Omen.

*****

It felt like hours had passed since Lightning Spark waited in Equinox's bunk. She wondered what was taking so long with the report Shining Armor wanted. Granted, the marauder probably knew much more about the world than she did. But until Equinox was done, all Lightning could do was wait around and twiddle her thumbs. Though she was thankful that Web Spinner decided to keep her company while she settled in. She looked at the fatigued scientist, half expecting him to pass out right next to her on the bunk bed.

Maybe some idle conversation would help calm her nerves? “So…” she began, scuffling a tad closer. “Are you always cooped up down here? Seems kind of lonely.”

The earth-brown unicorn stared at her skeptically before shrugging. “Yeah, I pretty much live here," Web Spinner admitted. "Fiery Kickstart spearheaded the operation where foals are conscripted at the first opportunity. Many officers and commanders were against the idea, but the votes were split down the middle. Ultimately, it came to a compromise. Those not fit to become soldiers were assigned other tasks to help serve the war efforts."

"Like you," she said sympathetically, her hand resting atop his. Spinner flinched at the contact, their blue eyes mirroring each other. Lightning's cheeks colored. She couldn’t explain what it was about the disheveled stallion that drew her closer.

He wasn't exactly her type, but among this kingdom of war veterans and sadistic scavengers, he seemed to be the only one genuinely interested in her plight. The changeling pheromones he mentioned on his unicorn wand earlier might be why she was acting up. Unbeknownst to her, the pegasus mare continued to inhale the nigh undetectable smells he emitted, her heart racing as she leaned closer to Web Spinner’s snout, her eyes half-lidded.

He blushed, realizing where this was going, and quickly pulled away. “I-I should get going…” he said, almost reluctantly. "There's a lot of work I need to catch up on. Sorry."

"W-wha-wait!” Lightning rose after he did, determined to make him stay for reasons she couldn't understand. Unaware of the pheromones he radiated, and that the drones had prepared her like many of the captured mares, pumped up by stingers when she slept to ready her body for when she was to be mated. It was a subtle process, since estrus slowly took hold of the female, her womb made more fertile to receive fresh seed.

Just then, Equinox finally came into the room, fully dressed but with a few bits of perspiration still soaked in her fur. "Hey, sorry I'm late! Got into a scrap, then flew here to make up for lost-ohh!” Upon spotting the pair, she smirked knowingly, perky nipples visible as they poked into the youthful mare's thin top. "Well, don’t stop on my account~!”

"I-it’s nothing like that," assured Web Spinner, adjusting his glasses. "The fault's mine. I should've realized captive mares would be injected with enzymes to help them into early estrus. I've...experimented with pheromones recently, in hopes I could disrupt the scents drones use to communicate. I didn't consider the possibility it would attract mares to me."

"Pha! I bet you did that intentionally,” the marauder teased, eyes adrift over the younger mare's pert nipples, the camel toe and wet spot on her thin shorts. “Pretty much a love potion, isn't it? Only way a lanky bastard like you could ever hope to get laid~!”

"Hey," cried Lightning Spark defensively. "Don't talk about him that way!" Perhaps what they said was true, but she couldn't deny her odd attraction to him.

"Sheesh! If that’s the case, I wonder why it hasn’t worked on me yet." Equinox shrugged the idea away, figuring that since she had Shining Armor to routinely tend to her needs, the effect would prove minimal on her. Not that she wouldn’t mind crushing the skinny wuss beneath her muscled curves. She’d probably be the best lay he’ll ever get!

"In any case, I’ll take my leave," Web Spinner muttered low, walking past Equinox before giving Lightning a glance. The door closed behind him. Lightning snarled, frustrated that the thestral scared the object of her fixations away. Worse, she couldn't exactly tend to her worked up needs, now that she had company in her bunk! Her face and loins burned.

Equinox climbed to the upper bunk and threw herself down with a bounce. Her good eye fell on the angry pegasus and grunted, “What’s with you, Sparky?” She stripped off her clothes, down to her scanty underwear, and tossed the sweat-soaked articles aside.

"Why'd you have to act like that? It's not like we planned to...t-to… y’know, h-have… s-se-"

“Sex! Fuck, just spit it out! You were going to have sex!!” Equinox finished for her, slapping her forehead. “Geez! No need to sugarcoat it, honey. Besides, I was doing you a favor!”

She hissed back, “Favor?!”

The bat mare grinned. “Well, it’s obvious you’re still a virgin. Do you really want your first time to be with that weirdo nerd? If I had come twenty seconds later, you’d be spreading your legs widen open for some dickwad you just met!” She laughed, only to be cut off when the mare below seized a plush pillow and slammed it into her face. "Ohh, you asked for it!" She scooped up a thick pillow of her own and hopped down with an evil cackle.

The mares traded blows throughout the fortunately otherwise empty bunk; the marauder offered a primarily empty section at her request from the blackmailed supreme commander. Feathers exploded from the battered pillows and floated across the air while the perspiration-saturated pair continued to playfully war about the dark room.

"You're not bad for an untrained wench. With more meat on your bones and some hands-on training, you’d be a real knockout ~!” The marauder quickly noticed the tiny static blinking off Lightning’s mane while she panted. Like that dork, she too was curious about this supposed electrical ability. “Y’know, you might come in handy when it’s my turn for the night shift!”

Lightning tilted her head with perplexity. “W-what’s that?”

“Guard duty,” she explained. “Rumor has it that a rogue changeling has been terrorizing the streets at night! The supreme commander had to enforce a new curfew law. And even then, that hasn’t stopped folks from disappearing! Crazy, huh?”

“I’ve never heard of a rogue changeling before,” confessed Lightning, their clothes now soaked while they huffed. “A drone can’t survive without its hive!”

“Well, this isn't a drone if sightings are to be believed. In fact, one report claims it might be bigger than a queen!” They tossed their pillows aside, the bunker reduced to a mess of feathers, as Equinox's hands attempted to outline the shape she saw in a report.

“No way!”

“Way,” insisted Equinox. “Look, even if it isn’t a changeling, something is out prowling the empty streets looking for stragglers to snack on." She stalked closer to the youthful mare. "And hey! It could be a one-of-a-kind chance to prove yourself, don't you think?”

"A-ahhh… I-I don’t know." Lightning Spark was still an outsider here. Did she dare rock the boat, especially when Fiery Kickstart was set to raise an army to rescue her mother at dawn?

"C’mon! It’ll just be the two of us," said Equinox, who seized her wrist and pulled the mare after her. She took her all the way to the shower stalls, which were empty at this time. Their footsteps echoed on their entry. She immediately started to remove Spark's clothes.

"W-wait a minute-" The bright blue mare protests were ignored, her 'borrowed' outfit practically torn from her and chucked aside. She hid behind her plume and blushed fiercely, her loins actively a furnace, her sensual parts inflamed and exposed to cool air.

"I already saw you naked before, remember? Plus, we're both mares!" Equinox slapped Spark's ass with a loud thwack, met by a squeak as the mare dashed into the stall. ”Haha! Damn, those bastards really got you riled up~!" The one-eyed thestral leered at the mare's erect nipples and puffy, subtly moist crotch. "You need some real relief, and fast!"

"I-I can't help it," she muttered, shame-faced.

"Nah, I understand! All mares experience estrus! There's no reason to be ashamed!" Equinox smirked, undid her top, and tossed it aside before stepping out of her chainmail bottoms. She sidled up her nakedness to the mare and turned on the knob, hit by heated water.

Lightning Spark shivered under the steamy water, the first real bath she'd taken in quite some time. She'd also worked herself into a sweat after her pillow fight, her mind left to drift back to Web Spinner, ambivalent about whether she should have pressed and propositioned him for sex. She bit her lower lip in the cramped stall, and felt her lower holes clench hard.

"Estrus can be harmful if left unchecked," warned Equinox, who nodded at the mare's pussy, unable to held but wink and spew a dollop of her nectar each time she daydreamed.

"B-but you told me not to sleep with him!" She whined, almost seethed at the thestral.

"That's because you're not thinking clearly with dick on the mind. Trust me. An innocent little thing like you will have nothing but regrets once she sacrifices her virginity to the first stallion she's bending over for! But you will have to scratch that itch eventually! Until then..." Equinox pressed closer and traced the mare's curved hip experimentally.

"W...wha-? I..." Conflicted, she didn't stop the thestral when she caressed her tit.

"While it may be true a mare needs a stallion to truly sate her needs, I'd argue that another mare knows better how to treat her lady right," purred Equinox once she lathered up her palms with a bar of soap and started to rub the mare's ample tits in slow circles. "Don't worry," she leaned in to hotly whisper and nipped her ear. “Sex with me doesn’t count~.”

A second later, Lightning nodded her consent and swallowed hard once she felt digits probe at her unused snatch. She'd rarely so much as masturbated before, afraid it would attract more drones to mate with her. Yet now she moaned shamelessly, her hot, moist interior invaded, left to wink around the intruders that spread her birth canal wide open.

Soft breasts squished to Lightning’s back, one of her own tits rolled and squeezed, a nipple pinched when she was kneaded, while the other hand continued to explore her pussy. Wet squelches filled the air, and her swollen clit peeked out and rubbed under Equinox's thumb.

For a moment, she forgot the thestral was there. Instead, her thoughts vividly drifted back to Web Spinner. His hands tore off her clothes, before clutching her mane to bob her head along his rigid staff. Then, once her mouth had properly polished him, he’d hoist her up despite his lankiness and claim her as his mare. Her cunt seized around Equinox while she invaded her.

Lightning closed her eyes to keep the fantasy going. The scene shifted to Spinner holding her into a mating press, the pegasus unable to do anything but watch her unicorn wantonly pummel her pussy with bludgeoning thrusts. Fulfilling her innate desire to be bred with his future foals, once he flooded her love tunnel with a thick load to fertilize her eggs…

With a quiet cry, Lightning came. Hard. A messy cascade erupted from her twat and piled into the drain, spat out each time her pussy lips rapidly winked around her invader.

"Whoa, shit! You're really pent up," murmured Equinox in her ear as the youthful mare heaved her soaked tits. "First-timers are always so much fun! Anytime you need some stress relief, I'm down. But let's keep it a secret, okay?" She lazily licked her inner ear.

Lightning shuddered pleasantly. Her loins were still moist and ached for stallion meat, but not as severely. Especially since she still felt the mare entombed deep inside her winky pussy. "Th-thanks," she whispered, her cheeks still on fire. "But what about you? Maybe I-"

"Nah, don’t worry about it. I'm fine. Besides, you're still an amateur. I doubt you could make me squeal," she teased, then removed her slick intrusions from the mare's cunt, and pushed them into Spark's lips. The mare's eyes widened momentarily, then softened as she suckled and tasted herself on her. "That's a good girl~," she cooed once her free hand squeezed the mare's pert ass, the flesh kneaded in her palm. "Just let Equinox show you the way."

She surrendered to the older thestral's firm touch, who continued to soap her down and claim handfuls of her slick, wet body while they bathed. All the while, she told her more about their target, and how she believed this ‘rogue changeling’ was somehow linked to the mysterious infections that mutated the deep, dank hive she'd been imprisoned in.

The mare nodded dumbly, barely able to understand the world she'd been torn away from for what seemed a lifetime. Everywhere she looked, it appeared ready to crumble around her. However, her trip here ultimately left her with the faintest trace of hope!

*****

The next time Beatrix woke up, the first hints of dawn started to creep in. She yawned wide, rose, and stumbled closer to the river, then followed by the bank, searching for the broadest portion to bathe.

Her ears perked at the tell-tale sounds of combat. Peeking around the tree, she found her friends sparring with Penumbra. They repeatedly thrust and parried, while Cerise and Moonlight watched from the sidelines, albeit also with weapons in hand.

Kyube was also observing from atop a branch, his wooden staff nested in his lap. "Remember what Zeloph said about using that expansive plume," reminded Penumbra amidst a riposte. "It could make the difference you need!"

"Like this?" Midnight beat his wings, which swept the tree limbs, hair, and clothes of those around him, until the sheer force of the wind he loosed bowled his trainer over.

Penumbra unfurled his own plumage and swirled to hand on his feet after he was flipped over. "Yes! Like that," replied the swordsman. "You're a swift learner, sharp as ever...at least in combat."

"We've trained since we were kids," reminded Moonlight.

"Good. Because you can't expect a fair fight. Speaking of which..." His prosthetic hand swiveled his sword about. "I want all of you to attack me at once." He turned to the fox yokai and motioned for him as well. With a tilted head, the bandit lept off his roost and joined the perplexed group.

Cerise frowned. "Say what? B-but-"

"I can handle it," he assured her. "Question is, can all of you?" His eyes narrowed with focus as they readied their weapons and began to circle him. He watched them from the corner of his eyes and whirled to block the steel claws strapped onto Moonlight's arm when she made the first strike. Sparks scraped across his prosthetic when he elbowed the wind from her stomach.

"Damn," she cried and crumpled.

"Don't hold back," he warned his sister, who trembled as she held her spear.

"But these are real weapons! We could-" Cerise's words were cut off when he dove in, past her clumsy strike, and tossed her to the earth, his blade tip poised at her breast.

Midnight swooped his wings and let loose another whirlwind that threatened to knock Penumbra off-balance. He shifted his stance and slid across the dirt on his boots to recover, only for his eyes to widen as darkness surrounded Cerise, her open palm raised.

Crystal shards laced in darkness burst from the ripped-up earth and encased his feet. Trapped in place, he was forced to deflect the repeated stabs of Midnight's spear, his chest lacerated in minor cuts that bled in red splotches across his white cape. "Well done! But-"

His praise was cut short when Kyube swept his staff into Penumbra's legs, forcing him to buckle down. Seizing the opportunity, Moonlight unfurled her own bat wing prosthetics, which launched a series of darts from between them. Penumbra's slashes struck down several, only to be stuck in the chest by a lone dart. "Gotcha," she called and stumbled to her feet as the swordsman yielded.

"Nice teamwork there!" commented Cerise, earning a smile and head bow from the fox man. She mentally willed the shards that bound him to vanish; gems wrapped in shadow crumbled to sparkly dust. "Are you okay, Penny?"

"Merely a few scratches," assured Penumbra as he pulled the dart out, studying it. "Erm... are these-"

"I left out the sedatives this time," reassured Moonlight, who frowned. "Otherwise, you'd be out in moments! Or worse, if I decided to tip them with poisons! That was a risky, stupid idea!"

Cerise couldn't help but nod. "Brother, you don't need to prove yourself! We know you're skilled!" She removed his cape and took a moment to examine his cuts.

"I'm fine," replied Penumbra and winced, his tunic undone and tossed aside. Nonetheless, Cerise continued to patch his wounds the best she could with what was on hand.

Midnight continued to flap and flex his pinions, satisfied he could manipulate the winds to a certain extent. "This should be useful the next time we're in trouble! What a nice chance to bond! And hey! From what I've heard, Arcanum likes chess, too! Maybe we could play together sometime!"

"Sounds fun," said Cerise. "Oh! We're all sweaty now! Maybe we should-" The princess yelped when she and her friends were enveloped in a familiar aura.

Beatrix snickered, stepping out from behind a tree trunk, and declared, "Bathtime~!"

"Whu-wait! B-Bea-!" The princess squeaked as a telekinetic storm wrapped up the clothes that adorned them and casually stripped them naked, the articles tossed aside into a pile. While Kyube had avoided the removal of his garbs, his eyes immediately scanned for Chisana.

"Don't worry," assured Beatrix with a wink. "The little one's fast asleep~!" Under a casual hand wave, her costume sparkled and vanished from her voluptuous form, after which she swayed her hips and waded into the river. "Come on in, we all need to blow off some steam!"

Cerise rolled her eyes with a smile and followed her. She stopped behind the witch, then threaded her fingers through her tresses. "You're troubled," she observed as her herd and brother made their way into the pristine waters. "Understandable, after all that's happened."

"...yeah. This place is my worst screw-up," mumbled Beatrix while her platinum mane was washed and brushed. "I trusted Esmeralda and Camellia, invited them to the manor! Plus...you know..."

"...uh-huh." Cerise looked to her husband, his lifespan surely waning. "Maybe Arcanum has something that could help save him? I don't know. But I don't want you to beat yourself up over it anymore. I wouldn't be around without you, remember? Wouldn't have met Middy and Moonie, either!"

"Thanks," replied Beatrix as she watched the others swim and bathe.

Cerise spun the witch to face her and booped her snout. "Just don't try and sleep with my brother, okay? I see that twinkle in your eyes," she teased. "Sure, I know Lily told him to unleash his wild side here, but he isn't into cheap thrills! He wants some real intimacy!"

A shameful blush crept on Beatrix's face before she retorted, "I may be promiscuous, but I know when someone's off limits. Doesn't help that my lover and usual lays are elsewhere. Iclyn and Arcanum would probably mangle me before they even consider sleeping with me." The witch sighed. "What's a girl to do..?"

Cerise tittered lightly before nudging her friend to look at the male kitsune, who had yet to remove his clothes. He seemed fixated with the reflection in the running water, staring intently. "He did call you beautiful," the dancer reminded.

"Yeah, but I bet he was only saying that to butter me up so he could rob me... or did he? Hmm," Beatrix pondered, stroking her chin. Her options for intimate fun were severely limited, so it couldn't hurt to test the waters with the swiftfoot scoundrel. Plus, she was awfully curious about what sort of equipment Kyube had beneath those baggy pants. "Mama's gonna go find out~!"

"Have fun," Cerise snickered, lightly pushing her friend towards her next romp. "And you owe me a visit from Eclipsed Heart! I still want to meet my counterpart from that 'cyberverse'!" From what Beatrix had said, her wish to see Cerise in that world had led the Prima Materia to warp reality and 'birth' a counterpart of her that had become a pop star!

"Don't worry, you'll meet her," swore Beatrix, her heart warmed when she'd met the princess of pop and her rival bands. While her existence was the result of another dumb mistake she'd made, the wayward witch was happy Eclipsed had become her own person.

She quickly scanned the forest to see if her teachers were up and ready for her next lesson, though it seemed that wasn't the case yet. 'One quick round and I'm back to my studies,' she mentally promised herself before diving into the river and swimming towards the vulpine bandit.

Splashes sounded once Midnight used his expansive wings to wash down Moonlight, soon joined by Cerise after she waded over to her herd, where he bathed her too. Penumbra continued to obsess over his false arm, his mind far away by his pensive expression when he studied the prosthetic.

Unbeknownst to Beatrix, Arcanum was already wide awake, observing from the other side. His first thought was to scold the violet unicorn for skipping her lesson to feed her sexual appetite. But he then figured with that particular distraction out of the way, she'd have an easier time focusing. So he'll let it slide, for now.

The scruffy stallion had no real issues with Beatrix's hedonistic nature, unlike Iclyn, who was still snoozing. But Arcanum could sense the Necronomicon's influence on this world. And with enough time spent with Beatrix, he was optimistic she could lead him towards the forbidden tome...so that he could claim it for himself.

Chapter 6

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The brush of soft, supple breasts on Beatrix's back from the princess reminded her of Oona. Oh, how she longed to be safely enveloped by her teacher’s loving embrace. Probably why the witch was extra needy when it came to her libido.

Partially submerged in the tranquil river, she swam behind Cerise, let the reddish-hot pink pigtails down, then splashed them too, as she washed her loose locks and hummed one of the gentle hymns she'd heard Oona croon before.

Her horn lit up, and her aura wrapped around various toiletries in Cerise's rucksack; shampoo and a bar of soap floated over to Beatrix, which she liberally applied to the princess' smooth contours. "That tickles," giggled Cerise, who squirmed to pause her sways to the hymn.

"You should be used to this by now, princess," teased Beatrix. "What, with all the handmaidens looking after you~!" The dancer simply nodded and relaxed under her touch, as soap suds oozed down skin. It made Beatrix also miss the twin maids, Wet Nurse and Foal-Bearer...the mansion wouldn't be the same without their catering.

Cerise's head bowed when she said, "Thanks, Bea. I hope Midnight spends some quality time with Moonlight, like I asked. You'd better take some time for yourself, too!" She spun to face her, droplets left to roll down her curves. "Isn't it about time you tackled your next lesson?"

"Ugh. Don't remind me," grumbled Beatrix. One of Cerise's bat wings flung some water at the witch, playfully splashing her until the violet unicorn was on her way. Waving her friend off, the dark princess clambered back onto the shore with a swish of her cute hips and butt. She could use a little alone time to practice her own magic!

Hopeful she still had some time, Beatrix swam to a more private section of the river, partly hidden and shaded by the thick trees overhead. She spotted Kyube perching on a low-hanging branch, having moved from the rock to play a few experimental tunes on his bamboo flute.

Realizing he was oblivious to her presence, a mischievous grin spread Beatrix's maw. Faster than he realized, she seized him in her aura and yanked him down. With a yelp, Kyube flipped and hit the waters in a splash.

When he resurfaced, his eyes narrowed at the cheeky mare. “I was warned about you,” he said while climbing out, shaking droplets out of his orange fur. “‘Don’t let her body fool you,' they said. ‘She’s got the mind of a child!’”

"Part of my charm,” she replied with a wink. "But since you’re already wet, like me teehee, why not shed off those troublesome clothes~?”

Kyube gave a soft sigh before relenting, tossing his soaked gi and pants piece by piece, removing his drenched costume. Beatrix nibbled on her bottom lip, drinking in the vulpine’s lean musculature and the fuzzy sheath between his thighs before dissolving into the river once more. Beatrix approached him, the water rippling with every sway she gestured.

“Ermm, actually, before we begin,” he started, a rosy glow over his cheeks. “There's something I’d like to discuss with you. You briefly mentioned another group, one that also has a Kitsune?”

“Yeah, what of it?” she asked, tilting her head slightly.

“I believe we’ve encountered one another before,” explained the fox man. “A few nights ago, I saw a vixen with copper hair reflected in the waters. She'd apparently gone for a swim. Given the startled expression upon staring back, I reckon she could see me too.”

"Copper hair? Definitely sounds like Kitsune,” she confirmed before teasingly poking his belly. “Didn't take you for the voyeur type, you little peeper~!”

“I-it wasn’t like that,” insisted Kyube, his ears dropping. “Though I will admit, she was beautiful...!”

“N’aww, cute! I’ll gladly help you guys meet,” Beatrix offered with a sultry smile. “Hmm, mirror view into other dimensions, huh? The first time I’m hearing about this! But it's probably due to all the fluctuations happening here."

The fox bandit nodded. "My thoughts exactly. It makes sense, given all the worlds pulled from their respective time zones here.”

“Mhmm. Speaking of time…~” Beatrix waded closer to him until they almost touched, her erect nipples almost visible above water. With half-lidded eyes, she cooed, "I think it’s time you help me with a certain itch that’s been bothering me." One hand stroked his chest while the other traced down to grope the canine-shaped cock, which, to her delight, was already out of its sheath. “Awfully rude to keep a girl waiting~.”

Kyube chuckled, his voice dipping into a husky tone as he replied, "Well, I wouldn't want to disappoint."

He leaned in to meet her snout, pressing against her wet, supple body. Beatrix's moan muffled into his kiss, feeling that red hot rod throb against her belly, the veiny knot swelling at the bottom. His bushy tail intertwined with her own, her breasts squished into his furred chest as they continued to make out and feel each other up.

"Mmm~," she moaned as his palms encircled and kneaded her doughy buttocks. Then she gasped when another pair of paws seized her tits from behind, an equally endowed cock rubbing between her spread cheeks. A third fox bandit took her hand to have her stroke him off. The witch then realized Kyube was using his yokai tricks to molest her buxom body on all fronts.

And she absolutely loved it!

Beatrix whimpered under their combined touch, rubbing her heated marehood against the front of Kyube’s shaft. The vulpine behind her pinched and twisted her nipples while rolling her milk bags in circles. The sly fox even lapped and nibbled at her shoulder, causing her to quiver. Their cocks throbbed against her inflamed slit, which winked out her nectar, ready to receive them all.

“N-nnaah~! Q-quit teasing me,” she whined. “I-I need it!”

The prime Kyube chuckled and huskily asked, “Need what?”

“Your cocks~!”

“To do..?” The second fox man whispered into her ear.

Her cheeks flushed. “T-to fuck all my holes~!!”

The third vulpine added. “Liiiike~?”

“Grngh! Like a whore! Like a common fucking whore! Whatever you like, you damn dirty bandit! Now hurry up and fuck me! Please!!”

All three snickered. “Well, since you asked so nicely…~”

“You furry bastarraaaahh~!”

Beatrix yelped as they lifted her up and shuffled onto the river bed. The fox bandit laid down while his clones helped straddle the horny mare onto his lap, lining his moist cock with her winking cunt. She released a loud sigh upon entry, her pussy squeezing down on the thick canine-shaped member filling up her love tunnel.

Another sharp gasp sounded when he smacked and squeezed the unicorn’s rump apart, allowing his second clone to poke and rub his dick against her exposed asshole. Her tail flagged up, giving the scoundrel more access once he pushed inside. Beatrix chewed on her lip, almost cumming from having her back orifices deeply penetrated. But she still had one more fox cock to tend to after the final decoy took to her front. His pulsating prick brushed her snout, smearing her nose with his musk and precum.

Gazing at him lustfully, Beatrix opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue, giving him full consent to stuff her throat. With all her foxy lovers set, they wasted little time pounding their palpable playtoy.

The violet witch clenched around the pair claiming her pussy and tail hole, thrusting in off-sync rhythms. More fem juice leaked just feeling those swollen knots bump into her holes, threatening to push fully in. The thought of being knotted worked Beatrix up more than she wanted to admit, remembering Iclyn calling her a ‘filthy monster fucker’.

But for the moment, Beatrix relished her licentious reputation, happily suckling Kyube’s red rod while giving him her best pair of ‘fuck me’ eyes, complete with spittle dripping down her chin. This apparently riled him and his clones further, feeling his cocks expand slightly in size. They each growled and groaned before picking up the pace and impaling her on their bulbous pricks from all sides without mercy.

Her moans muffled around the shaft fucking her throat, feeling the Kyube beneath her latch onto one of her swaying tits, nibbling and tugging on her hard nipples. The fox man behind her clapped her wobbling asscheeks with one paw, while the other wrapped around the base of her tail to pull her ass into his pummelling thrusts, skewering her puckered asshole harder.

Beatrix’s violet eyes glazed over, the pleasure overwhelming her senses. Try as she might to bob her head or wiggle her hips, the witch couldn’t keep up with the fox bandit nor his clones. They pounded her with relentless vigor, and all she could do was take their tapered dicks like the sex-hungry slut she was.

Her hands managed to secure Kyube’s hips, squeezing his rump while he humped her face. Precum splattered across her tongue, her pussy and asshole similarly slathered in his minor releases to prime the witch before he filled her up.

Finally, the vulpine pulled off her breasts once he clamped up, warning, "I-I'm close!"

The one in her maw attempted to withdraw, but Beatrix clasped behind his butt and held him there. She playfully glared at him, letting them know they weren’t going anywhere until she got what she wanted.

And, with climax mere thrusts away, the foxy trio had little choice but to push fully inside her tight holes, finally locking their knotted shafts into her ass and pussy. Beatrix’s snout kissed Kyube’s scrotum, lightly gagging on the dick lodged down her throat before all three foxes let out a howl, firing their creamy load all at once.

Nirvanic pleasure hit Beatrix like a truck once she felt his hot cum paint the insides of her sphincter, the slippery walls of her womb, and finally sloshed about her tummy. She made loud gulping noises while drinking his salty seed, her belly slightly ballooning thanks to the knot keeping all his spunk trapped inside her.

Tears filled the corners of her watery eyes as the masochistic side of the mare took hold, half afraid she would choke on his cock and pass out before she reached the best part. She winked and contracted harder around the buried bulbous dicks, eyelashes fluttering to remain conscious.

Drenched in the unicorn's nectar, the fox men in her lower holes remained locked balls deep inside by knots while the one in her mouth strained to withdraw. A loud ‘pop’ sounded when he exited, Beatrix left to huff once his shaft slapped onto her face, still heated and slimy.

Kyube asked through heavy pants, "Are you okay? Can you breathe?"

"O-ooooh y-yeah," slurred Beatrix, cum dribbling down her dopey grin, simultaneously thankful and disappointed she could breathe again. Her face still burned, leaning in to lap the cum staining his shaft before swishing his leftovers in her mouth. Gulping her mouthful down, the witch sighed with satisfaction, pleasantly full. "Just what mama needed~!"

The clones dissolved into mystical light, leaving her gaping asshole to ooze out his sperm. Gently Kyube popped his flaccid dick out of her vagina, his loins splashed by their combined love juices. The witch rolled onto her back beside him; her heavy breasts left to continually to rise and fall when she licked some residue off her fingers.

“Holy fuck, that felt good!” She giggled tiredly, scooping more spunk to play with. “Haven’t been skewered like that in a while. Didn’t know you had it in you, foxy~!”

Once he caught his breath, he replied, “I don’t normally indulge in such things with Chisana around, but there have been times I’ve had to ‘improvise’ my thefts with a little help from wealthy maidens. I even escaped from the Itachi Twins with a similar distraction~.”

“Well, I’m sure Kitsune will be extra pleased once you two get together,” Beatrix teased with a wink. “And if not, I’m always down for another round~!"

"Heh! We’ll see," he replied with a wink, sitting up to stretch his limbs. "I think it's about time I wake Chisana. And you should start your lessons."

"Yeah, yeah." Beatrix pursed her snout, realizing the sun was fully up and she was likely late. As the two stood up, Kyube collected his damp clothes and waved her off… but not before smacking her ass with his tail, much like how Cerise had sent her on the way.

With a last, wistful look back, Beatrix inhaled and waved her hand as her horn lit. First, she cast a spell while she walked to dry herself off and remove any trace of what she'd done. Then, with another wave, she summoned her costume back onto her while she followed the trail.

But upon passing a tree, she paused and flicked an ear. With a slight grin, she said, “… Y’know, if you wanted to join me, I wouldn’t say no~.”

“And end up smelling like a wet dog? Pass,” scoffed Iclyn, who pushed herself off the tree trunk she had been hiding behind. “As if I’d stoop to your level.”

Beatrix turned to face the sour deer, hands planted on her wide hips. “Oh, so spying on me like a lecher isn’t on my level?”

"I'm not the one who tried to skip out on my lessons," the doe reminded. “Be thankful I didn't cut your climax short, you insatiable floozy."

"Hey! I wasn’t planning to skip out! I had an itch to scratch so I could focus," defended Beatrix. “I never asked for a high libido…”

“Hence why I allowed it,” answered the familiar masculine accent of Arcanum Folklore, who leaned on another tree and savored his smoke, half-empty bottle in hand. After exhaling an acrid cloud, he continued. "These next lessons are gonna be tough, Bea. Best to let it all out now."

Beatrix felt scrutinized under their eyes and defensively explained, "It's not like I asked to be this way! These powers? It may look fun, but it's caused me and others nothing but pain! Not to mention it can really suck to be a nympho at times! Lots of heartbreak, jealousy, shame, and-"

"Oi, take it easy. I’m not here to judge you," argued back Arcanum as he tossed his finished cigarette on the dirt and stamped it out beneath a boot. "Hell, I used to work with a mare kinda like you.”

The deighdyr turned to him with a raised brow. “You have?”

A rare smile stretched his scruffy snout. “Bloody Merry was many things. Strong, determined, insufferably stubborn, and a real demon in the sack. But she’d always have your back, no matter what. I might not even be here today if not for her.” He sighed in remembrance, a rare smile on his scruffy face. “Heaven an’ hell knows I've made my fair share of mistakes. But that’s why I’m hard on ya. All I want is to make sure we fix this mess, pronto."

Iclyn folded her arms and nodded. “The sooner this gets resolved, the quicker we can part ways. So we expect you to work your butt off, Belladonna. In fact, we’ve already prepared how the next lesson shall go.”

“Aye. So let's head in and hurry it up."

"...sure." Beatrix's shoulders slumped when she followed them like a scolded puppy. She could tell this day wasn’t going to be fun.

*****

The next session occurred in the open, where the rest of the party watched Beatrix straining to keep up with her teachers. Since her craft often came more from intuition and instinct, she could barely apply the discipline she required to
match them, despite her most arduous attempts.

While she mimicked the spells Iclyn and Arcanum showed her, dazzled by the display of refined pyrotechnics the warlock worked and the complete elegance of the deighdyr’s cryomancy, the rest of her companions also trained. Once they were satisfied with Beatrix's work, they decided they would move on, back to the trail.

“The best way to keep control is to maintain focus even while walking,” informed Iclyn, surrounded by snowflakes. “So until I say stop, you’re to maintain that sphere’s shape perfectly. If the form unravels, I’ll freeze you for thirty seconds until you get it right. So don’t slip up!”

“Yeah, no pressure or anything!” Beatrix said through clenched teeth, doing her damnedest to keep the levitating water as a ball. It was a simple exercise. It was also mind-numbingly boring. But she dared not go against her mentor’s instructions, lest she be turned into a glacial statue.

Her pout deepened when she detected Cerise snickering at her expense.

Arcanum noticed Chisana marching up ahead and approached her. He gave the tiny tanuki a slight pat to get her attention. “Here, love,” he offered the half-finished bottle of sake she gave him the other night. “Stuff just wasn’t hitting me. But I’m sure your brother will want his-“

“Arigato!” She beamed, swiping the bottle before downing the rest of the drink herself, ending with a loud burp. The erenn unicorn stared flabbergasted, then turned to Kyube. “Erm… ain’t it a wee bit careless to let a minor near alcohol?”

“Chisana isn’t actually a child,” elaborated the fox bandit. “She prefers that appearance since it helps fool unsuspecting dolts for their valuables.”

The raccoon dog let out a hiccup as her walking became sluggish, swaying side to side with each stumbled step.

“Unfortunately, she never learns her limits,” the fox man sighed, darting ahead to scoop the already drunken yokai into his arms.

Folklore could only respond with, “Bloody hell…”

Kyube looked around, noticing a few familiar trees. "I recognized this part of the woods. Just a couple more miles, and we’ll be out!”

"Then you should take the point," replied Penumbra with a nod. By now, the afternoon sun bore down, their skin and fur tickled by the subdued breeze that whistled over them. Beatrix nearly tripped on a stray root but managed not to spill a drop of her aqua sphere.

“You’re doing great,” Cerise encouraged with a smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to mock you!"

“I wish I was doing anything else,” Beatrix muttered, ensuring Iclyn wasn’t within hearing distance.

“Training’s never supposed to be easy,” offered Moonlight. “Drill sergeants were the same way with us. Ain’t that right, Middy?”

But the blue pegasus didn’t answer, instead looking around the trees with a suspicious glare.

“Honey, is something wrong?” the dark dancer asked as she raced to her husband's side.

“This place… familiar…” he mumbled, eyebrows furrowing. Moonlight did the same, holding her forehead at the sharp pain. "Like...like...!"

"Oh no,” Kyube called from the clearing, peering down a slope ahead. Below awaited a desolate landscape devoid of all life. Rocky craters depressed in spots, ominous magenta light beckoning from hollowed holes that made the fox man suck in a heavy breath.

Midnight raced up through the air and landed next to them. “H-hah! I knew it! This is a changeling hive… Gaagh!!" He seized his head, assaulted by another wave of memories of things he’d never witnessed. Flashbacks that buzzed about his skull so loudly he knelt down to one knee. Growls thundered from his belly, his conflicting past pushing to the surface. "Mother...father...sister...." He tried to maintain his focus on familiar faces.

"A...ah," cried Moonlight when she too arrived and spotted the hive, supported by Cerise at her side. "I-I'll be okay. It's much worse for him," she said sympathetically about their stallion.

"At least it's not as bad this time," said Cerise as she attempted to comfort them. "What should we do? Find another way around the hive?"

"It would be suicide to deal with this by our lonesome," stated Penumbra.

"We've survived worse odds," quipped Beatrix with a smirk, then dropped the smile when Iclyn and Arcanum stared her down. "But uh, maybe discretion is the better part of valor here?"

“This is bad,” Arcanum said. "What a time to lack me usual support! I'd be calling in O.S.S. were I able to. Who knows how many of 'em are down there? Hundreds...possibly thousands?”

“Either way, we’re not equipped to handle an entire swarm,” surmised Iclyn, narrowing her gaze. “Better to slip around and-"

Before they could decide further, the earth trembled around them with an audible shudder. They scurried to take shelter back in the dense woods as rock split and the earth yawned open like a mouth to the underworld. A cacophony of buzzing vibrated from the black mass below.

Blues skies were shrouded in darkness that eclipsed the sun when swarms rose out by the dozen, each drone in an obsidian exoskeleton with compound eyes. Kyube covered Chisana's mouth to swallow her scream, not that it would be heard under the terrible droning.

Yet while the swarm moved by the dozens, they paid no attention to the travelers as each member took shelter in the maze of trees. Instead, the drones desperately flew to escape something in the giant chasm.

A strange amalgamation of changeling, pony, mammal, and tree crawled from the hole, haphazardly fused into a mountainous abomination. Its exoskeleton was brightly pale, contrasting its obsidian brethren. Dead leaves and rotting vegetation sprouted from its head, spine, and limbs, filling the holes. It moved erratically quick, which belied its misshaped appearance, and scooped a drone from the air to tackle it to the dirt.

The stray changeling squirmed and screeched under the abomination. Jaws opened wide and drooled a cascade of vomit across its prisoner's face, the drone's maw forced open to swallow some of the eldritch black ooze. Within moments, the drone started to twist and transmute into the monster’s corpse-like appearance.

"What the fuck is that..?!” Beatrix whispered, observing with disgust.

“Some sort of alien virus," reasoned Arcanum, ducked into the shadows. The monstrosity and its new minion immediately moved to spread its infection further, with other variants swarming underneath. “Rather than sucking love, these things give living death!”

Iclyn curled her snout. "Great! So no matter who wins, we still lose."

"I say we let them pick each other off," cut in Midnight, as his headache finally settled, a fist wrapped around his lance. "Thin out the hive, then we rush in and finish the rest of them!"

"Nah, mate. That’s too risky," the erenn stallion dejected. "We should slip away while we still have the-" A hiss behind the warlock made him spin. His horn lit, a Kurdish dagger slid from his overcoat into his grasp, and he buried the blade into the drone’s throat. The monster slacked dead and crumpled at his muddied boots.

Yet that was merely the first, since another part of the swarm sniffed them out and buzzed their way. Iclyn instantly flash-froze a couple more. “Too late! We’re surrounded!”

“Then let them come,” Midnight called back, "I'll slay every last one of them!" He speared another changeling on his lance, surprised that drones died as quickly as any pony, for all their ferocity.

Cerise felt sick from the stench of the slain insectoids as she, Moonlight, and Penumbra backed him up. Beatrix looked to the icy doe with desperate eyes before she nodded her head. Dropping her water orb, the spell caster joined her mentor in firing off projectiles, the air alight with a magical aura. The bandits supported their allies, redirecting the shooter drone’s aim at themselves, dodging sticky webbing. Despite her drunken state, Chisana proved unpredictable, giving Kyube and his clones opportunities to knock out the aerial drones.

“Aagh! At this rate, we’ll never make it out!” cried Moonlight, using her metal bat wings to bat away the growing swarm.

"No way out," warned Arcanum, shooting a fireball from his hand to set one changeling ablaze. "We have to make a stand here!"

A drone lurched forward...only for its skull to be crushed to a pulpy paste beneath a war hammer. The minotaur stalked onto the scene, his muscles hidden beneath heavy armor crafted by his own hands. Moon Hammer spun and slammed his weapon into another creature's thorax.

The drone splattered across the trunk, which cracked and split under the impact. The felled tree collapsed with a thud and smashed more of the swarm to paste under its mass. “You folks look like you could use a hand," stated Moon Hammer, whose muscles rippled under his armor every time he slammed the hammer home.

"You’ve got no idea, big guy," beamed Cerise as she encased several drones in crystal shards to immobilize them while the rest of her friends finished them off. "But can we turn the tide?"

As if to answer her question, a war horn sounded across the battlefield. Another army thundered up from a distance, many of them crystal ponies. The sun reflected off crystalline coats and armor when they rushed to their aid. At the head stood a pegasus whose face was half-burned.

Midnight instantly recognized him and cried, "Fiery Kickstart He'll turn this around!"

"Route the swarm," commanded Fiery, his sword raised. "Let no changeling leave here alive!"

"Oho! Now they're screwed," crowed Moonlight, relieved to see a familiar face here. Her claws ripped into one of the crystal-trapped drones, which went slack under her stabs to its vitals.

From between her bat wings were hurled dozens of darts tipped in her particular toxins, which sailed into more changelings, immediately paralyzed by the high dosage of poison before they asphyxiated. "Don't hold back princess," she warned Cerise. "It's kill or be killed!"

"I-I know!" Cerise unleashed more shards from the earth that trapped their foes.

“Aww fuck… that’s gonna be a problem,” Arcanum called, observing one changeling carcass slowly mutating, its carapace growing paler, shrubs poking out its exposed innards.

“This is like those demonic robot zombies during the battle with the Burning King,” Penumbra sneered, the scene reminding him of the insidious Vice Lord who'd taken his arm.

“Nah,” the scruffy detective said, shaking his head. “This is way worse.”

The pale pegasus stared at him skeptically. “You’ve seen this before?”

"In a way.” Arcanum blasted another fire spell at the mutating corpse before explaining. "These changelings are being tainted by eldritch energies! O.S.S calls it ‘Mi-Go,’ where even as practical husks, they won’t stop until everything's been infected. Think cordyceps, but bigger!"

“You mean to tell me this is all caused by a parasitic fungus?!” strained Beatrix, weaving her spells, which had surprisingly gotten sharper in casting. It appeared carrying the aqua orb helped improve her accuracy, at least!

Arcanum replied, “Whatever the source is, we need to find it and cut it out. Before the virus can mutate and start infecting us!” The beam he fired from his palm seared into the wave before them.

"I'll carve us an escape path," offered Penumbra, soaring above as his saber danced and carved the head from his nearest opponent, before he immediately turned his blade to the next.

"Stay behind me," Beatrix gently asked Chisana as she joined Kyube and his copies. Together, they conjured a series of illusions to further confuse the horde. She couldn't mimic smells, but with all the scents that surrounded the swarm, the drones strained to realize reality from falsehood.

Yet Chisana refused to be passive, as she too worked her yokai magic to aid them, parts of the forest now ablaze and swathed in smoke.

The appearance of Fiery and his forces had clearly turned the tide, all the changelings divided and scattered. Their attention turned to the bizarre hybrid at the center of the madness, thrashing as numerous arrows unloaded from crossbows fired into it. Javelins lanced from the airborne crystal ponies to further pin the abomination down. "Torch it," commanded Fiery with a hefty wave of his flaming white sword.

Fire bombs were tossed from all directions onto the mutant. It shrieked in a multitude of alien voices, a black silhouette swallowed up in a blaze as it helplessly quivered. More shafts were fired into it to make sure, as for minutes the creature smoked, cooked, and smoldered to ash.

"The hive too," commanded Fiery, aware it was impossible to hunt down every last drone...nor would it be wise, since any taken soldier, especially the mares, could become a new incubator. More bombs were tossed deep into the dark abyss of the hole, the hive set ablaze.

His half-burned face turned to the blue pegasus and bat mare, gasping in alarm upon recognition. “I don’t believe it...!” With the battle mostly over, the commander landed next to the group, calling, "Midnight Blitzer and Moonlight River! Report!"

"S-Sir!" Both approached him, took a rigid stance at attention, and offered up a clipped salute.

The sub commander slowly stalked around them, the fire on his sword doused so he could sheathe it, his burn-marked hands clasped behind his armored form. "You deserted your posts, cadets. The entire milieu believes you’re dead!”

Moonlight swallowed hard. "Sir, we-"

"No excuses! I outta reprimand and demote you right now for insubordination. But…” his hardened glare softened. “… help is hard to find these days. And I’m sure you had your reasons. We can discuss that later. At ease.”

The former cadets relaxed under his scrutiny, while his attention instead turned to their companions that approached. "I'm impressed, outsiders! You handled yourselves well."

Beatrix smiled and started, “Thanks, we-“

"Especially you soldier," Fiery cuts off, his gaze meeting Penumbra. "Your name?"

"White Shadow Penumbra, sir. Grand General of King Sombra's court, from a realm far beyond this one. I realize it's difficult to explain, but surely you've seen the evidence of other worlds?"

"I have," snorted Fiery with a blunt nod. “But Grand General, really! You hardly look over twenty! Not a case of favoritism, I hope.”

Penumbra chuckled as he explained, “None at all. Our world suffered tremendous losses from an invasion. And, like anyone, I started from the bottom, excelled, and was promoted quickly since we lacked suitable commanders. This is my sister, Cerise Silhouette, wife to Midnight Blitzer."

"Aha, I see,” Fiery smirked, eying the beautiful princess. “You’ve got an eye for mares, cadet. I take it this means you’ve formed a herd?"

"Y-yes, sir," answered Midnight, who wrapped his strong arms around the waists of Cerise and Moonlight to draw them in close. "Turns out, Cerise's world has some similar laws to our own!"

"Fascinating! While I’m eager to hear all the details, lingering here is not safe. We’re on a mission to locate a particular hive of changelings. Although…” Fiery Kickstart stroked his chin in consideration. “… the supreme commander will definitely want to know about this. Sargent?”

The stallion replied, “Sir?”

“I leave you with half my men to complete the mission. The rest will stay with me and escort our new friends back to the Crystal Empire!”

“Sir, yes, sir!” He saluted before marching off to explain the situation.

Behind the party were scattered the slain remains of a swarm, some frozen, afire, trapped by shards, or cut into pieces. Beatrix held Cerise from her free side to help support the princess, reminded that she'd only taken the lives of demons and monsters before. This felt different.

"I...I'll be okay," assured Cerise, as her hands shook. "I'm no soldier, not like them."

"You've really learned to work those powers well!" Beatrix booped her snout.

The charcoal mare smiled slightly and leaned on her. "One of the few good things to come out from being hijacked by Doppia...that and Rheneas. She helped me unlock a part of myself I wanted to hide away! I'd always worried it would corrupt me, but...I feel fine, so far."

Cerise tried not to think about the darkness in her. Of the brutal tyrant her father had once been. Yet despite his ruthless reputation, he'd only ever shown her love and kindness.

"I used to worry about the same," assured Penumbra. "I'm proud of you, dear sister."

"I think it’s time we moved on," ushered Iclyn as she waved them to follow Fiery and his men. The army split in half at Fiery's instructions after the party followed after him, onto the trail ahead.

*****

Waking up in cold perspiration that layered her nude flesh and fur, Lightning Spark tossed the sheet that clung to her aside and sat up. She twisted to peek up at the top bunk, only to find Equinox absent and a note left on the pillow addressed to her. She unfolded and scanned it.

"A recon mission for Shining Armor, huh? Guess I overslept." The light blue pegasus noticed many rations were left for her, to tide her over and 'fatten her up' like Equinox would put it, since she was still skinny after her time in the hive. She tore one open and devoured the contents.

"Blegh! Gross. Should've finished those pancakes!" Her mouth watered at the memory, and her belly rumbled. Soon, several emptied ration packets were left at her feet.

Lightning smacked her lips, then slipped into a white tank top and short shorts. That familiar heat crept back into her loins, but she brushed it aside and wandered out of the bunk, hopeful she'd be allowed to travel the military encampment of a palace without an escort.

Thankfully, there was a map on the corridor wall, and each room was marked. Lightning Spark located the laboratories and headed that way as her feet softly padded down the dark hallways.

When she reached the doors, she swallowed hard and softly rapped on metal. "H-hello?"

After a moment, the doors slid open, and Web Spinner faced her. He seemed even more tired looking than before!

“Had a feeling I’d see you bright and early,” he commented with a half smile. "Come on in.” The unicorn stepped aside to allow Lightning entrance. After the doors closed behind her, he asked, "Couldn't sleep?"

She failed to stifle a wide yawn. "Overslept, actually. The time zone here must be different!"

"It is," he replied and led her further in, where his equipment, schematics, and half-finished inventions were on display. "So many realms are in flux, pulled towards here. You could walk from one area to the next, and watch it turn from day to night right before your eyes." He poured them both a cup of coffee that steamed and took a seat across her at a table before he took a sip.

"Another all-nighter, huh?" She giggled and added dollops of cream and sugar to her drink before she sipped at the rich drink.

“Yeah, I’m a bit of a night owl,” Web Spinner admitted, taking another sip. “I try not to work myself to exhaustion. You never know when something unexpected will show up. I take it you wanted me for some particular reason?”

"A-actually..." Her face turned red, legs squishing together once she squirmed in her seat. "I wanted you to perform an, um, full body examination? You can do that for me, can't you?"

"Yes. I've had to acquire a number of skills in the war effort. Indeed, we don't know exactly what the hive did to you. But your enhanced estrus could become a problem to your health." He took another drink before he stood and waved an arm to an examination chair stationed further in.

"I understand," she said and headed over. Shyly she raised the tank top over her plume, which was pressed to her back, then tossed the article onto a desk and let her modest breasts free. Her nipples were perky in the cool air. She reminded herself Spinner was a professional and drew down her short shorts, her butt and marehood bared to him once she reclined onto the chair.

His cheeks colored upon looking back at her, trying not to stare at her nubile form. "This is an invasive, intimate procedure. Let me know if I-“

"It's okay. I don't mind." Her bosom rose and fell in anticipation. She tried to relax her posture to welcome him, put on full display. The earth brown stallion sterilized his instruments at a sink and started to slip on a latex glove when she called, "No! I-I mean...I'd prefer you to do it by hand." She draped her head away from him.

"Are you certain? There's a risk of contamination-"

"Yes, I'm sure! I-I trust you," she admitted, driven half-mad by her estrus.

He hesitated a moment before muttering lowly to himself, “You really shouldn’t.”

Web Spinner approached her, the pegasus spreading her thighs wide open to admit him. Carefully, the disheveled specialist pushed the cool steel of a speculum into her slit, then spread it all the way open, a soft moan swallowed by her.

Glistening pretty pink blossomed from her birth canal, which dripped over his hand and her puckered asshole. With a free hand, Web shined a small flashlight into the slick tunnel, which tried to contract around the speculum that held it open. Her urethra and cervix were bared to him, interior walls tethered by thin strands of her love nectar that dripped from her slimy womb.

Lightning felt her face burn hotter. She hated to admit it, but she'd never been more turned on in her entire life. From here he breathed in her scent, the pungent musk of a mare ready to be mated by a stud. Web Spinner would be lying if he claimed he didn’t fancy the idea right now.

She chewed on her lower lip to stifle a whimper once his hand slid into her twat, reached inside, felt about her walls for abnormalities, and she almost came on the spot. "A-ahahh...ooh...ah~," she whined and squirmed, her back arched when he made a fist and twisted it to explore her.

Her eyes shot wide, and she squealed once he brushed her spongy g-spot. She lifted her ass and humped into his hand on instinct, squirting across his arm when he hit her sweetest spot.

"Don't stop," she all but demanded. The flashlight dropped from his other hand when she seized it and directed it onto one of her supple tits. Against his better judgment, Web Spinner nodded and decided to help the poor mare with her estrus. He rolled her plush titty in one palm, her erect nipple pinched and tweaked.

With a rolled up sleeve he fisted her cunt, and felt more of her love honey splatter under his thrusts as she continued to hump into him and shamelessly moan with an echo across the lab, left to ride out multiple climaxes that rippled across her entire nubile form. "Oh, shit~!"

Web was thankful that his lab was distant and muffled sounds outside, for when Lightning screamed out her pleasure at sweet release, her plume fully unfurled, all her mane and furs stood on end, and zaps of electric blue volts rippled across the air. Sparks showered around the pair.

He gasped, forced to withdraw, blown back by a stray bolt, his own fur on end. The speculum popped from her gaped cunt and slid across a pool of her lubrication, more squirted from the lusty mare. The air was filled with an electric blue light show that thundered around her. A thin bolt zapped one of his machines, which fizzled and smoked, set ablaze as an alarm kicked to life.

Immediately, Web Spinner shut the alarm down, went for the extinguisher, and smothered the small fire. "Ho-ohh shit! I'm so sorry!!!" She huffed and strained to come down from pleasure threatening to break her mind, the chair positively soaked by her feminine secretions while the electricity died away in stray pops.

"It’s fine. Don't worry about it," Web Spinner coughed assuringly once the lights died for a moment before his backup generators kicked in. "No harm done. More importantly...?"

The brown unicorn took a moment to check her over and made sure she was unharmed. His computers also confirmed that aside from her induced estrus, she was perfectly normal. The one anomaly was a pendant settled between her sweaty breasts that she refused to remove.

“Strange,” he said, surveying the results. “No surgically added organs or anything. So how are you producing those volts? Is it truly magic..?”

Lightning’s face burned with shame, noticing the hard-on clear in his pants. And from the look of it, he was packing serious heat! "Sorry I'm so selfish! You know, I-I could always help you finish-"

“No!” Web Spinner insisted, shaking his head. "I'm fine, thank you." He twitched in his pants, not sure he could force himself to turn her down the moment they breached professionalism any further. "You should see the supreme commander. I need more time to devise a solution to better sate your urges without...risks.”

Her ears and wings drooped with disappointment. Nonetheless, she cleaned herself with a towel, then redressed. With a troubled face, Web Spinner added, ”I’ll let you know when I’ve found something, okay?”

Lightning nodded, taking her leave before pausing to study a collection on display. The severed horns of unicorns captured by the enemy were transformed into wands that allowed anyone to weave simple but potent spells. A deadly, morbid abomination of a weapon that instinctually made her shudder.

After her exit, her last stop was at the supreme commander's office. She knocked on the door, and he answered a moment later.

"Lightning! Please, come in,” Shining Armor greeted, wrapping an arm around her shoulder to lead her inside. He closed the door and asked, "So, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I want to learn more about this world," she explained, her eyes drawn to all his displayed awards in the office. "I've missed a lot!"

"Heh. Not sure where to start." The paladin explained much of the world's recent history in broad strokes; the continuous war to route the hidden hives, the new laws implemented by Fiery Kickstart, which required each stallion to seek out at least two mares and father children from them. Every capable foal was also required to enlist if they couldn't serve the war effort in other ways. The entire world had been militarized, since numerous races were lost and the Everfree Forest spilled out of control. Worst of all, other parallel worlds were now drawn into their own.

"It's...a lot to take in," she confessed.

"I know. But I can assure you, you’re safe here." He kept an arm wrapped around her shoulder; his nostrils flared when the scent of her estrus wafted around him. Her heart hammered in close proximity to him, unable to help another wet wink of her puffy pink pussy beneath her shorts.

Lightning knew her body was still unsatisfied from her ‘examination.’ Fingers and a hand could only do so much. She needed a real cock. Needed to breed. Needed her womb thoroughly filled by virile seed. She managed to find her voice and asked, "So...wh-what about you? I mean..."

"Huh? O-oh, you mean the new laws? I’ve yet to really follow them. Still in mourning after the loss of my wife and child." He turned his downcast eyes to a portrait of Cadance and Flurry Heart. "Besides, while Fiery and I are near equals, I still outrank him. The rules don't always apply to me."

"Still, it must be lonely," she replied sympathetically, drawn closer into his powerful arms. Lightning barely realized what she was doing. Neither did Shining, as his hand slid lower, down her back, over the dimples of venus until he rested a palm over her shorts-clad bottom.

She whimpered and surrendered to his touch, pressed closer when she looked up to meet his eyes, all sense momentarily torn from the pair once instinct and desire threatened to overwhelm a lonely mare and stallion.

Lightning yelped when he twisted her around and pushed her forward, where she bent over his desk. One of his hands slid under her top to seize a tit, and another snaked down her shorts over her butt. Her body shuddered to feel the old stallion press his bulge against her bare ass, unintentionally wiggling it to entice him more, as she mindlessly presented herself to the stud.

Firm palms kneaded her shapely bits. All it would take was his cock buried deep in her winky wet twat, until he hosed down her uterus in his seed, and she could finally put her estrus behind her!

Lust screamed at Shining Armor to tear off his pants and claim her. Lightning would have reciprocated for her part, desperate to finally have her need snuffed out by a stud's cock and seed. Only in the back of her mind did a moment of clarity settle in, her head turned back at him.

“W-we… we shouldn’t do this!” She whimpered, despite the rapid, slimy winks of her lovehole.

But at that moment, all the alabaster unicorn saw was Snowy Blizzard, saying the same thing the night they ravenously made love. He snorted, his eyes turned pure white by raw dominance.

Tears poured down his cheeks as his firm hands kneaded and savored her supple form. He was twice her age, old enough to be her father! But he couldn’t think properly, too driven by baser instincts when he continually inhaled her musk.

His flare throbbed beneath his pants, pressed so close she felt his shaft between her buttcheeks. Grunts rose when he encircled the cheeks in his aura, the flesh spread wide open to admit him.

“You dirty bastard,” an all too familiar voice cut in like a cold knife.

Immediately, Shining tore away from Lightning to snap his head towards Equinox, who had snuck inside. The knowing smirk on her face killed whatever arousal he felt, replaced by a raw shame swelled inside his barrel chest.

“Not even a day in, and you’re already trying to fuck the new meat!” Equinox shook her head, tsking. Shining clenched his teeth tightly, doing his damndest to suppress his bubbling rage.

“And you,” the marauder motioned at Lightning, who hastily pulled up her shorts, flustered beyond belief. “I thought I told you not to pursue stallions while in heat! All of ‘em are sleazebags, especially our dear commander~!”

Lightning wanted to break down right there, trembling like a leaf. She sniffled, “I-I… I wasn’t going to… I-I-I couldn’t-“ Unfortunately, she couldn't hide the moist spot at her crotch area.

“Ahh, save it for someone who gives a shit,” the burly thestral waved off. “We’ve got important matters to discuss!”

“What do you want, Equinox?” Shining Armor managed to say through gritted teeth.

Her grin widened. “Oh, I just thought you should know that Fiery Kickstart has returned much sooner than expected~.”

“What?! That’s impossible! The mission should have taken him days!”

“Ohoho! And that’s not even the best part. He’s come back with outsiders; two of which I think you’ll want to see~!”

Lightning's heart skipped a beat. Could it be...? She clutched her pendant and smiled wide.

Shining Armor also understood what she was implying, his eyes wide and full of shock. “Is it…” He shook it off. “Take me to him! Now!”

Nodding, the bat mare led them out of the office, using her wing to usher Lightning to her side. Equinox gave Shining one more dirty look before continuing onward. The commander said nothing, refusing to give his secret mistress any response on their way down the halls.

“I-I’m really sorry,” Lightning whispered with rosy cheeks, ashamed of what she’d almost done in a fit of estrus-induced mania.

“I know what it’s like,” assured Equinox. “It’s hard to resist that urge. But don’t worry about it. You can make it up to me when we go on our changeling patrol tonight~!”

The pegasus mare mewled softly when she felt a hand cheekily claim a handful of her bouncy ass while the trio made their way down the hall.

Footsteps echoed on their way down the reflective corners of the interior. Guards saluted the supreme commander. Maids and butlers bowed. Most of them were crystal ponies, but types from all over had been taken in after the years since civilizations fell to the swarms.

Stained glass streamed bright sunlight over them while they passed. On the way there, Lightning Spark wondered...would she finally see her twin brother and their childhood friend...?

Chapter 7

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Midnight held his breath once the group approached their destination. The familiar crystalline kingdom gradually loomed closer, walls lined by archers and ballistas. Despite the lush overgrowth surrounding the once icy tundra, it still felt like home.

Fiery Kickstart halted the party as Shining Armor, Equinox, and their forces marched to welcome their allies. The old alabaster commander gazed at the blue soldier as if seeing a ghost. But none looked more enthralled by Midnight than the light blue pegasus mare, pushing the armored thestral out of her way.

Just the sight of his long-lost twin made Midnight drop his lance, the world around him disappearing from view. “L-Lightning..?!”

“Brother!!” She cried, shooting into the air despite the bat mare’s protests.

“Lightning!!” He shouted, lifting off to dart into a warm embrace, twirling mid-air with a nuzzle.

“I-I can’t believe it’s really you,” exclaimed the blue pegasus, emerald eyes filled with tears as they flapped in place. “I thought…”

“I thought the same,” answered Lightning, her cheeks masked in streaks. “But I never wanted to be more wrong in my life! I’m so glad you’re alive!”

The siblings squeezed tightly while floating back down. Cerise and Moonlight held hands, overjoyed that their lover and friend could reunite with his sibling. Beatrix also wiped a tear from her eye. She noticed a hint of a smile on Iclyn’s face, while Arcanum shook his head.

Opening her turquoise eyes, Lightning spotted the familiar face of Moonlight and when they landed said, “H-hey! You’re here too?!”

“Yep,” Midnight beamed proudly. “And next to her is my wife!” He raised his hand to flash his gold wedding ring. He led his sister towards the entourage to give proper introductions. “Cerise, Moonlight, this is my twin sister! Lightning Spark!”

The pegasus mare waved excitedly. “Hiya!”

“I always knew you’d still be alive,” proclaimed Moonlight, thankful that the usual buzz in her skull had died down to a hum that neither she nor Midnight consciously noticed.

“Never doubted that for a second,” reaffirmed Cerise, who took both of Lightning’s hands into her own, shaking firmly. “I’m so glad we could finally meet!”

“Y-yeah, same! I never thought my little brother would settle down this quickly!” The electric blue mare tittered before noticing on closer inspection Moonlight’s augmented plumage. “Oh no, your wings! They’re…”

“Yeah…fake,” confirmed Moonlight bitterly. “Lost them during a heated war against a tyrant. Took a missile to the back that fried ’em. At least this soldier finally earned her stripes~!” She forced a chuckle at the dark memory.

Cerise turned to rub her herd mate’s arm, reminding her, “If not for you, I would have taken the hit! All that matters is that you lived to fight another day. And for that? I’m eternally grateful!”

Moonlight huffed and rubbed her sore backside. “I know. But I wish the circumstances were better.” Her eyes fell on the supreme commander and his sub-commanders, who privately explained his sudden return. “I’m worried Fiery’s squadron won’t be enough for the rescue mission. You saw how big that… thing was! What are the chances more like it are out there?!”

Cerise frowned as she insisted, “We don’t understand the situation here just yet. Plus, we’re in no shape to help anyone! So we gotta have faith that Shining Armor, Fiery, and the rest of command know what’s best for everyone!”

“Yeah, you got one thing right,” muttered the teal-maned thestral, folding her arms to her chest. She glared at her prosthetics. “I hate how unreliable these heavy things are. Not to sound ungrateful for the hard work, but gliding can only do so much for me! I nearly dragged you two down!”

“What? No way!” reassured Midnight, his arm wrapped around her waist.

“Your darts were extremely helpful,” chipped in the dark princess.

“You two are just being nice,” Moonlight flatly stated, her head down when she skulked ahead. Her path was blocked by Moon Hammer, who’d already pulled Penumbra aside.

“Shoo away that gloomy cloud,” said the minotaur blacksmith, firmly grasping her shoulder. “If your attachments are not up to snuff, allow me to improve upon my work.”

Penumbra flexed his false arm and admitted, “This thing isn’t as flexible as I’d like it to be.”

“Good. Cause I’ve come a long way since Cerise’s wedding,” humbly confessed the minotaur, who bowed. “Penumbra mentioned you had something to show me?”

“O-oh, right! There was so much going on, I almost forgot,” confessed Moonlight with a soft blush. She fished through her belongings and revealed the cybernetic set of wings that Wispy and Kitsune had prepared for her. Chisana’s mouth gaped once she eyed the shiny metal wings. When she made grabby hands and scooted closer, Kyube brushed her back with his tail, shaking his head in disapproval. The little tanuki pouted, turning around with a stomp.

“Unfortunately, these don’t work outside their dimension,” explained Moonlight. “Said it was because advanced tech and magic are polar opposites or some such nonsense!”

“Mmm, I see,” mumbled Moon Hammer, surveying the articulate design while stroking his beard. “Yes… I should be able to make this work. Keep your prosthetics for now. I’ll forge a better pair melded with these cybernetics!” The blacksmith accepted the briefcase that contained the cyber plume. “As for your arm-”

“D-dahh! I don’t think we need to remove it for your work to take,” said Penumbra nervously, experimentally rolling his false hand, silver under its glove. “I’ll need the extra firepower to deal with this new threat. We’ll catch up later.”

With permission from the commanders, the minotaur nodded, where he and the pale pegasus made their way toward the capital.

Cerise tittered. “Sorry about that! My brother’s very task-oriented!”

“Ehh, can’t blame him. A war’s going on,” reminded Moonlight, who’d moved away from the party, but was still within earshot while she leaned on a pillar for support, lost in rumination.

The charcoal mare pursed her lips, not liking how melancholy her friend had become, despite her best efforts to cheer her up.

Things only got more complicated when Shining Armor marched up to meet them, resplendent in the full white armor his attendants had encased him in while they waited. Warm steel gleamed under the sun’s rays, and a friendly smile adorned his snout. “Hey there!”

“H-hey… father,” Midnight greeted, straining to find his voice as his head almost split by another buzz. Conflicted emotions bubbled up from the pit of his stomach, and his fists tightened at his sides.

“M-Middy? What’s wrong?” asked Lightning.

But he shook his head, saying, “I-I’m fine.”

Shining raised an eyebrow but continued. “I understand things are funny between us. But I want you to know it’s good to have you back, soldier. You and Moonlight.” He briefly glanced at the sulking thestral before looking back to Midnight. He kept his distance from his son, an awkward silence left between them when they sized each other up. “Ahem! You’re already reacquainted with Commander Kickstart, so I’d like to introduce you to- “

“I’ll take it from here,” the marauder cut off, pushing the supreme commander out of her way. Equinox sized herself up to the blue pegasus, almost a foot taller than him, much to his astonishment. “So you’re Middy, huh?” She purred through a toothy grin. “Your sister’s told me much about you. And here I thought you were just as scrawny as she is. But color me surprised~!”

“T-thanks,” Midnight chuckled sheepishly. “It’s nice to meet you, miss-“

“Name’s Equinox,” she said, running a sharp talon along his chest plate and her tongue over her fangs. “Autumn Equinox~.”

Cerise looked sour as the amazonian bat mare leaned closer into Middy’s personal space. Too close for her liking. Moonlight also shot her a snarl when she brushed her tail over his.

“Mmm, that armor looks heavy on you,” she said in a sultry tone. “You should really take it off~!”

“Enough, Equinox,” Shining said sternly. “You’re being unprofessional!”

“Pft! Like you’re one to talk,” she scoffed, glaring at the unicorn.

“H-hey, now,” Lightning butted in, pushing between her brother and’ friend.’ “Let’s not make this weird, okay? I mean, of course, he’s handsome. He’s my twin! I’ll look a lot better, too, once I have more meat back on my bones!”

“Heh! Yeah, get you nice and fat in all the right places,” snickered Equinox, who took a swipe at her pert backside, making her yelp.

“Hey!” Midnight barked, his teeth bared and eyes narrowed. “Hands off, my sister!”

“Or what?” taunted Equinox, smirking coyly. “You gonna make me, pretty boy~?”

“Middy, it’s fine,” insisted Lightning, rubbing her smacked ass cheek. “I don’t need you to protect me. I’ve managed to escape those changelings all on my own, and-“

Her brother’s eyes widened when he finally noticed how malnourished his sister was. “W-what have those monsters done to you?! Don’t tell me they-!!” His eyes slowly went blank, veins pulsating through his expanding muscles.

“Whoa, whoa! Hey! Calm down,” ordered Shining Armor as he pulled him away, only to be met with a hot unblinking glare and heavy breaths. Beatrix grimaced as she cautiously held her hands out, ready to cast a spell if things turned ugly. Iclyn, Arcanum, and Kyube also tensed on alert.

Shining Armor remained unfettered, recognizing his son as a hyper-stallion based on his sudden, if subdued, alteration. Fiery and Equinox also took in the subtle change with interest, though wisely kept their distance.

“Middy, please,” the blue pegasus heard his wife say softly, feeling her breasts squish into his arm to comfort him. His heart hammered with a violent tempo, livid at his father, who abandoned him and allowed monsters to destroy his world! But thankfully, Cerise’s presence and soothing touches were enough to pull him back, looking away with shame.

Lightning gazed worryingly and asked, “What was that all about?”

“He’s a hyper-stallion,” answered Beatrix, who stepped forward. “In bringing him outside this world, he’s been genetically altered with primal strength… at the cost of a shortened lifespan.”

She looked between the two, flabbergasted. “But why?”

“It’s because of me,” the witch confessed, her snout lowered. “I’m Beatrix Belladonna, the 'Wandering Witch', cursed with the ability to distort space wherever I roam. I’m here to fix the damage I’ve caused this world and your brother… well, technically, my brother too.”

“What..?” Shining tilted his head, perplexed.

Beatrix stared at him with sad violet eyes and explained, “I’m your daughter from another universe. I know it’s a lot to take in, but please take my word for it! A lot is going on, and I don’t wanna overwhelm you!”

“A little late for that,” snorted Iclyn, earning a slight glare from the purple unicorn.

“Well, I’ve heard of stranger things,” chuckled Shining Armor, who got a better look at the busty spell caster. “I can see the resemblance! You actually look a bit like my sister, Twily. Erm, she’s not your… mother, is she?”

“Oh, no, no, no!” Beatrix insisted, blushing madly. “Trixie Lulamoon is my mother. It’s purely a coincidence. Like I said, take my word for it.”

“… uh huh,” the older unicorn said, unconvinced.

“Anyway,” she said, hoping to avoid that awkward conversation. “This is Iclyn and Arcanum Folklore, my mentors!”

“Hi,” the deighdyr said flatly.

“Top of the mornin’,” greeted the warlock.

“And then there’s also-”

“You two,” Lightning interrupted, glowering at the vulpine and raccoon dog, the latter ducking behind the former’s tail. “You stole my pendant!”

“We came to apologize for causing you trouble, miss Spark,” the fox bandit said, frowning beneath his mask.

His sibling nodded her head frantically and chanted, “Yurusu! Yurusu!”

“It’s true,” confirmed Midnight, who pulled the heirloom off around his neck and handed it to his twin. Smiling, he added, “They’re really good people!”

Lightning hugged her mother’s pendant to her heart, happy to have it returned before looking at the yokai bandits. “Well… I guess I can forgive you guys,” she laughed softly, bending down to pet the tanuki’s head, who giggled.

Equinox rolled her eyes, muttering, “Idiot. They’re gonna rob you blind once your guard is down!”

The light blue pegasus huffed at the marauder. “Oh, give it a rest, will you?” Chisana followed up by blowing a raspberry.

Midnight sheepishly chuckled before he was pulled aside to the center. This time, by Fiery Kickstart. “So… You’ve gone and become a hyper-stallion, huh?”

“Y-yeah,” he admitted. “Wait, how do you know that?”

“I’ve seen the traits before,” noted Fiery, who looked at the hyper-stallion’s father. “Though unlike you, Shining Armor must have not fully awakened, probably because he and Cadance were going at it like bunnies in high school. Despite his high status and superior defense magic, his potential isn’t far beyond a typical stallion’s. Yours, however...”

A sharp grin spread his burnt features. “Why don’t we take this to the training grounds? I want to see what a real hyper-stallion can do!” He turned to Equinox and asked, “How about it, Autumn? Feeling like sparring today?”

“Fine by me,” elated the muscular bat-mare, eying Midnight like a slab of juicy beef. “I’ve been dying to tussle with a man who won’t break easily~!”

Moonlight growled at the comment before speaking up, “H-Hey! Let me in on this! I’m part of the peacekeepers too!”

“Uhm…” Equinox pointed to her metal prosthetics and questioned, “You look like you can hardly fly with those things. Let alone fight! “

“Please, I don’t need wings to kick your sorry ass, skank!” the smaller thestral spat.

The one-eyed marauder snorted. “Yeesh! Fiesty little runt, aren’t you~?”

“Very well, if you insist,” Fiery said dismissively, solely focused on the hyper-stallion, who cocked his eyebrow. With a nod from Shining Armor, the trio of commanders led their forces and the entourage towards the Crystal Empire.

“Yeesh, everyone wants a piece of me today,” he whispered to his wife, a twitch in his pants at the feel of her breasts. “And in more ways than one!”

“Just be careful, Middy,” warned Cerise softly, unable to hide her snarled contempt for the taller bat-mare leering at him. “I don’t like her one bit! She reminds me too much of Doppia…”

“H-hey, relax, babe,” Midnight reassured as he nuzzled her. “I’m yours until death do us part!”

But Cerise felt little comfort from his words, aware that his berserk tendencies had been happening more frequently, significantly straining his lifespan. And as they followed after their companions, she noticed his eyes drawn to Equinox’s barely hidden, well-toned hips and ass, which she purposefully swayed for him.

“I really hope we find a cure,” she muttered, pressed closer to him. “And fast!”

*****

Thankfully, the travelers were given free reign to explore the Crystal Empire once wands were used to make sure none of them were changelings. To distract herself from her concerns, Cerise decided to survey the marketplace, while her herd was busy sparring with the sub-commanders.

Accompanying the princess were Kyube and Chisana, the little rascal zipping around each tent, looking for anything valuable she could potentially swindle.

“Remember, no stealing!” The charcoal bat mare berated, which alerted the store owner, who promptly shooed the tanuki girl away.

“Anata wa watashi no okāsande wa arimasen!” she replied before walking alongside her brother, sulking.

“E-erm… sorry, what did she say?” Cerise asked sheepishly.

“‘You’re not my mom,’” translated Kyube, looking down at his accomplice and barked, “Furumau!”

Chisana grumbled in response but kept her paws to herself.

The vulpine sighed, feeling the eyes of patrol officers on them, despite having cleared them for their visit. “She’s better than this, I swear.”

“It’s okay, I believe you,” tittered Cerise. “Not that I can blame her! When traveling to new worlds, it’s hard to not take everything you see and bring it back home as a souvenir!”

“Not sure what to expect should we choose to return home,” the fox man said, shrugging. “We’ve always taken what we need to survive each night.”

“I know,” replied the bat mare sympathetically. “I couldn’t conceive of a life like yours! I’ve always had whatever I wanted...” Guilt ate away at her, reminding her of how privileged she was.

Reddish pink eyes drank in a little sense of her homeland from the displays. This was the kind of place her half-brother Ashen Dunes would feel at home in. A place she’d like to take Rhenaes, were she able to! Bah, she felt homesick already!

Shaking it off, she asked the male kitsune, “So… have you ever stolen from royalty before?”

“Well…” Kyube lifted his chin, scratching it in thought. “One time, we invaded a shrine dedicated to a dragon princess. While Chisana distracted the guards, I snuck into her private chambers. But instead of the dragoness, I found her handmaiden instead.”

“Uh oh!”

He nodded before continuing, a blush creeping over his cheeks. “She was a vixen, though not any worshipper from my clan or otherwise. Now, I didn’t know that the princess was a dragon at the time. So…”

“So she pretended to be the dragoness, and you fell for it, right~!” assumed Cerise, met with another nod.

“She seduced me, and before I knew it, I was, for lack of a better word, ‘in deep trouble.’ Guards heard her moaning, rushed in with the actual Princess, and found me locked inside a happily fucked fox maiden. Complete busted. Took about a week to break free.”

Cerise bursted out laughing, holding her tummy. “Ha! Serves you right~!”

“Yeah, I know,” Kyube mumbled, cupping his face. “Never gonna live that one down!”

Chisana snickered as if confirming his statement.

“You rogue,” the charcoal dancer playfully teased. “Oh, that reminds me! Beatrix mentioned you’ve seen Kitsune in reflections. Bet you can’t wait to meet her, huh~?”

“I’m… intrigued,” admitted the fox man, his bushy tail wagging slightly.

“I’m excited to meet an alternative version of myself with her and Wispy,” Cerise beamed warmly. “Eclipsed Heart, I believe her name was. I wonder how similar we’ll be!”

Kyube chuckled, a smile stretching his snout. “Well, if she’s anything like you, I’d imagine you’ll hit things off very well.”

The trio shared laughs as they continued to peruse the marketplace.

Outside the compound was the training field, where young cadets went through disciplinary rounds. But all activities were put on hold as Midnight and Moonlight followed Fiery and Equinox onto the field. While the sun commander claimed it was to show the soldiers of tomorrow what it takes to be a part of the Crystal Empire guard, the blue pegasus knew the real reason to demonstrate his hyper-stallion nature.

The half-burnt stallion questioned, “How far would you like to go, cadets? Real weapons or placeholders?” He pointed to the wooden swords, shields, and spears resting along the ground. “Keep in mind. This is meant to be a friendly match.”

“Unless you wanna be seen as wusses and pick the baby weapons,” mocked Equinox, earning a few snickers from the younger soldiers.

“Mind your tongue,” Fiery said gruffly. “These so-called ‘toys’ are a reliable resource. Our numbers are too precious to be thrown away. A bad wound could put us out for weeks!”

“Which is why we’ll go with our own weapons,” answered Midnight, taking a stance. Gripping his steel lance firmly. “It’s the only way we can prove how far we’ve gotten!”

The earth pony smirked. “Good man,” he complimented when he took a boxing stance, each hand armed with a trench knife, a steel grip bracing his knuckles. Equinox sported a wicked grin as the hooks on her gauntlet extended. Moonlight remained cautious but took a battle stance of her own, poison-laced needles at the ready.

The two cadets lunged at their superior officers, starting the match. Midnight surged his spear at Fiery, who either dodged or blocked with his knuckle daggers before making quick jabs at his opponent’s exposed arms. To counter, he used his massive plumage to blow the earth pony away, recalling what Zeloph had taught him.

“Not bad, Blitzer,” complimented Fiery. “You’re a bit slow, but I can feel the weight behind your attacks!”

“Then let’s pick up the pace!” Midnight declared as he pressed the assault, slightly tapping into his hyper-strength.

Moonlight wasn’t doing that better. The smaller thestral struggled to maneuver around her adversary’s strikes, forced to use her augmented wings defensively. And whatever counterattack the cadet attempted, the marauder dodged with ease. Simply put, Equinox was faster and had longer reach.

“Ugh! I’m barely breaking a sweat here,” complained the one-eyed bat mare. “This is such a cruel joke, making me go up against some cripple!”

“Do not underestimate me,” Moonlight sneered, backing away to take to the air and slash down. But her opponent rose up, caught her clawed arm, and gut-checked the handicapped bat mare with her knee.

“If only your body matched your determination, runt,” taunted Equinox before she chucked Moonlight towards the boys. “Yo, Kickstart! Heads up~!”

Grunting, the sub commander pushed Midnight aside to catch the smaller thestral and pressed her to the ground, holding her in an arm bar. Seizing her opportunity, Equinox dove onto Midnight, straddling atop him. His face flushed from how closely her barely-covered breasts were to his snout. “Hey there, stud~,” she purred wickedly.

“H-hi,” he answered with a silly smile, and savored the warmth she radiated while she traced her nails over his breastplate, her tail intertwined with his, her hot, barely clad mound rubbed on his half-erect cock pinned under her.

Growling, Moonlight managed to break the earth pony’s submission hold by unfurling her metal wings and throwing herself to push Equinox off her stallion. Toppling her, she punched the living daylights out of the marauder. “Keep! Your hands!! Off him!!”

She wasn’t usually the type to get jealous, since she knew a hyper-stallion had powerful needs to sustain their fleeting lives. But she refused to tolerate the idea of this venomous harlot sinking her fangs into her friend!

Moonlight was ready to claw out her good eye until the raider’s cackles made her pause. “Damn,” she said with a bloodied smile. “I’d be so embarrassed if that was my best shot!”

Before she could react, Equinox crossed her legs around Moonlight’s waist and twisted her upper body to grapple her arm, locking in a kimura hold. Though, unlike Fiery Kickstart, she squeezed down hard on the screaming batmare’s limb, intending to break it.

“Hey, stop it!” Midnight shouted, any lust sobered up in an instant. “You’re hurting her!”

“Equinox, that’s enough!” demanded Fiery. “Let her go-”

“Can it, two face!!” The marauder yelled back, pointing to the cadets watching. “Let this be a lesson to all you pissants! Only the strong get to thrive in this world. If you head out like the helpless saps you are, you’re just asking to get eaten alive. Especially if you’re a sniveling, puny, pathetic, weakling! You think the enemy'll show mercy? A drone would already pump you full!”

Upon feeling Moonlight repeatedly tap at her shoulder, the muscular bat mare released her hold and rolled the teal-maned thestral off. Equinox dusted herself off before sneering down at her opponent, spitting out a tooth before wiping the blood off her snout.

Midnight clenched his fist tightly as the red-maned thestral swayed her over to him. Despite how infuriating he found Equinox, his body once more betrayed how incredibly aroused he was by her display of power, a sharp contrast to Cerise.

Flashing a sly grin, she said, “Let me know when you’re ready to lay with a real woman, Middy. Unlike your two little fuck toys, I can handle everything you’ve got~!” Puckering her lips at him, the female raider strutted her ass away.

The blue pegasus managed to subside his anger and come to aid Moonlight. “Are you okay? Did she break… anything..?”

Moonlight quietly sobbed, clutching her bruised arm while Fiery Kickstart ordered the rest of the cadets to return to their quarters. With a troubled sigh, he helped the blue pegasus escort his friend to the infirmary before he went ahead and delivered Shining Armor a scathing report about Equinox’s behavior. Though he predicted the supreme commander would do nothing to apprehend his secret squeeze, as usual…

*****

Elsewhere, Beatrix was supposed to continue her lessons with Iclyn and Arcanum, showing off her improved control over her magic while enduring the erenn unicorn’s dull lecture. But her saving grace came in the form of Lightning Spark, who stomped onto the scene. She got word about what happened at the training field and was fuming.

“That selfish bitch,” she muttered, her mane on end as static and electricity sparked around her form. “Trying to make the moves on MY brother, then she nearly breaks Moonie’s arm?! Someone outta put her in her place! If I could just… just-grrragh!”

Without thinking, she released her rage in a ball of lightning, flinging it at the group. Yelping, Beatrix conjured Erebus’s formless shape to catch the electrical orb. However, the bolts rippled around the cosmic material, zapping the witch. Black soot coated her violet coat, her platinum blond mane frizzled and smoky.

“Nice catch,” Iclyn cheerfully applauded, much to the witch’s chagrin.

“Where the bloody blazes did that come from?!” demanded Arcanum.

Lightning held her hands over her snout, eyes wide. “O-oh my gosh! I’m so sorry, Beatrix!! I-I wasn’t... I didn’t mean to-”

“Hey, hey, relax,” coughed Beatrix, who waved her hand to magically wash away the damage. “I’m okay!”

The icy doe pulled out a piece of nickel that instantly stuck onto the unicorn’s arm, making her jump from the quick jolt.

“… mostly okay,” she corrected. “But seriously! What was that? How’d you learn to shoot thunderbolts?”

“I-I really don’t know,” confessed Lightning, hugging her chest. “This started happening shortly after I escaped the changeling hive. Whenever I get mad or excited, it… just happens!”

Beatrix rubbed. her chin with a finger before a thought popped into her head. One that might reveal the source of the pegasus’ literal discharges. “Eureka! I think I have an idea! But first, how about some dinner? You look like you could use a five-course meal~!”

“Uhm, sure!” Lightning replied when she followed the wayward witch towards the food court, with her teachers not far behind. The foursome sat together at a patio, where Iclyn insisted Beatrix pay for everything. Begrudgingly, she forked over the bits once plates and drinks arrived.

After taking a swing of the hardest liquor on the menu, Arcanum asked, “Alright, enough blue ballin’. What’s the real reason you brought Sparky with us?”

“Watch,” Beatrix replied with a wink. “Now, while you eat, I want you to think about something amazing! Something that warms your heart and makes you feel… you!”

Quirking her brows quizzically, Lightning followed her instruction, thinking fondly of a time when she, her brother, and her mother were together, playing in the meadows. The Reminiscence became energy as her body rippled with electricity, bolts wrapping around her limbs and wings without going haywire. Opening her eyes, she gasped and marveled over this ability.

“Bloody hell…” the scruffy stallion murmured.

“Aha! Thought so,” beamed Beatrix, turning to Iclyn. “You noticed it too, didn’t you~?”

“Yes. Excellent observation,” the snow faun praised sincerely. “It appears our new friend is gifted with an Onoma.”

Lightning tilted her head, perplexed. “Ono-what?”

“Onoma,” elaborated the violet witch. “It’s an ancient form of magic that originates from one’s spirit. Anyone can access it, but only those with a sense of wholeness can harness their full potential! Mine, for example, is called Erebus!” Beatrix conjured a small sample of arcane magic in her palm, the spatial substance wriggling around. “It allows me to bend dark matter to my will… though I mostly use it with a sword.”

“Wow!” marveled the light blue pegasus, completely in awe. Glancing at the cyan doe, she asked, “What about you? Do you have one?”

“I do,” confirmed Iclyn, who formed a spiraling snowflake that summoned a mini flurry of snow. “Demeter is one of the rare hereditary Onomas. With each heir passed down, its power grows. It offers mastery over one of the four seasons, based on the user’s energy.”

“Well, we know which one that is,” teased Beatrix, who was met with the doe’s scowl. “Still, I didn’t think Onoma’s could be passed down through children! Maybe Abby will be blessed with my Onoma once she’s born!”

“If she does, I hope she’ll use it more wisely than you have,” Iclyn said sarcastically.

“Annnnnd there it is,” grumbled Beatrix, hoping to have gotten more on her mentor’s softer side.

“Onoma’s, huh? Almost sounds make-believe,” proclaimed Arcanum, who gulped down his liquor bottle. “Wondering what mine is if I ever decide to look into it…”

“From the way you’ve been downing booze, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was called Dionysus~,” the witch playfully jabbed.

Offended, Folklore replied, “You just earned yourself a couple more hours out of your sleep schedule to study, lass.”

“What!? Oh, c’mon! That’s not fair!”

“No!” Arcanum doubled down. “What isn’t fair is you making jokes at my expense when the whole chuffin’ universe is fallin’ apart! Every second you spend fuckin’ around is time that could have been spent learning how to get a handle on your shit!”

“Hey, lay off!” Lightning interjected, ignoring the hardened look from the erenn unicorn. “I don’t know much about arcane magic or dimensional travel, but it can’t be easy to control! Give her a break!”

The scruffy detective ran his hand through his messy mane, letting out a flustered exhale. “Alright, lass, look. I just met you, so I’m gonna let you off very politely... Fuck! Off!”

The pegasus mare glared, electricity crackling.

“Sparky, it’s okay,” assured Beatrix. “He’s right; I shouldn’t be wasting time when there’s a lot on my plate. Although… you seem like you could use a few discipline lessons yourself! M-maybe I could teach her?”

“Teach me?” questioned Lightning Spark.

“Yeah! I’d imagine electromancy isn’t any easier than spatial magic. If we studied together, I think it would do us good! “

Arcanium laughed stiffly. “You? Teach?! Phaha! You haven’t fully grasped the fundamentals yet, and you think you’re qualified to-”

“Alright.”

Everyone gazed at Iclyn, who kept her stoic expression.

“Are… are you havin’ a laugh?” The warlock asked, wondering if he had drunk too much alcohol again.

“I’m completely serious,” the deighdyr reaffirmed. “By teaching Lightning how to better harness her arcane magic, Beatrix can also hone her own skills. I’ll still be supervising, of course, but still… It’s not a terrible idea. We require more assets than liabilities, anyhow.”

Arcanum mumbled to himself in thought, the alcohol buzzing his head while a warmth burned in his core. “Baaah, fuck it,” he relented. “Let’s give it a go. Everyone’s ridin’ the fuckin’ crazy train these days...”

“Splendid!” Beatrix clapped her hands with a squeal. “I won’t let you down!”

“Eeeeeee~!” Lightning cheered. “This is exciting! I always wanted to know what it’d be like to have a sister!”

“Well, just stick with me, and I’ll show you all sorts of tricks~!” Beatrix offered, throwing another wink. “But for now, let’s eat!”

With plans set, everyone settled down to enjoy their dinner. Lightning was self-conscious about how much food she packed away. Still, she couldn’t deny how hungry she was, sampling a variety of meals Beatrix kept adding to her tab. Money wasn’t an issue since the traveler had amassed a small fortune from her various travels.

“Oi! Slow down there, love,” warned Arcanum, who’d finished off a couple more bottles by this point. “You’ll choke on your food if ya keep stuffin’ it down like it’s the holidays!”

Lightning made a muffled noise before chewing slowly until her mouthful was smaller.

“Blimey,” the warlock exhaled while lighting up a bud to blow smoke, seated on a patio with them out in the open air. Though his brows furrowed upon spotting something.

Iclyn followed his stare to a unicorn in a lab coat that approached. “Who’s that?”

“Oh! Web Spinner! Hey~!” Lightning waved him over. “He checked up on me after I escaped the hive and made certain I was okay! C’mon, have a seat with us!”

“I don’t want to impose,” said Web Spinner on his arrival, a subtle dark look passed between him and Arcanum. “But if you insist...” He seated himself next to her.

“Web Spinner, these are my new friends! Beatrix Belladonna, Arcanum Folklore, and Iclyn!"

“It is very nice to meet you,” said Web Spinner, his mouth pursed in a thin smile.

Arcanum, however, looked disturbed, sensing something within the scientist’s lab coat that made him shudder. As gentle a voice he could muster, he asked, “Do you mind sharing with the rest of the class what you brought to this table?”

Web Spinner’s smile disappeared. And when all eyes were on him quizzically, he fished into his pocket to pull out a wand.

But it wasn’t just a regular wand, as Beatrix dropped her fork upon recognizing its foul aura. Her eyes widened with horror, a cold chill running up her spine. “No… n-no, it can’t be!”

“Look familiar, Beatrix?” Iclyn asked, arching a brow.

“… the Cult of the Nemesis,” was all she whispered as horrible memories of her older adventures flooded her mind. Trying to evade capture by the extinct order that sought her as their dark messiah. The wand bore an eerie resemblance to one of their tools. A terrible weapon, crafted from the severed horn of a unicorn so anyone could work spells! And now, one was presented to the witch like a phantom that refused to stop haunting her.

“Now what pray tell does Shining Armor intend to do with one of those fucking things?” Scowled Arcanum. “Don’t you understand where they came from?! I can sense the spirit of whoever this was!”

“S-spirit!?” Lightning exclaimed, equally troubled.

“Freshly plucked from the ether,” examined Iclyn. “No surprise it would still contain fragments of the unicorn butchered to create this.” She cast her icy gaze at the earth-brown unicorn. “What, do you collect dead troops just so your army keeps an advantage?”

“N-no, nothing of the sort!” Web Spinner insisted. “These were taken and forged by the enemy!”

“But that doesn’t make sense,” muttered Beatrix, who held both sides of her head. “What do the changelings have to do with the Cult of the Nemesis? I drove the order to extinction!”

“Never heard of it,” confessed Arcanum while puffing more smoke. “I take it they’re an old foe from your corner of the universe?”

Beatrix only offered a nod. She waited for Iclyn to scold her for another disaster she seemingly brought. But, to her surprise, the ice deer looked at the troubled unicorn softly. Almost sympathetic.

Arcanum focused on the wand, quivering from the spirit partially trapped within, unable to escape its prison. His eyes glowed as he spotted the spectral visage of its owner in the distance, the wraith little more than a wisp visible to his eyes alone, the well-versed warlock sensitive to such supernatural phenomenon.

All the more reason he needed to find the Necronomicon. Fast. Put all this nonsense behind him. And finally, alleviate the sharp chill piercing through his core. One that no amount of hard liquor could ever thaw away.

The erenn stallion handed the wand back to Web Spinner before requesting, “Whatever it is you’re doing, shut it down! You’ve got no bloody idea of the powers you’re playing at!”

The shaggy scientist glared back when he rose from his seat. “If there’s a problem, take it up with the supreme commander,” stated Web Spinner. “I’m merely doing the job assigned to me. Work, which by the way, could potentially save my—o-our people! From those horrible monstrosities!”

He exhaled his frustrations before turning to the startled Lightning Spark, bowing his head. “I’m deeply sorry for my outburst. But I must go.” Stuffing the foul rod into his coat pocket, he walked away while the conflicted pegasus reached out as if to stop him.

“Something’s off with that fella,” observed Arcanum, not once looking away from Web Spinner until he was out of sight.

“W-well, look at him! He’s exhausted,” defended Lightning. “They’re probably working him to death. Clearly, he didn’t know what his work detailed!”

“Nah, he knew,” rebutted the scruffy stallion. “I saw purpose in his eyes. He knew exactly what he was carryin’ in his pocket…”

*****

By the time the sun was setting over the horizon, Lightning and Midnight were finally able to meet up on their lonesome and take a chance to reminisce on their past. They met in a children’s park, the siblings robbed of normalcy after an invasion that turned their lives upside-down.

Seated on a swing set, Lightning paused mid-swing. “Mother’s probably alive, but...” She sniffled and scrunched up her face. “No, she has to be okay! She’ll be home soon!”

“It’s our fault,” said Midnight, perched atop a slide, watching the orange orb hiding behind the trees. “Doesn’t help that we picked the worst moment to arrive! My father’s seen better days, Equinox’s practically running the place, and this Web Spinner guy is apparently doing shady shit! At least Fiery Kickstart’s forces are-”

“That doesn’t matter,” she reassured him. “I mean, you saw that monster! Left unchecked, it could’ve invaded a nearby settlement and slaughtered hundreds of innocents!”

“That’s true,” he conceded with a sigh. “This whole day fucking sucks…”

Lightning frowned, hopping out of the swing to walk towards him. “I wouldn’t go that far,” she said with a small smile. “I got to see my little brother again...!”

Midnight lifted his head and matched her slight grin. “Hard to call me little with how scrawny you’ve gotten!”

“I’m still the oldest, dummy!” She playfully spat, which led the twins to share a short chuckle. With the mood slightly elevated, the male pegasus decided to change the subject, not wanting his inability to save his mother stir up more frustration at these dire circumstances. “So, Beatrix tells me you have a potential Onoma, huh? Cool! I always wondered whether I had one, too!”

“Yep, yep! Bea says everyone can potentially call on one, but it’s hard for some. Almost impossible, in a few cases~!” She lit up with realization. “Say… you don’t think that mom’s power-?”

“Hey, yeah! Has to be!! And maybe father… I mean, Thunder Storm’s, too!” His face momentarily fell, reminded of who’d really fathered him. “Iclyn said some could be passed down from generation to generation, right? It could mean these elemental abilities run in our family! Makes me really wonder...” He fluttered his extensive plumage, recalling the sweeping gales he was able to unleash.

Just as the siblings moved in to embrace, Equinox dropped down from the skies, cutting the warm moment instantly with her appearance. “Alright, Sparky,” she said with a sharp grin. “It’s sundown. Get your cute butt in gear! It’s time to move out.”

“W-wait, Already?” She looked up as the orange sky was slowly overtaken by night. “Time sure has flown by fast...”

“Afraid so!” Equinox turned to Midnight on his approach and gently pushed his chest. “Sorry, stud. Girl’s night only! You’ll have to imagine all the kinky fun we’ll be having~!”

Midnight’s face darkened, teeth clenched tightly, still seething about the humiliation Moonlight suffered by the marauder’s hand.

Lightning cried, “Can’t you go one day without acting like a condescending asshole?!”

“Naw, how cute! Defensive about your bro, even when he’s the size of a tractor~!” She laughed it off before sporting a serious expression. “I ain’t here to make friends, Lightning. Shining hired me to make sure shit gets done and no soft-hearted fuckwits get themselves killed. Or worse…” The thestral momentarily shuddered before tossing her would-be partner a satchel. “Now hurry up and put this on already. Time’s a-wastin’!”

“H-here?” Lightning’s face turned red once she pulled out a navy blue rubber spandex sports top and pants, lined in lightning bolt designs that weren’t dissimilar from a Wonderbolt costume. She stared at her brother before he took the hint and turned around so she could quickly strip off her spare clothes, her lean body fully exposed.

“Woohoo,” the muscular bat mare whistled. “Take it off~!”

“S-shut up!” She smoldered and hastily pulled the costume over her butt and bosom, leaving her midriff bare. The stretchy material would still fit perfectly once she put on more muscle. The pegasus rolled an arm at her shoulder, flexing her lithe arms and massive wingspan. At least the outfit was stylish and sleek, built for aerodynamics! "I'm decent now!"

After he was told it was okay, Midnight turned back around and marveled at how cool and cute his sister looked. “Whoa! You look fantastic!”

“Thanks!” Her cheeks colored. “I’ll see you soon! Promise!” Reluctantly, she followed Equinox when the pair of them took to the sky, past the fence.

Alone again, Midnight plopped on the bottom of the slide, chin rested atop his hands. His homeworld felt so familiar...yet so different. The blue pegasus flexed his plumage, aware he couldn’t rely on his hyper-stallion strength forever, or else it would kill him! Maybe once he was cured, he could ask Lady Ewe to help tap into his potential Onoma.

His mind briefly recalled the night they shared on the ship, which made his groin stiffen. The soldier wouldn’t mind another round with the dream shaman, with how soft and tight she felt. And motherhood would only make Oona more curvy and palpable…

“Gaagh, stop it!” Midnight groaned, smacking his head. “What are you doing, man!?”

“Something on your mind?” A voice said as a shadow loomed behind him, making him turn to see his father. “It’s just me,” said Shining Armor, dressed back in a more casual suit. “I thought we should talk if that’s alright…”

“I don’t know, is it?” Midnight rudely questioned, not bothering to hide his contempt.

The older stallion exhaled deeply. “Figured Moonlight already spilled the beans. I wanted to tell you myself, but it never seemed like the right time. I really messed up badly, huh?” He dryly chuckled.

The soldier turned his back on him. “…yeah. Big time.”

“Look, Midnight, I’m sorry! I tried to protect you, honestly! But it doesn’t excuse me for being a coward. I’m not the hero everyone expects me to be.” Shining Armor tilted his head downward, thinking how gravely disappointed his wife and child would be if they had lived to see him. “… I loved your mother,” he continued. “Don’t think I didn’t do what I did out of desperation. Snowy meant dearly to me, like she did Thunder. And I swear, I’ll do everything in my power to help you and Lightning bring her to safety!”

“Liar,” he replied bitterly, side-eying the supreme commander. “You don’t believe that for a second!”

“… you’re right,” Shining admitted, misty-eyed. “I don’t know if she’s even alive. But I have to believe! Hope is all I have left to win this war!”

Midnight snorted, pulling himself up to face him, fury lit in his emerald glare. “You’re pathetic. A real leader wouldn’t let his subordinates command his army while he cowers away in his office. Bitching about the glory days where he mattered to people. Fucking every mare who took pity on him!”

Shining Armor emotionally shrank under his son’s wrath, whimpering pathetically as the blue pegasus stood dangerously close to him. “M-Midnight, please!”

“If I ever see you near my wife or Moonlight, I will put you in the fucking ground! Let’s get that straight,” he swore, his voice shaking with restrained anger. “You’re not my father. You’re not shit!”

Even now, he could sense the old bastard wasn’t telling him the whole truth. Was it self-delusion? Or mere cowardice? Whatever. It didn’t matter to him.

Midnight spread his plumage and soared away, leaving the broken stallion to fall to his knees and openly sob.

He snarled and scrunched up his face, aware he needed to blow off some steam. Hopefully, Cerise will be up for a romp. Or maybe he should check in on Moonlight and see if she’s recovered enough. Wait, no… that wouldn’t be right.

As Midnight sailed into the palace, he skidded to a stop in mid-air, his wings left to beat when his ears perked at the sound of moaning. His attention pulled towards a balcony, curtains billowed in the chill wind. A nude silhouette of a stallion atop two females was visible under the moonshine.

Curiosity and arousal overwhelmed him when he landed, peering inside to see… “Fiery Kickstart...?”

The subcommander didn’t bother to cease his actions when he lifted his head. His hips were on autopilot, slapping into his wife’s jiggling buttocks while she mewled atop another female. More burn scars were visible across his otherwise sculpted physique. He offered the bewildered pegasus a smirk and asked, “You gonna just stand there, soldier? Or are you gonna come inside?”

“H-huh?”

“Yess~! Oh, please, daddy! Cum inside me,” begged one of the women, who arched her back to push her massive, spanked red ass into his harsh thrusts. “I need your fat load~!!”

Upon closer inspection, Midnight’s green eyes widen to find that they weren’t mares. The one atop was a centauress, her black and white ponytailed curled, big breasts clapping into each other. The woman beneath her equine body was a spotted doe, her bob cut clipped short at her chin, shapely legs hooked around her partner’s more oversized frame while they fucked.

“A-aagh~! Just a sec,” Fiery grunted before yanking the leash around the centaur’s neck with one hand and smacking her bruised flank with the other. “Yeah, you like that, you fucking whore?” He muttered lowly in her ear. “Can’t go one night without daddy’s dick inside you, huh~?!”

She squeaked ‘yes!’ over and over, her yellow pupils glazed over until a sharp moan signaled her climax. The female deer shared in the euphoria, grinding her cunt against her underbelly before squirting like a faucet.

Fiery delivered one more firm thrust before filling his amazonian sow and pulling out with a joyful noise. Midnight couldn’t help but stare at his semi-erected stallionhood, freshly layered in his wife’s love nectar, her cunt packed with spunk.

“Take a picture; it’ll last longer,” chuckled Fiery, who helped the centauress roll onto her side to catch her breath. The spotted doe rose to tend to her husband’s dirty cock, bobbing her head along the shaft while he petted her head. Through soft growls, he continued, “Not that I blame you for spying. They’re quite a lovely pair, wouldn’t you agree?”

Midnight nodded as he awkwardly shuffled into the bedroom, eyes glued to the nude, sweaty centauress, whose ample chest rose and fell with each breath. The doe didn’t skip a beat while eying the pegasus, slightly lifting her supple ass and wagging her short tail invitingly.

“Their names are Panna and Chezka,” Fiery introduced. “Used to be members of an Amazon tribe, before the swarm wiped most of them out. It was a brutal battle of dominance that I helped secure for them. And in return, they agreed to become a part of my herd after I saved their asses.” He landed a playful swat on their rumps.

Chezka spat out his wet schlong, releasing a breathy giggle before ducking under to lap at her stud’s balls, stroking her saliva all over his thickness as his wives worked him over.

“Mmnagh~! Not just excellent warriors, but loyal lovers as well,” snickered the sun commander. “By Amazon law, any male that bests them becomes their new master. Plan to have them push out a couple foals once the war is over. Have them carry on my legacy.” Fiery arched an eyebrow at Midnight. “What about you, cadet? Put a baby in your wife yet?”

“A-ahh, no sir,” the pegasus admitted, blushing hotly as his loins stirred away.

“Well, you might wanna consider doing that soon. Especially with the clock ticking against you! I understand a hyper-stallion has specific needs to help preserve their abominable strength.”

He then looked to the centauress and jerked his head towards Midnight. Once she caught her breath, Chezka nodded with a smile, rising up to saunter toward him. Panna followed after her while swinging her hips. The naked Amazons were swarthed in sweat after he fucked them.

Midnight tried to protest. “B-but sir, I-I-!”

“I insist,” encouraged Fiery Kickstart, who pulled up a chair to sit down. “I’m spent for the night, and those two can get pretty reckless. Go on, kid, have your fill! Show them how a hyper-stallion tends to his herd~!”

Excited giggles escaped from the females, who surrounded Midnight and started to undo his armor. Hit by their musk and perfume, his shaft twitched below his pants, reminding him how long it had been since he last got laid. His armor was stripped away by this point, soon down to a tunic, pants, and boots.

Fiery’s wives dotted him in kisses and undid his shirt to expose his broad muscles. Next, they unzipped him, his half-hard cock left to flop free and slap Chezka across her face when they sank to their knees. He wheezed and tensed up with a hiss between his clenched teeth, feeling them kiss and make out with his pulsating member.

Desperately, Midnight tried to focus on Cerise and Moonlight, knowing they were waiting back in their room. Yet his eyes whitened when feral instinct took over, primed more than ever to breed these submissive females. His mind became overwhelmed with depraved scenarios.

Midnight imagined claiming Oona from behind, hands wrapped around her horns, pounding the azure sheep’s pudgy curves. “Yes! Harder, Middy,” she bleated in ecstasy. “Come an’ take what is yers! Fuck me! Make me pregnant again~!”

Then he thought of the twins, Wet Nurse and Foal-Bearer. They muffled into each other’s mouths, stacked on top of one another while he speared into their sopping fuck holes. “We live to serve you, master,” they moaned in unison. “Please! Reward us with your virile seed~!!”

The stallion’s shaft twitched at the thought of prying open Shadow Scythe’s legs, pumping her tight cunt full of his cock that he outlined her stomach. “Gaagh! I-I can hardly take it,” she cried. “Your cock is so big! I-I’ll be ruined for anyone else~!”

His fist bawled, fantasizing about overpowering Equinox and putting the bitchy raider in her place. “Aaaah~! I-I’m sorry, daddy,” she whimpered. “I-I’ll be a good girl! Promise! J-just keep fucking me like the filthy whore I am~!”

The hyper-stallion let out a wild groan, his sex-crazed mind going to darker places. Now he craved Beatrix, hammering the slutty witch and being the one to finally impregnate her jiggling, supple body. “Ohh, yes!” she chanted. “That’s it, babe! Give my sweet little Abby a new brother or sister to play with~!”

Midnight’s blood boiled at the imaginary scene of Iclyn with a fully feminine figure, just for him to use. “Break me in,” she panted. “Make me feel like a real woman~!”

Not even his dear sister was safe from his insatiable lust. They were back at the playground, Lightning’s costume torn apart for him to access her aching marehood while he bounced her standing up, hands grabbing a handful of her flank. “It’s been too long,” she moaned, clinging onto him for dear life. “We’ll make up for lost time with all the babies you’ll put in me! Fuck me, brother! Take my body and make it yours~!!”

Fiery was right. Time was limited by how he constantly pushed himself. Midnight needed to act now while he still could! Inseminate every mare he could get his hands on!

His lovers. His friends. His family. Every last one of them would supplant his legacy by bearing his children!

All sanity slipped from his mind once primal instinct took over. The hyper-stallion firmly grasped the centauress by the horns and thrust his bitch-breaking rod into her hungry mouth, using her throat like a cock sleeve. Chezka sputtered and gagged, tears leaking down her face from how intensely he skull fucked her.

The spotted doe, Panna, panted heavily before lowering down to take one of his fat swollen balls into her mouth, worshiping it with her tongue. She too was seized by him, her lips forced to suck his horsecock, their tits stained in saliva and precum as he drove himself down their throats.

And Fiery Kickstart continued to observe with a broad smile once he unloaded all over their faces and titties with a dominant howl, fully convinced Midnight would be vital in overthrowing his idiot father from high command. It was a simple matter to win the hyper-stallion over, the atmosphere filled by the reek of aphrodisiacs.

At long last. He had a real weapon to nip the changeling resurgence in the bud. His fist lazily stroked his stallionhood at the lewd display, as his Amazon wives swapped hyper-stallion seed.

He claimed them each day. Reminded them he owned them. That he was destined to rule.

The weak would be dominated, in return for protection. It was the natural order.

Chapter 8

View Online

Having her fill of the Crystal Empire’s splendors, Beatrix wandered outside the walls, easily able to slip beyond the soldiers that manned its ramparts thanks to the illusions she cast. Using her Onoma, the witch flew beyond the highest barriers on a cosmic broomstick, the birches leaving a trail of dust that glittered like stars. The Demiurge incubating within her body manifested, its cool darkness flowing around like a dress over her plush curves; while her platinum, violet-tipped mane blossomed out in a waterfall.

Her fingers clicked, and her horn shined. Guardsmen got a small glimpse of her as she soared past. “Huh? What was that!?” one called out, clearly spooked. “Who goes there?!”

The witch gave a mischievous titter while watching the watchmen scurry about, chasing after one phantom shaped to resemble a familiar pale blue mare, who taunted him with her pert rump. Another called, "Is that a naked mare?!"

"Shadow Scythe would kill me if she saw this," she snorted, dispelling the illusion right as the guard ran right into the door, stumbling down.

Beatrix exhaled with contentment, pondering how long it had been since she hadn't felt so stressed. Barely had time for breaks, with how much Arcanum was making her study. And Omen had yet to visit her dreams about the situation back at the manor—or castle, as it was now. Thus far, the violet unicorn was utterly in the dark about her lover and unborn child, planning on giving the nightmare stag a piece of her mind once he came through.

Icy winds caressed her flesh, causing Beatrix to shiver. The chilling breeze directed her towards a section of woods still covered by snow.

Or was it...?

Ever the curious cat, the violet spellcaster touched down outside the Crystal Empire's safety on a heel, banishing the inky blackness of her Onoma, the astral liquid left to slither back below her skin and fur. Snow crunched under her heeled boots when she wandered into the snow-smothered forest.

Moonlight spilled through the trees overhead, aglow in the darkness. Beatrix made her way into the maze, past the thickets, only to realize she wasn't alone by a silhouette ahead.

"Iclyn?"

The cyan doe stood motionless, staring gloomily at her shadow. Then, she lifted her head and started singing a sorrowful song, swaying gently with the finesse of a figure skater. It didn’t take Beatrix long to realize she was singing about Oona. About how bitterly their relationship had fallen apart.

The melancholy in Iclyn’s voice pulled at her heartstrings while the weather behaved according to her melody. Snowflakes danced around her, briefly taking Oona’s shape before scattering out of her hand.

The deighdyr could hardly contain the sob in her throat as she muttered the last lyrics, slowly resting on her knees.

Never had the witch seen her cold-hearted mentor so vulnerable and emotional. Only now did Beatrix understand how agonizing it must be for Iclyn to be around her.

When she attempted to leave, she stepped on a twig. Iclyn snapped her head, staring at the unicorn aghast.

“I-I’m so sorry,” stammered Beatrix. “I didn’t mean to listen in! Look, I’ll just-”

“Wait!” the snow faun cut off, wiping a balled hand over her tear-stricken face. “Don’t go. Stay… please.”

Cautiously, the violet mare approached and sat next to her on the blanketed earth. “For the record,” she said softly. “That was a beautiful song.”

Iclyn said nothing, legs tucked into her chest, arms hugging her knees.

With pursed lips, Beatrix took in the wintery scenery, the snowflakes glittering in the night like diamonds. “This place is so pretty!”

“I didn’t mean for this to happen,” the doe said. “But I needed space to reflect on the past, painful as it is.” She wiped more tears that threatened to freeze on the velvet fire of her cheeks, each breath puffing out mist.

A sad smile crossed Beatrix’s snout. “You still love her that much, huh?”

“I never stopped loving Oona,” Iclyn confessed. “We were so happy. We were going to settle down under the Matanam oath. Flowers everywhere! It would have been the greatest day in our lives.”

"But?"

"Then the Wendigo crisis happened, and we could not visit each other for long periods. Eventually, we just… drifted away.” Her expression hardened. “No… I drifted away,” she corrected. “Because I was scared Oona would reject me. Just like my father.”

“Your father?!”

Iclyn nodded when facing the witch. “You saw my secret when Andrei stripped away my clothes. My father, Teran, wanted a prince to inherit Demeter’s power. But instead, he got a princess. One he refuses to acknowledge.”

Crestfallen, Beatrix examined, “B-but that’s awful! I mean, it’s not something I’m used to, but you should be free to express yourself however you want! Oona would love you—still loves you, whether you’re a man, woman, neither, or in between!”

“Tell that to the rest of my tribe,” she lamented bitterly.

“Well, have you considered finding a spell or alchemy that could help you… y'know-”

“Transition? I’ve… deeply considered it. But at the same time, I want to make a statement. That I don’t need anyone's perspective to affirm who I am. I am my own woman.”

Beatrix offered the icy doe a warm smile. “Well, for what it’s worth, I accept you for who you are. And I’m sure Oona does too! She’s very open-minded.”

“That she is…” Iclyn gazed deeply into the witch’s violet orbs, a hint of a smile spreading her snout. “Perhaps you’re not as insensitive as I thought.”

“Ohh, gee, thanks. I-uh-?”

Beatrix's eyes turned to saucers when the deighdyr leaned in and met her lips. Frozen by her kiss, by the time Iclyn withdrew a fine miasma escaped their mouths.

“Huh,” she murmured. “So that’s what whore tastes like.”

“Aahbahdifuh-what!?” Replied Beatrix, flabbergasted. “Y-you can't just-”

Iclyn gave a soft titter while rising to her feet. “Don't think this means I’ll go easy on you,” she assured. “I’m counting on you to make this right before the storm rolls in. Winter will come eventually, and the cold does not know mercy.”

The cyan cervine left Beatrix to stand alone, the taste of her kiss lingering on her lips like frost. Taking her mentor’s words to heart, the witch shivered before drawing her cape around her and tailing after Iclyn. Though she wondered if her metaphor was literal, as the wayward witch gazed up to see foreboding clouds steadily eclipse the moonlit sky.

*****

Lamplights lit each corner of the empty streets of the Crystal Empire plaza. Lightning Spark could hardly see through the dense atmosphere while following Equinox. “So remind me again why you wanted me to join you on changeling patrol?” she questioned quietly so as not to disturb any sleeping civilians. “I feel very unqualified!”

“A couple of reasons, actually,” the marauder explained, looking around for any suspicious activity. “First, as you can imagine, there aren't many eager volunteers due to the disappearances. But if you ask me, they don’t have the balls. Second, you’ve got a whatchamacallit, right? That makes you more than qualified!”

“Onoma,” the pegasus mare corrected. “But I’ve barely begun training-”

“Third,” the bat mare cuts off, turning to her. “And most importantly, you’re the perfect bait for changelings thanks to your estrus!” Her yellow eye took in Lightning’s shapeliness, noting she’s gained a couple more pounds. “Mmm… But maybe I need to help those juices flow?" Equinox reached behind the mare and claimed a handful of her pert ass with a sly snicker. "Got to love how dim-witted and submissive estrus makes a mare~!"

"H-hey! Stop that!" She slapped the hand away. "I didn't agree to be used as live bait!"

"A little late for that. Now come on!" The bulky raider pulled her companion by the wrist. Lightning grumbled as they went into a dark alleyway, shadows laying on the walls with perpetual blackness.

"So, what do you plan to do once the war's over?” Asked Equinox, who smirked suggestively. “Shack up with that nerd, Web Spinner? Maybe pop out a few foals~?”

“Cut it out!” demanded Lightning Spark, tiny bolts of statics shocking the bat mare’s hand, making her yelp and let go.

Sighing, the light blue pegasus said, “Honestly? I dunno. Haven't thought that far ahead. Can’t really go back home since my family… m-my mom..." She couldn’t shake off the image of Snowy Blizzard stuck in that hive, bloated with changeling eggs waiting to be hatched. Lightning shook her head, hoping Fiery's forces would arrive in time so that Web Spinner could remove the parasites festering inside her mother's belly. He had to!

"Hey, ease up on the waterworks," hissed Equinox. "No need to work yourself up!”

“Oh yeah, and what about you? Planning to plunder the entire empire of its riches on your way out?”

The bat mare narrowed her eyes at the fussy pegasus. “So what if I do? If you ask me, that’s a perfectly fair price for offering my services and protection!”

“Protection?! You nearly hospitalized Moonlight, who can’t even fly! You’re not even a real soldier. Just a bully who thinks she can take whatever she wants, convinced she’s better than everyone!”

“Pipe down, Sparkplug! You're drawing too much attention to ourselves!!”

“Well, like you’re not!” Lightning continued, her Onoma crackling with bolts of blue and yellow. “Someone’s gotta stand up to you and put you in your place! When I report this to Shining Armor, he’ll-”

Equinox ceased Lightning Spark by the throat, slamming her into the stone wall and disrupting the flow of electricity. The pegasus mare choked, trying to pry her gauntlet off her neck.

“Seriously? Gonna resort to tattletale? What are you, five?” the buff thestral snorted. “Shining Armor won’t do jack shit! He’s too bitter about his dead wife and kid to lead his own army. Fiery and I practically do all the work! Besides, he’s likelier to fuck you senseless the next chance he gets~!”

Lightning Spark flailed uselessly, staring angrily at Equinox’s good eye as she leered closer, her pointy snout poking hers. “So listen carefully, shrimp,” Equinox warned with a snarl. “I may like you, but don’t think for a second that I won’t fuck that scrawny ass up if you get in my…”

Her threat trailed off when she felt something wet splatter on her face. She wiped the sticky substance off, recognizing it as saliva. With frightened eyes, she and Lightning slowly lifted their heads to find a massive multi-limbed shadow hanging above them from the walls. Large red unblinking eyes leered back, with four smaller ones atop its brow. It made a low clicking sound, its bottom jaw split into a pair of mandibles, spittle drooling down its fangs.

“…way.”

*****

Kyube had trouble sleeping, so he and Chisana took a midnight stroll along the royal garden. One of the few safe confines of the Crystal Empire untouched by militarization. Although, judging from the many withered flowers, it wasn’t regularly tended either. A blatant sign of the severe effects of constant strife.

“What a pity,” the vulpine surmised, plucking one decaying floral from its stem, frowning. “Not like there’s much else to see here, save for the marketplace.”

Breathing a heavy sigh, Kyube took a seat on a bench, tail brushing between his legs while the fox man stared at his murky reflection in the fountain water. He pondered if he’d ever see that female fox again or if it truly was his restless imagination.

A tug of his sleeve pulled his attention to his sibling, the raccoon dog wearing a wide grin as she fished around her sack to produce two sugary baked goods.

Kyube perked an eyebrow, a half smirk spreading his muzzle. “… didn’t I tell you not to steal anything?”

Chisana shook her head rapidly as she pulled out a few golden coins, proclaiming, “Cerise-chan!”

Curiously, the fox bandit took one bit to study it. Turns out, there were perks in having a princess for a friend. And fortunately, her money was close enough to pass in this dimension. Gold bits were pretty much universal currency in most parts, from what Beatrix claimed.

“Heh. She certainly was friendly,” Kyube mused, accepting the cookie and taking a delicate bite after getting a sniff. “All of them were, surprisingly. It feels… nice not having to hide my face behind a mask.”

The tanuki chittered in agreement before munching on her treat, crumbs falling onto her miniature kimono.

Kyube’s green eyes glanced over the kingdom walls, some of the trees peeking over. The forestation had become a dense labyrinth one could end up lost in for days. Most wouldn't dare wander too profoundly in, but the yokai bandits were used to such places. They had ambushed many travelers and taken supplies, but avoided harming or killing them.

Beatrix promised to send them home eventually...but until then, what to do? This wasn't their war! Better not to get involved directly with those military fanatics, but…

His ears perked at a loud rumbling sound, looking up to see dark clouds swirling until they completely enveloped the sky. His eyebrows furrowed. “That’s odd…”

Then he detected groans beside him; Chisana bent over and clutched her belly. The vulpine snickered and teased, “Perhaps that will teach you not to cater to your sweet tooth!”

But his wry smirk disappeared when the tanuki girl continued to whimper and moan. Then his concerns spiked as she rolled off the bench, wriggling in pain. “Chisana! What’s the matter?” He asked, holding her up.

"A-aniki..." the raccoon dog whined, her satchel knocked over and loot spilling out.

The air split under a series of sudden, chaotic lightning strikes that flashed by; one struck against a tree that cracked and toppled. A strong wind pulled at the yokai until Chisana started floating heavenward. Panicking, she cried, “Aniki!? Aniki!!”

"Chisana!" Kyube jumped up to catch her, but a bolt struck between them, the force knocking the fox man back onto the ground.

In a flash before his wide eyes, the tanuki vanished. In her place, a strange yet familiar figure fell on top of Kyube, causing them to crash into the fountain pond with a splash.

Gasping, the fox man held his head up, only for his snout to connect with that of a fox woman. Their eyes locked in shock, instantly recognizing each other.

“You?!” The vulpines exclaimed in unison.

The vixen had copper red hime-cut, the back held up in a messy bun. Her silky kimono was equally drenched as his gi and baggy pants. And nine fluffy tails fanned out from behind. A slight blush crossed the vixen’s face upon realizing she was straddling him before she quickly got off.

As Kyube lifted himself up, worry overcame his bewilderment and demanded, “What happened to Chisana? Where is she?!”

The female fox yokai shook her head, equally perplexed. “I-I do not know,” she answered, looking around at the alien landscape and palace walls. “I am not even sure how I arrived here!”

“Possibly another reality flux,” suspected the fox bandit, staring up at the squall brewing above. His eyes fell back on the beautiful vixen, her damp kimono clinging to her voluptuous shape. “I-if that’s the case, then you must be-”

“Kitsune,” confirmed the vixen before bowing her head. “Gomenasai.”

Kyube smiled, eying her swaying tails. “I-I can see that. But what’s your actual name?”

Her frown deepened, confessing, “My birth name remains a mystery. I’ve only known the code name assigned to me by a syndicate of science-crazed lunatics.”

Kitsune demonstrated this by temporarily morphing her arm into its liquid metal state. Each process became more painful and straining, as the cyber kunoichi spent more time outside her home.

“I see,” noted Kyube, a slight look of disappointment that she wasn’t an authentic nine-tailed fox like he had hoped. But the bandit wouldn’t let that weigh him down, not with far more pressing matters to address. “So if you’re here, that should mean Chisana resides where you came from?”

“I think so,” Kitsune said hopefully, giving a shy smile. “My sister, Wispy Willow, should still be there. So I’m confident she’ll keep her safe until we can resolve this situation.”

The fox man nodded, folding his arms into his chest. It wasn’t reassuring, but the vulpine got the impression that this yokai wasn’t one to lie, unlike his craftier siblings.

But before they could acquaint themselves further, a loud shriek from further inside the Crystal Empire pulled their attention. With a shared nod, the pair immediately rushed into action.

The pair of foxes lept atop rooftops until they discovered the source of that awful screeching. An oversized changeling was in hot pursuit of Equinox and Lightning Spark.

"Run!” warned the bat mare as she and the pegasus mare shot into the air. Unlike most drones, this creature did not have translucent insectoid wings. Instead, another pair of arms sprouted from its shoulders, giving it a more spider-like appearance. One threw out a spinning bola net made of webbing, which ensnared the fleeing Lightning Spark.

“Gaagh! Get this sticky thing off me!” She cried when she plummeted to the ground. Electric blue eyes gazed up, frightened at the approaching monster. Equinox landed in front, her fishhook gauntlet extending its blades.

“Back off, ugly,” the marauder warned with a vicious sneer. “You want her? You have to go through me!”

The rogue changeling let out a challenging hiss, an elongated tongue wriggling out its jaws.

With a battle cry, the bulky bat mare lunged at her opponent, her claws coming in contact with a shield that grew out of its bottom left forearm. The changeling deflected each strike and shoved Equinox back with its greater bulk.

“S-shit! This fucker can fight!” The thestral mare realized through clenched teeth. She ducked to avoid getting grabbed by its second pair of hands before maneuvering under to slash the beast’s belly. But the rogue changeling managed to back off, her hooks leaving small knicks at most.

Equinox tried attacking from behind, but her claws couldn’t slash through its hard exoskeleton. Before the marauder could fall back, her wrist was seized, and the monster whipped her into the pavement.

Equinox yelled as it tore the gauntlet off her arm and swallowed it. Nauseated, Lightning muttered, “W-what the?!”

The rogue changeling flexed its other lower arm that twisted and cracked grotesquely. The forelimb mutated to become bulkier, and two serrated blades protruded out the slits from its wrist. After examining its newly biofused weapon, its compounded lens locked with Equinox's startled gaze, its jaws forming a sinister smile.

“O-oh, fuck me!”

Lightning watched in disbelief as Equinox was now on the defensive, dodging to evade getting cut open by her own fish hook gauntlet. In turning to kick the bastard away, the bat mare made the mistake of leaving her back exposed, which the changeling took full advantage of.

Another pain-filled shriek rose from the muscular mare as it raked across her spine. She fell to her elbows and knees. Despite her amazonian strength and training, she was little more than a mosquito before the beast.

The fact was further proven when it grasped her limb with each limb and pulled them at different angles. Equinox screamed in agony, feeling she might split apart if he stretched her further…

That’s when Kyube and Kitsune intervened, one vulpine blasting the changeling with yokai fireballs while the other cut through the web net wrapped around Lightning.

“Go! Get to safety,” urged the vixen.

“B-but, wait! What about… who even are you?!”

“No time for introductions! Now go!” She barked before assisting Kyube in disorienting the changeling beast. It lashed out at him and his decoys while Kitsune swung her katana at its shell-like carapace.

Lightning heard night guards approaching, demanding to know what all the commotion was about. And upon seeing the battle, they rushed back to sound the alarm.

Yells drew her attention back to see the mystical foxes that were caught, the snarling beast crushing two of Kyube’s clones into leaves. And while they struggled to escape its grasp, the multi-armed monstrosity set its sights back on the whimpering Equinox, placing a foot over her head with every intent to stomp down.

Unable to abandon a comrade, Lightning launched into the air and dived to save her with a war cry. Volts surged out of her wings, shocking the creature to stumble back. All six red eyes stared at her as it chucked Kyube and Kitsune into buildings.

“Get away from them, you creep!” The frizzled pegasus shouted, launching another stream of bolts. But the changeling intercepted the attack with its jagged horn, absorbing it like a lightning rod. With a chittering shriek, it shot out green voltage to retaliate. Sparks flew everywhere until the rogue changeling threw off the trajectory into the stormy skies.

Before Lightning Spark could act, it spat thread that snared her foot and started reeling her towards itself.

“N-no! No, no, no, no! Stop!!” She cried, beating her wings to desperately break free. The tug of war was decided when all four of its arms yanked on the thread, overwhelming the pegasus mare with its physical strength.

Equinox grunted, her muscles straining to lift herself up as she watched her friend get spun around into a silky cocoon, her cries muffled inside. The creature observed its newly made package squirm, its snout whiffing the invisible pheromones that made it shudder. Its secondary arms strapped Lightning’s cocoon onto its back, where another web-made bag was fastened.

"N-no… leave her alone..!" Equinox trembled and tried to rise, uncertain how many bones were broken under the impact. Blood dripped from the corner of her lip, her one eye hazy.

An alarm sounded in the distance. The Guards that witnessed the scene rushed in with backup. A hailstorm of arrow shafts rained on the abomination and bounced off its surface. The creature shrieked before finishing strapping its cocoons in a sash wrapped around its abdomen. Its prey was left to writhe helplessly as the archers knocked more shafts into their crossbows. One readied a torch.

"No fire," warned a captain before a soldier lit an arrow tip. "You'll torch the hostage!"

"But if she's taken, she'll face a fate far worse than death!"

"What about the ballistas?"

"They'll cut down the hostage for sure! Block off its escape routes! Move!"

Yet before anyone could devise a better plan, the monster leaped onto a rooftop and bounded from one roof to the next. Arrows uselessly sailed after the beast, its prey unable to do more than scream for help when it quickly crawled up the outer city walls.

"Fuck...fuck!" Equinox slammed her fist into the road before she blacked out.

The rogue changeling reached the top, a view of the forest just a few miles away. But before it jumped, ice ensnared around its legs, keeping him stuck to the edge.

It glared menacingly at Iclyn, who conjured a flurry of snow to begin freezing the monster.

“Oh, no, you don’t!” exclaimed Beatrix, who used her Onoma to entangle each of its arms. She even threw out a bit of dark matter to seal its horn in case it tried to cast a spell. Smirking, she boasted, “Sorry, beastie, but we’re cutting your tour of the Crystal Empire short. Now hand over Lightning Spark!”

But the changeling responded by parting its mandible jaws, revealing a slit above its tongue where a torch nozzle poked out. And with a sharp enable, it vomited out plumes of fire which evaporated Iclyn’s cryomancy. The deighdyr lost her footing and fell off the wall with a startled shriek.

“Oh shit!” yelled Beatrix and, without thinking, released her hold to catch Iclyn. This gave the monstrous changeling enough time to melt the ice encasing its leg and propel itself off the ledge, where it sprinted away using all its limbs for extra speed.

The witch checked to make sure the cyan doe was unharmed. The royal guard marched and ordered their archers to fire arrows at the fleeing creature. But Beatrix already knew it was too late, staring at the shrinking shadow until it completely disappeared into the woods.

The rogue changeling had gotten away, with Lightning Spark as its hostage.

*****

Sirens awoke Midnight Blitzer from his grogginess. The fluffy pegasus was snuggled into a spacious bed, his oversized wings stretched wide and, like his arms, wrapped around the pair of women that surrounded them. Chezka, the centaur, and Panna, the doe, were still fast asleep. The pair were soaked in perspiration, hair tousled, their lower holes caked with dried semen. His semen.

Memories of how Midnight relentlessly clapped those cheeks overwhelmed him, the knight reduced to little more than a wild animal when hyper-stallion instincts took hold. The same need to breed, conquer, and dominate constantly reminded he needed to pass on his seed before he expired. And those titillating thoughts of making his female friends a part of his herd still lingered.

Midnight clutched his head, disgusted with himself. He'd never meant to take this all the way! His attention was supposed to be on Moonlight after what she'd endured! Yet to his shame, he'd allowed his hyper-stallion nature to get the better of him! Even after all that training with Dion…

The blue stallion's attention was pulled towards the faint howls of alarms going off in the palace. Jumping off the bed, he threw on his clothes, only to find Fiery Kickstart awake, rushing to put on his clothes.

"S-sir? What’s going on?” asked Midnight.

“We’re going to find out,” huffed the commander, sliding his knuckle blades on and marching out the room.

The youthful stallion cast aside the curtains to the balcony and sailed out. Perpetual darkness enshrouded the skies. He scanned the area, alive with activity as troops manned every corner, until he finally spotted his herd down below.

"Cerise! Moonlight!" Midnight called out before landing beside his lovers and huffed under his white armor, most of their allies also on the scene. "Sorry, I'm late! What happ-”

“You’re more than late,” Cerise said, scowling at him. "Where have you been?! We were worried sick!!"

"And don’t say you went awol," added Moonlight, who also shot him the stink eye. The pegasus soldier swallowed hard, about to confess what he'd done before Fiery ran beside him.

"Forgive me, ladies," the mustard stallion panted, his hand on the knight's shoulder. "The fault‘s mine. I wanted a private demonstration of what a hyper-stallion was capable of since Equinox ruined our training exercise yesterday. But we lost track of time, and I worked him so hard, he passed out."

Midnight narrowed his gaze, incredibly suspicious of why his commander would cover for him. But the harsh glares from his lovers softened.

“I mean… that’s fair, I guess,” said Moonlight, who grimaced at the mere mention of yesterday’s ‘exercise.’ “I’m sorry for doubting you.”

"Just tell us next time, please," insisted Cerise, who kept her frown while hugging her husband’s arm to her chest.

Guilt ate at his heart as he said, “N-no, it’s my fault. I got reckless… I'll dedicate the next day to both of you!"

But Cerise shook her head. “There won’t be time for that. We have to leave the Crystal Empire.”

“H-huh? But why!? What’s going on here?!” He demanded, looking around at the blaring sirens and frightened townsfolk whose sleep was disturbed.

"M-Middy…” his childhood friend began, though paused, unsure how to word her following sentence. “… Lightning’s been kidnapped!”

“… what..?!”

"It was a changeling,” elaborated Beatrix as she and Iclyn approached the group. “Bigger, scarier, and more versatile than anything I’ve encountered!”

“We could not prevent your sister’s capture,” muttered Iclyn softly. “I’m sorry…”

But her apology failed to reach Midnight’s ears as he crumbled to the ground, muttering ‘no’ like a mantra. Tears ran down his face when he let out an anguished cry, slamming his fist hard into the stone ground.

“I had her! I just got her back!!”

Cerise and Moonlight bent down to comfort their lover while the witch and deighdyr stood in melancholy. The thestral rose back up, flexing her prosthetic plume. "Were I able to fly-"

"Wouldn't have mattered," surmised Fiery, his muscular arms folded over his chest. "We've been trying to track that monster for a while. One lone soldier can't hope to stop it." He then spotted Shining Armor talking over with Equinox, who was wrapping a bandage around her arm. The pegasus directed them to follow. As Midnight lifted his head, he focused all his anger on the battered marauder, who was getting adequately scrutinized by the supreme commander.

“I told you not to push her into this,” Shining berated, his snout curled. “You knew she’d be a beacon for that monster with her estrus! She wasn’t in any condition to fight!”

“Oh, don't get me started on bad calls,” Equinox dryly spat, her one visible eye narrowed. “Not like you came up with a concrete plan in drawing out that thing until it picked them off every last refugee!”

When she heard this, Moonlight pushed past Fiery to storm her way towards the muscular thestral, meeting her stare. “You selfish bitch! A mare in estrus can't think straight! Who gave you the right to put her life at risk?! She’s our friend!!"

She balled a fist and threw a punch, which Equinox anticipated, catching it before shoving Moonlight away. She rose up, her own fists ready to put her back in her place.

“Equinox, stand down!” ordered Shining Armor.

But the taller thestral spat in his face and walked at Moonlight. “She’s my friend, too!” She proclaimed. “I did everything I could to protect her!”

“You put her in harm’s way!” rebutted Cerise, livid with the bulky raider.

“You wanna piece of me too, princess?!”

Moonlight glowered, “Don’t you dare threaten Cerise!”

Equinox gave the other bat mare a suckled smile and held out her arms, breasts proudly thrust out. “Then take your best shot, cripple! I dare you~!!”

“Cripple? You should look in a mirror! How’d you lose that eye, anyway? Drone decided your holes weren’t enough and made a new one to skull fuck?!”

That touched a nerve as Equinox snarled, rearing back her fist and ready to pummel her face into a paste. Maybe she'd take an eye, too!

They were pushed apart by Midnight when he came between them. "Enough!” He bellowed. “Fighting won’t help bring Lightning back! We have to save her, no matter what it takes! Besides, Moony…” the blue pegasus glared hotly at Equinox, enough to make her quiver. “… she’s not worth it!”

“Ooh,” she cooed sarcastically. “About time a stallion took charge around here~!”

The two bat mares continued to trade nasty looks but backed down for the moment.

Fiery Kickstart looked around the troops escorting civilians back to their homes and asked, “Where the hell is Web Spinner?”

“In his lab, probably,” proposed Shining Armor. “But I'm sure his alarms must've alerted him! He'd usually be one of the first onto the scene..."

“Guess again,” called Arcanum Folklore, who wandered onto the scene, holding something behind his back. Everyone stared at him with skeptically raised eyebrows before he tossed out something that made them all reel back in terror. Cerise let out a startled scream.

It was Web Spinner… or what remained of him. His outer layer flopped to the ground like wet rubber. He had been completely hollowed out, with no organs or bones inside the flayed opening across his face, chest, and legs. Just skin and muscle.

Beatrix had to clamp her hand over her snout to hold back vomiting. Even Iclyn showed a repulsed expression, clutching her throat.

“Holy mother of Faust!” commented Fiery Kickstart.

“Ehh, Trust me. I’ve seen worse things happen,” the erenn unicorn casually shrugged.

“Where did you find this?” asked the supreme commander.

Stuffing his hands into his coat pockets, the warlock began pacing as he explained. "I was doing a wee bit of investigating. The place was a total wreck when I broke in. Used me mystic arts to scan the room, but all the weapons crafted were stolen. Nothing was left save for that sorry sap."

“Wait, wait, wait! You breached the laboratory?” Fiery marched up, getting into the scruffy detective’s personal space. "I outta have you arrested for trespass AND treason!”

Arcanum smirked and shot back, “You can bloody try, mate! I know me methods ain’t always kosher, but in times like these, we need fast results. And I’m the best bet you’ve got in tracking that oversized bug!”

Fiery held his narrowed gaze before his half-burned face lit with a smile. "Heh! I like how you operate. We could use your expertise in the field.”

“Nah, thanks,” rejected Folklore. “Been in enough bad shite as it is. Don’t need more guilt weighing down my conscience. Ain’t that right, Bea?”

Beatrix gave a flustered ‘hmph,’ crossing her arms over her ample bust. They knew all too well what happened to mares captured by the hive...and one in estrus was primed to be seeded.

Another interruption came in the form of Kyube and Kitsune, held at gunpoint by the soldiers armed with crossbows trained on the foxes. "Wait," cried Cerise, who blinked when she spotted the other vulpine. Still, she insisted, "They’re with me!"

An officer used a unicorn wand to scan them. "They're clean." Weapons were lowered, allowing the pair to join their comrades.

Beatrix stammered upon seeing the kunoichi. “Kitsune? What are you doing here!?”

The copper-haired vixen replied, “I’m not so sure. But I feel it has something to do with this strange storm.” She pointed towards the cloudy night sky, thunder rumbling.

“Zell managed to carve a portal with the Vorpal Blade,” Kitsune continued. “When he came back, he brought a few others with him. That’s when the rift went dark, and this storm formed. I was struck by lightning, and, next thing I knew, I was here.”

Kyube nodded and added, “We theorize she swapped places with Chisana.”

“Well, then I better contact him just to make sure,” concluded the witch, who summoned her telecom from her Prima Materia.

“Oi! Hold the phone,” interrupted Arcanum, eyebrows furrowed. “Who’s this Zell fella, and why does he have portal hopping powers? Sorry, I’m just having a hard time drinking this in!”

“He’s a demi-human,” answered Beatrix coolly. “Part human, part angel. Used to be a bad guy, but we pulled him around. We were a thing. It was short-lived.”

“Pft! Now you’re just pulling me leg,” huffed the erenn stallion. “There ain’t no such thing as angels!”

“Oh, they’re real,” Cerise commented, frowning. “We learned that the hard way.”

Beatrix focused her magic on the relic, which hummed to life when she spoke into it. "Hello? Sunspot? This is Witch Mother calling Sunspot! Boy, do I have a story for you!"

"That makes two of us, Belladonna,” came a gloomy feminine voice.

“Shadow Scythe!?” Her cheek became rosy pink. “Well… this is awkward. What happened to Zell?”

“I’m afraid he can't answer at the moment,” she answered. “He’s recovering from his accidental trip to the ‘cyberverse.’ I’m currently looking at two other demi-humans equally roughed up, plus a mare who looks exactly like Cerise.”

“M-me!?” The dark dancer spoke up, reddish pink eyes widening. “That must be Eclipsed Heart! Ooh, I’ve always wanted to meet her!”

Everyone gave the peppy princess a stern look, making her sheepishly add, “Under… better circumstances, of course!”

“…anyway! There wouldn’t happen to be a little raccoon dog with you, is there?”

A momentary pause with occasional static before a smaller voice called out, “Aniki?”

“Chisana!” Kyube barked, leaning his head closer to the receiver. “Are you alright!?”

“Aniki! Watashi wa mukizudesu!”

The male vulpine sighed with relief. “Oh, thank goodness.”

“Hey!” Another voice echoed. “Is my sister over there!?”

“Imoto!” It was Kitsune’s turn to squish against Beatrix, trapping the witch between the two foxes. “Yes, I am here!”

Wispy Willow said, “So you went interdimensional! Good to know! Can you get back?”

Beatrix looked to her scowling mentors and reluctantly said, “I don’t think that’s a good idea. The multiverse is on the verge of unraveling as it is. The next jump I make could be the breaking point!”

“Rats…” came the saddened sound of Wispy. “Guess we’ll have to make do with this. Don’t worry; I’ll keep an eye on Chisana!”

“You have my gratitude,” thanked the fox man, smiling. “I’m Kyube, by the way!”

“Wispy! And you better keep your hands off my sister! I’ll know~!”

The kunoichi blushed heavily. “Imoto!”

They heard a sly snicker before Shadow Scythe spoke up again. “So, what’s the next course of action?”

Beatrix turned to Midnight, Moonlight, and Cerise before proclaiming, “We’re going to be on the hunt for a rogue changeling monster that kidnapped Middy’s sister. Other than that, we’re not any closer to solving this dimensional flux. I’ve gotten better at controlling my magic, but progress has been slow.”

“Sounds rough; I’m sorry to hear that,” replied the reaper mare. “And no word about Oona either?”

The unicorn pursed her lips. “No, not yet… I haven’t gotten the chance to contact Omen.”

“I see. Hopefully, she’s alright. We’re going to try and regroup before Mortis attacks again. Though I don’t know how much longer my world can last. The squall here is pretty bad...”

Arcanum scoffed. "So now we’ve got two worlds on the brink of collapse. Glorious! You’ve truly outdone yourself, Beatrix!”

“Hey! This is not the time to antagonize each other,” said Midnight.

“The oaf’s right,” admitted Iclyn, who stroked her chin. “I’m beginning to doubt that this was caused by Beatrix alone. The storm only happened when Zeloph started poking holes through the dimensional fabric. And Mortis has likely been shifting between spaces for much longer!”

"Nah," countered Arcanum, shaking his head. “Think of the space between dimensions like a dam. If you poke enough holes in it, it’ll leak before it completely caves in. Like me, Mortis and Zeloph found alternative means to portal hop within their own universe. Beatrix, on the other hand, is an anomaly! A black arts-infected time bomb meant to become the dark messiah. They may be causing leaks, but she was the catalyst that weakened the multiverse in the first place! I’m sorry, Bea, but I ain’t letting this slide." He pointed at her. "All of this is your fault!”

Beatrix felt increasingly small under the warlock’s gaze, and the urge to just run away and disappear intensified. Her friends were ready to chew out Arcanum for putting so much pressure until Shadow Scythe spoke up again.

“… unless she’s not the only anomaly.”

Arcanum paused, then looked at the telecom. “What..?!” Even Beatrix stared at it perplexed.

“I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve always blamed Belladonna for this calamity,” the reaper elaborated. “But… that’s just it. We assume this is her fault because she’s the only one we’ve known to tamper with interdimensional travel and render themselves unaffected by time. Because of this, why would we ever consider the possibility that someone else has done the same?”

“Because that’s utter bullocks!” Arcanum dejected. “And even if that were true, we wouldn’t know where to look! We’d be wandering around like headless chickens trying to find someone that might not even exist!”

“Well, they’d have to be within one of these dimensions, right?” offered Cerise. “Otherwise, this storm wouldn’t be happening!”

Beatrix released a sharp gasp upon recalling what transpired at the food court yesterday. “W-wait! Web Spinner held an artifact that resembled a tool belonging to the Cult of the Nemesis!”

“Those zealots from your home world?”

“Mhm! I thought I was seeing things at first. But now that you bring up the existence of another anomaly…”

She didn’t want it to be true. The thought of facing the old faction made her stomach churn. They once sought to unleash the full unholy might of the Necronomicon across galaxies through her. And the witch wanted to cling to the belief she had thoroughly vanquished them.

But what if some members survived? And we’re merely biding their time until now?

“… It can’t be a coincidence. If there is another anomaly like me, we’ll have to look for it along the way. But until then, I’ll hold myself responsible for the turmoil in these worlds. I won’t give up until everything is set right!”

“Heh. How very noble,” she heard Shadow Scythe say. “I leave it to you then. Hopefully, we can reconvene when all of this is behind us. Farewell. And good luck.”

The telecom went silent until the magic glow fizzled out. Beatrix tucked it back into the Prima Materia as everyone headed inside the palace to recuperate for the journey ahead. Many were still uncertain on what to make of this outlandish claim, particularly the commanders. Nonetheless, they needed to heed if they wanted to overcome the changeling resurgence.

Just when things were finally looking up for once…

*****

Dawn came, and the entire capital was placed on lockdown. Security doubled, citizens and military alike paranoid after a changeling had infiltrated the Crystal Empire, the commanders unable to keep its invasion secret anymore. And the relentless storm continued to darken the skies, the weather unpredictable.

In the courtyard, Beatrix conferred with the rest of her crew to plan their next move.

“We hit the bastard, rescue Lightning, then lock down in the Crystal Empire,” said the witch. “It’s not an entirely solid plan since we don’t know what else that giant cockroach can do. But time is of the essence, and I’d rather not risk this on a suicide run!”

“Aye. It’s the best we got for the moment,” concurred Arcanum, lighting up another smoke to calm his nerves. “But don’t assume this rescue mission means you can slack off from your training! You’re getting good, but you need to be better! Much better!”

“Yeah, I know,” groaned Beatrix, whose tireless exercise had put heavy bags under her eyes.

"Girls, I’m really sorry," repeated Midnight to his herd. He still hadn't told them the truth, and by now, the moment had passed. His eye drifted back to his gold wedding ring, wondering if their relationship would ever be the same after this. "I promise, once we rescue my sister, I'll-"

"I think I should stay behind," announced Moonlight, her shoulders slumped. "Let’s face it; I’m only holding you back." A cold sweat laced her skin, her body itchy, significantly down below.

“But that’s not true!” reassured Midnight. “Don’t let Equinox get to you! You’re still a capable fighter!”

"We need you!" added Cerise, who squeezed her arm. "More than ever…"

"I-I appreciate the love, but I’m really feeling under the weather," confessed the bat mare.

"Understandable," called Fiery, who listened in, his wives Chezka and Panna with him. His bodyguard women went topless, their semi-naked bodies lined in bright war paint. "If Web Spinner weren’t… y'know, we would have given you a physical the moment you arrived!"

"Allow me." Panna clopped forward, the foreign doe appearing more tribal than the icy deer who stared judgmentally. More curious was the unicorn-styled horn on the center of her forehead. "May I take a look at you, Miss Moon? I was a medicine woman in my tribe."

"O-okay...what?" Moonlight blushed when the deer woman started to undress her, soon down to her black bra and panties when hands squeezed over her flesh. "H-hey! What are you-"

"Here." Panna slid aside part of the mare's panties to expose a toned buttcheek, the skin marked by a thin red line. "One of the drones must have nicked you amid battle."

"Their venom induces estrus," said Chezka bitterly, the centaur's fierce eyes narrowed as she tossed her white ponytail back. "It's how a hive took the Amazons down. They didn't have to butcher us directly. Just let our lusts drive us mad after a few drinks, until we rabidly tore each other apart in a hysterical fury..."

"A small dose, but effective. Far too late to suck it out. It's in your bloodstream," said Panna.

“Oh no!” cried Cerise. "Don't tell me she'll-"

"We can cure it. But it will take time," noted Panna.

"We'll make the most of it," said Moon Hammer. "I can work on your wings like I promised. You'll be better than new in no time! Penumbra, too. Sadly, it means I'll have to stay behind."

"Works for me," said Arcanum, who savored another smoke to keep him warm.

"F-fine! Now can I dress already?" After a nod from the deer woman, Moonlight yanked her clothes back on. At least she took comfort from the idea that she wouldn't be a burden!

"I'll serve in your place," swore Penumbra. "I only need one arm." He noticed that many of the commanders focused on the minotaur's craftsmanship, no doubt hoping they could take his secrets and use them in the war effort. "Watch your back," he warned the blacksmith.

"You as well," whispered back Moon Hammer, who playfully punched the swordsman's shoulder.

Not too much further in, Kyube had taken Kitsune aside. He told her, "Where I’m from, a kitsune who has earned all of their tails is a sign of divinity. That’s why I assumed you were a goddess when we first saw each other in the lake! You certainly have the raw beauty!"

"Y-you flatter me," the vixen meekly said, her head bowed with a blush. She had traded her silk kimono for her kunoichi attire, which conformed to the vixen's sculpted curves, portions of the costume black fishnet that exposed her flesh.

The fox man chuckled and lifted up her chin. "If you’d like, I could teach you a few tricks! Help you live up to that status?" She returned a shy smile and nodded.

But the good vibes were immediately gone the moment Equinox touched down. The thestral mare smiled, unfettered by the entire circle of people glaring spitefully at her. She asked, “So, are we all packed and ready to move out?”

“You are not coming with us!” the witchy unicorn proclaimed.

“Oh, yes, I am! That freak took something that belongs to me, and I want it back!”

“So just get a new gauntlet!” Midnight sneered. “We don’t need you!”

She gave the blue stallion a sultry look before saying, “Who said I was referring to my gauntlet~!”

He lunged for her, only stopped by Penumbra and Fiery Kickstart grabbing each arm. She puckered her lips at him before getting serious. “Look, I was the one who pushed Lightning into coming with me on patrol. She was my responsibility, and I let her down. I owe it to her to come to find her. I’m not asking any of you to like me. Only that you give me the chance to fix my mistake. Isn’t that what you guys are all about?”

The marauder was eying Beatrix when she said that last part, aware that this giant cosmic storm over the land was because of her ‘fiddling with time’ or whatever. And, as she predicted, the witch couldn’t deny her words.

With a begrudging sigh, the violet mare said, “Fine. But no more fighting amongst each other!”

“No need to worry about that,” stated Iclyn, who briefly summoned a snowflake in her palm. “She’s on thin ice as is.”

The muscular bat mare scoffed before joining the fold with her arms crossed.

Fiery passed them with his wives and said, "I wish you all the best of luck."

They nodded and walked out of the Crystal Empire through the city gates, which closed once they made the clearing. Moonlight and Moon Hammer gazed worryingly before following the second in command.

Fiery had shown his decisiveness while the supreme commander hesitated. The people needed a mighty shepherd to herd them.

And soon, the moment would arrive to make his move!

His wives trotted after them in a clop of hooves, sworn to serve and obey him. The Amazon tribe's confidential settlement was torched by its people, its inhabitants scattered, ready to be claimed by the swarm outside that had infiltrated their hidden lands and set all this madness in motion.

The drunken, lusty, war-like females had torn each other apart. Blood soaked the fields. Flames and smoke filled the air. Fiery rushed in to save them...and burned half his body in the process.

However, the two attractive prizes he'd claimed that day had been more than worth it.

As the outsiders departed, he and his wives arrived at the supreme commander’s office. A detachment from his men sat in a chair, the officer trembling violently.

Fiery called out with concern, “Sergeant! What happened?”

“He returned early this morning,” explained Shining Armor. “Hasn’t said a word since. But my guess is that they found the hive that Lightning was a part of. Only he was the only one to come back alive…”

Scowling, he leaned in front of the shaking pony and ordered, “Sergeant, report! What did you find!”

No response, his eyes saucer-like, staring absentmindedly.

“Answer me!!”

Then, the twitching stopped. One of his pupils dropped down, and his mouth gaped. An unearthly rhythmic glow shone beneath his coat as roots and stems began piercing through the skin.

Fiery Kickstart backed off when his sergeant's head split apart like a flower, revealing his mutated bioluminescent brain, a mushroom-like substance pulsating atop. Shining rose from his seat, bewildered by what he saw.

The fungus-controlled stallion shed his fleshy coat, revealing developing carapace and insectoid limbs. That’s when a disembodied voice greeted them from within their minds.

“Did you miss me, Shining Armor?”

His snout formed a snarl, recognizing that taunting cadence. “Chrysalis!”

The drone held out its arms while her voice tittered. “Because I’ve missed you. It’s been so long since we last saw each other~!”

“What have you done, changeling?!” demanded the alabaster unicorn.

“Only ensured my absolute victory,” the queen’s cackle reverberated in the room. “With the Mi-Go’s power, my swarm shall reclaim the land and show the same kindness you’ve given us. By eradicating all Equestrian life!”

“Not gonna happen!!” bellowed the mustard stallion, hand at his sword hilt in its sheath.

“You don’t have a choice,” teased the insidious voice as her drone assembled itself, wings giving a testing buzz. “Adhere to my will and become one with the swarm… or die~!”

The newly mutated changeling screeched, launching to take a stab at Fiery Kickstart.

A heavy arrow thudded into the invader's chest, loosed from Chezka's compound bow. Its shaft thudded as the monster sank to his knees and oozed black blood. Her heavy, painted bare bust bounced when the centaur knocked another arrow. "He's down," she announced coldly.

"Good work," he panted, eyes on the insect that twitched and bled out.

Panna readied a curved knife, the flat side scraped across the changeling's wound to mark it with blood, like a trophy. She then asked, "Should we take him prisoner?"

Fiery tsked and raised his blade. He was tempted to have the drone tortured and questioned. But given what he saw, there was no point to torment the infected. So instead, he decided to make an example of him before the soldiers present.

In a clean stroke, he beheaded the drone and watched the head roll. The body went slack, deflating and pushing out more gunk.

“How did he get past security?!” questioned Shining Armor. “Our wands should have detected something was wrong!”

“Looks like they’ve evolved beyond magical needs,” observed Fiery. “Whatever this Mi-Go thing is, it behaves like a parasite. Infecting the host’s body without drawing any suspicions. Poor lad likely didn’t even know he was already dead!”

He turned his stern glare to the supreme commander. “Do you see what your lack of initiative has brought to our kingdom? The changelings have developed more weapons faster than we can blink! First the monster, now this?! How many more lives will it cost until you take control, Shining?!”

“I am the supreme commander!” Restated the unicorn, barking back. “Until I give the order, no one is risking their safety to fight a war we can’t possibly win until we come up with a concrete solution! I’m in charge here, Kickstart! Not you!!”

The mustard stallion seethed at his long-time comrade before turning away, ordering his wives to have guards clean up the body.

As he walked out of Shining’s office, he darkly muttered to himself,

“… not for much longer!”

*****

Back in Cerise's homeworld, Ashen Dunes surveyed the last touches on his repaired airship by his crew, some of the more trusted men hired from the locals. He twirled sandy blonde curls in his hand, the merchant's scarves and robes left to billow in the sandy wind. "Almost there..."

His slim arm held Rhenaes close by the waist. The jade pegasus landed a playful tap on the unicorn's horn and met his smile. "So," she asked. "Where are we going in such a hurry?"

"We need to check on the status of Andrei. Not to mention those nasty scorpions! Heaven knows what will happen should he escape and tear down the borders." He shuddered, aware it would allow enemy factions to freely spill into his nation. His father was having trouble disbanding the cult that still worshiped Zeloph.

"We won't let that happen." Rhenaes nodded to a crate filled with more bombs that hadn't been primed. Grounded for the moment, the ship started to rattle when the engine flared to life. Stallions manned their stations when Ashen took the vessel's wheel.

He pecked her lips and asked, "Want a turn at the wheel?"

"M-me? But I don't know how to-"

"I'll direct you," he murmured smoothly in her ear, pressed behind the mare when she took her position, hands on her arms as he pushed into her back. "Easy," he continued when she pressed the buttons and turned the lever at the control panel. "Just like that."

Rhenaes swallowed hard, afraid of letting go of the wheel. "Almost there..."

"See? My baby loves it when you make her purr." He nuzzled her neck and cheek once the airship started to rise in a dust storm, then murmured in her ear, "This ship could use a proper figurehead. How about I commission one in the likeness of your nude figure?"

Her face colored as she let out a sheepish laugh at the idea. "I-I'm not sure I want others knowing what I look like naked. That should be for your eyes only~.”

Ashen chuckled. “Fair enough~!”

The ship lurched slightly, but she quickly righted it like she'd seen her lover do many times. He tussled her mane in approval and said, "See? You're a natural."

"Holy hell! I...I've done it!" Rhenaes' eyes watered as the ship started to climb from the deck. Once they reached the skies, she carefully turned the wheel, and the vehicle spun. Her heart hammered, and she squealed in exhilaration. "How did you come across this ship, anyhow?"

"Won it in a bet. It wasn't always this impressive, but I've put a lifetime of work into my baby." The couple started to sail across the lands, towards the horizon, where a mountain loomed closer and closer. "But compared to a prize like you..." His hands slid lower to her stomach.

"Stop! You're too much," she teased back, her cheeks red. They traded more kisses as Rhenaes continually became more comfortable with the controls, their destination almost on them.

The sun blotched the mountaintop. Ashen looked from a pair of binoculars. "Wait, what’s going on?”

Gunfire erupted around the mountain, matched by spells that lit the sky. Scorpions clambered across the barren rocks, a number of them torched and smoky or ridden with bullet holes. A couple dozen lay dead, with more wounded, as more replaced them.

In the middle of this chaos was a skeletal stallion swathed by a tattered black cloak, beside an older stallion in a heavy coat, and fedora, a rifle in his hands. They battled back-to-back.

"Never seen them before," said Ashen, who handed the binoculars to Rhenaes once he took the wheel. "Though judging by the descriptions Beatrix and friends passed on, that must be Mortis Saltaire and Quicksilver Bullet? But what the hell are they up to?”

A muffled series of roars answered their question when the mountain began quaking.

Rhenaes gasped. “Oh no! They must have broken the seal! Which means-!”

The three-headed monster known as Andrei burst from the mountain's peak in a pillar of smoke, ash, and flames; the air split by an explosion like a volcano erupted.

The skies turned hellish, blood red. Foreboding clouds formed above the hydra, his roar echoing with the thunder.

Despite improvements to his vessel, Ashen doubted his ship could outfly a dragon...

Chapter 9

View Online

Lightning Spark woke to a dreadful, familiar scene. A dense forest laced in frost. Her body webbed up. "At least I'm not naked this time," she mumbled, still in her Wonderbolt-like costume. Her eyes scanned the pitch black area, her sex still afire with unquenched need.

Panic returned at the sound of buzzing and chittering. As she feared, the smell of her arousal attracted several changelings that stalked the area, some more warped by disease than others. The Mi-Go, as Arcanum called it, that he claimed was some sort of eldritch infection which twisted one into an unrecognizable monster.

Though have changelings ever been more than monsters? She'd certainly never met a friendly one, but if what the warlock said was true, maybe these drones were victims, too? Not that it mattered much in her predicament...

Lightning wriggled and squirmed in a vain attempt to break away from the strong silk. Beset by the realization that she could not escape the swarm that approached, she instead desperately tried to manifest her 'Onoma’ Beatrix told her about. "Come on, come on," she whined desperately and focused her will.

A drone's pinchers opened and closed above her. Its maw drooled over her flesh.

Its compound eyes drank her in. One of its limbs rubbed over the webs that confined her, ready to shred it partially open to access her body, its ovipositor raised as it pulsed.

A shrill cry pulled its attention towards the unnatural abomination that had taken her from the Crystal Empire bounded in, and the beast's natural weapons scythed the horns from the Mi-Go closest to it, who suddenly went docile, cut off from a hive mind link as the unnatural antenna was removed.

The swarm hissed and turned on the monstrous changeling, who quickly dispatched his extra limbs, armed with harvested weapons. As their horns were carved away, more insectoids were freed from the alien voices in their heads.

Lightning watched with perplexion as the drawn-off drones flew away, while her kidnapper backed up towards her. She noted its head swaying as if uncertain if more would come.

Almost like it was guarding her...?

“H-hey! I don’t know what you want with me, but I am not your prize!” berated Lightning, managing to charge tiny sparks. The multi-limbed changeling glared back at her and, from her position, she could make our pupils within its large main set of eyes.

It drew its snout closer, taking a couple whiffs.

"Cut that out, you creep,” the pegasus mare demanded. “Release me! Now!!”

"Shut your mouth," the creature spoke. "It’s bad enough my senses are overwhelmed by your scent. All that noise you're making will attract more changelings!”

Lightning’s eyes widened upon hearing words from the beast’s partible jaws. “Y-You can talk?!”

The rogue changeling grinned mockingly. “Well, aren’t you a little genius? Of course I can talk! Did you think I was just another drone aimlessly scouting the area!?”

“N-no, but… I had thought you were-“

“A mindless beast? That’s the problem with you ponies. Always assuming,” he scoffed, shaking his head. “So quick to label something before you even consider asking questions.”

The electric pegasus narrowed her blue eyes at him. “Alright then, I’ll ask! Since you’re so smart, why don’t you tell me what’s going on then?”

The changeling monster snorted before crawling up to poise above the tangled mare in his web. “Ever since Chrysalis came in contact with the mushroom, everything’s been off,” he began explaining. “She wanted to reignite the war when all the other colonies had settled into hiding. So she used the Mi-Go to spread her influence, infecting all the changelings in Equestria.”

“Chrysalis! Figured she’s behind this,” exclaimed Lightning. Did that mean she and her mother were abducted into the queen’s hive?

The arachnid creature continued. “We're overly sensitive to pheromones. After a certain point, the parasite completely takes over. All that’s left of them are wandering husks trying to spread their disease, like zombies. And if they happen to pick up the scent of a fertile female nearby, well… you’re probably used to that by now, huh?”

“Yeah, no thanks to you and your accursed kind,” Lightning sneered, still wriggling within her silky confines. “That’s not the mushroom’s doing. You're already parasites, kidnapping mares and turning them into your personal incubators!”

His eyes narrowed, glowering, “And who gave you the right to treat us like monsters? What you consider immoral is just our way of life. You ponies drove us underground when we were on this land long before the alicorn sisters began their regime!”

This made the blue pegasus pause in her argument. “I… I-I didn’t know that,” she admitted.

“Of course not,” huffed the changeling. “You decided what I was the moment you took one look at me.”

“Abducting me doesn’t help your case,” argued the electric pegasus. “Plus… have you seen yourself? No offense, but you’re not exactly easy on the eyes!”

That seemed to have touched a nerve as his expression soured. “I didn’t ask to be this way,” said the changeling. “And I’m sure my kind shares that mindset. You accuse us of Equestria’s dwindling state when the blame has always been yours. That witch is responsible for the spatial storm, if I remember correctly.” He laughed bitterly, pushing off the web to land on the ground. “Soon, it won’t matter who wins this ‘war.’ Nothing is going to remain of our world…”

The sound of panicked chittering brought their attention to a lone changeling, badly infected by the Mi-Go the most. Stems and fungi broke apart its carapace, wings, and compound eyes. Its wings fluttered uselessly, discolored liquid seeping out its screeching jaws. While Lightning could tell the creature was in pain, it must have been more agonizing for the rogue who could understand those sounds.

"Poor guy doesn’t even know what his purpose is anymore,” the rogue changeling lamented, ending its madness with a swift swipe from his stolen gauntlet, the critter’s head rolling off the neck. Its decapitated body flopped to the ground, tiny tendrils wriggling out in search of a new host to leech on.

“How awful,” Lightning muttered, trying not to vomit. Her blue eyes fell on the changeling. “You really aren't aligned with Chrysalis! Then… who are you?”

"Deinos,” he responded while bringing down the other cocoon. “I was taken from my hive to be a part of their ‘gladiator’ experiment, resulting in these extra arms instead of wings. Would have lost my intelligence too, if not for a slight mutation.”

She looked to the arm-wielding Equinox’s fish hook gauntlet and questioned, “Is that how you can assimilate weapons?

“Heh. You catch on pretty quick,” the changeling confirmed with a chuckle. “I’m limited to how much stuff I can store in my biogenetic code. If I want something better attached to my body, the previous weapon must be wiped clean from my cells.”

“Freaky… yet cool,” admitted Lightning. With her next question, a blush crept over her snout. “So…is your mutation the reason you’re also resilient to my estrus?”

Deinos turned and gave the mare a skeptical look. “No, that’s called having basic decency,” the changeling said, an amused smirk crossing his overbite. “Why? Interested in becoming my ‘personal incubator’~?”

“W-Wha-No!!” She denied, face completely red. “I was just curious, as most changelings don’t hesitate to try and force their eggs into people! I wasn’t asking 'cause I actually want you to fuck me!!”

She gasped as the rogue changeling sprung back onto the web, his enormous shape on top of her. She whimpered under his hot, heavy breath panting against her face, her body squirming for a different reason now.

‘Fuck! He’s so big,’ she mentally screamed, feverishly imagining the monster-sized member her abductor packed.

Deinos’ teasing wasn’t helping, either. “It’d be easy, y'know. I could string you up in any position I want. Rut your little brains out until you're thoroughly bred. Belly ready to burst with all the foal batter I've got stored in my sack. Heh… I bet you’d like that, wouldn’t you~?”

Lightning could only whimper in response, her inflamed labia aching painfully from his words. Her body felt on fire, burning with the enhanced biological instinct to fuck and procreate. A soft cry escaped when his snout pressed into her neck, inhaling her intoxicating wet musk.

With a thoughtful groan, Deimos instead pulled away. “Nah,” he whispered playfully, an evil smile stretching his mandibles. “It would be far more enjoyable hearing you beg for my changeling cock. Break down that equine pride piece…by… piece~!”

Deinos ran his dexterous tongue across Lightning’s face before leaping back down to resume tearing open the second cocoon, leaving the flustered mare to squirm.

“Yuugh! You fucking bastard,” she cursed through sharp breath, trying to shake the slimy drool off her face.

Ignoring her insult, the giant changeling tore through the silky casket, filled with severed Mi-Go horns, to which he added his latest acquisitions. Lightning spotted a pile of weapons taken from Web Spinner's stash. Her eyes were particularly drawn to the unicorn horn wands with a shudder.

“N-no,” the electric pegasus whimpered, angry tears streaming down her face. “What did you do with Web Spinner? Did you kill him!?"

When the changeling gave no response, she demanded, “Answer me!!”

Taking a deep inhale, Deinos once more turned around to face her. Flatly, he told her, “I didn’t kill him…”

Suddenly, his massive form began to shake as the monster heaved stressed groans. Steadily, he shrank down, his secondary pair of limbs folding into his back. He hunched over the cocoon, sounding constipated as he grew a new layer of skin to hide his exoskeleton.

Lightning Spark’s eyes dilated with horror as the changeling’s monstrous visage was replaced by that of the kindly unicorn scientist who greeted her at the Crystal Empire. Catching his breath once his shape settled, he stood up with his spectacles, pushing them onto his face.

Melancholy blue eyes stared back as he said with a layered voice, “… I am him!”

*****

The mountains quaked and threatened to turn volcanic under Kralot Andrei's rise from within. Each of his three heads roared and filled the skies with ash and smoke. Freed from his imprisonment, he smoldered as his belly burned like a furnace. His slit pupils leered down at the black cloaked lich floating before him, while the grizzled old gunslinger battled the mutated scorpions across the mountaintops.

“Another pitiful warlock thinks he can conquer us?” The middle head snorted irritably.

“He will fail like many before him!" The left head snarled.

“His power will become our own!” The right head proclaimed maliciously.

At once, the three-headed drake breathed cones of ghastly green flames, hurtling towards Mortis Saltaire and Quicksilver Bullet… only for the skeletal unicorn to lift his palm and conjure a magical shield to absorb the blaze, which seared off into a storm of scattering embers.

“On the contrary,” the undead wraith spoke. “I plan to supplant your power.”

Andrei tilted his heads, eyes narrowed.

“You wish to seek the ones who imprisoned you, do you not? I, too, seek the destruction of someone who has evaded judgment. I will guide you and your battalion towards Beatrix and her friends, where you can enact retribution. I only require one thing…”

“Our soul,” assumed the first head with a snarl.

“An empty promise from an even emptier husk!” spat the second head.

“Return to the crypt you crawled out of, revenant,” warned the third head. “Or we scatter your remains in the sand!”

“A valiant threat,” Mortis said with a dry chuckle. “But it matters not. I have come for your soul, Andrei…” He then opened his palm to summon his rusted cleaver scythe. “…and I will have it!”

The two fiends rushed at each other, draconic claws clashing with blackening steel. The bony revenant ducked and blinked out of harm's way, avoiding Andrei’s flog-shaped tail and snapping jaws. He blasted one head with spectral magic and managed to decapitate the other.

But befitting his hydra appearance, a new head sprouted from the amputated wound and retaliated with a barrage of fireballs. Mortis used his guillotine-shaped blade to deflect the blast, each unrelenting hit forcing him back.

The other head joined in spouting flaming orbs while the middle cackled. “Is that all you’ve got? Pathetic!”

But the lich unicorn didn’t falter, above such pitiful taunts. While his minions were busy getting repaired by Varys, he reaped the entire astral plain for thousands of souls, harvesting their essence to further strengthen himself.

And soon, Andrei would come to understand how severely outmatched he was…

With his master concentrating his efforts to keep the mad drake distracted, Quicksilver was busy pumping the bed of scorpions full of enchanted lead. His duster whipped behind him each time his rifle took aim and unloaded rune-inscribed silver bullets.

The mutant arthropods shrieked as each head popped. Dozens were crumpled about the rocky area, downed by the caster and hunter, but more mutants arrived to aid and defend Andrei.

Quicksilver followed Mortis’ instructions, having told him beforehand to keep the scorpions as intact as possible when finishing them off. Thanks to the undead revenant’s intervention, his rifle had nearly limitless ammo, as a tube of mercury released drops that transmuted into more silver bullets.

"Keep comin', you sons of bitches," mumbled Quicksilver, the old stallion wide-eyed as black wisps and phantasmal skulls rose around the corpses of the multi-eyed scorpions...and their winged bodies twitched, reanimated by the black blood Mortis filled the mutations with.

Thinking he had his opponent on the ropes, Andrei prepared to finish him with one final breath, failing to notice when his ‘minions’ began to swarm around him.

The dragon yowled as one scorpion clamped its pincers into his leg. And soon, all of his heads twisted to blast the flying arthropods. Andrei roared in outrage.

“What’s happening!?”

“They dare attack us?!”

“You miserable cretins!”

Fires torched several scorpions, which cooked their insides as they bubbled and blackened. But the army of scorpions proved too overwhelming for the mighty Andrei. Stingers and pinchers sank into flesh, driven between the tiny portions amidst his armor-like scales, pumping their venom into his veins.

Andrei cursed and thrashed as the beat of his wings started to slow. The dragon began to discolor as more winged mutations covered the three-headed monstrosity, until he was completely immobilized.

“Good lord,” murmured Ashen Dunes, who observed the entire scene through his binoculars. “Andrei’s down for the count! Turned on by his own scorpions!”

“I-isn’t that a good thing?” Rhenaes stammered, taking her turn to peer at the drama unfolding.

“Not when Mortis is involved…”

The unicorn pulled his airship to a stop, prepared to turn them around and race away at top speed should danger turn in their direction. Yet he and the ballerina pegasus could only watch as Mortis hovered before the trembling drake, his rust-colored cleaver raised.

Rhenaes gasped, "Is he about to-"

"A soul reaper's claim to fame," noted Ashen, who held her close.

Andrei’s narrow slits gazed weakly up at his impending executioner, a strange sense of dread filling his paralyzed body as life quickly seeped out. Deathly energy wisped from the steel as Mortis delivered the dragon's 'last rites.'

“I will occupy… I will help you die… I will run through you…”

While normal eyes could not see it, Mortis swiped with his scythe and cleaved the spirit from Andrei. The light faded from the beast’s eyes as his soul emerged from his body. Mortis reached to grasp the glowing green orb in his hand.

“Now… I rule you too!”

The vengeful revenant assimilated the dragon's soul into his skeletal form, a burst of energy igniting around the wraith. He let out a hollowed cry as bony appendages grew out from his back, piercing through his tattered black robes. The fingers spread apart to reveal a thin membrane between them.

Mortis gave a teasing flap of his newly formed wings, relishing the overwhelming power of Andrei's spirit. Speaking of the dragon, he unleashed a beam at the monster’s corpse until it rose back up. The ethereal vapor slowly melted Andrei’s reptilian hide, revealing bony spines and plates. Each eye glowed with Mortis’ ghastly aura.

Quicksilver couldn’t help but shudder as the freshly made dracolich bowed all three of his heads to Mortis. The brutish dragon was no more. Now merely another undead servant to his master’s will.

“We have what we came for,” announced the lich to the hunter, running his hand to pet one of Andrei’s snouts. “Now we return to deal with that treacherous swine!”

“Yeah, about time," replied Quicksilver, who held his head in an attempt to ease a migraine. Something about this felt… familiar. A strange sense of déjà vu that the gunslinger couldn’t recall correctly. Every time he tried, the pain worsened, his head growing foggier…

Mortis opened a sickly green portal in the air, where he, Quicksilver, Andrei, and the many undead scorpions made their way into the rift. They would reconvene with the rest of his minions to plan their next attack on the betrayer, Shadow Scythe, and her lover and comrades.

They may boast otherworldly powers, but with a weapon of mass destruction like Andrei under his command, victory was all but assured.

“Fuck, fuck, FUCK!” Ashen yelled, nearly breaking his binoculars as he chucked them.

“Andrei was bad enough alive,” exclaimed Rhenaes, utterly terrified. “How are we supposed to stop him now?!”

“I don’t know!” The unicorn trended his fingers through his sandy locks, his anxiety through the roof. “At the very least, we need to alert the others! Maybe Somnambula and Stygian have a way to open a portal?”

“Sir!” The helmsman interrupted. “Storm brewing dead ahead!”

Both ponies looked back at the horizon. As the rift sealed, a dust storm settled in, maintaining an apocalyptic hue. The airship wobbled against the violent gales blowing through the sails as if forces of Tartarus had been unleashed. Gaseous clouds rolled across the skies, the tinge of sulfur suffocating.

"Come on, baby," whispered Ashen, his hands tightened around the wheel. His ship rattled and creaked, caught in the gales that howled around him. "Stay close," he called over the wind to jade crystal mare, met by the screams of one of his men as he was whipped off the deck.

The engine sputtered and started to burn the bed as it smoked, pushed to the absolute limit as Ashen overrode the safety. It was either escape the storm now, or they were dead anyway!

Not wanting to feel helpless, Rhenaes observed the deck and came to a suggestion. “Ah! What if we jettison some weight? Will that help?"

"Good thinking," Ashen said with a pained sigh. Yanking out his communicator, he ordered, "Open the hatch and drop the treasury! It's not worth our lives!" The bottom of his ship snapped open, and a deluge of glittery gold and jewels rained across the desert far below.

"It's working," Rhenaes exclaimed, smiling as the airship started to pull out of the sandstorm. However, pieces of the ship surface were torn away, alongside a couple more of his crew, their screams lost when they were battered across the hull or hurtled into the atmosphere.

"One chance," hollered Ashen as he pushed the lever. The vessel burst free from the storm, met by cheers from his surviving crew and a warm hug from Rhenaes as she kissed the unicorn merchant's scruffy cheek. He smiled back and patted her hip. "We’re almost out. Unfortunately, not without casualties. My poor baby’s hurting bad…”

Yet he dared not slow down, despite the risk it would fall apart.

"Plus, we lost a lot of crew members to the vortex..." added the ballerina mournfully.

"I know. I will make proper compensations for their families once we head back. Though I doubt it will ease the pain. So this is how my brother feels." While White Shadow Penumbra never spoke about it, their mother, Inky Rose, told Ashen the loss of soldiers under his command still haunted him.

Rheneas cupped his cheek and gingerly stroked his jawline. “How long until we make it back to the kingdom?”

"Probably two nights tops." Ashen returned the ship to regular operation, which still continued to rattle. Hopefully, it could make the trip back!

His half-lidded eyes locked with her own. "You know how I feel after I've defied death?"

Rheneas smirked as his hand rested on her lower back. "Horny~?"

"I was going to say invigorated, but yes! Guilty as charged," he confessed with a chuckle as he slyly claimed a handful of her plush rump and squeezed the tender flesh. "If you're interested in a trip below, my dear?"

She giggled back and leaned into his touch. "Well, I...wait! Look!" The jade pegasus pointed ahead, and he followed her gaze to the harrowing storm that manifested beforehand. "Not again!"

Yet both sensed this one was different. Not unlike the one that first brought Andrei into this world. Another rift blossomed across the atmosphere.

A hurricane materialized and sucked up the airship. Ashen reached for the safety override...but realized it was suicide in his ship's state. He drew Rhenaes to him, his eyes closed as he resigned himself to their fate.

Tears filled her eyes. "Ashen-?”

“I love you,” he whispered before pulling her in for a kiss. A cliche, admittedly. But if these were to be their final moments, he wanted his beautiful ballerina companion to know his feelings were pure.

Further words were lost once the airship was swallowed by the foreboding clouds, vanishing into the heart of the storm…

*****

The party scoured the dense forests outside the Crystal Empire in search of Lightning Spark. But after hours of tireless searching, no one had turned up anything. Even Arcanum Folklore's ability to track magical signatures proved fruitless.

“Buggar,” cursed the warlock. “It's like someone knows how to jam me spells! Must be one hell of a wizard to manage a trick like that!"

“Or the storm could be causing interference," reasoned Beatrix.

"Or perhaps some enchanted relic in the enemy's hands," mused Iclyn.

Whatever the reason, they agreed they should set up camp and continue the hunt at dawn before sunset. However, everyone proved restless and decided to tire themselves with some training before bed. And no one seemed more eager than the kunoichi vixen, who followed the male vulpine leading her through the trees.

Tracing his paw over the giant branch, Kyube nodded satisfactorily before patting the spot for her to sit down. “It’s important to find the ideal place to practice,” he said before taking his perch. “This will not only sharpen ourselves for whatever’s ahead, but help you tap into your yokai roots!”

"Understood," answered Kitsune as she sat cross-legged. "Your sister, Chisana, and my bandmates...we must be in top shape to protect them!”

“Not until you’ve grasped the fundamentals first,” the fox man reminded as a flame blossomed atop his open palm. “Conjure the spirit from within, and harness it into a ball.”

Kitsune nodded and held out her own hand. Her brows furrowed with concentration as sparks popped several times until she summoned a tiny wispy of flame. She grimaced, “So small…”

The bandit chuckled. “It’s a reflection of your restraint. Yes, fire can be dangerous when one loses control. But too much control is also harmful. After all, one tiny flame cannot provide enough warmth to last the winter!”

He leaned forward to blow out her candle-size wick before encouraging, “Try again. Don’t worry about tomorrow’s successes or yesterday’s failure. The present is what matters.”

The vixen blushed meekly before closing her eyes, relieving her mind from the worries burdening her with each slow exhale. Instead, she focused on her calmness and the pleasant warmth of Kyube’s company.

That warmth ignited into a baleful orb of blue spiritual essence with a wispy red trail.

“Yes! Just like that,” praised Kyube, his bushy tail swishing excitedly.

Kitsune marveled at her yokai ball, testingly juggling it between her hands until it dispursed into embers. “Amazing...!”

"Haha! Look at you go! You should have this mastered in no time!"

The female vulpine lowered her gaze shyly, a small smile on her snout. "You flatter me..."

"Nonsense! Based on your demeanor, I guessed you’d be a fast learner~!" He hopped down from the branch to the earth below. When she followed, she landed close to him, their noses almost touching. This made Kitsune's heart skip a beat as her eyes strained to meet his own.

"I...have always had to learn fast," she whispered, not wanting to shatter the mood with her history. How the elusive organization that captured her and Wispy turned them into living weapons, requiring them to carry out assassinations or suffer brutal punishments. She'd thrown everything into becoming a proficient killer, if only to ease her sister's pain.

Fortunately, that knack to learn had carried over when Wispy and her joined Eclipsed Heart to form the band B.A.B.E. They had picked up skills in some instruments within a few weeks. Of course, the kunoichi still favored her shamisen, an artifact from a past she couldn't recall.

Clearing her throat, she asked, “What’s next?”

“Simple,” his voice suddenly came behind her as a clone tapped her shoulder, making her jump. The Kyube in front unraveled into leaves while the other back flipped away, whirling his wooden staff etched with runic spirals. “Tag. You're it~!”

She blinked in disbelief. “… you can’t be serious! This isn’t the time for a child’s game!”

“Sure it is,” countered Kyube, resting his hands and chin on his stick, smiling coyly. “Or are you afraid you can’t keep up without your augmentations~?”

Kitsune narrowed her eyes, turning her back on him. “Like I’d be scared of something so trivial as-” She instantly cuts herself off to lunge at the fox man… only to hit another decoy that bursted into leaves.

Her pointy ears perked at his teasing tittering, turning her head to find Kyube standing on another tree branch, three tails fanned out.

“Not bad,” he said. “Would have caught me if you were just a smidge faster, though!”

Kitsune snarled, “Well, this is hardly fair since you’re using your magic!”

“Never said I wouldn’t,” the vulpine bandit pointed out matter-of-factly before leaping higher into the forest. “Try to keep up~!”

The vixen was flustered while racing after him. Charming as she found Kyube, Kitsune would not stand for his playful jabs, determined to beat the bandit without relying on her cybernetics.

His laughter echoed through the rustling wind, whipping behind his tails as he pressed his advantage. Bandits like him needed knowledge and awareness of their surroundings at all times. And this was the ideal area to help kindle Kitsune’s yokai spirit.

But to his surprise, Kitsune was starting to keep pace with him. Couldn’t afford to let his guard down, even now!

At each corner he passed, Kyube split up into duplicates to further bewilder the riled vixen. She decided to pounce on the bandit on the right. Another clone. Though the cheeky fox man took the opportunity to sneak up behind the distracted kunoichi to give her breasts a light squeeze.

“A-agh! Hentai,” Kitsune yelped, twisting around to smack him. But the grinning vulpine was just out of reach, using gravity to help evade capture and propel him to another tree.

Her frustration had fully manifested, and she was blushing madly. Her ‘teacher’ proved crafty enough to figure out what buttons to press. But perhaps that was the point. Showing Kitsune how intensely she took this playful game of tag. And how her assassin’s mindset wasn’t working.

If Kyube wasn’t above using tricks, why shouldn't she?

Taking another gulp of air to calm her nerves, the cyber ninja resumed the chase. She could spot three versions of Kyube jumping through the trees. Smirking, she descended down the bark until they lost sight of her.

“Uh oh!”

“Where’d she go?”

The three bandits perched onto different branches, looking for any sign of Kitsune, ready to flee at a moment’s notice.

Then, Kitsune lept from her hiding spot, her gi no longer adorning her body. Her nine tails covered her ample assets, figuring the mere glimpse of her naked was enough to distract Kyube and his clones from the lunar knives she flung out.

While two barely reacted to the ninja weapons coming their way, one foxman noticed and readied his staff to block. Finding her target, Kitsune twisted around to use a high branch to propel herself at Kyube, tackling him from the air.

They landed in a bed of leaves that helped soften their fall. The bandit huffed and looked up to see Kitsune straddled atop him, a victorious smirk on her narrow snout.

“Shinu,” she whispered huskily, booping his nose.

“W-well played,” he congratulated, his face a shade of crimson. It took him great willpower not to openly hawk at her luscious curves concealed by her fluffy golden tails. If she pressed her backside down, she’d feel how hard he was getting underneath his baggy pants.

A gentle breeze reminded her of her stark nudity, and she quickly got off to fetch her uniform, face completely flushed. This was the first time the vixen ever used such a tactic. Seduction was more Wispy’s thing, since the nekomata was far more sexually charged than she was. Yet she couldn’t deny the rush of emotions she felt.

As she finished putting her clothes back on, Kyube jumped beside her. “Everything okay?”

Kitsune nodded. "Y-yes,” she assured softly. “I never thought I'd be capable of doing… that.”

“It’s okay! Surprising as that was, you didn’t have to do that…”

As a kunoichi, her body was merely another potential tool to fulfill her mission...but she had always avoided seduction in favor of action, often told she was a living weapon. “It was a heat-of-the-moment decision. I was getting infuriated at the fact I was losing at a mere child’s game.”

"It's no big deal," insisted Kyube, whose ears dropped down while he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. “I was a bit forward, wasn’t I?”

“It was... unexpected,” the kunoichi said, her hands clasping her chest. “But it helped me let loose and take the game less seriously. In the end, I… think I don’t mind.”

Kitsune found herself leaning into the vulpine’s arms, a relaxed sigh parting her mouth. Then she began to quiver, her fluffy tails coiling around his limbs. He noticed a solitary tear dripping down her cheek, which he wiped with his finger.

“It’s so strange,” she lamented, her voice holding back sobs. "I was modified to suppress my emotions. Sensations such as taste and pleasure were all but completely dulled when they turned me into a living weapon. A creature made of liquid metal that pretends to be a woman. I know not even my own name, though perhaps now, that’s no longer relevant. But throughout this journey, I’ve experienced things I thought were lost to me. Joy, friendship…” She touched his chin. "…attraction."

Kyube felt his furry cheeks glow hotly; his aqua green eyes found hers when she asked, “Am I… beautiful to you?”

"O-of course,” he admitted, smiling brightly. “From the moment I saw your reflection, I was bewitched by your elegance and grace. Befitting a nine-tailed goddess~.”

Kitsune mirrored his grin and said, “I am happy to hear that.” Reluctantly, the female vulpine removed herself from his lap; looking over her shoulder, she said, “Let’s continue our game. You’re it~.”

She brushed a few tails over his face before soaring back into the treetops. With a chuckle, Kyube tailed after the mysterious kunoichi, wishing to coax more warmth under her distant demeanor.

The foxy duo crossed over and cast shadows over Cerise Silhouette and White Shadow Penumbra; the royal siblings locked in their own friendly bout. She lunged at him with the butt of her spear and side-stepped when he tapped her with a wooden sword. "Point."

"Grrr..." Cerise snarled and attempted another strike.

"Point." The sword tip poked her exposed belly. The pale pegasus arched an eyebrow. “Come on, sister, this isn’t amateur hour."

"I know!" She huffed and sweated. "But I-"

"While you’ve greatly improved, you’re relying too heavily on those crystals. Just because most spellcasters won't expect them doesn’t mean all enemies will. Worry not, though! I'll whip you into shape," he swore.

Cerise released another breath and said, "Thanks, brother!" Before she could try a different approach, a sphere of black magic wooshed past them before it blinked between other points. "Whoa! What the-!?”

She turned to the snickering witch as Beatrix waved her finger to direct her new projectile around. The dark sphere blinked upwards before erupting into a small blast.

“Wooo! Looks like all that hard work is paying off!"

“I’ll say! Couldn’t have done it with such excellent teachers,” agreed Beatrix, who winked at Iclyn and Arcanum, observing from afar. The icy doe kept up her aloof facade while the erenn unicorn nursed another drink from his flask.

“Cute trick,” he complimented. “Definitely getting the hang of it! But ya still have a long way to go.”

“That’s what you always say!” The violet mare grumbled.

“Aye! 'Cause I’m not convinced you're ready to attempt portal hopping yet!”

“Then why don’t you physically instruct her this time?” suggested Iclyn, her face scrunched with disgust. “Instead of drowning yourself in smoke and liquor, make yourself useful for once.”

“Oi! I’m trying to conserve me energy for when real shit hits the fan!”

Her aurora glare deepened. “Are you implying all eight of us are incapable of fixing this mess? That only you have the means of saving us like we’re helpless damsels?”

“Wha?! N-No, I wasn’t-I mean, I am, but… yaaargh!” Arcanum marched towards Beatrix, muttering curses at the deighdyr, whose lips curled into a slight smirk.

“So, is this gonna be a friendly spat or-”

“Ain’t got the time nor patience,” barked the warlock, pulling out his Kurdish dagger. “You hold back on me; I’m kicking your teeth in!”

“Ooh, playing rough! Just how mama likes it~,” she tittered playfully before her studded rapier in hand, channeling her umbral power.

The two spellcasters engaged in a magical duel, unleashing their most potent spells. Arcanum noted that all that sphere holding had greatly improved Beatrix’s accuracy, relying on barriers instead of dodging her elemental spells.

But the scruffy stallion was no slouch like Iclyn mockingly proclaimed, as the violet unicorn struggled to avoid his fireballs. And once he had an opening, Folklore closed the distance with a short-range teleport, his dagger clashing against her rapier.

With everyone coupled up, this left Midnight Blitzer and Autumn Equinox to spar with each other. They took their training away from the others, though they briefly spotted the foxes' silhouettes fly overhead as they danced from treetop-to-treetop overhead. "Romance is in the air," he mused before taking a sharp punch in the jaw. “Gagh! Hey!”

“You were wide open,” spat Equinox, rolling her wrist with a crack. “Quit watching that mushy crap and fight! I’m not gonna coddle you like your soft-hearted whores, himbo!”

Midnight cast a sneer before rubbing a fist over his snout and squared up, readying as she approached.

After guarding most of her blows, the marauder landed another strike across his face, knuckles cracking his snout. Blood dripped from his nostrils, but Midnight simply smiled, caught her arm, and hurled her into a mud puddle. The blue pegasus twisted Equinox into a submission hold, threatening to snap it until he felt her teeth sink into his flesh and force him to release her with a yelp.

"Ghaagh! Crazy bitch!" He hissed, swooping his massive plumage at her.

Equinox cackled wickedly. "Damn straight I am! You think your pampered princess and sidepiece slut could survive a mad world like this? I lost an eye, but they’d make easy pickings for the changeling swarm!" She punched and kicked at him as they traded blows. "Don’t try to deny it!"

Midnight growled in response, unable to admit the truth. His lovers were soft-hearted; it was partly why he loved them. He managed to land an elbow into her chest. "That’s no excuse to act like a monster!" His fist smashed into her chin, confident she could take it!

Their struggle soon took to the sky as they punched and clawed at each other, his anger at how the bat mare treated Moonlight, Cerise, and especially Lightning fresh on his mind.

“Pft! Typical," Equinox scoffed when she caught him in a headlock. "Just another stallion who likes his mares submissive! Someone happy to cook your meals and do your laundry. Can’t even handle a real woman~!" She laughed and applied more pressure, her tits pushed into his fluffy back.

The blue stallion wheezed and strained as their wings flapped and they swerved about the treetops. His eyes turned white from his hyper-stallion instincts as he snarled in frustration, determined to put the marauder in her place!

A burst of wind hit Equinox as he tossed her over him. She yelped in shock, but he dove with her still dragged by the arm, her bulk slammed into a tree trunk; not to cripple her, but with enough force to knock the wind from her. Equinox lurched and threw up a little, his brute strength unexpected as veins lined his rippled muscles.

Sexual frustration got the better of him; his fist seized around her top, which he shredded away to reveal her breasts as they dropped free with a wobble, nipples perky in the cool breezy air. Emerald returned to his eyes with sudden self-awareness. “O-oh, shit! I’m sorry, I-” his apology was cut short by a stiff knee to the crotch.

"What a wuss!” Equinox swiftly recovered, and the topless thestral repeatedly pummeled the stallion with laughter. "If you had even a shred of backbone, you’d pummel me until I begged you to stop! But without your hyper-stallion side, you're nothing punk! Just another stupid, gullible idealist like your fath-gack!"

Midnight silenced the cocky wrench by seizing his fists around her throat, squeezing her windpipe. Equinox kicked, squirmed, and clawed at his arms, locked in Midnight's iron grip as his eyes started whitening again. He could break her in an instant! He'd overcome worse foes...!

Spittle ran from the corner of her lip as she taunted, "H-harder daddy… I can take it…~!"

"Middy, stop!" Cerise and Penumbra flew over to meet them at the trunk's base. He barely noticed his wife for a moment until her brother shoved him off Equinox, who coughed and choked. "This isn't like you!" She pensively turned to the bat mare. "Are you okay-"

Equinox slapped her hand aside. "Worry about yourself, princess! You might live a life of luxury, but out here, you'll end up like so many bright-eyed mares! A changeling egg factor-" She hissed as the royal thestral encased her in a black crystalline pillar. Her curses and threats were lost while she thrashed within her prison.

"Finally, some peace and quiet," grunted Penumbra, his lip curled in disdain.

"Don't worry," said Cerise with a cheeky smile. "It'll wear off...in an hour or so~!”

Midnight heaved, slamming his fist into the dirt. He lost control again. And he was only slipping further into that primitive mindset!

There had to be a way to contain it until they found a proper cure… Otherwise...

The crystals dissipated into sparkly crumbs under a magical aura. Equinox started to rush at Cerise with a hateful cry....simply to be seized by the same aura that released her. "Oi, cunty," came the voice of Arcanum, who strolled up. “I suggest you let it be. Can't afford to waste ourselves on petty grudges."

Cerise shook her head. "Oh, you’re one to talk! We hardly know you!"

Penumbra nodded. "I'm sure you have your own agenda, but I won't press you on that. For now, we must focus on what matters most.”

“Find my sister and kill that changeling,” Midnight surmised.

"Yeah, well, the changelings will have the advantage once darkness settles in,” reminded the warlock. "We need to find somewhere to lay low before sundown."

Kyube and Kitsune landed on a tree's summit above him. “Then we’re in luck,” the fox bandit said. "During our little game, we stumbled on a house!"

Arcanum tilted his head, questioning, “A house?”

Kitsune nodded. "Out on the meadow and apparently abandoned.”

"That seems way too convenient to be true," said Iclyn when she and Beatrix made their way over. "It’s probably a trap, but we don’t have a lot of options for shelter. I take it you'll-?"

"Afraid so!" Beatrix marched on ahead with a swish of her platinum mane. "Lead the way!"

They followed the foxes out of the forest and into the meadow, where an ordinary suburban house stood slightly crooked by its lonesome. Arcanum knocked on the door, waiting for an answer.

When none came, he pushed on first and lit his horn in an attempt to search for anything unusual. He flipped the switch, and surprisingly, the lights came on. The erenn stallion opened the fridge, finding regular food and drinks. And running up the stairs, he found a bathroom, two bedrooms, and one beautiful room. The warlock walked back out, running a hand through his mane, and concluded, “Electricity somehow works; there’s a handful of bedrooms, a kitchen, a shower, and even a basement. For all intents and purposes, it’s… just a normal house.”

"There’s nothing normal about this," dejected Iclyn, unconvinced. “There shouldn’t be a house of this caliber this far from civilization!”

“Yeah," concurred Penumbra. "For all we know, it could be an eldritch abomination in disguise.”

“Like the manor,” muttered Beatrix, reminded that her home base was now in allegiance with Countess Alma. "Well, it's a castle now!"

“But it's probably safer than out in the open,” surmised Arcanum. “Whoever owns this house is long gone. I’m sure they won’t mind if we stay for the night.”

Cerise smiled at him. "Always the optimist! I'll leave them some money for the trouble."

"You do that, princess. Me, I'll take the first watch." The warlock headed upstairs towards the balcony for the optimal viewpoint. Following him were Iclyn and Equinox, who was still in a huff while everyone else settled into the mundanely bizarre, yet cozy abode.

The foxes took the couch, finding a remote on a table. Kitsune pressed a button for the television, and the screen turned on but only displayed static as a wall of white noise blasted from the speakers. She instantly turned it off, cupping her sensitive ears.

“Yowch!” groaned Kyube.

"I should have expected as much," said Kitsune. "Television is common in my universe, but Beatrix says she's rarely encountered it elsewhere?"

The fridge rattled while Midnight checked it and noticed there was still some fresh food. Was a family living here before they were forced to evacuate? His twin sister encountered a similar situation before Equinox took her to the Crystal Empire. His face soured, and his loins burned at Equinox's name, his cheeks ablaze.

Her taunts rang deep in his thoughts, which drifted to a scenario where he did give in to his instincts and fucked the shit out of her.

Once more, the soldier shook it off and turned to Cerise and Penumbra. He had yet to confess about the tryst with Fiery Kickstart's wives. Though perhaps he should keep that a secret..?

Maybe a part of him really did want an amazonian mare. Kind and compassionate as his lovers were, it was becoming apparent he required more than what they were putting out…

*****

Aware that he would be away for some time, Moon Hammer made preparations ahead of time to protect his village and his wives. Instructions were offered to the guardians for weapons, armor, traps, and most importantly, automatons which would serve as disposable protectors.

When his people were pulled into this dimension, unexpected arrivals came. One of those boons included schematics from another dimension, where clockwork technology was commonplace. With that, the minotaur could sharpen his craftmanship skills at an unprecedented rate.

His workshop was left in the care of Strawberry Moon and Blue Moon, the holstaurs taking a moment to study their husband's many unfinished works. Among them were upgraded Penumbra's false arm and Moonlight's prosthetic wings, since his work continually improved over time. Machinery lined the benches, the walls adorned by more works beside the schematics.

Their attention was pulled to the automatons he left them, mounted on each wall. Golden constructs fashioned after bulls that towered over them and glimmered under the light. Each was covered in thick sets of straps to hold up whoever decided to take them for a ride.

The Cretan Bull, Moon Hammer dubbed them. One of his masterpieces. Their husband had once been small and lean by the standards of his race, but hard work over time had bulked him up.

Below the mechanisms were deep basins. Strawberry read the letter he left behind. "Sorry I can't be with you. I hope these contraptions will suffice in my stead. Love, Moon Hammer."

"He's so thoughtful," said Blue Moon, she and her gravid twin barely contained by their cow-print bikinis. Halfway between crystal mares and bovines, they must be routinely milked dry.

Controls were set by the machines, which could be switched between manual and automatic modes. Strawberry undid straps under one's muscular belly and asked, "Care to try them out?"

"Sure!" Blue did the same, then the twins undid their tops and let their mountainous udders flop free. Followed by their bikini bottoms, which they shimmied around their child-bearing hips and over wide, round bottoms, the pair rendered completely naked save for bells on their chokers.

They strapped themselves in under the bulls and felt the twin false endowments of the machines rest atop their buttocks and below their swollen slits. At the press of a button, the bulls reared back their hind ends, the protrusions lined up with their lower holes, ready to penetrate.

The front hooves were closer to hands, which at another button press circled around their pendulous udders, which hung suspended and swung to a settle before they were grabbed.

"Don't worry," said Strawberry as her holes reflexively clenched in neediness. "They're designed to make sure we're not harmed! He's installed several safety precautions and various fail-safes in case of emergencies!"

"Good! Because I'd rather not be fucked to death by these monster cocks!" Blue shivered at the idea as her heart hammered. She and her sister plopped some lube onto their palms, then rubbed them into their puckered assholes and already drippy pussies in shared anticipation.

Padding also slid below to support their heavily impregnated bellies. They knew their offspring were safe, a natural barrier formed around their spawn by their partial holstaurs physiology, able to safely take Moon Hammer's monstrous cock no matter how roughly he battered away.

The clockwork mechanisms were also the partial result of alchemy. At best, Moon Hammer was a dabbler, but the notes that mysteriously appeared in his villa helped fill in the gaps.

Strawberry asked, "Ready, sister?"

"R-ready," answered Blue with a huff.

"Let's start slow then," Her sister answered as Strawberry set the automaton on the lowest setting. Chiseled hips surged forward, bull cocks prodded at their lower holes before it spread them wide open, a moment of respite offered to let them become used to the intrusions.

"So...full," admitted Blue between shameless moans. "Just like Moon Hammer's-!"

"Excellent craftsmanship," agreed Strawberry, as the tools humped into them, their lower canals separated only by thin flesh as they clamped around them. Their wide pink areola was already beaded in milk droplets, met by sprays into the basins as the hand-like bull portions distended their udders and firmly squeezed out milky streams that slapped below. "W-wow. This is-"

"-amazing," finished Blue, both rocked forward with each powerful thrust. They decided to turn up the intensity and felt the fake cocks vibrate as they drove in and out with rapidity that made succulent asscheeks slap under each impact. Their cutie marks shimmered. "I'm...I'm...!"

They squealed and came in unison, soaking themselves on the bull cocks that pierced past the cervix and battered the back of their slippery wombs. Panting, their tongues draped out and drooled without a moment's rest as the mechanized bulls continually fucked the sultry sows into submission. Soon they shuddered and were left to ride out another series of climaxes.

The alchemy-infused testicles of the bulls smacked against their stuffed cunts. Their heart-shaped clits were rubbed with each entry and exit of the bullhoods, which pulsed with a final trick; volleys of viscous spunk fired deep into their fuckholes, pushing them back over the edge.

The Cretan Bulls roared as vapors emitted like smoke trails from their nostrils. Spunk impacted the core walls of the breeders, who wailed away.

Goo dripped from their abused orifices, a mixture of their nectar and fake cum, the twins overfull and overstuffed. Little more than playthings mounted and ridden to exhaustion by the fuck machines that still pounded away like pistons.

Eventually, the twins buckled, left slack, and strapped in place as their eyes rolled into their skulls and their ample flesh quivered. By now, the basins were half-filled by sweet, creamy lactation.

Sweat dripped down the bovines. With another button press, the bulls slid forward until the sisters were face-to-face, so close their snout tips touched. Their lips connected in hungry, sloppy kisses, the fake dicks still sheathed completely as they hammered away in a series of lewd schlicks.

When their tits were finally emptied for the night, the last drop squeezed from their perky pink buds to drip free, both twins lost track of their orgasms. Reluctantly, they undid the straps and freed themselves from the bull contraptions.

"Goodness," mumbled Blue, whose gaped holes popped and dripped once freed. "That was-"

"-unbelievable," finished Strawberry, who shared her smile. "Proof of our husband's love!" They embraced, udder-to-udder, and shared another drawn-out, messy kiss in a bond of skinship.

Both turned back to the workshop, with an arm still wrapped around the waist of their double, their palms snaked down to lazily feel the other's plush cutie mark-adorned buttock. After all, they shared in their twin's physical sensations, their sensuous unions almost akin to masturbation.

"I feel pretty safe and secure here," said Blue. "Despite all the weird stuff that's happened!"

"And despite the absence of Moon Hammer." Strawberry sighed. "Honorable to a fault." The sisters had no doubt that the minotaur would help save this ruined world while he was away.

The sisters wiped themselves clean and wandered out of the shed into the open air. It was situated on the outskirts of the settlement, away from the eyes of others, not that nudity was considered particularly taboo in their culture. A breeze rustled over them from the night skies.

Hand-in-hand, their cow tails intertwined, the duo stood atop a hill. Intertwined female symbol cutie marks still adorned their coral pink buttcheeks. Their eyes were drawn to the moon, its beams left to illuminate their supple curves, since the twins had taken their titles after their husband.

For a moment, it was like they were back on that nudist, paradise planet where they first met him. Eden, as they had dubbed the verdant utopia.

However, it wasn't to last when pitch black blanketed the sky. A reminder of the world's state, which continued to fluctuate at times.

*****

Moonlight River had been told to stay in the medical wing, where she sat around in her underwear and tank top while the doctors and nurses looked her over. Unfortunately, none of them could compare to Web Spinner's skill and prove unable to help the poor thestral much.

Grayish-purple fur and skin prickled in the cool air, her sizable breasts, hips, and buttocks barely contained by the white fabric. A teal blue mane trailed over one side of her face. She'd left her two false plumes in Moon Hammer's hands, since he promised to unite them into one, her naked back lined in thin twin scars. She kicked her feet and squirmed on the cot, a towel placed under her to soak up the feminine lubricant she leaked on occasion, which made her face burn hotter.

A nurse poked her with a medical instrument. "How do you feel?"

Yellow eyes narrowed with a snarl. "Pissy. Irritated. Impatient. Restless."

The nurse raised an eyebrow. "And...?"

"…horny," she whispered almost inaudibly with a deeper blush and squirmed. No doubt the induced estrus had made her moody, and she shouldn't take it out on these poor workers! But Moonlight couldn't bear to stay cooped up here, either! "So, there's no way to cool me off...?"

"Afraid not. Only your lucky husband can do that," said the nurse with a titter.

"Great..." She was still annoyed with Middy, especially when she needed her stallion to scratch this itch. Otherwise, desperation to be bred would eventually drive her insane! A mare like Cerise could help ease the pain for a while, but her instincts wouldn't be satisfied until-

"Bah! I can't sit on my butt here!" She shot up, and the cot shook; doctors and nurses turned in her direction to hush her. She reminded herself she sadly wasn't the only patient here!

A doctor walked her way. "The supreme commander said-"

"If he’s got a problem, he can take it up with me in person!" They'd taken her clothes, so she seized a hospital gown and threw it on her as the thestral rushed out of the examination room. She'd also swiped perfume from a nurse and doused herself in some to hide her natural musk.

Doctors and nurses burst out and shouted at her. "It's in your best interests! You're in no state to travel! Guards!" Orderlies and soldiers started to rush in her direction.

"What the hell," muttered Moonlight as she ducked around a corner, found an air duct, and tore off the grate before she slipped inside. Trained in the hopes she would join the Lunar Guard, the late Luna's personal army, she'd learned some tricks to help infiltrate tiny spaces.

Most ponies couldn't hope to fit into these thin tunnels, but she'd practiced twisting her body and wounding her way into the interconnected maze across the base. The first time she'd slipped into one of these air ducts, it had terrified her, afraid she might end up stuck until she died.

Now, it seemed like second nature. A bit of espionage that made the bat mare’s heart race. Unfortunately, estrus continued to burn in her moist loins and made her clumsier...which led to her shift to shred when it seized on rusty screws. "Son of a bitch," she cursed her back luck.

The useless shift left behind, Moonlight continued on in her black underwear. Her navy blue tail was tucked between her inner thighs, over the crotch of her garments, which were stained by a wet spot. She clenched her lower holes and bit her lower lip as her honey pot dripped fresh beads of love nectar, wide nipples painfully erect as they peeked through her bra.

And to think, this was a comparatively mild infection! Lightning Spark must be in horny hell...!

"Time to do a little recon like a proper Lunar Guard," she decided. At first, the thestral didn't see anything unusual. The mess hall. Barracks. Bunks where soldiers slept or were empty.

She needed to locate the commanders and find out what they were up to!

However, while she stalked her way through the complex, Moonlight stumbled on something promising. Familiar voices carried through a duct. She followed the sound down the cramped air duct corridor, where once crouched down she could overlook the spacious War Room below.

Fiery Kickstart, his wives Panna and Chezka, and many lesser commanders sat around a table where diamoras that symbolized the territories were displayed in the middle of a discussion.

“...obviously unfit to lead the Crystal Empire," proclaimed the half-burned commander. "Grief has utterly consumed the Shining Armor’s heart. Made him...unstable,” finished Fiery.

“A complete hindrance,” agreed one loyal soldier.

"We can't afford to be divided in these times," warned another commander.

"All the more reason to support Fiery Kickstart," said Panna, the topless doe close by the mustard stallion’s side. "Were there any Amazons left, I'm sure they would throw their support behind my husband. The most powerful must always rule."

"We need someone firm in their decisions," added Chezka, the centaur topless like Panna, as she rubbed his scorched cheek. "What has the supreme commander accomplished lately?"

Another commander looked to a map marked all over and a diorama where small pieces were used to represent their territories and their divided troops stationed within. "W-well..."

Another sputtered, "But he was the Love Queen's chosen heir! Cadence and Flurry Heart ar-”

"Are dead," reminded Fiery, head bowed in reverence. “The time for mourning has long passed. Our kingdom's future is ruined in the hands of the supreme commander. He's too cautious about making a decisive move." His fist tightened. "Meanwhile, the swarm continues to expand their hives by the dozen and ravage our mares! Where was our leader when one of our own was taken hostage by that monster!?”

A terrible silence hung in the air, no one able to counteract Fiery’s point.

“I’ll tell you where. Sniveling in his office like a child, yearning for old days.”

"We don’t want to harm Shining Armor," promised Panna, a hand raised to her bare bosom. "We just want what’s right for our kingdom. And you lot can make that possible.”

Chezka asked, "Are you with us?" Her hands twitched at her sides, a quiver strapped across her tattooed bosom and a bow in hand...with the excuse they needed to defend themselves in case more drones infiltrated their home, but she had promised Fiery she wouldn't allow anyone that opposed their plan to leave the war room.

A poisonous arrow would keep their silence! Amazons didn't tolerate cowardice! Panna, likewise, kept a venom-laced curved knife sheathed at her belt, ready to finish traitors.

Despite some clear reservations, the War Room gave favor to Fiery's unified direction. Seeds of doubt had been sowed in Shining Armor for some time. And while it went unspoken, some blamed him for another respected commander's capture and assumed death, Thunder Storm.

"Midnight Blitzer will be the key to our victory," elaborated Fiery. “As some of you might have heard, he’s indeed a hyper-stallion. Impeccably strong. Normally, genes passed from a hyper-stallion stud are rendered inactive, however-"

"Web Spinner was instructed by the supreme commander to help awaken them," finished Chezka. "Before his untimely death, he came up with an experimental enhancement pill to help activate those suppressed cells."

"In honor of his sacrifice, we will use his formula and have Blitzer breed us an army of super soldiers," explained Fiery, smiling at the rise of murmurs and concerned whispers. He slammed a fire-scarred fist on the tabletop to reclaim their attention, shaking the miniature buildings and knocking toy soldiers over. “I request you ignore morality for a second and consider the results,” he insisted. “Imagine; equine soldiers with increased strength, stamina, pain tolerance, and immunity to fear! A united Crystal Empire, risen from the ashes to ascend better than ever! And after we end the changeling resurgence, we will expand our reach further over Equestria itself! We will make the land harmonious, like before!”

One of Fiery's most trusted soldiers, whom he allowed to attend, looked at a miniature representing the hive Fiery's men had assaulted and asked, “A-and what about…it, sir?”

Fiery Kickstart lifted a miniature piece sculpted of rose quartz, resembling a beautiful changeling queen. "Have ‘it' transferred to Web Spinner's laboratory. No need to waste space now that the poor bastard is gone. And who knows? Young Blitzer might be the first to pass it his seed!" he mused aloud with a dry, muted chuckle.

Fists were raised to meet Panna's and Chezka's own. The sub commanders shouted, "Fiery! Fiery! Fiery!" A self-satisfied smile lit up Fiery's scorched snout, the odds shifted entirely in his favor.

Midnight's poorly explained disappearance by Fiery, Equinox's comment that she wanted another round with him… Moonlight put all the clues together, and intuition told her what he'd no doubt been up to when she shook her head at the bare-breasted Panna and Chezka below.

The thestral spy scowled and decided she'd heard enough. She scampered down the air ducts, all the way to the supreme commander's office, as she'd passed it earlier but had hesitated to check in yet. Grates were yanked aside when she dropped down before his desk and softly landed on her feet, forced to stifle a wince as her sensitive breasts settled in the cups of her bra.

"Moon-?" Shining knocked papers from his desk, half-asleep. Immediately, he locked the door and put up a sign to ensure he wasn't disturbed. Not that it was likely, at this hour. "What are you doing here? In nothing but your underwear, no less? And why were you in the vents, cadet?!”

"There’s… a lot to explain, sir." Her face colored, noticing how his eyes slyly trailed over her half-naked grayish-purple, toned body. Boys will be boys, she decided and didn't bother to cover herself when she sharply saluted. "That's not what matters, sir! It's about the subcommander!!”

"You mean Fiery? What's he up to now?" He strolled around the room and circled around the cadet, unable to take his eyes off her after he noted her estrus musk in such close proximity, despite attempts to hide it with perfume. His nostrils flared, his crotch twitched in his pants.

"I spotted him and a number of commanders in the War Room! He's plotted a coup against you, and-“

“Oh. That.”

Moonlight did a double take. “You know?!”

Shining Armor chuckled dryly. "Always have. Figured it would happen, sooner or later. I just don't have the support to stop him. At this point, I might as well hand him the position just to save face!" He heaved and paused to stare at a picture of his late wife and daughter in the corner. "I've worked so hard to preserve Cadance's memory. But all I’ve done is tarnish our legacy. No one would ever appreciate this, despite my efforts!”

"That’s not true, sir!” Moonlight shot him a pained, toothy smile. “I’m still on your side. Your recent actions might be questionable, sure. But at heart, you're twice the leader Fiery thinks he is!”

"You think so, huh..?" The paladin turned his back on her and fished a tiny vial from the front of his shirt pocket. A little extra he swiped in secret from Web Spinner's lab, after he'd read the scientist's extensive notes on hyper-stallions.

In truth, he'd come to Spinner because he was a suppressed hyper-stallion, unable to unlock more than a fraction of the power he'd passed onto his son. "Tell me, Moonlight...are you ready to do whatever it takes to help me beat Fiery?"

"Yes, sir!" She saluted the stallion who'd trained her. "Whatever the mission requires!"

“Heh… I’m glad to hear that, cadet," he whispered, popped the vial's top, and downed the bitter liquid. It burned on the way down as his eyes watered at what he was about to do.

But to awaken his hyper-stallion side and finally drive out the remnants of the swarm, Shining Armor couldn’t let guilt weigh him down. The alabaster unicorn had plenty of horrific scars from his sinful actions. What was one more?

He was already on top of Moonlight before he could think it over; color drained from his pupils as his muscles expanded and veins popped across his rippled, chipped musculature. The bat mare yelped as his firm hands seized her black bra and tore it from her chest. Her heavy orbs bounced free with a fleshy smack, her nipples fully erect, swelled by estrus larger than usual.

"S-sir, what are you-!?" She could barely comprehend what was happening once he pushed her to the desk and bent her over, a hand hooked into the hem of her panties, which he also tore away. The crotch was lined in a trail of slickness that connected to her painfully inflamed pussy folds. He breathed in her musk to deliberately work himself up, as his horn lit and his aura undid his zipper to free his black cock.

"You said anything," he firmly reminded. “It was on my recommendation that you and Midnight were allowed into one of the prestigious military academies here. You promised me you'd honor whatever favor I asked you for when the time came to pay up. Well cadet, that day is today."

The thestral sniffled; her yellow eyes were watery. "N-no, please! Anything but that! M-my body’s for my herd alone! Plus I'm highly fertile right now!”

“Good,” he groaned deeply, crazed by lusy, the turgid head of his darkened cock poking at her exposed marehood, causing her to involuntarily shudder. “I don’t intend on stopping until I’ve plugged every fuckable hole in your body.”

“B-but I’m promised to Middy, Cerise, and any other mare invited into our herd!"

He frowned and paused his assault. "Do you intend to renege on our deal, cadet?"

"… n-no, sir," she lamented, her eyes closed to hold back tears. A proper soldier was supposed to obey their superior without question. It had been drilled into every cadet from the moment they enlisted. His orders came even before her vows here, indoctrinated as foals to blindly obey.

Almost imperceptibly, Moonlight forced herself to nod her consent. How could she blame Midnight’s betrayal after what she was about to do? But she owed the supreme commander...!

She felt his stallionhood slap between her buttocks, ashamed as her cunt dripped and reflexively winked, her estrus screaming for the veteran stud to breed her. "Please, can we-"

Shining leaned forward and closed his teeth around the nape of her neck, a typical mark of dominance from a stallion, to make a mare buckle in submission and present herself to him when he claimed her fertile womb in the classic position of their most ancient ancestors.

Firm hands seized her toned, shapely buns and spread them wide open to expose her clenched holes, her heart-shaped clit left to wink and splatter his rigid shaft in her feminine lust. His precum-smeared ebony tip prodded at her cunt, then he drove himself inside his former student.

"N-no! Ah..." She whimpered and closed her yellow eyes, tears in their corners. Nonetheless, she felt instant relief from the itch and burn in her most intimate canal, frozen by indecision and instinct when her supple asscheeks clapped under his wild thrusts, a mere vessel of raw lust to awaken a hyper-stallion. Wet squishes and lewd slaps filled her flattened, bat-like ears.

"Mmmnh! Estrus has made you snug and tight," he wheezed and nipped at one of her ears. "You really needed dick that badly, huh cadet!?”

Grunts and snorts sputtered from the now white-eyed Shining Armor, as his muscles expanded under the experimental drug's effects and his clothes ripped, the threads strained until they tore away to reveal his full nakedness. Palms encircled Moonlight’s tit and buttock. Squeezing them so hard, she squeaked, a steady drip of her nectar left to drip down his equipment while he fucked her. "Gahd! Damn! This feels better than I imagined it’d be,” he admitted with a lusty grin of triumph. “I should have taken you long ago!”

The desk shook and creaked across the floor as he relentlessly pounded into her pussy. With her lover’s size, Moonlight was used to such massive intrusions, even when Shining punched past her cervix and bottomed out in the back of her slippery womb; which made her squirt a backed up waterfall on the spot, unable to hold back a moan that sounded more like a whiny howl.

She sniffled while she rode out her climax, trying to think only of Middy and Cerise. The herd she had promised herself to. A childhood friend and his princess, who'd invited her into their relationship! And yet, here she was, letting Midnight’s father do as he pleased with her body. Despite her heart-felt desire to resist...!

Any complaints she tried to make were swallowed up with a sharp crack to her asscheeks. The bat mare squealed each time Shining spanked her, felt her treacherous twat tighten around his cock as it repeatedly punched balls deep into her core; the would-be hyper-stallion drove to inseminate his sow. Soon, red hand prints decorated her poor abused buttcheeks while she shamefully moaned louder.

Fortunately, his office was isolated, especially at this late hour. Thus, the claps his hands and hips across her ass went unheard. Finally, with one last brutish hump, fully sheathing her wanton slit, his blackened cock flared, locking in her spread wide cervix as he fired violent loads that repeatedly splattered her slimy walls. Moonlight continued to milk his tool and squirt on him, barely able to think thanks to her damned estrus.

Shining Armor seized her wrists and pulled her arms behind her in the classic prison guard's position to assert complete dominance over her. Her ears perked at his masculine mutters in the throes of her unwanted ecstasy, like he competed with his own son to show her he was better at laying pipe. Like he could somehow win her heart over Middy, after what he'd pushed her to do.

Eventually, the supreme commander released his last load in her partly swollen stomach and popped free. Moonlight huffed, her fur glistening in sweat as heated cum settled in her core.

Yet she felt his still half-erect dick poke at her sphincter, which he rubbed circles around with his tip to lube it before he claimed her asshole, too. She whimpered, “N-no… no more..!”

"Got to make sure my hyper-stallion side takes," he mumbled as he laid claim to her impaled ass. "The more holes a hyper-stallion claims, the better. Shame I don't have another mare here..."

Moonlight tried to shut him out. She'd swore to do whatever it took to help the supreme commander, to help him maintain his hold on the Crystal Empire after he'd confided in her. But she never imagined her unbreakable promise would come to this...this unspeakable betrayal of vows.

She should have seen the signs sooner when he'd first walked in on the mixed showers, where cadet males and females bathed together in the unspoken hope they would breed; since Fiery believed females were better off birthing more of their numbers, rather than on the battlefield where a changeling could potentially claim a fertile broodmare to increase their numbers.

What would Midnight and Cerise think if they could see her now? She sniffled as her face burned, forced to lie there and take it up the ass like a bitch until he emptied himself in her bowels. Gaped wide as he popped free, ribbons of cum soaked her holes and drizzled down her.

"One last favor, cadet. You know what to do."

The sweaty thestral picked herself and knelt before him, and brushed her parted navy blue mane aside, his half-hard shaft taken into her mouth. She tasted herself and his cum, not so different from when she made love with the herd and helped Cerise clean up. However, where that was done out of affection, this was an obligation.

His hands brushed through her mane, murmuring, “Mmm… that’s a good look for you. Belly pregnant, tits leaking while worshiping my thick cock. I bet Middy feels the same way.”

She gazed up scornfully at her commander before he guided her down to the base as she bobbed her head, her throat little more than another vessel for his pleasure, to help empower his artificially-induced hyper-stallion state.

Her tongue rolled circles around his vein-lined black shaft, as he rested her hands on the unicorn’s muscular hips and serviced the stud.

Shining bucked into her face, his muscles drawn taut, and he blew part of his load directly down his stomach. The rest painted her face and tits when he withdrew to mark her, like she was now his property. "My son has nice taste in mares," he wheezed. "I wonder how Cerise’d look taking my-"

"Don't you fucking dare," she warned fiercely with a sharp hiss. “I don’t give a rat's ass what you do to me. But touch her, and I swear I’ll kill you!”

He chuckled when she rose to her feet as the already tall stallion stud towered over her. "I'd like to see you try, cadet," Shining said. "But it's hard to take that threat seriously when you were busy guzzling my cum!" He watched an excessive amount of his voluminous load coughed and almost vomited from her, where it ran over and between her heaving tits to wash over her toned tummy and crotch before it pooled under her.

His horn lit, his aura scooped up every last trace of his cum that marked her or the floor, and he forced the ball of spunk past the bat mare’s lips while she reluctantly swallowed the salty seed. Her fur was still matted, but the spell Twilight Sparkle once taught him otherwise cleaned her up, the stud spent on a relentlessly fucked mare.

"There… all gone," she proclaimed bitterly. "Are we done? Can I have my clothes back?"

"Think I'll keep them," taunted Shing with a cheeky grin, using her torn garments to wipe away his precipitation. "After all, I'm sure a would-be Lunar Guard known for her infiltration skills can find her way back unseen..." He slapped her round, muscled ass with a cheeky chortle.

Sent on her way, Moonlight shot him a last dirty look before she made her way back into the ducts with a choked sniffle. The thestral felt so foolish! So used and discarded! He'd been like a second father to her! She'd always looked up to him!

At least Beatrix's contraceptive potions were easy for her to brew. But she couldn't tell them what had happened here. Tears streaked her cheeks on her way out of the base, thankful at least no one threw an alarm. This 'favor' was a terrible mistake. One she planned to take to her grave...

Shining Armor settled back into his chair with a wry sigh, born of ambivalence. In his eagerness to assert his masculine dominance and test the limits of his hyper-stallion studly prowess, he'd alienated someone else he claimed to care about.

Madness derived of lust died away and left him hollow. But to keep a hold of the fading Crystal Empire, he'd have to match Fiery's ruthlessness!

*****

Midnight's thoughts were on his childhood friend when he leaned over the balcony to overlook the meadow, blissfully unaware of what his father was up to. Thankfully, the storm had lightened up, which allowed moonlight to illuminate the wavy field of grass. He watched for changelings or other suspicious activity; his fluffy blue fur and expansive plume tensed up. He'd left his armor behind to feel the air, down to a tunic and pants.

He spun to meet the soft footsteps of Iclyn, then lowered his spear when the snowy doe arrived at his side. "Your shift is up. Get some rest."

He furrowed his brow. "What, really? But you already took your-"

"I'm used to little sleep," she shrugged. "Something I learned in my own training. Besides, I'd prefer not to hear whatever you get up to with the princess behind closed doors..."

"Understood!" He beamed and shot her a clipped salute, marching into the room when Iclyn took his position. Upon looking back, his green eyes were fixated on the blue doe's plush rear, the skirt of her coat keeping her bits hidden.

Midnight usually didn't find Iclyn sexually appealing, given he was aware of the doe’s physical anatomy. But his loins stiffened from just ogling her backside, pondering how soft it would feel against his hips. How tight her tail hole would be locked around his hyper-stallion cock…

If Iclyn preferred to be seen as a woman, he would gladly treat her like one. She was already in the proper position to receive his cock!

Without hesitation, Midnight dropped his pants, ran back up, and secured Iclyn from behind. Ignoring her protests, he hiked her coat up, pressed his hardened stallionhood between her ass, and shoved it into her rectum.

A sharp cry awarded his boldness as the hyper-stallion got to work pummeling the cyan doe, hammering her wide hips over the railing. Breaking her tight anal passage in to accommodate his girth. His grunts and snorts animalistic, dominating another female so that she could...wait, she couldn't bear him foals-

Iclyn raised a skeptical brow when she looked over her shoulder. “What are you staring at?”

Midnight broke his lust-induced daze with a shake of his head, finding the object of his fantasy glaring at him suspiciously.

“Duh!? Uh, n-nothing, just… nice being able to see the moon,” he stammered bashfully before hightailing it down the hall. His lust-crazed fantasies were somehow worse than ever!

Once he was out of her sight, he bashed his head into the wall. ‘What the fuck’s wrong with you?!’ He internally berated himself. ‘Get a grip, man! These are your friends! You’re better than that!!’

He exhaled deeply, running a hand through his spiky mane. Perhaps a shower would help him unwind. But as Midnight approached the bathroom, his ear flicked at the sound of running water. Then the door opened, and fresh hot steam escaped out. His emerald eyes reflexively watched as Equinox walked out, fully naked.

Water droplets dripped down the tall thestral's muscled curves, her short red mane drenched and covering parts of her face. When she noticed him standing there, Midnight looked at her missing eye, usually covered by her patch, with a number of scars written across the closed lid.

Her good eye lowered into a smoldering gaze, a grin exposing her fangs. “Like what you see~?”

“N-no! I-I mean, I do, but I didn’t mean to-”

“As if! Don’t think I didn’t notice how many times you felt me up during our little sparring match. Hell, I think I felt you poking against my ass a couple of times, desperate to bury that bone!”

His blush became vibrant, his stallionhood painfully erect. "N-no, I didn't! If I touched you anywhere inappropriate, it was an accident!"

Equinox snorted, her muscled arms folded. “So tearing off my top was a total 'accident,' too, right? I bet you'd use that same excuse after ripping my bottoms off and screwing me right in front of your friends! ‘Oh, sorry for slipping my hard dick inside your cunt, Equinox! It was totally an accident, I swear~!’” She cackled to herself.

His teeth clenched, fist bawled. “Quit it!”

“Geez, relax! I get it. You’re a good-looking stud; I’m a hot as hell mare. It's natural you’d wanna mash privates with me. Matter of fact, I’m disappointed you didn’t follow through…”

Equinox swayed closer until she pressed up against Midnight, her drenched titties staining his thin shirt as they flattened into him. She purred into his ear, “… You could make it up to me now, though. How about it, stud? Wanna fuck~?”

"Wha-what?" His stallionhood bobbed despite himself, much to the thestral’s delight. Her fingers traced up his sides to tease his muscles, her snout close to his, lips inches apart… until she turned around and sank into his arms, her muscled ass firmly planted into his crotch.

“Heh! Looks like someone’s happy to see me~” she tittered teasingly as she wiggled her rump against his pants. His tented stallionhood brushed between her buttocks and bare pussy, a thin barrier the blue pegasus could so easily remove and penetrate her at his whim. "Bet you can't wait to pound this pussy up the wall~!"

“W-we… we shouldn’t!”

“But you want to,” Equinox pressed further. “C’mon, I know you need to keep those hyper-stallion instincts tamed! And unlike wifey, I won’t get mad if you accidentally knock me up~!”

This made his member pulsate and his green eyes pinpoint. “H-how do you-?!”

“Wasn’t hard to pick up on,” answered the marauder. “Your herd should know by now you’ve got needs they can’t fulfill alone. And to deny you breeding rights is inexcusable. If I was your wife, I’d make sure I was pregnant on the spot to honor what a virile stud my husband is~!”

Her titillating words made it hard for Midnight to focus on Cerise and Moonie. He felt shame in remembering how he'd thoroughly bred Chezka and Panna in a fit of unrestrained lust. It was like his needs only worsened, constantly fantasizing about putting foals in his friends' bellies to preserve his bloodline, regardless of relations.

If only Cerise had secured Rhenaes into their herd. Maybe then, she wouldn’t have been claimed by that smooth bastard, Ashen Dunes. The petite ballerina should be here, relieving his carnal needs as she yelled his name instead of-

Midnight shook away those troubling thoughts. ‘Where had that come from!? I shouldn't be feeling jealous! Ugh, damn these hyper-stallion instincts! And damn you, Equinox!’

His eyes widened upon realizing they were not in the hallway. He was in her room, hands wandering all over the thestral mare, who quivered and cooed from his fingers glided over her toned hips, her muscular stomach, all the way to her breasts where her perky nipples poked into his palms. He hissed and groaned as her hand was busy pumping his exposed, turgid cock. "Let me show you how a real mare handles dick! Much better than those wannabe sows~."

"T-Those 'sows’ are my herd!" The blue stallion pushed her away, causing her to laugh as she landed with a bounce on her bed. She rose to all fours and crawled to the edge, her breasts suspended and left to swing and sway, as she raised a hand and used a finger to beckon him over. Instinct screamed at him to fuck her.

Before the blue soldier could allow this to continue, he ran out of the room. Equinox letting him fuck her any way he wanted wasn’t worth the heartache and pain he would cause Cerise and Moonlight. More so than he already had with Panna and Chezka, intentional or not!

In a split second, Midnight arrived at his shared room with Cerise. After a soft knock, she called, "Middy? Come in!" He clicked the door shut behind her as she looked at him, dressed simply in a hot neon pink lacy bra and panties, her mane let down. Her brows furrowed, and she skeptically asked, "Why are your clothes wet? Pretty sure it only rains hail around these parts!"

"Huh? O-Oh, um, Equinox threw some water at me while I passed by!" Her scowl deepened, not liking the sounds of that. Just the mention of that marauder mare made her charcoal skin crawl.

Nonetheless, she didn’t question him further, already upset with him as it is. “So…how are you?"

"Okay, mostly,” Midnight said, noticing a chessboard across from his wife, with some of the stylized pieces moved. "Hey-"

“Tried to play a few rounds by myself, but I suck at this! Sometimes, I don't remember how each piece moves! My brother promised to help me step it up and teach me some tricky moves!"

"That's nice, but you don't have to push yourself." He realized she'd also noticed his partial hard-on, and his cheeks burned. "Sorry honey, but it’s been a while since we… did anything.”

“I’ve noticed.” She sat on the bed, her back turned to him.

His expression soured. “Well, maybe we can make up for a lost time!”

“I’m really not in the mood, Midnight,” she said flatly.

“Babe, c’mon. These instincts are driving me crazy! It’s bad enough you don’t want to have children.”

He immediately clamped his mouth with his hands, instantly regretting the words that flew out his mouth and stabbed at his wife’s heart. She looked back at the blue stallion, appalled. “Cerise, I’m so sorry! I-I didn’t mean to-”

She spun to him. “Excuse me?! What the hell, Middy! We’ve been over this! I’m not bearing any children until we fix your hyper-stallionism! Plus, the whole universe is in a dire state, in case you’ve forgotten! Now is not the time for that!

"Okay, but when will it be time? We haven’t found a way to fix this yet. Who knows how long I have left! So when Cerise? When?!”

"I don't know!” The charcoal dancer trembled with fury, her breath shaking. She took a deep breath and straightened her posture, glaring softly at her husband. “I love Beatrix dearly, but… trouble follows everywhere she goes. Don't misunderstand; I don't blame her, but I'd constantly worry about what'll happen to our kids! I don’t want them to suffer the same fate! I also feel like I haven't proven myself fully capable yet! I want to battle at your and Moonie's side like an equal and show my parents and brothers I'll be a worthy queen someday! Let alone a good mom!"

"And you will!” He assured, a hand on her stomach. “You’re so much stronger. You’re gonna make a great queen someday. And I’ll be beside you, supporting and loving you all the way. I promise…”

Cerise closed her eyes, thoroughly vexed. She still felt like Midnight didn’t deserve sex. Especially with Equinox near. Far as the charcoal mare was concerned, her husband was clueless about how badly he let down Moonie and herself. He hid something from them; it was written on his face.

Yet part of the dark princess didn't think it fair for a wife to deny sex from her husband. She'd taken a vow to fulfill her duties as only a wife should.

Heaving a reluctant sigh, Cerise turned to Midnight and offered, "Will a blowie suffice...?”

“Y-yeah! That would be more than enough,” the pegasus said.

Nodding her head, the princess unhooked her pink bra to let her charcoal titties tipped in pink nipples drop free. She took the hem of her panties and shimmied out of them, hopeful that her full nakedness would help push him to cum faster once she performed her wifely duties.

After dropping to her knees, Cerise tugged his pants down. And out flung his cock, slapping her in the face with a meaty thwack. Precum oozed from his hardened flare, his shaft lined in thick veins as her pouty lips closed around the head of his horsedick and took him into her wet mouth.

The dark dancer closed her eyes and hummed around his shaft. While she bobbed her head to take him to the base, Midnight fondled her ample breasts and pinched her erect nipples. Wet smacks met the air while she serviced him, her neon pink eyes opening to study his reactions. From his perspective, it gave his princess a sultry manner while worshiping his veiny horsecock.

The charcoal thestral muffled her moans around his fat stallionhood. Despite her initial hesitance, she felt her pussy moisten and drooled her love nectar onto the floorboards with each wink. No doubt due to his masculine musk, which she’d been breathing in, and made any lover he took more receptive and submissive to the virile stud.

Cerise licked and suckled his turgid tool until increased pleasant sighs signaled Midnight’s release. Her pink eyes narrowed when he placed a hand on her head and began jerking his hips into his snout, causing her to sputter and gag each time his swollen tip pushed past the back of her throat. But the charcoal princess withheld her anger since he was about to burst and braced herself by grabbing at her husband’s buttock.

Midnight cried out as his dick pulsated and fired thick hot ropes of spunk down his wife’s throat, her face mashed balls deep into his furry crotch. Cerise clutched her eyes while she dutifully drank down his seed, feeling its warmth settle into her belly. Finally, he removed his hand, and Cerise popped off his dick, gulping for air once she swallowed that last of his semen, bits of residue mixed with saliva dripping down her stained chin.

"T-Thanks," the blue pegasus wheezed, his expression contorted with shame. During that last stretch, he'd pictured being back in Equinox’s room, the marauder eagerly slurping his throbbing dick while he violated her throat. Maybe he wouldn’t feel as guilty if Cerise and Moonlight allowed her to be a part of his herd. But he highly doubted they would, given the animosity the three mares have for each other.

Once Cerise licked the last stray traces of his semen off her lips, her frown deepened to see his staff still erect and throbbing, clearly ready for another round. "Come on Middy, I thought you said one blowjob would make it all better...?"

"I did!” He insisted, brushing a finger over her moist slit, which winked and drooled her lust. "But then you were getting into, and I thought maybe you changed your mi-"

"No!” She chided, bristled more than she was aroused. “I did not appreciate you grabbing my head like that without any warning, either! I'm sorry, Middy, but I can’t do this with you. Not until you've learned some restraint and honesty!”

“W-wha?! I’ve been nothing but sincere this whole-”

But Midnight’s words died in his throat from the wrathful look Cerise gave him. Those once soulful pink eyes now burned with disapproval. “You lie like a cheap rug,” she said with a sob-filled voice as she rolled onto the bed, her back facing him.

“Babe, c’mon… Cerise!!”

“I’ll be ready to forgive you when you’re ready to come clean,” was all the princess said before she fell silent, trying to focus on sleep. Midnight bitterly took the other side of the bed, mentally chewing himself for being unfaithful and dishonest. Cerise would never forgive him if he confessed to his insatiable need to fuck and breed everyone around him.

Eventually, both would fall into a somber sleep, rather than the usual way they’d spoon. Husband-and-wife ruminated on their rocky future, their sacred vows tested once more.

But even in slumber, the hyper-stallion instinct wouldn’t be denied his drive to claim his fertile mate and try to put a baby in her womb. Midnight rolled over, his muscled arms wrapping around Cerise’s toned midsection, as his angry erection drove into her slippery folds. She moaned and smiled at the penetration but failed to stir awake.

And as Midnight unconsciously fucked and felt his wife up amidst their deep sleep, the erotic dreams assaulted his psyche only grew worse...

*****

Arcanum Folklore was a light sleeper, who tended to rest the bare minimum it was necessary to function. Any second wasted filled him with existential dread, knowing life could be snuffed out at any moment by random chance. There was always more to see and stuff to do. Lessons to learn and battles that needed to be won.

After a few drinks, he'd rubbed dark circles under his eyes before he finally propped into a wall and drifted off to sleep, to prepare for the mess that went down in the Crystal Empire. Probably less than a few hours, ready to take on the city.

He'd found himself in a pitch black void, swathed in a white, phantasmal miasma. He immediately realized it was one of his old dreams, since he'd encountered this same premonition many times.

It's how he'd learned about the Necronomicon's possible presence in this world. Why he'd really come here, his determination to fix the holes punched in this reality mostly a bitter excuse.

His boots echoed when he walked. "Oi! I know you’re there! Show yourself already!"

"Arcanum..." A familiar, feminine, accented voice met him. He saw the silhouette of a mare approaching from a distance. A brick-red brown earth pony, well-built, her blonde mane curved to drape over her shoulders. Golden brown eyes met his, a small smile adorned on her snout.

"Bloody Merry..." He sucked in a breath, remembering the day she died. When he failed to save her. She wore a blue blazer that ended in a skirt, black stockings, and a tie. "You're not supposed to be here," he told the phantom as she continued to approach the warlock.

"Oh? I seem pretty real to me," said Merry when she arrived at him. Her bust was heavy even under the constraint of her clothes, the well-postured mare mildly muscular yet curvy and tall.

From here, he could breathe in the familiar scent of her perfume. Grace oozed from her every deliberate move, no doubt from her days as a spy and assassin. "Nah… just a trick of me mind."

"Does it matter?" She poked his chest. "You could have me back! You know what to do..."

Arcanum scoffed when she rubbed his chest, barely hidden by his shirt. "The Necronomicon, up to your old tricks. Think you can tempt me to seek you out so you'll have a new host?"

"You're not like the other wizards, Archie. You could easily master that tome," she cooed with a titter. "Think of all the lives you’ll save! The lost wisdom you could take from it! Most importantly..." Merry took a step back, and his breath froze when her clothes vanished into the ether.

She stood completely naked before him, her hands clasped behind her, one hip thrust out. The erenn stallion felt her body heat, her supple flesh pressing on him as her heavy bosom mashed on his chest. "...you could also have..."

After she moved to kiss him, he shoved her away. “Piss off…”

"Why? You want this. There’s nothing to be ashamed of? It's only us here~.”

His hands shook, somewhere between fear and rage, when she directed his palms to rest atop her soft, wide toned buttocks. "You can save me. Have me, my sweet." She half-lidded her eyes. "The Necronomicon can do the imposs-"

"I don't want a soulless husk!" He pushed her back. "The real Bloody Merry was me friend, you shit!" In truth, while he and Merry shared a mutual attraction, their relationship mainly had been professional. He had no idea how she truly felt, both too afraid to take the next step.

"Find the Necronomicon, and you'll find me..." Her voice faded to a whisper as he turned his back. He'd snapped back into the strange house they were all staying in, standing down the hallway, dark circles thicker under his eyes.

“Sleepwalking? That’s a new one,” he grumbled groggily while descending the staircase. He spotted the foxy couple curled up on the couch, sleeping soundly, their tails blanketing each other.

“Lucky sods,” he commented before sneaking into the kitchen. It reminded him of a photo of him and Merry, passed out drunk from a rare party they attended. But while the scruffy detective could reminisce about the glory days all he liked, he knew Bloody Merry was dead. And it was way past due to let her rest in peace.

Arcanum raided the fridge for another beer. "Guess this cheap swill will have to do," he muttered, popped the top with his aura, and took a drink. He still couldn’t wrap his head around this bloody house, how it could possibly exist.

Likely a result of the unstable convergence between the crumbling multiverse, which brought about the baffling, yet interesting theory…" Another anomaly,” he grimly stated. “Yeah… Knowing me rotten luck, what are the odds that’s probably true..?"

With a heavy sigh, the warlock shut the door and looked to make his way back to his room… until a shape on the wall moved out the corner of his eye. Instantly, he rushed into action.

Boots creaked across the bottom floorboards, his attempt to follow whatever he saw leading the erenn sorcerer to the room in which Beatrix was sleeping. He surveyed the area, and cracked the door, finding nothing out of the ordinary, nor an anomalous presence. Just a cozy room with the wayward witch sleeping comfortably in bed.

"Bahh! I’m freakin’ losin' it,” Arcanum spat, rubbing his troubled head. He glanced at Beatrix, wondering if he’s been too harsh on her. But he’d leave that decision for tomorrow, the heaviness of the cheap booze starting to kick in.

The erenn unicorn lumbered his way back towards his room, too busy mentally debating what he saw to notice the door to Beatrix’s room steadily close itself shut without a sound…

Chapter 10

View Online

When Beatrix opened her eyes, she could already tell she was dreaming. The warm bed she lay in had disappeared, replaced with a grove of dead leaves and cold soil. The witch rose naked to her feet to take in the familiar surroundings of the nightmare realm.

Gnarled branches reached out to the starless black sky like claws. Trees towered around her as if to close the violet unicorn in. The wilderness was swamped by a phantasmal miasma, and the vapors rolled across her nude skin. Beatrix was alone, without so much as her hat to keep her company.

“About time, Omen,” she muttered to herself, rubbing her bare arms when a chill ran past her. Beatrix walked down the narrow path, aware that it’ll eventually lead her to the enigmatic nightmare stag that conjured this space.

But as she treaded through the forestry, it steadily began to disappear into the darkness. Perplexed, she turned to head back… only to find the haunted woods had vanished entirely!

“Ooookay, that’s new,” noted Beatrix, thinking back to the last time she was here. She then called out, “Oh, Omen~? Are you there?”

The blackened void then shifted into an empty city street deserted houses and buildings all around her. Only a few street lamps provided light in the otherwise pitch-black realm. At the end of a road, one particular structure stood out with a sign highlighted by flashing bulbs.

“‘Dream theatre’?” Beatrix read with a tilt of her head. Nonetheless, the wayward witch walked down the forsaken street, her footsteps reverberating. She had to admit; compared to the harrowing woods, she found this section of the nightmare realm quite unsettling. She knew she’d never been here before, yet she felt a strange nostalgia.

It also didn’t help that the houses looked identical to the one she and her friends were currently staying in. And some had lights alight within their windows. Were there still people here? Was she being watched..?

As she got closer to the theatre, Beatrix noticed a figure standing by the entrance. The witch stopped dead in her tracks, her expression pale.

Everything about the attendant, garbed in black pants, a white dress shirt, and a red vest, seemed normal… except its face. Instead of eyes, a nose, a mouth, or any facial features, there was an endless swirl contorting its head.

With a gulp, the violet mare cautiously approached the finely dressed servant. When it didn’t move, she waved a hand in front of its spiraling visage, wondering if it could even see her.

“Ticket, please,” it spoke with a distorting voice, causing Beatrix to jump back with a yelp.

“Geez!” She held a hand over her heart, frowning with pursed lips. “I-I don’t have a ticket! I’m not even dre-”

Her argument died shortly when she looked down to find a sparkly black dress adorning her supple curves. On her arms were long velvet gloves, a slit in the skirt to expose her shapely leg. And strapped over her shoulder was a small purse fashioned with the eye emblem of her Prima Materia.

“Ticket, please,” the swirled-faced entity repeated.

Beatrix curled an eyebrow while she reached inside her purse, pulling out a metallic golden ticket. With a slight shrug, the witch presented it to the attendant, who took it and tucked it into his breast pocket.

“Thank you. Please enjoy the movie.”

Behind it, the glass doors opened, and the servant stepped aside. Sighing deeply, Beatrix proceeded into the complex.

The interior looked just as abandoned as the exterior, with a few lit sources highlighting the popcorn machine and condiments. Further down was a blackened hallway, a red sign numbered ‘A4’ above the entrance.

“Get it together, girl,” Beatrix told herself, attempting to quell her uneasiness. “It’s just a dream!”

With a bit more confidence, the violet witch walked into the hallway. Though when making a turn right, she could hear disembodied whispering, growing louder the closer she got to the auditorium.

Peaking into the spacious room full of luxurious chairs, Beatrix found an enormous sheet depicting a monochrome motion picture. The sounds of a projection reel echoed from the control room above. And sitting comfortably in the top middle row was the gray deer himself, whose monstrous shadow eclipsed the back row of seats.

“Hey!” chirped Beatrix, who rushed over. “Where have you-”

Omen held a finger to his mouth and shushed her, maroon eyes glimmering playfully. “It’s quite rude to talk during a movie, you know.”

The witch puffed her cheeks and retorted in a quieter tone, “There’s no one else here!”

The male cervine chuckled and rose to pull Beatrix into a tight embrace, which she returned. “Good to see you safe and sound.”

“Y-yeah, you too,” replied the witch, smiling gingerly. Both took their seats as she leaned closer to Omen while his arm hung over her shoulder.

“What are we watching?” she asked. On a screen was a cartoony clown-garbed rabbit doll dragging a knife along the floor while approaching a frightened child with a wide toothy grin much bigger than its face.

“It’s a dream,” elaborated the nightmare stag. “Oneiromancers each have their own way of peering into sleep. For Oona, it was through bubbles or water.”

“And for you, it’s through film?”

Omen shrugged his shoulders and jokingly said, “Who doesn’t like a good horror show~?”

Beatrix frowned, staring at the fearful expression on the child’s face as her killer doll came closer, cackling maniacally. “But you’re essentially watching them suffer! A little sick if you ask me…”

“Not every nightmare is caused by me,” he insisted. “Besides, they’re not in any real harm. I wake them up right before their fear takes them. Watch!”

At the snap of his fingers, the cowardly girl opened her eyes, and she blinked out of existence, leaving the killer bunny scratching its head in perplexion. Then the picture disappeared for a few seconds before a new reel started playing. This time, a witch-garbed mare was on the big screen, screaming for her life as she fled from pursuing scarecrows in a cornfield maze.

Beatrix scrunched her snout as she looked at Omen. “Very funny,” she said sarcastically.

“Just trying to alleviate the mood, is all,” the gray buck said apologetically. “The universe is not in the best shape, after all.”

“Yeah, don’t remind me…” Beatrix sunk into her seat, arms crossing beneath her ample bust. She made a small groan when her consort gently rubbed her shoulder.

Looking back at him, she pouted, “What took you so long to reach me?”

“Believe me, I tried,” Omen assured. “But Alma made sure no one slept just to spite me. I had to find an alternative way to get someone to fall under hypnosis long enough to escape. And even then, I’m not in the best shape…”

The nightmare stag’s form briefly glitched to reveal his bruised and battered state before retaking the stylish plaid suit and tie he was wearing.

“Oh my gosh!” the witch exclaimed, eyes wide with horror. “W-wait… you escaped?! But what about Oona, Abby, my sister, and Demi-Trix!? Don’t tell me they’re-“

“Shhhhhh,” Omen hushed gently. “She’s okay.”

The reel changed again, and a colored scene came to view. Beatrix gazed up to see her wooly lover Oona bathing in a small pool, a warm smile on her face. She lifted her head to greet a large, elderly ram, who took a knee to stroke her cheek.
“Her father and clan came to rescue the dream weaver and I made contact,” the deer man explained. “She and Demi-Trix are safe on the Isles of Pàrras.”

Tears of relief cascaded down Beatrix’s cheeks, cupping her snout to hold back a sob. The sight of Lady Ewe out of harm's way made her heart swell with joy. “Oh, thank goodness she’s alright!” she wept.

Omen smiled and nuzzled her head lightly, wiping away the witch’s tears.

Heaving a large breath, she looked back at the nightmare stag, her frown returning. “So Bellatrix is still in Alma’s clutches?”

“Unfortunately,” he confirmed, sparing Beatrix the details of the succubus’ punishment for helping Oona escape. “The danger isn’t over yet. Alma’s Legion of Black Roses is preparing to wage war against Clan Jakobson, with the Sovereign Witch leading the charge.”

“Tatyana?! That bitch,” the witch seethed, bitterly recalling how malicious and cruel the monarch unicorn was when they had their magical duel. Neither of them was victorious due to cosmic interference, though if they had fought longer, they might not have opened the portal to Enoch’s library and saved Abadonna.

Omen continued. “Tatyana plans to strike during the earliest hours of Walpurgisnacht.”

“There’s a Walpurgisnacht in the Lost World?” exclaimed Beatrix, surprised. “Oh, man! It’s been a long ass time since I’ve heard about that ‘holiday’!”

The gray cervine raises an eyebrow. “Do tell…”

“On the eve of May, all magic will be at its most potent,” the witch informed. “That was when the Cult of the Nemesis planned to make me their ‘dark messiah,’ sacrificing many lives to the Necronomicon. I thought I would be free from their clutches, but… lately, I’ve seen signs of their return.” Her snout scrunched up. “Say… you wouldn’t happen to know about another anomaly, would you?”

“Hmm,” hummed the nightmare stag, rubbing his chin between his thumb and finger. “I always considered it a possibility. After all, you couldn’t have conjured a cosmic storm of this magnitude by yourself. But so far, I haven’t detected anything with your properties.”

“Not even with your future vision..?”

Omen shook his head. “I’m afraid I can only gaze so far ahead. And with vague hints as to what might unfold. Speaking of which, there’s one other thing you need to know about Walpurgisnacht.”

Beatrix grimaced, “… and what’s that?”

"It is the day our daughter will be brought into the world,” prophesied the dream seer.

The violet unicorn placed her face into her palms, groaning with frustration. “No, no, NO! Of all the times?!” She gazed wryly at Omen. “And you’re sure it isn’t a misreading or..?”

“My premonitions aren’t always as helpful, but they’re never wrong,” lamented the nightmare stag. “I’m terribly sorry to place more burden upon your heavy shoulders.”

Beatrix once more looked at the movie screen, the azure sheep left alone to enjoy her bath, rubbing her gravid tummy. The witch’s face contorted with conflict, mentally weighing her duty to her lover and child against her own half-brother, whom she cursed with a short lifespan with her anomalous interference.

She either left Midnight and her friends in a crumbling world or abandoned Oona to face an impending war. No matter her decision, one of her promises would be broken!

“This fucking sucks,” she groaned. “I want to be there when Abby’s born, but I can’t just leave Cerise and the others! Middy’s probably reaching his limit!”

“Not probably,” said Omen. “Likely.”

“Wh-what?”

Once again, the projector turned off to play a new dream to observe. This one took place in a lush jungle, where the point of view moved around until zooming into a throne room.

Beatrix gasped at seeing many naked women, all of whom she recognized. Ebony Ivory, Shadow Scythe, Bellatrix, Moxxi, Demi-Trix, Wispy Willow, Kitsune, Foal-Bearer and Wet Nurse, Strawberry Moon, and Blue Moon. Even Alma, Camellia, and Esmeralda were among the fold, along with Equinox, Chezka, and Panna. They all collectively moaned from ecstasy, their bellies full of virile cum that drooled from their puffy snatches.

And sitting on the throne was a bulky, vein-bulgy Midnight, eyes hidden under his spiky blue bangs, currently slamming Rhenaes onto his pillar of masculinity while Cerise and Moonlight lay on either side. The crystal pegasus was screaming her head off from how roughly he rearranged her guts, yet pleaded for more. Begged to have his children. And with a stiff grunt, the hyper-stallion granted her wish, grounding her hips down when he emptied a fresh batch of foal batter into her pussy, her tummy swelling rapidly.

“Haaahhh~! Thank you for blessing this lowly sow with your seed, master,” mewled Rhenaes, running her hands over her ballooned stomach. “Mmm, I can feel your swimmers penetrating my defenseless eggs~!”

“H-Holy shit..!” Murmured Beatrix, face flustered, watching the blue pegasus smack her round flank, signaling the broodmare to pop off his horse cock. It pulsated angrily, covered in mixed fluids for Cerise and Moonlight to clean off, polishing Midnight’s rod with their tongues. Both mares were heavily pregnant, milk leaking from their tits.

“Alas, the struggles of a hyper-stallion,” Omen commented. “Throughout his dwindling life, Midnight’s need to dominate and procreate will increase to the point that it’ll consume him. He’ll only think about inseminating every mare in sight and fighting off male ‘contenders,’ pushing his body to the breaking point. At this rate, he won’t survive another year…”

Her heart skipped a beat. "Y-you’re kidding!"

“See for yourself,” he stated flatly, pointing to the widescreen. Midnight Blitzer rose from his seat and pointed at Shadow Scythe, who got to her feet and waddled over.

“Me again?” She groaned, icy eyes drawn to his throbbing bitch-breaker, spit and cum dripping down the flared tip. “I’ll probably have twins by the time you’re finished with me.”

With a firm smack to her butt, Midnight pushed the reaper mare towards his throne, waiting for her to bend over on the armrests and present her curvy buttocks and leaking slit. Shadow Scythe stared back at her hyper stud, bracing herself when he took hold of her waist and sheathed his girthy cock fully inside, earning a heightened gasp.

The blue pegasus wasted no time getting back into a rut, making the pale unicorn bray wildly each time he impaled her slippery folds like a knife through butter. It was a bizarre sight to behold. Forbidden fruit, if there ever was one!

“And I thought I was horny,” murmured Beatrix, failing to suppress how arousing she found the scene of her half-brother railing her former nemesis. Her nipples stiffened, practically poking out her top, thighs rubbing feverishly together.

“Pleee-eeaaase! Tear me open more,” Shadow Scythe begged uncharacteristically, struggling to push her hips into his bulky thrusts. “Mmm-make me forget about that pathetic angel and his puny cock~!” An arrogant smile crossed Midnight’s snout as he smacked her pale cheeks until they blushed red with his handprint.

The witch hissed. “Geez, Middy! If Zeloph sees this, he’ll obliterate you on the spot! Hell, Shadow Scythe will inflict a fate worse than death!”

“Pay attention,” directed Omen, pointing towards Midnight’s head. That was when she noticed the gray streaks through his matted blue mane. “His aging has accelerated rapidly. If this continues, he’ll become old and frail, until his heart finally expires.”

“All because of me,” muttered Beatrix, watching how strained and precipitated Midnight looked despite the euphoria. With another bellowing groan, he deposited another helping of cum into the quivering reaper mare, causing her gravid belly to inflate slightly.

Shadow Scythe lost feeling in her arms and collapsed into the throne, her blushing red ass high in the air. A fountain of spunk was fished out her marehood upon Midnight pulling out.

Beatrix looked flushed, panting heavily. “He's not really planning to impregnate them all, is he?”

“He may try,” suggested Omen. “But in his fantasies, everyone’s fair game. Everyone…”

Before the witch could press on that statement, she heard her voice speak with the film. “Hope you’re not too tired yet, big guy. You still gotta put a bun in my oven, too~!”

Beatrix’s eyes dilated when a dream version of herself strutted towards Midnight, a cheeky smile on her face. The hyper-stallion grunted in response, lightly pushing Shadow Scythe off his throne for the violet mare to bounce into. She parted her thighs for him, a hand kneading one fat tit while the other rubbed at her clit with a 'come hither' motion. A strange rune was drawn above her mound, glowing with archaic energy.

“Got the fertility spell ready and everything,” her fantasy counterpart insisted, running a tongue over her lips, her aura used to spread her pussy petals. “So go ahead, Middy! Make me your bitch~!”

“Fuck, even me?!” Beatrix stammered, redder than a tomato. “No way!”

“Way,” stated Omen, who wore a knowing grin. “You seem tense~.”

“I-I’m just a little worked up, is all. You know how I am,” the witch confessed, her loins on absolute fire after watching Midnight dominate his herd. The licentious itch got worse when he shoved his horse cock up her doppelgänger’s cunt and started pummeling her senseless. Everything about this screamed wrong… but the taboo nature of getting fucked and inseminated by her half-brother aroused the poor unicorn to no end!

“I do,” Omen said slyly, gingerly tracing his finger on Beatrix’s shoulder, causing her to shudder. “Though I think it's more about the reason, rather than the person.”

The unicorn witch sheepishly said, “O-ooh yeah?”

The gray cervine gently guided her to straddle him, a bulge pressing against her mound. He brought his snout to her ear and whispered, “I’ve lost count of how many wet dreams you’ve had about being bred like Lady Ewe~.”

His words sent a shudder down Beatrix’s spine; a weak moan coaxed out her lips when his hands tore away at her fancy dress, plump breasts bouncing free from their confinements. “Mmmnah… T-that’s not possible!”

“Perhaps, in the waking world, that’s true. But this is a dream,” the nightmare stag reminded, lifting one heavy tit and giving it a squeeze. And, to her shock, warm creamy liquid squirted out Beatrix's erect nipple.

“Wh-whaah?! O-ooooh, fuck~!” The witch whined as her consort latched onto her tit and suckled. She gave loud sighs as Omen siphoned the sweet milk out of her breast, residue dribbling down his chin. Her back arched to press her boob flesh into his face, stroking his head.

The gray buck released her nipple with a wet ‘pop’ before switching to her twin. All the while, Beatrix gyrated her hips to grind her inflamed mound against his pitched tent. The background noise of her moans in Midnight's dream only escalated the witchy mare further into depravity.

That’s when she felt Omen’s rigid shaft poke at her bare marehood, their clothes suddenly disappearing.

“H-huh? When did you-?”

“Feel that?” The dream seer said in an airy, husky voice. “That’s the cock that got Oona pregnant. That’s gonna get you pregnant~!”

Beatrix mewled as her partner shifted size, slowly taking his more monstrous shape. Not that it was a problem, given the witch had copulated with bizarre creatures in the past. Plus, this wasn’t her first rodeo with the nightmare stag.

"This is what you want, isn’t it?” Omen said through a hungry growl. “To be claimed by a worthy suitor and sire their offspring like a pagan whore. No worries. No world-ending threats. Just endless bliss.”

“Mmmngh~! Y-yes, please!”

“Say it,” He demanded, cock flaring against her wet, needy slit, the tip parting her velvety folds. “Say it!”

“Fuck a baby into me,” cried Beatrix, her stiff nipples lactating while her body burned with insatiable lust. “Skewer me like the greedy sow I am~!”

Without hesitation, Omen penetrated her moist fuckhole and made the witch bounce in his lap, wide buttocks jiggling upon impact. Beatrix moaned with every bound, trying to match his thrusts. Her pussy clamped hard on the cervine’s oversized length as it pierced her cervix and stretched her ‘pregnant’ womb to its limit.

"Gods~… I love monsters so much~!” She confessed, lactating tits bouncing around on her chest, spraying her face a little. "The more alien the cocks stuffed into me, the better...!"

Craving constant novelty, she'd made love to sapient beasts, various monsters, eldritch abominations...tentacles, in particular, were a favorite of hers, since they could restrain the witch and pleasure her all over at once, while splitting her three love holes to their full spread.

Oh, and when they all came at once inside and all over her...! The memory, combined with how Omen hammered away, made Beatrix squeal and squirt on the spot, left to shake and squirm. Marecum drooled from her overstretched pussy, leaking down her clenched rectum.

But Omen was nowhere near done, the elk-sized cervine draping his prey over a theatre seat to bludgeon her soppy love tunnel at a better angle. Her legs dangled over his shoulders uselessly, her voluptuous titties wobbling with momentum.

Beatrix softly screamed from the mind-numbing pleasure, unable to focus on anything but the movie screen. Even from the upside-down view, the witch could tell Midnight had her dream counterpart in a mating press as well, those fat orbs slapping her round backside while churning with more cum to hose down her womb.

Her ears perked at Omen's feral noises, his pummeling growing more frantic and desperate. Managing to lift her head, Beatrix gazed up needily at her lover, cupping both breasts into her hands, leaking cream between her fingers.

“That’s it! D-Don’t stop,” she urged, feeling another orgasm rising from her loins. “Fuck my little slut hole! Fill it up and make me yours! Make me wish I could have all your babies~!”

Her words did the trick as the nightmare stag leaned back to let out a loud roar and erupted inside her. Beatrix matched his moans with her own, cumming a second time when she felt his white hot cum flood her womb, her belly swollen under the sea of spunk that hosed down her uterus. Momentarily, her mind blanked under sheer euphoria, until she almost passed out.

Midnight’s dream also hit his climax, the blue pegasus pulling away, showing off a freshly impregnated Beatrix, wearing a lewd expression.

Omen retook his regular size, lifting the fatigued witch back into his arms. They stared into each other's eyes intimately before locking lips. Beatrix wrapped her arms around his neck while he grabbed a handful of her plush flank, making her wiggle with his dick still lodged inside her.

The kiss lingered until she reeled back, sighing with contentment. “I needed this,” the witch said softly. “Thank you.”

A smile spread the buck’s snout. “Of course, dear.”

Her cheeks lit up. “You’re not going to tell anyone about this, are you?”

An amused chuckle sounded from his throat. “Not unless you want me to~.”

“Good.” Beatrix took another kiss before relaxing in his hold. She pursed her lips together and asked, “Is it bad that I just wanna stay here? And never wake up?”

“No, I can’t say that I blame you.” Omen turned his head away. “Dreams are often the realm to escape reality. Especially when it’s become so bitter and chaotic. So… hopeless.”

When the nightmare stag looked back, the witchy mare noticed his maroon eyes held a faint glimmer. It was then that she realized how much greater his influence was in the dream realm. Every time she came to him in sleep, the gray cervine seemed to be getting stronger…

“But you can’t allow fear and uncertainty to rule you, Beatrix,” said Omen, stroking her platinum locks. “You have a choice to make. And you won’t know the consequences, unless you try. The lives of thousands are at stake. Your friends. Your lover. They need you.”

Sniffling, Beatrix solemnly nodded and curled her naked form into his, the theatre dissolving into darkness as the wayward witch felt awareness return.

The return to awareness reminded her of those that needed her here and in the Isles of Parras. Could the multiverse survive another hop?

What was she supposed to do...?

Omen smiled kindly as Beatrix’s dream vessel left his presence, leaving him alone in his theatre to continue the rest of Midnight’s intense dreaming.

But that smile diminished when Oona came onto the screen, the azure shamaness next in line to have her ovaries drowned in the hyper stallion’s virile essence.

The gray buck’s snout scrunched into a sneer, eyes glowing malevolently. “ꇙꄲꂵꏂꃳꄲ꒯ꌦ ꋊꏂꏂ꒯ꇙ ꋬ ꅐꋬꀘꏂ-꒤ꉣ ꉔꋬ꒒꒒,” Omen muttered coldly, antlers shimmering with ominous power.

Oona let out a pained yelp before falling to her knees, cradling her tummy. Midnight furrowed his brow and approached her until she gave a loud scream, rolling to her back.

“Oona, what’s wrong!?” He asked. His answer came at the gurgling sound as her belly bloated to a grotesque size until it popped. Blood, stomach bile, and pus splattered his physique.

Midnight's expression drained of color at the sight of a wriggling, shrieking, changeling maggot; worming its way out of its dying incubator. Steadily, it crawled towards him, staring with two beady insectoid eyes.

“Baaaabaaaa…” it cried with a buzzing shrill.

The frightened pegasus lept back, stumbling into his throne. “N-no, no, no! Get away! I’m not your-“

More screams alerted his ears as the rest of his harem began to writhe with pain. All their pregnant bellies exploded to release the changeling children, squirming after him with rectilinear motion. All calling for their ‘baba.’

Midnight tried beating his massive wings, but the grubs shot silk to entangle his plumage to the ground, ensuring he couldn’t escape. The hyper soldier struggled and screamed, the giant maggots crawling all over him, saliva dripping from their tiny mandibles.

“HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!!”

Omen eased back into his chair, hands resting over a folded leg, fingers tented together. A satisfied smirk stretched the corner of his mouth as the newly hatched monsters began to chomp down on their ‘father.’

*****

Midnight jumped awake, panting hysterically. He stared wide-eyed at the mundane wall, tossing his head around to find himself back in the room he and Cerise shared. No changeling grub chewing down on him.

It was just a dream.

The blue stallion heaved a large sigh, running his hands through his spiky blue mane, caked with sweat.

When Midnight turned to his side, he found his wife asleep, back still facing him. But his breath hitched to see a large quantity of semen staining her rear. Throwing the sheets off the bed, his dismay increased upon seeing his flaccid cock smeared with sexual fluid.

The male pegasus stood up from bed until his back hit the wall, stroking his mane with frustration while cursing under his breath.

How long had he been fucking Cerise in his sleep? He must have packed her pussy with a tub’s worth of cum!

And she probably didn’t take anything before their argument. Oh, she was going to be so mad.

Midnight rushed into the bathroom to splash some water on his face. Glaring at his reflection, he noticed wrinkles under his eyes and a couple of grey hairs sprouting from his mane.

The pegasus’ lifeline was diminishing, and his body was overworked to maintain its strength and virility. How much longer would he hold out now?

The blue stallion decided to leave before his instincts got the better of him again. He could no longer trust himself to be around his friends and lovers without causing permanent damage.

Midnight quietly put on his peacekeeper armor, giving his slumbering wife a somber look before marching down the stairwell. When he got to the entrance, he found the meadow blanketed by a layer of mist. The storm seemed to have subsided for now, though the blackened clouds blocked the sky.

With a deep inhale, the pegasus soldier proceeded toward the open field until a voice stopped him dead in his tracks.

“Goin’ somewhere?”

His emerald gaze leered up at the thestral marauder, sitting atop the roof with a cigarette between her fingers. She puffed out a thin veil of smoke and smiled at the distraught stallion. “Awfully early to be on patrol, huh, Middy~?”

“It’s none of your business, Equinox,” Midnight stated.

“Only until I make it my business,” the bat mare said cheekily.

“I’m being serious! Fuck off!!”

“Oooh~! Gonna finally put me in my place, big guy? Or you just gonna walk away with your tail tucked between your legs?”

His fists tightened, teeth clenched. But to withhold his anger, the blue pegasus took another breath and resumed walking away. She wasn’t worth it.

Equinox snorted. “Yeah, that’s what I thought! Welp! Better go wake up the wife and tell her that hubby’s gonna hunt for his sister solo~!”

She only got so far as sitting up before Midnight was in her face, glaring hotly at the smug-faced batwoman.

“You stay the fuck away from her,” he warned adamantly.

“Then take me with you,” she compromised. “You’re going out to find Lightning Spark and the rogue changeling, right? Well, I want payback! That bastard owes me a new gauntlet!”

“I can’t,” insisted Midnight, who turned his head away. “It’s dangerous to be around me…”

“Dangerous? You?!” The marauder let out wheezy laughter. “Aww, that’s adorably pathetic,” she teased, tracing his cheek and bopping his snout, earning a deep frown.

Equinox placed a hand on her hip and said, “When is it gonna sink in that I’m not one of your tiny slit bimbos? Fuck, I’m practically waiting for you to grow a pair and try to make me your woman~.”

Midnight bit his lip, loins growing stiff again.

The raider’s grin widened as she continued, “No, I get it. You’ve finally realized that they’re holding you back. That’s why you’re doing this ‘lone wolf’ routine, isn’t it~?”

“N-no, that’s not true!”

“Yes, it is,” Equinox reaffirmed, lowering her tone to a sultry whisper. “And deep down, you know it! You’re clearly faster. Stronger. Better! You don’t need permission to take what you want, so you shouldn’t lower yourself to their standards! The clock’s ticking, Midnight. You don’t have a lot of time left. And there’s so many fertile sluts begging to get knocked up~!”

Her enticing words invoked his hyper-stallion instincts awake, musculature bulging underneath his armor. His cock stirred within his pants, nostrils flaring hot breath, green eyes becoming pale and unblinking. Facing the smoldered eye marauder, Midnight cupped her face and crashed his snout to hers, locked into a hungry kiss.

Equinox was momentarily startled before leaning into it, their tongues wriggling inside their mouths to assert dominance.

The blue stallion pulled away, a web of drool threading their mouths. “When I get my sister back, I’m gonna fuck you like a pig,” he proclaimed with dragon-like possession. “It’s the least you deserve.”

Equinox gave a twisted smirk and replied, “Attaboy~.”

Spreading their wings to take flight, the two warriors soared away from the ordinary-looking estate to resume their search for Midnight’s sister, vanishing into the cool miasma.

*****

Not long after, Cerise groaned as she rose from her slumber. Stretching out her tired limbs, the charcoal mare felt thoroughly sore. Perhaps sleeping on her side all night wasn’t the best idea.

With a shake of her head, the princess rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, blinking them open. When rolling onto her back, she felt something squish between her thighs. Hot pink eyes widened to find a puddle of splooge oozing out her inflamed vagina, gut gurgling from how fully packed her womb was.

Scooping up a bit of cold cum on her fingers, Cerise analyzed it with pinpoint pupils, trembling with rage. No doubt her husband had stuffed her with multiple loads while they slept, attempting to impregnate her despite her opposition!

The dark dancer rolled over to scold Midnight, only to find him missing, his side of the bed stained with a large sweat spot. “Fucking… damn it!” she hissed, jumping out of bed to make a beeline for the shower. Twisting the knob, she took the shower head to wash all the dry spunk off her legs, winching when she aimed at her cum filled entrance.

Cerise snarled, slamming a fist into the shower wall, trying to convince herself this wasn’t Midnight’s fault. That he was a slave to his accursed nature. Yet he had proven deceitful, hiding something behind her back while blatantly lying to her face. And then he had the gull to fuck her while she slept and then leave without explanation. Not even touching his lack of resilience around that foul mouth bitch, Equinox!

“How could you do this to us, Middy?” the princess sobbed with vexation, scrubbing her cooch clean. She severely hoped Beatrix had something to sterilize her womb. Otherwise…

Cerise shook her head while rinsing her mane, not wanting to think about it. Stepping out, she dried off with a towel, returned to her room, and threw on her clothes.

Storming out of the hallway, she bumped into Beatrix, who was also stepping out of her room. “A-aaaahey, Cerise! Exactly the mare I was looking for-”

“Where’s Midnight?!” The charcoal mare brashly interrupted. “Have you seen him?”

“U-uhh, no,” the witch answered. “Not physically, at least.”

Cerise furrowed her brows before racing down the staircase.

“H-hey! Wait up!” called Beatrix, running after her. Both mares got to the kitchen, where Iclyn, Arcanum Folklore, and the vulpines gathered to make breakfast.

“Top of the mornin’,” the erenn warlock greeted, heavy bags under his eyes while fixing a stiff drink. Seems like he still couldn’t get a good night’s rest.

“Kon'nichiwa,” Kitsune said, pouring some herbal tea into a cup with Kyube. Iclyn sat at a table, drinking out her mug of hot cocoa. She gave a small wave of her hand.

“Have any of you seen Midnight?” questioned Cerise.

“Can’t say that we have,” the fox man replied with a shrug. “Though now that you mention it, I haven't seen Equinox either.”

The bristled bat mare summoned her crystalline spear at the mention of the marauder's name and soared back upstairs, angrily calling for her husband.

“Geez! Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” muttered Beatrix.

“Nah, that’s the look of a woman scorned,” presumed Arcanum. “Something’s amiss…”

The group winced at the sound of furniture and glass breaking upstairs, bitter cries reverberating throughout the house. Eventually, Cerise swooped back down, seething, “They’re gone! Both of them!!”

Beatrix exclaimed. “What?!”

“Are you fucking serious?! Now ain’t the time to be goin’ AWOL!” The scruffy detective berated. “World’s coming undone as it is!”

Kitsune gently asked, “You’re certain they’re not here?”

“I just checked every room in this house,” the princess stated flatly. “Penumbra hasn’t seen them while on watch either!”

“Then they must have left during Equinox’s shift,” theorized Iclyn, tapping the rim of her mug thoughtfully. “I was suspicious as to why she was persistent about taking my shift…”

“No, no, Midnight!?” Cerise collapsed to her knees and wept, causing Beatrix to come to her side and comfort her.

Stroking her back, she whispered, “H-hey, hey, it’s okay. We’ll figure this out.”

But the princess shook her head. “You don’t understand, Bea. His hyper-stallionism has gotten out of control. When he looks at me, half the time, I don’t see love in his big green eyes. It’s like I’m just…”

“Another means of passing his genetic waste in the vain hope some part of him survives?” Their heads turned to Iclyn, who stood up from her seat. “Yeah, I caught him eyeballing my ass last night like it was a stuffed thanksgiving turkey,” she confessed, arms folded to her chest. “I’d almost find it flattering he considers me attractive, given he’s seen my genitals.”

Cerise sniffled as she wiped the tears from her face, reminding herself she needed to be strong. “At least he didn’t breed you in his sleep…”

Everyone gave a collective gasp, Arcanum visibly livid by this transgression. Beatrix activated her Prima Materia, stammering, “Hang on! I should still have contraceptive potions to counteract-”

“That’s not the point,” dejected the charcoal dancer, looking at her friend with wet, soulful eyes. “Once his instincts kick in, the only thing that matters is sex and survival. He’s gonna die before he even hits thirty! You need to fix this and cure him!”

Beatrix deepened her frown, aware of his state after observing his vivid fantasies with Omen. Slowly, she pulled away and said, “That’s… what I want to talk to you about.”

Cerise stared up with confusion as the witch turned to everyone to ensure all attention was on her. With a troubled sigh, she announced, “Omen came to me when I was asleep.”

Arcanum quirked a brow. “That’s your spooky friend, right?”

“The very same.”

Iclyn’s expression soured and presumed, “I take it he did much more than just ‘coming’..?”

“T-that’s not important,” dismissed Beatrix, cheeks red. She then went into detail about the rescue of Lady Ewe and Demi-Trix by the former’s family, much to everyone’s relief. But it was short-lived when she told them how Alma’s ‘Legion of the Black Rose’ would bring war and death to the Isles of Parras during the witching hours of Walpurgisnacht. The day her daughter, Abadonna, was destined to be born.

Cerise took a moment to let it sink in and compose herself to the best of her ability. “So… you’re going to leave, too?”

“I never said that-”

“Out of the question,” Arcanum declared, slamming down his cup. “Need I remind you that you're still in the middle of training! And you said it yourself! One more hop could unravel the already tangled threads holding the multiverse together!”

“I know that!” The witch cut off with a conflicted face. “You have to understand, this is my lover and daughter! I have to be there!”

“But we need you here more than ever!” reminded the charcoal thestral, pulling herself to squeeze the violet unicorn tenderly. “I’m not saying this to be selfish, Bea. In any other case, I would push you to go be with Oona and Abby. But you swore that you would fix Midnight’s hyper-stallion problem! And now, who knows how long he’ll last?! A few months? Weeks?!”

"Yeah, and I’ll uphold my promise! B-but-”

“Then send me back instead,” the cyan doe offered. “I’ll aid Oona in your stead.”

“Iclyn, I wouldn’t ask that of you,” said Beatrix.

“Good, because I wasn’t asking. Someone has to make sure she and Abadonna are safe during the coming battle. You’ve got your hands tied here. Plus, I don't have anything else to teach. You’re pretty good when it comes to thinking on your feet. I’m sure you’ll figure things out.”

Beatrix blinked in surprise. “Y-you really think so?”

Iclyn shrugged. “I mean, if you don't, then it's on you. I’m done being your babysitter.”

The witch’s face fell, sarcastically replying, “Oh, gee… thanks!”

“Oi! Hold it,” Arcanum broke in. “No one’s going anywhere! Not with this dimensional flux going on.”

“He’s right,” agreed Kitsune. “You’re more likely to end up somewhere completely different!”

“Or be spontaneously teleported regardless,” added Kyube.

“Bottomline, Beatrix is not fit to be opening any portals!”

“Couldn’t agree more,” surmised Iclyn before she placed her hand on the warlock’s shoulder. “That’s why you’ll be handling my trip to the Lost World.”

"Wha-me?!" exclaimed Arcanum. "Have you lost your damn mind?!”

“Why not? Didn’t you say your method of travel wasn’t as vulgar as Beatrix's? Simply form a tiny dimensional slip, and I’ll be on my way.”

“Did you not hear what we said?” the kunoichi scowled, slightly offended.

“Plus, I’ve never been to the bloody Lost World,” the erenn stallion affirmed. “How am I supposed to know where it-”

"Don't worry about its location,” assured Iclyn. “I'll be able to find it. But there isn’t a moment to waste. Midnight’s gone rogue, and the Isles of Pàrras need backup. It’s either do or die now!”

The two stared down one another until Arcanum eventually broke away from her steely gaze, rubbing a palm over his face.

"Fucking hell,” he grumbled. “Fine, so be it. It’s a bloody bad idea, but I’ll make me preparations. Let’s brainstorm a new plan for now and then be on our way." He popped another beer with a click. “I ain’t spending another night in this shady ass house.”

Everyone nodded mutually and left to collect their bearings. Cerise approached Iclyn and gently said, “Thank you. I-I know you’re not doing this for Beatrix or me, but-”

“Don’t.” The ice faun cut off bluntly; aurora green eyes narrowed. “You’re not the one who has to tell Oona her beloved is not coming because of their incompetence.”

Cerise backed away, then glared hotly. “My incompet-what are you on about?”

“You were sniveling like a filly bullied in preschool. All because you couldn’t keep a leash on your hound of a husband,” she elaborated coldly. “The same husband who not only neglected his childhood friend back at the Crystal Empire, but has now run off with another woman. And don’t blame it all on his ‘hyper stallionism.’ He should be accountable for his actions. And you should have been more strict! But no, let’s deny Beatrix the opportunity to see her daughter’s birth. Wonderful idea, your highness!”

The batmare’s lip quivered, and reddish-pink eyes were bloodshot from how much she had cried. “It's not like that! I would have-”

“No, you wouldn’t,” Iclyn interrupted again, not bothering to hear her pathetic justification. The temperature began dropping, so suddenly, Cerise shivered and rubbed her arms for warmth. “You’re all talk, using that bullshit excuse of ‘becoming a better queen’ to avoid facing your problems. If you want to prove you’re worthy of the title, fucking act like it!”

“S-stop it! We don’t have time for this! I’m sorry if it offends you, but curing my husband is my priority!”

The cryomancer paused her frost magic, her eyes piercing through the princess’s soul when she proposed a question.

“… and what if there isn't a cure? What will you do if nothing changes after Beatrix miraculously fixes everything, and Midnight continues to devolve into a fuck hungry beast? Did you even consider that possibility?”

Cerise stared blankly, her body frozen by her suggestion.

“Didn’t think so,” scoffed Iclyn, who went around to walk up the staircase but stopped to look down at her. “I’m sure Oona will find it in her heart to forgive you, princess. But when winter comes, the cold never forgives mistakes.”

With that said, the icy doe left the distraught bat mare to wallow in her guilt. After a few moments to collect herself, Cerise proceeded up the steps, mind plagued with doubt.

Was Iclyn right to be furious? Had she really denied her best friend a rare moment of happiness for something that might not be plausible?

Passing by the witch’s room, she peeked in to see Beatrix sitting on the bed, crestfallen. She cradled her belly like she would throw up, tears leaking down her cheeks. She was mentally weighing the options in her mind, trying desperately to find an alternative… yet she found none.

Cerise’s snout twisted into a bitter pout. Needing someone close to confide in, she headed towards the balcony and ascended to the rooftop, where her brother was still on the lookout.

Seated on the tiles, with his turban, cape, and tunic cast aside, leaving Penumbra only in pants. The younger sibling couldn’t help but find him the spitting image of their father. Of course, his color scheme closely matched his name. A white shadow with a vast plume enveloped the swordsman's lithe, muscled back.

Green eyes locked into sorrowful pink orbs. “You look distressed, sister,” he observed. “What’s wrong?”

"Today's off to a pretty awful start," Cerise admitted dourly, studying his shiny, silver hand. "Hope I’m not interrupting. I just need someone to talk to.”

“Of course.” The older stallion shuffled to the right, allowing the charcoal mare to plop her rump down. A colorful miasma rolled from a fancy pipe Penumbra was holding. When she looked at him quizzically, he responded, “I’ve been smoking out of sight since the Burning King. It calms me.” He took a quick puff before offering it to his sister.

"Uh...I-I’ve never smoked," she admitted and accepted.

Penumbra chuckled when the bat mare took her first puff and coughed. “Don’t force yourself.”

Her eyes watered for a different reason as she wiped her face and handed it back. Clearing her throat, she asked, “So... how much do you hear?”

His smile disappeared, casting his gaze back to the misty landscape. “Folklore gave me the rundown,” the pale pegasus acknowledged. “If I were to guess, Midnight and Equinox are going after his twin sister themselves. I don’t know what’s worse; that vile woman convincing him that he doesn’t need us, or his attempt to impregnate you without your consent…”

Cerise noticed his fist tighten up before relaxing it to take another puff. “I want to believe he wasn’t in control, but… he’s done something that he won’t tell me.”

“Hmm. The minute Midnight came back to this world, he was behaving strangely. But you’re not saying he’s…”

It took the dark princess all her strength not to break down again. “It makes too much sense, Penumbra! I’ve seen the way Middy looks at her. She practically throws herself at him! Equinox is an utter bitch, but she’s strong, confident, and knows what she wants. Who wouldn’t want that..?”

“Cerise…”

“Maybe Iclyn has a point,” she whimpered. “Beatrix should be going back to the Lost World. Not abiding by a promise she can’t possibly keep!”

“Hey!” Penumbra firmly gripped her shoulder, shaking some sense into his little sister. “Don’t beat yourself up over that. It was going to be a hard decision, no matter what. That’s all part of life, Cerise. It’s how we mature into adulthood. You’re a woman now. And someday, you will be queen!”

Cerise sniffled as her face lit up. "…yeah?"

He nodded. "Truth is, I...still fear what I could become. I must always maintain order, or else the darkness that runs through our veins could seize control..."

Unlike Cerise, he and Ashen Dune had extensively read what records they could find about Sombra's history. Rape, torture, slavery, mass murder...the horrible despot their father once was made his stomach turn. So he, Ashen, and their mother, Inky Rose, took it upon themselves to protect the princess from the truth.

"But that isn’t you," reassured Cerise, taking the pipe to try again. Her mouth filled with warmth after each drawn-out puff.

“You can never be too certain,” Penumbra disagreed. “I’ve never been tested. But you shouldn’t worry about me; I’ve handled worse. You still have plenty of time to prove yourself, sister. Don’t let anyone tell you what you can and can’t do. You’re family. No matter what, we’ll always be proud of you."

Feeling a tad more encouraged, the charcoal thestral managed to curl her lips despite her melancholy. “Thanks, Penny. But I’m going to be more than just your sister. I’ll be your equal!”

Penumbra returned her smile. “Heh! Well, I can’t speak for Ashen, but I will do my best to show the future queen due respect.” He stood up, offering his hands, and pulled her into a tight embrace.

She rubbed his cool, metal hand for a moment before he recovered his turban, white cape, and tunic.

“Oi, come on,” the erenn stallion called from below, he and the others waiting outside the house entrance. “Can’t afford to be burnin’ daylight!”

The royal siblings leaped down to join the party, and Penumbra marched ahead after Kitsune and Kyube. Cerise cautiously kept her distance from Iclyn, who walked beside Arcanum quietly. Turning around, she saw Beatrix, the last to exit the ‘ordinary’ estate.

The princess approached her troubled friend with pursed lips, ready to give a heartfelt apology when the witch held up her hand.

“Let’s go save Midnight and Lightning,” she told her, a pained smile on her snout. The charcoal bat mare felt her distress double as the witchy unicorn walked past her. Surely, there had to be something she could do to make up for her rashness. Perhaps she could grab something from the-

When Cerise turned around, her eyes dilated at a most astonishing and bone-chilling sight.

The house was gone.

*****

Knowing that stewing in bitterness would get her nowhere, Moonlight River continued to crawl through the air ducts, the metal cool on her bare skin. She didn't dare sleep in an empty bunk when everyone was after her, but where else could she turn?

She thought about escaping, going to find her friends, and confronting Midnight about his relations with Fiery Kickstart and his Amazonian wives.

But instead of pulling off something risky, Moonlight settled on visiting a friend. Grates were unscrewed and quietly set aside before she dropped into a workshop. "Ouch! Uhh… h-hi!" Her face colored when Moon Hammer turned his way, the minotaur unable to help but take a drawn-out look at the naked intruder.

"Hey, yourself," he replied, dressed in pants and an apron, his bare chest lined in sweat. Machines rattled around his workstation, some of them crafted from clockwork tech. Schematics adorned the walls. She spotted a fresh prosthetic arm for Penumbra, and the two sets of bat wings, now forged into one. "They're almost ready. Just need to iron out a few kinks."

Usually, Moonlight would have covered her nakedness with her bat wings, but since that wasn't an option, she simply tried to act casual. "Sorry to drop in. It's hard to explain, but-"

"You don't have to," reassured Moon Hammer while he searched his belongings. "Unfortunately, none of my clothes will fit you, plus most of my old pairs are dirty and sweaty."

Moonlight couldn't help but grin. "Not used to doing your own laundry without your wives, huh?"

"… most of the time," he admitted with a mild blush. "Actually, now that you mention them, this gives me an idea! One I don’t think you’ll approve of, but it's the best I can do."

"I'll take it,” insisted the thestral. “Can't be worse than my birthday suit..." But color drained her face when he pulled out a pair of maid costumes.

"... you’re kidding me, right?”

The bovine blacksmith shook his head. "Afraid not. I planned to modify these after my wives… well, became holstaurs. No longer can they fit in these skimpy little things, especially after they've been knocked up."

Moonlight accepted one of the costumes and looked it over. Not only was it more of a fetish costume than a proper uniform, but it had been further modified into two pieces to leave one's midriff bare. Her blush deepened when she pulled the outfit over her athletic curves.

It left so much cleavage exposed the bat mare feared her tits would fall out at any moment. Her areola threatened to peek out when she bent or turned, plus the pleated skirt was so short it barely covered her mound and left the bottom of her buttcheeks visible.

"Jeez," she complained. "I might as well still be naked! Well, thanks anyway!"

Moon Hammer did his best not to gawk. "Do you want the heels and headdress, too?"

"Okay, now you're pushing it. They're not even my style-" Her bat ear perked at a harsh rap at the doors. With no time for niceties, he nodded at an empty and thankfully inactive oven used to bake clay. The entryway codes were overridden and the double doors started to slide open as she ducked down, his palm on her athletic bare ass to shove her inside and kick the cover behind her a mere moment before the Amazons arrived.

Moon Hammer faced them, clearing his throat. "To what do I owe the unexpected pleasure?"

Chezka, the centauress, asked, "Why didn't you answer us?"

"Didn't hear you over my work," he stated flatly, directing their attention to his two-handed hammer and the machines that rattled behind him. "This place tends to get noisy!”

"A likely story," said Panna, the fawn, who wore an unconvinced frown. From inside the soot-filled oven, Moonlight crouched in the shadows and peered through the gaps where smoke escaped. "Have you gotten any visitors lately? Anyone stopped by for your 'assistance?'"

"Nope,” the minotaur bluntly lied. “If someone came by here, I didn't hear them. I don’t like having my work interrupted.” His eyes were drawn to the topless pair of Amazons.

Chezka's white, curly ponytail swept behind her when she trotted over, a hand on her humanoid waist. "Mmm...are you certain?" She traced a nail over the lines of his muscled torso, so close her heavy, tattooed breasts almost touched him. "Not even a single peep? I find that rather hard to believe."

“We wouldn’t want to report you for suspected treason,” cooed Panna, leaning forward to press her breasts together enticingly. “If you come clean, we can make it worth your while~!”

"Skanks,” Moonlight hissed quietly.

The minotaur was flustered. While his wives had permitted him to take care of his needs while away, Moon Hammer never thought he would take up the offer. These Amazons clearly believed they could fuck some information out of him… but maybe he could turn the tables on them?

He chuckled. “Even if I did have something to hide, I don’t come cheaply,” Moon Hammer warned with a smirk, his powerful arms wrapped around their waists to draw them against him. Warmth radiated from their bare skin, their tits mashed on his chest when Panna undid his heavy apron and let it fall with a thunk.

"We’ll see about that," Chezka murmured with a determined smile. What scant clothes the Amazons wore were torn away in his thick hands, as the minotaur propped the centaur up on a table and turned so that her voluptuous, shapely horse ass was shifted towards him.

The blacksmith landed a harsh, possessive smack on a toned asscheek, which made her tense up and yelp. His pants were unzipped, his bovine cock already half-erect, as he started to poke at her already moist pussy hole. Chezka moaned when he drove himself inside, inch-by-inch.

Moon Hammer yanked her ponytail sharply once he started to snort and clap her cheeks. They wanted to try and seduce him to pry out information? Well, two could play at that game! All the bull needed to do was fuck them stupid, and plenty of their secrets would spill out...

"Ooh~," wheezed Chezka as he pounded her. "Fuck, you’re… huff… not b-bad!" Her words turned incoherent, swallowed by more moans, the slap of wet flesh, and spatters of feminine lubricant, while the minotaur's nostrils flared each time he spanked and fucked her raw.

Her breasts bounced when her head turned to Panna, who, not to be left out, shared a drawn-out kiss with her Amazon 'sister' while she waited her turn to bed the minotaur.

"You're Fiery's wives, right?” Moon Hammer asked between grunts. “What kind of man allows his woman to be so easily taken?" Out of the corner of his eye, the minotaur spotted Moonlight silently slip out of the oven, heading back towards the air duct.

When Panna noticed his gaze and began following the direction, the blacksmith popped free of the centaur and hoisted the unicorn doe up, earning an alarmed squeak. He bent Panna over his anvil and unceremoniously stuffed her balls deep with his cock; her awareness dulled when he started to pound her tight pussy raw into complete submission.

"Yeah, you like that? How’s that dick feel?!”

"O-ooooh, shit…~!" Not even that hyper-stallion had ever stuffed her this full!" Unlike Chezka, who quietly resented their position as honor-bound slaves to Fiery after he rescued them, Panna had accepted their position, reminded that the Amazons had captured her when she was a child and indoctrinated her into their tribe. She had conformed her entire life for her survival, no matter how demeaning it proved.

Moon Hammer routinely fucked both Amazonians, making them mewl and howl out moans while their slits coated his cock and balls. At this point, he forgot about distracting them from Moonlight and was driven to screw them silly, landing a couple more harsh slaps on their asses.

He pounded Panna against a wall, noting the lone horn protruding from her head. “You’re quite unusual for a deer. Not from around here?”

"M-mmmnh, no," the doe wheezed amidst his thrusts, her cunt drooling over his womb-shattering shaft. "I-In my home dimension, all the fawns there have horns like this. We're-a-aah! Likely descendants from a generation bred with unicooooorns! Ooh~!"

The doe's pussy gripped around him, and with a grunt, Moon Hammer barely pulled out in time, finally pushed over the edge as his wet dick fired volleys across her tits. Thankfully, he was used to several rounds with his wives, as Panna and Chezka ducked to clean his cock off.

The instant he was cleaned, he slapped Chezka's ass to turn her back around and yanked up her white tail with a fist when he drove himself up her puckered asshole this time. "How many Amazons are left? Tell me about your tribe," he demanded when he slammed balls deep into the centaur.

"Tell us about the minotaurs, and we will," countered Panna, who stroked her puffy slit.

The back-and-forth between the three continued in an attempt to fish out information. Moonlight returned to the ducts and dusted the soot from her scanty maid costume. She would have to move carefully to avoid tearing it, her destination set on Web Spinner's lab. Hopefully, it wasn’t heavily guarded, as according to one of Fiery’s lackeys, it would house a secret.

Fiery's conference had mentioned 'it' would be moved there...

By the time the thestral approached, pained moans and the familiar smack of skin made her ears flatten. A prismatic shimmer glowed from beneath the vent. When she peered inside Web Spinner's lab, she spotted many of Fiery's enforcers swarmed around what looked to be a changeling queen, her pale, tall, and voluptuous figure entirely crystalline.

She looked like a luminescent moth, with a pair of fuzzy antennae beside her horn and large lepidopteran wings furled behind her back. The flaky scales sparkled brilliantly like diamonds, luxurious tufts of fur around her neck and limbs. Her silky hime-styled mane and tail were a radiant blue. She sat bow-legged, panting heavily, large unblinking fuscia eyes leaking tears.

“P-please, no more,” the captive changeling pleaded. “This one has been through enough!”

"You’re done when we say you’re done," one soldier said, the flat of his unsheathed blade traced over her massive breasts. "Get to it, bitch! I’m getting flaccid here!" Another chortled at her.

With a resigned nod, there was a flash of light each time she altered herself to amuse them. Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Twilight Sparkle...she took their denuded forms, her body on offer to the enforcers that lined themselves up in preparation to defile the former rulers.

One lifted her up by the hips and impaled her cunt on his cock. Another pulled her wrists behind her and drove into her asshole. Lastly, a trooper shoved his dick down her throat, and the rest formed in a circle while they stroked themselves off to wait their turn.

"Damn… Always wanted to fuck Celestia," wheezed the troop that pounded the shift in her shape below. "But thanks to you monsters, she’s dead! Now out with it! Where’s Chrysalis hiding!?"

The crystalline changeling drooled when the one stuffed in her throat momentarily withdrew. "T-this one has tried to tell you! She doesn’t know! She’s not even sure how Chrysalis is still alive-auughck!!”

She nearly choked on the dick, shoved balls deep back in without mercy, receiving another harsh slap from the stallion taking her from behind. Her bountiful white ass rippled between the soldiers that fucked her stretched out holes mercilessly.

Celestia's already oversized breasts swelled further to match their interests, now blossomed into milky udders, her pink, puffy areola driven to leak honey-sweet milk drops.

"Got to love changeling biology," taunted one of them as he roughly squeezed a titty, rewarded by a stream of milk that sprayed across his face. "Fiery sure knows how to reward his loyalists!"

In desperation to please them, she shifted to Luna, battered between them. Then after a while, she took on Cadance's shape, a favorite in the Crystal Empire, since many of the soldiers that manned the halls had always fantasized about what it would be like to screw the Love Princess senselessly. They pulled her hair, slapped her around, and drove in and out with pistoning hips.

"Stupid Shining Armor, greedy bastard thought he could have this all to himself," said the one buried up the changeling’s ass. "It's hardly a 'war crime' when monsters don't have any rights!”

“Yeah, definitely made the right choice in backing Fiery,” the soldier up front said, trying to make her gurgle and sputter around his stallionhood. “That’s it, good slut-! Aagh! What do you say we try to knock up 'Princess Lovebutt?’"

"No can do," said the one buried inside her thoroughly used cunt. "Fiery said we can use her until she's exhausted, but no permanent harm. Gotta keep her on contraceptive potions until it's time. Her womb is reserved for the hyper-stallion's spawn..."

Moonlight stifled a gasp, not only from what they did to this poor creature, but what Fiery had planned for Midnight! Worse, while what Shining Armor pushed her into had sated her estrus, she was still in the last throes of its influence from the comedown...which had been worked up when she saw Moon Hammer rail Panna and Chezka.

Now it was intensified by the sights and smells below, despite her sympathy and horror for their victim. "Damn estrus," she murmured, her lower lips impossibly wet and inflamed. Half an hour passed before the enforcers finally finished, as they repeatedly traded and claimed the crystalline changeling, the moth-like monarch left in a pile to huff, slathered in rivulets of spunk that dimmed her glow.

Once the coast was clear and she was confident they wouldn’t return, Moonlight dropped down, causing the creature to chitter fearfully. "H-hey hey hey! Don't scream," she insisted, holding up her arms defensively.

The panting replica of Princess Cadance stared wryly at the maid-garbed batmare. “You… did you not come to invoke violence against one such as I?”

“No! Gods above, I wouldn’t wish this on anybody. Not even a changeling deserves to suffer like this…” She offered a hand, which the prisoner hesitantly accepted, to help her sit. In another luminous flash, the crystalline creature retook her natural shape. The bat mare introduced herself. “I’m Moonlight River. May I ask your name?”

“This one is called Marathyssa,” she answered, laying a hand over the valley of her breasts, still soaked head to toe in spunk and dried cum. She tilted her head curiously, studying her fetishized outfit. “What is a warrior doing in servant threads?”

"It’s… been a bad night, don’t worry about that," she admitted sternly, her supreme commander’s heinous actions still fresh on her mind. Shaking it off, she asked, "So...what's your story? Why are they keeping you prisoner?"

Moonlight began rummaging through the lab for a towel while the crystalline monarch took a moment to collect herself.

“Is your kind familiar with a Protoquen?”

The batmare paused to look back at her. “Proto-what?”

“Protoquen,” Marathyssa repeated, a small smile forming her mouth. “This one is among the female changelings that can potentially become a new leader for our hive, should we consume the royal jelly our current queen produces. But in her vanity and mania, Chrysalis feared one of us would replace her… and sought to get rid of us. Some were butchered. Others, like this one, were made into broodmares for other hives.”

“Geez,” grumbled Moonlight, who found a towel tucked away in a closet and started wiping down the changeling’s cum stained body. “Even to her own kin, she’s a vile monster?”

“It was not always this way,” Marathyssa insisted, quiet tears rolling down her face. “There once was a time changelings and ponies lived together in harmony. We are benevolent creatures by nature. But due to our alien appearance, fear would take hold of the equestrian elders and cast us out.”

She steadily relaxed under Moonlight's touch while the mare dried off to the best of her ability. "We wandered deep below the earth, tunneling towards the core; the darkness there eventually warped us into the more ‘evil’ appearance you know today."

“But you don’t look anywhere monstrous,” Moonlight pointed out.

“That is because this one never hatched underground,” Marathyssa said. “A pony straggler broke into our hive and kidnapped this one when she was but a larva. But for whatever reason, she did not eat this one like one would expect. Instead, she helped her grow within the crystal caverns, where your kind mined to build your kingdom.”

Moonlight knelt across from her, brows furrowed. "So then, how did you end up here?"

“The unicorn's mistake was bringing this one back to her hive, hoping this one would take command after Chrysalis’ first invasion failed. And while they welcomed her back with open arms, the queen maintained her authority.” Her antenna flattened behind her head at the memory. “Eventually, this one was brought alongside Chrysalis to keep her soldiers 'entertained'...and after Shining Armor won that day, this one fell into his hands.”

Moonlight bawled her fist, teeth clenched to hold back her rage. “That bastard..!”

Marathyssa shook her head. “You misunderstand, he initially treated this one well enough, before Fiery Kickstart and his men discovered her. This one knew too well that no matter what, she was a prisoner of war…”

An uneasy silence held in the air until the thestral soldier sighed. “I’m sorry, I… can’t imagine the pain you must be going through!”

The crystal changeling gave a sad titter. “This one is fortunate she did not have to suffer in solitude. Another victim of Chrysalis, named Deinos, has kept this one company under the alias Web Spinner.”

Moonlight's eyes widened in horror. “Web Spinner?! You mean to tell me that four-armed monstrosity was the dweeby scientist?!”

However, before she could question Marathyssa further, the lab swallowed them in a red sheen when alarms started to blare overhead. "Oh no, it's starting! You have to leave here! Go while you still can,” the changeling warned.

"Can't you transform into something small and slip out?"

"This one has been forced to ingest elixirs that inhibit our shapeshifting abilities,” Marathyssa explained dourly. “This one can only take the forms of mares, griffins, and dragons alike. But no smaller. This one should remain here, where it is safe. She would only slow you down…” She turned away from the batmare to sulk.

Moonlight was torn between fleeing the premises before she was caught and wanting to help the poor mothrum changeling. She then knelt down to her side, placing a hand over her shoulder that made the bug-eyed creature look back.

"I'll come back for you, I promise,” she swore with determined yellow eyes. “I’ll find a way to get you out of here!”

*****

Sabers rattled throughout the hallways. The stamp of boots thundered and echoed. At Fiery Kickstart's instructions, those loyal to him were rounded up, and the coup was underway. The alarms sounded while arrows doused in sedatives whirled across the air. The sub-commander had ordered his followers, "Kill only when necessary! Take as many prisoners as you can!"

Cadets flooded the red-stained corridors, confused and delirious from the bedlam that erupted around the military base. Commanders ordered them to surrender, and warned that Fiery had authorized them to implement lethal force, should they be met with resistance.

Shining Armor heard the commotion from his office and took a moment to rock his once crippled leg back and forth, completely healed after his hyper-stallionism kicked in. "Thanks for the boost, Moonie," he said with a self-satisfied smile. "I won't let your 'sacrifice' be in vain!" With help from his aura, he slipped into his white armor and collected his rune broadsword.

He kicked the door open and set down the hall. Archers took aim, only for his horn to light up and raise a shield that deflected the missiles fired at him. "Amateurs," he taunted, rushed in, and cut them down with his illuminated broadsword, splashes of scarlet slapped across the walls. Runes shimmered across his armor, sword, and shield, enchanted to empower them.

"Last chance to stand down, traitors," he warned more of the soldiers that bounded towards him. When they didn't break their stride, he cried, "Your funeral!" His blade arced and beheaded those who stood before him with clean strokes.

Crimson spattered the pristine paladin. He spotted cadets rounded up, and swiftly dispatched the soldiers that restrained them with a combination of spellcraft and swordplay. "You know where my office is? Head back that way; I'll protect you," he promised with a warm smile.

"Thank you, sir," said one of the cadets with a salute before they dashed away to safety.

Around him, steel clashed, and spells lit the darkness with a sizzle. He'd known Fiery would launch his coup soon, but this was faster than anticipated. Fortunately, between the spells he'd learned from his late sister, his swordsmanship, and his hyper-stallion body, not to mention the finest enchanted weapons and armor in the land, no one here could hope to match him!

He cut a swath across the base-turned-battlefield. Soaked the area in blood and viscera.

Eventually, Shining found the source of this madness in the auditorium. "Fiery Kickstart! Come out here and face me, you bastard!" The archers around Fiery took aim with crossbows, but a wave from their commander made them stand down, as Fiery marched down the steps to meet him clad in his vermillion armor.

"I see you're no longer a cripple," mused Fiery, his half-burned face turned to him, a blade clasped in hand. "I take it you’re prepared to fight me in a duel for supreme command?”

“I see this less as a challenge and more as me putting you back in your place,” affirmed the alabaster unicorn.

“Heh. First time for everything, huh?” The mustard stallion turned to his subordinates. “You heard him. Stand down! We don’t need to spill any more blood now that he’s accepted our little arrangement.”

The stallions nodded and started to make the announcement from a microphone over the speakers, which sounded across the hallways, and all over the military base.

No doubt, many would make their way to the announced location. With a wave of his sword, Fiery immolated his entire blade, violent flames crackling and rolling in a vermillion blur.

"Pulling out all your tricks," observed Shining as the duelists met in the middle. "No interruptions. No spells our flight allowed, either! When I win, you'll order your men to stand down and surrender yourself to me without resistance!"

Fiery chuckled, their blades crossed. "And if I win?"

"Name your terms," he replied with a cocky smirk.

"Mmm. Always thought your head would look nice mounted on a spike for all the Crystal Empire to see!"

With that said, Fiery told and drove down his blade. Shining raised his illuminated, white broadsword to parry, the air filled with a clash that made sparks and embers rain across the duelists locked in combat.

In a battle of skill and steel, the use of spells was forbidden. Not that the paladin needed them!

Skill-wise, the commanders were evenly matched...but the hyper-stallion felt stronger, faster, more durable, and slower to tire. He countered Fiery's stabs and slashes, barely noticing the air warp around him from the immolated saber's heat whenever he attacked.

Shining soon took the offensive to stagger Fiery, who clenched his teeth and slid across the floor on his boots to maintain his position as the repeated blows rained down without mercy.

By this point, more soldiers and commanders on both sides flooded into the auditorium. Among them were Moon Hammer, Panna, and Chezka, plus Moonlight, who kept her distance and hid behind the masses, where she did her best to blend in with the numerous maids that mostly shivered and cowered from the explosions of violence and bloodshed across the base.

The thestral watched the commanders trade blows, deflect, and riposte, her heart heavy and conflicted. She glared down at Shining, repulsed by what the supreme commander had done to her… yet she couldn't find it in herself to want to see him dead. Not when Fiery and those loyal to him prove to be the far greater threat!

Unfortunately, Moonlight didn't have any of her sedative darts on her, so there was little she could do to intervene. She sucked in a bated breath, dreading the end result while the sweat-soaked duelists continued to clash.

Shining Armor's muscles continued to expand, thick veins visible across the skin that wasn't hidden by his full suit of armor, sans a helmet. His shield smoked and started to melt into a molten pool under his opponent's flame sword while he battered away at the immolated blade.

Sweat poured down their foreheads; Fiery pushed into a corner as the melted, smoky shield was cast away by the paladin. He arched his pale broadsword overhead at the hunched sub commander and cried, "You're finished!"

The next cross of blades knocked the fire sword from Fiery's grasp, and the sub commander was knocked to his knees. Gasps rose from the crowd, Shining Armor's white blade tip poised at his fallen foe's throat. "Surrender, or...or..." The paladin violently shook once his strained muscles suddenly rippled and contracted, pushing past their limits. "N-no! Not...now!!"

A bone snapped in his once crippled leg. He yelled and tumbled to one knee, blinded by white-hot pain, as Fiery balled up his burn-scarred fist and connected with his jaw. Blood and a couple teeth burst from Shining's split lip, knocked flat on his ass. His hands shook as the sword clattered from them, and he scrambled to recover it, only to feel heat near his face.

Fiery drew back his flame sword, ready to separate his head from his body.

"W-wait!" Moonlight cried out, descending from the stands to get in between the duelists. Her eyes closed as an inferno arced her way, ready to end her...only to be shoved aside by Shining Armor, his cheek grazed by the sword tip's precise arc, another shout of pain unleashed by the paladin as the cut bled and cooked.

Fiery scowled at the batmare, keeping his blade poised at her. “Well, well, well. And here I thought there wasn’t a single ounce of loyalty left for you, Shining. Admirable… but stupid.” He then pointed his flame sword at the fallen commander. “Now, are you going to stand down, or do I have to embarrass you further?“

The paladin fumed, his eyes narrowed, but looked to Moonlight before he proclaimed, "I...I yield." Web Spinner's empirical formula had pushed his body too fast. He felt like he'd put on ten years in an instant, not to mention all the bones he'd shattered under the strain.

“Smart move,” Fiery said before steadily raising his weapon in the air. “Probably the smartest decision you ever made as supreme commander!”

Moonlight knelt next to her ex-commander and begged, "He's helpless! Please, spare him!"

Fiery considered for a moment before relenting, the fire dissolving into steam. “Very well then. Don’t ever say I wasn’t merciful.” Resheathing the blade, he snapped his fingers for soldiers to apprehend Moonlight from the weakened unicorn, whose mane he grabbed to hoist his head up.

“Shining Armor. For your failure to secure victory in this duel and the overall war, I strip you of all your accolades and claim your position as the supreme commander over the Crystal Empire!” The mustard stallion announced to the public with a wave of his arm. “You are relieved of your duties and sentenced to banishment from these lands for life! I will have you executed on sight if you dare show your face again!”

“No, you can’t!” Moonlight sputtered, struggling to break free from the soldiers' grasp. "In his current state, he’ll die out there!”

“And in our current state, we would all be wiped out by the changeling resurgence,” rebutted Fiery. “Panna, Chezka. Lead him out of the walls!” The Amazonians nodded and snapped to obey, grabbing Shining’s body and dragging him away. Turning his attention back to Moonlight, he ordered, “Have her locked up in her sleeping quarters. I want it guarded at all times. We wouldn’t want her running away before her herd comes home.”

The bat mare glared daggers at the sly smirk he gave her; venom spewed out the thestral’s mouth as the subordinates struggled to restrain her while pulling her along.

Fiery directed one of his closest commanders closer and whispered, “Send an army to retrieve Midnight Blitzer, Lightning Spark, and all their little friends. We'll need their aid to help deal with Chrysalis and her minions, once and for all!"

More cheers resounded to raised weapons and hands, Fiery's name repeatedly exclaimed in unison. He directed one of his men to make the first announcements, from a prepared script for this moment of assured victory. With a clipped salute, the stallion took the script and hurried off.

Unbeknownst to the gathered populace, one hooded mare hiding in the shadows looked upon the battlefield. Thin lines slowly stretched across her face until it split apart like a grotesque flower in bloom. An eyeball on bioluminescence stems extended to take a closer look at the newly crowned supreme commander.

*****

Deep beneath the earth, changelings buzzed and crawled around through the ever-shifting caverns they dug out. Some expressed erratic behavior as the parasitic spores took root in their brains, linking them to the Mi-Go.

A large chamber harbored the enormous fungus, an eerie, eldritch glow illuminating the pool of still water banked before its tree size stalk. Spores emerged out of its gills, contaminating what oxygen the changelings had to breathe.

And resting beneath the emerald waters was the changeling queen herself, arms folded comfortably across her chest as she was locked in a deep trance. Mycelium roots connected her to the botanic abomination, showing Chrysalis all it could observe through the thousands it had infected.

Chapter 11

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No matter how many times Lightning Spark wriggled and squirmed, she simply couldn’t break out of the webbing. A day had passed since the oversized cockroach known as Deinos first abducted her into the forest.

The changeling returned with a thud, his extra pair of arms carrying a net full of fruit for the pegasus, which he hung beside her web. His large red pupils observed a couple of branches he spun silk around, a few having snapped off.

Deinos chittered while examining the horn wands, counting every single one to ensure the amount matched his calculations.

“Ugh! No one’s been here to touch your stuff,” Lightning blurted out in annoyance. “I should know!”

“Quiet down,” hissed the massive changeling. “I don’t wanna have to glue your mouth shut.”

The pegasus narrowed her glare. “For what? There hasn’t been a single changeling or monster for the past day!”

Deinos rolled his eyes. “All the more reason to keep cautious. If I could smell your estrus-induced musk from miles away, so can the others. Which begs the question, why aren’t there more changelings investigating the source?”

Lightning’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment, her aching loins screaming for a stud to breed her fertile body thoroughly. From her experience, changelings wouldn’t hesitate to lay claim to her womb to deposit their eggs. Ironically, the odd exception was her kidnapper.

The arachnid monster continued with a serious glare. “My guess is Chrysalis is preparing her next plan of attack. And I need to be ready!” He clenched his fist to manifest Equinox’s fish hook gauntlet from his biostructure.

Lightning purses her lips. “Okay, but why did you need to trap me here? What was the plan?!”

Her breath hitched when Deinos leaped onto her web, his massive exoskeletal frame shrouding her. She could see her reflection in his large red pupils.

“Hmmm… haven’t decided yet,” the mutant changeling admitted, crawling around until he looked upside down. “So many possibilities…~” His eyes leer down at the mare’s cocooned body, enticing thoughts making him salivate.

Some splashed Lightning’s snout and mane, making her scrunch up. “Yuck! You’re so gross!”

“And you’re so boring,” Deinos retorted with a deep chuckle. “Either way, I can guarantee your safety here.”

“Safety?!”

The changeling nodded. “Better I keep you away from those imperialists. Given how gullible you are, they would have fed you their ‘self-preservation’ bullshit, and you'd eat it like dessert!”

“I would not,” denied Lightning Spark, appalled.

Deinos snorted. “Really now? How long did it take you to figure out Autumn Equinox was an arrogant, greedy harlot? Or that the supreme commander you idolize is just a shameless shell of the man he once was? Hell, I bet you didn't know about the coup Fiery Kickstart has probably launched to further his own agenda!”

Once again, the light, electric blue pegasus couldn’t retort against the argument. While she figured there was more going on, she hadn’t realized how out of her depth she was.

“Didn’t think so,” concurred Deinos, wearing a grim expression. “You know what the worst part about this is? Those people spreading their propaganda? Apparently, their hatred for changelings can be withheld if it means using us for their nefarious purposes.”

“W-What do you mean?”

“They hold my kindred captive,” stated the arachnid changeling. “A protoquen named Marathyssa.”

Lightning’s eyes widened in shock. “A protoquen?!”

“One of the last changelings able to become queen,” explained Deinos. “Chrysalis made sure none could rob her of her throne, sentencing Marathyssa and her sisters to slavery. Eventually, she was captured and brought to the Crystal Empire by Shining Armor and his men.”

Assuming the worst implications, Lightning growled out, “That slimy bastard!!”

The mutant monster frowned. “Believe it or not, Marathyssa held no contempt for the former prince when I first met her. It is Fiery who intends to breed an army out of the protoquen. Her… and your brother.”

“The hyper-stallion gene!” Lightning realized. “With an army like that under his command, Fiery would be unstoppable!”

“That's precisely why I added sterilizers to prevent insemination when they had ‘Web Spinner’ create drugs to inhibit her natural shapeshifting ability. But now that I'm ‘dead,’ the effects will wear off long before Midnight loses himself to his feral instincts.”

“Then you have to let me go!” Insisted Lighting Spark, desperate blue eyes looking up at him. “Please! I can’t fully grasp my ‘Onoma’ yet, but I still want to help! I might have lost my mom. I don’t wanna lose my brother too…”

Deinos stared longingly at the whimpering mare, considering what would be the right decision. Then, Lightning seized up when he raised his gauntlet-adorned arm and slashed down…

In an instant, the steel-like silk binding her split apart down the middle, the cut carefully made to keep the mare’s clothes and skin intact. After a bit of squirming, Lightning ripped the threads away and rolled forward, unfurling her large wings to flap off the webbing.

Stretching out her sore limbs, the pegasus snapped her fingers, and a tiny spark of static fizzled around her hand, much to her delight.

“Haha! Yes~!” Lightning elated, fist-pumping the air before turning her attention back to Deinos, cheeks red. “Th-thank you!”

“I recommend you refrain from flying,” suggested the arachnid changeling, flipping off the web to land before her. “Wouldn’t want you to pull something from laying in one spot for so long.”

She huffed, planting her hands on her hips. “And whose fault is that again?”

Deinos ignored her and tossed the net of fruit at her. Licking her chops, she peeled an orange and sank her teeth into its juicy nutrients. He also helped himself to an apple.

After consuming the citrus treat and wiping her mouth, Lightning glanced over to the web net holding the unicorn horn wands, their presence causing her to shudder.

She recalled how suspicious both Arcanum Folklore and Beatrix were about how the changelings disguised as Web Spinner came to acquire them. If she remembered correctly, each wand was forged from the severed horn of dead unicorns.

Noticing her wry gaze, Deinos spoke up about the ominous tools. “I didn’t make them,” he reaffirmed. “I was tasked to study and figure out how they were crafted.”

“Any theories?”

He shook his head. “It’s not magically possible to conceal one’s spirit in a piece of their own diseased flesh. Their magic would dry up long after their passing. And yet, just as that drunken detective said, their soul still resides, screaming from within. Trapped in their own personal hell…”

Deinos fished out one artifact, noting the swirling indents glowed with an eerie light along the charred misshapen horn. “Whoever made these used magic that far exceeds what we currently comprehend! And a force like that should not end up in the wrong hands.”

“So when we stop Chrysalis, we figure out who's making these wands and put an end to this!”

The mutant changeling scoffed. “Easier said than done. It’ll take an army to defeat Chrysalis. And the only ones with an army want to eradicate the rest of my kind…”

“Then we don’t go to the Crystal Empire,” said Lightning Spark. “Beatrix and her friends are just as powerful! Arcanum might even know a way to destroy those horns! And with you in the fold, we can’t possibly fail!”

Deinos scrunched up his snout, turning away to think. It was true that the witch and her comrades appeared prepared for anything, with their variety of talents and strengths. But there was the cosmic storm to consider, with all fingers pointing at Beatrix as the one responsible.

Should the changeling lend his aid? Did he really have a choice?

He rested his gaze on Lightning Spark and questioned, “And how do you know they won’t annihilate me on sight?”

“I’ll vouch for you,” she said with a determined smile. “But we’ve got to tr-raaauh~!!”

A wave of heat rushed up from the pegasus mare’s crotch, forcing her to fall to her knees, thighs rubbing together. She panted heavily, nipples poking out the top of her Wonderbolt-style outfit, a thin wet spot soaking her pants.

“D-Damn estrus,” Lightning muttered, resisting the urge to snake her hand inside her pants and rub at her winking coochie in front of the massive male observing her. “I-it’s so hot, I can’t stand it!!”

Her erotic scent caused the changeling to quiver, chattering his mandible jaws while his genitals stirred between his legs. Despite showing a much higher restraint than most, Deinos still had his needs.

“Then perhaps I should take care of this,” he once again offered. “We’re not going to get far with you smelling like a bitch in heat~.”

Lightning chewed her bottom lip, eying the juicy alien cock growing out of the changeling's sheath. Taking something that size wouldn’t just sate her. It would break her. Mold her permanently to his shape. Leave her full of all the changeling babies he could want until the pegasus was ready to be filled up again. Over and over for the rest of her days.

The lust for being a foal factory for Deinos was fogging her mind. And as much as she needed to be fucked, Lightning Spark was not ready for that level of passion.

“Mmmngh~! I-If I could make a request,” she whimpered, apologetically looking up at the mutant changeling. “… c-could you do it as Web Spinner~?”

Deinos would have found this offensive if he wasn't so perplexed with the electric blue mare’s fixation on his previous facade.

"I could be anything you want,” he exclaimed, changing into a variety of handsome stallions, drakes, griffons, and minotaurs. Lightning let out a soft whine when he boldly took the form of Midnight, showing off his Herculean physique. “From the most virile stud alive to those historically gifted with masculinity. Yet you chose… this?”

Deinos shrank all his musculature down to the unicorn scientist’s structure, lacking all the mass outside a toned chest and lean limbs. He folded his arms, his eyebrow raised. “What’s so special to you about Web Spinner?”

Lightning found herself glued to the naked stallion, her heart beating rapidly. His dark shaft hung low between his thighs, twitching with anticipation. “I-I don’t know what to tell ya,” she confessed through hot breaths. “Just the thought of someone like this pinning me down and making love gets me riled up. But perhaps it’s because… he was the only one who seemed to care about me when I got out of the hive…”

It was his turn to blush profusely at her statements. With a deep sigh, he walked over to help her back up, a sly grin spreading his features. “If it makes you feel better… he hasn’t stopped caring~.”

Lightning’s lip quivered, her eyes lost in his gaze before he cupped his face and crashed his snout into hers. Lips locked in a frenzied kiss, his arms sliding around her hips to secure each flank into his palms. She muffled a moan when he pressed his stiff cock into her stomach, as if to give her a hint of how deeply he was about to skewer her. This only made her dripping marehood hotter, the crotch of her pants wholly drenched.

Web Spinner pulled away, a thread of saliva webbing their mouths. “Take off that sticky costume,” he commanded softly.

The pegasus complied eagerly, peeling off the latex top over her head, freeing her sizable bust with a bounce. Next, she spun around to tug off her pants, bending over to present her jiggling buttocks. The unicorn eyed her bare marehood like it was a buffet, tempted to just stick his cock in and take her for a ride. But Web Spinner knew she was a technically virgin, and he couldn’t deflower her so vulgarly.

So once Lightning has stripped herself naked, he seized her from behind. Arms hooked underneath hers, one hand caressing her neck while the other fondled her tit. She gasped and mewled, instinctively backing her ass into his groin, feeling that lengthy horsecock rub against the inflamed slit between her legs.

Her wings extended, trembling from the building pleasure. Her head arched to one side as Web Spinner buried his snout into her neck, layering it with his lips, teeth, and tongue. When he made his way up to her cheek, Lightning turned her head back to take another deep kiss. While his hand played with her breasts and tugged on her nipples, she gyrated her hips around to grind her dripping hot cunt on his meat pole, coating it with feminine lubricant.

After a minute of feeling each other up, the horny pegasus grew restless and whined huskily, “Quit teasing me already! Give me that thick cock! I need it, Webs! Make me your woman~!”

With an enticing offer like that, how could he refuse?

The disguised changeling slid his hands away from her chest to position his flared glands at her soppy entrance. Lightning twisted around to wrap a leg around his waist and hook her arms around his neck. She gazed longingly at her partner before he finally began feeding her greedy pussy inch by inch, letting out sharp sighs.

"A-aaauhhhh!! Fuckin’ finally~,” mewled Lightning, eyes half glazed over and sparks flying off her shaking body. So overwhelmed with sensation, she barely felt any pain when he speared through her hymen, a bit of blood coating Web Spinner’s cock.

“Aagh! So tight,” he grunted upon burying himself until his tip mashed into her cervix, a dopey smile on the pegasus’ face once she felt the satisfaction of fullness. Gradually, the disguised changeling bucked his skinny hips, driven to properly breed his paramour.

Lightning clung to him, rocking her hips to match his pace. His arm kept her leg hiked while the other grabbed her firm buttocks, giving him a better angle to claim this wild mare. Her womanhood clamped down over his surging shaft, making it difficult to pull out. Web Spinner leaned his head over her shoulder before biting down, earning a whorish moan out of the electric blue mare as she hit her first orgasm of the day.

Electricity jolted out of her wings while feminine discharge sprayed down their legs.

“Naaaauh~! Yeees, fuck! W-Webs! Don’t stop,” Lightning cried out. “Keep pounding my fucking pussy~!!”

Web Spinner hissed in response, his self-restraint slipping the more he hammered the horny pegasus… until his disguise fell apart entirely. His bulky mass and extra limbs returned, his coat hardening into a charcoal exoskeleton. His lower jaw split into mandibles, and he uttered a loud shriek, tongue wriggling out.

Lightning’s wanton moans were cut short upon feeling his cock expand inside her spread wide pussy and cervix, eyes widening at the large shape imprinting her tummy. Pleasure shot through the electric blue pegasus’s spine as Deinos began to fuck her harder, her back curving into an arc while her body spasmed.

Thankfully, her marehood could accommodate the oversized alien cock rearranging her split open insides, due to how slippery her love tunnel was. But Lightning was entirely at the changeling’s mercy, only able to scream in ecstasy as he pulverized her pussy.

One pair of arms held her hips while the other held her head up his, where his dexterous tongue snaked its way into her mouth to complete his utter dominance of a potential broodmare.

Lightning muffled moans grew louder, tears streaming down her eyes from the mind-numbing euphoria. Gushes of love nectar dripped over her asshole and between the cracks, making a wet smacking sound every time he slammed against her ass.

And from the way his cock twitched inside, Deinos was about to reach his peak. Whatever sanity Lightning had was drowned by throes of nirvana, going through microgasms until the pulsating cock impaling her was all she could feel.

“Nrrgh! Neeaaah, I’m cumming!! Naaaaarrgh~!!” Deinos announced, reeling his head back with a loud shriek. He held Lightning down into a mating press while releasing a geyser’s worth of spunk down her breeding hole. Lightning was nearly knocked unconscious, her outstretched cunt and wimb flooded to the brim with cum meant for a creature much larger than the poor athlete.

The pegasus mare shuddered, eyes rolled into the back of her head, drool running down the corners of her lips. Her toes curled from feeling her tummy go gravid with the excess spunk pumping into her heated core. Deinos heaved, his multitude of limbs groping her breasts and buttocks at the same time, rolled in circles while he kneaded her most succulent sweets.

Still lodged deep in his mate, the arachnid changeling spun a web-made hammock to lift Lightning up. With a grunt, Deinos removed himself, and the light blue pegasus weakly whimpered as all the packed spunk was fished out her puffy snatch like a waterfall.

Once most of his seed had been spilled, Deinos pressed his snout into her marehood and lapped it clean, making Lightning wriggle and coo, her cheeks burning a hot blush. This was… oddly romantic!

"I've...never felt this full in my whole life," she murmured, patting her slightly bulged belly… before realization sank in, and she began panicking. “Wait! I-I’m not safe! Ahhh shit, I’ll get-”

Deinos chuckled in response. “Relax, I can’t impregnate you,” he reassured. “Only female changelings are compatible with every species. Certain males are equipped with ovipositors, but it's the queen's duty to lay eggs.”

Lightning Spark breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank goodness! And good to know.” Admittedly, it was hard to pick apart changeling drones since they all sounded identical. Then again, she did assume they were mindless monsters…

"Hopefully, that should sate your estrus for a few hours," said the mutant changeling, tracing a finger across the electric blue pegasus’ cum-swelled tummy. “Of course, I wouldn't mind a few more rounds with you whenever you're up for it."

Lightning gave a lazy smile at her lover and replied, “Y-yeah. That sounds-”

Their moment was interrupted when Deinos gave a painful screech, arching forward as something sharp was jabbed into his back. Lightning gasped upon seeing her twin brother, his face full of fury, trying to push more of his lance into the changeling.

“M-Midnight!?”

“Get off my sister!!” He demanded, nostrils flared and eyes pure white. Deinos snarled and twisted enough to back-fist the hyper stallion with both right arms, knocking him away.

The burly warriors stared down one another, the multi-limbed changeling getting into a defensive stance in front of Lightning, who noticed green blood oozing out his stab wound.

Midnight readied his spear and repeated, "Step away from my sister, changeling!"

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll turn back the way you came,” warned Deinos.

“Not until I get what’s mine!” Equinox’s voice echoed as the bat mare walked beside her partner, fists raised to her face. “Time to squash this bug!”

“W-wait! Don’t!” Pleaded Lightning, rising on sore limbs. “He is not our enemy! The real fight is with-”

But her explanation was lost on deaf ears as Midnight’s eyes widened when he saw her pregnant-looking belly… and snarled with sheer hatred, “Bastard! I’LL KILL YOU!!”

“Middy, No!”

Deinos let out a battle screech and lunged at the charging pegasus, the momentum causing Lightning to stumble to her knees on the web threads.

“Just hang tight, Sparky,” Equinox insisted with a vicious sneer, taking to the air to strike from above.

The light blue mare was helpless to do more than watch the three engage in combat, Deinos harnessing the weapons he assimilated into each of his four limbs. He deflected Midnight’s strikes with a shield, swiping back with the marauder’s fish hook gauntlet. And while his attention was occupied with the blue pegasus, his other limbs wielded a flamethrower to spit enough plumes to keep the bulky bat mare at bay.

The mutant changeling managed to shake the soldier away to properly deal with Equinox, leaping up to take a swing at her. She rolled out of the way, turning to retaliate with a hard fist, only to get hit by a thrown bola net that stuck her to the tree.

“Daaah! Changeling scum!!” She yelled, struggling to break free while Deinos hung upside down, a sly grin on his snout. The batmare had constantly mocked ‘Web Spinner’ for his frailty and weak battle prowess. So he took it upon himself to observe how she fought from afar, in case the chance ever arose.

A bellow of rage pulled his attention to Midnight, who soared at him. Chittering his mandibles apart, the changeling detached from his web and intercepted the bulky pegasus, his weight pushing them back toward the ground. They rolled around mid-air, the blue stallion beating his wings against the changeling’s head while trying to stab his lance through his vulnerable underbelly.

The warriors shoved each other way to land on their feet, and Deinos took the opportunity to fire more webs at his opponent. But Midnight either sliced through it with his weapon or tore it apart with his hands, his enhanced strength undeterred by the steel-like threads.

With another lunge, the monstrous arachnid latched his hands and jaws around the hilt of the hyper-stallion’s spear, his other limbs gripping his massive plumage to keep them suppressed.

Thunder rolled in the darkened skies as the two bulky warriors were deadlocked, scowling at each, tinged with the ancient strife between their races, blind to all reason.

Lightning clutched her stomach as her namesake flashed around the forest, water spitting down the foreboding nimbus. Equinox managed to spring her arm and wing free and worked to pull the rest of the webbing off.

Midnight’s eyes glared white, his muscles expanding beneath his armor. Yet despite his hyper genetics kicking in, he felt his strength diminishing steadily, Deinos able to push him down to one knee.

He clenched his teeth, straining to push himself beyond his limit. And though it was hard to tell with the thunderstorm, the changeling noted the pale streak in his dark mane was growing more white.

With the small leverage, Deinos channeled power into his horn, hoping to put this battle to rest with one blast. But before he could fire from blank point range, Equinox dropped to straddle his shoulder and reel his head back into a choke hold, prying the changeling off her comrade.

The mutant beast bellowed, unable to reach the marauder with any of his arms. Each attempt to shake her off only tightened her hold.

“Found your weak spot,” she taunted with a cackle before addressing Midnight. “Hurry! Spill its guts out while I can still hold him!”

Midnight caught his breath before taking his spear in hand and charging forward. But the pegasus stopped dead in his tracks when Lightning blocked his path. “Enough!”

“Sis?! What are you doing! Get outta the way!!”

“You have to stop this,” the light blue pegasus demanded, unable to find her brother’s green eyes.

“She’s a traitor,” spat Equinox, who squeezed her bicep around Deinos’ throat. “I bet she enjoyed every second of getting fucked by this monster~!”

“Don’t listen to her! I can explain-”

But Midnight bumped her aside and resumed his attack. Fortunately, Lightning’s distraction was enough for the spider-like changeling to slam his back into a nearby tree, making the marauder loosen her sufficient grip enough to fling her off.

She collided with Midnight, knocking them into the wet dirt and mud. Before Equinox could recover, Deinos seized her arms and legs with each extended limb and started to pull them in different directions, determined to tear her apart.

“I spared you in hopes you would learn your lesson,” the changeling hissed, saliva dripping down his mandibles to splatter her face. “I won’t make that mistake again!”

Equinox yelled bloody murder as her limbs were nearly wrenched from their sockets. Yet the attack left him open, where her partner closed in behind Deinos.

Midnight's muscular arms wrapped around the beast's abdomen. Since he could not pierce through the monster’s hide with his spear, he'd tear it off! Veins rippled across his musculature as he flapped his wingspan and pulled with all his might, his teeth gritting when the exoskeleton audibly popped and threatened to split.

Deinos stubbornly refused to yield. If he must die, he was taking the wicked raider with him!

“That's it, Middy,” cried Equinox, despite a tear in her eye from the sheer pain. “T-tear this fucker apart!”

Lightning managed to pull herself back up, tearful eyes watching the combatants try to kill one another, uncertain whether Equinox or Deinos would be torn asunder first!

“Stop it, all of you! STOP IT!!!" She screamed, summoning a surge of electricity as bolts crackled around her. Blue fur stood on end, her plume fully unfurled. The cosmic storm’s unnatural force was drawn towards Lightning, amplifying her voltage and unleashing a pillar of energy to the heavens.

The threesome, struck by stray bolts, were knocked unconscious. The earth beneath them was galvanized at the end of Lightning's discharge, with an eerie blue glow that hummed magnetically. Lightning stared at the scene with disbelief, static dancing off her hands and wings. Her mane flowed upwards, a blue aura wisping off her head and eyes.

“This is… my Onoma?”

*****

Kitsune and Kyube leaped across the treetops to scout ahead of their friends. The male vulpine wore his festival mask to shield himself from the heavy rain, while the hooded kunoichi looked behind to make sure Beatrix and the group were still within sight.

But a flash of brilliant yellow light caught their attention, the pair almost slipping off a branch for how sudden it was.

“Lightning,” presumed Kitsune, astonished by the power surging throughout the dark atmosphere.

“No doubt that’s where we’ll find them,” mused the bandit, who sent a decoy to relay their coordinates to the wayward witch. Landing before the violet mare, he said, “Did you see it?”

“Hard to miss it!” Beatrix confirmed, mesmerized by the electrical display of power. “Incredible!”

Arcanum Folklore watched the pillaring light fade with stray bolts crackling in the sky. “Blimey! Hard to imagine one lone pegasus could conjure that much energy!”

“But if that’s Lightning Spark, then this must mean she’s in trouble,” suspected Cerise, her frown deepening.

“All the more reason to hurry,” added Iclyn, arms folded. “If we saw that little light show, what are the chances the enemy lurks around here too?”

“Spot on,” the erenn stallion agreed. “Me ability to sense magical signatures tells me every Mi-Go-infested twat is heading over there from miles around. May as well have kicked over a hornet’s nest the size of Manehattan!"

“Nothing we haven’t dealt with before,” retorted Penumbra, whose hand was over the hilt of his jewel-encrusted scimitar.

Beatrix turned to the Kyube clone. “Lead the way. And don’t make a sound!”

“Easily done,” the decoy said confidently before dissolving into a bed of leaves. The real fox bandit turned to the fox woman and told her, “Iku zo. Junbi shita no?”

Kitsune smiled and held up her kunai. “Tsuneni~.”

Thanks to the bandit’s help, she had learned much about her abilities here...such as the fact that she could still run up walls and across the water. Her newly conjured yokai fire magic had also improved with every lesson. And despite her cybernetics having fizzled out, the former assassin had never felt more focused and free!

The foxy duo rushed towards where the lightning beam was spotted, tails whipping about through the strong gale. When they finally reached the site, they found three sprayed-out bodies and one nude glowing pegasus hovering over electrified soil. Even from the tree they perched on, the ion-infused air caused their fur to stand on end.

“Holy..!”

Lightning perked her ears, turned around, and gasped. “Kyube! Kitsune!!”

“Thank goodness we found you,” the vixen said, scanning the galvanized ground. “Is it safe for us to come down?”

“I'm not sure,” the athletic mare answered, touching down with her feet. “I think it should be fine!”

To test this theory, Kyube sent another clone to the ground. And the moment he landed, the vulpine was instantly zapped, yelping with pain that transferred to the original fox man. Lightning gazed with shrunken pupils as the decoy disintegrated into fried leaves.

“…or not.”

Kitsune checked over her comrade to ensure he was okay before asking, “I-is there a way to turn this off?”

“I don’t know!! There was a big fight when Middy and Equinox found us,” Lightning explained in a panicked tone. “It was getting ugly, and I just wanted it to stop! O-oh god! What if this never turns off?” More voltage began to wrap around her form. “Am I stuck like this!?”

“Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa!!” Beatrix called as she levitated out of the trees, hands held high. “Easy, Sparks! The last thing we want is for you to lose your cool! Now just settle down and take deep breaths, okay?”

The frightened mare nodded and began a pattern of deep inhales and exhales until she felt more relaxed. Steadily, the electrical aura vanished from the pegasus’ body, and the ground proved safe for Beatrix to touch down on heeled boots.

“There we go, good job!” The witch said before pulling her half-sister into a tight hug. The vulpines jumped down to join them as the rest of the group arrived.

Lightning pulled away smiling and said, “Thanks, Bea!” Beatrix returned the smile and nodded.

“Not bad,” Iclyn announced despite her stoic expression. “You’re getting better at this.”

The witch tittered and rubbed the back of her neck. “I mean, I am going to be a mother soon. Best I know how to calm ‘em down~!”

“A real pity that you won’t be joining me to comfort Oona during Abadonna's birth.” The frost doe’s gaze fell on Cerise, who brushed it off to focus on her runaway husband. Her soulful pink eyes held a narrowed gaze, taking in the withering white stripe through his spiky mane. He looked even older than he should be!

“Middy… How could you do this to us? To Moonlight!? Why are you pushing everything away?!”

She looked to her brother, who hovered over the monstrous changeling, his scimitar readied. But Lightning was quick to notice and flew between them.

“N-n-no, wait! Don’t hurt him!!”

The group looked perplexed at her while the pale pegasus prince arched an eyebrow.

“Are you outta your mind as well?!” Spat Arcanum. “That thing foalnapped ya!”

“His name is Deinos,” rebutted Lightning. “He’s not like the others!”

Penumbra detected a faint scent of lingering musk off the pegasus mare and put two and two together. “Don’t tell me you and the beast..?”

A hard blush of her cheeks was all the answer they needed, and Arcanum brought a hand over his face. “Ohh, bloody hell! She’s gone and developed Stockholm syndrome!!”

“I-It’s not like that!!” the flustered athlete berated, while she clumsily reclaimed her costume. “My damn estrus was killing me, and I had no choice!”

Cerise grimaced. “So it did rape you?!”

“No! That's not what I'm-uuuugh!”

Beatrix intervened. “Come on, guys, chill! You’re making this way more of a big deal than it needs to be!”

“Of course, you wouldn’t see a problem with this, monster fucker,” ridiculed Iclyn, earning a heated gaze from the witch.

“Not helping!”

“Quiet!” Penumbra said with a commanding voice, cutting the growing discourse short. With a sigh, he addressed Lighting with a question. “Explain to me why we shouldn't cut down this monstrosity.”

Everyone listened in as the electric pegasus gave a short summary of everything Deinos had told her moments ago, down to the potential invasion force Fiery wanted to build through the hyper-stallion, Midnight, and the protoquen, Marathyssa. Cerise was the most disturbed by this news, hands over her mouth to hold down her sobs.

That’s when the unicorn witch took notice of the web net containing the severed horn wands, petrified by their ominous presence. A flash of memories from her last encounter with the Cult of the Nemesis, and how close they had come to claim her, the accursed carrier of the Demiurge, as their prophesied dark messiah…

Beatrix wanted to burn these horrible artifacts on the spot, but knew it wouldn’t help release the souls trapped inside. If the forbidden order had indeed returned, more innocents would be slain in droves to fulfill their wicked purpose.

She jumped when a hand touched her shoulder and turned to see Arcanum staring solemnly at the wands. Sensing his distress, the unicorn mare moved aside, allowing him to secure the net.

Penumbra stroked his chin in consideration. “And you’re certain we can trust this ‘Deinos’?”

“Positive,” affirmed Lightning, looking at the arachnid changeling. “He may look and sound scary, but he’s as against this war as we are!”

“I’d like to hear that from the bug’s mouth,” scoffed Arcanum, giving it a hard stare. Trust was too quickly given these days, and he wasn’t about to give his to some freaky four-armed mutant.

Kyube spoke up. “But if what Deinos said is true…”

“… then we have no allies to turn to in this world,” surmised Kitsune, frowning behind her hood. “We’re on our own!”

“Which means Moon Hammer and Moonlight are in more danger than we are!” Cerise cried. “I should have pushed for them to join us…”

“I’m sure they’re smart enough to know the Crystal Empire isn’t safe,” Beatrix reassured. “But it’s not like we’re safe out here, either!”

“Aye, we best get a move on,” advised Arcanum, his horn flaring with magic to lift the bulky changeling’s unconscious form. “The Mi-Go’s closing in. We can’t afford to stick around!”

With a nod, Kitsune, Kyube, and his doppelgängers took hold of Equinox and carried the marauder, while Beatrix used her magic to carefully lift Midnight. Cerise trailed close by, her mind filled with potential arguments she and her husband would undoubtedly have once he awakened.

*****

Confined within a small room, Moonlight River was helpless to do more than watch Fiery Kickstart and his wives gather their troops in preparation for Midnight’s retrieval.

The batmare rested her chin in her arms while leaning over the window frame, still dressed in the scanty maid costume. Two soldiers were assigned to guard outside the open entrance. And with no vents to access and no wings to fly, the thestral had little means of escaping. While the alarms had died down, there were routine announcements that the Crystal Empire was now under martial law. Any remnants loyal to Shining Armor were to be arrested.

The interior was mundane; a bed and blank walls. Moonlight’s old room had been searched, all materials used to craft her stylized weapons seized. However, the batmare managed to keep a secret compartment in case of such occurrences, hidden under the bed, and hoped it was still there.

And fortunately for her, the on-duty soldiers were more interested in gawking at the crystal maids that wandered the halls. "Mmm. I'd say that one's a seven and a half," one stallion chortled with a whistle, his eyes pinned to the barely concealed, panty-clad flank that swiveled below a short skirt.

"Eh, a bit of a butter face. One hell of a smackable ass, though," the other snickered in agreement. “Oh! How about that one?"

Moonlight rolled her eyes. Seemingly everyone under Fiery was a licentious pervert these days. That extended to her childhood friend, given what she learned from the Amazonians before the coup started. She would have strong words with him once she got out of this place.

With the enforcers distracted by their own rowdiness, Moonlight reached under the bed, slid her hand across the wall, and slowly shifted open the secret compartment. Her face lit up when she found her stash untouched...which included a capped bottle filled with toxins that could paralyze or kill.

Her attention snapped back when one stallion said, "Damnit, we should be allowed to have one round with these maids!”

“We’re on duty,” his comrade firmly reminded. “We have an example to uphold. Besides, we have ‘it’ to take care of all our needs later. So try to keep your pants on until then!”

Moonlight’s face turned sour upon them bringing up Marathyssa and her current predicament. She needed to figure out a way to free the protoquen as well.

"Yeah, I guess," grunted the stallion soldier. "Better than Fiery drumming us down like last time.”

His partner scowled. “Your ‘stunt’ with that nurse is probably why he stuck us with this stupid shift while the rest of the boys are having all the fun!”

“Bruh! Could you blame me for how smokin’ that bitch was? My hard-on was killin' me!"

Another servant mare passing by squeaked when he slapped her across her rump, leaving them with a scolding look. The stallion gave her puckered lips in response. The other guard glanced into the room to check on the prisoner, the wingless thestral now reclining on the bedsheets. His eyes briefly took a peek up her short frilly skirt before turning his head away.

Moonlight furrowed her brows, having shuffled her stash behind a pillow. Now all she needed was something to lure the guards. And it seemed obvious what that would be…

Both guards perked up when an airy moan called behind them, drawing their attention back into the room. They were greeted with the sight of Moonlight feeling up her torso, making a smitten face.

“H-hey! Settle down in there, cadet!” The slightly responsible soldier barked.

“I-I can’t help it,” the bat mare cooed, one hand leaving her tit to slide down towards her subtly parted thighs. “My estrus is acting up again. And all your talk about fucking those mares is riling me up. I need to get some action badly~.”

The other stallion's smile twisted further in approval, leering up her bare legs. Under normal circumstances, Moonlight would have been wearing panties. But the modified two-piece uniform didn’t come with any garments, save for a garter belt. So the frisky soldier got a slightly obscured view of her winking wet cunt and puckered asshole, earning a sly whistle.

"Should have said something sooner! You look far nicer in a maid outfit than military duds." The stallion said while blundering his way in. “And look how wet n’ juicy that pussy is! It’s practically begging for my cock~!"

"I swear, if Fiery catches us doing this again, I will murder you," grumbled the second solider, who nonetheless followed him in.

“Relax! Just lock the door to make sure no one comes in,” reassured the first stallion. “Not like she’s going anywhere. She's still an amateur, isn't she?"

He could not tear his lecherous gaze away from Moonlight’s partially revealed slit, her lower lips still inflamed from the last throes of her heat. Not to mention the aroma that tickled his nostrils when he approached the thestral mare.

Also entranced by her damp musk, the second guard closed and locked the door behind them. He stood by his partner, who fished out a headdress, sheer stockings, and stiletto heels from a trophy kit he'd secretly stored away for such an opportunity. “Seems like your wardrobe was missing a few pieces,” he hooted. “How about putting these on, ex-cadet? Oh, and do it slowly! We’ve got plenty of time to kill~!"

Moonlight gave a girlish giggle when she accepted the compliments to her scant costume and put them on, piece by piece. First, the headdress atop her short dark mane, then stockings she slid up each shapely yet muscled thigh, until she finished with the heels she shuffled into place. With her best doe-eyes, she posed submissively then huskily asked, “How do I look, studs~?"

"Like a work of art," groaned the foremost soldier, licking his chops. “Gods, you’re so fucking hot. Almost forget you used to be a soldier.”

“If you ask me, she’ll look better without the get-up,” commented the other stallion, eyeing her cleavage which threatened to spill out.

A moment's hesitation crossed Moonlight. Despite what Middy had done, she didn't want to cheat on her herd. But hopefully, they would understand the circumstances she was in.

They could help take care of the last remnants of her estrus, and she'd need to be in top shape to escape! Her thoughts drifted back to Moon Hammer and the way he handled Chezka and Panna, the whorish sounds he squeezed out of the railed Amazons. Perhaps she should have gone to him with her ‘problem’…

Shaking her salacious thoughts aside, Moonlight spread her legs wider, the skirt slid up to show off more of her bare slit. Instinct didn't care whose cock was stuffed inside her! "Then why don’t you tear these clothes off me if they're bothering you. C’mon! Show me how a real soldier fucks his slut~!”

The first stallion practically tore away his uniform. The second hesitated, his hand still near his belt where weapons were stored, but Moonlight’s words and next actions got to him. She used a couple of fingers to spread her pussy lips wide open, glistening pink insides fully exposed to their lust-filled eyes. It didn’t take much for him to throw out reason in favor of freeing his painfully erect stallionhood from his pants. Both stallions stood naked before her.

“You have to take responsibility for this, ex-cadet,” the first guard said, pointing to his throbbing horsecock. “On your knees!”

"Yes, sir~!" The batmare saluted and did as instructed, shuffling down until she was head level with their stiff rods. When she wrapped her hands around their presented cocks, Moonlight found their sizes a tad above average at best, lacking compared to Midnight's or Moon Hammer's equipment...yet they were warm and throbbed while their flared tips spat precum.

"Oh yeah, baby," the lead soldier groaned. "Work the shaft!" He reached into her top to pull out her plump breasts, kneading the grayish-purple mounds and wide areola that topped the tips.

Moonlight shuddered as the stallion molested her tit, opting to quiet her moans by taking his partner's turgid staff in her mouth. A pleasant hiss came from his snout, and a hand fastened on the back of her head to push her deeper. She muffled and sputtered, feeling the tip poke the back of her throat and spurt pre inside her maw.

"This is where a mare should be," he proclaimed while helping the thestral bob her head. “Not on a battlefield with those monsters. Right here, safe and sound, comforting us studs and bearing our foals!" Grunts escaped him when he closed his eyes, relishing the warmth of his prisoner’s maw.

Before he could cum, she pulled away with a wet pop, mouth panting hotly for breath until the first stallion took his turn by shoving his cock down her heated gullet. “A-Aaah! Good girl, throat that dick~!”

They continued to molest her tits while she serviced him, her nipples pinched and pulled between them. Routinely, Moonlight would swap between hard knobs to gag on, her breasts left to heave, smeared in saliva that oozed from her lips.

Eventually, both soldiers grew bored with her oral, the carpet below soaked by her feminine nectar that dripped down her inner thighs. And she soon found her outfit removed and pushed back onto the bed, pinned between the two worked-up stallions that manhandled her.

"Technically, I outrank you, so I call dibs on her cunt," the first one called, laying back to lift the sodden bat mare up before impaling her on his cock. Groans and moans mixed when he skewered her balls deep and he almost lost himself on the spot. "Hell yeah-!"

"Hey, what about me?"

"Use her ass, dumbass!"

The second stallion huffed before positioning himself behind her, hands spreading her well-toned cheeks. After giving both buns a firm smack, he spat on her pink, puckered asshole to help lube her up. He rolled his fat tip around her wet sphincter and savored its warm, pliable softness before pushing through the ring.

Moonlight screamed to the ceiling when the stallions settled into an off-sync rhythm, the maremeat in their stud sandwich. She cried out each time the one bludgeoning her backdoor delivered more hard slaps across her toned ass, while the goon spearing her cooch roughly fondled her jiggling tits!

"Aaaugh, fuck, is this slut tight!” One soldier grunted, tightening a fist in her mane to get the mewling batmare to arch into his thrust. “Feels like she's never taken it up the ass before!"

"Insanely wet, too,” The other guard added. “I'm just sliding in! Fuckin’ love it when these dumb, silly sluts put out during estrus. Makes it easier for us studs to pass on our young!”

His words triggered a micro orgasm out of Moonlight, letting out a loud squeak as her love tunnel squeezed down the invading horsecock for its foal batter.

“Yeah~! You like the sound of that, bitch? Don’t worry; daddy’s got enough cream to knock you up twice!”

The thestral mare did her best to ignore their pathetic attempts at dirty talk, determined to make them regret this soon enough. Not that they made it easy with how roughly they treated her!

The duo started to pound into Moonlight faster, harder, while her holes squeezed around their throbbing stallionhoods. She whined and came upon them in messy squirts, staining the bottom stallion’s groin in feminine discharge. Her claws raked across the muscled chest of the one below.

”Hoooly fuck," hissed the first stallion. "This tomboy’s a better lay than most of the maids!"

"Probably lots of-umph-practice with her stud," moaned the second solider, who continued to slam balls deep up her tail hole, her soft asscheeks rippling with each bounce as they screwed her senseless, a thin layer of flesh the mere separation between the pair of horsecocks that stuffed her heated lower holes full.

Moonlight started to grow delirious as the soldiers continued to defile her. A loud ringing blocked out further insults of how she would never be a proper soldier. That she was much better off as a maid for their service, until she could spurt out more soldiers for the war effort.

Grunts echoed across the interior when they sheathed themselves balls deep one last time, finally hitting their peaks and pumping her holes full. The hazed batmare cried out and squirted on them once more, shaking as her well-stretched and well-used insides were impacted by blast-after-blast of sticky, virile cumshots.

The guards went slack atop and under her, pinning Moonlight between them as their cocks remained hard inside her abused pussy and asshole. They huffed, soaked in sweat, barely conscious as their firm hands continued to wander across her curves, her tits and ass slapped red and raw under their spanks.

Shaking off the fog of ecstasy, she slipped her hand behind the pillow and into her stash bag, drawing out thin spikes tipped with translucent poison. It was against her code to slay another soldier, but these misogynistic pigs proved unworthy of the honor. Not after what they did to both Marathyssa and herself!

The stallion beneath the spent thestral stirred, only to notice metallic shine too late. "What the-"

She spun faster than they could react, the thin blades shoved into their necks. The stab alone probably wouldn't have killed them, but the toxins quickly went to work, their faces discolored as veins started to expand across their skin.

They popped free of her gaped orifices and stumbled from the bed, foaming their mouths as they tried vainly to reach for their weapons, while she stood up on shaky limbs. Her snout drew fiercely, taking tiny pleasure in watching the enforcers choke and die a quiet, agonizing death.

It took a moment for them to expire, causing nausea to settle in her innards.

Moonlight stumbled over to a bucket to vomit her stomach contents. The thestral mare was supposed to be a scout, not some assassin! Not once did she think she would go through with killing another pony, especially in cold blood!

But this war threatened to make monsters of them all, turning the world she once called home into an unending war zone. Moonlight wiped her tears, snatch, ass, and mouth with rags before taking a few seconds to collect herself. When she was ready to move on, she retrieved her modified maid uniform and put on each layer.

At least with these additions to her outfit, the grayish-purple batmare could pass as another maid easily. Most of the staff in this section didn't know her face, but she'd have to stay on the down low. After she wiped herself clean, she drank a contraceptive potion (something Fiery tried to ban until Shining Armor stepped in), fastened her smaller, collapsible tools in a garter around one thigh, then made her exit through the hallway. It wouldn't be long until someone noticed the two cum stained corpses she left behind. So now was the time to find Marathyssa and get out!

Moonlight kept her head down and followed the maze of corridors back to the sector where the protoquen was housed. Thankfully, the occasional maid or soldier she passed paid her little attention; most of them focused on recent events after the successful coup.

The doors to Web Spinner's old lab were unguarded. No doubt the soldiers inside were up to their old, deplorable tricks. "Damn it! How do I slip inside? No vents nearby..."

She coated more darts in toxin with no other solutions, knocked harshly on the doors, and then slipped into the shadows. After a moment, the doors slid open, and one of the elite soldiers peeked out. "Who's out there-" A dart thrown into his throat felled him almost instantly.

Moonlight couldn't take any chances, so she used the maximum dose to ensure death was all but instantaneous. In direct one-on-one combat, no doubt any of these stallions would wreck her, especially without her wings! Thankfully, the stealthy batmare caught these bastards with their pants down! She readied more darts and rushed into the open lab.

She found a few stallions buried balls deep in Marathyssa, currently locked back in the form of Celestia, while a couple more stood around her, hands jerked around their dicks, ready to shower her in a fresh batch of sticky spunk. The echoing sound of sex and wet flesh ensured that none heard her swift approach when she spread her arms to launch her darts.

"Hey, who let the maid get in-" The stallion that pinned Marathyssa dropped dead, as did the pair that watched her. The three stallions, still alive, spun to face the intruder. Moonlight hurled more darts, one of which struck home, but another soldier recovered his sword and unsheathed it, the other darts knocked from mid-air. He yelled and rushed her, blade arced above his head.

His partner stumbled and tried to withdraw from Marathyssa, only to find her limbs wrapped around him to hold him in place. "H-hey! Let me go, you dumb-" The protoquen yanked one of the used darts from a corpse and jammed it into his heart. He sputtered, as although most of the poison had been spent, traces of it struck home and caused his heart to rapidly slow until he went slack.

At the same time, Moonlight reached into her garter and slipped on her self-made claw. She barely evaded the wild sword swipe of her opponent, slipped on a stiletto heel she wasn't used to and fell on her butt. He smiled in triumph and drove his blade at the thestral.

Marathyssa hurled herself at the soldier and knocked him off-balance; that moment, the opening Moonlight needed to drive her steel claw into his gut. Blood erupted from his mouth until he crumpled. She huffed for a moment, thankful he hadn't stained her outfit.

The protoquen spoke first, eyes wide with horror. “This one never wished death on them. But she couldn't let them harm you, either!" She'd retaken her base shape, a beautiful, luminescent moth form. "Thank you, Moonlight River! This one feared you wouldn't be able to come back..."

"I swore to you I would. It’s gonna take more than wannabe stallions and heels to stop me!" She joked before accepting the crystalline changeling’s hand and wobbled back to her feet, her face a mixture of ambivalent emotions.

Marathyssa tilted her head. “But they will view you as a traitor now, no?”

The thestral waved it off. “Let them call me whatever they want. I didn’t sign up to be part of Fiery’s regime. Though Shining Armor didn’t treat me any better either… lousy prick,” she muttered that last bit to herself. "Outside of Moon Hammer, you’re the only one I can trust here, Mara.”

“This one has long to bear another pony's trust,” the protoquen mused, pulling Moonlight into a soft, fuzzy hug.

The batmare petted her furry collar before pulling back. “We must move before Fiery’s goon squad locates Beatrix and my herd! Think you can take the shape of a maid?”

"Easily,” tittered Marathyssa, who after she cleaned up took on the appearance of a crystal mare in a maid outfit. She gave a small curtsy before she stepped behind her friend.

Together, the two made their way through the base surprisingly uneventfully. Aside from a couple of handsy guards that tried to grope the staff, none saw through their facade. No doubt what would become a common occurrence since while Shining Armor had forbidden it, Fiery couldn't maintain discipline everywhere with his forces spread thin. If anything, the mustard sleazeball encouraged his men to try and knock up as many mares as possible, aiming to populate the next era with a new generation of 'heroes'. From what Moonlight could tell, the proposition of the maid staff was routine.

In the shadows, one of the guards stood behind a crystal maid, her breasts pulled out and rolled in circles while he pinched and tugged her nipple. His other hand slipped under her skirt into her panties while he fingered her with wet schlicks. She blushed and bit her lower lip to hush her moans, while he promised to take care of her after impregnating her with his foals.

Better they escaped in haste before all these horny stallions made a play for them, too!

The real problem came when they arrived outside the palace, into the capital. Spotlights searched across a civilization under martial law. Guards patrolled the streets and manned the icy walls. It appeared most of Fiery's forces here were positioned to block any escape attempt.

"Security's too tight,” Moonlight harshly whispered. “No way in hell are we slipping past the walls, let alone the main gates! Wish I could still fly!" She shivered in the snowy air that repeatedly blew up her skirt, much to her open irritation while she held it down. "Stupid fetishized garbs! Mara, can you fly yet?"

"This one's still too weak from the drugs," admitted the disguised changeling. "Sorry, Moonlight. Maybe we should turn back. This one doesn’t want you to be punished on her behalf."

Moonlight shook her head. "Couldn't, even if I wanted to. I already killed a bunch of fellow soldiers. They deserved it, but...it makes me sick what this world's become.” She wrapped arms to her chest. “There’s gotta be a way for us to-”

Just then, the familiar face of a minotaur waved them over. Snow crunched under heels across the road on their way over to Moon Hammer, the half-naked blacksmith unbothered by the weather. Beside him stood a mobile cart that contained a small workshop. "Get inside," he proclaimed, his wide hand firmly on the thestral's plush bare bottom to push her inside.

The clop of hooves signaled Chezka's and Panna's arrival. The latter wore a crescent moon-shaped emblem in her mane when the doe asked, "Shouldn’t we search his supply cart?"

"That won’t be necessary," decided Chezka; she and her Amazon partner's wide nipples stood rock hard, since their bared breasts were proudly displayed to the open air. “Moon Hammer’s shown us he has nothing to hide~.”

"Agreed," Panna tittered when addressing the bullman. "We'll escort you out, as promised. Supreme Commander Fiery wishes to open trade relations with your villa, and our presence may make that possible." She winked and smiled.

"We’ll consider it," he answered while taking a cheeky squeeze of their bare breasts before the steelworker took the reins to his wheeled cart. They pulled it towards the checkpoint. Soon, Chezka was by his side and helped pull the machine alongside him. "Oh, you don't have to-"

"This will make it faster. Besides, Amazons have their pride," reminded Chezka.

"Shame I didn't have time to install a proper motor," grumbled Moon Hammer as Panna clambered atop the cart, the doe's snout put to her ocarina, which she started to play beneath the phantasmal moon that loomed overhead.

With Fiery's wives in tow, it wasn't long for the cart to pass the checkpoint with little more than a surface inspection, a scroll with instructions to let the Amazons escort him back home handed over by Panna. The patrol stamped it, then handed it back over with a salute. "All clear! Move on!"

They set off, the walls that barricaded the Crystal Empire caked in ice. They moved in silence, the escape from the capital easier than expected! Likely due to Fiery's forces being preoccupied by other matters. Chezka nuzzled Moon Hammer affectionately, and he returned her clipped smile.

Panna paused her mournful tune. "Wait. Is that-?" She pointed at a silhouette ahead.

Moonlight and Marathyssa hopped out of the back of the stuffed cart. "Shining Armor," hissed his former cadet between her teeth, with an ambivalent mixture of relief and resentment.

"H-hey,” The shamed paladin greeted with a forced smile, barely able to meet her yellow eyes when he stumbled over on his crippled foot, the wall used for support. His rune weapons, armor, and even uniform were taken from him, down to civilian clothes. "Looks like this is it, huh? Haha."

Chezka started to nock a feathered arrow and take aim, only for Moon Hammer to push down her hand. "It would be a mercy kill," reasoned the centaur. "He’s a disgrace! Fated to die alone by the weight of his mistakes." Her blue eyes narrowed under a whip of a wavy white ponytail.

"Death would be too good for the likes of him,” countered Moon Hammer, his muscled arms folded idly. “He hasn't been given proper penance. Hence why he will come with us.”

His smile widened when he hobbled closer. "T-thank you. I’m genuinely grateful for your-“

The minotaur raised a hand to cut him off, his hard face unmoved. "Understand this. You’re my prisoner now. Your freedom will be limited, and you'll have to earn your keep."

The unicorn sputtered. "But-"

"Consider it a chance to reclaim your lost honor. But stray out of line, and I'll break every bone in your body, giving you matching crippled legs. And I'll start with your horn.” The bullman cracked his knuckles to make the threat clear, snorting with flared nostrils, “Do we understand each other?"

"Y-yeah. That's fair." The former prince chuckled and avoided the hateful staredown of Moonlight. Once he'd shuffled his way between her and Marathyssa back into the cart, they began moving again. The three of them sat in awkward silence while the cart thumped across the icy roads into the dreary thickects of woods, aware that stray swarms of Mi-Go potentially loomed ahead.

The concern instead turned to Fiery Kickstart's forces, which were on the move to hunt down Midnight Blitzer and Lightning Spark. They had needed the Amazons to help them slip from the locked down Crystal Empire, but where would their loyalties lie should both sides directly clash?

Shining Armor, seated away from them in the back, turned to Moonlight. Clarity had returned to him after his defeat, his head filled with everything he wanted to say. "Moonie, I'm s-"

"Don't,” she interrupted bitterly, not even bothering to look at him. “Don’t talk to me. Don't touch me. Don't even look at me. And don't ever call me that again! That's reserved for my herd and close friends, not...not traitors.”

"A-alright, I just… wanted you to know I’m sorry." He sighed when Moonlight didn’t respond and looked to the other maid instead. "And you're-?"

"Marathyssa,” the protoquen took her luminous moth-like Crystal Queen shape for a moment, then returned to a crystal mare, aware it would be too risky in her natural state. "This one is relieved to see you survived, despite the circumstances. But now that we’re free, she’s not sure what we’re meant to do now!”

"Yeah, no kidding. It's a mess out there..!" They fell silent, the paladin thankful that what he'd done was left unsaid. However, he carried the impression the rest of them already knew.

Sure, Shining had tried to keep the Crystal Empire together, impeded many of Fiery's more questionable ideas, and taken care of Marathyssa. But it was all undone in a moment, just because he wanted to beat his rival at any cost. Moonlight's contempt was well-deserved.

Whatever apologies he made would sound insincere, or too little, too late. Ultimately, he hadn't proven much better than Chrysalis, Sombra, or any other villain his people had faced.

The unicorn watched the scenery pass. What he'd done was monstrous. Unthinkable. He'd told himself any sacrifice was permissible beat his rival Fiery, but now? He'd betrayed his student's trust and hurt her for no reason! He couldn't blame everyone if they hated him forever!

Marathyssa's hand touched his own, like she could feel the pain that radiated from him.

"This is as far as we go," said Chezka, who pulled the cart to a stop. "We've fulfilled our part of the bargain. Consider us even. The next time we meet, it will be as enemies, most likely.”

“A shame we didn't meet you before, Fiery," lamented Panna, as Moon Hammer rubbed circles around the taut muscled, yet soft and shapely wide buttocks Chezka proudly bore.

"It's the Amazon code," the doe said, hopping down to mount the centaur's back. "Since he saved our lives, we're sworn to follow him until death. But we may be the last Amazons left?"

"Doesn't matter," reminded the centauress sharply. "We took a blood oath. Better death than dishonor." With a playful swish of her tail that tickled the minotaur's nose, Moon Hammer planted affectionate pats on her wide backside, which she leaned into before the pair took off.

The villa chieftain watched them leave with a melancholic smile, assured by the Amazons they wouldn't share any of his secrets or current movements with Fiery. "A darn shame indeed..."

Opening a bottle of milk straight from the teats of his wives, the horned blacksmith gulped down the refreshing, invigorating substance with a sweetness that warmed his muscled belly. He then slid open a window to the cart and asked, "I assume you've taken care of your estrus?"

"Y-yeah," Moonlight's face colored, then darkened when Shining Armor met her yellow eyes, unable to deny that without Midnight around, she wished Moon Hammer could've helped her out rather than some random, scummy soldiers. "At least, for the time being… I might need a little extra help.”

Moon Hammer chuckled with mirth when the cart started to move. "I'll keep that in mind. Haven't forgotten about your prosthetic wings, either! I'll install them first thing after we arrive back home. Well, second. I'm sure my lovely wives missed me dearly, as I do them."

"Yeah, that's fair! They're lucky," she replied with a laugh. The thestral mare didn't want to dally away from her herd more than she needed to, with everything revoking her childhood friend.

Mostly, Moonlight wanted to cleanse herself of the last three stallions she'd slept with, and Moon Hammer would be perfect for that. Granted, they weren't alone, nor did they have much time. No, she needed to focus on the war looming ahead.

Thankfully, he shared his milk bottles with her, Shining Armor, and Marathyssa, who drank down the warm substance in an uncomfortable silence, what had happened between them left unspoken. The protoquen looked between them, uncertain where her loyalties should lie.

*****

Groans aroused from Midnight Blitzer once he woke up to find himself wrapped in chains, tethering him to a thick tree trunk. He jerked his arms and wings, yet the steel wouldn’t budge. Perplexed green eyes turned to the number of allies surrounding him, their faces either masked in strained anger, disgust, or disappointment.

The blue pegasus recalled an electrical blast, zapped by so many volts he'd been knocked out instantly. His gaze found Lightning Spark standing next to the rogue changeling’s unconscious form with a soured expression leveled at her twin.

Midnight then looked back to his friends and asked, “Wha… wh-what’s going on here, guys?”

“Intervention, mate,” answered Arcanum Folklore, taking a quick puff of his smoke and breathing out a thin cloud of nicotine that wafted into Midnight’s face.

“H-hey!” The pegasus wheezed, scrunching his face. “What’s the big deal?”

He grunted when the erenn stallion planted a boot on his abdomen. “You know damn well why you're in the shithouse, son. Don’t act like you didn’t just ditch us for that nasty twat over there!”

The male unicorn pointed his thumb over his shoulder, showing Equinox bound to a tree, still knocked out.

“O-okay, I know it looks bad. And I’m sorry I didn’t tell anyone-”

“I ain’t the one you should be groveling to, chief,” Arcanum cut off, stepping to the side and allowing Cerise to step forward. Midnight gazed at his wife, her usually warm snout twisted with scorn. His ears flopped down.

“How could you do this to us, Midnight?!” The charcoal princess spat. “It’s bad enough you tried to impregnate me in my sleep, but then you ran off without a word with that… t-that cunt!”

The hard emphasis on the word made the whole group stare at Cerise in astonishment; the dancer was not known for having a vulgar vocabulary.

“You were supposed to take care of poor Moonie, not stab us in the back!"

“Y-you think I asked for any of this!?” Midnight barked back. “You knew I was a hyper-stallion when you married me! My needs have to go above everything else!”

“Wow,” Iclyn deadpanned. “Real husband material right there.”

“This doesn’t concern you, you stone-cold bitch!”

“Hey! That is uncalled for,” Beatrix snapped, for once defending her mentor for her icy demeanor. “You’re the one who can’t keep it in his pants. And that’s saying something, coming from me!”

“You don’t know what you're talking about,” denied Midnight, sweating profusely.

“Yes, I do!” The witch turned her gaze to Cerise, lips pursed. “I didn’t want to tell you this, but… Omen shared with me one of Midnight’s dreams.”

The hyper-stallion flustered. “Y-you invaded my dreams?!”

Cerise turned to her husband, trying her best to keep her breathing calm. When her neon pink eyes fell on the violet unicorn, she asked, “… what did you see?”

“All of us,” responded Beatrix uneasily. “You, me, her…” She gestured to Lightning Spark, who turned red. “… Oona, Bellatrix, the twins, Shadow Scythe, Moxxi-Every woman we know! And he dicked us down like his personal harem girls. Fucking children into each of us. It was utter nymphomania!”

Her platinylum tail cautiously curled in front of her crotch to hide how arousing that vivid imagery still was. Luckily, the gang’s attention was focused solely on Midnight, appalled by his lack of restraint.

“I-it’s not my fault!” The blue pegasus tried reasoning while struggling to break his steel bindings. “I wouldn’t be so horny if you’d just let me fuck more than a couple people!”

“Your hyper genetics are what’s killing you!” Reaffirmed Cerise, tears rolling down her cheeks. “And I refuse to be a part of it! Look at your mane! It’s going gray from all the strain you’re putting on yourself!”

“So where’s my cure then!? I don’t see any alternative solution to my hyper-stallionism, other than putting a foal in the belly of every slut asking for it!”

Cerise's glare hardened. “So you admit it! You went behind your herd’s back! You cheated on us!!”

“Yes!” Midnight confessed with seething rage. “And I’d do it again if it means I can survive!”

The pigtailed princess couldn’t take the revelation and smacked her husband hard across the face, leaving a bright red mark on his cheek. Realizing what she had done, Cerise cupped her face and broke into sobs, leaning into Beatrix when the witch wrapped her arms around her.

Penumbra felt equally betrayed, yet hid it behind a scowling visage. The only thing keeping the pale pegasus from beheading his lecherous brother-in-law was causing his sister more grief and his steely composure. And even that was starting to slip, his hand atop his pommel!

Midnight ignored all the spiteful gazes of his comrades, his attention and fury fixated on his twin sister as he called out, “At least I didn't sleep with one of those monsters!”

At that moment, Deinos stirred awake, opening all six of his eyes to take in his surroundings. Upon realizing he was surrounded by ponies (and the vulpines), the monstrous changeling began thrashing, which put everyone on alert.

“H-hey! It’s okay, big guy,” Lightning said soothingly, reaching up to cup and pet his snout, which helped calm his heavy breathing. “No one’s going to hurt you. Right guys?”

“Uhh, y-yeah!” Beatrix replied sheepishly. “So long as he doesn’t hurt us!”

“And he complies with any questions I may ask,” added Folklore, his untrusting gaze mirrored by Deinos. Aware that he didn’t have much leeway, he gave a nod of his head.

“Good,” the scruffy detective said while lighting another smoke. “Finally, a bloke with some sense.”

“You guys can’t be seriously considering working with that thing, are you?!” The heads turned back to Midnight, who angrily rattled in his chains. “He’s a changeling! He’ll rape you when you’re vulnerable and infest your bodies with his eggs!!”

“A bigot and a racist,” commented Kyube.

“Not a hot look,” snarled Iclyn.

"Sister,” he said, directing his heated gaze at Lightning Spark. “How could you sleep with one of these monsters after what happened to our family? Don't you know how many ponies they've-"

"Of course I do!" The electric blue mare snapped back, glaring her twin back down while electricity flared around her mane and wings, fur and feathers standing on end. “I was trapped in a hive for years, praying you or someone would come to save mom and me! But nobody came. And when I got out, I was greeted by a world war torn by greed and malice.”

Her hand motioned to Deinos as she continued, “But he is living proof not all changelings are inherently evil! At least he showed me more restraint than you and Shining Armor have!”

The soldier’s eyes went wide. “Dad tried to touch you?! When I get my hands on the old fuck, I’ll-”

“That’s enough, Midnight! Don’t make me shock you again!”

While the siblings had their staredown, Beatrix used her aura to loosen the chains around Deinos, giving him more breathing room. The arachnid mutant replied, “…thanks.”

Seeing this, Midnight shouted, "Not you too, Bea! You should know by now how dangerous they are!”

“Middy, stop it!” The witch said coldly. “I’ve been trying to help you!”

“Like hell you have! You’re responsible for my current state,” the blue pegasus cruelly reminded, looking between his half-sister and wife. “If anything, you’re both responsible! Back when we first met in the manor, you pursued me! You, Bea, Foal-Bearer, Wet Nurse, Shadow Scythe, and especially Moxxi! You did this to me, Cerise! YOU MADE ME A HYPER-STALLION!!”

Guilt ate at Cerise while she shuddered and sobbed, unable to tell if it was his hyper genetics talking or if this was how he truly felt. How could she have known back then that this was how it would turn out? “M-Middy..! Y-you-"

Having enough of this petty outrage, Penumbra moved past his sister with a balled fist, which he threw into Midnight’s bruised face. Blood oozed from the hyper stallion’s snout, only for another punch to connect. The usually stoic commander could not suppress his wrath anymore as he bruised his knuckles with every crunchy impact.

“You did this to yourself, jackass!!” He bellowed as more blows rained across his hapless opponent. “How dare you put your blame on my sister—your wife! I’ll teach you to hurt my family!”

Penumbra reared back for another punch, only for Cerise to pull him back. "Stop it! He’s still my husband," the charcoal mare bawled. She buried her face in Penumbra's chest, which held her while he glared at his bloodied brother-in-law. "I...I'll be okay," she reassured with a sniffle. "Just… give me some time to compose myself."

Penumbra took in a deep breath and exhaled his frustrations. “Take all the time you need.”

Beatrix's lip trembled at the state of her half-brother, the once soft-hearted and naive pegasus losing more and more of his reason to his depraved and feral instincts. But was he right to blame her? If she hadn’t wished for him to be her half-sibling, none of this would have happened…

"I don't think he can be reasoned with until he's cured," she lamented, her face hidden under the brim of her hat.

Lightning Spark asked, "So what are we supposed to do? We can’t just leave him here!" She, too, was moved to tears, so close to her twin...and yet more distant than ever with his transformation.

“Afraid we don’t have a choice, love,” Arcanum spoke up. “For all that super strength, he’s become a liability. And we’ve got more important things to deal with…” The warlock approached Deinos, holding the web net containing the horn-made wands. "Now, Lightning’s told us a bit about you, but I wanna hear your side of the story. Where’d you get these? And don’t think about lyin’. I’ll know!”

Deinos took a moment to carefully choose his words before responding. “When I wasn’t posing as Web Spinner, I was on the field, spying on changelings sent by Chrysalis to attack Shining Armor’s troops guarding the north quadrant. Some of them wielded these bizarrely crafted wands, obliterating the ponies with a single cast.”

Beatrix trembled as a painful memory resurfaced upon that description. Internally, she begged the giant changeling to disprove her growing suspicions about the Cult of the Nemesis.

“Naturally, I wanted to know how they acquired such weapons. So I followed one drone back to its hive.”

Arcanum arched an eyebrow. “The queen’s hive?”

“I don’t know,” replied Deinos. “There are so many interchanging tunnels; I would have lost my cover if I went any deeper. But I did find what I was looking for. The drone I was tailing led me into a dark corridor, where a unicorn wearing an eccentric robe was waiting.”

A panic breath escaped from the unicorn witch. With a tightened fist, she requested, “Could you… please show me what it looked like..?”

With a short nod, the changeling shifted his form to resemble the cloaked unicorn. And upon seeing the red shade of cloth, hooded visage, and all too familiar eye sigil, Beatrix fell to her knees, violet eyes full of despair.

“…I-I don’t believe it,” she whimpered softly. “The Cult of the Nemesis… they’re back!!”

Tension tightened the atmosphere once the group watched Deinos change into his unicorn stallion disguise. The image of Beatrix’s oldest enemies made everyone fall to silence. Even Midnight, still seething from the beatdown he received, was unnerved by the cultist’s presence.

Cerise lowered to support her friend while Arcanum continued questioning the monstrous changeling. “That’s… troubling. So then, how did you get your hands on ‘em?”

“I took them,” admitted Deinos. “Waited for the right moment to strike and collected as many as I could. I brought them back to the Crystal Empire as a scout for the purpose of letting ‘Web Spinner’ study them. See if the military could make better use of them.”

The erenn unicorn furrowed his brows. “And did you?”

The disguised unicorn snorted. “Obviously not. I wasn’t about to let genocidal imperialists possess that kind of power! Not when they held one of my kindred captive.”

“Aye, the protoquen, if I recall.”

Web Spinner glanced away. “My plan was to figure out how to get these tools to work against the Mi-Go, free the infected changelings from Chrysalis’ grasp. From there, I would rescue Marathyssa, and together, we might restore harmony to both our races. But how those wands were created was beyond my understanding of magic. And unfortunately, Fiery Kickstart took over observations of Marathyssa, meaning I couldn’t reach her without raising suspicion.”

"Not surprising, given how easily you managed to slip by their radar,” noted Iclyn.

“Which brings us to our next problem,” the scruffy stallion surmised. “Where are we supposed to go? The Crystal Empire is run by elitist fucktards, and Chrysalis has her entire swarm taking shrooms! Plus, we’ve got Beatrix’s batshit crazy cultists AND another anomaly running amuck!”

“Our only option appears to be Moon Hammer’s villa,” proposed Penumbra with a shake of his head. “We take shelter and recuperate there. Perhaps they'll be open to help us more directly, given their leader is stuck at the Crystal Empire."

"It would be nice seeing Strawberry and Blue again," admitted Beatrix, still in Cerise's arms. "But won’t the swarm follow us that way?”

“Plus, we’d be leaving Middy and Equinox here,” Lightning added, staring at her twin and the batmare. “They’ll eventually be picked off for sure-"

“Leave them to us,” announced Kyube, who took Kitsune's hand and stood up from their branch. “We'll keep an eye on things here while you get supplies.”

Cerise gazed up at the bandit and kunoichi uneasily. “Are you sure?”

Kitsune nodded. "We can set traps around the area. Plus, we’re more worried about my sister and Chisana, who could reappear near here. You never know!”

"I understand," replied Beatrix with a smile. "Thanks, Kitsune, Kyube!"

"Yeah," decided Cerise, who glanced sadly at her husband. "I think that would be for the best."

Lightning asked, "What about Deinos? He saved my life! I can't leave him here." She felt her brother's furious stare fall on her but brushed it aside for the moment.

“Well, you’ve been more helpful than these two shitheads,” admitted Arcanum, stroking his stubble in consideration. “Alright, let him come along. But I recommend you keep your pony face on at all times until we explain the situation to the holstaur twins. Suave?”

“Agreed,” nodded Web Spinner, who stretched his sore limbs once the erenn warlock unshackled his chains with his magic. Lightning immediately took the opportunity to hug the scrawny-looking scientist, much to Midnight’s chagrin.

"You're much nicer like this,” she admitted with a blush.

He chuckled. "If only more ponies felt that way."

The hyper-stallion’s blood boiled even more when he saw Web Spinner wrap an arm around Lightning's shoulder as they walked away, almost like he wanted to taunt him! His eyes whitened while he bulked up, muscles audibly expanded and lined in veins as he tried in vain to shatter the steel chains.

"I'll stay at the villa for a while,” Iclyn told Beatrix. “But after that, I'll need to be on my way to the Isles of Parras. It’s not too late to change your mind, you know…"

Beatrix tensed her shoulders, still torn between staying loyal to her promise and being there for her lover and newborn child. Cerise also felt guilty for applying pressure on the violet mage. Especially after seeing her husband disregard everything for his baser instincts to breed and dominate. Was keeping the promise even worth it anymore?

Kyube and Kitsune waved them off while Midnight remained shamed-face and continued to sulk, uncertain whether he could make amends after his betrayal.

Nor could he turn to Equinox for support, since she was still unconscious. The only thing quelling his unstated lust was his burning hatred for the monster who mated with his twin sister! True, Deinos, or Web Spinner, helped save his twin sister, but...

No, Midnight wasn't to blame! They were responsible for all this mess! They owed him their fertile bodies to keep his legacy alive. He wouldn’t stand for some changeling to steal away his sister! Lightning was his to protect. His to love! His to…

The rage steadily died away, replaced by melancholy when his muscles contracted and his eyes returned to their bright, emerald state. Sadness and self-loathing washed over Midnight like a tsunami wave.

He was like Shining Armor, both the old fool here and the one he fought in the Lost World. He made his wife cry and said all those horrible things to his friends! Why couldn’t he control himself? The blue stallion silently sobbed and strained at his binds, helpless to do more than watch his friends leave him behind.

“Hey,” a husky feminine voice whispered.

He lifted his head to find Equinox awake, having been faking her unconsciousness the whole time. She flashed a large grin.

Midnight narrowed his tearful gaze. “You… you encouraged this! You made me hurt my wife!!”

“I didn’t make you do nothing you wouldn’t do yourself,” the marauder slyly replied. “But unlike those losers, I’m still here with ya. I’d never turn my back on you… unless you want me from behind~.”

"They're still my friends," he protested meekly, his will spent. “M-my family!”

"Are they? They looked pretty cozy with that damn changeling to me! You know they'll try and broker peace with the enemy, but who knows when that monster will turn on them. I bet he convinced Lightning she wants to be his personal incubator~!”

The chains rattled as Midnight’s anger returned tenfold, bulk expanding against the steel bindings. “No! I won’t let that happen!”

“That’s right, stud, get mad! Cause it’s up to us to fix this hot mess!” Equinox sneered as she, too, strained at her shackles. “But first, we need to find some way to free ourselves..."

The keen eyes of Kyube and Kitsune were constantly upon them, even while the foxes casually trained. For the moment, neither of them could see a way out of this.

Patience wasn't exactly one of their virtues, but the prisoners would seize their chance once it came...

*****

Unbeknownst to the travelers, they were already on Queen Chrysalis' radar. The Mi-Go mushroom had spread its mycelium far and wide through Equestrian soil, sprouting more minor variants of itself to spread its spores.

Other changeling hives buried underground were breached, filled with root-like appendages that contaminated the air tunnels. Soon, no changeling would be free to resist Chrysalis’ beckoning call.

While she slumbered naked in an emerald pool, the eldritch fungus twisted her dreams with prolific visions of her upcoming victory. All of Equestria and its creatures would be subjugated under her will in a field of magenta.

She smiled to herself with a low moan, the calm cascade of water soothing her voluptuous figure. She had sentenced all the opposing protoquens to be either executed, or were in constant use to keep her breeder drones entertained. And the only one who had escaped was now the sex slave of her greatest enemies!

So long as Chrysalis resided in her chamber and kept her connection with the Mi-Go strong, her domination would be absolute. Her resurgence to power was inevitable!

But something was stirring from outside her room. Something that required her attention.

With a reluctant groan, the changeling queen opened her eyes beneath the waves, sclera shimmering with lavender veins. She arose to the surface, liquids dripping off her dark teal mane and limbs. Her wings buzzed to life once the Mi-Go’s appendages carefully detached from their host.

Chrysalis released a stiff moan while stretching out her limbs with sickening cracks. Cordyceps wriggled from her arms, a tiny shroom blooming from the fixed crown atop her head. Her regal gaze fell on the lone changeling fluttering in the chambers.

“I hope you have a good reason for disturbing my bath,” she sneered while sticking out her wide hip for her hand to rest on. “It is crucial that I don’t spend too much time apart from the Mi-Go!”

“My apologies, your highness,” the drone buzzed, lowering its head. A bit of fungus had only started sprouting from its carapace. “There are visitors that seek an audience with you.”

The evil monarch furrowed her brows. “Who dares to have the nerve to summon me?”

Instead of directly answering, the trembling drone began drawing in the dirt. But one glance at the hastily etched symbol told Chrysalis everything she needed to know, and her glare softened.

An almond-shaped eye caught between teeth.

“Ahh… them,” the royal changeling murmured uneasily, glancing back at the illuminating fungus that beckoned her return. “Yes, that would be important, wouldn’t it?”

Her eyes fell back on her drone, amused by how frigid and terrified it seemed. The side of her lip curled once she waded forward, sinking to its level to raise its head to face her.

“Does their presence frighten you?” asked Chrysalis.

“Y-yes, your majesty,” it confessed, its compound eyes unable to tear away from her luscious curves once moisture dripped down the slopes of her breasts, over her belly and fertile mound.

“N’aww, poor thing,” she cooed softly, scratching under its chin. “C’mere~.”

Chrysalis nuzzled the changeling’s head in the comfort of her bosom, running her fingers over the crook of its neck. A light titter arose upon feeling its tongue lick the soft texture of her tit flesh.

“It is alright to fear, pet…” she told it while her smile slowly contorted into a scowl, the drone tensing up when her nails dug into its spine. “…unfortunately, that fear is severely misplaced!”

"P-please, my queen,” it chittered with distress. “We aim to serve!”

“And you will serve me, willing or not!!”

Quicker than the drone could react, Chrysalis tore its head off, discolored blood left to shoot from his neck stump as his headless body writhed yet continued to stand.

She planted a kiss on the disembodied head’s snout before tossing it into the pool, where it would decompose into nutrients for the eldritch mushroom. “Ahh… I feel much better now~!"

Chrysalis could easily breed up an entire disposable army, so a few losses were more than acceptable! So long as she spread the Mi-Go’s influence with their corpses, all of her kindred would live and die to please her.

And it wouldn’t be long until the alien cordyceps mutated to prey upon pony vessels…

But before the changeling queen could carry out her plot, she should first see what her ‘guests’ wanted of her. After fixing her mane to drape over her bare chest, Chrysalis left her chamber with swaggering hips, roots seeping out the decapitated drone's body and neck.

She followed one hollowed-out tunnel that gradually became darker the further she descended. Not even the fungi’s bioluminescence could penetrate through the black veil. And when it became too dark, the evil monarch halted, unable to suppress a shudder crawling up her spine.

“I know you’re there,” Chrysalis called out, managing to muster enough bravado. “Cease with this pretentious lurking! I haven’t got all day!”

A layer of scarlet haze began to fill the catacombs. Then the ruffling of cloth as robed figures emerged, cloaked in wine red. Patterned sashes secured their waists, their signature eye sigil embedding the fabric draped over their chest. Their faces were concealed in perpetual darkness. Not even the horns lifting the long hoods gave Chrysalis a hint of their identities. Her ears flickered at the sound of low chanting, a choir of male and female voices speaking a language she couldn’t understand.

Then, the cultists stepped aside to make way for a lone figure to step forward. His robes were decorated with more ornaments, signifying his higher status.

“We will not take much of your time,” his deep baritone assured. “For soon, there will be no time at all.”

“Worthless babbling,” the changeling queen hissed. “What is it you want?”

The head cultist pointed at Chrysalis and warned, “I would amend your attitude if I were you. You would not have the Mi-Go at your leisure if not for us. And your kindred would have abandoned you.”

Chrysalis hardened her sneer but didn’t object.

Lowering his accusing hand, he continued. “Now, it has come to our attention that the wands we gave you are missing. What has become of them?”

“… Deinos took the wands,” admitted the monarch changeling. “I sent my changelings for a field test against some of Shining Armor’s scouts. But then that freak took them after the slaughter. Make no mistake, I will apprehend that treacherous arachnid!”

The leading cultist tilted his head slightly. “Had?”

She rolled her eyes with disinterest. “Some witchy bimbo and her entourage have him in their custody from what I saw through the Mi-Go. My swarm is heading to their location, so it won’t be much longer until they're taken care of.”

The lesser members turned to one another, muttering quietly.

The head cultist chuckled. “That ‘witchy bimbo’ is one Beatrix Belladonna. And despite appearances, she is not so easily dispatched.”

Chrysalis quirked her eyebrow. “An old adversary, I presume?”

“We once sought her as our dark messiah,” confirmed the cultist. “Through the Necronomicon, she would have become the most powerful spellcaster imaginable. Beatrix would have wrought a great age of darkness across the cosmos, none the likes have ever seen. But that time has long since passed. And a new anomaly has given us purpose once more.”

“Errgh! Spare me your cryptic riddles,” snapped the changeling queen. “What does any of this have to do with me!?”

“Your battle with the Crystal Empire is vital to the plan. But now that Belladonna has the unicorn wands, the tides are not in your favor. And because of your incompetence with our instruments, we are forced to take a physical part in this war.”

His statement made Chrysalis scoff. “Sorry, but I don’t play well with others. The power of the Mi-Go and my swarm are all I need!”

“You misunderstand,” said the spokesman sternly. “This is not a request. We must ensure your victory is absolute, for our anomalous leader wills it.”

“Ohh, really? So where is this ‘all-seeing anomaly’ if this meeting was so important? Hiding in the shadows~?”

“I am not hiding anywhere,” an ominous voice answered, causing Chrysalis’ arrogant smirk to drop. “I’ve been with you all this time.”

The scarlet-robed cultists shuffled to the sides as something small floated out from the dark tunnel. A familiar figure that made the changeling queen pale. Her eyes went pinpoint with horror.

There, wearing a frilly gown, was young Flurry Heart. She wore a smile too wide for her face, her eyes black like a starless night.

“N-no!” Chrysalis stammered, falling to her knees while trying to scurry away from the alicorn filly levitating towards her. “This isn’t possible! Y-you’re dead!!”

“Nothing ever really dies,” Flurry Heart said, another voice overshadowing her own. “So long as it can be remembered.”

But the changeling queen shook her head, refusing to believe the dead daughter of Shining Armor stood before her very eyes. “This must be some kind of trick! An apparition!?”

Flurry let out a childish giggle. “Oh, I can assure you. I am very much real~.”

To prove her point, the pink alicorn leaned forward to playfully boop Chrysalis on the snout, making her jump.

That’s when the monarch noticed the blackened tears seeping down her cheeks, the tiny fidgets in the alicorn child’s movements. As if resisting some unknown force.

“So that’s what this is,” realized Chrysalis. “I can see the puppet. But where is the puppeteer?”

“Everywhere… and nowhere,” the anomaly using Flurry Heart responded. “The less you know about something, the more you begin to fear it.”

The monarch changeling stiffened before standing up, furiously declaring, “I. Fear. NOTHING! It is you who should be afraid!!”

Her jagged horn lit up to launch a spell at the entity… until reality distorted with brief static, Flurry’s possessed body inches away from Chrysalis’ face. Discombobulated, she tried another attack. But her comprehension of time was again skewed, somehow on her back while her opponent loomed over her.

“Wh-what?! What’s happening,” she demanded with severe confusion. “What kind of sorcery is this?!”

“Magic your feeble little mind couldn’t begin to grasp,” answered the anomalous entity, frowning at her, black eyes widened like saucers as her own horn lit up to conjure a spell. “Here. A brief glimpse into oblivion.”

Chrysalis wailed and screamed as her psyche was assaulted with unexplainable horrors. Civilizations collapsing into each other, eyes with teeth, memories of her past fusing with events she couldn’t recognize. The effects of the eldritch fungus only amplify the overwhelming violation of the queen’s senses.

“STOP, PLEASE!! M-MAKE IT STOP!!”

‘Flurry Heart’ ended the spell, allowing Chrysalis to recover her awareness with deep breaths. She curled into a fetal position, the horrific imagery still burning behind firmly shut lids.

“Open your eyes,” the anomaly ordered.

The changeling silently refused; her pride completely shattered while she whimpered.

It spoke again with pure malice, its voice completely overshadowing Fluffy’s. “Look. At. Me. Or I will tear off your eyelids!”

Fearful of the repercussions, Chrysalis gazed into the soulless black orbs leering at her.

“It is in your nature to fear,” the anomaly told her through Flurry’s mouth. “And correctly, you tremble. But fear is not what you owe me, Chrysalis.”

That insidious smile returned as the alicorn filly cupped her chin to prevent her from averting her gaze, whispering,

“You… owe me awe~!”

When the changeling monarch gave a quiet nod, the unknown entity backed away, folding the alicorn’s arms behind her back.

“Excellent. Now back to the matter at hand,” ‘Flurry’ said as her feet touched the ground. “Since the wands cannot be retrieved, I see no alternative but to craft you a new one. Try not to lose it. It’ll be our most powerful tool yet!”

“W-why do I need one of those things?” argued Chrysalis, her snappy attitude resurfacing.

The alicorn puppet tilted its head to the side, an amused smile on Flurry’s snout. “Rejecting a means for more power? How unlike you~!”

“As I’ve said before,” the changeling queen began as she stood up. “My army of changelings, combined with the Mi-Go’s symbiosis, is how I will conquer Equestria. I will accept your allegiance, but I do not want any more of your ‘gifts’!”

“It is true that the Mi-Go’s influence is nigh unbeatable with a proper host. Unfortunately, it comes with a severe drawback. You have to be stationary in that chamber, with sentinels your only means of defense. Consider this extra wand security in case our enemies discover your location.”

“Preposterous!” Chrysalis rebuffed. “No pony has ever traveled this far underground! They couldn’t possibly be able to-”

“They can,” insisted the anomaly. “And they most certainly will.”

The changeling queen growled, yet she didn’t want to invoke more wrath. With a reluctant sigh, she said, “Fine.”

“I knew you’d see things my way,” the entity tittered before turning to the Cult of the Nemesis, who gathered around the pink alicorn. “Before creation must come destruction. Through conflict and strife, our ambition will resonate throughout the song of time. Thousands shall be sacrificed, but their screams will awaken a new universe. And when all is drowned out by silence… only then may darkness settle in.”

Before Chrysalis could question what that nonsense meant, the cultists began chanting in an eerie harmony. Flurry Heart shuddered violently until she ceased all motion.

Then a sickening crack sounded as her limbs contorted into unnatural angles, startling the changeling with a yelp. She watched as the pink alicorn gradually darkened into an obsidian-like substance.

Flurry then closed her eyes. When they opened, her familiar teal-green pupils reappeared. And in her last moments of awareness, she let out a harrowing scream.

“HELP ME!!!”

But Chrysalis was utterly petrified, helpless to do more than watch as the alicorn’s life force was transferred into the horn atop her head.

The spokesman wrapped his hands around the unicorn's horn before breaking it off, an immense magical aura flowing around the spiraling appendage. He passed the newly forged ‘wand’ to Chrysalis, who curled her fingers around it with shaking hands. Her eyes couldn’t tear away from the frightening visage of Flurry Heart, forever crying out in anguish.

“Return to the Mi-Go and replenish yourself,” the head cultist told her. “We will meet again shortly to discuss our next course of action.”

One by one, the Cult of the Nemesis disappeared into the black veil, leaving a distraught changeling queen alone to ponder the consequences of her actions.

Chapter 12

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Deep in the morgue, two recruits rolled out a slab for Fiery Kickstart's inspection ahead of the scheduled autopsy. Gray walls carried a chill used to help keep the corpses preserved, alongside many enchantments that had been applied to today's main arrival in particular. When the newly crowned supreme commander did arrive, both men saluted.

"We kept her on ice like requested, sir,” one attendant noted.

Fiery turned to the four soldiers accompanying him and nodded his head. They stood stationary while he appraised the cold steel table. His face grimaced slightly at the sight of Snowy Blizzard, pale and naked with her stomach grotesquely swollen.

“Those insectoid scum…” he muttered gruffly.

"That’s odd,” the other attendant said while surveying the bloated corpse. “It appears she already expelled the eggs infesting her uterus well before your men discovered the body!”

His partner nodded. “Yeah… Normally, a broodmare would have their innards eaten as the hatched grubs chewed their way out. Yet, strangely, no signs of bodily rupture, or-"

"You can spare me the details," insisted Fiery, who touched the clammy cheek of the snowy white mare. Her breasts and hips swelled in a motherly manner. She appeared to be sleeping peacefully, almost perfectly preserved by freezing enchantments... but he knew better. Gently, the mustard stallion momentarily rolled her across the slab onto her belly and saw the flurry of snowflakes that made up her cutie mark emblazoned across her wide buttocks.

"Oh, Snowy,” he exhaled forlornly. “If only I had gotten to you sooner…”

A bitterness resonated in his chest, recollecting the day Snowy chose Thunder Storm over himself. And while Fiery Kickstart wasn’t bothered by this, as he held great respect for the mighty pegasus, jealousy now lingered after Shining Armor's incompetence had gotten the commanding officer killed, and his wife captured. The fact that the privileged bastard slept with Snowy during her moment of weakness and sired a son made him livid!

Fiery would never forgive his former friend for this. He leered down at the pale mare while laying her on her back. The supreme commander leaned closer, whispering, “It should have been me! I would have loved you. Protected you. Saved you from those evil things! But now..."

“Uuhm… Do you want some time alone, sir?” One of the attendants spoke up, a little disturbed.

Fiery hardened his scarred features. "Negative. Just start the autopsy. I need to know how Snowy died."

"R-right away! But be warned; it's gonna get gruesome..."

The lab-coated stallion began by washing and sterilizing his instruments before drawing lines underneath Snowy's heavy breasts. A scalpel was nearby, ready to cut the tender flesh and bleed it into a metal basin.

But before the dissection could adequately begin, Snowy Blizzard's pale cadaver suddenly shook. All the soldiers jumped in alarm, drawing their weapons, while the attendants stumbled back with a yelp.

“Sweet Buttery Faust!!”

"Steel yourselves," commanded Fiery, eyes narrowing when small bumps moved around inside Snowy’s flesh. Then, various insects and arachnids crawled from every orifice of the corpse. It was as if his hated enemies had turned the mare he coveted into a horrific pinata. A mockery of the warm, kind mother she'd been in life. One of his men couldn’t suppress the bile spewing up their esophagus, vomiting his stomach’s content all over the floor.

The smell of death filled Fiery's nostrils, his steel in hand. The corpse's bloated belly quivered, then popped into a shower of rancid critters, which scurried across the dull room. He gripped his flamberge sword, which ignited with flames, and torched the pests with precise slashes.

A swarm filled the air with a violent buzz. Boots stamped across the floor.

One of his men bumped into a slab, which spilled out, where another naked cadaver of a mare flopped out onto the floor, her preserved form cold and clammy to the touch. One of the many cadets Fiery and his men had failed to save, though at least spared the fate of a changeling incubator.

"Keep away from her!” Fiery barked at the arthropods that tried to take shelter in the carcass, his flame sword and boot repeatedly stamped down. "Why can't we have dignity in death?!"

Fortunately, the mustard stallion dealt with most of the bugs before they could penetrate her various cavities, the floor littered with tiny green splats.

Everyone present received a few bites or stings until they managed to squash, burn, or splat every last one. Thankfully, it appeared there was no permanent harm. One attendant immediately broke out his first aid kit and attended to their wounds the best he could. The other used his gloved hands to reach up the mare cadaver's cunt with a wet squelch, where he withdrew more wiggling bugs and crushed them in his palm.

Another soldier upchucked his lunch into a sink, many shaken and unable to believe what they witnessed.

A sudden glitch in his perspective caused Fiery to turn his steely gaze to Snowy's corpse, watching it dissolve in a flash of scarlet light… and a female drone now laid in its place. His blood boiled, no doubt an off-hand sacrifice by the changeling queen for this ruse. For a moment, he almost admired the enemy, determined in their ruthlessness to win this battle, be it through war tactics or mind games.

One of his pallid men, sweating bullets, asked, "Wh-what does it mean..?"

Fiery cleansed the cinders off his blade and sheathed it, the area splotched in splatters of dead insects and burn marks. "We recovered a fake. A sick prank pulled by the enemy to rile us up. However… this could also mean the real Snowy Blizzard is still out there."

“B-but it doesn’t make sense!” One of the attendants stammered. “At this stage of the war, neither side can afford to expend resources like this!”

“Yeah, not to question your judgment, sir. But it seems very unlikely Chrysalis would dispose of her own soldiers just to scare us,” the other concurred.

“It doesn’t matter what it means,” one of the soldiers spoke up to reassure his comrades. “Their changelings, through and through! And we have to exterminate every last one before more of our mares get abducted and raped!”

While the rest of his military regrouped and tried to forget this whole ordeal, Fiery was deep in thought, pondering the reality of Snowy Blizzard’s fate.

Part of him believed death would be a mercy. She would have killed herself long before those abominations forced her to harbor their eggs. But what if she didn’t. And Fiery was prolonging her suffering… all because he split his forces after Beatrix Belladonna’s arrival.

The supreme commander would have to crack down harder and fix all the stuff his lousy predecessor bucked up. Contraceptives would be banned, children would be enlisted sooner, and more stipends would be paid to mares that birthed the most foals.

Fiery cares not about where the ramifications his actions would lead him. By the end of this war, many would see him as a hero, his legacy an inspiration for generations to come.

“Whatever it takes to secure victory for Equestria...!”

*****

"Welcome back~!" Strawberry and Blue Moon greeted in unison with a bow of their heads.

The twin crystal mare-turned holstaurs twins wore cow-spotted bikinis when they rushed towards the gates upon hearing the arrival of their old friends. Both took a moment to catch their breath, rubbing their gravid bellies.

“We’re so glad to have you back in our settlement!”

"Please, make yourselves at home! Would you like us to prepare you dinner!"

“Or a bath!”

“Or us~!!”

Beatrix giggled eagerly but waved off the tempting suggestion. “Maybe some other time. For now, we just need a place to rest. And this place sure is cozy~!” She whistled happily while admiring their decorative home.

"Of course!" Blue Moon said when she took the witch's hat and cape for her. "Whatever you need-"

"-we're happy to provide~," finished Strawberry Moon with a coy wink.

“Udder-brained bimbos!” Iclyn dryly stated.

“It’s a good thing we didn’t bring Middy here, 'cause I doubt he’d control himself with them around,” Lightning Spark quietly said while the unicorn-disguised Deinos nodded. Cerise said nothing, staring hard at the ground.

"Right then! I'll make me preparations," announced Arcanum Folklore, who tossed his duster onto the coat rack, rolled up his sleeves, and prepared the ingredients necessary to traverse the dimensional planes. With permission from the half-cow, half-mare twins, the erenn warlock settled in the guest room, took out a piece of chalk, and began sketching a complicated runic circle across the floorboards.

“Now, just so you know, I've never used this to transport someone else,” he warned the deighdyr. “Might want to bag an extra coat. You could end up naked, like I did back when I first attempted this!"

"Uh huh," the snow fawn drolled, her arms folded. "When will it be done?"

"Hours. Probably half a day at most. I’m afraid you’ll have to settle in for now. Take a bath, kill some time."

But instead of heeding his advice, Iclyn moved over to help him draw the circle, which he stepped in the way. "Whoa, now! What do you think you’re doing?!”

“I don’t have time for this,” answered the cyan cervine, her face deadpanned. “Show me how to draw the portal. I need to get to the Isle of Parras immediately!”

Arcanum scowled. “Now listen here, you frosty cunt. It’s bad luck to be messing with me flow! Just be thankful this ritual doesn't require any bodily fluids to complete! So I suggest you act like your magic and cool it!”

Iclyn bitterly cursed while backing off, frustrated by her inability to rush in and aid Oona. With a troubled breath, she said, "My apologies. I understand each spell caster has their own unique style.”

"Good! Wouldn’t want to send you back with two heads.” Arcanum swallowed a dark chuckle. "Think of this as a last chance to say any farewells. Though granted, you’re not the most popular person here!”

"Like I need anyone's approval," pronounced Iclyn, who turned and strode out.

The shaggy stallion shook his head and muttered, “Cold stone bitch!” before continuing his meticulous work. One bad mistake, and he'd be a hypocrite, especially after he'd drummed down Beatrix's blunders. Still, while he found her unpleasant, Iclyn proved to be one of the few people he could depend on here.

Someone that could keep a level head and do what needed to be done, yet remained acutely aware of the potential consequences. Didn’t have to like the icy doe to get along, which worked nicely for him!

Eyes blotched with dark circles scanned his companions, who each ventured out to explore or find respite elsewhere in the Minotaur Ville. Could he rely on the others?

“Mhm. Penumbra, maybe,” Arcanum murmured. “Possibly Kyube and Kitsune! But the rest of them are too soft or immature. And I ain’t betting me life on a changeling yet!”

With a scoff, he drew another sigil. Unfortunately, this one bore a resemblance to the chalk outline he drew for Bloody Merry after failing to save her.

“Bah! Give it a rest, old boy,” he scolded himself gently, wiping under his eyes. “Let her rest in peace…”

In truth, Arcanum knew he deeply needed someone like his old flame right about now. And he'd have to do his best to whip this motley bunch into shape before time ran out.

*****

Inside the foyer, a fire crackled in the hearth while coffee, tea, or hot cocoa was offered to everyone. Cerise and Lightning had taken seats on the couch while Penumbra stared into the flames. Deinos, still using his Web Spinner disguise, sat in a chair.

"Thank you," he said with a smile when accepting his steamy cup from Blue Moon.

Beatrix arrived from the kitchen with food in tow, a tray in her arms and more lifted by her aura while she placed them across the table with a clink. The fresh aroma of a well-prepared meal tickled their noses. "Come on, try and cheer up! At least everyone's safe!"

"Not all of us,” the charcoal thestral said with more sourness than intended. She tossed a log into the hearth, longing for the days she could cuddle up in Midnight’s fluffy feathers. When his overbearing needs didn’t outweigh his love…

When she felt the busty witch embrace her from behind, Cerise reached to pet her forearm and said, “Thanks, Bea. I’ll be fine, really.”

“You’ve gone through worse,” Beatrix reminded, which conjured terrible memories of Madame Doppia that the princess shook off with a shudder.

“Doesn’t mean it hurts any less. I just wish we could have found a cure for Middy!”

“Yeah. Been wishing for a lot of things lately…” Even though she tried to reassure herself, Beatrix felt at fault for causing her friends such heartache. Iclyn, Arcanum, Shadow Scythe, Zeloph. Even Midnight spoke his grievances with her! And their words rang true.

Perhaps this was also why the wayward witch chose to stay behind, instead of returning to Oona and Abadonna. Not just to keep her word, but also to ensure the cosmic abnormalities that followed her never reached them. Especially now the Cult of the Nemesis was back in full magic harvesting force…

“Y’know, I’m something of a scientist myself,” said Web Spinner, who watched the marshmallows the twins put into his cocoa melt over his crooked glasses. "I think there might be a solution to your ‘hyper-stallion’ problem.”

Cerise perked up a bit. “R-really?”

“What do you mean, Webs?” Asked Lightning Spark.

Adjusting his spectacles, the earthy unicorn explained, “Now, it’s just a theory, of course. But when Shining Armor tasked me to awaken his repressed hyper-stallionism, I set out to produce a medical formula to help release those dormant cells. It was experimental, with the risk of increasing the aging side effect.”

He took a moment to sip his chocolate drink before continuing. “I buried my nose deep in research for weeks creating that drug. I still have the calculations and equations in my head. So I’m thinking… What if there’s a way to reverse-engineer the formula? Create a new pill that neutralizes the hyper-stallion affliction rather than amplifies it?"

Hope lit up Cerise's hot pink eyes. "That… th-that would be amazing!! You can do that?!”

“Hold on, sister,” Penumbra intervened, wearing a doubtful look. “Wouldn’t that take time to produce?”

"Unfortunately, yes," affirmed Web Spinner uneasily. "Even if I were to experiment with the formula in under a year, I’d still need to test the drug safely on a hyper-stallion. It’ll take many trials until I get the right result!”

“Well, I think it's worth a shot,” encouraged the electric blue pegasus, who patted the unicorn’s hand affectionately.

Blushing faintly, Web Spinner rose up and declared, “Then there’s not a moment to lose! Blue, Strawberry. If you could assist me in setting up the basement, I’d like to begin conducting early trials!”

“Yes, sir~!” Both holstaurs said, accompanying the determined scientist while he started scribbling down a list of ingredients.

The faces of each mare lit up with delight. Cerise and Lightning hugged each other, overjoyed by the thought of finally ridding Midnight of his ailment!

Realization dawned over the princess through a gasp, turning to Beatrix. “Wait! Since a cure is underway, you could potentially take off with Iclyn!”

“Hey, yeah!” Lightning beamed. “Kill two birds with one stone!”

“And be with Oona!” The violet unicorn said longingly, her smile nearly eclipsing the other mares… only for it to fall when she reminded herself, "Oh, but a potential cure is so long off! Plus the changelings, the Cult’s return, the risk of breaking more of reality through travel… I can’t leave at such a crucial time!” She stuffed peanut butter crackers in her mouth when her shoulders slumped back down in defeat.

Scrunching her snout, Cerise assured her, “Oona needs you more than we do. As much as I can’t bear the thought of losing my husband, I don’t want you to lose out on your child's birth!”

“B-but-!!”

“We’ll find a way without you!” Lightning Spark insisted. “The universe is already falling apart. You might not get another chance!”

Yet before Beatrix could think further about a decision, a horn sounded across the villa. The party rose with tense shoulders, joining the gathering crowd of bovines.

What first was dread that the horn was announcing the invasion of the changeling swarm slowly became relief when a scout heralded the return of Moon Hammer’s cart, which pulled to a stop in the villa's square.

The minotaurs welcomed their beloved leader once he thumped down from the wagon, wrapping an arm around a couple soldiers. Leaping down next to him was-

“Moonie!?”

Cerise pushed through the crowd to see her herd mate, who jerked her head at the call of her name. Spotting the charcoal mare, the thestral cried out, “Cerise!!”

The two bat mares intertwined in a tight hug while Beatrix, Lightning, and Penumbra followed to meet with the blacksmith. Moonlight pulled away to embrace the other mares, tears leaking down her face. “I didn’t think I’d get to see you all again!”

“You’re here, now,” said the witch. “That’s all that matters.”

“Glad to see you’re alive and well,” the pale pegasus told the blacksmith, who gave a wry chuckle.

“For the most part,” he said, yanking a rope tethered to the arms of a hooded passenger. He was dragged off the cart to his knees, landing with a grunt. To everyone's dismay, Moon Hammer pulled up his hood to reveal Shining Armor.

Lightning’s glare lit up with electricity, recalling the sleazy supreme commander. “What’s he doing here?!”

“Believe it or not, he was demoted,” Moon Hammer grunted sarcastically.

“It’s true,” Shining said, avoiding their spiteful eyes. “Fiery Kickstart calls the shots now. He’s been after my position for a long time.”

“Well, that certainly makes things better,” spat Penumbra. “Both of you aren't fit to lead an army, let alone rule an empire!”

The alabaster unicorn failed to suppress a chuckle. “You sound an awful lot like Sombra when our paths crossed. And look where he ended up...!”

Before the pale pegasus could kick Shining’s royal shit in, Moon Hammer got in between the two. “Regardless of who is in command, this one shall be treated as my prisoner.”

“He deserves a lot worse,” Moonlight commented scornfully, earning a concerned look from Cerise.

Handing the rope to one of his men, the blacksmith ordered, “Tie him to a post. I’ll pry into him for information later. Right now, I wanna see my wives!”

The soldier gave a nod and pulled Shining Armor along, though not before another passenger gracefully stepped off the cart. Beatrix tilted her head and asked, “Who's the crystal maid?”

“That’s Marathyssa,” Moonlight whispered. “She’s actually a protoquen changeling!”

“A WHA—”

The batmare clasped her hand around Beatrix’s snout, preventing her from making more noise. Raising a finger, she explained, “They kept her locked away and used her like their personal cum dump! Had to get her out before Fiery and his goons captured Midnight and have them breed hyper soldiers!”

“Yeah, Deinos mentioned that was likely his plan,” Lightning recalled.

The thestral scrunched her face in perplexion. “‘Deinos?’”

“Long story,” quipped Cerise, who pushed her along. “I’ll explain once we get to the guest room!”

Skeptical, Moonlight gave a passing glance to the crystal maid, who was consulting the disgruntled Shining Armor.

“This one will be with you soon,” she whispered, placing a hand to pet the former commander’s shoulder. “But she senses her friend close by!”

The unicorn stallion gave a short nod as he watched the changeling venture off before being towed by the burly minotaur guard. Penumbra walked alongside Moon Hammer to catch each other up to speed. This left Beatrix alone to weigh her options before heading out into the fields, deciding to practice her magical discipline.

*****

“… So, just to recap,” Moonlight said after Lightning and Cerise settled her into the guest room next to Moon Hammer's. “The changeling that captured you is currently posing as a scientist and is actually one of the good guys? Meanwhile, both here and Oona’s world are preparing for war while the multiverse collapses on itself?!”

“Plus, the Cult of the Nemesis is back and likely working with Chrysalis,” added the light-blue pegasus. “Oh! And another anomaly like Beatrix might be behind all this entropy.”

Moonlight said, “… Fuck's sake, mares. We really are in the worst timeline!”

“Thankfully, Deinos— or ‘Web Spinner,’ is working on a cleansing gene that’ll sterilize Midnight’s hyper-stallion nature!” offered Cerise, optimistic that would cheer up her herd mate.

But the wingless bat mare gave a dower look and asked, “And where is he now?”

“The forest, not too far from here,” Lightning said, rubbing her forearm. “Kyube and Kitsune are watching over him and—” She caught herself, unsure if she should mention Equinox. “A-and, hopefully, he’ll calm down enough to-”

“I’m not sure I’ll be ready to face him anytime soon,” admitted Moonlight moodily.

Chewing her lip, Cerise nodded when she watched her herd mate pace away, dressed in the same two-piece maid costume she arrived in.

“Sorry. I-I didn't mean to make any of you feel bad,” Lightning began apologizing. “I’m just worried about losing my family again, that's all!”

The dancer offered a pained smile. “It’s okay, really. I understand what that’s like…”

“My dad got himself killed in the first damn changeling war. My mom is still trapped in that hive. Then I found my brother again, a-and… He becomes a thick-headed, fuck hungry pig! It’s Inexcusable!” Her mane and feathers bristled with pops of tiny sparks, overwhelmed by a surge of emotions and electricity.

She managed to collect herself and say, “But he’s still my brother! I can’t give up on him, nor should you or Moonie!”

Cerise heaved a sigh, resting her hand on Lightning’s shoulder. “I think it’s admirable you're holding out for Midnight. We all could use that level of hope. But for now, just give us time to digest things. We’ll bounce back eventually. Promise!”

Lightning pursed her lips before eventually nodding her head. “Okay, well, you better! We’re going to need you both before the swarm hits! And I’m gonna need cover when I’m out on the battlefield!”

“Are you sure? You could use some more food and rest-”

The pegasus waved her concerns away. “Pft! I’ll be fine! Thanks to my Onoma training, I could call down a storm and turn the tides in a flash!”

When she beamed widely, Cerise could easily see the resemblance between her husband and twin, that youthful exuberance and determination.

After sharing a hug and watching the young pegasus flutter off, Cerise went across the room to comfort Moonlight, looking out the window to see Penumbra assembling troops and clockwork automatons. The landscape was gradually darkening, nighttime about to settle in despite the murky clouds blocking the sun.

The charcoal princess fully took in her friend’s attire now that the hood and robe were off. Hard to believe tomboy Moonlight would be caught dead in a scanty two-piece maid costume!

Noticing Cerise’s intense stare, the thestral’s face flustered. “I-I meant to shed out of this after we got here! Not at all my style!”

The dancer giggled. “You sure? Because I think you look adorable in it~!”

Moonlight snorted. “Thanks.” She then exhaled deeply when she stood up to face her herd mate. “Cerise. I-I...” Unable to find proper words, she practically leaped into the dancer's arms, buried her face in her bosom, and burst into tears. Momentarily stunned, Cerise brushed the ex cadet's short mane while Moonlight blubbered, “I was so stupid! I shouldn’t have come here!”

Cerise's soulful pink eyes watered as she brushed through her mane and back. “Shhh! Hey, It's alright! You're here with me now. I got you.”

“I... I killed would-be comrades... Let slimeballs have their way with me just to survive… The military was supposed to be my family! And they betrayed me! Equinox was right… I'm not fit to be a soldier…”

“No! Don’t let that egotistical bitch get into your head!” Cerise practically snarled the words out. “You are better than her! Better than them!!”

“Then why is Midnight with her and not us!?”

That question struck through the princess’ chest like a cold knife. She pulled away, wholly disarrayed.

“Lightning was polite about it, but I already knew,” confessed Moonlight. “Fiery’s wives, Chezka and Panna, offered themselves, and he took them like a moth to a flame! And now he’s getting cozy with that insufferable bat bimbo, isn’t he?”

Cerise confirmed with a slight nod before proclaiming, “I don’t like it any more than you. As his wife, I’m furious he's allowed his instincts to get the better of him. But I’ve also sworn to stand by him even during his worst moments. And despite what he’s said and done, Middy needs us!”

“… No,” Moonlight asserted with a shake of her head. “He's too dead set on this war against the changelings. Fiery Kickstart is a total fanatic, and I'm afraid he’s already pulled Middy into that mindset! I have stood beside him since childhood, pining for him! And you know what that got me!?”

“Moonie, please! I understand you’re upset, but we must—”

“Forsaken by my friend and lover, ridicule from my comrades for being a cripple, the stallion I once admired and looked up to literally took my trust and fucked it in the ass! So why should I suck it up and suffer for someone who no longer values me!?”

“I VALUE YOU!!”

“THAT'S WHY I'M TRYING TO SAVE YOU!!” The bat mare cried out. “You’re the one thing that’s kept me going! I have loved you ever since you welcomed me into your herd. But you’ve gotta open up your eyes, Cerise! Things are drastically different now! This world. These people. We… don’t belong here.”

Cerise frowned with a tremble of her pouty lips. “A-and what about Midnight?”

Moonlight lowered her head, teardrops hitting the floor. “He can do whatever he wants if it makes him happy. I’m done sticking by him…”

“Are you… breaking up with our herd?”

“…”

“Moonlight..?!”

“I don’t know, okay! Just… doesn’t it seem one-sided to you?”

Cerise tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

“I get it. A hyper-stallion has his needs, but that’s been the basis of our herd ship. Always catering to Midnight’s needs! What about our needs?! Are we not important?”

Moonlight grabbed Cerise by the shoulder, staring her intensely in the eyes. “I’m tired of living in someone else's shadow. And you are too! You’re going to prove your family wrong by becoming a queen! But you know you have to make sacrifices for that to happen!”

“Moonie, I couldn’t—”

“You can!” she reaffirmed, squeezing her hands tightly. “You’re smart, athletic, and beautiful! You could have any stallion or mare you wanted! And no matter what, I’ll always be beside you too!”

Moonlight slid the princess's hand lower to the curve of her back, over the slope of toned buttcheeks that peeked out from below her pleated maid skirt.

“Please, Cerise,” she pleaded with watery eyes. “I really need you right now..!”

Before Cerise could respond, their snouts met in a hungry kiss, and the princess was practically shoved to the bed when the former cadet straddled her. The faint red glow from outside the window submerged their bodies, lost in a series of wandering hands and kisses, hopeful there would be no more interruptions once teal maned thestral disrobed her herd mate, tossing every article aside until the charcoal beauty was naked.

A wet smack and Cerise momentarily withdrew her lips to speak, connected to her lover's lips by a messy saliva trail. “M-Moonie… you… y-you’re really hot in that outfit~!”

She dragged the top down, let Moonie's shapely breasts spill out, and planted kisses across her areola. Next, she slid up the maid skirt, taking a scissoring position when their plush asses shuffled across the bed sheets until their moist cunts wetly kissed. Grinding their hips, their moans started to mix while they savored each other's radiant warmth and affection.

Cerise could feel the ambivalent emotions stew in Moonlight, like they made love to cleanse the hardship she'd endured while imprisoned. Watery squishes filled the air, and the first of many orgasms splashed across the bed."Ah...princess..." Puffed-up pussylips wetly winked, casting small splotches of lubrication that dripped down their anuses whenever their heart-shaped clits rubbed under each lusty impact.

Given no time to rest, the dark dancer huffed when her herd mate crawled over her. Grayish-purple asscheeks and a slitted mound with puffy pussylips settled over her face. Cerise spread her toned buns apart and took in the sight, and scent of her cunt and asshole before she dove into them. Moonlight spread the princess' thighs and devoured her, savoring the warmth and moisture she radiated. They lapped and fingered their partner's inflamed sex holes and worked each other up to another series of fresh releases.

Cerise reached out with a leather wing and fumbled at her bag. “Sh-should I pull out the toys? Or-”

“N-Nah… that potion Beatrix offered us. You know the one.” Moonlight's yellow eyes lit up when the vial came out, her mouth masked in princess pussy lubrication. She took the tiny bottle and spun to face her. “You ready~?”

With a deep blush, Cerise chirped, “Sure!”

She watched her lover uncork the vial and down its bubbly contents. Groans escaped Moonlight's gritted teeth as her swollen, heart-shaped clit started to throb. After a moment, it began to expand above her snatch and unfurled further as its wielder moaned, all the while, until it hardened to resemble a stallion's member.

The shaft slid between Cerise's bunched-up tits and booped her nose, not able to match a hyper-stallion's size, but quite respectable nonetheless. Its owner shuddered when the princess delicately kissed and suckled its flared, drippy tip.

Moonlight, overwhelmed by the male hormones that came with her temporary tool, felt her face and body burn with newborn types of lust. The dick throbbed painfully and spurted precum on Cerise's black tits, topped by wide pink areola. “Y-yeah! Now it’s my turn to breed you~!”

Cerise smiled at her and opened her legs wider to offer herself, feeling the horsecock fumble and brush over her slick, puffed-up pussylips, aware her lover was overwhelmed by male lusts mixed with her usual female ones. She could tell it was taking Moonlight everything she had to hold back and not rush into rutting her into submission, thankful that according to Beatrix, whatever seed spilled from this horsecock couldn't knock a mare up. “Go ahead, Moonie! Give me all you’ve got~!”

With the princess' ankles lifted to rest on her shoulders, Moonlight pushed the horse shaft into Cerise and felt those hot, slick, inviting pink canal split and spread wide open to admit her. They hissed in appreciation, and more veiny inches fed in until she finally bottomed out, her hands around Cerise's plush hips to lift them as she started to rut her with wild abandon.

“Aauuugh~! Fufu-fuck!”

Cerise tightened and soaked her breeder's lap. Sticky flesh rippled and smacked under each thrust. Eventually, one of her legs was lifted and pushed onto her side while Moonlight grunted and continued to fuck away. Then without withdrawing, she was flipped over face down, ass up, her charcoal asscheeks bounced while she was repeatedly skewered hilt deep.

Eyes momentarily crossed, nails bored into the sheets like her teeth, another squirty climax washed over her partner while she was bred into submission, surrendering to her lover. Determined to help her release all that darkness.

Moonlight squeezed the princess' asscheeks, pulled her flagged pink tail, and watched that leather wingspan spread further when she landed playful spanks on those jiggly buns while she pounded away, her teeth clenched as she grunted and felt her core tense up.

Was this how it felt when Middy took them? This sensation of dominance, the thrill of a sexual conquest that overwhelmed all reason?

Finally, she tensed up, sheathed herself in the princess fully one last time, and all the tension snapped once she started to unload. Blast-after-blast of sticky cum coated Cerise's innermost chamber, the tip of her horsecock forced past the cervix, the flare spread to lodge in place, locked in while it throbbed and spat rope-after-rope of spunk across her slippery womb walls.

The pair howled and rode out a shared orgasm, hopeful their voices wouldn't carry across the villa...or across the abode, where no doubt Moon Hammer would be ready to rut his own twin wives silly at the first opportunity.

The pair collapsed into a wet, sticky mess, Moonlight still lodged in and atop her lover, who she kissed on the cheek. “Th-thanks for that.” She discarded the soaked two-piece maid costume, sans the garters and stiletto heels, thrown aside into a pile with Cerise's attire. “I wasn't too rough on you, was I? Never realized how rut-crazy boys must feel all the time.”

“Mmmm, no,” the daughter of darkness mewled sweetly. “You were wonderful~!”

They shared a long, tender kiss and curled up into each other.

“Though I might be a little sore in the morning though,” confessed Cerise, warm seed sloshing inside her womb. She felt Moonlight's flaccid horsecock pop free from her gaped and creamed pussy, the tool shrinking until it fully turned back into a clit now that its wielder was satisfied.

“So… What’ll you-” She jumped when another rap at the door interrupted their spooning. Moonlight wrapped a clean sheet around them as she sat up. “Who's there?”

“Just Moon Hammer,” came his voice. “I'm sorry. Is this a bad time?”

“Oh, no, not at all! Matter of fact…”

The former cadet stepped naked from the sheet that slid off her curves, crossed over, and opened the door, unconcerned after all she'd been through lately. With a seductive grin and half-lidded eyes, she said, “… you came at the perfect time~!”

Cerise stared at her flabbergasted, while the minotaur curled an eyebrow in surprise when he drank in the bat mare’s athltic nude body in front of the doorway. Clearing his throat, he said, “Urmm. A-About the new arrivals-”

“You want to take me to them? Sure. But first...” Moonlight stood on her tiptoes to reach the minotaur's height and met his lips. “The twins don't seem like the jealous types. Do you have room for one more, at least for a little while?”

“Heh! I’d be a fool to say no,” replied Moon Hammer with a warm smile before glancing at the princess, who held her blanket over her chest. “So long as you’re okay with this..?”

Moonlight turned to her lover with a pleading look. And despite the returning ache in her heart, Cerise offered a pained smile and nodded. Elated, the thestral jumped into the minotaur’s arms, where he palmed her tender rump.

“Take care of yourself, Princess. And I’ll be sure to look after her,” Moon Hammer promised as he carried her herd mate away. Moonlight waved goodbye before resuming to cherish the blacksmith’s pectorals with her hands and mouth.

“Thanks…”

Cerise shifted her knees to her chest, hugging them while a whirlwind of emotions flooded her mind. Anger for her husband pursuing his own desires. Guilt for making her best friend stay behind for an empty promise.

And now, sorrow festered within her heart at the thought of her herd dissolving…

The princess shook her head and quickly rose to clean herself up, slipping back into her clothes. Aware that if she stayed alone in this dark room, she would break down again. She needed support. But to who could she turn...?

Her course decided, Cerise descended from the window into the evening breeze, almost blending into the starless sky. She sailed to meet her brother, White Shadow Penumbra, the pale pegasus stationed by the main gates.

Now came the most challenging part: the army constantly waited for signs of the enemy's arrival.

Penumbra offered her a small smile upon spotting her. “Sister! Glad to see you up and about.” She landed before him, where they hugged, his plume wrapped around her. Shiny clockwork sentinels stood still under the moon's rays, each shaped like an impossibly tall, muscular minotaur made of steel. His eyes narrowed under his turban,his snout adorned by a goatee drawn. “Do you intend to fight on the frontlines beside us, despite the risks?”

Cerise nodded and insisted, “I’m not the pampered princess I once was.” She opened her palm and formed a small glittery crystal. “I’ve come a long way with my magical prowess!”

“I can see that,” chuckled Penumbra. “But don't rely on that power too much. It was the same black magic that corrupted our father.”

“I'll be careful,” she promised, and the crystal collapsed into glittering diamond dust at her mental command. Rubbing his goatee, she asked, “You miss your wife, don't you? She’s bound to give you hell for leaving her behind!”

“Someone has to protect our nation's borders. But yes. I do miss Lily.” The crush of his sister's breasts into his tunic reminded her how pent-up he truly was. Lily offered permission to sate his needs here, and he was sure some of the holstaurs here would be quite willing. But he steeled his temptation, aware of what such indulgence did to his father and brother-in-law.

Cerise looked to the minotaurs, many of them adorned in light armor, weapons at the ready. Grim faces stared ahead. “It might be hours before the swarm attacks...if it happens at all. Maybe what you all need is a morale boost?”

He quirked a brow. "Such as...?"

The princess thought it over. “Ooh? Hang on!” She shot off into the night sky, leaving her brother and the guards momentarily perplexed. A couple minutes later, the dancer returned, adorned in her hot pink arabic bikini with decorative bells.

“My my! I haven't seen you wear that in ages!” Penumbra complimented, the eyes of many minotaurs also drawn to her supple loveliness.

She colored with a titter. “It's a special occasion! Now, if only I had some music...”

As if on cue, a few holstaurs approached, complete with instruments, and started a steady rhythm, space cleared for the princess. Cerise closed her eyes and raised her arms when she started to dance in the darkness to the claps and cheers of onlookers and the tinkle of bells.

She savored all the eyes on her, swayed her limber form in a sashay of hips, breasts, and buttocks, barely contained within her slip of a costume. A few scarcely clothed holstaurs joined in her dance, some garbed in cow print-style tops and panties like the twins; and Cerise's half-lidded, hot pink eyes had a blue hue around them under the cover of darkness when she opened them to meet her half-brother's warm stare.

A smile shared between siblings, both lost in the moment, the proverbial calm before the storm.

Usually, the princess would discard her clothes; nudity was not much of a taboo where she came from, and similar rules applied here from what she'd seen. However, Cerise didn’t feel entirely secure tonight, not knowing what would happen if she became too risqué with her audience…

If she allowed herself to devolve like Midnight or use pleasure as an escape from pain like Moonlight, the charcoal mare would never forgive herself. A future queen needed to be disciplined!

So while Cerise didn't undress, her thong had ridden down the curves of her ample buttocks, underboob exposed from her tiny top while a hot pink areola slipped into view to rowdy whistles.

Penumbra swallowed, felt his pants tighten, and wished his wife was here more than ever. He imagined she was up there on 'stage' atop a podium like his dear sister, wanting to get up there, hold his wife close to his lean muscles, and make love to her until they were both spent.

But the stoic pegasus had always denied himself life’s simple pleasure, lest he lose himself to hedonism and bloodlust, like Sombra. There was a curse in his family's tainted bloodline. A curse the swordsman was adamant about breaking.

Besides, he had no interest in cheap thrills. He needed something substantial to fulfill him.

Faster and faster, Cerise danced into a sweaty frenzy, where each pirouette threatened to bounce her assets free of their scant confines. Her pink pigtails whirled around her, bells that accentuated her clothes jingling. She swished her tail, took to the skies with her bat wings, and danced in the air to more jubilation, reminded of what Moonlight had lost with her wings clipped.

This freedom, this sense of adventure...it was almost impossible to imagine life without it after she'd tasted it.

Beads of tears flowed out the corners of her eyes. There had to be a way for her to save Midnight and Moonie!

For the princess was too afraid of a life without them both.

*****

Midnight awoke from an intense dream, heavily panting with precipitation pouring down his brow and musculature.

The bulky pegasus dreamt about being abandoned to this tree, time passing over him until he was old and gray. His once taunt muscles and handsomeness were reduced to raisin skin over bone. Then, at some point, Lightning Spark and Moonlight flew down to mock his fragile masculinity, shaming him for his selfish behavior.

“You’re disgusting, brother! It’s a wonder you're even still breathing!”

“Look how old and frail he’s gotten! Serves you right. Who could ever want a worthless sack of horseshit!?”

He tried to apologize, but no words or sound came out of his voice. All Midnight could do was take their spite before revealing their new partners. The monstrous changeling, Deinos, and Moon Hammer respectfully emerged and fucked his sister and herd mate right in front of him. Caressing their palpable assets while pumping their dicks into their soaking wet cunts. The blue stallion seethed, recalling their chants…

“That’s it, Deinos! Show him how a real stud fucks his wife~!”

“Yeah! Pound that hammer into me. Knock me up, my strong bull~!”

Both male competitors grunted and lifted their sows in their muscular arms, spreading their legs wide to show Midnight how their turgid spears reshaped Lightning and Moonlight’s fuckholes. The mares moaned for more, begging to bear their children. Midnight sobbed silently for forgiveness, his brittle limbs struggling to break free.

But the worst was yet to come. At their climax, they each dissipated into perpetual blackness that swallowed the entire forest. For a moment, there was nothing. Nothing but the sound of the pegasus’ frantically beating heart.

Then another figure swayed her way into the scene. Cerise danced naked in the darkness, flaunting her breasts and supple backside. Unlike the other mares, she offered no words of ridicule for Midnight. Just a tear-streaked glare of utter contempt.

Once again, the blue pegasus tried to call out for her. A disembodied laugh track sounded off as if something funny was said instead.

Fear escalated when a new form emerged from the blackness to join his wife in a dance. A dark unicorn with a shadowy mane that resembled her father. And he, too, stuffed his erected stallionhood inside his daughter’s tight pussy.

His hands grabbed possessively of Cerise’s charcoal tits and neck, making her squeal with every thrust of his hips. Midnight found himself petrified, unable to look away or shut his eyes.

His terrified green orbs were locked with Sombra’s crimson gaze, the older unicorn staring him down while ramming into his daughter. An inky liquid oozed out of his blacked sclera.

The unicorn king suddenly spoke, his gravely baritone layered with another voice Midnight couldn’t identify. Nonetheless, the words cut into his very soul.

“You don’t deserve her…

You never deserved her…

And now, thanks to you…

… ꇙꁝꏂ ꃳꏂ꒒ꄲꋊꍌꇙ ꓄ꄲ ꂵꏂ!”

And then Midnight woke up, still bound to the barky surface under a series of chains. No matter how much the blue pegasus struggled, his sore, bulked-up muscles proved unable to budge the steel binds.

His tired eyes found Autumn Equinox across from him, then surveyed the dimly lit area. A crackling campfire was the only source of illumination in this immense darkness.

The foxy pair worked in tandem, Kitsune placing traps around the perimeter while Kyube sent his clones to hide in the thick trees. If either were aware the hyper-stallion was awake, they didn’t show it.

“What’s even the point,” Midnight lamented, broad shoulders slumped in defeat. His nightmare had left a negative effect. “It’s no use…”

“Don't be too sure,” whispered Equinox from the other side, steadily sliding her body across the tree. “Got a few splinters in my butt and back, but just a little more time, and it’ll be worth it! Gotta wait for the right moment…” Her solitary eye watched their wardens while the male vulpine kept a lookout down from a short distance.

“No signs of trouble yet,” Kyube murmured. “Though I worry about the fire. It gives away our position.”

“Let them come,” Kitsune said firmly. “We’ll hit them long before they see us.”

A smile stretched the fox man’s snout, admiring how her rusty red hair, golden fur, and nine bushy tails danced in the wind.

Kyube briefly checked at the two rogues below, detecting no attempts at escape yet. Frowning, he said, “A little risky to be using them as bait, don’t you think?”

“Perhaps,” the vixen acknowledged. “Though I feel it’s justified, given their actions thus far. My sister would often serve as a distraction when we were on missions.”

“Ahh. Wispy Willow, Right?”

The kunoichi nodded, smiling fondly. “Often she wore extravagant and exotic dresses to charm many targets. Heh… As if she needed an excuse to show off her immaculate appearance."

Kyube couldn’t help but chuckle. “I bet she’s a real knockout like you are...”

Kitsune’s face flourished under the black hood of her attire. “I’m... nowhere near as desirable,” she admitted. Few had been brave enough to flirt with the vixen, who was still unused to all these sensations after her cybernetics were neutralized. And being close to another handsome vulpine wasn't helping her hormones.

“Well, I can’t wait to meet Wipsy once we reunite with her and Chisana,” he teased with a snicker.

“You’d like her,” Kitsune said half encouragingly. “Agile, full of life, beautiful… Everything a man or woman could desire.”

She gasped at how quickly Kyube had shifted in front of her, losing herself in his cool eyes as he gently whispered, “But this man has already found a woman he could desire…”

Kitsune’s thin blush brightened, body quivering when his finger glided to the cloth hood obscuring her face in shadow, caressing her cheek, their snouts millimeters apart.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she said with a trembling voice, “Shadow Scythe kept her name hidden from all but the one she loved. I think… should I remember mine, I’d like to do the same.”

His smile widened. “Then I look forward to the day you-gaagh!?”

Their touching moment was interrupted by a faint green aura manifesting around the vulpine, who collapsed and tumbled from a branch, only to be caught by Kitsune when she swooped down. “Kyube! What happened?”

The vixen's feet clung to the side of a tree while he hastily explained. “One of my clones was ambushed,” he panted. “Their memories just came to me!”

Her eyes narrowed. “What did you see?”

“Infected changelings,” he revealed once he was back on his feet. “Thousands of them! All rushing past here towards the minotaur village! Took out my copies the moment they were spotted! We have to warn Beatrix and co...”

Kyube heaved a long breath as they descended to the campgrounds, where the shackled pegasus and bat mare picked up on their conversation.

“The experience shared from your clone has weakened you,” Kitsune noted dourly. “You need to stay here and recover while I go.”

“H-hey, don’t count me out yet,” the bandit said with a cheeky grin. “I’ve still got plenty of tricks up my sleeve. Still, it’s probably for the best. I’ll watch them; you go.”

Once she was confident he could stand on his own, Kitsune turned to leave… before quickly planting a soft kiss on his cheek. It was Kyube’s turn to fluster bashfully.

“Kōun o, watashi no ai,” she said before covering her smiling visage and hurrying back into the air. The vixen zipped across the branches so fast Kyube's head nearly spun while he stroked the wet spot on his cheek.

He couldn’t help but chuckle warmly. “Dono yōna josei~!”

All it took was that momentary distraction for the marauder to slip out of her bounds, sneak behind the smitten fox, and clock the back of his head with a balled up fist. The knocked-out fox bandit crumpled into the dirt at her feet.

“Not so slick now, huh, foxy?” Equinox spat sarcastically and fished through Kyube's pouch for his tools. Once she found a key, she rushed back to Midnight and unclicked the locks. The chains fell away, and the male pegasus rubbed his wrists. “If we hurry now, we can follow her back to the villa before-”

Her plan was cut off by a connecting fist to her jaw, propelling her on staggered legs. Clutching her bruised cheek, the bulky bat mare sneered at her attacker. “Gaagh! What the fuck?!”

Midnight glared back at her, flexing his oversized plumage. “Look what you’ve done to me! My family and friends hate me! Because of you, I'm now a pariah! I don't even know what I’m doing anymore!” He slammed his fist into the tree trunk, nearly splitting it in half with a sharp crack.

“Oh, don’t you dare put your blame on me!” Equinox barked back, shoving a finger into his bare chest. “Just because you can’t stomach the thought of being in your loser friends' bad grace! Well, news flash, genius. You did this to yourself! Now, quit your whining and be a man!”

Her taunt was met by a growl as he grabbed her arm, threatening to crush her wrist. She winced a little, her snarl twisting into a grin. “You wanna dance, pretty boy? Don't start something you're not prepared to finish!” The amazonian mare broke his grip and kneed him in the belly.

It only served to fuel his fury before Midnight lunged for the marauder.

They wrestled and traded blows next to Kyube's unconscious form, the risk of alerting the oncoming swarm not even a passing thought. Unlike his herd mates, he figured this brutal bitch could take whatever punishment he threw her way. Equinox tanked his punches, threw back her own flurry and a series of kicks, while the pair tumbled in a scatter of wet leaves across the soil.

For a moment, she rolled atop and straddled him, pinned him down with a mad cackle, after which Midnight seized her top and tried to yank her off. Cloth tore with an audible shred, breasts bared to the cool night air that made her nipples perk up. “Filthy hypocrite,” she scoffed. “Complaining about hurting your wife when you’re not even trying to keep your hands off me! Admit it! You’re a dirty fucker, just like your old man!”

“I am not my father!!” He snarled with a strained breath.

“At least he had the balls to fuck me. Hell, he was this close to getting into your twin sister’s pants before I-“

That made Midnight bellow with rage, throwing the thestral down into the dirt and slamming the wind from her chest. “Shut up!!”

“What are you holding back for! You think I can’t take it!? I’m not gonna coddle you like your soft-hearted sluts!!”

“Shut your fucking mouth!!”

“Then make me, you half-ass piece of shit! Stop treating me like a fucking flower, and FUCK ME!!”

His hand slipped into the side of her bikini-style bottoms and, with a snap, ripped it off clean. Her muscled ass and mound were left exposed. Equinox arced her back and arched her breast when the hyper-stallion's cock finally spilled from his ripped pants and fully sank into her waiting pussy without mercy. She writhed, howled and squirted over her conqueror's crotch, feeling his turgid cock batter her cervix and claim her womb. He shouted, “This what you wanted? Huh?!”

“Yessss~!” She hissed her euphoria, driven into a mating press by the virile stud; her cunt and asshole flexed when he started to ruhtlessy pound her into the earth. Her leather wings bent, her nails dug into his muscled back, and her legs wrapped around his midsection. Her buttocks slapped and bounced under each brutish thrust. “Aaaauhh, that’s it, Middy! Fuck me like the pathetic pig you are! 'Cause unlike your bitches, I'm not-umph~! Content to lie and take it!”

Limbs wrapped around him so he couldn't withdraw from her cunt; Equinox tossed him onto his back and raked her nails across his chest while she started to ride him. Midnight’s eyes were half-white, lost in a hyper-stallion lust haze to breed a fertile female; her breasts bounced above her toned tummy each time she impaled herself womb-deep on an oversized hyper-horsecock, muscled asscheeks clapped atop him.

This dance continued over-and-over, as each one wrestled for control and dominance, their rage unleashed in a hatefuck fest of epic proportions when she continued to remind him she'd fucked his father and twin sister...not to mention how he relentlessly mocked his wife and childhood friends. His shaft swelled larger than ever to compete with Deinos and Moon Hammer, who outsized even a hyper-stallion. But some dark part of him wanted to spread this bitch wide until he split her in half. The batmare yelped in a mix of pain and pleasure, felt and saw his tool leave a ludicrous impression across her filled stomach.

“Fuuuuuhuhuck! S-so full~!!” She cried out, cumming once more all over his fat dick, shaft lined with thick veins that throbbed angrily. Shuddering in another messy orgasm, it was a simple matter to spin her, the bitch still wrapped around his cock when he shoved her face first into the dirt and brutally mounted his bitchy broodmare to finally put her in her place.

Midnight yanked her tail and landed slaps across her buttocks like he had with Cerise and Moonlight many times. But unlike the ones he loved, the pegasus found no reason to hold back. No, some brutish part of the hyper-stallion wanted to violently punish this hardass slut!

Equinox shuddered when he sheathed himself beyond her cervix and started to unload into her core, determined to knock his claimed bitch up!

“Holy...shit~!!” She wheezed as she rode on many more micro orgasms; her muscled belly swelled up by an excessive amount of cum fired into it, left to slosh as tiny swimmers sought out her eggs in an attempt to gangbang them into submission. With his needs sated, sanity started to return to Midnight...and with it came shame and horror at the line he'd finally crossed.

“Cerise...Moonlight...” He popped free in a deluge of her juices, and his spunk, which oozed from her gaped pink carnal canal, felt his stallionhood start to soften. “I'm not like my father...I'm not...”

Hastily, he recovered what he could of his torn clothes, threw them on, and shot to the sky, his eyes blinded by hot tears when he raced to intercept the incoming storm. "I just wanted to be a noble knight,’ he lamented internally. "Not a sex-crazed beast...I have to make things right somehow! Cerise, Moonlight… I’m coming!"

“H-hey, wait!” Equinox called out, leaning on a tree to stand on shaky limbs, a deluge leaking from her raw pussy. “I'm not finished with you!”

Grumbling, the nearly satisfied marauder retrieved her torn garments and flew after him. Yet despite how hard she pushed herself, her bat wings proved unable to catch up with the speedy pegasus, who left an azure blur in his wake.

Moments later Kyube rubbed the back of his bruised skull, uncertain how long he'd been out. His ears perked in alert, eyes widened to see the captives gone, and a massive swarm was between him and the way back to the village.

“Shit!!”

Gathering what wasn’t stolen from his belongings, the bandit leaped into the trees. Leaves scattered from every branch he bounced across, aware there was no time for subtlety when speed was of the utmost essence.

Ahead of them, the Mi-Go-infested swarm continued to close in on the villa. The black mass converged from all directions underneath the cover of darkness, to slake the parasitic hunger that now dominated their consciousness...

*****

Chrysalis maintained her connection to the Mi-Go toadstool within her glowing emerald chamber. She was submerged naked in a pool that sloshed around her voluptuous curves, trying to blot out her recent meeting with the Cult of the Nemesis… but to no avail.

Every time she closed her eyes, flashes of Flurry Heart’s horrified face, accompanied by her blood-curdling screams, bombarded her psyche.

Why did this haunt her so? Countless unicorns had been sacrificed, their horns refashioned into wands in use for their enigmatic purpose. And yet, the fact that the cultists she ‘aligned’ with weren't above using children to supplant their nefarious leader’s needs frightened her.

Not that Chrysalis would ever show fear to the likes of them. Once she achieved victory in the war with the Crystal Empire, the Nemesis and the anomaly they served under would be next!

She didn't dwell on her vendetta for long when a distorted shadow announced the approach of an acolyte. Hooded robes made their features unseen, the sigil of an almond-shaped eye between teeth embedding their red cloak. To remain anonymous was their identity, though their spokesman, who was walking towards her pond, had graced her with a name.

Chrysalis rose with a splash as liquids trailed down her curves. “Vox,” she addressed with a stern glare. “This better be important.”

“I think you’ll find that it is,” the cultist said after a deep chuckle. “We’ve found what you’ve requested, your majesty.”

Her tattered eyes opened wide at this announcement.

“XIII! V! XI! III! Fetch my property!”

Her voice echoed across her chambers, and her harem of changelings buzzed to life. A unique bunch bred solely for her pleasure from the most handsome and beautiful of her brood. The majority were males, with a few females to add spice, not that gender mattered as much to their kind. Like the cult, none of them went by anything outside numbers, nor wore clothes unless she chose to dress them up for amusement.

Vox appeared to float to one side in billowing robes, hands hidden in the sleeves of their robes as the four changeling slaves snapped to obey. Despite how long it would take to breed more like them, they were not soldier drones and, therefore, expendable. Their queen killed many of them when they failed to make her reach climax or had otherwise disappointed her.

The foursome dragged a crystalline sarcophagus into the rocky cavern. “Careful,” Chrysalis hissed. “Don't scratch it, or I'll have your ovipositor put in a vise!”

Her eyes lit up when she emerged on the bank, a trail of gooey liquids cascading behind her, and she hunched to trace a palm across the casket's surface. “Yeeesss! Ohoho, yes!! I can feel the umbral energy wafting from within! This is it!”

“You sound pleased,” noted Vox.

“More than pleased,” cooed Chrysalis, who stroked the limp member of her boytoy in appreciation and felt him shudder as precum beaded the tip of his flared equipment. No doubt she'd make use of her harem later to celebrate this momentous occasion.

“Consider this a reward for maintaining accordance with the anomaly’s ambition,” the spokesmen said with a bow.

“‘Anomaly.’ Ugh! Surely, they can allow me the decency of knowing their name?”

“The less you know of something, the more-”

“More you begin to fear it,” Chrysalis filled in with annoyance. “Yes, yes, fine! Keep your secrecy. If there’s nothing else to discuss, then kindly fuck off!”

Vox nodded as he and his fellow acolytes traveled through the dark corridor. Their hidden gaze remained fixated on the obsidian coffin. “A petty ghost trapped between rifts. I’m almost curious about his role in our plans.”

Once certain the cult had vanished entirely, the queen allowed herself to wriggle with excitement at what lay entombed within her new prize.

“Sombra… at last, you're mine~!”

Chapter 13

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Practicing what her teachers had taught her by herself, Beatrix watched the trio of elements she conjured combine into a spinning sphere, its glow refracted across her violet eyes and skin. Her platinum hair, cape, and hat aflutter from the winds.

“Not bad,” she told herself. “But not enough!”

Beatrix concentrated on tripling the size of the tri-elemental spell while maintaining control over its stability, only stopping when she knew it would burst. Satisfied, the witch gently allowed it to fizzle and shrink, red, blue, and yellow wisps of the elements evaporating into the air.

“Got to be in top shape if I'm about to take on two whole armies. Not to mention that damned cult..!”

The unicorn mare brushed the eye-shaped Prima Materia that held her cape in place, her connection to the Demiurge, which the Cult of the Nemesis once coveted. But thanks to her Onoma, Erebus, she’d learned to work with the abomination.

Her frown resurfaced. “I’ve overcome that fate! I’ve proven darkness can be used to protect and save others! If not for Oona, I…”

Beatrix paused her self-motivating talk once the subject of her beloved came up. Her snout scrunched, feeling her chest tighten. She must be so damn worried and alone, praying for her safe return!

And yet, here she was, preparing to fight a battle that probably didn’t need her.

Outside of the threat the Nemesis posed with their reappearance, the feud between the Crystal Empire and the Chrysalis Hive wasn’t that complicated to resolve, in the grand scheme of things. Even with the numbers against them, their side boasted incredibly potent casters, bruisers, and even a few swift ex assassins.

Then, once Chrysalis was out of power, Marathyssa seemed like a suitable replacement to ingest her royal jelly! As for Fiery Kickstart, the witch was certain Moon Hammer wouldn’t allow him and his followers a chance to continue his supremacist regime.

So did Beatrix really need to ensure their desired outcome? Or was Iclyn, and others of a similar mindset, right in accusing her of avoiding rejoining Oona’s side for the sake of continuing this adventure?

“No,” she reaffirmed, shaking away these lingering doubts. “If I return to them now, I’ll bring this catastrophic mumbo jumbo with me. That’s the last thing I want to do! I have to stay until I’ve sorted this out!”

“And how long will that be, I wonder…”

Beatrix jumped at the chilly voice of her cold-hearted instructor behind her. The witch groaned, resting a hand over her voluptuous chest. “I hate it when you do that! I feel like I’m one hop from an early grave every time!”

The cyan doe snorted. “I wouldn’t kill you. Just leave you perpetually frozen for the remainder of time, letting all who see you bask in your failure.”

The image of being a perpetual popsicle sent a shiver down the violet mare’s spine. “Would you at least give me the honor of picking my final pose..?”

Iclyn gave a dry huff. “Unlikely.”

“Figures,” the wayward witch pouted. “So did you come just to ridicule me some more, or...?”

“Actually, I’m here to tell you I’ll be off shortly,” informed Iclyn. “Arcanum Folklore says he’s making final preparations. Thought I’d let you know.”

“Ohh… well, thank you,” said Beatrix. “Really, for everything. I wouldn’t have-”

“Save it for after you manage to undo this mess,” the icy deer cut off before turning around to walk. “Better yet. Save it for the enormous apology you owe Oona and Abadonna.”

Beatrix’s face hardened, brows furrowed as she watched the deighdyr enter her tent. She could tell this wasn’t a normal insult. Iclyn was subtly challenging her to back up her choice. So the witch would respond accordingly, treading after her icy instructor through the polyester flaps.

Inside, Beatrix gave a sharp noise of surprise, her eyes drawn to the cyan doe's naked figure as she shed her winter coat. The contours were feminine, her chest small yet nowhere near boyish. Iclyn’s round shapely backside could possibly rival hers. Hell, even Moxxi’s full figure! Of course, her female assets were offset by the limp penis hanging between her slender legs.

Beatrix gulped, face flourishing. She never noticed how sexy the snow fawn was, unable to help but stare.

“Take a picture,” Iclyn scoffed. “It’ll last longer.”

“Eh! S-sorry!” The blushing unicorn said, clearing her throat. “Any reason you’re, uh…”

“Was about to shower,” answered the cynical doe. “Figured I wouldn’t have a chance when the bugs arrived.”

“Yeah. Won't be much room for fun then…”

Her antlers glimmered with auroral light as a swirling gray nimbus formed from the atmosphere, showering the transsexual deer with small flakes that melted over her blue fur. Beatrix continued to stare awkwardly, prompting Iclyn to roll her eyes and increase the cloud’s size to provide more room.

Getting the hint, the violet witch waved her hand to magic away her attire and took to the cyan doe’s side under the frost shower. She did her best not to quiver too much while enveloped by the icy mist.

“This is an… unorthodox way to get clean,” admitted Beatrix. “But it does feel nice!”

“Less of a mess this way,” Iclyn commented, rubbing her arms and shoulders.

With a heavy sigh, the unicorn witch relented. “I’m… not sure whether I'm making the right decision. What will happen to Oona and Abadonna, now that the Cult of the Nemesis is back?” Beatrix tried to relax her tensed muscles while stroking her forearms and thighs. “What if they're like the Eldritch and can hound me across dimensions? I have to finish them here!”

“You would be leading them to a land full of battle-ready warriors,” Iclyn pointed out.

Beatrix grunted, “Yeah, who probably blame me for the war brought to their islands.”

“And why should that matter? You already make adversaries on a daily basis. Half of your friends were enemies, yes?”

“Y-yeah, but—“

“Look,” the deighdyr interrupted again, staring Beatrix stone cold. “I don’t know what the correct course of action is, if I were you. But I’d do it regardless because I love Oona. Is your reputation more important?”

Beatrix pushed back with her own glare. “Of course not! I love her with all my heart. It pains me being this far away from her for so long!”

“Then leave with me to the Isle of Parras, defend her and your child against Tatyana during Walpurgisnacht. Have faith your friends can hold the fort here in your absence. Not everything has to revolve around you!”

“B-but the Cult! They’ll… I-I—“

“Or stay and fight for your friends on a crumbling planet while your lover, her family, and I face the Sovereign Witch and her allies by ourselves.”

Beatrix curiously questioned, “How come you’re not confident you can take them?”

“I am. But I’m also not a colossal dumbass like you,” she spoke down sternly. “Nothing is guaranteed. All I know is that I would rather live life without more regrets weighing me down.”

The witch heaved, slumping her shoulders. “Hard to believe that when I feel I’ll regret any choice I mak-wuaahey!!”

Iclyn jerked the busty witch closer to her, a hint of a blush on her cold color cheeks. “The only time you’re cautious about your decisions is after the world goes to shit. Gods, you’re so pathetic. I’d feel more disgusted about this if you didn’t look so fucking adorable.”

Before the violet mare could stammer out a response, the frost doe crashed her snout into hers again, suckling Beatrix's lower lip. Gently but firmly, she pushed the witch back onto a bed, trailed one hand across that platinum hair tinged by violet tresses and the other across one of those motherly thighs.

Hands wandered amidst needy kisses, Iclyn offering a stiff groan when Beatrix laid her hands on her chest, groping her tiny breasts. Likewise, hers could only grasp the bottom of the witch’s hefty chest, opting to just smack across her wobbly titties.

“A-aaugh~!”

“These fat cow tits,” grunted Iclyn, slapping each gelatinous mound. “Your stupid clothes barely fit; I’m surprised you don’t just walk around naked.”

While the deighdyr tugged on each deep purple nipple, coaxing more moans out of the witchy bimbo, her aurora green eyes leered down her slim stomach, and a smile formed upon spotting how wet her quivering slit was.

“You getting off to me bullying you, skank?”

When Beatrix didn’t produce the correct response, Iclyn delivered another harsh slap across her bosom, making her cry out, “Yeeeaaass!!”

“Masochistic freak,” the doe taunted in amusement before rubbing her sore tits. The whimpering witch attempted to return the favor by stroking down her chest and stomach… but paused when it neared Iclyn’s stiff erection. It wasn’t small by any means, though it couldn’t compare to the monstrous beast shaft Omen packed. Still, it was unusual to feel up a girl’s penis that wasn’t a product of magic or an elixir.

“I-I, um…I’ve never laid with someone like you,” she confessed sheepishly. “I'm not really sure how-”

“I’ll show you,” Iclyn assured, her monotone dipping into a softer voice.

The blue doe pressed herself into the witch’s perky body, layering soft kisses between her breasts and stiff areola before trailing down her navel. Beatrix squealed when she felt that cold wet tongue drag along her soaked labia and winking clit.

“Y-you're good at this,” she admitted and pressed her crotch harder into the snow fawn’s snout. Iclyn's reply was muffled while focusing on reaching deep with her tongue, earning more writhing moans out of Beatrix, who teased her nipples with slow circles. Warm mare cum leaked out of her moist pussy, staining Iclyn’s lips and Beatrix's puckered pink sphincter.

Her antlers briefly glowed when she formed an ice cube, rubbing it along Beatrix's slim stomach. Goosebumps dotted the witch, who shuddered and squirmed, helpless to do anything but give into her teacher’s foreplay. Naturally, the ice dissolved, a trail of water left to slide down her smooth belly for Iclyn to lap up.

The deighdyr fingered and tongued her slutty partner, making Beatrix twist and coo beneath her. Sensing she was nearing her peak, Iclyn withdrew her snout and replaced it with her hardened cock, poking the tip in and out of her winking snatch in teasing fashion.

“H-hurry, please!” Beatrix whined. “I was so close!”

“Louder,” Iclyn ordered, a cruel smile twisting her snout. “Let the whole ville know what a desperate whore you are!”

Her cheeks brightened with embarrassment before she cried out, “Pleeease pound my pussy like the pathetic slut I am! I can’t go one minute without wanting to get fucked~!!”

“There she is, back in full force,” the cyan doe chortled before slipping her turgid tool inside those velvety folds, shuddering from how hot it was inside Beatrix. Those slick pink canal walls wrapped around her shaft, trying to pull her further inside.

The pair started off with a steady rhythm, hips bucking into each other. Beatrix's oversized breasts bounced under each slow but firm thrust. She tightened around that cock, and wrapped her legs around Iclyn's back and butt to draw her in closer once she picked up the pace to take her.

“Bet you’re imagining Omen or some other creature in my place, huh?” Iclyn grunted, grabbing a handful of plump purple tit to squeeze.

Between pants, Beatrix replied, “Y-you can call me a dirty monster fucker all you want. But like you, I didn’t-ooh~! chose my biology! It's the Demiurge inside me...wants me to get knocked up by the most powerful eldritch entities p-possible...!”

“K-keep telling yourself that,” teased Iclyn as she began to rut her into the creaking bed more violently. “Just an excuse to take all kinds of monster dick. Or tentacles, or whatever other twisted thing you want stuffed in your fuckholes!”

“M-maybe a little...never could be fully satisfied without drowning my womb in cum~! Can’t get pregnant, other than in special cases, anyway~!”

“Yeesh, more pregnant talk? You must miss having a foal in your belly that badly!”

With a wordless cry, Beatrix marked Iclyn with the first climax to come, uncaring of how her paramours used her so long as she left pleased. A fact many were quick to take advantage of, Iclyn included, who tensed up and fired her load into that barren womb.

Of course, she hardly stopped there. Iclyn rose, shifting Beatrix to further bend her over the bed. And after drawing rings across her rectum until it was smeared by the cocktip under feminine lube, Iclyn used that mixed nectar to help shove up her ass. "Yikes...!" Beatrix's buttcheeks slapped under her thrusts, sodomized by the doe, who harshly yanked on her platinum mane and tail.

Beatrix stared out the open tent flap at the blackened sky, her pendulous breasts left to hang and swing, enhanced by the moonlight that fell across them. Due to alchemical enhancement, her titties had blossomed to the limits of her natural cup size, not to mention the exaggerated jiggle she gave them, which drew the eyes of stallions and mares alike since they wobbled like delicious mounds of flan whenever she moved.

The violet witch cried out from the raw passion her lover brought. Asscheeks were spanked, squeezed, and kneaded as Iclyn repeatedly slammed into her ass with every inch of herself. Her half-lidded eyes wandered to the villa outside, where minotaurs gathered to clap and cheer, holstaurs played instruments and danced, and in the center of it all was Cerise, the barely clothed princess dancing and pulling simple tricks in flight, her cheer infectious to the onlookers.

She came anew when cum surged up her bowels; the cock popped free as more ropes of cum were fired across her lower back and buttocks, glazed and shiny under the moon's rays to match Beatrix's matted, sweaty fur. Iclyn huffed, her snowy white hair disheveled. “Had enough?”

“Nu-uh! You still have one hole left to fill~!” Beatrix spun around to kneel before the icy doe, planting wet sloppy kisses and licks all over Iclyn’s meat popsicle, which throbbed in approval.

“Nnhgh… I-insatiable floozy,” Iclyn groaned, but was nonetheless content when she stroked her bitch mare’s mane, while she eagerly serviced the snowy cervine with lewd slurps and head bobs.

It didn't take long before Iclyn clenched up, Beatrix desperately rubbing and fingering her still winking, creamed cunt as her cheeks ballooned and swallowed down Iclyn's final load. She withdrew halfway through and stuck out her tongue, letting more bursts coat it and her face, forced to close one eye as a particularly violent cumshot exploded across her blushing face.

Inevitably, Iclyn collapsed onto the sheets in an exhausted mess, another deluge coaxed out by Beatrix's fingers buried in her snatch until she, too, reclined face-to-face beside her. Their fingers interlocked, lost in their afterglow.

“Huh… not bad,” Iclyn admitted through husky breaths. “Wasn’t expecting to go that far.”

“Me neither,” Beatrix agreed, chest rising and falling. “Thanks. You were way hotter than most of the ‘monsters’ I’ve taken~.”

“Pft. You’re just saying that.”

“No, I mean it!” The witch shuffled closer to look Iclyn in the eyes with sincerity. “I may be a fetish freak, but nothing feels more pleasurable than making love with your peers.”

The snow fawn looked taken aback by this statement; her eyes widened a bit. “You… consider me that highly? Even when I’ve done nothing but insult you?”

Beatrix nodded, throwing her a sly wink. “I wouldn’t have been able to discipline myself properly without your ‘help.’ You might not be the most approachable person in the world, but I know you’ll give it to me straight when the others won’t. Inside that icy shell, you’re one of the most caring people I know. And you know what? I’m glad Oona pushed us together.”

Iclyn was speechless. Truly moved by her acknowledgment and acceptance. Not only of her preferred gender, but her whole being. For so long, it boggled her what Oona could see in such a pig-headed witch-bitch. Only now could she look past the childish bravado and see the wonderful, loving mare her ex spoke highly of.

A rare, genuine smile graced her snout as she replied, “… I think I am too.”

The unlikely couple spooned each other for a few minutes, soaked in each other's radiant heat, when the music suddenly stopped. Instead, murmurs started to rise from the crowds outside.

Beatrix strained to rise and peer out the tent. “Huh? Why did-”

Iclyn rose beside her, eyes narrowing. “Trouble!”

What at first appeared to be a storm cloud that eclipsed the moon soon became clear was a swarm of Mi-Go-infested changelings in the distance, ready to converge on the village.

“No time to waste,” the snow fawn said, summoning another cold shower to douse them both down. Beatrix shivered, dried off, then waved a hand to place their clothes back on. Then, conjuring Erebus in an inky cloud, she gathered Iclyn close and opened the flap where she floated down to the town square.

Several of their allies were scrambling to their positions, with more on the way once the warning horns sounded. Penumbra brandished his white scimitar to point at the blackened moon and announced, “The enemy will be here in an hour, at most. Prepare yourselves for a long siege. The Mi-Go won’t rest until we’re dead...or worse. Far worse. But stand united! We’ll outlast them all!”

“Well said,” snorted Moon Hammer, his blacksmith hammer resting over a broad shoulder. “Noncombatants! Take your places, so we can protect you.” His men helped herd the holstaurs away to shelter. When Moonlight stumbled up while pulling up her pants, he held out his hand. “Miss Moon, you shouldn’t-”

“Like hell I’m staying on the sidelines while you boys have all the fun,” the thestral barked back, a grin on her face. “Better believe I’ll be fighting beside you!”

“As will I!” Cerise said, landing beside him while adjusting her top from quickly changing back to her normal attire. “I can form a barrier around the village!”

“Best to save it, sister,” Penumbra suggested. “Those crystal constructs fade after a time. It also drains you to maintain them.”

“O-okay,” she pouted before slipping beside Moonlight, who handed her herd mate some light armor to adorn. Small pieces that wouldn’t interfere much with her movements.

A cosmic black cloud dissolved once Beatrix and Iclyn entered the scene. “Where's everyone else?”

“Arcanum is still working on that ritual,” Moon Hammer answered. “The ‘maid’ is assisting Deinos with creating a cure for Midnight's and Shining’s condition. The former commander is under watch by my most trusted warriors, while my wives are tucked away with the non-combatants. And...oh! Almost forgot!” The bull-man approached his cart and shuffled through what his men had delivered in a clatter of metal, his snout split in a smirk.

Moonlight sucked in a breath. “Is-is that...?”

“Yep. Tuned up and ready for battle. Same for you, Penny.” The minotaur unveiled a slab where the newly refined bat wing constructs, somewhere between the cybernetic and magical ones he fused, a beautiful clockwork mechanism that shimmered under the moon's kiss. Likewise, a meticulously crafted metal arm rested
on display. “They should snap right into place and bond to your bodies. Go ahead, try them on.”

Wetness filled Moonlight's eyes when Cerise helped her place the wings into the scar slits on her back, and like he promised, the enchanted clockwork mechanisms melded with her flesh. Moonlight released something between a sharp cry of pain and a low moan, flexing her wingspan. “Th-they feel like my old wings...so sensitive,” she said with a blush as Cerise tenderly stroked them.

Penumbra discarded his false arm on the slab and slipped the mercury clockwork arm into place. He twisted it, flexed its fingers, and found it moved faster. Likewise, he squeezed the slab and lifted his brow once the metal cracked and bent.

“I've loaded the prosthetics down with weapons too,” explained Moon Hammer. “Darts hidden in the wings that can be tipped in poisons, like you specified. Tiny metallic bolts that can be fired at will from your mercury arm at a rapid pace, exactly what we may need to turn the tide.”

He smiled wider when Moonlight threw her arms around him and kissed his snout with tears. “Oh, thank you! Thank you so much! Can't wait to fly..!”

“You will soon,” he promised. Then he whispered, “And if you want to thank me later, you can always put on that maid costume again~.”

She held back a flirtatious giggle and nodded as one of his meaty hands squeezed one of her plush buttcheeks through her leather pants.

“My dear Lily should be pleased too,” snickered Penumbra, who found the silver hand could vibrate with a low hum under his will.

Cerise then asked, “What about our friends outside? Middy, Kitsune, and Kyube are still out there! Oh, and Equinox, I guess…”

She hated the marauder, especially after weaseling her way into her husband’s lap. But that didn’t mean she wanted her to die!

Penumbra said, “You were putting together a scouting party and supplies in an attempt to rescue them, weren't you Moon Hammer?”

“Don’t worry, I already sent them out,” the minotaur said, frowning. “But with the swarm between them, their chances aren't looking good. Nonetheless, I can't risk any more of my people.”

Grimly, Penumbra nodded. “They’ll have to try and make it on their own. Fortunately, relatively speaking of course, it appears the majority of the swarm is drawn this way. No doubt to try and claim the women here for the hive. Barbaric.”

“Leaving them out there was a mistake!” Cerise tightened her hold on her spear. “We should've-”

“Midnight and Equinox are loose cannons,” her brother reminded, wrapping his arms and plumage around his shaking sister. “The vulpines appear quite capable of looking after themselves, though I believe they're still hopeful the cosmic storm might send Chisana and Wispy Willow back to this dimension. No wonder they volunteered.”

“The cosmic interference did get pretty crazy there,” Lightning Spark added, recalling the powerful voltage her Onoma summoned. After a heavy meal, she had repaired her Wonderbolts-styled costume and taken up a spear of her own, all of them provided by the minotaur.

Everyone took their places, gates locked down on all sides of the village, and minotaur soldiers at the ready. Over the next hour, while they waited, a buzz started to become audible, carried on the wind while blackness swallowed up the moon…

White Shadow Penumbra's keen eye spotted the first changeling that closed in on the village. He flew to intercept it and, with his sword arm upraised, he chopped down and shouted, “Fire!”

Arrows whizzed from the ballista and archers, a hail of arrows slamming into the angry black cloud that buzzed in the distance. High-pitched screeches resonated through the skies as dozens of the invaders were impaled and left to spiral, discolored blood pouring down like oily rain.

But the pale pegasus assumed Queen Chrysalis sent her most disposable drones first. The real threats were yet to come. While the archers reloaded, the small number of casters stepped in to cover them, led by Beatrix and Iclyn, since magicians were all but nonexistent in this solitary villa. The skies lit up and screamed in a wave of mixed elements, launched from open palms.

Scorched and frozen corpses tumbled outside the walls. Holstaurs warded their young into shelter. For a moment, the area quieted down, until a scout with a telescope in hand rushed to Moon Hammer's side. “Another wave incoming!”

The minotaur nodded grimly and turned to Cerise. “Princess-!”

“Already on it!” She chirped, raising her arms, and erecting a wall of crystalline that enveloped a small radius around the villa, her features tensed in concentration. Beads of sweat formed and rolled down charcoal fur and skin as she worked.

“Remember not to exert yourself too much, sister!” warned Penumbra, who hovered above and fired a small spray of bolts. “Should you pass out, the barricade will crumble instantly-!”

“I know, I know! Quit babying me!” Cerise shouted it more sharply than intended, determined to prove to everyone else and herself how useful she could be. But the charcoal mare took heed of her brother’s caution, cognizant she couldn’t keep the crystal barricades up forever.

Half the swarm buzzed ahead and ended up trapped past the crystalline barrier, rendering them easy pickings for Moonlight and Lightning, who'd gone ahead with the ground troops to deal with any strays that breached their shield.

Bolts of electrical plasma hissed and popped each time they lit up the air as Lightning Spark called upon the power of Hebe, the arcane form of electromancy she had yet to master, but appeared to be bolstered by the cosmic storm. At her side, Moonlight's prosthetic wings launched rows of tiny darts tipped in toxins that thudded into the enemy's shiny obsidian exoskeletons.

The pair of mares left blurs behind them, able to zip at unbelievable speeds. A few strays escaped, and Penumbra sailed down after them, soon back-to-back with Moon Hammer, the minotaur's war hammer hefted to crush more drone skulls.

Like a white whirlwind, Penumbra's scimitar diced limbs from drones whenever he dive-bombed to aid Moon Hammer, the latter awash in insect chunks and ooze. The minotaur snorted at the foul odor left in their wake wherever they expired. “Yugh! This will take weeks to clean out,” he grumbled as slime sluiced down his armor, vein-line muscles tensed to deliver a fresh two-handed blow that smashed another invader.

“Occupational hazard,” mused Penumbra, his silver arm raised, whereupon it launched more metal bolts. Like a cloud of shrapnel, it tore apart the black carapace of a drone that shrieked and tumbled to the earth. Left to thrash in its slime, the swordsman marched forward and, with a precise stroke, removed its head to end its misery. “No casualties reported on our side...yet.”

“Good. Let's keep it that way!” Moon Hammer's muscles rippled, and with another swing of his weapon, he smashed a drone from the air and splatted the infected insect's innards across the raised podium Cerise had recently danced upon.

Underground, the land shook under the blasts of spells. Sediment drifted from the ceiling and left a dusty cloud around Deinos, who used his six limbs to furiously complete his experimental pill with what was on hand. No longer confined to a pony form meant he could work thrice as fast.

Marathyssa, still disguised as a crystal maid, held her hands over her ears. “This one can hear the pained screams of our brethren,” she whimpered. “The noise feels awful…and profoundly sad!”

“I know,” acknowledged the arachnomorph, brows furrowed with concentration. “But we must bear through this travesty if we’re to survive the night. Once Chrysalis has fallen, what remains of the hives will look to you as our future sovereign.”

“This one doesn’t feel ready…”

“You will be,” Deinos reassured, looking at her with hopeful red eyes. “Radiant Hope believed you were meant for greatness. And If any changeling was meant to liberate us, it would be you, a protoquen that never coveted power.”

Marathyssa held back her complaints and patiently watched her mutant friend mix around with his equipment, and shuffle chemical liquids around various flasks until eventually…

“Done!” he announced, the contents of his concoction funneled into a capsule. He examined the details with each of his six eyes. “With Midnight currently unavailable, Shining Armor will have to serve as our first test subject!”

Marathyssa accepted the pill with pursed lips. “This one knows he wishes to make amends. And to do so, he must have an opportunity to prove himself worthy of redemption.”

“Just be careful,” the spider changeling gently urged, stroking the crystal maid's prismatic cheek. “We can’t afford to lose you, protoquen.”

“You won’t,” she promised with a smile, curtsying before she rushed off to deliver the goods.

Likewise, Deinos wasn’t content to hide away here, aware that his people were condemned to death by the will of Chrysalis. A drone wasn't meant to question a queen, but blindly obey her whims. He clambered out of the darkness, away from the others locked in combat, and climbed the crystalline wall constructed around the land, where he perched and readied himself for battle.

Each of his four limbs transmuted into a weapon he assimilated into his biological structure. His horn lit up with slime-green energy, mandible jaw split apart to increase his intimidating visage.

Deinos greeted his kindred with a challenging roar, flinging web bolas to entangle aerial drones into each other. Others that flew close were met with sharp blades, fire, and superior strength. He ripped another infected bug in two and bashed its remains against the swarm like a pair of meat mallets.

The rogue changeling pulled out a tiny ball containing a small strand of hair he ‘borrowed’ off Lightning Spark. Clicking it, it began to glow rhythmically. Slow at first, before beckoning faster and faster. Deinos tossed it at the buzzing squadron before it exploded into rapid bolts of electricity, frying a large chunk of the invaders into ashes as their noises were swallowed up.

While pleased his experimental weapons were paying off, there were too many changelings. His eyes were drawn to a larger breed fluttering in. Not quite his size, but impressive nonetheless. They landed and scampered across the crystal dome. These Mi-Go bloated up like balloons, popped and melted themselves down in a spray of stomach acids, which started to melt the surface of the crystalline walls in drifts of steam. More and more of these creatures sacrificed themselves and turned their flesh into acidic bombs, which steadily ate into the shield and allowed some of their brethren to slip in, despite Cerise's efforts to heal the breaches. Snarling, Deinos broke the neck of a Mi-Go that passed his way and lept up to ward off the kamikazi drones.

There wouldn’t be time to disable them all, but he had to push through if it meant the survival of his species! Funneled into a small hole, it was a simple matter for the archers and casters to shoot them down...but the waves of zombified insectoids appeared endless at this point, a droning black mass that buzzed so furiously the crystalline walls themselves quaked. Cracks formed around the portions where acids ate into, and the entire structure threatened to collapse while a desperate Cerise continually reinforced it.

A shatter resounded when a portion of the wall crumbled. Glittery shards rained down, whereupon a flurry of Mi-Go hurled in. “Protect the women and children,” ordered Moon Hammer while he and Penumbra were flanked by his men and the clockwork bull sentinels. The sound off battle cries erupted as the troops strained to deal with invaders that attempted to sail past them and seek out more suitable prey.

All it would take is a moment, and a holstaurs or child could be eaten alive, contaminated, or worst of all zipped away to an incubation hive...

Shurikens and kunai hailed from above and thunked into the back of changeling skulls. Iclyn and Beatrix paused their spell slinging to spot the nine-tailed kunoichi sail into battle, said tails left to drift behind her until she landed. Kitsune’s face was drawn taut in focus, her eyes narrowed while she rained death upon the strays in an attempt to fend the insects off the locked-down homes.

With the last of her projectiles eventually spent, the vixen unsheathed her katana blade. An arc was left behind as, in a flash, she cleaved apart a couple of Mi-Go drones with measured strokes.

“Forgive me. I arrived too late,” she lamented, having failed to arrive before the storm hit.

“Nonsense,” replied Moon Hammer with a warm smirk. “You're just in time!”

“What happened to your partner?” Asked Penumbra.

“Kyube stayed behind to make sure Midnight and Equinox don’t escape their detention,” informed the vixen, who looked away and quietly added, “…I hope.”

“My men are heading to that area as we speak,” the blacksmith told her. “He’s given us the slip a handful of times. He’ll be alright.”

Kitsune held his words tightly before diving back into action; bushy tails whipped around her when she spun and diced up another Mi-Go. However, her eyes widened and her ears flattened when cannons sounded in the distance. “That’s-!!”

A scout ran in and reported, “Sir! Crystal Empire soldiers approaching twelve o’clock!!”

“Fiery Kickstart!” Penumbra presumed grimly as he lopped another changeling head with a swift thrust of his scimitar. "So he came after all!"

“Damn that fanatic!” growled Moon Hammer, another insect bashed into the dirt by his bloodied weapon. Cannonfire rippled across the crystal walls, and cracks spread further in the wake of the blast. “Bastard! He'll bring the whole barricade down! Don't tell me he plans to...!"”

“If he can't have the minotaur’s aid, he won’t risk leaving us alive when the resurgence is dealt with,” the pale pegasus cooly observed. “It’s likely he plans to raze the entire area. Scorched earth.”

Even Kitsune openly balked at this. “Genocide?!”

“A calculated risk,” confirmed Penumbra, able to understand his enemy's barbaric tactics. “Anything and everyone he can’t use to win this war is considered either a liability or an enemy. Especially when the Mi-Go can use your bodies to spread its influence and fill their ranks...”

“Not gonna happen,'” yelled Moon Hammer. “Not while I can still draw breath!”

Penumbra nodded, then proposed, “Then we'll have to split off to block out the Crystal Empire's forces. Beatrix, Iclyn,” he called over the crowds to catch their attention. “Support Cerise and deal with the swarm here! Kitsune, watch their backs!”

“Understood,” replied the cyber kunoichi, cleaning the bloodied blade in hand. She helped cover Penumbra, Moon Hammer, and his men while a portion of their forces split up to go deal with Fiery's army approach. Fortunately, the acid-eaten portion of the crystal barricade worked in their favor and allowed a sizable portion of the defense numbers to split out the villa unimpeded.

Another blast shook the land. One of the acid-eaten minotaur-shaped sentinels toppled with a clunk, ruined beyond any hope of repair.

“One guardian down,” lamented Kitsune. She weaved from foe to foe and dispatched them with haste. But sheer numbers threatened to overwhelm them, since more Mi-Go were able to swarm in, their defense squads further divided. Even with some of her awakened Yokai abilities, it proved to be a more of a hurdle than anticipated.

More perspiration pooled down the charcoal princess, who huffed and kept her trembling arms raised as Cerise strained to patch each new hole. For a moment she swayed on her feet, eyes half-closed, but snapped herself back to awareness. Everyone inside her construct would pay the price if she fell! She couldn't bear to let down that many people who depended on her!

Beatrix and Iclyn were equally fatigued, launching flurries of spells and icicle-shaped shrapnels at every bug-eyed abomination that spilled in, yet it appeared there was no end of the Mi-Go swarm…

The one upside was that Fiery's cannons didn't discriminate, scores of Mi-Go also reduced to char and ash each time they bucked and fired...

*****

Seated naked in her pool with the mushroom Mi-Go situated on the shore, Chrysalis telepathically directed her infected minions through the invasion. An eerie emerald glow reflected over the queen's moist curves, mycelium connecting to her spine while strips of light traveled between her and the eldritch fungus. The hivemind were all extensions of her will, ready to fight and die for their queen's pleasure. But Chrysalis strained to make each drone enact a solitary will, now forced to divide her attention, and whenever she did so the drones resorted to pure instinct.

“Blasted Fiery Kickstart and his battalion,” she hissed under her breath, feeling more zombified consciousnesses diminish under cannon fire.

A three-way battle was set to erupt between the minotaurs, Fiery's army, and her swarm, which she hoped would be able to claim the villa's voluptuous sow inhabitants. To think how powerful mixed holstaurs and changeling broods would prove! But were it all burnt to ashes...

The hushed, whispery chants of cultists reverberated a few paces away. The cloaked and hooded acolytes appeared to float around the crystal coffin while they invoked an ancient ritual. Ethereal energies funneled into the relic, which glowed and started to throb in a heartbeat-like pattern. Finally, their words came to an end and the shift of the casket stopped abruptly.

Chrysalis paused her work and furrowed her brow. “....that's it? You promised-”

“Patience,” answered a deep but hushed, disembodied voice. Then, black smoke blossomed from the coffin's shiny surface, which cracked in answer, and like an evil genie released from a cursed lamp its dark prisoner escaped.

The darkness struggled to take shape before settling on a nude, well-built stallion. The resurrected King Sombra was reduced to his umbral form after his demise, coughing hoarsely when he took in his first strained breaths.

“Finally!” snapped Chrysalis, who waded onto land and attempted to touch him, a slick trail left behind her stride. “You have returned to me~!”

Her smile diminished when her hand phased through his chiseledchest, earning a scoff from her dark paramour. “Not fully, it would seem.”

Chrysalis directed her anger to the cult spokesman. “What treachery is this? He walks the earth again, and yet I can’t touch him!”

“The ritual worked as intended,” Vox insisted, unmoved by her. “We have liberated Sombra’s soul from damnation as promised. How he returns to physical form is entirely up to you.”

“You two-faced-”

Her insult was cut off by the sound of Sombra’s wicked chuckle. “Serves you right for relying on lesser unicorns for my resurrection!”

“Don't you dare laugh at me,” she warned amidst a shrill hiss, her snout twisted in sheer spite. “I brought you back from beyond the grave, and I can easily send you back to the abyss!”

“That would be unfortunate for both of us,” mused the umbrum unicorn, who leered in appreciation at the queen’s voluptuous nakedness, fangs visible when he smirked and licked his chops. “Surely, it won't be too much trouble to find me a suitable body. My powers are limited as a specter, so if you be so kind…~”

Rolling her eyes, Chrysalis called, “III!” The boy toy in question scuttled into the rocky chambers, denuded to male perfection. “Take on Sombra’s shape!” The drone bowed and in a green flash reformed into a perfect copy of the dark tyrant.

Sombra grinned ear to ear while his deep voice slithered, “Yessss… This will do!”

The umbral apparition floated over number III until it lined up with the drone perfectly, then took possession of the bare masculine flesh. For a moment the boy toy settled as if asleep, then snapped open eyes that glowed with energy. Sombra roared with triumphant laughter.

“At last! Warmth, Blood, Flesh, Bone!!” He rolled his neck and cracked his limbs. “This calls for a celebration, won’t you agree, my dear~?” He approached Chrysalis, rested a hand on her wide hip and the other around her waist to pull her in.

“What do you think you’re-oohm~!” Her protestations were snuffed out when he crushed his lips to hers, shapely breasts squished upon his chiseled pecs. He slid his hand low, hovering it over the slope of her supple ass, his ebony cock erecting from its sheath and dragged across her tummy. She returned his hungry kisses as their tongues wrestled for dominance and their hands wandered. Finally, Chrysalis withdrew her mouth, still connected by strings of saliva when she blushed and huffed. “Ravenous, aren’t we~?”

“Years of eternal slumber have left me with quite an appetite...how long have I been entombed?” However, before the queen could answer, Sombra's flesh started to squirm in her hold. “What the...ack!” He howled in unspeakable pain and pulled away from her, feeling the skinsuit he wore resist his dark presence like he was a virus it needed to expel. “Ach, it hurts! Why does everything hurt?! Gaaaaugh!!” He clutched his rattled skull, which creaked like it would burst.

Chrysalis yelped and raised her arms to cover herself when number III's body popped like a balloon. Ruptured flesh, exoskeleton chunks, and stinky ooze splattered her, the cultists, and the rock walls around them. She glared down at the umbral unicorn. “Uugh! Look at what you’ve done! Another of my precious harem wasted, and for what? And besides that, I'll need a fresh bath!”

The spectral stallion grumbled. “Oh, like you don't routinely throw them away on a whim!”

“Do you know how many weeks it takes to create just one,” the crooked monarch hissed. “How much of my energy their births take?! The pain and humiliation I endure to create my minions!”

Usually, she kept a rotation of sixteen perfected males and four females in her harem, trained solely to fulfill their queen's every sordid desire.

Sombra brushed aside her imperious rants. “And yet none of them are suited to harboring my unmatched power. If I am to win this war-”

“You require a suitable vessel,” answered an ominous voice. The royal couple turned their heads as the Cult of the Nemesis parted to the sides, allowing a new robed figure to enter the cavern. Shadows twisted to conceal his face, but his malevolent eyes gleamed through and his snout was just visible to show a small smile.

“One who shares your cursed bloodline,” the entity continued. “And fortunately for you, such a candidate awaits you on the battlefield.”

Sombra raised a skeptical eyebrow. “And who are you supposed to be?”

“Who I am is not important to you,” he stated.

But Chrysalis knew better. She recognized this twisted pressure, eyes widening and hair standing on end. This was the unknowable thing that used Flurry Heart as its mouthpiece, before turning her last fleeting moments of awareness into agony. The one who turned the poor alicorn into the unicorn cursed wand she now wielded.

He was the anomaly the cultists now followed. Their so-called 'God of the Quiet Mind'.

“All you need to know,” he continued. “Is that without me, you wouldn’t be here, dwindling in the twilight of existence like a skulking ghost. For that reason, my dear tyrant, I command your respect.”

“No one commands me,” Sombra sneered with bared teeth, insulted by this enigmatic hack’s declaration. “I am the rightful ruler of the Crystal Empire! King of all Equestrians! I will not bow before a wannabe messiah!”

He then formed an angry grin, tensing his phantasmagorical body. “However, as thanks for returning me to the mortal plane, you will have the honor of hosting my immortal soul!”

Chrysalis hitched her breath, reaching and crying out, “Sombra, wait! Don’t-”

But he ignored her and rushed at the hidden figure with mad laughter. The smile on the anomaly’s face widened as he opened his arms in a welcoming gesture. The phantom phased through his chest, preparing to fully possess the arrogant bastard…

But nothing happened. Silence hung in the air until Sombra’s whimpering voice came out of the anomaly’s mouth.

“Wh-what is this? Everything feels… wrong! Why aren’t I..?!”

Then he began wailing in more excruciating pain, clutching at his head. The mind-rotting experience Sombra’s soul was going through forced the body down to his knees, yet no angle of light revealed the creature’s face as Chrysalis tried to peer through the darkness.

The queen shrieked in alarm when he raised his face, that same tar-like substance oozing out of his unblinking pale eyes. Laughter rumbled out throughout the tunnel that wasn’t the tyrant unicorn’s.

“ꅐꁝꋬ꓄’ꇙ ꅐꋪꄲꋊꍌ, ꇙꄲꂵꃳꋪꋬ?” The entity asked mockingly. “꒯ꄲꋊ’꓄ ꌦꄲ꒤ ꒒꒐ꀘꏂ ꌦꄲ꒤ꋪ ꋊꏂꅐ ꁝꄲꂵꏂ~?”

His head distorted, one half splitting apart, expressing pure terror.

“꓄ꁝ꒐ꇙ ꒐ꇙ ꅐꁝꋬ꓄ ꌦꄲ꒤ ꅐꋬꋊ꓄ꏂ꒯! ꋬ ꃳꋪꋬꋊ꒯ ꋊꏂꅐ ꃳꄲ꒯ꌦ ꓄ꄲ ꓄ꏂꋬꉔꁝ ꋬ꒒꒒ ꅐꁝꄲ ꄲꉣꉣꄲꇙꏂ ꌦꄲ꒤ ꋬ ꋊꏂꅐ ꒤ꋊ꒯ꏂꋪꇙ꓄ꋬꋊ꒯꒐ꋊꍌ ꄲꊰ ꀰꂑꂦ꒒ꈼꋊꀯꈼ!”

“N-not this! I don’t want this! Please, stop! I’ll do anything! Anything!!”

“…ꋬꋊꌦ꓄ꁝ꒐ꋊꍌ?”

“Yes! Just let me out! LET ME OUT!!”

At the snap of his finger, reality fizzled into brief static, events of the last few minutes moving in reverse until Sombra’s incorporeal form collapsed into the earth. The figure lurking in the shadows returned to his previous posture, telling him, "... I thought as much."

Chrysalis held her own head, an irritating ache in her skull. Faint white noise rang in her ears. “Auugh… what’s going on?” she murmured, blinking her eyes while observing her dark paramour lift himself on shaky limbs. “Huh?! What happened to you?”

Sombra couldn’t aid the changeling’s lapse in memory, utterly petrified by the things he saw while infiltrating the unknowable fiend’s body, muttering them to the best of his comprehension.

“Eyeballs opened and smiled at me… mountains falling through the clouds while rain ascended the ground… the darkness should have obeyed me..!”

“Not anymore,” the cult leader stated coldly. “You’ve been gone for so long; the shadows have forsaken you. Now, they belong to me. And I plan to unleash them upon this wretched place.”

He looked up at the towering figure with uneasy eyes. “J-Just what are you…?!”

A grin much too large for his face stretched through the dark veil, revealing sharp teeth as he vaguely answered, “A disheartened remnant of what once was… and the one you really need to fear.”

Sombra cast his hundred-yard stare to the ground, his confidence and pride completely shattered. Slowly, he took to Chrysalis’ side, the queen herself equally disturbed by how swiftly her consort was brought in line by the Cult of the Nemesis and their nefarious leader.

“As I was saying before you so rudely interrupted,” the entity resumed. “Your perfect host body awaits you at the minotaur ville. You will accompany me there in secret.” His head turned to red-hooded acolytes listening behind. “Then, when I give the signal, all of you shall join their efforts to win the battle without question.” They nodded simultaneously. When he motioned for the stallion, Sombra hesitantly complied with a sour visage. He cast his scarlet glare on the infected monarch. “Return to your pool and press the assault. We will be there momentarily.”

Chrysalis withheld her petulant anger before turning around to walk back into her chamber. But not before hissing, “He better have a body when he gets back!”

The nightmarish figure grinned slyly at the feeble threat as his cultists ushered the umbral wraith into the enshrouded darkness. Suddenly, his crown of thorns lit up to transmit another ominous signal, causing him to shudder and groan.

“Another vision?” Vox questioned.

“Yes,” replied the anomaly, mentally reading the images he foresaw before putting the pieces together. “Walls refracting memories. An endless maze? Shadows dancing in a—”

His eyes widened, realizing the dream’s meaning and his face cracked into a smile.

“Ahah… so that’s who threatens to hinder my sleep~!”

*****

Flames crackled around Fiery Kickstart's blade and left a blaze in his wake each time he slashed. He led his army from the front, shaken by the trick with the corpse of 'Snowy Blizzard'. The mustard stallion would take to the skies soon afterward and raced to seek out his forces, convinced they would fail without his aid.

No, they needed to succeed in their mission, whatever it cost the burn-scarred commander!

Embers popped off his saber, drones or minotaurs not spared the taste of heated steel. A clockwork sentinel that barred his way was soon left a smelted, steamy pool that hardened over the earth, after Fiery sliced his way past an acid-eaten hole in the barrier and into the villa.

On his way in he'd passed his wives, Chezka and Panna, the amazonian centaur and fawn, clearly hesitant when they crossed paths with Penumbra and Moon Hammer. Despite their fierceness as female warriors, it was clear to him they utterly lacked their husband’s ruthless convictions.

Rather than stay to watch, his attention was instead on the former supreme commander, as rumors claimed he'd been spotted around the time Moon Hammer's caravan disappeared. On his way inside, he scanned every tent and shelter the coward could have possibly hidden away in!

That’s when he noticed a duo of armed minotaurs standing around a thick post. Tied to said post was Shining Armor in plain clothes, an inhibitor ring around his unicorn horn to nullify his magic, which he dared not channel lest the buildup of magic risked immense pain or potentially death. The rest of Fiery’s surroundings blurred when he marched towards the prisoner post, solely focused entirely on his most hated enemy.

“Halt,” warned one of the minotaurs at the mustard stallion's approach, wide hands on an axe. “Step no further, Kickstart!”

“Out of the way, cattle!” the pegasus yelled back, who flew at the minotaurs, his flame sword upraised. He moved with such speed a fiery trail was left behind him. The first minotaur's belly opened and blackened under his hellish slash.

His comrade had hesitated to intrude on what he believed would be a duel...only to find it was over sooner than expected. Once more, the proud bull warrior hesitated to attack the intruder from behind...only to vomit up blood as the flame sword pierced his muscled torso in a second.

“You lack… honor,” the minotaur spat with a dying breath before fully immolating, his charred body tumbling at the swordsman's thick boots.

“Yet the winner takes all,” huffed Fiery, fully convinced the ends would justify his actions. Once more his heated glare met the cool stare of the bound paladin. A smirk twisted the unburned side of his mustard face. “I’m surprised they didn’t mount your head on a spike, given you’re the most loathed stallion in all of Equestria.”

“I’m not the one burning every bridge to whatever allies we have left,” Shining scoffed, the air filled with a reek of cooked meat and a crackle of fire.

“It was only a matter of time, really,” rebutted Fiery as his broadsword blazed amidst embers. “Peace has to be enforced if you want shit done. It’s a hard truth; one you refused to accept.”

“Thunder and Snowy would have never accepted thi-”

“Keep those names out of your fucking mouth!!” Fiery said irate, cutting him off with a hard fist to the cheek, bloodying the unicorn’s snout with a sharp crack. “You don’t get to say that after you lead them to their deaths!!”

Shining spat out a tooth, crimson staining his teeth and lips. “If I could take back that one night, I would,” he confessed, rendered solemn. “I loved her. With all my heart. And I know you did, too.”

Fiery stared blankly with dilated pupils, his sword upraised and reignited to a full blaze. “I would choose your last words wisely, old friend…”

Shining Armor chuckled at his well-earned fate. “You wanna talk about reputation? Yeah, I sullied mine. The moment Cadence and Flurry Heart were taken away from me, I went down a path of despair no man could ever return from. I nearly doomed those under my leadership. Doomed every relationship I had left. But if you think anyone will overlook the slaughter of these poor holstaurs and their children just to gain an edge against the swarm? Then the years of war have made you more deranged than I am. I’ll be forever seen as a fallen hero. But you’ll be remembered as the wrathful tyrant who set his foundations ablaze. A burning king!”

Fiery refused to show emotion, but his adversary could tell by the way his clenched hand trembled he was doing his damnedest to hold back all his bottled up rage. With a sharp inhale, he lifted his molten blade up to behead him...only to upturn and knock aside an arrow thudded at his head.

He glared at the lone prismatic crystal maid, a crossbow in her hands. “Lay down your arms, little girl. You have no business carrying that weapon, let alone worthy to stand in my way.”

“You seek to annihilate this one’s race,” she rebutted bravely, another arrow readied. “It’s already her business! Now leave him alone!”

The paladin panicked. “Mara, no!”

“'This one?' Wait… it can’t be!” Realization dawned even before the prismatic crystal maid vanished in a flash, and Marathyssa revealed her true moth-like form. “The protoquen,” Fiery snarled in disbelief. “How did you escape?!”

The mustard pegasus took flight when she fired off another bolt that partially pierced his armor and burrowed into the flesh of his gut. Grunts rose from Fiery, who flew at the protoquen while she fumbled to reload the weapon and slammed a mailed fist into her cheek with a violent crack.

“Marathyssa!” The paladin kicked and squirmed, helpless to do more than feebly watch as Fiery resheathed his weapon to rain blows down on the protoquen. The exoskeleton cracked and splattered them in colorless blood, the supreme commander making an example out of another that dared defy his will. She whimpered and tried to block her face, nearly beaten into a stupor as crunches sounded under his strikes.

Fiery pulled back a bruised fist, pressing his boot on the changeling’s face. “Still too valuable to kill you just yet. Be thankful that I only cripple you!”

“P-please… it hurts,” pleaded Marathyssa, runny eyes milky as her exoskeleton threatened to split fully open. She quivered and curled up into a ball, this portion of the villa eerily quiet save for the dim crackle of flames and battle in the distance.

“Don't you worry,” the pegasus seethed over the battered protoquen. “You’ll be heading back to your cell, where you can spend the rest of your miserable life popping out hyper soldiers until I—”

A burst of flame exploded behind Fiery, who drew out his sword in a red arc to block the sudden assault. A makeshift flamethrower wielded by Deinos spat hellish death, matched by a blaze that burned hotter by the moment, cast by a broadsword that drew on its wielder's power.

They shoved each other away, the spider-like changeling standing before Mara protectively. Fiery slid to a stop and rubbed his shoulder. “Tsk. So you’ve decided to show your ugly face here as well, Webs?” Shining Armor blinked, staring at the mutant monster with perplexion, while Deinos’ face hardened. Fiery smirked. “That’s right. I figured out your little secret well before your ‘death’. Found it odd that for every report of the rogue changeling, you were never present.”

“Everyone’s got something to hide,” the arachnomorph chittered, analyzing his fire sword. “Those flames. They aren’t natural, are they?”

The mustard stallion chuckled and ran his hand over the immolation until he wielded a flicker ball in his palm, unscorched. “Nothing gets by you!”

Marathyssa gasped. “But isn’t that..?!”

Deinos nodded. “The same mysterious magic Beatrix, Iclyn, and Lightning Spark possess. His Onoma!”

“So there’s a name for this, huh,” he noted, balling up his mailed fist in fire. “I’ve been using this little trick ever since Shining took charge of the operation. Wasn’t aware others could tap into it as well. Not that it matters!” The mustard stallion unfurled his wings and retook his stance, a vermillion pyre burning brightly in his wake. “This awesome power will prove the key to victory!”

Deinos lunged at Fiery with a war shriek, locked in desperate combat while a half-conscious Marathyssa crawled towards the post, a bloody trail left in her wake. A limb shook to recover a discarded arrow, its head used to cut the ropes that bound the alabaster unicorn. For a moment, Shining Armor considered whether he should render aid to Deinos...then decided he would be in the way. Instead, he almost stumbled on his new prosthetic leg while he helped Marathyssa lean on him, then shuffled away with her to seek shelter while the two combatants were deadlocked in attempts to butcher each other.

*****

By now, the crystalline walls threatened to buckle, hammered by cannon-fire that pummeled the cracks. Lightning strained to direct her arcane bolts at her targets, which crackled in a flash across the air, her mane and fur stood on end.

“Whoa! Take it easy, spark plug,” warned Moonlight, almost hit by a stray bolt that her combat partner called down from the stormy sky overhead. Likewise, more zaps nearly hit the soldiers below, and electricity crackled across the earth when its wielder struggled to properly conjure her Onoma, especially under pressure.

“Naagh! I-I can't control it!” Lightning Spark tried to redirect the blasts, her mane and fur on end in under static. “I need to get farther away! Maybe I can meet back with Kyube and secure Midnight!”

“Lightning, you can't! That’s deserting the battle!”

“I don’t care; I’m not a fighter like you, remember! And I won’t abandon my twin brother!” She zipped off in an electric blue blur.

“W-wait...!” Yet the former cadet was ignored as the electrical pegasus sped away. Groaning, Moonlight pushed her newly attached prosthetics to the limit and almost kept pace, despite her lead. The labyrinth of trees rushed by them.

The moment Lightning zipped to an abrupt stop, het eyes widened, cheeks ballooned, and face turned green once she violently threw up the heavy meal she'd eaten before the battle. While Hebe’s power allowed her to move faster than before, it was untrained for such punishment, like her body, which still needed proper rest and recovery after her extensive imprisonment.

“See what happens when you get ahead of yourself?” Moonlight lightly scolded, hovering at her side with a tsk and shake of her head.

“Y-yeah, sorry… just thought I saw-”

“Lightning!” Their heads lifted to see her armored twin soar up, a look of relief on his face.

“Middy!” She squealed when squeezed in her brother’s arms. “You're okay!”

Midnight let go and turned to his childhood friend, who grimaced at the mere sight of him. “M-Moonie, I—“

“Don’t,” the bat mare sneered. “You have some nerve talking to me like nothing happened!”

The pegasus knight lowered his head and sheepishly replied, “I know. I’ve made a lot of mistakes and hurt both you and Cerise. B-but hey! At least your wings are-”

“Hurt doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel,” Moonlight lashed out, teary eyed. “I’ve suffered through more bullshit and abuse than you could possibly imagine. And what’s worse? I had no one but Moon Hammer and Marathyssa to rely on there, after my ordeal with your dad.”

Midnight winched at the mention of the bull blacksmith, recalling his dream. “I-I’m sorry, really! I should have been better than—“

“But you weren’t!” Exclaimed the distraught batmare. “No. Instead, you were fucking around with other mares to supplant your needs without thinking or considering us. We were your herd..!”

A tight lump appeared in his throat. “‘Were’?!”

“Don’t act so surprised, Middy,” Moonlight dryly stated. “If I truly meant that much to you, you would have restrained yourself. Maybe then you wouldn’t have worn away so rapidly…”

“Moonie, c’mon,” Lightning said at her twin's side, crestfallen. “We’re in the middle of an all-out war for survival! This really isn’t the time to—“

“You’re right,” said the teal-maned batmare. “Which is why I’m letting him know where I stand.” Her yellow eyes pierced into Midnight’s watery green orbs. “As far as I'm concerned, my best friend is dead. And I have to move on…”

“Moonie, please,” he pleaded. “Don’t do this! We can talk this out!! Give me one last chance-”

“Quit wasting your breath on that lousy cunt!” Everyone’s shoulders tensed when Equinox whirled up behind Midnight, a sharp grin emblazoned on her face. “She’s made her choice, as did you. It's not your fault the little bitch doesn’t know how to ride a dick properly~.”

Moonlight growled and started to form a sharp response, then shook her head. “You’re not worth it…”

“See? Doesn’t even have the stones to fight back!”

“Enough!” Lightning cut off, sparks crackling around her wild mane and wings. “We don't have time for this crud! It's not safe out here!” Another cannon blast shook the air with such violence the fliers were almost thrown to the ground, a reminder of what was at stake. She continued, “There are so many enemies all around us! Chrysalis, Fiery's army, this supposed cult… we have to deal with the real enemy before-”

Equinox sped forward in the middle of her pleas and punched her in the gut. Under the impact, Lightning doubled over and sputtered, almost falling before Moonlight raced in and caught her.

Midnight was livid. “Hey! That wasn’t called for!!”

“She’s a traitor!” Equinox accused, flexing her knuckles. “You saw with your own eyes the way she willingly gave herself to that beast! Probably knocked the bitch up! She’s with the enemy!”

“She’s my twin sister!!”

“Tough shit, snowflake! There’s probably a maggot growing inside her belly as we speak! I’m doing myself a favor by-haguh!?”

She didn’t get to continue her point when Moonlight raced to counter the unprovoked attack. “I’m sick of your shit, you pirate-eyed whore!” She bellowed, ejecting venom darts from their cartridges in her prosthetic wings and replacing them with paralysis rounds, which she hurled at Equinox, only for the war band raider to loop behind a tree to take cover from them.

Equinox cackled. “Finally airborne and you're still crippled! Keep whining over the fact I fucked your man better than you ever could~!”

While the thestrals sparred with each other, Midnight fluttered over to check on his twin, who regurgitated more stomach juice. “Are you okay?!”

“I’ll… mmngh… be fine,” Lighting assured weakly, her electrical energy dimming down. “Just… need a breather before I get that bitch!”

“I'm so sorry, sis. This is all my fault…” He looked to see the mayhem below, the dying screams of minotaur soldiers and changelings alike. That’s when he spotted the crystal barrier, recognizing Cerise’s geomancy. “…I have to make things right!”

With a flap of his mighty wings, Midnight flew in a blitz towards the burning, smoking village, convinced Moonlight could handle herself and his twin with her new prosthetics…he'd make it up to them later. That, and everything else. For now, he needed to reach his wife!

“Brother, wait!!” Lightning yelled after him, yet winched at the ache in her body. While her Onoma had settled, the after effects proved too taxing on her undernourished form. There was no way she could catch up to him in this state!

Past the battlefield outside the villa below, Midnight weaved between the tree trunks, oblivious to Moon Hammer's and Penumbra's skirmish with Fiery's squadron, led by Chezka and Panna. Holes were punched into the crystal wall, swarmed by more fungi-warped changelings. But he ignored them for the moment, his keen eye focused on finding Cerise somewhere up ahead.

Penumbra, however, noticed his brother-in-law speed over his head and glowered. “Moon Hammer,” he called to the minotaur that battled behind him, the clash of steel heavy in his ears while he unloaded more bolts. “Looks like Midnight escaped his confines. I’ll take care of him. Can you handle the situation from here?”

“No sweat! Leave it to me!” Moon Hammer's weapon battered the shield of a trooper.

Chezka, who'd held back from fatal blows up to this point, nonetheless drew back her bow with muscled arms, the centaur adorned by armor across her toned body, her face adorned in war paint below her wavy white ponytail. “Halt!”

Panna, the fawn that instead wore only light armor, held twin curved knives in both hands. She threw and slashed with them, more hidden within her clothes, but she also resisted the deliverance of death blows. “By Amazon code, we must honor our small debt to you, Moon Hammer! Stand down! Please~!” She pleaded with him, only to be knocked down by Penumbra.

“Forgive me,” the pale pegasus said as the Amazonian fawn crumpled at his feet. Not once did he commit such an underhanded tactic...but the life of his sister was now at stake if her berserker of a husband was searching for her!

Guilt weighed his conscience, aware he and his brother, Ashen Dunes, had babied her for too long. Because they hadn’t taken her seriously, Cerise was now obsessed with proving her worth, pushing herself beyond her limits!

While the fabled 'White Shadow' raced ahead, the battle continued behind him, Chezka and Moon Hammer locked in a standoff with her nocked arrow poised to strike the minotaur's heart, bloodied flesh exposed since his armor tore...

*****

At first, Cerise had been able to control the manifestation of her crystals, fighting the strain on her body. But then it had started to spiral out of control, a labyrinth instead of a wall formed around the radius of the villa. She assumed it was a sideffect from the cosmic storm, like it had bolstered her sister-in-law's Onoma powers!

But then, Cerise witnessed a calf end up separated from her bovine mother and run off to pursue the child… only to end up trapped in a maze of her own unintended making!

Despite her attempts to mentally banish the reflective crystal walls, they refused to disperse. Moreover, the princess found herself in an unusually long corridor. “Wait… something isn’t right,” she whispered to herself. “I feel like I’ve been through this before. Are my eyes playing tricks? Did that mother and child even really exist...?”

It didn’t help that nothing but darkness loomed above and ahead, closing her into this confined space. The dancer stopped her running to explore the maze more cautiously. Panic tightened around her neck like a noose. How did she get so lost..?

No. Much like her life, she needed to move forward without fear.

With a deep breath, Cerise reached out a palm to touch the wall, which lit up under contact. The dimmed crystals relit to guide her way. Was someone helping her...? Or leading her into a trap…?

This setting painfully reminded Cerise of her initial interactions with the Vice Lord, Doppia. The spiteful creature who'd possessed Rhenaes' body before stealing her own. If not for their teamwork, they might have never gotten free!

“I wish you were here with me, Rhenaes! I hope you're okay..!”

As if in answer, one of the walls glitched with static before playing a familiar scene within its crystal, drawing the princess towards it.

“Huh? That’s…”

It was a depiction of her father, King Sombra, and she blushed from head to toe, his naked glory on full display. Then Cerise saw herself reflected in the crystalline, also sans clothes, where her father sat on his throne, pulled her into his lap, and met her lips when he entered her. The pair of them made love, much to her disgust.

“N-no! Stop, this isn’t funny,” she cried, “I don't want to see this perversion! That was long ago!!”

Another wall pulled her attention when it shimmered to life. And her horrified gaze widened upon seeing herself at the mercy of Zeloph, the angel's heavenly sword pointed at her, a callous smile on his lips. The skies of her desert world were set ablaze, giant abominations stomping around, trampling her beautiful city and its people under thunderous footsteps.

Bitter tears leaked down her face, teeth clenched. She'd never been able to forget how many of her people perished by his hand! How the fallen one manipulated her father! Hurt her mother! Slain so many of her people! It didn’t matter to her how much he had changed on his path of redemption. He could never hope to wash away all his sins!

Wherever she looked, more scenes played out on the walls, depicting many of her shortcomings in life. Her fight with Beatrix in the tundra, losing to Doppia, and even her recent arguments concerning Midnight and his dwindling health.

And then there were scenarios that hadn't come to fruition. Alternate timelines? Possibilities? Her face burned once more, seeing her brother Penumbra and his soldiers crowded around a campfire under a starry night, wine tipped over her supple naked flesh when the males took her over and over. The princess left to squirm and squeal while they brought her to repeated climax.

Incest wasn't uncommon in their ancient royal bloodlines...but it wasn't something she ever intended to indulge in! Not since the darkness Zeloph once unleashed manipulated her and Sombra, which drove them to make love...

Cerise tried to run before hitting a crystalline pillar, depicting another scenario that filled her heart with ache. At first, she thought it was showing one of Midnight’s depraved dreams… except she recognized it as her own!

This was the terrible nightmare she suffered during their respite at that strange house. In it, the charcoal princess was chained to a stripper pole, forced to dance while watching her husband bounce Equinox’s firm hips in his lap, forcing every fat inch of his turgid tool into the marauder’s breeding hole.

Cerise cried for Midnight, pleading for him to stop and help her. But he ignored her pained cries, focused solely on his passion with the one-eyed thestral, who mewled and cackled in elation.

“You had your chance, slut,” Equinox taunted when Midnight draped her on the platform, sucking on her heavy tits that jiggle with every thrust. Her eye was pitch black, gunk dripping out the socket. “Could have been a real queen if you’d have let Middy breed your worthless cunt. But honestly? Being a cuckquean suits you just fine~!”

“N-no, stop!” Cerise sniffled, bashing her fists against the crystal. “That isn’t true! I’m not-!!”

“N’aww, poor baby,” the dream apparition pouted mockingly. “Feeling left out? Don’t worry. You can bear that brute’s children instead~!”

Her head snapped at the rhythmic slapping of hips behind her. Her eyes dilated upon spotting a monstrous bulky Midnight pulverizing Moonlight, who looked brain dead and grotesquely stretched, veins left to throb over stretched skin.

After the pegasus hulk finished inside the limp batmare, his unblinking stare found Cerise’s frightened gaze. He uncorked his gargantuan horse cock free, pulling out Moonlight’s stretched vaginal walls in the process. He then approached his next lay while stroking his wet meat.

Feebly, she screamed at this monstrous variant to stop, trying to kick and squirm when he slapped his pulsating dick against her puny entrance. Cerise physically flinched when he hit her flank.

And no matter how tightly she closed her eyes, the image of herself crying with agony as her husband forced his way in and recklessly pounded her pussy to a pulp burned in her psyche...not unlike the day when Doppia had controlled the hyper-stallion, forced him on her.

‘Look, at you, sniveling like a baby,’ Iclyn’s snide voice echoed within her mind. ‘You’re nothing but a selfish, spoiled brat!’

‘You’re the reason Midnight no longer loves me,’ spat Moonlight. ‘It’s because of you we’re no longer a herd! You stole what's mine!/i]’

“No!! Stop it!!”

‘I should be with Oona right now,’ Beatrix’s sour tone rang inside her ears. ‘But instead, I’m stuck doing your labor on some dull, backwater world. I thought we were friends…’

'You're the weakest link in our family,' Penumbra's barritone beckoned. 'You'll never amount to anything!'

‘YOU MADE ME LIKE THIS,’ Midnight’s bellow snapped. ‘YOU! MADE!! ME!!!'

She manifested her amethyst spear in hand before surging the blade forward, bawling,

“STOOOOOOOOOOOPPP!!!”

The pillar shattered into pieces, dissolving the horrible scene. Cerise fell to her knees, pouring out her anguish for everything that had happened. She could still hear the voices of her loved ones and colleagues tormenting her for being such a weakling.

It sounded believable. Felt real… but was it?

Despite how heavily sorrow weighed her down, Cerise managed to stand back up, eyes opening once she wiped away her tears. Her brows furrowed, her soulful eyes bright with fury.

“None of this is real,” she deduced with a firm voice. “Just an illusion meant to slow me down, like the one Doppia spun! But I’ve grown out of that phase of my life. I'm no one's victim.”

Strengthening her determination with a clenched fist, she held her head high to the blackness and loudly proclaimed, “Do you hear me, you anomalous bastard? I know it’s you behind this! You're the one toying with us, thinking you can mess with me and my friends like we’re puppets for your play with! But we’re stronger than that! I’m stronger than that!” Her snout lowered to the ground. “My husband has hurt so many people. Me and Moonie included. And despite my grievances with him, I know he needs me now more than ever. I love him with all my heart, and nothing anyone can say or do will change that!”

Cerise raised her face and glared at her reflection. An exit was spotted just a few feet behind her. She could sense the ominous presence around her, and she needed a way to draw it out.

So the princess came up with a risky maneuver. A king’s gambit, as Midnight taught her in chess terms from the rare times they'd played.

Cerise gave a dry laugh. “You’ve sorely underestimated me. I am the daughter of King Sombra; I know this game! By picking me as your opponent, you’ve unknowingly revealed to me who you are. And If I can learn your identity, so can everyone else! So why don’t you go ahead and show yourself, you gutless coward!”

With that said, Cerise turned to leave with a sway in her hips, trying to suppress a victorious smile. But it pulled through when the various images of her past, present, and future distorted into white noise before fading to black.

“Awww, did I bruise your massive ego~?” The dark dancer continued to taunt playfully. “Can’t handle being outwitted by a lowly brat of a princess?”

The sound of footsteps resonated throughout the crystalline halls, where a figure walked through the exit, her path blocked. Cerise sucked in a breath and took a stance, still beaming with pride that her plan to flush him out actually worked!

‘Hook, line, and sinker,’ she thought smugly. ‘Who's the master manipulator now, prick?!’

But all her feelings of triumph immediately died when the anomaly emerged from darkness, his unmistakable silhouette draining all the color from her face. Fierce hot pink eyes dilated, reflecting the antler-adorned evil facing her.

The gray buck’s mouth formed a welcoming smile, and his maroon eyes held a cool gaze.

“Hello, princess,” the nahtdyr greeted. “How lovely it is to see you again~!”

When he took a step forward, Cerise took a step back, unable to stop her limbs from shaking. Dread and confusion clutched the charcoal mare’s heart before managing to muster words that matched her scattered thoughts.

“I… I don’t understand… W-Why… How could I have..? ...Oh, gods!”

Omen chuckled darkly. “Sorry. There are no gods here…”

His eyes held a malevolent red glare, his smile twisting into something more sinister.

“… ꒻꒤ꇙ꓄ ꂵꏂ~!”

Chapter 14

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Clap.

Cerise Silhouette gazed almost aimlessly at the creature blocking her path, who slowly brought his hands together.

“Well done, Cerise,” Omen applauded with mocking cadence. “You figured it out by yourself! Bravo! We are all so very proud of you~.”

The dark dancer managed to steady her trembling hand, her voice mustering the strength to speak.

“… N-no,” she tried to deny it. “…it can’t be true! I-I’m just tired and seeing things. There’s no way you’re—!”

“Now, princess…”

Distortions of pixelated darkness obscured her surroundings once Omen suddenly glitched in front of her. Cerise stumbled back with an alarmed yelp.

“… Please don’t insult both our intelligence with that pitiful lie,” the nahtdyr said condescendingly. “You know in your heart what’s true. So go ahead! Say it.”

Her soulful hot pink eyes brightened, tears leaking, outraged by the nightmare stag’s sudden betrayal. Except… it wasn’t. Omen hadn’t been intentionally hiding his true intent. He didn’t need to. Not when everyone was distracted by the growing problems happening across the multiverse.

And with the spotlight never on him, the fiendish cervine could carry out his agenda behind the scenes, only stepping in when required.

Her heart didn’t ache because of Omen’s masterful deception. It hurt because she, Beatrix, Oona, and everyone else had been so easily tricked.

“Say. It.” The seer of black dreams repeated, a hint of impatience in his tone.

Cerise looked his maroon eyes, scornfully giving what the bastard wanted. Recognition.

“… It was you,” she seethed. “You’re the one behind everything. You’re the anomaly!”

His smile returned as he gave a theatrical bow.

“I’m much more than that,” Omen proudly said with a raised head. “I have the honor of being your nightmare for the evening~!”

Cerise scoffed. “I’m not afraid of you!”

“By the end, you will be,” he proclaimed as darkened sand materialized from his sleeve to manifest his staff, ominous energy flowing between the antlers of the twin stag skulls affixed to an ancient-looking hourglass.

“You, Beatrix, and all your friends will know what real fear tastes like.”

He stamped it to the crystalline floor, a loud echo resonating around Cerise as she backed away with her spear held high.

“But why?!” She demanded with a bitter tone, unable to comprehend how anyone could be so callous and evil. “Haven’t Oona and Beatrix shown you nothing but kindness? How could you betray them like this?!”

His smile stretched slightly. “Oh, I’m very thankful! None of this would have been possible if they didn’t let me into their lives. With the timelines altered and me as the destined father of the Child of Lightendark, I’ve harnessed more power and awareness than I could have ever dreamed! Plus… having two exquisite beauties to play with is just icing on the cake~.”

That made the princess’s blood boil, hissing through clenched teeth, “Fuck you!!”

“Mmm, tempting! You’re a delectable morsel yourself,” he complimented, running a tongue along his sharpened teeth. “But I have something better in mind. A simple game of tag to spice up this—”

“Who the fuck do you think you are!!” His smile disappeared at the loud interruption as Cerise angrily spat, “No one gets to do that to my friends! You can put on the whole scary overlord act all you’d like, but I will never show you fear! So quit spewing your bullshit and fight, you pathetic, cowardly—”

Her speech was cut short when reality glitched again, and the monstrous deer chomped down on her left arm. Cerise screamed shrilly, falling backward while wrestling to push Omen off. But he took another bite to lock his jaws into her flesh before ripping her limb free from the socket.

The armless thestral cried bloody murder, thick crimson puddling out her wound while her adversary mindfully chewed on her forsaken limb before swallowing it down with a gulp.

Omen allowed her to wriggle in agony for a few seconds before reversing the flow of events to an anchoring point. Cerise panted heavily before realizing her arm was back in place, yet the phantom pain lingered…

“Dnaagh?! Huh?! Wh-What happened?! What did you do!?!”

“So rude,” the gray cervine grumbled while wiping the blood off his snout with a handkerchief. “Now you’ve gone and spoiled my supper.”

The charcoal princess stood up with her spear in hand, but this time, she took a more defensive stance. “M-my arm… You took my arm!!”

“Is it sinking in yet?” asked Omen. “The only reason you’ve come this far is because I allowed it. Because I find the idea of a lazy, spoiled crybaby uncovering my entire plot mildly amusing. I suggest you get all those urges to fight me out of your system. Go on… I can wait~.”

Cerise eyed the stag’s finger tapping over the hourglass embedding his staff, grains of black sand steadily filling the bottom half.

Her glare deepened. While the dark dancer hadn’t prepared for a direct confrontation with the anomaly, she refused to give into his game. This was likely her only chance to take out the true threat to the multiverse!

So resolving her nerves, the princess twirled her crystalline spear around her body before aiming the tip at the nightmare stag’s heart, declaring, “You’re going to regret underestimating me!”

Omen’s lip curled the corner of his snout, shaking his head while humoring the dancer with his own battle stance. “Just try to keep this interesting.”

With zealous motion, she tossed her weapon like a javelin, her strike aimed true… but the fiendish deer used his mysterious chronomancy to slow its projection until it stood still in mid-air. And with a flick of his finger, the spear was flipped over to where Cerise stood before time resumed its flow.

Except it flew back at an accelerated speed, the thestral barely having time to fly out of its path, grazing her thigh with a red line.

She hissed, retrieving her spear, and went for a direct approach… only to find herself back to being in her tossed spear’s path. The sharpness sliced through her arm, splashing the crystal floor in blood.

“Naagh!!”

The nightmare stag taunted, “Having fun yet? Do let me know when you’re ready to move on.”

“You spineless cheat! Can’t fight me without such cheap magic!” She spat back while standing her ground with desperate defiance.

But Omen wasn’t phased by her insults and continued to loop her actions repeatedly. Slowing her speed just to reverse them or speed them back up. All while she danced around being impaled by her own weapon. One particular step made her dizzy, her eyes growing heavy…

Fortunately, the seer of black dreams was forced to cease his time manipulations when the sand finished filling the bottom glass, unfreezing the fatigued bat mare, layered with cuts and perspiration. Her wary pink eyes stared at the hourglass when it flipped itself within the staff, now filling the opposite end.

She managed a triumphant grin, dryly stating, “So there’s a limit to how often you can screw with time! Serves you right for playing with your food…”

“Unfortunately,” confirmed Omen. “Mandela’s Hourglass only allows me certain windows of opportunity. But despite this severe drawback, I’ve accomplished quite a lot. Wouldn’t you agree..?”

With a wave of his hand, the dark crystals lit up with displays of the battle happening outside Cerise’s barriers. Not just her friends and comrades against the forces of the Crystal Empire and Chrysalis’ swarm, but skirmishes between Zeloph, Shadow Scythe, and Mortis. And a couple of crystals depicted a fleet of unicorn paladins and soldiers, led by the sovereign witch, Tatyana, sailing over the seas towards the Isles of Parras, where its inhabitants were preparing for the upcoming invasion.

“Ahh, war,” mused the nightmare stag. “It casts life’s ugliness into sharp relief. Senseless brutality, inspired only by sophomoric performers. Desperate to supplant their future. Their purpose.” His smirk twisted. “But you see, the medium of cruelty demands nuance. And only a true visionary can wield its full potential!”

When the sorcerer’s open palm closed, the projections distorted into a red hue, now highlighting the anguish and suffering happening throughout multiple dimensions. Cerise watched with shrunken pupils while thousands of lives were ruined, pulled apart, or sliced into alternatives they didn’t realize they had. Forming horrifying amalgamations of what once was, while the old worlds crumbled into nothingness.

The charcoal mare glared back at the tall deer, utterly appalled. “So that’s your endgame? The total annihilation of everything?!”

“That’s where the Burning King and I differ,” corrected Omen. “He tried to end things because destruction was his nature. I’m doing this because it is my right to do so.”

“What ‘right?!’”

“I’ve lived too long between realms to be labeled a mere boogeyman. That’s why I had to put Oona out of commission. So that I would be the only one with the power to conjure dreams. My dreams.”

A gasp escaped her throat as realization sunk in. “T-That’s right! All this time… the only things we’ve dreamt have been-“

“ꋊ꒐ꍌꁝ꓄ꂵꋬꋪꏂꇙ!” the gray buck said with dripping enthusiasm, his shadow gradually creeping over the crystal structures surrounding them. “Precisely. And very soon, there will be nothing left to know except darkness and silence~.”

“Not gonna happen,” Cerise countered determinedly, putting on a brave face when she rose again, spear in hand. “When Beatrix and the others learn about your actions, we’ll stop you! Then you’ll be—”

A dark chuckle reverberated throughout the crystalline labyrinth when Omen slowly approached her. Gray fur gradually darkened, stature and antlers lengthened, and his face peeled away to reveal ivory bone.

“Bold of you to assume I would let you leave, Princess,” he said while shedding away his passive disguise, eyeballs, and mouths opening within his pitch-black body. “You’re going nowhere. In fact… ꌦꄲ꒤’ꋪꏂ ꋬ꒒ꋪꏂꋬ꒯ꌦ ꋊꄲꅐꁝꏂꋪꏂ~.”

As Cerise cautiously stepped back, she touched a crystal wall that lit up with another image. One that depicted herself collapsed on the floor, tossing around in a deep sleep with a tormented expression and black eyes.

Her hot pink pupils dilated. “W-what!? No! When did you-?!”

“꒐ꇙꋊ’꓄ ꓄ꁝ꒐ꇙ ꅐꁝꋬ꓄ ꌦꄲ꒤ ꅐꋬꋊ꓄ꏂ꒯?” Omen playfully mused while planting his staff into the ground, fissures spreading throughout the crystalline cavern. “ꋬ ꉔꁝꋬꋊꉔꏂ ꓄ꄲ ꉣꋪꄲ꒦ꏂ ꓄ꄲ ꏂ꒦ꏂꋪꌦꄲꋊꏂ ꅐꁝꋬ꓄ ꌦꄲ꒤’ꋪꏂ ꓄ꋪ꒤꒒ꌦ ꉔꋬꉣꋬꃳ꒒ꏂ ꄲꊰ? ꌦꄲ꒤ꋪ ꃳꋪꄲ꓄ꁝꏂꋪ… ꌦꄲ꒤ꋪ ꉣꋬꋪꏂꋊ꓄ꇙ… ꌦꄲ꒤ꋪ ꊰꋪ꒐ꏂꋊ꒯ꇙ… ꋬ꒒꒒ ꅐꋬ꓄ꉔꁝ꒐ꋊꍌ ꌦꄲ꒤ ꋪ꒐ꍌꁝ꓄ ꋊꄲꅐ!”

At their descriptions, Cerise observed their likeness manifested into shadow effigies. Their faces were obscured by darkness, save for the perpetual frown and leering eyes.

Her mind was screaming at her that it wasn’t real. That this was all part of Omen’s twisted prowess. His Onoma, perhaps?

Yet panic gripped the charcoal mare’s beating heart. The awareness of her vulnerability while trapped in his nightmare, with no means of waking up or warning her friends, overwhelmed her senses. Everywhere she turned, the princess was met with the illusionary glares of her peers and family while her foe crept closer, the sound of his antlers scraping along the ceiling hurting her ears…

“N-no… this isn’t right! I’m not… I-I’m not—”

Omen’s towering form loomed over her, and he took a long inhale of her scent, exhaling with ravenous joy. “ꋬꁝꁝ, ꓄ꁝꏂꋪꏂ ꒐꓄ ꒐ꇙ~,” he practically salivated. “꓄ꁝꋬ꓄ ꇙꅐꏂꏂ꓄ ꓄ꋬꋊꍌ ꄲꊰ ꄞꈼꁲꌅ!!”

All of Cerise’s courage quickly dwindled the longer she spent in the nightmare stag’s presence. Her grip around her spear shook once she slid her youthful body along the wall, until she stumbled into the corridor. Their eyes remained locked until her foe coldly uttered her only option.

“ꌅꐇꋊ!”

Cerise broke into a desperate sprint, no longer caring about beating the seer of black dreams as she fled into the labyrinth of her own design. He let out a sinister snicker. “ꌦꄲ꒤ ꂵꋬꌦ ꁝꋬ꒦ꏂ ꅐ꒐꓄ꁝꇙ꓄ꄲꄲ꒯ ꂵꌦ ꓄꒐ꂵꏂ ꒒ꄲꄲꉣꇙ… ꃳ꒤꓄ ꋊꄲꅐ ꓄ꁝꏂ ꋪꏂꋬ꒒ ꊰ꒤ꋊ ꃳꏂꍌ꒐ꋊꇙ~!”

Omen dropped to all fours and pursued his prey into the crystals and white noise. The fear and torture were just like the corridors Cerise traversed through. Endless.

Every path she took, every corner she turned, more lengthy halls greeted her. The crystalline walls stretched to the blackened ceiling, caging the panicking princess.

And no matter what distance she put between them, Omen was never far behind.

His hungry roars and lunges drew her attention, the gangly-limbed monstrosity running with the fluidity of a demonic insect. Belly to the floor, outstretched arms grabbing at his surroundings to get him closer.

Whenever Cerise had a moment to erect a barricade to slow down her relentless pursuer, Omen would burst through it with little trouble.

The view ahead wasn’t any better since every crystal alit with a blood-red glow. Rapidly moving eyes within toothy maws scattered through the fragmented stones, the nightmarish void filled with wicked laughter.

The charcoal mare was in hysterics. Outside the sound of her frantically beating heart, Cerise heard the voices of her family and friends circling around her head, taunting her in a child-like chant.

“Omen’s gonna get you~♪”

“Omen’s gonna kill you~♪”

“GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!” Cerise cried, covering her ears as the noise and anxiety worsened. Her eyes skipped a beat when she spotted one crystalline hallway that wasn’t in darkness, faint light pouring through an exit.

Whether it was an ill-hoped deception or not, the princess didn’t waste a thought on it. She just wanted out of this nightmare!

Beating her membrane wings as fast as they could carry her, Cerise flew out of the labyrinth of turmoil and found herself rolling over a dune of pale sand. When she came to a stop, she caught her breath while her hot pink eyes observed her new surroundings… only to immediately recognize the pyramid structure in the landscape.

It was the palace. She was home!

“Mom..? Dad..?! Brother!?!”

Her voice reverberated across the barren desert, the only accompanying sounds being crackling distortion, the wind brushing against the sand. The utter absence of everything, just like the starless skies above.

After suffering that dreadful ordeal, one might find the silence comforting. But to Cerise, it was the most horrible thing she could listen to. The pyramid looked forsaken, the stone worn and withering into dust. All the lush plant life that had grown around their establishment was gone.

It was like what Zeloph once tried to accomplish with her world… yet far worse than she could have imagined.

“Okay, girl, time to calm down and wake up,” she said uneased, running her fingers through her curled pig-tailed locks. “It’s only a dream; it isn’t real. It’s only a dream; it isn’t real…”

Yet no matter how many times she repeated this mantra, nothing changed. No awakening to the war she had been fighting in. No demonic deer entity chasing her in a crystalline labyrinth. Just this desolate space that vaguely resembled her home.

“It’s only a dream; it isn’t real!”

Cerise’s voice cracked with sorrow.

“It’s only a dream; it isn’t real!”

Tears streamed down her cheeks.

“ It’s only a dream, it isn’t —”

“ꋪꏂꋬ꒒?”

Her body went cold when Omen spoke behind her, his elongated fingers gripping her shoulder in an almost comforting gesture.

“꒐’ꂵ ꋬꊰꋪꋬ꒐꒯ ꒐꓄ ꒐ꇙ,” the nightmare stag continued. “꓄ꁝ꒐ꇙ ꒐ꇙ ꅐꁝꋬ꓄ ꋪꏂꂵꋬ꒐ꋊꇙ ꄲꊰ ꌦꄲ꒤ꋪ ꁝꄲꂵꏂ꒒ꋬꋊ꒯. ꓄ꁝ꒐ꇙ ꒐ꇙ ꓄ꁝꏂ ꊰꋬ꓄ꏂ ꄲꊰ ꏂ꒦ꏂꋪꌦꄲꋊꏂ ꋬꋊ꒯ ꏂ꒦ꏂꋪꌦ꓄ꁝ꒐ꋊꍌ ꒐ꋊ ꏂꉧ꒐ꇙ꓄ꏂꋊꉔꏂ. ꓄ꁝ꒐ꇙ… ꒐ꇙ ꓄ꁝꏂ ꏂꋊ꒯ ꄲꊰ ꒯ꋬꌦꇙ.”

“No…I-It can’t be! We stopped it from happening! You’re wrong!”

Omen shook his head. “ꅐꏂ’꒦ꏂ ꋬ꒒ꋪꏂꋬ꒯ꌦ ꃳꏂꏂꋊ ꓄ꁝꋪꄲ꒤ꍌꁝ ꓄ꁝ꒐ꇙ, ꉣꋪ꒐ꋊꉔꏂꇙꇙ. ꒯ꏂꋊ꒐ꋬ꒒ ꒒ꏂꋬ꒯ꇙ ꌦꄲ꒤ ꋊꄲꅐꁝꏂꋪꏂ. ꒐ ꁝꋬ꒯ ꓄ꄲ ꏂꉧꄲꋪꉔ꒐ꁴꏂ ꌦꄲ꒤ꋪ ꂵ꒐ꋊ꒯ ꇙꄲ ꓄ꁝꋬ꓄ ꅐꁝꏂꋊ ꒐꓄ ꊰ꒐ꋊꋬ꒒꒒ꌦ ꃳꋪꄲꀘꏂ, ꅐꁝꋬ꓄ ꌦꄲ꒤ ꓄ꋪ꒤꒒ꌦ ꊰꏂꋬꋪꏂ꒯ ꅐꄲ꒤꒒꒯ ꉔꄲꂵꏂ ꓄ꄲ ꊰꋪ꒤꒐꓄꒐ꄲꋊ. ꓄ꁝ꒐ꇙ ꒯ꋪꏂꋬ꒯ꊰ꒤꒒ ꇙꏂꋊꇙꏂ ꄲꊰ ꒐ꇙꄲ꒒ꋬ꓄꒐ꄲꋊ? ꒻꒤ꇙ꓄ ꇙꏂꋬꇙꄲꋊ꒐ꋊꍌ ꊰꄲꋪ ꓄ꁝꏂ ꂵꏂꋬ꓄ ꄲꊰ ꅐꁝꋬ꓄ ꓄ꋪ꒤꒒ꌦ ꃳꋪ꒐ꋊꍌꇙ ꌦꄲ꒤ ꒯ꏂꇙꉣꋬ꒐ꋪ.”

His snout lowered to her shell-shaped ear to hypnotically whisper in a husky tone.

“ꁲꋖꐞꀯꍩꂑꉣꍩꂦꋰꂑꁲ,” proclaimed the hart of darkness. “꓄ꁝꏂ ꊰꏂꋬꋪ ꄲꊰ ꀘꋊꄲꅐ꒐ꋊꍌ ꌦꄲ꒤ ꋬꋪꏂ ꋬꋊ ꋬꃳꇙꄲ꒒꒤꓄ꏂ ꋬꋊ꒯ ꒤꓄꓄ꏂꋪ ꊰꋬ꒐꒒꒤ꋪꏂ. ꓄ꋪꋬꉣꉣꏂ꒯ ꅐ꒐꓄ꁝ ꓄ꁝꏂ ꋬꅐꋬꋪꏂꋊꏂꇙꇙ ꓄ꁝꋬ꓄ ꌦꄲ꒤ ꁝꋬ꒦ꏂ ꋬꉔꆰ꒤꒐ꋪꏂ꒯ ꋊꄲ꓄ꁝ꒐ꋊꍌ. ꓄ꁝꋬ꓄ ꌦꄲ꒤ ꅐ꒐꒒꒒ ꋬꉔꁝ꒐ꏂ꒦ꏂ ꋊꄲ꓄ꁝ꒐ꋊꍌ. ꋊꄲ ꒒ꏂꍌꋬꉔꌦ ꓄ꄲ ꉔꋬꋪꋪꌦ. ꋊꄲ ꊰꄲꄲ꓄ꉣꋪ꒐ꋊ꓄ꇙ ꓄ꄲ ꒒ꏂꋬ꒦ꏂ ꒐ꋊ ꓄ꁝꏂ ꇙꋬꋊ꒯ꇙ ꄲꊰ ꓄꒐ꂵꏂ. ꋊꄲ ꄲꋊꏂ ꓄ꄲ ꋪꏂꂵꏂꂵꃳꏂꋪ ꌦꄲ꒤.”

The sobs in her throat were suffocating, the charcoal bat mare struggling not to cry in front of her tormentor. She managed to whimper, “… What made you this way? Why… w-why do you want this?”

“꒐ ꁝꋬ꒦ꏂ ꓄ꄲ ꒯ꄲ ꒐꓄,” his voice echoed. “꒐ ꁝꋬ꒦ꏂ ꓄ꄲ ꉣ꒤ꋊ꒐ꇙꁝ ꏂ꒦ꏂꋪꌦꄲꋊꏂ, ꉔꏂꋪ꒐ꇙꏂ. ꏂ꒦ꏂꋪꌦꄲꋊꏂ ꋬꋊ꒯ ꏂ꒦ꏂꋪꌦ꓄ꁝ꒐ꋊꍌ ꃳꏂꋬ꓄ꋪ꒐ꉧ ꉔꋬꋪꏂꇙ ꋬꃳꄲ꒤꓄. ꇙꄲ ꓄ꁝꋬ꓄ ꒐ ꂵꋬꌦ ꉔꋪꏂꋬ꓄ꏂ ꓄ꁝꏂ ꉣꏂꋪꊰꏂꉔ꓄ ꏂ꓄ꏂꋪꋊ꒐꓄ꌦ… ꅐꁝꏂꋪꏂ ꇙꁝꏂ ꉔꋬꋊ ꇙ꒤ꊰꊰꏂꋪ ꊰꄲꋪꏂ꒦ꏂꋪ…”

Cerise’s puffy pink eyes widened as she felt the hand on her shoulder let go. And when she turned around, Omen was no longer there.

Abandoned to this abysmal plane that was once her world, the distraught bat mare gave up all composure and wailed her sorrows and helplessness into the desolate void. Her determination to cure her husband, and her aspirations to become a respected leader amongst her family, were now the hollow wishes of an abandoned mare who knew nothing.

Cerise continued to scream for hours, days, maybe even a year until her throat was sore. And when the last of her anguish depleted, she allowed the heaviness of depression to lay her body in the cool sands surrounding her.

Eventually, her perception of time faltered. Time became meaningless when the daughter of darkness had no way of returning to her friends and lover. And by then, it wouldn’t even matter.

For she had already surrendered.

*****

Omen solemnly watched as his robed henchmen used the power of the lacquered unicorn wands to encase Cerise in a crystalline coffin. Upon its construction, the color and light faded from the sparkly stones surrounding the surface area, reflecting their maker’s dire state.

The anomalous cervine rubbed a hand over the amethyst casket and said with a sly smile, “You would have made a stunning and noble queen. But I can’t have you give away the ending I have planned for Beatrix and her band of misfits. Rest now, sleeping beauty. It’ll all be over soon.”

“The crystal should be twice as strong now,” said Vox. “Nothing shall interfere with her slumber.”

“Then my part in this world is done,” declared Omen, looking to his staff to see that Mandela’s Hourglass had come off its cooldown stage, the ancient artifact ready to manipulate the time and space around him.

His ear flicked up at Midnight’s voice, calling out for his wife. “Ahh, right on cue! Time for our friend to come and collect his prize~.”

The nightmare stag ascended to the air, drawing a portal from pixelated darkness and crimson static. Omen turned to the Cult of the Nemesis and told them, “I await your arrival at the Isle of Parras. Until then, you know what to do.”

The cultists nodded as their leader vanished into the closing vortex. They gathered in a communion circle, reciting an old incantation that invoked an ancient spell, summoning red mist to enshroud the area.

Midnight Blitzer rushed into the scene right as the Cult of the Nemesis was enveloped by the thick miasma, where he found his wife perfectly preserved within the crystallized coffin.

“Cerise… how could I have let this happen?” He berated himself. “Hold on! I’m gonna get you out!”

The hyper-stallion strained his muscles, bulged, and lined in thick veins whenever he tried to pry the lid open with clenched teeth. He dared not smash it, fearful that the princess would be torn into chunks under the hyper-stallion’s efforts. “Honey, please! I’m sorry! I-”

Something struck Midnight from behind, discombobulating him until a flash of white was upon him. A balled-up fist hit his face with such aggression it almost dislodged his jaw. The blue pegasus gazed up at his attacker with widened eyes, and blood trickled from his lips. “Penumbra? Wait, w-what are you doing?! Your sister needs-” He raised his arms to ward off repeated blows.

“You caused all this,” Penumbra barked, refusing to see reason. “You were supposed to stay by her side! Protect her! Love her!!”

“I-I know I screwed up! You can take it out on me later,” he pleaded while repeated blows from a flesh and metal hand rained over his body. “But we have to rescue Cerise!” It was completely unlike the usually level-headed Penumbra, so lost in rage, he pummeled away at his brother-in-law.

“STOP IT! I DON’T WANT TO HURT MY FAMILY ANYMORE!”

He swiped his massive wingspan forward and unleashed a strange blue gust of wind that temporarily knocked Penumbra away. Midnight stared at the blue energy that dissolved from his feather tips and wondered aloud, “What was that?!”

Snowy Blizzard and Thunder Storm manifested elemental powers, as did his twin sister. Could it be that he…

Unfortunately, there was no time to think it over as Penumbra rushed at him with his white scimitar arced, bellowing with outrage.

That’s when the blue knight recognized the power flowing off Penumbra's body. The familiar violet vapors wisped out his eye sockets. The umbral magic and apparition of King Sombra.

Midnight barely recovered his spear to block the whirlwind of destruction the whirling dervish unleashed. “Penny, stop! You’re my brother!”

“I only have one brother, and you’re not him!!”

“You’re losing yourself! Don’t let the same evil that consumed your father...ack!” His foe’s blade snaked out and bit across his chest, his white armor partially broken after he’d fought his way through changelings to make it here.

Sombra’s deep baritone was interlinked with Penumbra’s, the white pegasus saying with tranquil fury. “You’ve made my sister cry for the last time, unfaithful cur! With you dead, she’ll finally have a stallion worthy of her affection. Worthy of guarding her tender heart!”

“W-what..?!”

With all the energy expended, white consumed Midnight’s spiky mane entirely. His reflexes were dulled, unable to keep up with the master swordsman’s slashes and stabs; cut repeatedly and saved from a mortal wound merely by what remained of his broken white armor, drenched in fresh and dried blood alike while he was continually driven back.

His wingspan pushed Penumbra back again, but he was almost instantly on him again.

“Forget about the hyper-stallion, Lord Sombra,” came the voice of an acolyte behind him, which made Penumbra pause his assault. “Secure the princess and return to the hive at once.”

The pale pegasus heaved, eying the crystalline casket that housed his sister. “… Yes, of course,” mused a voice now clearly Sombra’s. Through Penumbra’s mental state and shared blood, he was inhabited by and all but wholly subsumed by the tyrant’s will. “I’ve wasted enough time on this feeble cripple.”

“F-feeble cripple?” Midnight managed to croak.

The pegasus shakily stared at himself through the reflective wall, visibly aged a decade at least. With so much of his strength spent, he struggled to rise. Nonetheless, he protectively threw himself over Cerise’s coffin just for Penumbra’s boot to smash his jaw with a sharp crack. The blue pegasus knight whimpered, helpless before his foes.

With a triumphant laugh, Sombra and the cultist recovered the amethyst casket and disappeared into the scarlet fog. Midnight tried to crawl after them, agony pouring out his mouth before succumbing to his withered state.

Perhaps the most painful thing about this was that his foes considered him so helpless they didn’t even bother finishing him.

And instead left him to wallow in misery…

*****

With Cerise forced into deep stasis, the crystalline walls she erected began to crack and dissolve.

“Huh? Oh no!” Beatrix cried out at the implications, worried that her friend had been knocked unconscious...or worse. But she couldn’t focus on that as she, Iclyn, and everyone else in the village had more immediate concerns.

The volleys of cannon fire and changeling acid compromised their defenses, easily breaking apart the last barriers. The changeling swarm took immediate advantage. As did Fiery’s battalion, since more of the opposing sides spilled into the once peaceful sanctuary proper.

Wherever the witch turned, people screamed for help. A swarm tore the roof off a home, and a holstaur pulled out had her clothes torn off by a changeling. The voluptuous bovine bawled, dragged across the bloodied grass naked so the drone could carry out its insidious purpose.

Seething, Beatrix raised a hand, archaic magic wrapped around her horn and conjured into a vast ball of darkness, warping to intercept the bug’s path before blasting the black bug away.

Another changeling smashed another hut, with another captive cowgirl lifted into its web. She and others like her screamed all the while, attire shredded from their spotted curves; ovipositors raised to penetrate their fertile wombs, before Iclyn flung icicle spears to impale the insectoids through their craniums in splashes of clear blood.

Tactics rapidly fell apart, and everyone was forced into a desperate, all-out battle for survival. Kitsune’s katana chopped away at the swarm that converged on her, slaying several before a limb seized one of her nine tails and pulled. A blood-curdling scream escaped the vixen’s snout when the tail was torn away in a bloody spray and chomped down by the drone’s razor mandibles.

Kitsune stumbled and attempted to escape, the loss of cybernetics returning her basic senses, amplified and overly sensitive...including her pain receptors. Agony, the likes she couldn’t remember, flared on every nerve. Nonetheless, the kunoichi clenched her teeth and arced her curved katana, lopping the drone’s head off in a discolored splatter, her snout fiercely drawn.

Minotaurs rushed to her aid and chipped away at the swarm. “Arigatōgozaimasu,” she said and hopped off the shoulders of the bugs to escape, her remaining eight tails wrapped close around her waist like a belt. They urged her to rest and recover… but Kitsune refused to stop now!

Not when so many depended on them, and victims were everywhere as the enemy pressed their assault, more holstaurs stripped, seized…

The war left nothing untouched, as the house Arcanum Folklore and the twins took shelter in was shaken with thumps. The wards around the area held, but the warlock doubted they could withstand the overwhelming pressure.

Every instinct in the erenn stallion told him to run out and help. But Iclyn had insisted he finished the ritual, the circle drawn and empowered by the magic he poured into it. Besides, he had another unspoken reason to hide out here...Moon Hammer trusted him to protect his wives. They were out of the room to leave him space while he completed his delicate work.

“Augh, bloody hell! I need more energy than this,” he cursed, his hands and horn aglow. Much as Iclyn proved difficult, the scruffy detective wasn’t about to risk the possibility of her atoms scattering across the cosmos by his crudely constructed portal. He took pride in his craft!

Arcanum tossed off his coat and rubbed his sweaty mane, lost in thought, while he knelt before the magic circle. “Think, dammit! There’s gotta be a way to conjure more magic out of—”

“You already know one way,” whispered a familiar feminine voice behind him, the crush of bared breasts and nipple nubs felt on his shoulders. The manifestation of Bloody Merry was back, attempting to push the temptation of the Necronomicson’s power on him. “Use the portal to find the tome. Read its text, and the doors to all knowledge will be opened. Whatever you desire can be yours. Simply-”

“Fuck off with that shit,” he growled, fighting his momentary relapse of fulfilling that urge to shove the brick-red nude earth mare away. “Ain’t nothing worthwhile can come from that book!”

“Oh! We’re sorry!” The twins stood in the doorway, steaming coffee cups hand in hand. “We thought you could use a pick-me-up!”

“… wait, what?” Arcanum shook his head, the Bloody Merry apparition no longer in sight. “Ohh, it’s… it’s fine. I could use the bean juice, actually.” He stood and approached the cow-print bikini-clad, half-holstaur, half-crystal mare sisters.

Strawberry Moon half-lidded her eyes and offered, “You need more energy to activate this, yes? Maybe we can provide some assistance!”

“Ehh, no offense, but you’re not magicians,” he replied coolly. “Not sure how you’d be able to-”

“We meant a more physical solution,” Blue Moon corrected with a coy smile, shaking her mountainous breasts side-to-side with a titter.

“…Ohh.” His face heated up as he cleared his throat. “See, that’s more Beatrix’s field of work. Plus, we really don’t have time for that, and besides, I don’t wanna be a homewrecker!”

Arcanum knew Moon Hammer and his wives had an odd open relationship when they were apart, but it felt too wrong for him to have a casual fling so soon after poor Merry’s loss.

“Aww, that’s too bad,” pouted Strawberry.

Blue Moon nodded and added. “We understand. But should you change your mind…~”

The sisters drew aside a bikini cup and bared an udder each, the heavy flesh left to bounce out and wobble to an eventual stop, incredibly wide nipples dotted in milky beads from their tit slits. “Tell us, handsome stud, what flavor do you prefer? Strawberry? Blueberry?” They shook their pliable titties at him with a shared giggle.

The warlock sighed before shrugging his shoulders. “Persistent bitches, ain’t ya? Well… guess a bit of both wouldn’t hurt?”

Their titters increased, bared tits held in one hand and poised over the coffee cups, after which they squeezed their udders and fired a creamy spray that splashed and sizzled into the dark drinks. He tried to keep a steady head while he worked, but he couldn’t help but stare at the saucy show the pink twin sisters put on for him.

Milk dripped down the slope of their udders after they finished, and Arcanum accepted the cups and took a drink of each. “Mmm. Good stuff,” he admitted. “I can see why folks consider bovine dairy a delicacy.” It was more than delicious, however...he felt a rush of invigoration as the lactation and caffeine combo settled into his empty stomach. “Now, to empower the circle!”

The unicorn shuffled back to the circle and knelt before it, his horn and hands lit to pour in more raw power. His mane whipped behind him.

The twins set his empty cups aside after he finished and also sat before the circle. Normally he’d dismiss them, but their company somehow helped him focus, even when the twin sisters fully removed their cow-print tops to let their milky udders flop free. They then shimmied out of their bottoms, pastel pink forms now fully naked save for collars with cowbells that adorned their necks.

“It’s about time for more milking,” whispered Strawberry Moon. “If you can’t help us...”

“... we’ll have to do it ourselves~” finished Blue Moon, as their fingers interlocked and their mouths met until the twin sisters became one. They had always been able to share their thoughts and feelings; their cutie marks, a pair of intertwined female symbols, began to glow from the pleasure they shared and doubled when they started to hungrily make out.

Arcanum shook his head with a subdued chuckle. “How the blue hell does Moon Hammer get any shit done with you two needy bitches around?”

It was more than physical bliss they sought; however, as to the warlock’s surprise when he raised a brow, the circle drew upon their strength. Perhaps it was due to the cosmic storm’s influence, but they helped him channel more power, letting their desire help fuel his ritual as their hands started to wander, bountiful flesh squeezed and kneaded between them.

Lust wafted around the half-bovine, half-mare crystal maid twin sisters, the tinkle of cow bells echoing as their wide hips and butts shifted closer across the floorboards until their puffy, inflamed pussies connected between their spread legs. They started to scissor slowly, heart-shaped clitorises rubbed and throbbed, their moist pink slits connected by a feminine trail of raw need.

Their maws darted forward, an udder hefted under a palm, presented to their double. Lips closed around the wide areola where they suckled down the creamy, sugary treat presented to them, driving their hips and buttocks faster into each other as they humped away, cutie mark’s shining blindingly bright as they funneled all they could muster to help complete his spell.

Arcanum whistled, sweat pouring down his matted brow, seconds from finalization as the cow maids fucked away. “C’mon! Almost there..!”

“U-us too~!” The twins spoke, moaned, and shuddered in unison, and a splash of their mixed fluids shot from twats across the floorboards.

“Strawberry~!” “Blueberry~!” They screamed their bliss as one, supple flesh left to violently shudder, trapped in the throes of a shared, wild climax.

Another violent blast rocketed the home. Arcanum shot to his feet, the twins a moment behind, still blissed out from their wet climax as they stumbled onto their bare feet. A wall burst open, an infected drone rushing in, its antenna flicking when wood and dust blossomed about it.

Arcanum didn’t waste any time, magically driving his Kurdish dagger into the monster’s skull, the drone letting out a dying shriek before it lay half lodged in the wall it had smashed through. He pressed a boot to it and yanked his weapon free.

The denuded sisters huddled close. “We must have drawn it with our smell. Sorry…”

“Couldn’t be helped,” grunted Arcanum, peering out the newly made window with furrowed brows. “Looks like the barricade’s fallen!”

Did that mean Cerise was dead? Were the others not that far behind, either? He couldn’t spare a moment to dwindle on such thoughts, the defense of the pregnant twins left in his hands while more drones chewed their way inside.

Fortunately, the crude portal he built answered his will and spat out a few familiar weapons from his home dimension. "Hell yeah!" The erenn unicorn snatched up a rifle and started to blast away at several more bugs on their way in, their heads popped like cantaloupes, and limbs were torn off under the spray. He spared a quick glance over his shoulder once he watched the twins retreat and breathed a sigh of relief, wondering if anywhere was safe anymore...?

Instead, the sisters returned with two-handed axes hefted in their hands. “Are you nuts?!” he yelled desperately over his shots. “You’re carrying babies in your bellies! Go run and hide! Now!”

“No! We won’t abandon you,” promised Blue Moon, her soft features hardened.

“Holstaurs are stronger than we look,” added Strawberry Moon. “We’ll watch your back!”

Another shell exited his rifle. “Why do I always get stuck with such stubborn-headed women?!”

Banishing the image of Bloody Merry from his mind once more, Arcanum inspected the wards, questioning if the Necronomicon had somehow helped weaken the magic and drew the Mi-Go to them? The monsters swarmed from every direction, mandibles openly salivating at the knocked-up twins, eager to rip the calves from their wombs and fill their bellies with eggs.

Gunshots erupted while Strawberry quipped, “Look at us! Caught with our panties down!” She shimmied her wide bare hips, her axe held aloft.

“Not too unusual for us, sister!” Blue Moon shared a nervous titter with her, aware of what could happen to them and their unborn calves should they fail. Fertile broodmares like them would be quite a prize for the enemy to seed...

A click sounded. Arcanum tossed the emptied rifle aside. Corpses of drones flooded the caved-in wall, chunks torn from them. Another clawed its way in while he reached for a fresh weapon, fired it, and watched the chain rip into the monster’s torso. The invader half-dead, he withdrew the bladed chain and, with his free hand, readied his dagger. Only to be bowled into by another drone that flew in amidst an angry buzz. The knife tip sunk into its heart, but the momentum carried him across the ruined room.

Its body weight smashed him into a wall, which cracked under the impact...alongside several of his ribs. The warlock stallion grunted, bit his bottom lip so hard he tasted coppery blood and tried to kick off its weighty corpse as another bug skittered its way in, its eyes on the holstaur prize.

The sisters rushed to their defender’s aid. Hefted axes chopped down. Piece by piece, the twins dismembered the drone, severed limbs cast around the bloodied interior as their bared, ample curves were splashed by sticky, colorless blood. Soaked, matted fur dripped down their voluptuous flesh. They didn’t stop their combined attack until the last piece no longer twitched.

The duo huffed their slick, slimy udders. Goo dribbled down their voluminous, glistening flesh. Blue asked, “Is it...over?” It had gone eerily quiet, the sounds of warfare once more distant. “Mr.Folklore!” They hurried over and carefully chopped at the carcass slumped over him.

Strawberry called, “Arcanum, sir? Are you okay? Perhaps a spot of milk will help perk you up?”

The scruffy stallion shot them a shaky thumb up and tossed off the remains of the half-chopped-up, oversized drone. With a relieved sigh, Arcanum noted the magic circle was somehow unbroken, thanks to all the ethereal power they’d poured into it. “Not bad for a couple of gravid cows.”

Blue Moon smiled, a twinkle in her pastel pink eyes. “Told you we weren’t brainless bimbos~!”

Arcanum held his ribs and looked around the ruined home for further signs of trouble, met by a low whistle of wind. “Oi! I never said-”

“No, but you thought it,” replied Strawberry Moon. “That’s okay! Most people think we’re simple wenches and can’t see past our charms. Ample as they are.” The sisters playfully shook their slime-slicked assets at him. “You think Moon Hammer would have married us if all we could do was cook, clean, and bear him calves? He wants more than that! We’ve always been dedicated to our duties, and to the service of others.”

“It’s not something everyone can understand,” noted Blue Moon. “Especially guys, who are obsessed with their egos. No offense.” She winked at him. “Admit it; you like to play the errant knight that rescues damsels in distress!”

“… Eh, maybe a wee bit,” he admitted, rubbing his blood-slicked mane. “You helped me complete the circle and saved me arse. So thanks.”

“You saved ours, too~!” They turned and shook their heart-shaped, sizable coral-pink derrieres at him. “You could always reward us later~!”

He rolled his eyes. “Geez, at least try to show some restraint! Besides, we don’t know what’s happening out there. Outside of trouble…”

“Yes,” said Strawberry, suddenly sobered up from any cheer left. “If poor Cerise has fallen...”

“Let’s have faith in her, Beatrix, and company,” encouraged Blue at her side, who squeezed her elder twin’s hand and maintained a pained smile.

“Y-yes. Of course,” she replied, momentarily shaken by what they’d seen and been forced to do. Survival was at stake, and they’d bloodied their hands. With haste and reluctance, the twins reclaimed and redressed in their cow-print bikinis, thankful it helped wash away the slime.

Blue rubbed down her curves and complained, “We stink now! The blood of those insects-”

“Just be thankful their infection doesn’t appear to be contagious,” noted Arcanum, who hissed more when Blue Moon checked his wounds. Using her medical knowledge and supplies, she helped set his ribs and clean his scrapes with a wet cloth. Her milky bust pushed into him while she worked, comforting him in an almost maternal manner as body heat radiated from her, and his taut muscles relaxed on instinct.

However, there was no time to screw around. Once he was set, Arcanum recovered what weapons he could while the twins reclaimed their axes. He shuffled through the wreckage and bodies with their help, then rushed into the open.

“I ain’t losing more people on me watch! Follow me!” His rifle freshly stocked, he took aim.

*****

Crystals crumbled into a sparkly shower that rained down over the villa, and every last trace of Cerise’s labyrinth dissolved. Fiery’s army had spilled into the village center, engaged in battle with the changelings that attacked in masses. Loose cannon shells lobbed over the land and struck a few buildings in explosions that left scorch marks, the acrid stink of burning amidst air that sparkled with crystalline and carried ashes and embers, no place safe anymore from the clash of steel and flesh as smoke blossomed.

Beatrix and Iclyn continued to fill the skies with spells, the former wrapped by the Demiurge’s inky blackness like a gown as they drew upon their Onomas. The witch also kept her rapier in hand to deal with anyone who came too close.

They primarily focused their efforts on the changelings, but were sometimes pushed to attack Fiery’s men, who were under orders to raze the village so their bodies couldn’t be used to feed and breed the hive. She hadn’t slain any of the soldiers that assaulted them....but didn’t hesitate to cripple them with her spellcraft, either. Not when what they planned for the villa apparently amounted to outright genocide!

The Crystal Empire wasn’t faring too well, either, overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Panna, who’d recovered and was back on her feet, twin knives in hand that she tossed into drones, was eventually hit head-on by one that buzzed overhead. The doe stumbled backward. “M-my horn!” Acid spat by one of them ate into the unicorn horn on the forehead of the fawn and devoured half of its length, which sizzled and melted. She cried out in mixed pain and horror.

“Accursed monsters!” Chezka trotted up on her four hooves as the centaur rapidly released arrow-after-arrow, bugs impaled to tree trunks as she delivered death. A white wavy ponytail whipped behind her, forced to fight alongside Moon Hammer and his men to save her Amazon sister as she drew more shafts from her quiver.

Moon Hammer bellowed when a drone bit into his back and tore off a chunk of leathery skin. He turned and swung with such force that he splatted the backstabber completely, where a hail of exoskeleton chunks and slimy innards rained over him. “Don’t you see there’s no end to these bastards?! You need to persuade your men! We can’t afford to fight amongst ourselves anymore!”

Panna wheezed and huffed, the fawn barely conscious. “B-but we swore to Fiery-”

His nostrils flared. “JUST DO IT!”

At his barked order, Chezka reluctantly nodded and pulled Panna onto her armored horse portion. “I’ll ride ahead. Help cut me a path!” The minotaurs that weren’t downed snapped to help Moon Hammer cut a swath into the forest as the centaur raced onto a path littered with corpses.

A couple of minutes later, Fiery’s wives arrived at the cannons and persuaded the commanders there to enact a temporary truce, their word considered second to the supreme commander’s own. He was busy in the village, unable to shoot their pleas down. Beatrix breathed a relieved sigh once the cannons turned on the swarm exclusively and started to help drive them away.

“Maybe we can still win this,” mumbled the witch to herself. Flames crackled in the distance, the air blossomed with smoke, and she spotted a familiar caravan past the scorched earth and trees. “W-wait! That’s-” She burst into a wild run.

“Wha-hey!” Iclyn snapped, “Beatrix? Get your stupid ass back here!” Yet her words went unheard, forcing the icy doe to unleash a cold flash that instantly froze the swarm closest to her, and her strength drained after hours of an all-out battle. Luckily, bursts of cannon fire swallowed up more drones and vaporized them instantly.

Despite the knowledge it was likely a trap, Beatrix couldn’t abandon her mother if she was somehow still alive in this world of war and madness. The caravan was overturned in the thick of the forest, which resurfaced memories of her own home, where her mother, Trixie Lulamoon, had raised her. Trained her, while the pair traveled the world and performed fantastical shows to help boost morale om a wartorn planet.

“M-mom...please be alive...!” She kicked in the door and peeked inside. Belongings were scattered everywhere, but she found no signs of life in the cramped space. Not sure whether to be relieved or disappointed, she stepped back out.

“My little hellspawn,” came a feminine voice which made her turn back. “Looking for me?” Three female figures stood in the thick woods, each cloaked and hooded. “Come, my sweet child. It’s been so long…” The three women vanished into the red mists with muted, feminine titters.

Beatrix screamed, “Mom?! Wait~!” She used her Onoma to hover after them, trying to follow the troika of silhouettes, until they stopped amidst a clearing, glowing under a hellish crimson moon that cast them all in an unsettling glow. While the witch paused, the three cultists removed their hoods to reveal Trixie Lulamoon and her stage partners, Lavender Lace and Fuschia Blush. She choked out, “Y-you called me ‘little hellspawn’....only mother...my actual mother....ever calls me that...b-but...”

“Who else would I be? I am the Great and Powerful Trixie, after all~!” proclaimed the boastful unicorn with a wicked smirk. She waved an arm at their surroundings. “This world is a hodgepodge of various planets you’ve traveled to! Like a bunch of thrown-together jigsaw puzzles you’ve somehow managed to hastily assemble , my little hellspawn. Forming a Frankenstein’s monstrosity that always threatens to fall apart!”

Beatrix sputtered when her Onoma withdrew, reduced back to her usual leotard costume, sans her hat and cape, her mouth dry. “Wh-wha-”

“Don’t play coy with us,” came the sultry voice of the blonde Lavender Lace. “You wanted this!”

“Your Prima Materia connected these dimensions,” purred Fuschia Blush. “Enabling old friends and family alike to come here!”

“No! I don’t want to put anyone I love at risk!” Beatrix shook at these revelations.

“Maybe not consciously,” reminded Trixie. “But it’s too late, my little hellspawn. Far too late.” The three unicorn mares undid the strings to their cloaks, letting them fall to reveal their completely nude, supple bodies underneath. Curves glistened under the hellish moon’s demonic light. “It is time for you to join us, my sweet. Serve the Cult of the Nemesis!” With that, the three unicorn mares began to chant an incantation in unison.

Black clouds converged overhead and broke with a thunderous crack. Rain the color of blood drizzled down over the foursome. Beatrix shivered as her eyes watered, more people she cared about pulled into one of her adventures.

Yet she found little fun in this one. Only the promise of eternal misery and melancholy.

Her shoulders slumped, the violet mare tempted to surrender, reminded that evil would follow her no matter where she turned. The Cult of the Nemesis. The Eldritch race. The Vice Lords. Not to mention all the other enemies she’d made.

What did it matter...?

Trixie waved a hand, and Beatrix’s clothes dematerialized with a heavy bounce of the witch’s violet bust. “Mmm, I remember when I first taught you that spell.” She licked her lips and drank her nude daughter in. “My little hellspawn has grown into a competent witch and fine woman. Such a shame those birthing hips are wasted by a sterilized womanhood!” She leered at said hips.

Beatrix blubbered, reduced to an almost child-like state when she petulantly insisted, “My mom… would have been proud! She’d... she’d never....!”

“Nothing we can’t fix,” assured Fuchsia once she and Lavender closed in, their nipples painfully erect. “We’ll have her sire offspring in no time~!”

“Our leader managed to break our old selves,” assured Lavender, her eyes hazed over. “Indoctrinated us! Wipe away our fear and pain!”

“And they will do the same for you, my little hellspawn,” intoned Trixie with a sickeningly sweet voice. “Forget about your friends. We’re your family now. We’re all you’ll ever need~!”

At once, the older unicorn and her sidekicks allowed their hands to wander freely across Beatrix’s curvaceous body. Greedily they kneaded and squeezed her curves, their manes drenched under the red drizzle that sluiced from above.

Blissed out by euphoria, Beatrix moaned and whimpered, putty under playful but firm hands that made sure every inch of her flesh didn’t leave unmolested. She yelped when they pinched, pulled, and twisted her erect nipples, traced her moist slit between the crack of her buttocks, and teased the pucker of her asshole, which clenched and radiated the lusty heat of her feminine need.

Her mother’s fingers buried knuckle deep up her birth canal, crooked upwards to rub her spongy g-spot, while a thumb rubbed her swollen clit in circles. Beatrix clenched her lower holes and came a little over the intrusion as her pussy violently winked. “M-mom~! Oh wow~! No~...”

“Don’t expend yourself too soon,” cooed Trixie as she finger-fucked her daughter, digits soaked in fresh marecum. “We’ve only just started.” She, Fuschia, and Lavender shared a playful nod.

A delirious Beatrix slackened, brain melted by pleasure, enthralled by the three beautiful women as Trixie lifted her daughter up and laid Beatrix’s legs over her shoulders, her snout pressed close to her daughter’s sticky, well-lubricated cunt. Fuschia and Lavender helped support her weight, their palms still molesting the witch, all the while with lustfully wicked giggles. Beatrix’s cunt continued to wink into Trixie’s face.

“She’s been primed,” assured Fuschia, her horn lit, her aura wrapped around Beatrix’s pussy lips. Her petals were forced open to expose the glistening pink flower within, wetly winking and dripping from the cervix down her asshole. The sweet and spicy scent of her musk filled them.

“Become one with us, sister,” whispered Lavender into Beatrix’s ear, which she nibbled and sucked on, a palm cupped on Beatrix's squished buttock.

Color momentarily drained from Trixie’s eyes as her fertile belly squirmed, and its surface writhed like it was filled with a nest of snakes. Her maw opened, and larva-like parasites arose from her throat. A pair of the worms that wiggled and teased before Beatrix’s aura-opened wide fuckholes, ready to penetrate them, to invade and fill her womb to make her one of their own.

Similar grubs emerged from the cunts of Fuschia and Lavender, then wrapped around Beatrix’s tits and squeezed them, dripping over her as they started to push into Beatrix’s mouth. “That’s it,” whispered Fuschia when she and Lavender rested a palm on Beatrix’s head and made her lips bob down on the fat worms to service them. “Swallow and drink it all down. Welcome it into your womb. Let it fill you with abundant life,” she declared once Trixie’s worms violently shot forward.

Beatrix arched her back and squirted hard all over her mother’s face at the sudden, savage penetration. "Holy fuck~!" She could hear the coy taunts of Fuschia and Lavender, reminding the witch of her fetish for more monstrous paramours, especially of the eldritch variety.

Like she had been shaped from birth to one day take the seed of a primordial abomination, swell up proudly and then bear its powerful spawn.

The protrusion teased her winking, squirting cervix, and struggled to wriggle its way into her slippery, slimy uterus as tentacled beasts rolled within the wombs of the three unicorn mares around her, making them let loose their own watery climaxes. They moaned and blushed, eyes rolling into their heads as if lost in a religious experience, albeit a perverted one. The larva squirmed inside her stretched snatch and anus.

Beatrix squealed and climaxed. HARD!

A whirling gale of snow suddenly swallowed up Lavender Lace, who dropped Beatrix while the parasites that jutted from her withdrew and squealed, cut off by the icy chunk that formed around her. The creature hit the earth and partially shattered. Fuschia and Trixie were forced to withdraw once Iclyn walked onto the scene, a cold wrath formed by a blizzard whirling around the witches. Her eyes and antlers glimmered with auroral light when the atmosphere chilled.

“My sister! How dare you—naaaaugh!!” Fuschia screamed, cut short when she too was turned into a blue statue, which also shattered upon the deighdyr bashing the side of her fist into it.

Beatrix landed with a thud on her bare butt, shaking off the supplanted ecstasy to realize what was happening with a pained cry. “Iclyn, wait!”

The snow fawn ignored the witch’s protests and continued to weave her Onoma, ready to imprison Trixie in a glacial tomb…only to have her hand seized by Beatrix. “Take your hands off me!”

“That’s my mom! I have to save her!” Beatrix shakily bumbled to her feet.

With a sneer, Iclyn shoved her back to launch her icicle spears, which only grazed Trixie’s shoulder when she fled into the clouds of scarlet miasma.

“Mom, wait! Come back!”

“Fucking idiot! You let her slip away!” The cyan cervine bristled. “Get it through your skull, Belladonna! Your mother’s dead!”

Tears slid down Beatrix’s cheeks as her color drained away. “But… b-but you killed them! Fuschia and Lavender were-”

“Dead. The moment those parasites claimed their wombs,” rebutted Iclyn. “Those weren’t the mares you knew. Just mere flesh puppets manipulated by those grubs to infest you!” Her features softened a little as Beatrix covered her face and wept into her hands. “The kindest thing you could have done was put Trixie out of her misery...”

Beatrix wiped her heavy eyes, her face suddenly twisted in pure rage. “The Cult of the Nemesis already took everything I had! Whoever’s behind this, I’ll rip them apart atom-by-atom!” She waved a hand to clean her body and again to redress herself as the red rain continually spattered them. “Th...thank you, Iclyn.” She went for a chaste kiss, but the doe slapped her face away.

“Our friends need us,” she said bluntly before forming an icy path to the burning ville for her to skate across. “Get your butt in motion already!”

Rubbing her cheek, Beatrix took a moment to look at the frozen solid forms of the stage magicians, smashed into pieces on impact. “Fuschia Blush… Lavender Lace… forgive me. I’ll avenge you; I swear on my life!”

With that declaration, Beatrix levitated after her comrade, and the duo made their way back toward the raging war. Cannonfire streaked across skies blackened by smoke and swarms.

*****

Moonlight River shrieked with fury while trying to land a single strike on Equinox, who deflected her punches and kicks while avoiding those poison-tipped needles. Lightning Spark was focused on zapping any bug-faced fiend descended from the stormy skies. It was the most she could do without accidentally electrocuting her friend and their comrades while they battled invaders below.

When the cadet threw another punch for the face, the marauder caught it, twisting her wrist in her grasp. Moonlight yowled, her bones threatening to snap beneath her iron hold.

“Even with your fancy new wings, this is the best you’ve got? Please,” spat Equinox, delivering a hard fist in the gut that knocked the air out of Moonlight’s sails.

She chucked the more miniature bat mare into the muddy ground, her steel boot heel pressing on her head. The muscular thestral glared spitefully at her opponent, saying, “When are you gonna learn this isn’t how the world works! Matter of fact, let me give you a crash course~!”

Spotting another wave of changelings, she ripped off Moonlight’s bottoms, exposing her inflamed marehood. Realizing what Equinox was doing, the bat mare screamed into the muck, squirming to free herself as she was betrayed by a pussy wink.

But some drones had already caught a whiff of her heated scent and began to buzz toward them, determined to swell her womb with a fresh batch.

“That’s it, grubs! Come and get it~!” Equinox beckoned, giving the bat mare’s bared, toned rump a harsh smack. “This cunt’s primed and ready for—”

“GET OFF OF HER,” bellowed Lightning, soaring down to wrestle the marauder off Moonlight. But Equinox proved too strong and experienced, and managed to shake the pegasus off and bash her left plumage, causing her to cry out and crash into a nearby shrub with a series of whimpers.

“Know your place, changeling whore!”

Equinox leered down at the thrashing thestral, eying her augmented wingspan. With a toothy grin, she gripped them tightly, ready to tear them off Moonlight’s back… when Lightning rushed in to deliver a rapid roundhouse kick to the face.

The impact forced her back, her glare deepening. “When are you gonna learn that your-huh?!”

In a flash of light, the electric blue pegasus transformed into a mirror image of herself and lunged at the confused batmare, using her natural strength against her with precise strikes.

Only when she caught a crane kick did she discover who she was fighting, as Kyube's furry ears and bushy tail managed to poke through the yokai magic disguise.

“You!!” She bellowed, pulling back a clenched fist until one of his clones, also disguised as Equinox, secured her arm in a chicken wing hold. The vulpine winked before lifting his free foot to kick her square in the jaw, rotating himself to land by Moonlight and help her up.

“What in the..?!”

Kyube removed his glamor to reveal his true face. “Forgive me. I was detained due to a distraction… I should have-”

“Hey, it’s okay! At least you’re here now,” Lightning said as she limped towards them, favoring her injured wing.

“Yeah… t-thanks,” Moonlight added while rubbing the dirt and mud off her bruised face as she reclaimed the bottom portion of her outfit.

Lightning then noticed the number of tails swaying behind the bandit. “Wait a minute… since when did you gain five tails?”

“Never said I didn’t possess more than three,” Kyube replied cheekily.

“Oh, wow! So impressive,” Equinox praised sarcastically while struggling to weasel out of the two clones of herself, pinning her to the ground. “Now get off of me! Or else you’ll be SO sorry when I—”

Moonlight fired a sleeping dart that landed in the marauder’s neck. She spat a few slurred profanities before succumbing to the tranquilizer’s effects and falling unconscious.

“Lights out, bitch,” the bat mare muttered. “After what you pulled, I should leave you for the hive!” Instead, she turned to Kyube. “If you’ve got any other tricks, foxy, now’s the time to use them!”

Nodding, the vulpine and his clones assembled and warded off the incoming swarm of Mi-Go changelings using their martial arts, mystical yokai magic, and wooden staves. Within moments, he’d helped them drive a cloud of drones away amidst the flurry of activity.

By then, the reality-breaking storm above had finally dissolved, and the devilish red fog layered the battered warzone. Lightning, Moonlight, and Kyube fought bravely against the waves of seemingly endless changelings, while more of their troops were overpowered and eaten by the crush of mandibles. Wherever they looked, wounded and dead from all sides were visible once the battlefield had finally quieted down.

An unnatural silence hung in the dense atmosphere once the buzz died away. Even the cannons stopped, the last shells spent.

Fiery Kickstart walked past the rubble, one of his wings bent unnaturally after his bout with Deinos, who writhed on the ground with one arm chopped off and cauterized. Even with his superior size and tactical advantage, the rogue changeling severely underestimated the strength of the supreme commander and his flame sword.

“Mmmara… thyssa…” he weakly shrilled, pushing his seared body, carapace badly burnt to a crisp.

For his part, Fiery struggled so much to light up his vermilion saber with the weak sparks he emitted, but that didn’t deter his obsessive quest from seeking Marathyssa and Shining Armor. He wouldn’t let them escape. Not after the fallen paladin took this world and all he loved to ruin!

Sweat-soaked and delirious, blood trickled from a wound on his skull and between his eyes. Memories from many hours before resurfaced. After he’d left the morgue, Snowy Blizzard and his old friendship with Thunder Storm and Shining Armor had been on his mind. When he’d stopped before a stained-glass window in the Crystal Palace, he remembered when the three of them, like sworn brothers, crossed their swords high here before a depiction of the late Queen Cadance, and promised to defend Equestria until each of these stallions drew their final breaths.

“And now look at us,” lamented Fiery as he stumbled onward. “What an utter disgrace.”

He recalled the rumors circling the hallways that Moonlight River had escaped. A sketch of the two-piece maid costume she supposedly wore was shown to him, and he approved it as the mandatory outfit for the staff from this moment forward. Within the hour, seamstresses hastily modified their uniforms to better match what he had in mind before more suitable revisions could be made. Crystal maids adorned said costumes wherever he looked, displayed like trophies.

Two maids, punished for their negligence, were forced to scrub the walls of a blood-stained corridor clean after Moonlight escaped on their watch. Not to mention the guards found dead. The pair were down on all fours, tails hiked up, plush hind ends exposed, since aside from tiny thongs they were forbidden to wear underwear. The first maid muttered, “This is humiliating!”

“Hush," pleaded the second maid, their sponges soaked in soap suds and blood. “They’ll hear you!”

“So? The guards are more interested in checking out our goods anyway.” She tried to readjust the thong panties, which crawled up her buttcrack and left the sides of her plump pink butthole visible, not to mention their moist cameltoes. “I swear, they even put aphrodisiacs in our food! My estrus flares up way more often than it should! Ever since Fiery took over, it’s like he wants to turn every mare here into a foal factory!”

“Is...is that really so bad?” She blushed as their pussies enthusiastically, wetly winked at the idea.

“I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to spend my life as breeding fodder! I don’t care how much we’ll be paid! He’s obviously set this up to tempt everyone, hoping we’ll finally surrender to our needs and bear the troops a new batch of foals!”

“Could be worse,” lamented the second mare. “Remember what happened to Cadance’s personal twin maids? Rumor has it Chrysalis had them snatched up to teach Cadance a lesson, and pumped the broodmares so full of eggs their swollen wombs and bellies eventually popped…”

Their cunts enthusiastically winked from estrus at the idea of sex, soaked panties pulled into their slits when puffy pussy lips seized at the lacy silk.

“Yeah, Fiery did a fine job protecting those poor twins....eep!” The crystal mares balked at the sound of his footsteps, drained of all color.

Fiery cupped his hands behind him and allowed a dry chuckle to pass his lips. “That… is a misconception. It wouldn’t have happened if Cadance and Shining Armor hadn’t forced me to hold back. But that won’t be a problem from now on. Go on, speak freely! Help me improve the Crystal Empire! We’re all ponies here, aren’t we?”

“Y-yes, sir!” The maids rose to their knees and bowed before the supreme commander.

With a shake of his head, Fiery discarded that particular encounter. Just as he discarded their charred remains, after one of them became too vocal about a mare uprising. He couldn’t afford to divide his land while he built up his dictatorship.

The flames that licked around the supreme commander gave him a bit of nostalgia. Of the day he saved a pair of Amazons, the last of their tribe, and took them as his wives, Panna and Chezka eternally honor-bound to the tyrant.

Of course, the mustard stallion didn’t value them outside of their strength and fertility. Simply more pieces on the board to use. To ensure the safety of all Equestrian life, with ponies above all.

The sound of stuff breaking made Fiery snap his head in that direction and spotted his prey by an abandoned pottery cart in the distance. Brow furrowed, he stumbled into a haphazard run.

“Get up,” implored the badly-beaten Marathyssa, her eyes dim and unable to shapeshift anymore.

“Trying,” replied Shining Armor, his blade soaked in slime. He’d managed to dispatch a lone changeling....and had his prosthetic leg ripped away by its maw for the effort, now forced to lean on what shelter he could find or his bent sword.

“Leave this one before you’re slowed down further,” pleaded Marathyssa with a tremble.

“N-no way! I’m supposed to be a hero,” the fallen paladin added with an ironic chuckle, uncertain whether anyone else survived. That was answered when he spotted Fiery in the distance, the mustard pegasus marching their way. “G-Get behind me!” Shakily he readied his busted blade.

Before the two swordsmen could exchange blows in another duel, a wounded minotaur limped between them. “H-help me,” pleaded the bull. “My wife and children-” Fiery swiped his sword to behead the wounded soldier, only to be matched by Shining, who desperately launched forward and raised his saber, which rattled and sparked when he narrowly blocked the death blow.

“You dishonorable cad!” Nevertheless, the effort had knocked the paladin to the bloodied dirt.

“Honor died the moment you tried to lead our nation into the ground!” Fiery yelled while ignoring an arrow feebly thrown by Marathyssa. Shining Armor was all but entirely at his mercy, when the bellows of the saved minotaur pulled all their attention. Ground ruptured like a bloody birth canal, and massive inky tentacles shot up from the stygian darkness to entangle said minotaur, where it started to drag him down into the hungry earth. He cried, reached out. Before anyone could intercept, he vanished in the dark.

Wherever they looked, more tentacles ripped up from the scorched soil and sought out fresh prey. A holstaur shrieked, plucked from her hamlet, freed when Shining hobbled forward and diced the wiggling appendage into giblets. Fiery was forced to hack away at the coils that writhed around them while the red mist continually spilled over an area blanketed under the bleeding moon. More tremors reverberated across the land, scarred and torn under more tremors.

Just then, Beatrix and Iclyn arrived, fresh spells at the ready. However, the magic they channeled to thwart the eldritch horrors below was countered by a barrier raised by a mass of cloaked figures that also made their way onto the chaotic scene.

“Beatrix Belladonna,” the spokesmen greeted. “We have been expecting you.”

The violet witch seethed. “And I’ve got a score to settle with you, Cult of the Nemesis!”

The hooded men floated forward. “I take it you enjoyed your little ‘family reunion’?”

“What did you do to my mother!?” demanded Beatrix, a hand on the hip and a spell readied.

The head cultist chuckled. “You’ll learn in due time. But I can assure you, we are not merely a ‘cult’ like before. That label you’ve placed on our order is meaningless.”

Iclyn asked, “And what is it you’ve all become, mister..?”

He held his decrepit hand over his chest. “Please. Call me Vox. And we answer a higher calling. One who puts Belladonna’s gifts and abilities to shame.”

“The anomaly…” the deighdyr presumed.

Beatrix sporadically launched a spell of mixed elemental magic that Vox absently brushed aside with a psychic barrier, the land struck by it. “I don’t give a rat’s ass what you call yourselves or who you work for! I’m taking you both down!!”

Vox tilted his head to the side slightly. “Is that a challenge?”

“You’re damn right it is!”

“Very well. Show me how far you’ve come!”

The rest of his acolytes stepped back to allow the spellcasters space. None of the other cultists intervened, but instead set themselves on Iclyn and anyone else they discovered around the shattered village. Beatrix was further sickened to find the severed unicorn horn he used as a lacquered wand to channel his high-tier magic. Anger fueled her Onoma, empowering her spells and imagination against Vox’s borrowed power.

Eventually, Arcanum came across the red-robed magicians and relaunched his hook-like weapon despite his busted ribs, where it ripped open an acolyte’s chest. Around him, the wail of holstaurs who’d lost their calves or husbands and the cries of children resounded. “This is a nightmare,” he muttered as he and his twins made their way across the chaos to reunite with the others.

Blood soaked the grass and earth, dried on it. The reek of decay filled their nostrils, cries of agony in their ears. Flies buzzed around a minotaur corpse, half fallen into a cracked well that oozed out brackish water mixed with darkened blood.

Blue Moon agreed, “It’s horrible! I—oh no!" The twins pulled to a stop. “I’m pretty sure...”

“...our water just broke,” lamented Strawberry Moon as wetness sloshed between the sisters’ thunder thighs. Their greatest strength, the ability to draw on each other for support due to their cutie marks, also proved their greatest weakness, as their stresses were shared and thus doubled.

“Oh, you’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” he replied, though he supposed it was inevitable. They tried to keep to the shadows, in no condition for a head-on fight. Hell, the erenn warlock could barely stand up, pushed on by sheer will alone. He realized it wasn’t mere lust that had driven their salacious actions back in the room, but a need to support and take comfort from one another. "Let's take a load off here."

The hardy body of a holstaurs made sure their unborn calves were physically safe, their flesh designed to take any punishment a bull like Moon Hammer could dish out when they made love. Still, the continuous stress of a warzone was another matter. While he placed them in what shelter he could find to deliver their calves, Blue Moon choked, “I-I’ll direct you! I’m a nurse!”

“Good. Because I only have half a clue about this kind of thing,” he admitted and squeezed their hands to comfort them when they reclined, hidden behind a half-torn hut. They slid off their bikini bottoms. Without proper tools to help them deliver, he carefully lit his horn. He used his aura to carefully, gently open their birth canals to expose slick pink; the twin sisters on their backs on bushels of hay when they parted their thighs wide, then started to push with a shared moan.

Blood and juices shot from them, which he blocked with a minor shield spell, undeterred. He gritted his teeth with a sharp grunt and ignored the crunch of his fractured ribs, wondering what Bloody Merry would do if she were here to help.

The masochistic mares blushed hotly, skin soaked in perspiration as they also ripped off their tops, and their nipples ached with fresh dribbles of milk. “T-talk dirty to us! It’ll help loosen us up-!”

He rolled his eyes with a snort but nonetheless complied. “C’mon! Push harder, you silly bitches! HARDER!” They winked fiercely in response, cooed harder, and dripped down their assholes.

Unfortunately his gloves were fingerless, forced to roll up his sleeves and reach into their birth canals directly. Another barrier raised by his lit horn blocked streams of urine they unintentionally voided, their faces on fire.

"Nothin' I haven't seen before," he reassured them. "Now, focus on your calves and PUSH!"

*****

Hours of agonized fighting passed, until the battle at the Minotaur Ville finally ended. The cultists and changelings retreated into the dissolving scarlet fog like ghosts, their mission accomplished and their scattered opponents terribly wounded. Another empty silence dawned.

The body of Vox lay lifelessly on the stained earth, his robes burnt and tattered by Beatrix’s plethora of spells. The wayward witch hunched, heavily winded after her duel, her Onoma exhausted, leaving her mostly bare. Iclyn was equally fatigued, sweat dripping off her face and brow.

“At least that’s one less problem to deal with,” the icy doe proclaimed, kicking the splayed-out cultist to ensure he was dead with her snout drawn.

But Beatrix knew better, brows furrowed as she leaned down to inspect the body. When she pulled off the hood, both women recoiled in disgust at the hideous face underneath. It wasn’t anyone they recognized, but their skin was deathly pale and clinging to bone. The eyes were sunken in, mouth agape with chunky blood painting their chin. The tongue was also missing, and, much to her dismay, so was the wand.

“Yeah, figured as much,” the violet unicorn said with a shudder. “Just another puppet on a string. I doubt we’ve seen the last of Vox or whoever…”

“Most likely,” said Iclyn with a low heave. “Come on. Let’s go find and help the others.”

Equinox stirred, awakened, despite the paralysis drug pumping her veins. The moment she had feeling in her wings, the bulky thestral flew unsteadily back to the village and almost crashed when she landed, sore all over and sluggish. She stepped over the corpses of minotaurs, changelings, and stallion soldiers swarmed by bloated flies, her snout drawn in a snarl.

“Moonlight? Sparky?! Come on out, you fucking cunts!” She spat and kicked one of the corpses, ignoring all pathetic the crying and pleas for help. “Survival of the fittest, chumps. First rule of a warband,” muttered the one-eyed raider.

She spotted one of Deinos’ arms on the pathway, the one embedded with her fish hook gauntlet. Flashing a smile, Equinox retrieved her departed weapon, ripping it off the forsaken limb and strapping it back where it belonged.

“Now that’s what I call an upgrade~!” She said, admiring the bio fusion of changeling anatomy before placing a wet kiss over the carapace steel plates. When she felt one dying drone grab onto her foot, the marauder simply extended her hook claws through its head in a splash and audible rip.

“Fuckin’ bugs...bet all you saw was another walkin’ womb, huh? Well, I’m not easy pickings like the rest of these losers! Always been a survivor!”

But no matter where she turned, there was death and destruction, some of the Mi-Go’s influence already infecting the ground and soil from the bacterial blood of the most contaminated drones.

“Fuck me, where’s a good drink and lay when you need it? Guess I’ll have to settle for a few more notches on my kill list!” Equinox didn’t care whether it was Fiery’s troops or the Mi-Go swarm; she needed to sate her bloodlust, starting with that pesky little bitch, Moonlight River!

But before Equinox continued her self-appointed seek-and-destroy mission, a massive, familiar changeling slammed down to block her path. “Haven’t you done enough damage?” glowered Deinos, who, amid the chaos, lost track of Fiery after he disarmed him and his makeshift flamethrower.

Equinox’s cruel smile widened upon seeing the monstrous arachnid missing a limb. “Aww, what’s the matter, freak? Did they cut off your third leg, too~?”

“I’ve grown tired of your prejudice and sexism,” cooly replied Deinos, his remaining limbs raised and ready to finish her off as the fires died down in the backdrop. “I doubt anyone will mourn you.”

“Like anyone would mourn you, cockroach!”

They moved to throwdown when the ground rumbled again, and a black shadow eclipsed the entire villa. Everyone alive and aware gazed up to the multitude of lights and spherical orbs flashing down rhythmically, the entire sky swallowed up.

“What the hell is that?” Questioned Equinox, shielding her eye as illumination spilled down.

“Is… is that a flying saucer?!” Moonlight exclaimed as she, Lightning, and Kyube huddled together.

“There’s no bloody way,” Arcanum said with disbelief, taking in the saucer-shaped body of the enormous entity. Moon Hammer was focused more on his wives while they went through labor, since he’d finally tracked them down.

Beatrix surveyed the more organic-looking portions of a spiraling underbelly and wondered aloud, “Wait… could it be an eldritch beast?”

“Or something overtaken by one,” mused Iclyn at her side as she stroked her azure chin. “It could be another weapon of the cult for all we know! Like we haven’t been screwed alread—”

Her words were cut off once the bottom of the saucer opened up, and light streams descended to shine over several people gathered there, Iclyn and Beatrix included. Their clothes and manes fluttered when they slowly lifted up towards the luminous mouth that awaited to devour them.

“H-hey, wait! H-hold on! Waaaah!!”

Beatrix tried to pull away with her Onoma, but the creature’s gravitational pull proved more powerful, especially in her weakened state. She looked about to see who else was being swallowed up… Arcanum, Moonlight, Kitsune, Kyube, and Lightning were flailing uselessly. Midnight groaned with pain, deliriously believing he was being lifted into heaven’s gates. Deinos and Equinox were pried apart from each other, demanding to be released as they too ascended.

“Moon Hammer!!” cried Moonlight, trying to reach out for the minotaur blacksmith as he, his wives in labor, and his people grew smaller and smaller.

All of them were helpless as they disappeared into the space beast’s orifice, which closed with a series of warbles and clicks before it ascended.

Chezka started to train an arrow on the spacecraft, only for Panna to weakly seize her hand. “Not...a good idea.” Reluctantly, the centaur lowered her bow, and stomped a hoof with a snort, doubtful she could make the shot now.

Everyone not abducted watched as the extraterrestrial ship disappeared into the black aether, leaving the survivors in ruin and perplexion in the aftermath of the invasion.

“What does that mean… for us?” The centauress questioned as she protectively cradled Panna.

“Guess we weren’t chosen,” scoffed Fiery, amused by the absurdity of it all. “Left to die in this doomed world. All because you all wouldn’t follow my lead.” He glared at Shining Armor, taking large gulps of air while Marathyssa cradled him close to her bust, stroking his mane in a tender manner.

The mustard pegasus looked back to where the UFO had disappeared, armor and mane matted in blood, and surmised, “We’re on our own…”

*****

“Let me out! Take me back!!”

Beatrix screamed, slamming her fist against a see-through window as the ship left orbit. The planet was half submerged in darkness, while what wasn’t covered gleamed beautifully from the view of starry space. However, that gorgeous sight was spoiled by the apparent hodgepodge the world had become, formed of many others the witch once visited. She could see parts of the unstable planet crumble before her heavy eyes...

“Go back,” she demanded through sobs. “We can’t leave them behind! Cerise, Penumbra, Moon Hammer, and everyone else will die if I don’t—!”

“They’ll die should we return as we are now,” a familiar, husky voice answered.

Beatrix rose to her boot’s high heel in a whirl of her cape and mane to face a sight that made her fury drain, and her features soften. “Sister..?!”

Before her stood Bellatrix Primadonna, the statuesque succubus crimson-skinned with golden eyes, a waterfall of silky black hair, horns, and a spaded tail. Her leather wings funneled behind her bare back, ample curves adorned by a black leather dominatrix-style bikini and boots.

“You need to relax,” the devilish woman insisted softly. “The planet isn’t anywhere close to destruction yet. We’ll have time to go back and save those people, dear sister. That, I promise.”

Beatrix couldn’t help but smile and practically jumped into her arms when she hugged her. “I-I can’t believe you’re here, sis! Y-you’re safe!”

“Yes,” replied Bellatrix with a small, saddened smile. “I couldn’t allow myself to die before apologizing to you and everyone else. Because of my foolishness, the Glamorguis inhabiting the haunted mansion we once called home was...”

“Glamorguis?” Beatrix curled her brow, eyes lit in curiosity. “Like a glamourous disguise? Is that what these odd beasts are really called?!”

“Indeed,” came another, more cheerful voice. An even taller and more voluptuous woman wandered onto the ship’s ‘bridge,’ looking like a hybrid of devil, angel, and human. Angelic wings with eyes on her feathers fanned behind her, and a serpent-shaped tail wrapped around one plush thigh. “Welcome aboard my Glamorguis,” she greeted with a wave. “My name is Layla, and I will guide you on this journey through the cosmos.”

Beatrix furrowed her brows. “Layla?”

“You may know her better by her ancient name. Lilith,” stated Bellatrix while she withdrew from her sister’s embrace.

“Whoa, as in 'the' Lilith? The first woman and succubus, mother of all demons..?”

Layla tittered at this. “I was told you were quite gullible. You shouldn’t believe everything you’ve read or heard. Albeit, there is a truth behind all legends!”

The witch took a moment to survey her silky gray skin and archaic cheek symbols and recognized these traits that marked her as a demihuman, the otherworldly beings that became her most unlikely of allies. “Yeah, no kidding…”

“More importantly,” the motherly succubus continued. “I have some friends here you no doubt wish to catch up with! Come along now!”

Cautiously, Beatrix followed her sister and their benefactor toward the central station, where the other abducted allies gathered. The setting was arranged with white seats circling a large pool of water. The witch sat down to try and settle in while Bellatrix helped escort Lightning and Deinos, who were both heavily wounded, into a medical wing. Layla sat and explained, “The waters help speed up one’s natural recovery. But certain injuries are beyond its capabilities.”

“Where’s Zeloph when you need him,” muttered Beatrix, who watched Kitsune slump onto the comfy chairs while surveying her missing tail. Kyube sat beside her, doing his best to comfort her. Arcanum and Iclyn swatted away the jellyfish-looking creatures that attempted to examine them through their feathery tendrils.

“Oi, keep your feelers away from me!!” barked the erenn unicorn, who winced from his ribs.

Midnight was stuck in his seat, unable to fight off the ship’s maintenance due to how badly aged his body was. It would take time for the Glamorguis to undo some of the damage that crippled the once-youthful knight. “Where are Cerise and Penumbra,” he asked weakly, his hoarse voice broken. “D-did they not make it...?”

Layla responded with a troubled look. “Unfortunately, no. The ship wasn’t able to detect their life signatures anywhere.”

“What?!” Moonlight yelled with shrunken pupils. “No! I won’t accept that! Take us back now!”

“You can’t do anything at the moment,” replied Bellatrix, her mouth drawn in a thin line.

“They’re most certainly alive,” promised Layla to the large assembly that started to spill onto the bridge. “We’ll return to aid them and everyone else once we’ve regrouped! For now, try to rest.”

Moonlight huffed before sitting back down, arms and legs crossed. Her pale yellow eyes glared at her former friend, whom she cast the most blame for their herd mate’s disappearance. Midnight silently accepted this, his face lined and sunken.

Translucent sliding doors opened, and another pair of familiar voices called out in unison, “We can help take care of anyone in need!”

Everyone turned as the coral pink crystal mare maid and her twin entered. This set of twins were known as Foal-Bearer and Wet Nurse, who’d looked after Beatrix’s mansion before it had been stolen. Garbed in scanty nurse uniforms, transformed into half-succubi by Bellatrix’s magic, each was adorned with a single horn and bat-wing, their fingernails and toenails claw-like. “It took a while, but the tranquil waters here patched us right up!” The younger twin assured them when they took a flamboyant bow.

Beatrix rose up with alarm. “Foal-Bearer and Wet Nurse are here as well!? Then that must mean..!”

Giving a knowing grin, the pair stood aside to allow their burly lover to enter, earning elated gasps. “Well, aren’t ye a sight fur sour eyes,” greeted the warm baritone of Sir Dion, the warrior ram brother of her beloved Oona Ewe.

Tears of happiness leaked out her violet eyes as the witch rushed into his beefy arms, her marshmallow bust squished against his barreled chest. “Good tae see ya too, lass,” he murmured softly, a muscular arm wrapped over her shoulder.

“I’ve missed you so fucking much,” wept the unicorn mare, her snout nuzzling his neck. “H-have you heard anything about Oona..?”

“Aye, Ah have,” the muscular caprine nodded. “Which is why Ah have tae return home.”

“Good,” Iclyn butted in, arms crossed. “Maybe you can knock some sense into her skull for me.”

“Hey! You’re ruining the mood,” pouted Beatrix.

Before he could question what the deighdyr was referring to, Dion spotted the gurney that Midnight laid out on and approached with a grimace. “Geez, Middy. Ye look like mah grandpa’s taint! What th’ blazes happened tae ye!?”

“L-long story…” muttered the blue pegasus.

“His hyper-stallionism got the better of him,” the witch quickly summarized with a frown.

“Ahh…” Dion folded his arms into his scarred chest, sharing a look of disappointment. “Looks like mah lessons didn’t git through mah student’s pig-thick skull. Remind me tae butt heads wit him later.”

Moonlight shot Midnight a pained stare. “Gladly…”

She then turned her glare to Equinox, who stewed in a corner. The one-eyed raider spat blood and saliva on the floor, frustrated as her throwdown with Deinos had been interrupted.

“At least this place is safe from violence,” Kitsune sighed softly, shaky, her balance thrown by the loss of a tail and the forgotten pain of being non-cybernetic. “Where does this bloodshed end?”

Kyube gripped her hand and admitted, “Wish I knew. I feel like I’ve died over and over every time one of my ‘clones’ faces death...”

The fox woman mused, “I wonder if this is how my sister feels? Wispy Willow has always bristled with emotion. She...is good with people and at expressing herself. While I...I have always let my actions speak for me, as it’s all I know...”

“There’s more to you than just your actions,” he told her with a smile, then leaned in and stole a kiss from her. The vixen’s eyes widened momentarily, but she didn’t resist, her face lightly colored, savoring his touch. His taste. His smell. All the sensations that had once been dulled by her augmentations, forced on her by the organization that brainwashed her and her sister, turning them into doll-like weapons of death.

When their snouts finally withdrew, Kitsune’s cheeks were mildly colored, and promised, “I will help you find little Chisana, wherever she is.”

“And Wispy Willow for you…”

As the foxy couple cuddled closer, their tails coiling each other, Lightning Spark reemerged on the bridge. Bristles of her electric blue mane and fur still stood on end, the air thick with pockets of static around the athlete when she hobbled in.

Layla frowned, eying her crooked wing. “You should be resting.”

“But what about Fiery Kickstart? Won’t he-?”

“Ohh, he probably already has,” Equinox said with a cruel smile. “Knowing him, the minotaurs are either dead or under his command. Probably cooked a few charbroiled hamburgers and steaks! Sure gave that cockroach Deinos a run for his money! What are the chances he’ll die from—”

Lightning strode up and slapped her sharply across the face. “No, he’s not! He’s-”

Equinox moved to shove Lightning against a wall, a fist pulled back, intercepted by a glass barrier that appeared and sealed the marauder in.

“Hey! Let me out of here!!” The bat mare growled, trying to punch her way through the impenetrable tube.

“I will not have any fighting on my ship,” commanded Layla, her adder tail hissing. "That means all of you." That declared, she relaxed.

“How about some answers then?” said Arcanum, favoring the side of his ribs that wasn’t cracked. “I’m not familiar with you ‘demi-humans,’ but you must know a lot. Given you’re the supposed ‘first woman,’ ‘mother of demons,’ and whatnot.”

“Our history is a complicated one,” professed the angelic demon. “Are you familiar with the bible?”

“Read a few variations in me spare time.”

“Then you understand that the words I speak might sound unbelievable.”

“I’ve fought and seen plenty of cryptids and cosmic horrors that claimed to be ‘angels,’” the detective stated dryly as his eyes locked with hers. “Plus, I’m now riding through space and time in a fuckin' eldritch UFO, of all things. I doubt whatever you have to say will surprise me.”

Layla nodded her head. “Very well. I’ll tell you everything I know when we’ve reached our destination. Oh, and please refrain from smoking. I would rather my Glamorguis’ respiratory system not be compromised.” Her adder plucked his smoke from his lips before he could light its tip.

Arcanum let out a begrudging grumble before putting his cigarettes away and sitting back on the gurney. “Had to leave the other pair of twins behind during labor. Did me part… hope old Moon Hammer can take care of the rest.”

He’d seen his share of crime scenes, wars, and tragedies, his haunted eyes heavy with black circles. The fate of the minotaurs was another typical tragedy brought on by warfare. Curiously, he asked, “… Where are you taking us, anyway?”

Layla stood before the transparent window that offered a view into the starry ocean and elaborated, “A rogue planet, somehow completely unaffected by the deteriorating multiverse. Sacratera.” The eyes on her plume blinked as one.

“Say what? ‘Holy land’? And why are we headed there?” Gently, he brushed the twins aside, who cooed disappointment as they tried to treat him.

While she linked her mind with the Glamorguis to better navigate the spacecraft’s voyage across the galaxy, the mother of demons answered, “It’s my homeland. Birthplace of all demi-humans. And, more importantly, where Zeloph and his company of companions currently reside.”

Beatrix was flabbergasted. “Huh?! But last I heard, he and Shadow Scythe were preparing to fight Mortis in her world! Why are they not—”

Bellatrix grimaced when she revealed to her sister and all the people on board, “I fear that part of the multiverse no longer exists…”

Everyone was stunned into silence, while the saucer-shaped Glamorguis sailed through the beautiful void of space, leisurely traveling toward the enigmatic planet of the demi-humans.

Chapter 15

View Online

Smoke and ash polluted the blackened sky around the charred remains of the minotaur villa. In light of the recent alien abduction, a temporary truce was called between Moon Hammer’s people and Fiery Kickstart’s troops. Crystal Empire soldiers helped rescue the wounded, put out fires, and collect bodies for burial. But tensions remained high as the heads of both sides met across charred earth.

Moon Hammer kept his war hammer in both hands, snout twisted, and brows furrowed. “You’re lucky I don’t crush your limbs.”

“You’re free to try,” Fiery spat without enthusiasm. “But neither of us is in any shape to continue the battle. Were our armies to exchange blows now, it would end in mutual destruction. Assuming we really aren’t damned already.” He heaved a sigh. “No, best to maintain whatever peace is left. Only until our enemies are annihilated can we properly part ways.”

“Oh, you’ll be parting alright,” the blacksmith snorted, pointing his weapon at various points of the landscape. “Parts of you there… there… and way over there.”

Chezka trotted up, Panna slumped unconscious on the centaur’s horse portion, the fawn’s horn half-eaten by acids before the wound sealed. “We might not be in any shape for that,” she whispered. “We’ve lost hundreds!”

“And the changelings have lost thousands in this suicidal attack,” reminded Fiery.

“Right. But they can just breed more soldiers much faster than we can,” rebutted Chezka, who stomped a hoof and swatted a fly away with her white tail. “Our numbers are far fewer than the swarm! If we retreat home now, we can—”

Her suggestion was bluntly caught off by a slap in the face.

The mustard pegasus sneered at his wife. “Don’t you ever suggest I pull my forces back! While they’re replenishing their ranks, we can press our advantage and strike the hive where it hurts!”

The centauress glared back stubbornly, rubbing her sore cheek. “But we know nothing about the cult that aids them! This changes everything-”

“It changes nothing!” he barked. “Need I remind you of your Amazonian code? You wouldn’t be alive if not for me! Your lives are mine until you draw your last breath! You have your orders! NOW MOVE!” An audible crack sounded when he slapped her muscled horse ass to send her off, like she was some unruly pet that needed to be disciplined. To be reminded of her place when she got too uppity.

For a moment, Chezka fumed and stared him down so fiercely that it appeared she was ready to attack him. But instead, she finally turned with a haughty swish of her wavy white ponytail and cradled her cervine sister close to her back as she trotted away.

His eyes watched her toned horse buttocks shift under damaged armor, his angry red handprint left on a broad cheek. “Women,” he huffed. “Too driven by emotions. Another reason why they have no place on the battlefield...”

Moon Hammer snorted in disgust at how the supreme commander treated his wives. But he didn’t have a say in the matter. A calf cradled the udder of twins, Strawberry and Blue Moon, as they nursed. It swelled the minotaur’s heart, knowing new life and hope could still exist in this maddening world. He dropped his weapon and knelt to hold his wives and children, telling them how much he loved them.

Water filled his eyes. He owed Arcanum much for this one. Hopefully, the warlock was well.

But it was plainly obvious Fiery was losing control. At least some soldiers helped rescue holstaurs and calves trapped in huts that had collapsed, and Shining Armor stayed by Marathyssa’s side, watching over the half-dead’ crystal maid’ as the doctors, nurses, and medicine men and women tended to her and the other wounded the best they were able, under the circumstances.

The minotaur blacksmith-turned-chief didn’t think Beatrix and her friends would abandon him. He could only speculate what that strange organic spacecraft was, be it an ally or an enemy, possibly a tool of the cult? But then, why hadn’t it finished them off when they were so vulnerable?

Deciding it was pointless to worry, Moon Hammer wiped the sweat off his brow and returned to work recovering whatever was left of their village. When it came to his people and family, they were his top priority.

In truth, the village remained unnamed since it was meant to be a temporary settlement until they returned home. But that appeared more unlikely than ever. Tired eyes surveyed the ruins.

And from the ashes of their old home, they would rebuild anew. Bigger, Stronger, with sturdier defenses. A new town he would one day call…

Hammerfall.

*****

On the voyage through the vastness of space, within the space whale-like eldritch beast called a Glamorguis, Beatrix Belladonna continued to lean on a window that revealed the darkness and stars outside. Her troubles were forgotten for a brief moment, violet eyes alight with marvel and awe.

She gasped in wonder upon witnessing a brilliant solar flare whip by in the distance, and a chain of asteroids that the saucer-shaped alien craft deftly maneuvered around.

Oh, how the wayward witch longed for an adventure like this. No existential crisis to avert or reality-breaking threat to stop. Just deep exploration and tranquility.

Yet, Beatrix sensed her taste for adventure had dulled significantly over this agonizingly rough week in Midnight’s world. With the Cult of the Nemesis back in action, there was nowhere safe for her or the people she cared about. Especially Lady Ewe and their unborn child.

The violet mare clutched a hand over her chest, yearning to be with her pregnant lover. But she wouldn’t forgive herself if she led her oldest enemies to the Lost World, where another war would occur on May’s Eve.

And that wasn’t going into the guilt weighing down her shoulders, about everything that transpired with Midnight, Cerise, and the rest of their families.

“What am I supposed to do..?!” She cried with frustration, her heeled boot clicking on the floor when she stormed off to her companions on the ‘bridge.’ Entering through translucent sliding doors, she spotted her sister, Bellatrix Primadonna, and Sir Dion amid a conversation.

When the red-skinned succubus spotted the violet unicorn, she gave a subdued wave and said, “Come, join us. There is much to discuss.”

“Aye. An’ A’d rather not repeat myself,” grunted Dion, his thick arms folded over the ram’s bared, scarred chest.

“Can’t blame you there,” Beatrix noted while strolling over to sit between the two. “So… what did I miss?”

Dion released a heavy exhale. “Honestly, Ah don’t know where tae e’en begin. Didn’t have th’ chance tae relax at all. There was a civil war between Ebony’s tribe an’ th’ Pundamilla Empire, who had apparently allied wit Varys fur his technology.”

The witch mare cringed. “Oh, yikes! Almost forgot that deranged lunatic was running around…”

“Well, yes an’ no,” the caprine warrior said. “See, th’ Emperor’s daughters were transformed intae cybernetic weapons, an’ they led th’ attack on th’ Noble tribe. We managed tae fend them off, but...their chieftain, Noble Savage, was lost in th’ effort. Natural Selection was there, too. But he spent what remained ov his life tae protect his people.”

“You’re kidding!”

“Afraid not, lass. Hundreds ov tribesmen were lost...” Dion bowed his head, crimson eyes drifting to Foal-Bearer and Wet Nurse, the half-succubi left in a crippled state until the ship’s miraculous tech helped restore them.

Bellatrix’s face tightened in a shared sense of responsibility with the ram. “Had we arrived sooner-”

“Nah. Villains were e’erywhere. Speakin’ ov which, Varys. Normally, A’d feel happy tae inform ye that th’ vulture-faced bastard finally bit th’ dust! But that’s not th’ case.”

Both Beatrix and Bellatrix looked at him with perplexity as Dion explained, “A new evil has risen tae take his place. Calls herself Viscera. An’ if ye thought Varys was bad? Ah was there when that heinous cunt cast a plague on th’ entire Zebrican empire, then killed th’ emperor in front ov his kin!”

“Why do we always have to deal with such sick freaks,” complained Beatrix, who was at her wit’s end.

“We tend to attract the worst crowds,” Bellatrix stated matter of factly. “So where is this ‘Viscera’?”

Dion grimaced. “She hijacked a portal claimin’ she had a meetin’ with her ‘fellow demi-humans.’”

The witch went pale, realizing the implications. “S-so then that means..!”

“We’ll need to prepare for an ‘uninvited guest’ when we reach our destination,” presumed Bellatrix, eyes narrowed.

“Aye,” nodded the ram. “’Cause despite th’ constant hardships, we gotta do what we can. E’en wit mah Onoma, Ah was only able tae achieve so much. At least Ah saved Ebony Ivory, an’ A’m sure she’ll rebuild what she can…”

“Guess one universe will have the chance to heal,” grumbled Beatrix. She summarized her entourage’s experience with the Crystal Empire, the Changeling Siege, Midnight’s escalating condition, and the Cult of the Nemesis’ resurgence with a weary sigh. With every sentence, the witch struggled to swallow down her urge to sob at how horrible things had turned out. All because of her…

Dion reached to squeeze her hand firmly and reassured, “Ye’re doin’ th’ best ye can, lass.”

Beatrix bitterly said, “Am I really? Then why don’t I feel like I’ve taken a single step in the right direction? Everywhere I go, entropy happens! Even if another anomaly is at large, I’m the reason we’re in this mess! Midnight, Cerise, Shadow Scythe, Zeloph, Moxxi… I’ve ruined their lives!”

“You need to stay strong,” her sister comforted. “You can’t support Oona like this.”

“I can’t support Oona at all!” She finally bawled. “If I go back to the lost world, I risk bringing all the baggage and chaos to her and little Abby. Not to mention Tatyana and Grimmwald are expecting me. I couldn’t beat them on my own!”

“Ye don’t have tae face them alone,” affirmed Dion, who gripped her shoulders gently. “My father an’ his men are already prepared fur war tae defend mah sister an’ niece. As will Iclyn an’ Ah.”

Beatrix briefly pulled away to see the cyan doe gazing into the star-filled vacuum of space, her green eyes glimmering.

“Nae more runnin’ away, Beatrix. Ye’ve gotta take a stand. Life is far too precious an’ short fur fear..”

Sniffling, she nodded before laying her head into his fuzzy muscular chest. “Thank you…”

A warm smile traced the ram’s snout while he held her tightly. “Anytime.”

“That’s far from the only problem, Y’know…”

Their heads turned to Moonlight River, seated next to a gurney where Midnight Blitzer was resting. She had been eavesdropping, her arms folded while she tapped a foot.

“Look, I don’t wanna be that asshole, but we had to leave Cerise and Penumbra behind in the hands of the enemy!”

A neon glow from the ship’s interior and a low hum fell over Deinos and Lightning Spark, the pair reconvening with the others onboard. The changeling had taken his Web Spinner disguise, a band wrapped around his healing arm.

The electric blue pegasus added, “Not to mention the fallout that will surely come between Fiery’s regime, the changelings, and minotaurs. Who knows what’ll happen in our absence?”

“Heh! I’ll tell you what’ll happen,” Equinox said within her glass prison, smirking cruelly. “That pretty princess will probably end up being Queen Chrysalis’ primary broodmare~!”

“Quiet, you.” Iclyn’s cold stare was met by Equinox, but the bat mare stood down. The azure deer skulked across the floor, which echoed her footsteps. “The more time we spend here, the more peril befalls our comrades and loved ones! Can’t this thing move any faster!?”

The ship made a series of beeps and warbles as if to criticize the deighdyr’s impatience.

“What bollocks are you on about? This ‘Glamorguis’ is a living marvel,” praised Arcanum Folklore, who rapped his knuckles on a wall with a whistle. “Haven’t been on a ship that can sail this fast and elegantly! Space travel like this should take many lifetimes!” The warlock took it all in. Like Beatrix, he distracted himself from his own troubles, his focus on Bloody Merry...and the disappearance of the Necronomicon. “If I had to nitpick, it’s that me bloody teleportation spell was rendered obsolete. All that bloody hard work, trouble, and effort for nothing!”

“Maybe not,” murmured Midnight sleepily. “We have to go back! We have to…”

Moonlight soured when she squeezed the stallion’s withered hand, then brushed aside gray locks that fell across his wrinkled, lined face. “I’m still pissed at you, Middy…. But you have to make it. If not for me, then for your wife.”

He nodded with pursed lips while glancing away, unable to look at his childhood friend after everything he unintentionally put her through. Ashamed of what he had become. His golden wedding ring couldn’t fit properly anymore, since his withered fingers were too thin.

The purplish-gray batmare had every right to distance herself and seek something new. Much as she adored Cerise, she constantly reminded her of their lover’s betrayal. A pain which regularly made her heart ache whenever she thought back to what Shining Armor did to her…

She’d spent her entire life in the military, only to see its true face when they all abandoned honor and duty for callous victory. Her sole regret was that she hadn’t taken the time to find her parents while they were there, thankful to know both remained alive and well. Not like the early years in her life, when they’d lived in caves, and she’d dreamed of when she’d join Luna’s elite number.

Attention was pulled to Layla when their hostess made her dazzling entrance. “Our arrival is imminent,” the motherly demoness announced. “Settle in; there may be some turbulence on the horizon!”

The voluptuous woman waited for Bellatrix to walk over to her side, placing a hand on her tight shoulder. A knowing smile spread her darkly painted lips. “You miss her, don’t you? After all Alma’s done to you, you can’t help but harbor love for the Baobhan Sith.”

Bellatrix curled her lips in a pout and lowered her head. “...am I that obvious?”

With a titter, Layla answered, “There’s nothing to be ashamed of! I reckon there’s a slim chance Countess Alma can be returned to what she once was. How she’ll feel about you afterward, I cannot say.”

“I understand.”

Tapping a golden-nailed finger to her chin, the mother of all demons proposed, “I think there might be a way to make your next confrontation a little more favorable.”

Bellatrix lifted her head, an eyebrow raised. “How so…?”

Before Layla could answer, gasps arose around them as everyone was drawn to the window to watch their destination loom closer and closer. The planet’s sheer size proved beyond comprehension, and the atmosphere that constantly whirled around its radius made it appear like innumerable eyes were in constant rotation around its mass. A prismatic sheen highlighted the globe.

“It’s incredible,” Lighting exclaimed with wide eyes, offering her shoulder to support Web Spinner, who adjusted his glasses.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” admitted Beatrix, her violet gaze glued to the swirling eye-shaped nebulous. Even Iclyn couldn’t hide how enthralled she was by the spectacle.

“Sacratera… Sacred Earth,” Arcanum muttered, recalling the planet’s name. “What untold mysteries await us, I wonder...?”

The demon mother’s soft features turned pensive when the Glamorguis descended into the planet’s orbit. The creature clicked and groaned, trembling under the planet’s gravitational pull.

“Brace yourselves,” she warned. “We’re in for a rough landing. Hopefully, the advanced tech on board will have fully restored Foal-Bearer and Wet Nurse by then.”

Her eyes fell on Midnight’s frail state, deciding it was best not to remind them that his critical age was beyond its capabilities. At Layla’s mental command, the eldritch beast raised fleshy support rails those onboard seized onto.

Half of the party screamed when the interior rattled, gripping each other for dear life. The Glamorguis breached through the alien world’s exosphere, a barrier of heat forming around its saucer-shaped body.

As they descended into uncharted territory, somewhere in the back of Beatrix’s mind, she wished Oona had been here to witness this exciting and terrifying event.

Layers of prismatic clouds obscured their vision until the UFO eventually popped through. Turbulence stabilized for the passengers, admiring the beautiful, otherworldly yet familiar landscapes beneath the space whale, which sailed over geography nigh identical to Earth.

Any trace of humanity was left in its remnants, countless towns, cities, and civilizations forsaken by the bizarre forestation. An overgrowth of unnatural plant life and fungi layered most of the hollow structures and abandoned vehicles.

Even stranger was the wildlife that flew, swam, and migrated around the globe. All of the animals were prehistoric reimaginings of what their earth-based life forms were. Their biologies were composed of botanic, flesh, and inorganic material, layered with a peculiar set of eyes.

But perhaps the most telling thing about this world was the enormous lifeless giants, whose limbs conformed to the planet’s erratic ecosystem. Tanks, fighter jets, and other military operative vehicles were deserted alongside massive topaz rings, chimeric sentinels, and disembodied wings. It didn’t take much observation to figure out a war had happened. And whoever won ultimately didn’t prevent the overall outcome of the post-apocalyptic world.

“Geez. No wonder Zeloph and Moxxi didn’t want to come back here,” murmured Beatrix. “This place is wrecked!”

“And completely uninhabitable,” mentioned Layla. “The atmosphere has been warped to support only native life. If any of you dare to step out, you’d only have under half an hour before the oxygen contaminates your lungs, blood, and senses.”

The witch was taken aback. “Wait, are you serious!?”

“Afraid so...”

“Then how the bloody hell are we supposed to find anyone?” berated Arcanum. “This ain’t some needle in a haystack situation. We have an entire fuckin’ planet to search! I reckon they’ll be total goners before we even-”

The UFO made a high pitch sound, responding to something that made it speed up with urgency. Everyone yelled and lost their footing as it dove between the tall buildings and structures. The window screens zoomed in on a group of dots miles up ahead, which the group instantly recognized as people.

“There they are!”

Swooping down to hover above its targets, the UFO quickly opened its circular mouth and unleashed its tendril-like tractor beams to secure the demi-humans and their companions. They ascended into the illuminating orifice, which closed with a slurp before the saucer-shaped ship resumed its flight toward the abandoned city. There, it would find a skyscraper to roost atop.

Layla heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness we found them in time...”

“Let’s hurry them to the infirmary,” suggested Bellatrix. “No doubt they’ve already succumbed to the plant’s hazardous air!”

Kyube and Kitsune were already on the move, eager to reunite with their separated family and friends. Beatrix and Dion nodded as they followed the red-skinned succubus, while the mother of demons informed their guests through her mind link with the Glamorguis. The rest of the allies were relieved that their rocky trip through space had ended for the time being.

A circular platform, highlighted by a bright ring, descended from the floor to carry Zeloph and his group to the spaceship’s bridge.

“What magnificence!” a pink-haired demi-human in nun attire exclaimed, marveling at the colorful, shimmering lights.

A large minotaur-looking demon whistled. “Yeah, this place is pretty lit!”

“Whoever the interior designer was, they clearly needed a bigger paycheck,” commented a pinstriped-devil, whom Beatrix quickly recognized as Seb.

‘Oh, great. This asshat!’

Kitsune’s eyes went wide upon spotting her nekomata sister and their bandmate, Eclipsed Heart. She cried, “Sister!”

“K-Kitsune?!” The cat woman garbed in crimson leather practically bawled as she flung herself into the vixen’s arms. “You’re here!”

The vixen allowed a rare smile to grace her snout when she nuzzled the sobbing nekomata. “You don’t know how happy I am to see you again, sister… and you, Eclipsed Heart!”

“The band’s finally back together,” the equine-turned-pop icon sniffled before noticing the kunoichi missing one of her tails. “Oh no, what happened?!”

“I lost one in battle,” hastily explained to Kitsune.

A little raccoon dog girl rushed past them, crying out, “ANIKI!!”

“Chisana!” Yelped Kyube, who scooped his lost sister into his arms and hugged her tightly into his chest.

“Nidoto aenai to omotta!” she whined.

“I’m so glad you’re safe,” he told her before sniffing her and recoiling with disgust. “Yugh! You reek! When’s the last time you’ve bathed?”

Chisana gave a sheepish grin and snicker.

The fox bandit sighed as he turned to address the group with a gracious grin. “Thank you for keeping my sister out of harm’s way,” he said, bowing his head. “I am in your debt.”

Eclipsed beamed. “Likewise! Thank you for keeping Kitsune company.”

When she cleared her throat, a muted blush appeared on the vixen’s face. “Wispy, Eclipsed, meet Kyube. He’s helping me reconnect with my yokai roots through this harrowing journey.”

“Is that so,” Wispy said with a suspicious glint in her eye, forked tail whipping about. “And exactly how have you been helping my sister..?”

Kyube’s face heated as he insisted, “N-Nothing like that! We’re still covering the basics. But I believe she’ll blossom into the fox goddess she’s modeled after.”

Kitsune lightly tittered while pulling up her facial covering. Noticing this, the twin-tailed tigress pointed two fingers from her face to his, proclaiming, “I’ve got my eyes on you, twigs…”

The bandit gave an awkward chuckle when Kitsune said, “Nevermind that. There are systems on board that should be able to remove the toxins from your bodies.”

“Ah! Yes! Right this way,” Kyube directed, leading the bandmates and his sister towards the left wing where the infirmary was located.

Beatrix had a big smile on her face as she, her sister, and Dion approached the fallen one and his entourage. The witch called out with open arms, “Yo! Sunspot!”

But her smile faded on the spot when they turned their direction, spotting the frail form of Shadow Scythe carried in Quicksilver’s arms. “… N-no..!”

Dion voiced his concerns. “What happened?”

“We weren’t strong enough ter defeat Mortis or ‘is goons,” the neon demon, Ana, soured. “We managed ter make it off before the world collapsed, but not wifaht Edgie takin’ a grievous wound….”

Even the red-skinned demoness couldn’t hide her dismay. “Don’t tell me she’s..!”

“No,” reaffirmed Zeloph firmly, his shoulders slumped. “N-Not yet. We’ll save her...somehow.”

“Of course, we will!” Beatrix insisted. “We’ve been through worse than this. R-Right..?”

An old stallion in a duster jacket and hat, Shadow Scythe’s father, Quicksilver Bullet, only offered a passing snort while he headed to the infirmary and reluctantly placed his daughter in a bed. Foal-Bearer and Wet Nurse were resting in the chairs, as was the withered form of Midnight Blitzer, who lifted their heads with grim expressions.

“Who's that?” Lightning asked while comforting both her twin and Deinos.

“S-Shadow Scythe,” the blue pegasus explained weakly. “She’s a reaper Beatrix fought frequently. Used to be one of her worst enemies, until we joined forces to take on the Burning King and the Vice Lords. I never thought I’d see her, of all people, in such a terrible state!” He bitterly added, “Man, this bites…”

Bellatrix gently touched the seraphic angel, telling him, “I can see it in your eyes. Blaming yourself isn’t going to make her feel better…”

“I know,” lamented Zeloph, his gaze unbroken from the healing wing. “I just wish there was more I could do..!”

“She’ll pull through, lad,” assured Dion, patting his shoulder. “Shadow Scythe ain’t th’ kind ov lass tae lay down easily.”

Beatrix nodded and added, “There was a time I used to hate you, but you’ve both proven to be some of the noblest heroes I’ve ever known!”

“We’re here for you,” Bellatrix surmised with a sad smile.

“A-And me!” Demi-Trix chimed in.

“So are we,” Ana joined in, turning to her fellow demi-humans sternly. “Right..?”

They all offered him words of encouragement, which caused the fallen one to hang his head in gratitude. “Thank you…”

“Aww, how sentimental,” a nasally voice slithered in their ears. Their eyes narrowed to a hideous avian-looking demi-human, garbed in a dark magenta robe and dusty wings folded behind her. She ran a talon along the corner of her eyelids and mockingly sniffled, “I’m choking up with how sickeningly sweet this is~!”

Beatrix shuddered, conjuring her magical aura around her hands and horn. “I-Is that..!?”

“Aye!” Dion glowered, brandishing his claymore. “That’s the one who brought the Pundamilla Empire to its knees. That’s Viscera!”

The nephilim scoffed. “Oh, please. That entire kingdom had it coming when it relied on my predecessor’s tech. And if you think that’s bad, just imagine all the fun ways I can eradicate you fools. In fact, why don’t I show you~!”

Everyone took a defensive stance when the villainous vulture unfurled her dusty wings, spines vibrating, ready to take them all on… only for a levitating dagger to be held at her throat.

“Oi, none of that,” said a scruffy-looking unicorn who approached the vile one from behind. “There’s going to be no fighting on this ship. Them’s the rules, and they’ll be enforced.”

Viscera scowled. “How irksome!”

“Good work, Arcanum,” praised Bellatrix, who, with the assistance of Dion and the golden demon known as Arron, directed the avian monstress towards a section that sealed her in a tube-like container. The nephilim was moved next to a similar one that held Autumn Equinox, a thestral marauder who proved too much of a loose cannon to be allowed free.

While the muscular bat mare attempted to punch and kick her way out, Viscera knocked her knuckles on the glass and conceded, realizing it was virtually indestructible. Nonetheless, Equinox yelled and cursed at them the whole time.

“You worthless sacks of shit! You can’t do this to me! Without me, the swarm would’ve done much worse!”

“Without you, I’d be able to get a good night’s sleep,” mused Bellatrix with a flick of her spaded tail.

“She can’t be trusted,” informed Deinos, who relied on a crutch to approach the reflective cells. “She’s a cold-hearted thief who’ll sell you out the moment it’s convenient. You let her go, and she’ll weasel back to Midnight’s world and conspire with Fiery Kickstart.”

Zeloph’s brow furrowed. “Another foe, I presume?”

“A terrible stallion in charge of the whole Crystal Empire,” answered Moonlight. “After eradicating the changelings, he plans to wipe out everything non-Equestrian to establish a new military republic. One where colts are born to be soldiers and mares forced into breeding camps.”

“Not unlike the Fall of Equestria,” added Beatrix, arms crossed beneath her bust.

Moonlight continued. “To do so, he wanted to have Midnight and a protoquen changeling named Marathyssa fornicate, passing on his genes to create an army of hyper soldiers.”

“Gross!” Demi-Trix quivered. “Is that why he looks a dozen years older than he should be?!”

“No. That’s because Midnight allowed his baser instincts to dictate his actions,” the purplish gray batmare sneered. “He abandoned Cerise and me to selfishly preserve himself by fucking a baby into any female he can get his hands on.”

“Yeesh! Sounds loike somebody’s got it daahhhn bad,” Ana quipped. “Off ter’ orny jail wif ya, Middy~!”

“Please don’t patronize me, Mox,” the male pegasus groaned. “I know I messed things up. It’s because of me that both Cerise and Penumbra are missing…”

“Yeah, ’cause you’re a stupid himbo beta male who can’t think for himself,” Equinox berated cruelly.

Lightning Spark’s mane frizzled with anger. “You leave him alone! You’re the one who pushed him to follow his hyper instincts!”

“Not to mention attacking Moonlight, Kyube, and myself,” added Deinos. “War Bands have a terrible reputation for a reason. They’re no better than raiders, filled with torturers, rapists, and-”

“Shut the fuck up,” Equinox spat on the tube, the spittle running down the clear interior. “As if you’re an innocent yourself! A mad scientist that infiltrated the Crystal Empire and tried to knock up Sparky here?” The mare in question shrank and blushed under her harsh words. “For all we know, you’re a double agent that’s helped stir up the war between ponies and changelings to claim the hives! So don’t pretend you know jack shit!”

Lightning closed the distance to the tube. “I trust Deinos, or whatever he calls himself! Don’t you get it? Chrysalis and this Cult of the Nemesis are the real threats! We have to put aside our differences and deal with them first!”

“Just so naïve and gullible like your idiot brother,” replied Equinox, who relaxed her tensed muscles, a flash of regret visible in her one good eye. She turned her back on them and muttered, “Just do me a favor and piss off already. Can’t stand the damned sight of your twat face anymore.”

The pegasus mare sighed and turned away, realizing that any comradery or friendship with the raider had long since been extinguished.

“She’s not worth it,” Moonlight insisted while pulling her aside.

“Bloody hell,” murmured Arcanum, observing Viscera with a disgruntled look. “I’ve seen some butt-ugly aliens in me life. But this overcooked turkey takes the case!”

“You’re not exactly easy on the eyes either, Folklore,” the fiendish avian said with a knowing grin. “Grizzled private film noir dick? Bloody Merry must've been a dame with shallow standards~.”

The drop of her name caused the erenn stallion to bash his fist against the glass, his glare sharp enough to pierce through one’s soul. He uttered with cold fury, “How the fuck do you know that?!”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” muttered Zeloph, matching with a narrow stare. “For someone who was only born moments ago, you know quite a lot.”

Viscera tittered. “I have a knack for reading people’s hearts. A talent, really. Call it my witch’s intuition!”

“W-Witch?!” Beatrix was flabbergasted, marching up to the container. “How dare you insult my title! You are no witch!”

“Oh, but I am,” she rebutted. “Varys stole a sample from you as part of my creation. Through that, I inherit your latent prowess for magic.” To demonstrate, she conjured an orb made from her ghastly aura, much to the unicorn mare’s discomfort.

“Nothing impressive now,” the villainous vulture continued to gloat. “But with enough time, I’ll arguably surpass you in potential alone. And combined with demi-human biology and some augmentations I decided to keep, I’ll eventually become the strongest creature in the multiverse!”

She slyly fluttered her eyes at the fallen one and sultrily added, “It’s not too late to join me, Zeloph. Together, nothing would come to match our power! Plus… with poor Atalanta sadly on her way out, you’ll need someone to carry your—”

“Keep her name out of your fucking mouth!!” Zell barked, eyes alight with vermillion flame.

Arcanum squeezed himself between the glass prison and the demi-human. “Easy, hot wings. I may not know anything about her, but I can tell what game she plays. And you do not want to be a piece on her board.”

The Glamorguis made a string of warbles and melodic beeps, which Bellatrix managed to pick up on during her short time inside the UFO. “We’ve been summoned. Let’s go before she gets under our skin…”

Zell inhaled deeply to cool off before following the red-skinned succubus and the warlock to the center of the bridge. Beatrix hesitated to follow, her eyes locked on Viscera behind that container. The nephilim’s smile sent a shiver up the witch’s spine. It was bad enough that this creature was not only a reincarnation of Varys, but the idea of them sharing DNA made her want to puke!

With a shudder, Beatrix turned on her heel and headed to where nearly everyone else gathered onboard, save for the prisoners and those in the infirmary. Quicksilver Bullet had volunteered to stay behind and look after the patients with Deinos, Kyube, and Kitsune.

The passengers onboard ceased their murmuring as the inner lights dimmed down for the arrival of the mother of all demons, who descended a staircase.

The demi-humans, plus Demi-Trix, were especially mesmerized by the dazzling beauty of the first woman, looking as if the statue from the monument had come to life and color. The underside of her wings and ears displayed a starry night sky; feathers dipped in gold and violet to display her nobility. And adorning each tip sat eyes that matched the one in her horned halo.

When she reached the center of the hub, Bellatrix positioned herself by her side as she began introductions.

“I… am Layla,” she greeted with a firm yet ethereal tone. “You probably know me better by the myths around Lilith. And I can assure you, part of those tales are based on truth. All will be made clear and brought to light. For you… and my people.”

She walked towards the five demi-humans, smiling brightly at each one as she tenderly stroked the fallen one’s cheek.

“Oh, Zeloph,” the motherly succubus purred, affection written on her face. “So much like my darling Lucifer. From their unraveled beauty to their vigorous passion. It pains me to see your light tarnished by sorrow and grief. Rest assured. I will do everything I can to help you and your lover.”

“I-I… thank you, Lady Layla,” he said, astonished.

“No pleasantries necessary, dear~,” the primordial demoness giggled before moving to the rosy-haired nun. “Why Julianne! I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without a smile.”

“These are troubling times, M’Lady,” confessed the angelic songstress. “But once we’ve averted this calamity, I’ll be sure to spread joy worldwide once more!”

“That’s the spirit!” Next, she approached Arron. “You’ve certainly kept in shape since starting out. And your strength has only grown. Mmm, such muscles…~”

She reached out to feel them before the bulky demon pulled away uncomfortably. “W-whoa there, Milfimus Prime! I appreciate the admiration, but I don’t swing that way…”

Layla struggled to hold in her laughter. “‘Milfimus Prime?’ That’s the first time anyone’s called me that! Regardless, seeing diversity in men’s interest is nice.”

Then she looked down at Seb, who began sweating bullets when the demon matriarch frowned. “You’ve done many wicked things in the name of money, Sebastian. Can’t say you’re anyone’s favorite.”

“W-what can I say! When you’ve got nothing to lose, you sort of just stop caring what people think of you. Even the ones you do like…”

“Regardless, I always fancy a gambling man. So I encourage you to shuffle the deck until you find that winning hand. And who knows. If you play your cards right, you might get lucky with me one night~.”

Layla gave him a wink, which made him extremely hot under the collar, before finally reaching the neon demon.

“Ahh, and at last, we meet. My dear Analise!”

“Ehh?” The neon succubus shook her head. “Wanna ran that by me again, night mama? ’cause me name isn’t–”

“Anarchia. That was a cruel name Metatron made up to ridicule your existence,” revealed Layla. “Your birth name is Analise, given to you by the lilium, Jezebel. Your mother.”

“M-my mum!?” She turned her startled gaze to Zeloph, who shared in her surprise.

“Hold on,” Seb interrupted. “Pardon the intrusion, but I’ve heard that name before. Isn’t Jezebel that dame who married a noble, tricked him into worshiping a false god, then had thousands of prophets and followers massacred just to tarnish his reputation?”

The primordial woman nodded. “The very same. She was a popular succubus who regularly had flings with wealthy terrans. Quite the nasty temper, though.”

“… huh,” Ana considered, rubbing her chin. “I guess that could explain me deposition for violence. So is she, y’know… still ’round?”

“Yes,” confirmed Layla. “She’s out there...somewhere. Perhaps we’ll be able to find her someday once all this nonsense is behind us?”

“Yeah… I’d fin’ I’d loike that,” admitted the neon demon.

“Speaking of which!” Arcanum clapped his hands together to draw attention. “Glad to hear you all caught up with each other. But could you kindly get to the point? We’re on a tight schedule here!”

Bellatrix raised an eyebrow. “A little rude, don’t you think?”

“No, he’s right,” said Iclyn, who had thus far been hanging in the background. “The rest of existence continues to unravel as the minutes go by. Please spare us the theatrics and just tell us what demi-humans are.”

The voluptuous woman pursed her lips. “I understand your impatience, but this isn’t just for my sake. Nor theirs. I believe this will tie into a solution that may halt whatever is disrupting the ebb and flow of space and time. Still, I will try to keep things brief.”

Once everyone was in accordance, Layla began pacing back and forth, pondering where to begin. When she thought of a good starting point, she directly asked,

“No doubt you’ve heard the biblical tales about Adam and Eve?”

When her audience gave a collective nod, she proceeded. “When his first wife is mentioned, I’ve often been portrayed as a betrayer that refused to submit to my husband and became the mother of all demons. And while that remains true, the course of actions I took was never such. Adam and I were the first humans abducted by higher life forms that would be commonly known as angels. Where they came from remains unknown. Only that they traveled through the far reaches of space until stumbling upon a lonely little planet that just so happened to harbor life.”

“Aliens! I fuckin’ knew it!” Arcanum whispered triumphantly.

“Everything was primitive back then. All there was to understand was survival and hunger. If not for them, humanity would likely never have developed language, gained intelligence, or advanced as a dominant species. And it was all thanks to the clever ploy of the one who would be known as Metatron.”

Just hearing that name sent a wave of unease through the five.

Layla sucked in and released a heavy breath. “Of course, he saw us as misguided monkeys desperate to be controlled. So began the long list of experiments and lessons in how life should be lived. The birth of religion, the stories of god, the promise of heaven, the consequence of hell, the Ten Commandments, and labeling what was natural instinct as deadly sins. All sanctimonious lies the Divine Father spun to keep his grasp on the terrans and angels who followed him. The greatest fear tactic that would pass throughout history for millennia. Now accessible in every book labeled the bible. And even that would be tarnished by scholars and preachers who wanted to push their agendas.”

“So where did you fit in all this?” wondered Bellatrix.

The motherly succubus deepened her frown. “As told, I was arranged to marry Adam and sired his children in hopes of spreading Metatron’s influence to the newer generation. In truth, he was the worst of my husbands. That self-entitled prick... I saw through the bullshit and did everything I could to break free. That wouldn’t happen until I met Lucifer Morningstar, the only angel who saw past Metatron’s deception. He offered me freedom, and I offered him my body in exchange. Through our elopement, I was the first human to be transformed by divinity into the form you see now. The first demi-human. The first succubus. The first queen of hell.”

“Metatron was furious upon discovering this and cast us down, along with anyone who believed Lucifer. He would create my replacement, Eve, through Adam’s rib to continue with his ambitions. But my darling husband would not allow the lies to continue. In our new dominion, we formed a rebellion from the angels that fell with us and our offspring. The war between heaven and hell had begun, with the earth as its battlefield.”

Her hands balled into fists, recalling the memory. “It was an utter bloodbath. There were more terrans, angels, and demons slain than there were victories. My heart was filled with wrath back then, forced to watch my children get butchered and hunted by Metatron’s forces.”

Midnight was next to ask, “What was the outcome?”

“The war was ultimately decided by the battle between Lucifer and his brother Michael,” said Layla. “Contrary to belief, Michael deeply loved his brother and was heartbroken to learn of his ‘betrayal.’ He was valiant yet fiercely loyal to the Divine Father’s cause. I still remember his stoic visage cracking when he held his blade to Lucifer’s throat. And finally realizing where his arrogance brought him, Michael allowed himself to be slain with his own sword.”

Her eyes fell on the weapon in Zell’s hand. “The very sword you wield now.”

His eyes widened before they, too, stared into the prismatic steel that glimmered briefly with refracted light.

Layla continued. “With dying breath, Michael begged Lucifer to avenge their brethren and save mankind from Metatron’s evil. The last of his power and spirit was sealed into the crucible; its use permitted only by those with the most righteous hearts to wield it and slay the wicked.”

“So that’s how it became the Vorpal Blade,” Seb surmised.

“I’ll come to that,” reaffirmed the motherly demoness. “Crestfallen, Lucifer stuck the saber within solid stone, where it would remain unclaimed for eons until the legendary Arthur Pendragon would take it and dub it Excalibur. Throughout tales and fables, the artifact would take on many shapes that best suited its wielder to defeat whatever evil it challenged. The sword was forged with ancient material known as Orichalcum, the topaz-gold substance we often adorn. It’s also what the ophanim are made from, hence their indestructibility.”

Zeloph spoke up. “Wait. So what happened to Lucifer?”

Layla’s eyes welled up with sadness. “Truthfully, I don’t know. Aware that Metatron and his followers would forever hunt him down, Lucifer faked his own death with the sword right before he displaced it. I was the only one with who he concurred the truth. Last I saw, Lucifer took on a female form and disappeared to live amongst the humans. Haven’t heard anything about him or her since.”

“From there, I took a new husband, Asmodeus, and continued the battle on Lucifer’s behalf. Until Metatron stuck us down personally. As a result, I sealed myself in a piece of fiction within the Necronomicon, where I would remain dormant to passively regain my strength. Until now…”

Bellatrix lit up at this. “So… that’s where I came from.”

Layla smiled slightly. “That’s right. And through you, I could observe what had become of my people and descendants during that time. I would not have been able to come back if not for you. For that, you have my eternal thanks, Bellatrix Primadonna.”

“Well, I’ll be,” said Arcanum. “Religion was a conspiracy developed by aliens to put mankind in its place. And yet, it makes more sense than the bible itself! But what about the Necronomicon? How does it tie into all this?”

“Clearly, you haven’t been listening~!”

The room turned to Viscera, who was smiling from ear to ear. “Mikael’s Crucible was forged to destroy all forms of evil. And there is no artifact eviler than the Necronomicon.”

Bellatrix’s brows rose once she put two and two together. “Then that would mean...!”

“N-no!” Beatrix spoke up. “It’s not possible. She’s just lying!”

“She’s out of line, but the bird’s right,” Seb cuts in as he approaches Zeloph. “I’ve read everything there was to know about that sword. And each text supports the same theory. The crucible is fully capable of destroying the Necronomicon. Permanently.”

Zeloph studied the Vorpal Blade. “That… would be extremely helpful if it’s true.”

“But it’s not!” The unicorn witch insisted. “Believe me; I’ve tried to destroy that wretched book many times!”

“Beatrix,” came Iclyn’s chilly tone, adding tension to Beatrix’s shoulders. “I need you to be honest. Are you saying this because you know it can’t be destroyed? Or because you’re scared of having your connection to it severed…?”

The violet mare ground her teeth together while rubbing feverishly at her forearm before relenting, “I mean, obviously! If the Necronomicon goes, so would all my power and artifacts! My Prima Materia...” She clasped the eye-like jewel that held her cape together, imagining that it would fracture and shatter. “… the Demiurge…” Would it perish inside her? “… My immortality? And what about my magical prowess? Will I lose some of that, too? You have to understand; I need that power! In order to take on the Cult of the Nemesis! My mom—”

“Is already lost,” reminded the cyan doe. “You have to accept that, or else we will all pay the price!”

“Not like we haven’t already,” grunted Arcanum. “World’s falling apart; lives have been altered. It’s probably because of the Necronomicon that another anomaly is mucking around!”

“We can’t afford any more selfishness,” Moonlight added, glancing at Midnight then back to Beatrix. “Is your power and these adventures worth more than your friends? Your family!?”

“Of course not! But—”

“And would losing your immortality really be that bad?” Zeloph questioned, eyes holding contempt for the witch. “Someone once close to me said life shouldn’t be lived under unnecessary complications. You could have a normal life with Oona and Abadonna. Something most of us dream of having...!”

“Zeloph, please..!”

The false idol shook his head. “No. I’m sorry, Beatrix. But we have a chance to fix this. To do what’s right! And I’m taking it the minute I know where the Necronomicon is.”

“Ooh? Is that a fact?” Eyes returned to Viscera, who gave a throatful chuckle before stuffing her hand into her long sleeve. “Well then. I suppose it’s purely coincidence that I happen to have this in my possession~.”

Everyone in the auditorium gasped when the nephilim pulled the forbidden relic from her robes, the leathery flesh cover bound in stitches, concealing the pages with text and spells written in blood.

Zeloph clasped the Vorpal Blade, which vibrated and glowed with brilliant illumination at the book of shadows’ presence.

Beatrix was horrified. “How did you-?!”

“Mortis left this in Varys’ care to ensure no one else would find it,” elaborated Viscera smugly. “He would memorize every page, spell, and incantation it had to offer, hoping its contents would aid him in his quest for a biomechanical utopia. I retain his memories, so it’s not like I have any more use for it.”

Arcanum glowered. “You diabolical...!”

The Vice Lord knocked on the glass container, and the Glamorguis allowed a small section to open up for her to toss the evil tome onto the floor before revealing itself. Flashing a twisted smile at Zeloph, she beckoned, “Go ahead, dear. Destroy it~!”

The fallen one locked all his eyes on his former imprisonment, the Vorpal Blade trembling in his grasp. Blistering heat shot through his veins as his Onoma manifested.

While no one dared to oppose him, Ana voiced her concerns by calling out, “Zelly, wait! I kna you’re mad, but can we talk abaht this for wahn sec—”

But her request fell on deaf ears as Zeloph already flash stepped to the Necronomicon, saber raised at the mummified flesh cover, ready to tear all its contents to shreds… only for a jeweled rapier, wrapped in a black aura, to intercept his slash.

All eyes were on Beatrix, who blocked Zeloph’s path to prevent the destruction of the Necronomicon. She wore a guilty expression, feeling the looks of shock and appalment at what her allies saw as an act of supreme selfishness. But no one was more taken with umbrage than the fallen one.

“… What are you doing?!” He demanded with as calm a voice as he could muster. “Get out of my way!”

“Not until I’ve dealt with the Cult of the Nemesis!” The witch pleaded. “I can’t take any chances with what’s at stake!”

“So you’ll risk our lives instead?! All the pain we’ve suffered, the sacrifices we made. And this is how you repay us?!

“Stop it; this isn’t fair!!”

“FAIR?!”

The enraged demi-human unleashed a wave of solar fire that blasted Beatrix to the ground. The violet unicorn yelped, blinded by the sudden brilliance that exploded across her eyes and interrupted her spell. Watery violet eyes stared at fiery vermillion orbs, tears streaming down his cheeks.

“YOU’RE NOT THE ONE WHO HAS TO WATCH EVERYTHING YOU LOVE GET TAKEN AWAY,” Zell shouted in blind fury, light and flames immolating his wings. “THEY DIDN’T HAVE TO LOSE THEIR HOMES! ATALANTA DOESN’T DESERVE TO DIE!! ALL OF THIS IS BECAUSE OF YOU, BEATRIX! YOU’RE KILLING US!!”

The whimpering witch was utterly petrified by her ex-lover’s scathing spiel, not even shaking when the angelic being lifted his multi-dimensional blade. Layla immediately soared in between them, catching the sword barehanded.

“Cease this at once!” the primordial woman commanded, willing herself and Zeloph away into her pocket dimension. Beatrix continued to lay still, chest rising and falling rapidly, trying hard not to have a panic attack.

Bellatrix and Dion quickly came to her side while the rest of the gathered remained stunned by Zeloph’s violent outburst.

Demi-Trix managed to ask, “Where did they go?”

“Layla’s Onoma,” answered the red-skinned succubus. “She’ll likely keep him detained until things have calmed down.”

The warrior ram gingerly stroked the witch’s head. “Lass..?”

“I-I didn’t mean to…” The unicorn witch babbled. “I-I just wanted… oh, what have I done?!”

A throaty titter drew their attention back to Viscera. “Poor Belladonna… struggling to have everything she wants while her friends deal with the outcome.”

A terrible grin stretched her visage as she twisted the knife further. “I wonder what Oona would say If she knew you chose your immortality instead of her and your unborn child~!”

Bellatrix snarled at the chortling demoness and snappily ordered, “Take the prisoners below level and get them out of sight! NOW!”

Arron and Seb acted hastily, moving the glass cells of Equinox and Viscera, the latter continuing to taunt, “Deny me all you’d like. But now, everyone knows who the real monster is!” Her cackles resonated throughout the bridge even after she was sent to the lower parts of the UFO.

“N-No...Abadonna… Oona...I would never! N-Never…” Beatrix tried to shake away both Zeloph’s and Viscera’s words. But she only sank further to her knees and cried into her hands while Dion stroked her back.

Whatever choice the witch made, it always seemed to be the wrong one! But she’d already lost so much due to the Necronomicon! Her father! Most of her world! Close friends!

And now, possibly her mother, too? Why not use its power to amend the cosmic balance? She didn’t want to think all she’d sacrificed would be rendered pointless with the black tome’s loss!

The others were at a loss for what to say or do. Iclyn’s usual icy demeanor softened. Midnight felt more guilty for adding pressure on his half-sister’s shoulders. Moonlight, Lightning Spark, and Deinos could not comfort either side, while Bellatrix and the other demi-humans kept silent.

Arcanum knelt to scoop up the Necronomicon, proclaiming, “I’ll hold onto this until we’ve made an official decision. While Zeloph had no right to take immediate action, It’s hard to say he isn’t justified. This thing needs to be burned. So that no one else may be tempted to use it…”

But the warlock could tell it had already worked its temptations on Beatrix, convincing her she needed it. Just to preserve its ruinous existence.

Chapter 16

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Translucent doors slid apart for Beatrix Belladonna to enter, activating a locking system to confine herself into the room. The witch waved her hand to banish all her clothing while she threw herself onto a bed. Violet eyes, full of heavy sorrow, stared at the ceiling, thoughts muddled by all that recently happened.

Lavender Lace and Fuchsia Blush, dead. Beatrix had never known them too well, but they had helped her out on a few adventures. Her mother, Trixie, was also supposedly dead, yet she refused to believe it so quickly.

She called her by the affectionate name of ‘Little Hellspawn.’ It just had to be her!

But her woes didn’t end there, aware of the disappearances of Cerise Silhouette and White Shadow Penumbra, the former practically her niece. She'd seen her grow from a budding baby to a blossoming young woman and couldn't bear telling her parents she'd lost her. That she'd failed her, after she'd sworn to look after her!

But it wasn’t just the daughter of darkness Beatrix had let down. Midnight was in dire condition, thanks to her recklessly wishing for a half-brother. This resulted in his hyper-stallionism and separation from his twin, Lightning Spark, and their lost mother, Snowy Blizzard.

Then there was her heated confrontation with the fallen one, Zeloph. She could still feel the immense flames the angelic alien emitted when he lashed out with the wrath of a thousand suns. Blaming her for the inevitable death of his beloved, her once archnemesis, Shadow Scythe.

And much as the witchy mare wanted to refute Zeloph’s claims, Beatrix knew he was completely justified. Especially after the stunt she pulled in protecting the Necronomicon, the source of both her taboo power…and her continual misery.

Tears continued to streak her face, all her comrades and family meeting her with a look of anger or disbelief. Viscera’s cruel laughter echoed in her mind, pointing out how she selfishly chose her livelihood over Oona and Abadonna’s safety.

Is that why Omen had stopped coming to her in sleep? Did he realize what a lost cause the wayward witch was, and quietly took things into his own hands?

“Maybe it’s better this way,” she wept softly. “Oona… Abby… they deserve someone who can protect them…love them… someone more than me…”

Beatrix allowed deep despair to pull her into a fitful slumber, where not even her dreams would offer momentary comfort.

“Omnia culpa tua…

Omnia culpa tua…

Omnia culpa tua…”

The crunching of grass underfoot caused her eyes to flutter open, finding herself dragged through a fog-layered forest by the familiar hooded crimson robes. Hollow trees towered around them, stretching into the vast emptiness above. She heard them repeat a mantra.

“Omnia culpa tua…

Omnia culpa tua…

Omnia culpa tua…”

Her vision faded briefly, until she awoke to the Cult of the Nemesis encircling her. Not even the flickering candlelight unveiled the darkness holding their faces.

Groggily, Beatrix tried to get up, only to discover she was tied to a pentagram-shaped table, spread eagle, and completely naked, unable to budge her tethered wrists and ankles. She tried to conjure magic… but nothing happened. Her confusion quickly became fear once one cultist stepped forward, wielding something that made her heart skip a beat.

A violet unicorn horn, freshly severed and conformed into a wand.

“N-no… No, No, NOOOO!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?!”

“The power of the Necronomicon was never yours to wield, witch,” the cultist declared. “And trust me; you won’t need magic for what we have in store for you.”

The dehorned mare flailed uselessly in her bounds while the cultists raised their voices to strengthen their seance in an ancient tongue.

“Omnia culpa tua!

Omnia culpa tua!

Omnia culpa tua!”

Hooded men and women parted to allow unspeakably grotesque and nightmarish monsters into their fold, forming a line up before the mare's thick, parted thighs.

Beatrix sucked in panicked breaths, then looked over her heaving tits and stiff nipples to see a glowing demonic tattoo highlighting the area where her womb was. A magical mark of enhanced fertility that ensured insemination.

Dread and goosebumps tickled bare flesh, down to her puffy pussy lips, as the first malformed monstrosity dug its claws into her meaty legs, her eyes dilating at the veiny twin behemoths erecting out its sheathes, its tips left to pulsate and drool.

“N-n-no, wait! I don’t want—naaahh~!!”

Its elongated tongue darted out, wriggling over the mare’s exposed asshole and slit with an audible slurp as it lubed her up, its monstrous cocks pulsating and dripping. Beatrix whined when it pressed the flared tips against her marehood and rectum, before sharply crying out as muscled hips pushed forward. The beast added its own bellowing roar to the choir of ecstasy, and drove in and out of her defenseless love tunnel and bowels.

Slobber splashed over the violet mare’s bouncing breasts as it pummeled her snatch womb deep, imprints of its cock forming in her tummy. Its lengthy tongue repeatedly circled around one titty it pinched, while it lapped at the erect nub that topped the saliva-soaked breast.

Tears welled in Beatrix’s eyes from the overwhelming pain and pleasure, her cries and pleas unanswered while the cult performed their ritual. While she couldn't understand the chanting words, they encouraged the brute to breed her. She mewled when it doubled its thrusting speed until howling alongside her, burying its shafts to the hilt to unleash an obscene amount of scalding, sloppy semen deep within her slick insides.

This triggered the witch’s own wet, messy, masochistic orgasm, feeling the monster’s vile spunk flood the walls of her womb, and inflate her belly with its virile load as the tattoo on her tummy shimmered, excess spurting out her ruined holes as they clenched down hard.

Spurred by the show, robes fell open to reveal naked bodies underneath. Men and women stroked, groped, and pleasured themselves to her humiliation.

The panting beast extracted himself out of her overstretched holes with a wet pop, pale sludge running from her cunt and ass, while more violent cumshots and squirts were fired by cultists and the monster across her sweaty face, belly, and tits. Instantly, another cryptid in the lineup took place, lining its mucus-laced tentacle-like appendages to her gushing and gaping, cum-soaked marehood and anus. Beatrix wailed as the intruding wriggling tendrils claimed her orifices and took its turn to sate its mating instinct.

This is what she was made for. Destined to be a breeding sow for all monsters and abominations. Her supple flesh designed to pleasure them, and nurture their young. The sickest part of her couldn’t help but get aroused by such a twisted fate, violated fuckholes moistening to help the tentacle beast finish using her fuckholes.

It filled her. Made her womb swell so much she feared it would pop. Dropped her like a slab of meat it finally lost all interest in as excess semen popped and spurted out her ruined sexholes.

The next hell beast snapped the binds around the hornless witch mare’s ankles, seizing her legs to lift her wide rump higher and ram its bulbous, knotted, and barbed cocks into her stuffed asshole and vagina. Beatrix arched her back and belted a shrilly shriek of unwanted bliss, squirting over its hefty breeding sack as it ruthlessly raped her in a mating press.

Monster juice pooled under her jiggling ass, which clapped each time her cunt and asshole were skewered by brutish, violent thrusts. Her eyes crossed, face ablaze by the mind-numbing elations.

“St-stop! It hurts! I-I can’t take anymore..!!” begged Beatrix, fighting how her body responded to this harsh abuse. She clenched her teeth when the creature roared, packing more seed into fertile soil before yanking its dicks out. A waterfall of splooge torrenting from her winking, grasping private parts, supple body caked in salt, sweat, and drool. Not to mention semen and feminine lubricant.

The violet mare cast her watery gaze on the onlooking cultists and sobbed, “N-no more! Please, make it stop!!”

All at once, the chanting ceased. The cultist that took her horn stood at the head of the procession and spoke with a recognizable female voice.

“This will never stop, my little hellspawn. Not while you exist to torment us!”

Beatrix’s face fell when the robbed figure lifted her hood, revealing the face of Trixie Lulamoon. More lines of salty wetness stained her cheeks. “M-mom..?!”

“What other solution can save all the worlds you've tainted? This is the least you deserve for all the destruction you caused. To live out the rest of your days as a monster slut. Their submissive broodmare! And even then, you’ll find your penance pleasurable, won’t you?”

“Mother, no! There has to be…” She then spotted her mother's sidekicks around her. “Lavender! Fuchsia! I’m so sorry you-!”

“Killed us? Too late for worthless apologies, you little skank!” Lavender spouted, an angry smile stretching the unicorn's snout. “Let's baptize the bitch!”

“I like that idea,” replied Fuchsia with a slow, sensuous lick of her lips. Left nude by their open robes like all the onlookers, they buried themselves knuckle-deep in their pussies and fiercely masturbated with a series of wet, messy schlicks.

Trixie and other mob members took a different approach, brandishing a ceremonial knife and jabbing it into her chest to cut herself open. Then, she jammed her hand into the fresh wound and fished out her beating heart, squeezing the pulsating organ to shower her daughter in spatters of blood.

“Mom, please—ughak!” Beatrix sputtered, trying not to choke on the crimson liquid that splattered her.

“I wish I'd never given birth to you,” declared Trixie scornfully. “If I had known the calamity you would wreak, I would have prevented your conception in the womb!”

The distraught witch couldn’t even reply as another abomination invaded her uterus and bowels. Its roar was met by something between a sob and whorish squeal as it tore up her well-used fuckholes. All while Trixie, Lavender, and Fuschia painted her face and body in blood splats and feminine lubrication.

Violet eyes rolled into Beatrix's skull as the creature dumped its load of baby batter into her overstuffed foal room and tailhole. When the afterglow of her forced orgasm faded, her vision refocused on the cultists as, one by one, they unhooded to show the visages of her friends and loved ones. Each spouted a similar refrain while squeezing their life essence over the brutalized mare.

“You were supposed to look after me,” accused Cerise, soulful eyes full of tears and hate. “But on every adventure, I get captured or possessed! It’s all your fault!”

“Because of you, I've lost myself to darkness,” added Penumbra by his sister's side. “It’s all your fault!”

Moon Hammer bellowed with rage that made the minotaur quake. “I lost everything! My wives, my children, my people! Gone, and it’s all your fault!”

“When will you ever consider the consequences of your actions?” spat Iclyn with a sneer. “Oona deserved better than you! This is all your fault!”

“Look what you did to me,” muttered Midnight with self-pity.

“To me,” said Moonlight, who rubbed her false wings.

“To us,” joined Lightning Spark with a hollow stare. “This is all your fault!”

“It's your fault Varys came to our world and experimented on us,” exclaimed Wispy Willow, hands on her hips.

“And turned us into killers,” stated Kitsune, her eyes narrowed.

“All you do is blunder about and make stuff worse,” said Arcanum Folklore with a dismissive shake of his head. “It’s no wonder this mess is your fault…”

“PLEASE, I'M SORRY! I DIDN'T—guuhfk!!” Beatrix yelled in an attempt to shut them out before a small gremlin-like creature shoved its fat cock down her throat. It came with three others that scratched and grabbed whatever asset they could use to relieve themselves. One squeezed her blood and cum caked titties together to hump her cleavage, suckling and chewing on her nipples. The one using her mouth facefucked her hard, pulling on her mane like reigns while its swollen balls slapped her chin. The last two tittering ghouls plunged her leaky holes with their tapered dicks, all lost in a feral frenzy.

All the witch could do was muffle and gurgle her cries while accepting her punishment. Without her, the Cult of the Nemesis wouldn't have risen back up from the ashes. Without her, the whole universe would not be reduced to a void!

As the goblins continued to defile and gangbang Beatrix into submission, her allies continued their derision.

"We were justified in our betrayal," mused Esmeralda with a cocky smirk.

"Since you always blunder about," stated Camellia, snout drawn behind her mask.

“We should have known better than to help a disappointment,” observed Foal Bearer.

“We should have known better than to serve a disgrace,” quipped Wet Nurse.

“I shouldn’t have left the castle,” said a regretful Bellatrix. “At least then I would have been with someone I love…”

“At least you have someone to love,” seethed Zeloph. “Mine has to die because of your selfishness…”

“I have to die because of your weakness…,” lamented Shadow Scythe.

“Yer the bloomin' lowest of the la, Beatrix,” Moxxi chimed in.

And collectively, they restated, “And it’s all your fault!”

Beatrix struggled to ignore them, aware she couldn’t be responsible for everything that happened. Yet the words pierced into her heart like well-honed sabers. The agony of failure greatly outweighed the pleasure she felt from being these monsters' fucktoys. Hot spunk was forced down her gullet and orifices, spraying her blood-drenched tits and insides when the spent creatures withdrew from a thoroughly ravaged lay.

The violet mare coughed and vomited residue, her voice hoarse from yelling and crying loudly.

“My tribe is in ruins!” snarled Ebony Ivory.

“An' soon, mine will be, too,” sneered Dion.

“Because you’re never there for us when we need you!” berated Rheneas.

“Always on another fun adventure,” accused Ashen Dunes. “Oblivious to the corpses she leaves in her wake.”

“Ignorantly living her make-believe fantasy of being a noble heroine,” ridiculed Layla. “But we know the truth, don’t we?”

“You’re no hero,” proclaimed Demi-Trix, whose army of scorched plushies nodded with her. “Just a stupid child who refuses to grow up and take responsibility!”

“STOP IT. THAT'S ENOUGH!!” Beatrix shouted. “NONE OF THIS IS REAL!!”

One cultist who hadn’t removed their hood climbed onto the ritual table the witch mare was bound to, looming over her tainted body. And Beatrix's heart sunk more than ever when they lifted their hood, staring into the scornful visage of her beloved mentor. “O-Oona…!!”

“Where were ye?” The azure sheep said with utter contempt. “Mah clan is at war! Mah life… Abadonna’s life is at stake! Why didn’t ye drop e'erythin' an' come fur me? Ah thought ye loved me!!”

“I do!” the witch babbled profusely. “I do love you! A-and little Abby!”

“Then why aren’t ye here!?” Oona wailed, bitter tears staining her round cheeks. “Why am Ah tae suffer this burden alone?!”

“Oona, please! I can’t allow the Cult of the Nemesis—”

“SILENCE!” belted the shamaness. “A’ve had enough ov yer excuses! Mah father an' Iclyn were right about ye! Ye’ve wounded mah faith fur th' last time! Open up yer eyes, Ceane Oga! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!!”

“All your fault..!

All your fault..!

All your fault..!”

Beatrix whimpered as everyone gathered began reciting the words like a mantra, their forms steadily lifting into the air. Their colors and faces gradually faded, eyes and mouths replaced by black distortion and scribbles. She couldn’t stop the accusations when Oona straddled her hips and coiled her hands around her neck like a tight noose.

“Aahk! Oona... P-Please,” the witch gasped through shallow breaths. “I-I can’t… br-breathe..!”

“Wallow an' die then. We’re better off wit'out ye, whore,” Oona muttered coldly through clenched teeth.

“All your fault!

All your fault!

All your fault!”

Beatrix’s vision began to blur, the world around her spiraling into delirium. So overwhelmed by the ongoing chants and the hands choking the life out of her, the unicorn mare barely registered that one last monster had penetrated her swollen and abused genitals. Oona obscured her view of the creature, only able to make out the silhouette of branches protruding behind her skull. When she spoke once more, a deeper voice layered beneath hers.

“ꁲ꒒꒒. ꐞꂦꐇꌅ. ꄞꁲꐇ꒒ꋖ.”

A continuous scream escaped Beatrix's lips, snapped back to awareness when she was slapped across the cheek. She rubbed the red mark on her face and gazed up at Iclyn, who was gripping her shoulder while lowering her open palm.

“Took you long enough,” the cyan deer grunted and released her grasp on the startled witch. By her side were Bellatrix and Dion, who wore concerned looks on their faces.

“Ye alright, lass?” The burly ram asked.

“Partially,” admitted Beatrix. “H-how did you-?”

“We heard your screaming, and I overrode the lock,” explained Bellatrix. “Well, less of a 'scream' at first, and more of a…”

The violet mare felt her face redden, using her magic to conceal her nakedness with a sheet.

“Good grief. Even in your worst dreams, you’re still salacious,” Iclyn said, albeit more teasing than malicious. “Does your depravity know no boundaries, hussy?”

“Oi, lay off her!” Dion butted in. “She’s already been through enough as is.”

“Hard to take your earnestness seriously when you’re looking to get your dick wet,” jabbed the succubus, noting his stiff erection poking through his black fleece.

The warrior caprine chose to ignore them and shift focus on the troubled witch, his crimson eyes softening. “Moanin' wasn’t th' only sound ye were makin', sweetin'. Ye were sobbin' up a storm, spouting on an' on how it was ‘all yer fault.’”

Beatrix cringed at the sound of those three words, sliding up to tuck her knees into her chest. “Y-yeah, it was… horrible, to say the least.” That horrible chant still rang between her ears, the vision of Oona strangling her fresh in her mind.

“Ye don’t have tae talk about it,” reassured Dion. “We’re just glad that ye’re safe.”

“Looks like the stress is finally wearing you down,” surmised Iclyn.

“We were taking a tour around the ship,” informed Bellatrix. “Why don’t you come with us? It’ll help get your mind off that bad dream.”

“That does sound lovely…. Thanks, but maybe another time,” Beatrix said with a sad smile. “There’s something I need to do.” With a wave, she reclothed herself and gently pushed her sister and friends aside to leave the room. Dion, Bellatrix, and Iclyn gave bewildered glances, but didn't push her and resumed browsing the UFO's vast, serpentine interiors.

*****

Heeled boots clicked through the curved hallway as Beatrix passed the bathing room. Sliding doors opened while Eclipsed Heart poked her head out to see the unaware unicorn walk away.

The pop princess pursed her snout while drying off and putting on her sparkly attire. The scene of Beatrix and Zeloph played in her head on a loop while she traversed the quietly humming maze of marked corridors on her roller skates.

Eclipsed was torn between their hardships and her own grievances. Both of them had good intentions, she knew that...but she'd also seen the side of Zeloph that was responsible for the thousands dead in Cerise's world. Then there was Beatrix, darkness to his light, whose carelessness indirectly caused many disasters across the multiverse.

It was because of the witch’s thoughtless, subconscious wishes, brought on by loneliness, that birthed Eclipsed Heart into existence within the Cyberverse. A youthful pop idol without an actual past or parents to call her own. An alternative to Cerise Silhouette. A shadow of the mare.

Hell, her moniker was more of a stage name, since she didn't have a 'real' name! Her pink eyes watered. “They've both hurt me,” she murmured. “Not intentionally, but… does it really matter?”

Not wanting this feeling to fester, Eclipsed sought out her bandmates in B.A.B.E. for support and advice. She checked each virtual reality chamber down one sector, before her attention drew to the music that thumped from one.

“Eureka!”

She skated into the room, where a small concert was put on by Wispy, Kitsune, Kyube, and Chisana. Together, they performed an eastern-style song on stage, in the middle of serene woodlands made up of pink trees that filled the pristine air with fluttery cherry blossoms.

Spotting the marveling princess, the nekomata waved her hand and greeted, “There you are, Princess Butterbuns! Glad you could join us~!”

Eclipsed eyes turned saucers as she twirled around to take in the elegant scenery. “It's so pretty!”

“Pft! You think any landscape puked in pink is pretty,” teased Wispy with a roll of her tigress eyes.

“Well, excuse me!” She planted hands on her hips and wrinkled her nose, tickled by a stray cherry blossom that almost made her sneeze before she held it in. “Also, starting a practice session without me? Rude! We're supposed to be a team!”

“Hey, not our fault you were busy in the shower,” said Wispy, adjusting her scarlet cheongsam under the strap of her bass. “You were missing out! Foxy here's got talent on the woodwinds!”

She gestured to the male vulpine, who snickered before raising his shakuhachi flute to his snout. “I often use the time between heists to practice. Of course, making time on dangerous roads full of infected changelings and fanatics like Fiery was hard!”

Chisana paused the banging of her drums and shot him a cheeky grin. “Anata to Kitsune ga issho ni utsukushī ongaku o tsukuru no o kiku no ga machi kiremasen~!”

This sly remark caused Kyube to blow a sour note and Wispy to hiss in irritation. Kitsune offered a meek smile adorned by a silk kimono, her shamisen clutched to her bosom, golden fur of her cleavage visible as a petal landed between a gap.

“Thank you,” she offered a polite bow. “Join us, please. The fresh scents and breeze here have helped ease the pain.” She kept her tails tucked behind her, a constant reminder that she'd lost one in the last battle. “Though I detect something is vexing you. Care to share with us?”

Eclipsed removed her skates and sat on the grass between them. “Yeah… it’s about Beatrix and Zeloph. I know their hearts are in the right place, but...what if they've made everything worse? After that last crazy stunt I can’t trust them to make sound decisions anymore!”

“True that,” said Wispy. “We almost died when hot wings brought us here.”

“Shikashi, kare wa kūki ga yūdokudearu koto o shiranakatta hazudesu!” Argued the tanuki girl.

“Okay, but now he’s got Seb and Arron for company. They're a couple of loose cannons, and that's coming from me!” The tigress nekomata laughed to herself.

“Keep in mind Zell is in a severe state of grief,” noted Kitsune, frowning. “His lover is on death’s edge. One can’t possibly expect sound judgment with heavy sorrows clouding his mind.” She thought back to her last exchange with the demi-human, how calm and considerate he was before the Vorpal Blade transported him away. “It would be unfair to uphold his past against him when he’s trying his best to change, like we are.”

Eclipsed sulked. “Y-yeah, but—”

“You should define someone not by who or what they are, but who they want to be,” proposed Kyube. “I was born to inherit my clan’s ruthless legacy one day, where plenty of yokai would suffer tremendously. I did not want this and chose the life of a bandit. And while there will always be people who will see me only as a thief or a demon fox, I have people who know me as more than that.” He paused to rub Chisana on the head.

“I can sense that both Beatrix and Zell yearn for inner peace. To do that, they must accept who they are wholeheartedly, warts and all. And that won’t ever happen if they are around people blinded by their previous actions…”

“… I-I never thought of it that way,” admitted the pop princess with a sulk. “By holding onto their past crimes, I’m only making the problem worse.”

Kyube nodded. “Thus continues the cycle of violence. Where there is no happiness or peace.”

“Many have done something horrible out of anger, desperation, or survival,” surmised Kitsune. “Not everything can or should be forgiven. But by looking past yourself, you will find closure and understanding in everything and everyone around you. That is the way to enlightenment.”

“Since when did you start believing in Taoism?” asked Wispy skeptically.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say ‘started.’ More like… It’s been a part of me all this time, and only now am I discovering what I’d been missing.” She glanced at her missing tail fondly.

“So then what do you suggest I do,” asked Eclipsed Heart. “I don’t want to hate Zell, Beatrix, or anyone…”

“Let’s offer them our cooperation,” the kunoichi suggested. “It’s as Seb said. We don’t have to like them to get along. This way, we can keep them honest and on track. And should he or Arron slip back to their old ways, we will neutralize them swiftly.” She withdrew a hidden kunai from her top with a shift of her breasts.

“That… sounds good; I like that plan!” Eclipsed beamed, feeling as if boulders were lifted off her shoulders. “You always know the right thing to say, Kit! Thank you so much!”

“Hehe. She could put even the wisest of sages to shame,” teased Kyube, which made Kitsune blush and look away while Wispy shot him a suspicious glare. He caught a stray cherry blossom petal in his palm and showed it to her. “They say Sakura symbolizes a woman’s nobility and mystique, as well as life’s beginning, end, and renewal. I can’t think of a more fitting name for you. Should you abandon the alias of ‘Kitsune of the Nine Tails’?”

“That was merely a code name the syndicate used to label me. Sakura…” she shyly said, her rosy face half-hidden by her silky rust-colored mane. “It’s a common name, but… I may consider it.”

“Hey! Don’t be giving my sister weird names, bandit!” warned Wispy, who side-eyed Kyube, a lone fang exposed.

Chisana giggled and bounced on her heels while she smacked her drum a few times. Despite the uncertainty written across her nekomata bandmate’s features, Eclipsed felt her heart swell knowing Kitsune finally found someone else she could adequately connect with!

“Finding one’s true name is quite fulfilling,” came the voice of Layla, who stepped into the virtual landscape. “I should know; I’ve had many to choose from~!”

“Lady Night,” acknowledged the pop star with deference to her, still a bit uneasy by the demi-human’s divine presence. “To what do we owe the pleasure?”

“There is something I’d like to show you,” beckoned the mother of demons. “If you’ll come with me.”

Reluctantly, their musical instruments were put away when the four fell into line and followed the motherly succubus out of the virtual recreation room.

Layla led the attendees into an area labeled as the ‘training deck,’ its spacious white walls covered in grids. Already there was Lightning Spark hard at work, her electromancy on full display as she challenged herself to better channel her Onoma. Noticeably, her physique had started to appropriately fill out now that she wasn’t malnourished, her sculpted bosom and butt slightly jiggling in neon fabrics of her Wonderbolt-style costume.

‘Guess I was blessed with mom’s assets after all,’ Lightning said internally, pausing to rub the suppleness of her firm rump, with soft fat over lean muscles. The other hand clapped the pendant around her neck, recalling brief memories of Snowy Blizzard, before the changelings abducted them. Shaking that aside, she reminded herself, “I must stay focused! Gotta train hard to master this Onoma!”

Taking to the air once more, the pegasus mare concentrated on conducting electricity from her wings, wild sparks popping across her fur and feathers, which like her wild mane stood on end. Her audience observed as the room flashed with blue light, while Lightning Spark built a current that tickled her entirety, controlled and redirected at will.

She pictured a Mi-Go changeling, raised her hand, and shouted a war cry as she zapped the virtual projection with a crackling electrical blue beam. The air filled with a burning smell while her ears flicked at the whooshing sound, the 'drone' reduced to ashes in an instant.

“Woohoo! I did it! YES!” She pumped a fist. “I'll master this in no time! Then Equinox won't be able to treat me like a shrimp!” Bolstered by a newly found confidence, not to mention a need to prove herself, she increased the voltage. Currents flowed through her fully extended plumage, spiky mane, and tail raised amidst the vibrations she emitted. The electricity tickled her until she was wrapped entirely in currents of yellow and blue bolts that encircled her.

Lightning released it all at once...and shouted when she conjured too much power, beyond her level of control. Stray lightning bolts crashed across grids, rocked the interior, left small blackened holes all over that sizzled and steamed.

That’s when she realized she wasn’t the only one in the room, spotting five people below her. “Oh, crap! WATCH OUT!!”

While B.A.B.E. and the bandits ducked and covered, Layla unfurled her wingspan and summoned a pale glowing shield around herself and those behind her. The scattered bolt bounced off and pierced a scorched hole through the ship, the Glamorguis pulsing in discomfort.

It looked like a violent storm had torn through the room by the time it was over. Lightning Spark floated down once she managed to disenchant her Onoma.

“Are you okay?! I-I'm so sorry! I didn’t mean to—”

“Glad to see you're enjoying the facilities,” Layla assured with a titter, dropping her magical barrier while the others eased up.

Lightning was thankful no one got hurt. And that her costume was insulated. Otherwise, no doubt she'd be showing off her goods to everyone in the room!

The electric blue pegasus surveyed the extensive damage done and bit into her bottom lip. “I don't have any money, so I can't pay for repairs, but I'll make it up to you somehow! Promise!”

Layla held a hand up to her face and laughed. “Not to worry, my dear. Pallium has recovered from worse injuries. Observe!” With one hand on a wide hip, her other hand clicked her fingers. The blackened, damaged portions of the ship instantaneously regenerated before their eyes, fleshy-like liquids bubbling to fill in the holes and then hardening into place.

“Whoa! That looked like biotech,” observed Wispy.

“That’s exactly right,” confirmed Layla. “The Glamorguis are perfect hybrids composed of technology and biomaterial, melded together by ancient magic. It can heal even the most severe wounds. If Varys were still alive, I'd imagine he would want one for himself.”

Kitsune scowled. “Technically, he’s already made one through his successor. The Nephilim, Viscera, correct?”

The midnight queen shared the vixen’s frown and said, “I suppose that is also true. Coupled with her intellect, she's dangerous if not handled carefully…”

“Not to mention her cellmate, Equinox,” Kyube added, arms tucked to his chest. “I worry that putting such an opportunistic brute with a conspiring corrupter will lead to something much worse. You saw how easily she turned Zeloph and Beatrix against each other!”

“Yeah,” muttered Eclipsed, averting her gaze. “Not even Seb was that malicious. And I can’t stand that asshat!”

“I understand your concerns,” acknowledged Layla. “But the Glamorguis has them on constant surveillance. The moment it detects suspicious activity, they will be sent directly into its digestive system.”

Lightning wiped her brow with a sigh. “Well, that's good to know.” She then shifted focus to the pop princess, smiling and waving. “You must be Eclipsed Heart! Nice to meet you! You’re nearly identical to my brother’s wife, Cerise!”

“So I’ve heard,” said Eclipsed, returning her smile. “A pleasure to meet you, too!”

Wipsy looked around the gridded room with swaying striped tails. “I’mma take a guess and say you brought us here to whip our butts in shape?”

Layla nodded. “In truth, we could return to Midnight’s world in no time at all. But I believe we should take things slow, as not everyone has settled. After all, this could be the last time we can take it easy for a while, depending on how the crisis plays out. So please, indulge yourselves like this is your own home!” Her pale yellow and violet eyes found Kitsune’s orbs. “Do you remember what I said?”

“I do,” replied the fox woman, her fingers pressed to a wall. Her eyes closed when she focused; the bland, industrial surroundings warped around them until they appeared to be back in the Cyberverse. “It's exactly like-”

“-the virtual reality programs back in our world!” Wispy flashed her teeth with a grin. They were back on neon-lit streets, a puddle left to reflect the signs above that beamed advertisements to them. Not only that, her studded crimson catsuit now adorned her peach-shaped curves. “What do you think, Butterbuns?”

A wistful smile lit the diva’s face. “It's pretty convincing, I have to admit. But it only makes me miss everyone else even more. Especially Bass, the best boy ever… If only there was a way-”

“-you could contact him?” There was a twinkle in Layla's eye. “Hmm… does anyone have a phone I may borrow?”

“Ō!” The little raccoon dog fished inside her large sack before finding the compact heart-shaped device Eclipsed gave her and handed it over.

“Excellent! One moment please.”

After a few adjustments, the piece of tech that had been reduced to little more than a hunk of plastic and metal whirred back to life when it started. The primordial woman gave the phone back to Eclipsed, who felt her heart almost skip a beat. “U-Unbelievable! It almost looks brand new! You even managed to get me a signal across dimensions! C-can I...?”

“Of course,” replied Layla with a subdued laugh. “Perhaps you'd like some privacy?”

Wispy butted her way into the pop idol's side. “No way! And miss all the juicy details? Good thing this phone was useless when you handed it to Chisana!” She covered the raccoon's ears and winked with a leer. “Wouldn't want her to see you and Bass' steamy sex video, where he popped that sweet cherry~!”

“Watashi wa kodomode wa arimasen!” The tanuki girl complained.

“WISPY!” Eclipsed blushed from head to toe, overwhelmed by a sudden desire to run, hide, and crawl away to die. “WILL O' WISP!” She punched her bassist in the arm, her snout drawn in a fierce sneer.

“Heeey, I was only teasing you, girl! And you know I hate my stupid codename,” Wispy said with a hiss while she rubbed her arm. “Yeesh, princess. It’s not like you to hit below the belt like that!”

“Serves you right with the constant 'Princess Butterbuns' cracks! You make me sound fat!” They stared down at each other, hands planted on their hips, a rare moment of drawn-out tension between the band members. Kitsune stride forward, always the voice of reason whenever her bandmates butt heads.

“Quit it, you two! Before I—”

Thankfully, the moment was interrupted by Mezzo Soprano’s face appearing on screen. The mother of Sixth Measure and President of the Capital had a hardened expression that quickly softened upon seeing her son’s girlfriend. “Eclipsed? Is that really you?!”

“Mom…uh, I mean Mezzo!! Yeah, it’s me!”

“Oh, thank the stars, you’re alright.” A relieved smile lit the siren’s face. “Boys! Come quick!!”

Almost immediately, three handsome faces popped into view, each gasping with delight.

“Holy shit, they’re alive!!” Alto exclaimed.

“Heeeey~!!” Called out Tenor.

The eldest brother beamed brightly. “Eclipsed!!”

“Bass!” Eclipsed cried, her heart doing somersaults. “You have no idea how much I miss you right now!!”

“Miss you too, babe,” chuckled the lead singer. “Y-You too, Wispy! Kitsune! Where the heck are you?”

“You wouldn’t believe us if we told you,” quipped the cat woman.

“I’ll believe anything at this point,” Mezzo said. “There’s been a global crisis since you and the demi-humans disappeared.”

“Crazy ass storm has been going on non-stop,” added Alto.

“Buildings and landscapes keep disappearing and reappearing,” said Tenor. “It’s like the whole city’s being glitched!”

“Oh no! The storms have already reached the Cyberverse?!”

The mayor arched an eyebrow. “So it’s been happening elsewhere as well.”

“It’s a cataclysmic event that will wipe out everything,” answered Layla, taking a step forward.

Tenor backed away. “Whoa! Another demi-human!?”

“Bruh, she’s got huge fucking titties—aauugh!!”

Alto held his slapped cheek while his mother rolled her eyes. “I taught you better manners than that… anyway, you are?”

“Layla. Mother of all demons, Matriarch of the Lilim. You can say I’m a prominent figure for the demi-humans.”

“Charmed. And how many of your kind are there?”

“Not counting myself? Six. This includes the three that came to your world.”

“That would be Arron, Seb, and Zeloph, I presume.”

When Layla gave the nod, Mezzo continued. “I see… I hate to bring this up, but should any of them dare return to the Cyberverse, expect them to be apprehended by military force.”

The pop star’s smile dropped. “W-what?!”

“I can understand the hostilities against Arron and Seb,” cut in Kitsune. “But why Zeloph? Surely, he didn’t break any laws during his brief time there...?”

“No, he did not,” confirmed the siren mayor. “But it wasn’t until he showed up that this cosmic squall began. Since then, the general public has blamed Zeloph and others like him. And as mayor, I have a responsibility to ensure the safety of my city. Henceforth, any demi-human spotted here will be brought into custody by any means necessary.”

Eclipsed was appalled. “B-But that’s not fair! He didn’t do this; it was an—”

“I don’t like it any more than you,” said Bass. “He kept those two demon heads at bay and prevented major collateral damage. He’s a hero in my book!”

“But that cancel culture for you,” scoffed Alto. “There’s always assholes who want to run your name in the ground and will stoke the fires of mob mentality to do it.”

“It's human nature to fear the unknown,” Layla said uneasily. “It pains me to hear this, but I will respect your decision and ensure my kindred stay away from your area. At least, for the time being.”

“It’s nothing personal,” assured Mezzo. “But we’ve got other problems to deal with.”

Lightning Spark tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

Bass pursed his lips. “S.L.U.T. formed a search party with the Komodo gang despite our protests. I’d do the same if I didn’t know you’d cross dimensions! Unfortunately, Carrion, Ruth, and Obrya all vanished when the storm hit us. We're not sure where they've been teleported. Satellites couldn’t find a trace of them.”

Mezzo continued for him. “We’d hoped they were with you, but the lack of their presence on your end tells me otherwise.”

Eclipsed's frown deepened. “This isn’t good. We haven't seen them anywhere!”

“We’ll find them,” reassured Layla, a hand on the pop princess' shoulder. “Count on it. Until then, you’ll need to prepare for the upcoming battle ahead of us. Here, I have something to help you fight more evenly with your companions.”

The pop icon reluctantly nodded, not wanting to be torn from her boyfriend so soon. But she waved and kissed goodbye before handing the phone to her bandmates so they could get Mezzo and Sixth Measure up to speed.

“This is Kyube and Chisana,” the vixen said, introducing the yokai bandits. “They’ve been helping us rediscover our yokai roots since our cybernetics stopped working outside the cyberverse.”

“Greetings!” The male vulpine said with a wave.

“Kon'nichiwa~!” The tanuki girl beamed.

“Salutations!”

“Hello there!”

“Oh, sweet, another fox! Does that mean Kitsune and you are—”

“Gimme!” said Wispy, who snatched up the phone with a saucy grin. “Oh, Alto~!” She winked at the male siren that now took up most of the screen.

“H-hey,” the middle brother said with a flustered face. “Damn, it’s great to see you again!”

“Good boy~! And maybe I've missed you too. A little. Though it’s kinda hot here. I've been training so hard~...” A lie since she hadn't even started yet. But the nekomata couldn’t help but tease by unzipping her catsuit, drawing it between her breasts that almost toppled out with a bounce, barely contained. The zipper then drew over her exposed tummy, and came to stop above her mound of venus, to tantalize one of her old boy toys.

Eclipsed rolled her eyes and waited for Layla to finish enchanting her roller skates. Once she could put them back on, she raced around on a virtualized block, a hot pink streak trailing her motions through the streets. “These are a lot faster! And handle much better!”

“That's not all,” assured Layla. “Kitsune offered a great suggestion. Try moving up one of the walls!”

The pop princess glided towards one of the buildings to discover her skates clung to its surface. She could stick to it at will like she'd seen the kunoichi do numerous times. She then launched herself off on instinct, able to propel herself across the air in small boosts in a trail of neon.

“W-Wow!” She tumbled like an acrobat, deftly landing on her skates with a balletic bow. “Thank you so much!”

Kyube and Chisana clapped from the sidelines.

“Not bad,” praised Lightning Spark. “This place has got some incredibly tall buildings! Perfect for aerial combat!”

“Then why don’t you train with us?” The fox bandit suggested as he sidled up behind Kitsune, stroked the vixen's mane, and felt her momentarily tense up before her lithe muscles relaxed under his touch.

Eclipsed nodded, the virtual 'Cyberverse' a perfect battlefield to hone their skills in this chaotic urban labyrinth. With a spin she proclaimed, "Let's do this, B.A.B.E. !"

Layla took a step back. Farewells made to Mezzo Soprano and Sixth Measure for the moment, she took the phone and stuffed it between her massive bust to keep it safe, while everyone started to playfully spar in the virtual Cyberverse.

Soon it wasn't far removed from one of B.A.B.E.’s flashier concerts, heavy with theatrics and acrobatics to keep them sharp; before the musicians-turned-vigilantes would roam the late-night streets until early in the morning, and fight the crime wave that constantly tore across their unstable city. That was until Mezzo Soprano ousted President Spike and took over as mayor to establish a better government.

Thankfully, Layla's Glamorguis provided almost anything its passengers could wish for wherever their hostess traveled, since she picked up more advanced technology and magic across different dimensions. Due to her ancient lifespan, her travels put even Beatrix to shame, and the mother of demons carried herself with an aura of forbidden wisdom and knowledge. Layla watched them play as they trained with a smile while a neon light show played across her features.

*****

The see-through sliding doors parted when Zeloph entered the infirmary. His heart heaved at the sight of Shadow Scythe, bedridden with IV tubes attached to her thin, pale blue arms. A monitor rhythmically bleeped, her heart rate slow but stable. Quicksilver lay in a chair beside the bed, a slight rise and fall of his chest signifying he was merely asleep.

But it was who sat on the other side that made the fallen angel’s brows furrow. Beatrix lifted her head, spooked by his presence, before relaxing. “H-hey…”

“Hey.”

Zell huffed uneasily and leaned against the wall across from the witch, arms folded to his chest. “I’m surprised you’re here.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” she responded. “She’s my friend too; believe it or not, I feel responsible for this. I know there’s been plenty of bad blood between us, but… I’d like to think we’re mostly past that. We wouldn't have beaten the 'Burning King' and his Vice Lords without you two. And… I’m sorry for behaving so rashly. I shouldn’t have done that...”

“… I shouldn’t have either,” he admitted, head hung low. “I’m sorry I took my anger out on you. You didn’t deserve it.”

There was a moment of silence between them, their eyes on the unicorn reaper that helped solidify their alliance. When an imprisoned Zeloph once refused to partner up with Beatrix and her friends, Atalanta had stepped up, determined to make amends for past sins. Another deep inhale, and he asked, “Level with me. What's the real reason you don’t want the Necronomicon destroyed?”

“It's complicated,” confessed the witch, snout scrunched. “I-I acted impulsively, on instinct! I did it because I was scared! Scared of all the responsibility! Because there are many people I want to protect and don't want to let down! Because I… because I don't want to die!”

She hid her face under the brim of her hat, squeezing her palms tightly. “If the Necronomicon is destroyed, I'll lose more than just my immortality. The Demiurge, the Prima Materia, my powers… it’ll all be gone! And without them, I’m nothing…”

His cerulean gaze softened. “… You want my honest opinion?”

“Not really, but go for it.”

“If you’re nothing without that book, you shouldn’t have its magic.”

Beatrix soured. “I didn’t ask to be born by it! To be some 'Dark Messiah'!”

Zell shrugged. “And I didn’t ask to be a demi-human, yet where we are. Not once did I want to acknowledge the divine blood that flows through my veins. Now… it seems it’s the only way to save the people I care about. But even then, I never needed it to do what’s right.”

He lifted himself off the wall to approach the violet mare. “And I believe you don’t need the Necronomicon to be a powerful witch. Plus, immortality is overrated! Watching time flow around you while you stay the same? Gah! Thinking about it drives me nuts!”

“I-I see your point, but… I like how I look now! I don’t want that to change if I start aging again.”

“You’ll get over it,” assured Zeloph. “But what frightens you more? Growing old and gray with Oona or watching her wither away alone?”

“… Ohh.”

“Didn’t consider that, huh? Life and death aren’t opposites. Both depend on each other to maintain a natural balance. And neither is intentionally cruel…” He paused to stare at his resting sweetheart. “… even when it feels that way.”

“But what about the Cult of the Nemesis?” Beatrix asked. “I thought I'd finally finished them all off, but here they are, back in a new incarnation! Why? Probably because this other 'anomaly' resurrected them as a fear tactic! They've pushed me into a corner! Like those Eldritch invaders that destroyed Cerise's world, the cult will follow me across dimensions, to the Isles of Parras! I’ve already caused Oona so much grief!”

“You don't know that for sure—”

“The 'anomaly' can help them cross! And even if they couldn't follow, you want me to leave Midnight's world to its awful fate? Can't you see it's an impossible choice! Damned if I do, damned if I don't!” Beatrix clenched her teeth and bristled.

“So what if they do?”

She glanced up at him with watery eyes. “Huh?"

“Consider the other possibility,” said Zeloph. “Leave for the Lost World. Say the cult follows you. That’s one less threat for our comrades to deal with in Midnight’s world. I have a sneaking suspicion this 'anomaly' wants to distract us and keep everyone on edge and off balance. It’s not just a fear tactic, Beatrix. They want to divide and conquer! It's what I would have done if I was still villainous.”

The witch rubbed her chin between her fingers, considering the notion as her former flame continued. “Point is, you can't afford to play the game by their rules. It’s how fiends like Varys or Viscera thrive.”

“But then I'll be putting Oona and Abadonna in more danger! Not to mention her friends and family!”

“They’re already in danger,” the angelic demi pointed out. “The Isle of Parras is getting ready to go to war with the Sovereign Witch and what’s left of the Vice Lords. But that doesn’t matter because nowhere will be safe when the multiverse ends!”

Zell firmly gripped her bare shoulders to drive his point home, staring intensely into her eyes. “Time is precious, Beatrix. If you don’t return now, you might never see them again. Is that something you’re willing to risk..?”

Beatrix’s lip quivered, trembling in her ex-lover's grasp before she flung her arms around him and sobbed into his chest. “No, you’re right! I have to go back. They need me. I need them!”

Zeloph returned the embrace, patting her shoulder. “I think that’s the right decision. And if it helps, after I’ve dealt with Mortis, I'll help you even the odds.”

The witch pulled away to wipe her cheeks and snout, sniffling, “T-Thank you…” Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Quicksilver begin to stir awake. “I better go and give you guys some space. Don’t want to take up any more of your limited time. Take care of yourself, Zell.”

Beatrix parted with a kiss to his cheek and exited the infirmary, a little determined restored in her aching heart.

BREAK

A slosh sounded when Chrysalis abandoned the Mi-Go mushroom and strode from her bath onto the muddy shores of her hive, which cast a sickly emerald-ochre glow across her curvature. Her ample hips and breasts sluiced in waters that dripped down their slopes.

Her harem of changelings parted to make way for their queen, now a dozen males and six females, since she'd needed to replenish some of the ones she'd sacrificed in fits of vanity and disappointment. Each of the nude, perfectly sculpted toys bowed around her.

“Relax, pets,” she said in a rare chipper mood. “We must make preparations for Sombra's arrival!” She shivered in anticipation. Hopefully, she'll be able to make contact with his flesh again. And correctly, this time! A good queen needed a worthy king to rule alongside her.

The first to enter the chambers was Trixie Lulamoon, who bowed low. “I have returned, my queen!”

“You have failed, you mean,” came the echo of Chrysalis' thin voice across the fleshy caverns. She snapped her fingers, and the ground momentarily shook before it opened in a burst of dirt and rock, at which point a pair of bloated tentacles shot up from the stygian abyss.

Coiled within these monstrosities were the shattered pieces of Lavender Lace and Fuchsia Blush, trapped in blocks of ice, that started to melt with a steamy hiss when Chrysalis lit her horn and increased the room's temperature. Water pooled under the disembodied portions.

Once freed from their glacial graves, the divided corpses pulled themselves back together until they reassembled. Shakily, Lavender, and Fuchsia wobbled on their feet, eyes left to dart around awkwardly as the zombie slaves took in their surroundings. Lavender asked, “Wha...?”

Fuchsia rubbed her belly, tears stricken across her ashen cheeks. “The...the larva in my womb...it's dead! Flash-frozen!”

“M-mine too!” Lavender sobbed with her, the cultists reduced to little more than shells. "A-ah!" A wet pop sounded as the unicorns spontaneously birthed out the stillborn larva, which plopped at their feet.

“And now you’re both useless to me now,” spat Chrysalis with a sneer. “Just a few minor mages that wasted the precious bounties I bestowed on you!”

The larva implanted on them came from herself, birthed into the world, then further twisted by the Cult of the Nemesis. A hybrid between a changeling and an eldritch abomination, the mutation finalized by the dark arts to empower the chosen acolytes then endowed by them.

The duo fell to their knees in supplication. Lavender cried, “We're sorry, your eminence! Give us one more chance-”

“-and we'll convert Beatrix to our ranks!” Fuchsia desperately looked to Trixie for support, who also remained bowed low.

“Pha! You think I'd waste more grubs on disposable minions like you?” Chrysalis cackled. “No, I brought you back here only to serve one purpose!”

With a nod from her, the cultists approached, curved knives in hand, and the screams of Lavender and Fuchsia reverberated across the caves as their horns were cleanly severed to keep them intact. Trixie was forced to watch in silent horror. Said unicorn horns would be fashioned into wands, able to cast spells by the chosen wielders until all that magic in the lacquered tools was used up.

Of course, magicians like these two would make slightly-above wands at best, but at least she wouldn't walk away with all her efforts on these wretches wasted.

Vox spoke, “And what shall be done with these zombies? Leave them to rot?”

Chrysalis stroked her chin a moment before she smiled. “No, I’ve got a better idea in mind. Bring them.” She and her entourage strolled through the grotesque hive, Trixie included, her face tear-stricken while she watched Lavender and Fuchsia be dragged by the cultists, their pitiable pleading falling on deaf ears.

On the way, she spotted more fresh arrivals, merely a few dozen fertile holstaurs captured by her swarm. Immediately, the poor sows were turned to breeders; each shapely cow fucked silly until moos echoed about the hive.

“You’re majesty, please,” pleaded Trixie from the back as they walked. “Don’t take it out on them! The fault is entirely mine-”

“And they will pay the price in your place,” announced Chrysalis as they walked through the slimy, womb-like caverns. In truth, she didn't consider Trixie valuable at all, outside of putting her curvaceous blue body to proper use.

But Vox advised against that, as this azure unicorn was different from the one that perished in her own world. This Trixie, the mother of Beatrix Belladonna, was a veteran of two apocalyptic wars, her skills as a witch refined to their limits.

More importantly, she was bait for Beatrix and could still prove a valuable tool to lure her…plus as a source of information.

They arrived at an overlook of an ancient coliseum built into the hives. A place of sport and entertainment for the rowdier elements of the monarch’s species, where the traitorous Deinos had once been a slave gladiator. The changelings below were the largest, most twisted mutants of her species, further warped since their mothers were crossbred with eldritch abominations to produce hybrids.

Most of the mothers hadn't survived the births, since they either burst under pressure or the monsters chewed their way out. They were little more than savage animals, almost mindless brutes driven by feral instinct. She dubbed them 'Manticores,' a hodgepodge of numerous races grafted onto insects and eldritch grotesques. Restrained by heavy chains, they bit, clawed, and snarled at each other, while the drones in the stands below cheered, drank, and raised their weapons aloft within the amphitheater.

Lavender swallowed hard. “Those are-”

“Manticores-ah!” Fuchsia shrilly screamed with Lavender, the pair lifted naked in Chrysalis' aura and thrown like hunks of meat into the slimy arena below. Vox raised his wand and cast a spell that shattered the numerous chains on the Manticores. Immediately, the Manticores beset the pair of nude, helpless mares, reduced to little more than fuckmeat before the vile mobs that plagued them. They cried shrill screams on penetration.

Trixie slumped and quietly whimpered. ”M-my precious friends...”

“Best to find new ones,” assured Chrysalis cruelly, stroking Trixie's mane as the Manticores rammed into every hole Lavender and Fuchsia had to offer, their barbed shafts so wide, they threatened to split the two unicorns apart.

“A demonstration. To remind you of the price of failure.” The wet slaps of supple flesh filled the air amidst cheers as they were battered by them. “Soon, they'll be little more than a distant memory to you.”

“Yes, my queen,” she meekly answered and rose to watch. “The Humble and Penitent Trixie will not fail you next time!”

“See that you don't,” Chrysalis warned darkly. “Oh, and quit being so modest…~” She undid the strings to the open cloak that barely hid Trixie's nakedness, and the mare's voluptuous curves unveiled to the queen, who lazily licked her chops.

“Mmm. It's obvious where Beatrix blossomed. You're practically twins, color scheme aside!” A moan hissed from her maw when the flesh at her loins transformed in answer to her lewd will.

A pair of shafts swelled from her, with tips that opened like flowers that budded and dripped slime. Usually, she would use them to pump a prisoner full of potential spawn, but instead, she decided to indulge herself in celebration of Sombra's revival. Grabbing Trixie by the mane, she bent her over the rail and unceremoniously shoved herself hilt-deep in her fuckholes with a slap to her rump.

Trixie moaned and tightened around the intruders, forced to watch her old sidekicks ravaged by the Manticores while she was bred. Many drones in the arena either masturbated to the show or fucked each other, some in the shape of varied enemy races they took the form of.

Minutes passed, Lavender's and Fuchsia's three fuckholes stretched and destroyed at once as they were filled and soaked. All the while Chrysalis pulled and spanked Trixie. "See that, my broodmare bitch? See what happens to failures?"

Inevitably, as Lavender and Fuchsia were cummed in and on, the lusts of the Manticores slaked as they were ravished. By now the unicorns practically waded in cum, used dozens and dozens of times.

Their outstretched hands stroked off a pair of offered barbed cocks, and serviced them with their tits and mouths in a desperate, final attempt to appease them. Growls met the cum-stained unicorns, the balls of the Manticores spent as the last spurts painted the pair.

That's when the undead mares were torn limb-from-limb by paws. Their final cries were lost as disembodied arms, legs, torsos, and abdomen tossed into the air by the Manticores. Finally, the brutish beasts swallowed and devoured them amidst a crunch of torn flesh and bone.

Fortunately for Trixie, her melancholy was temporarily snuffed out when Chrysalis pumped her loads into her, the mare's brain all but melted from a continuous, multi-climax that made her pussy violently wink and squirt over her beloved queen's dicks. Her knees shook.

"Take it, my broodmare bitch! Take it and-" The arrival of Sombra in a flash pulled her attention. Chrysalis withdrew from Trixie's cum-soaked fuckholes, after which she dropped her broodmare whore with a thud and withdrew the flower-like shafts back into her anatomy. “At last, you've arrived.” She eyed up the stolen body of White Shadow Penumbra, the swordsman's appearance similar to his father's, albeit the pegasus proved leaner. “A most suitable vessel, I take it?”

Sombra nodded with a grin. “It's a shame he's not a unicorn, but I should be able to work my magic just fine.” To demonstrate, his hands and eyes billowed with blackness as the pegasus summoned purplish-black flames into balled-up fists.

“Aha! Excellent! And you wish to test your new body properly...?” She half-lidded her eyes with a leer, body on display for him.

However, he turned and strode away in silence, the band of cultists and Vox in tow. She snarled and inwardly bristled, unused to anyone who dared ignore her charms, but hurried to follow after him.

The tyrant’s attention instead focused on his prize, Princess Cerise Silhouette. The charcoal mare was entombed in a crystal coffin, occasionally jerking and moaning in her fitful slumber. He brushed a tender palm over the sparkly, crystalline surface.

“So this is my daughter. The sweetest fruit of my loins.” Sombra had probably fathered many children on crystal mare slaves he'd taken before his demise, but this felt different. A pride unlike any he'd ever felt burned in his heart. “Just what did that awful monster do to you…?”

“Who cares!?” Chrysalis pursed her lips. “She's the enemy! Just crack her out and use her nubile flesh if that’s what you—”

“I want her untouched,” the dark tyrant corrected. “She's part of my bloodline, and must have the same darkness buried in her. Just look at her brother!” He undid his turban and let his mane loose. “So much repressed sin, begging for release!”

“It would be best if she was disposed of,” suggested Vox as he floated up to them. “Cerise serves no further purpose.”

Sombra scowled at the robed spokesmen. “Perhaps not to you. Your ‘deity’ already took what they wanted. But she is my blood, my prize, and I won’t have her tarnished nor disrespected!”

“An unwise decision, tyrant. But so be it,” Vox conceded. “Our next objective is to capture the Crystal Empire while the enemy is lapping their wounds.”

“Ahh, yes! A suitable throne to place my prize,” mused Sombra, who continued to stroke Cerise's crystal casket and imagined her at his side as they ruled over trodden masses. He felt the cold stare of Chrysalis at his back and chuckled. “Oho, come now! Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you, my sweet.” He turned to her with a leer. “I think it’s time we put this new body to a proper test~!”

Ambivalence warred in Chrysalis since he'd denied her at first, but she surrendered when he seized and kissed her. As their hands wandered over each other, his clothes were discarded once he chewed on her lips and drove himself into her slick cunt. The pair moaned together. Over his shoulder, she watched Vox lift his wand and, with a cast aura, direct in a pair of massive, stylized armor, partially crafted from crystalline and an alloy.

Vox and his cultists sculpted them to his exact specifications. But he still needed to work on the final enchantments.

Chrysalis reluctantly withdrew her lips from his as he fucked her and said, “S-so this is what you had in mind...!” He'd had her remove a particular stallion body from cold storage, a fabled knight lost in war with the Crystal Empire. “You plan to–”

“-bind the knight's flesh and spirit to one cursed armor set,” mused Sombra, her limbs wrapped around him while he pounded into her. “The other one, too. She's more useful to us this way than as a mere broodmare, since the ‘anomaly’ claims most Onoma can't be passed on.”

Vox observed with slight amusement, wondering if Omen intentionally omitted that there were rare exceptions, such as Iclyn. Her family was able to pass down their unique Onoma like an heirloom.

“Yes, what a shame. But the silly bitch has popped out tons of drones already and is nearly spent,” replied Chrysalis with a purr, her breasts mashed into his bare chest. His firm palms encircled her wide hips and buttocks while he spread and kneaded her ample asscheeks.

The would-be rulers of this world mated in the labyrinth of serpentine hives, each one interconnected after the painstaking efforts she partook of over the years, each potential protoquen of the separate hives slain by her. Now every changeling fell under her hive mind with aid from the Mi-Go mushroom, each hive with its own type of swarm the protoquens birthed. Some insectoids or arachnids, one species the remnants of Marathyssa, with delicate, luminescent moth-like features.

By this method, she hollowed out the planet, its core an endless hive with armies she bred in secret over the years.

After he spilled his seed in Chrysalis, met by a satisfied coo from the queen once he withdrew from her depths, she reclined on her side and dripped his cum. He sat on a smooth stone beside her. Sombra's hands moved on their own by instinct, and he reached into Penumbra's discarded clothes, where he reflexively withdrew a fancy hookah, lit it up by cast sparks, and then inhaled its contents.

A cinnamon taste blossomed in his mouth, heat filled his belly, and smoke escaped his nostrils when his sweaty, bare muscles relaxed. Wings flexed on his pegasus back, his fur the color of his namesake, the White Shadow. A pretentious name he knew came from Penumbra's birth mother, Inky Rose. “Huh...,” he mused, the swordsman's sole addiction to opiates carried over. "Odd."

His free hand casually traced the supple contours of Chrysalis, the queen half-asleep on her side when she purred and dripped. “Fuck all the other women you like,” she murmured to him. “But your heart is mine alone. Remember that.”

He swallowed a chuckle between deep puffs and answered, “Yours~.”

Sombra’s blood-red eyes wandered back to Cerise, then the suits of crystalline armor, and finally settled on Trixie, who he waved his false hand to beckon over. Immediately he set to break her in, too. Show her that he was her master now, as he seized her narrow waist and pulled her into his lap. He growled huskily and listened to her lusty whimper echo when he impaled her puffy cunt uterus deep.

The satisfaction of mere lust held little interest to him. No, the conqueror needed to exercise a demonstration of his power! He'd broken thousands of ponies to his will. Made mares twist and scream under him. And when the time came, sweet Cerise Silhouette would be no different.

For her part, Trixie simply obeyed the will of her master and mistress, unable to imagine another way since the larva in her womb took hold and removed her will. Reduced to a mere echo of the proud mare she once was, she couldn’t even find it in her dulled heart to properly mourn Fuchsia and Lavender anymore.

Nor was this situation so different from when she’d taken to the road and performed with her daughter, Beatrix Belladonna, fathered by the late Shining Armor of her world. Raising a daughter on her lonesome wasn’t easy, and despite her fame, she struggled to make ends meet, which resulted in a secret turn to prostitution. She'd kept a part of her past secret, until Beatrix came of age.

She’d taken all kinds of creatures to her caravan in private. Mostly ponies, but the occasional griffin, dragon, minotaur, diamond dog…she didn’t discriminate. Most of her customers were male, but with the occasional female, perhaps drawn to her because they wanted to sleep with someone famous. It hardly mattered now. With the cult's sudden return, her old life drifted far behind her.

The blue magician bounced on his lap, his hands firm around her spread buttocks, her arms wrapped around the lean muscles of his back. Her snout met his, and his teeth nibbled and pulled on her lips as she whimpered, her heavy breasts slapped into his chest. Oh, to share this experience with sweet Beatrix!

Especially when his false hand started to vibrate, and made her mewl at him in a whorish manner! Somehow, she’d redeem herself in the eyes of her queen, and convert poor Belladonna to her side!

*****

In the central floor of the saucer-shaped Glamorguis, Midnight Blitzer had managed to rest enough and recovered his ability to sit up. Moonlight had joined Lightning Spark in the training room, leaving him to figure out how to kill time.

Naturally, he thought about chess, setting the table with a monochrome checkerboard, and finished placing each set of pieces in place. He frowned, realizing he didn’t have an opponent to play with…

That’s when the withered hyper-stallion tensed as Deinos, in his Web Spinner disguise, took a seat. “Would you mind if I join you?”

Midnight’s eyebrows narrowed, his jaw strained… but he shook his head and admitted, “No...”

“Grand. It’s been a while since I’ve played,” the earth-brown unicorn chuckled, moving a pawn forward two spaces, to which Midnight followed up by moving the piece in front of his rook.

The game was played quietly, and most of the blue stallion’s pieces were captured. Midnight cursed whenever Web Spinner made a move that countered his game plan.

“You don’t have to pretend you tolerate me,” said Web Spinner. “I'm well aware of your shallow opinion about my kind.”

“Oh, I’m pretending? Is that why you’re using a pony suit and I’m not?”

The changeling rolled his eyes. “If I wanted you dead, do you really think I’d humor you with a game?”

“Then what do you want?” demanded Midnight with a snarl. “Can’t you see I’m humiliated enough as it is?”

“For us to get along? I think it’s a reasonable request. Check, by the way!”

Midnight moved his Bishop to intercept Web’s Knight. “After you kidnapped my sister and tried to impregnate her? Fat chance…”

“Okay, I’m gonna stop you right there,” huffed the scientist. “One, your shitbag father almost did the same thing. I did her a favor by taking her out of that dreadful place. Two, I was raised as a soldier, not a breeder. I don’t have an ovipositor and couldn’t knock up Lightning Spark even if I wanted to. Complete misconception, thanks to your propaganda. And three, you shouldn’t be talking, considering you’re in the dog house for that exact reason.”

“Hey, those were just fantasies beyond my control,” argued the hyper-stallion.

“And yet you still enacted them a couple of times, didn’t you? I heard you were easily seduced by Fiery’s wives and that you tried to put a baby in your wife while she slept. Or is that not true?”

“No! I-I mean, yes, but… ugh!” Midnight slammed his head into the desk, nearly knocking over the chess board. Web Spinner, undeterred, moved his queen into position and proclaimed, “Checkmate."

“I’m such a mess,” the blue pegasus groaned. “I let Cerise get kidnapped, and Moonie wants nothing to do with me. I doubt I’ll make it up to them before I pass… whatever age I am now!”

“Most likely,” said the scientist pony, wiping some dirt off his spectacles. “But you will make it up to them. With my help.”

Midnight raised his head, snout scrunched. “You… want to help me? Why?”

“Because I’m tired of the fighting,” the changeling stated plainly. “Because there’s more to life than just constant war! I want my people to thrive and be accepted without judgment. But it’s bigots like Fiery, Equinox, and Chrysalis that make peace amongst our kind impossible!”

“I-I’m all about that! That’s why I joined the peacekeeper’s program!”

Web Spinner narrowed his gaze at the pegasus, who then corrected himself. “Okay, maybe I wanted a little payback. But you gotta understand! Changelings killed my father, took away my sister and mother, and turned them into incubators!”

“And how many changelings did you or your comrades slaughter? Or the many females you stole from us for experimental breeding?”

“… Ohh.” Midnight slumped back into his seat, defeated. “I… I guess we’re a lot more alike than I thought.”

“When you’ve taken the form of almost every living creature, it’s not hard to put yourself in their shoes,” surmised Web Spinner. “Empathy is what will end the war. And there is no greater empath than Marathyssa. Once she’s eaten Chrysalis’ royal jelly, she will be the most important changeling queen ever to command a hive.”

“I… I-I wanna help. But I’m no good like this. I can still feel urges, despite being unable to sate them.”

“That’s where I come in,” the changeling scientist proclaimed with a smile. “I’ve almost cracked a formula that should cleanse the hyper-stallion gene from your body. I lacked the necessary equipment since we were under siege, but perhaps this ship can be of assistance…”

Midnight mustered a wide smile. “That would be awesome! I couldn’t thank you enough… you… want to play another match?”

Web Spinner laughed and said, “Why not?”

Thus began another chess game between the hyper soldier and the rogue changeling, matching each other's moves to the best of their intellect. As well as Midnight’s gradual recovery to redeem himself in the eyes of his loved ones.

*****

Arcanum Folklore made his way through the main lobby towards the dining area, hoping to quench his need for booze and distraction. But upon noticing the group of demi-humans gathered around a table, playing cards, the erenn stallion debated on whether he could persuade them into letting him join them for a bit. A quick glance to find no one operating the bartending booth made up his mind.

He approached the table and cleared his throat. “Sorry to interrupt, but mind if I deal me self in? I could use a round.”

The pinstriped garbed demon, known as Seb, shrugged. “Eh, don’t see why not. Anyone opposed?”

When the others shook their heads, the warlock pulled himself a chair.

“Brought a present I found on one of Fiery's dead troopers,” he said, chucking a worn deck of cards on the table’s center. “Not slain by me hand, mind you, but I thought, why waste an opportunity? Didn't find much value. Just rations, a canteen, a few basic supplies such as a map and compass, and...”

Julianne took the new cards out, and her face went red. “Aahk! So indecent!!”

Analise scooped them up and whistled. “Oi, check these babies aahhht~!”

“Classy,” came Bellatrix Belladonna's sarcastic reply at the nude mares depicted on each card, each of them a picture of heroic mares lost in previous wars. Celestia, Luna, Cadance, the Elements of Harmony, and several other key historical figures adorned them, all of the sexy mares draped in sensual poses.

“Yeesh. Not a lot of heroic dudes in that dimension, huh?” Arron said with a frown.

“Most of them are perverts and misogynists from what I gathered,” noted Seb, examining the card with delicate fingers. “But hey, sex sells! And these beauties could make a couple thousand.” He looked at the warlock and asked, “Think these decks are standard issue?”

“Me thoughts exactly,” answered Arcanum. “Fiery’s been encouraging his stallions to breed all the mares they can and knock them up so they'll produce the next generation of 'heroes'! Wish I had a shot at that creep myself!” He sat down and rubbed his ribs, hesitant to use the onboard facilities to help, hoping his natural regeneration would kick in instead.

Sadly, his hopes hadn't borne fruit so far, and the scruffy detective was curious if the different dimensional rules had neutralized many of his skills.

Nonetheless, the players accepted the new set of nude cards.

“They appear to be unmarked,” observed Demi-Trix. “You know what I mean?”

“No enchantments that I can discern,” promised Julianne as she shuffled her hand. “Just a basic deck otherwise!”

“Maybe the rest of you can finally catch up to my level,” Bellatrix challenged with a sly smirk.

“Oh, you mean the ground floor? Cause that’s where you're going after I take back my riches,” proclaimed Seb.

“Yeah, bring it on, succubitch!!” Arron pumped his meaty fist.

Anarchia snickered. “Not unless I beat the chuffin' parmers off ya soddy cunts and bumholes~!”

“Now, hold on,” interjected the nun. “We all added a unique item to the pool, and we can't use the cards for that, so...what about you, Arcanum? You must have something special of your own?”

“That I do,” admitted Arcanum, who reluctantly withdrew weapons from his coat. A Kurdish dagger, a hook-like mechanism that could be fired and retracted, and a heavy rifle that didn't have any ammo were placed on the table and made the coins clink.

Seb gazed at each weapon, intrigued. “Pretty slick arsenal you got there!”

“Just a few token trinkets, really,” huffed the erenn unicorn. “Lost most of me best stuff during the dimensional hop.”

“You should invest in some capture cards,” the pin-striped devil suggested, wielding his signature deck, each depicting a different weapon, tool, vehicle, and artifact. “Makes traveling a hell of a lot easier. I can spare you a few blanks… for a reasonable price~.”

“Mmm. Tempting offer,” the warlock considered, stroking his fuzzy chin. “But I ain’t got much left. And I’ll be needing the firepower for whatever's ahead.”

“This isn’t a serious game,” Bellatrix assured him. “Just something to help pass the time. Plus, I'm certain Layla has a personal artillery room where you can find suitable replacements?”

“Huh… yeah, that sounds good to me. How about when I win, you all owe me a drink on top of the pot's prizes?”

And with that, another game of bluffs and callouts happened, ending with each party member going all in. But it was Seb who finally made up for his losses, washing away the competition with a royal flush and scooping the pot to his corner.

“Buggar,” grumbled Arcanum, who took an offered cup from Demi-Trix and gulped the contents down. “Should have brought me rabbit's foot.”

“Eh, don’t be so glum,” assured Seb. “You had a great hand. But I don’t think I could take another game of having my ass smoked by the paper cutout again.” He gestured to Bellatrix, who gave a heated glare from that remark.

“Still, that was fun. Now if you’ll excuse me…” The charitable nun returned the stallion’s weapons and fortunes before the warlock took off, leaving the group to their game.

Arcanum got to his room, the automatic door slid open, and his coat and clothes were chucked aside before the stallion crumpled naked onto the sheets. He was so sore and worn out after so much continuous work without any real rest that he almost passed out on the spot. Then he snapped back to awareness when the door reopened; a hand closed around his knife's handle, muscles tensed to pounce.

His tense posture relaxed at the sight of the half-succubi twins. “You two again? Oh, wait… not the same set.”

The coral pink crystal mares tittered, completely denuded save for the chokers around their necks when they sauntered over with a shimmy of voluptuous hips. From what he'd heard, this pair was known as the 'Manor Twins', in contrast to the holstaur hybrid 'Paradise Twins', who he'd helped deliver their calves.

“We heard you've had some trouble~,” crooned Foal-Bearer with half-lidded eyes.

“So we came to help!” Wet Nurse used her wide, bare hip to push the stallion into the bed's center and make room for the twins as their pliable flesh radiated warmth. Pastel pink furs tickled his own natural coat as they surrounded him from both sides, embraced him, and squashed their own bared breasts and nipples into his lean, chiseled muscles.

Arcanum arched a brow. “Are all versions of you two this down bad?”

“Well, we are succubi!” Wet Nurse giggled and caressed his pectoral muscles with a nail. “So strong and handsome! A macho smell! Smart, too!”

“No wonder our counterparts wanted to take you for a ride~.” Foal-Bearer licked her chops in a slow, sensuous manner. “But no, we've come to help you. Layla told us about another power we've acquired as succubi.”

They said as one, “The power to heal others with our lust through the use of our flesh!” Both shimmied their assets.

Wet Nurse traced lower, over his taut abdominal muscles. “She said your power's been suppressed after you crossed over! You want to help those busted ribs heal? What you need is a little kickstart! Let your nurses take care of you~!”

Foal-Bearer caressed his cheek. “We don't have to take this any further than you want. You can lay there and sleep in our warmth if you'd like. But neither would we complain if you wish to get frisky~!”

“B-But aren’t you with that ram fellow?!”

“We are and will always love him,” answered Foal Bearer. “It’s thanks to Sir Dion we’re free to pursue whatever—”

“Or whoever~.”

“—We desire!”

“You're still raw, aren't you? After...” Wet Nurse didn't finish the sentence. Bloody Merry. Comrade-in-arms and potential love of his life before the battlefield had cruelly snuffed her out. All it had taken was one random, stray bullet to end her.

Arcanum offered a solitary nod. Yes. Raw from her loss. Unable to truly move forward, the warlock threw himself into one mission after another, determined to win the day and make amends somewhere deep down inside. A belief he didn't deserve happiness. Of course, if someone told him that, he'd claim it was all horseshit. That he simply did his duty the best he was able without complaint.

Arcanum embraced them, his hands around their lower backs as they snuggled him. “… Bah! Fuck it.”

It's not like these two were married, unlike the 'Paradise Twins,' so he couldn't use that excuse to turn them down. His palms slid down to cup a buttock of each sister. They whimpered in appreciation; buttcheeks pinched under his firm hands as they started to trade sloppy kisses with him.

“You can pretend we're her if you like,” said the pair in unison, who didn't invoke Bloody Merry's name in case it caused him further pain. “We don't mind~!”

Parted thighs let them rest their winky, wet mounds on his legs and grind on him. Grunting, Arcanum shook his head between kisses. “No chance of that,” he assured them. “Me attention's all on you two tonight! Now buckle up!”

He drew Foal-Bearer closer by the waist onto his lap and wheezed as his shaft eased its way into her velvet pussy. Not to be left out, Wet Nurse shimmied her hips until she sat on his snout, her buns spread so that warm, pliable, fleshy, pastel pink asscheeks encircled his face.

The erenn unicorn serviced her with licks and darts of his tongue, which sank into her slippery slit, one hand cupped around Wet Nurse's bun to keep it spread. In contrast, his other hand kneaded the ass of Foal-Bearer when she bounced on his lap, moans intertwined from the sisters as their cutie marks illuminated.

True to their word, the pain in his wrecked ribs receded as his innate ability to heal kicked him due to their lusty efforts. The twin sisters rode him harder, his face and crotch repeatedly painted by squirty, messy orgasms.

His seed emptied into Foal-Bearer's womb, thankful that contraceptive potions were shared in this dimension.

“Me next,” pleaded Wet Nurse as he exited Foal-Bearer's cum-stuffed cunt. “Whee~!” She called out in happiness, taken missionary-style by the warlock as she locked her limbs around him, curves left to ripple under each passionate thrust. His maw continued to close with Foal-Bearer's, who pressed her voluminous tits and nipples into his chest and side while he fucked her sister raw.

Maybe he was the lucky winner today, after all! For once, he allowed himself to relax as he made love to them for hours. In numerous positions, the warlock was barely able to keep up with their insane needs, like the sisters were in permanent estrus.

By the time he finished, cum had dripped from all their fun holes, and their nude forms slumped across ruined sheets. If only he were allowed to smoke and take a drag.

“Damn,” he muttered, his stallionhood sore as the twin sisters were back on their knees, sucking on his cock in tandem, which remained soaked in his splooge and their feminine lube. Not like he could blame them. Succubi were sex fiends, after all. He came a final time, in their mouths and on their faces while they worked him over, completely spent.

They smiled up at him, opened their mouths wide to show off the cum they'd taken, then met their lips in a noisy slurp and started to swap his seed between them. Their hands wandered across the contours of their double the entire time. His dick twitched and bobbed a little, but much as the spirit was there, his flesh couldn't take any more for the moment.

Finally, the twins slurped down his shared spunk. “Anytime you want a repeat~!” They winked cum-stained faces in unison and lapped it up with a slurp too.

“Gotcha. I'll make a booty call.”

Much as he hated to admit it, he'd needed that. A little mindless hedonism had its place to take the edge off, so long as it didn't become an addiction, like with Beatrix. But did he ever miss his smokes!

He settled back into bed, once more surrounded by the plush twins, who cuddled around the erenn stallion. And while they dozed off, Arcanum stared blankly at the ceiling, unable to get the image of his lost partner off his muddled mind. The kind of professional he needed at his side, who'd always have his back.

*****

Despite the damage done to the room where Arcanum Folklore scrawled the magic circle meant to serve as a portal, the sigil miraculously remained untouched. Unlike the walls, which were cracked or caved in entirely. Thankfully, with the support of Fiery's troops and Moon Hammer's minotaurs, the walls were rebuilt better than ever. Otherwise, Moon Hammer ordered the room untouched, in case Arcanum or his allies needed to use said portal, aside from the twins he sent to clean the area.

Today, Blue Moon's turn came for upkeep. The half-crystal earth pony mare, half-holstaur whistled on her way into the dim room, dressed like usual in a cow print bikini so scanty her voluptuous assets almost fell out each time her supple flesh wobbled. When she entered, the cowbell around her choker tinkled, a feather duster in her hands, and the floorboards creaked in response.

“Spooky,” she said to herself, reminded of the changelings that had invaded. She and her sister Strawberry Moon were threatened with the fate that they'd be turned into little more than wombs to push out the eggs of the changelings. “Good thing Arcanum was there!” She blushed and smiled with a coy wave of her cow tail, disappointed he hadn't taken the sisters for a spin after all their offers.

Taking a moment to remove a cobweb left in a corner, she bent over and dusted the wood with a hum.

A flash of light emitted a whoosh noise that caused Blue Moon to jump and squeak. “What in the-”

“Sister? Hold on!” Strawberry Moon rushed in in the same cow bikini with a heavy axe brandished in both hands.

Their attention was pulled to the magic circle and the nude mare in it, shivering as the earth mare pressed her arms to her chest and shivered in a low draft that escaped from a hole in the floorboards within the untouched sigil. Her fur was brick red, with a wavy, thick blonde mane and tail, her eyes a mild almond color. “Wh-where am I? And why the hell am I in me birthday suit?!”

The twins exchanged a look before they turned to the new arrival and pantomimed a curtsy, despite their lack of skirts. In unison, they announced, “Welcome to our home! Our names are Strawberry Moon and Blue Moon! May we ask who you are?”

It took a moment for the earth mare's thoughts to settle. “Bloody Merry,” she said, her memories jumbled when she staggered to her feet, no longer too concerned with her nakedness since the twins didn't wear much more. Instead, she studied the sigil at her feet, and another memory swam to the surface. “Last thing I recall, Arcanum and I were—”

“Oh! We've met him,” replied Strawberry with a smile, her axe set aside to recline against a wall.

“Actually,” added Blue, “He saved our cute posteriors! Not to mention our unborn calves, so any friend of his is ours, too!”

Strawberry explained, “We're the husbands of Moon Hammer, the minotaur in charge of this village, Hammerfall. We plan to expand it after it's rebuilt, so it will probably be a proper town soon. Please, Miss Merry, come with us. We'll feed and bathe you.”

Instinct told Merry she could trust the pair, so she followed them out of the room into the house proper. Thankful that they didn't run into their husband on the way in her denuded state, they assured her he was away on business in Hammerfall and directed her to the bathroom with a spacious tub. Heated water was drawn, and they referred her to it, where she sat.

Submerged in steam and bubbles, she almost felt like a proper mare again. “Go ahead,” she said to the twins, who lathered up her fur and flesh in soap suds, then rubbed her down to bathe her. She closed her eyes and reclined to relax, her thoughts on her vague past, which felt like another lifetime.

Hadn't she been fighting alongside Arcanum recently...?

She recalled glimpses of a battlefield, her outfit stained in mud and blood as bullets and magic spells whizzed by. Back-to-back with Arcanum, the wounded and dead of enemy and ally alike around them, a rifle in her hands as she fired. Gunshots barked out in volleys.

That was her last memory before it had gone dark. A pang in her breast where she'd been hit stung. A blossom of scarlet spread across her suit. She wheezed and sat up with a splash that caused part of the soapy water to overflow, tenderly restrained by the twins, who assured her in unison it was all okay.

“No way,” the mare whispered as water and suds ran down her curves in rivulets. “I couldn't have died..!”

Chapter 17

View Online

“Phew! I could use a shower!” Said Lightning Spark, her fur matted in sweat as she tossed a towel over her shoulder. She'd peel off her form-fitting costume on the spot, were she not surrounded by so many people, especially all the boys! “We really whooped some butt back there!”

“Holographic effigies, but yes,” retorted Kyube, tongue slightly sticking out with each pant. Chisana nearly collapsed on her back, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

“Real or not, they've sure got some nice buns,” teased Wispy with a grin, making the pegasus cheeks color. “I'm pretty sure we could get that shower if you wanted! Didn't you bathe in one of these virtual reality chambers, Princess Butterbuns?” She threw an arm around Eclipsed Heart to draw her close.

“I did,” admitted the pop princess.

“You all handled yourselves admirably,” noted Kitsune. With her lost tail, she'd struggled to keep pace with everyone, but Layla's promises that her removed limb could be replaced soothed her.

The simulation ended abruptly, the virtual reality unraveling into the static white room. “Hey, what gives?” Wispy exclaimed, a hand planted on her wide hip. “I was about ready for wave five!”

Layla’s voice answered through the ship’s telecom. ‘I must ask that everyone gather in the main lobby. There is… grave news…’

Everyone immediately packed their belongings and rushed towards the main deck of the Glamorguis. Others alerted by the announcement murmured amongst themselves. The pop diva spotted Arron’s towering frame and led her party to where the demi-humans stood. While her bitter feelings about them lingered (specifically Seb), Eclipsed Heart persisted in having a somewhat peaceful relationship with them. Especially given the dire circumstances of their fractured worlds!

But the only sound Eclipsed could utter was a dreadful gasp when the hallway doors that lead to the infirmary parted, her soulful neon pink eyes widening at the heart-wrenching sight.

Walking out was the Fallen One, Zeloph, dark blue locks hiding his tear-stained face while cradling the lifeless body of the unicorn mare Atalanta, better known by her once villainous moniker Shadow Scythe, close to his lithe chest.

Beatrix Belladonna pushed through the crowd, disbelief and sadness filling her sorrowful violet eyes. “N-no… No! S-She can’t be!! She isn’t—”

“Beatrix,” Iclyn cuts in sharply, her voice melancholy. “Spare everyone's theatrics and face the truth. She’s gone.”

The witch recoiled with anguish, struggling not to fall onto her knees and sobbing. So she instead clung onto the deighdyr, who allowed the gesture and wrapped an arm around her hunching shoulders.

Everyone watched grimly as Zell gradually made his way to where Layla stood, her hands folded together in front. Julianne followed behind him, holding the urn that held the dust of Atalanta’s father, Quicksilver Bullet.

Dion tucked both Wet Nurse and Foal-Bearer into his arms. Bellatrix, Wispy, Eclipsed, Analise, Chisana, and Arron held their heads low while Kyube and Kitsune grasped each other’s hands. Seb removed his hat and held it to his chest, and Arcanum Folklore stared solemnly. Lightning and Web Spinner had to help Midnight up, each arm around their shoulders while at a loss for words.

But perhaps the most crestfallen was the mother of demons herself, who falsely promised the seraphic demi-human his lover could be saved.

“I am truly sorry, Zeloph,” Layla said gently.

“There was nothing you or anyone could do,” he acknowledged, voice hoarse and numb of emotion. “But there is one thing I would like…”

She bent down to hear him whisper his request before giving a lone nod. Then, the motherly succubus swiftly lifted into the air, summoned the UFO’s control panel, and sent the ship coordinates for a specific location. Pallium gave a series of mournful beeps and warbles and lifted off the building it was roosting on, which crumbled under pressure.

Not a word was spoken while the saucer-shaped beast sailed over the desolate civilization before it finally hovered over the cliff side of a vast valley full of overgrown sunflowers, not unlike the one Zeloph’s tail was shaped after.

“We've arrived,” announced Layla to break the tension.

“Sooner than I expected,” Zell noted dryly before offering a ‘thank you’ to the UFO. The central lobby hissed open, a platform ringed in light, waiting for the angel to step over before it would descend to ferry him outside.

His cerulean gaze cast over the crowd of allies and friends, heaving a heavy sigh. “If anyone wishes to say something before I lay her and her father to rest, now is the time...”

Julianne strapped the urn to the belt around his waist. She then wrapped her arms around her fellow seraph and said, “Though we have not known each other long, I will cherish her greatly. She taught me what true joy looked like through her love for you. And had fate been different, I would have been honored to host your ceremony. But I will pray that she is at peace now.”

The rosy-haired nun walked off and placed her hand in Seb’s, who paid his respects. “Didn’t know her that well either. But she seemed like an elusive treasure. Something you can’t find nowadays that only a few were lucky to uncover. My condolences, Zeloph. She was ripped away from you too soon...”

The angelic demi nodded when the pin-striped devil bowed his head.

“I’ve never known Atalanta personally,” confessed Eclipsed Heart. “But I‘ve seen her through Cerise’s memories. Despite her villainy, parts of Cerise looked up and admired what she stood for. I think Cerise would be distraught to know she is no longer with us.” Her hot pink eyes found Zell, and she whispered, “I’m sorry for your loss…”

“Ya were the baddest bitch aahhht of aw of us,” sniffled Ana, her teary magenta gaze on Shadow Scythe. “Life dumped on ya wif tom shit ya didn’t even deserve. And yet, ya dug through it loike a champ. 'ad I knahn it would come ter this, I wouldn’t 'ave picked on ya so much. Cause I didn’t just miss aahhht on a sister-in-law, I missed aahhht on a good friend! I can’t even tell ya 'a sorry I am, edgie!”

The neon demoness stepped away to let Beatrix make peace. “If you never changed your evil ways and I found you dead as I do now, I would still be here, mourning for you. You saw through me like no one else would. And even if you’d never speak of it, I always saw us as close friends despite our animosity. I hope you’ll be with your mother and father now. And that they’re proud of how far you came… Goodbye, Atalanta.”

Once everyone had offered their parting words of kindness, Zeloph descended alone to Sacratera with his cold lover in his arms. For a while, no one spoke a word while they went about their activities as a sign of respect for their fallen comrade.

*****

Deep in the underbelly of the saucer-shaped eldritch beast, the two confined cretins remained dormant within their glass prison. Well, as dormant one would be if you were Autumn Equinox, who paced around restlessly.

“Lousy bimbos,” the bat mare scowled, her one eye looking over the massive bruises on her knuckles from all her feeble punching. “When I get out, I’m gonna strangle that bolted bitch first, right in front of her shitbrain brother! And then—”

“Pipe down,” came the slithery voice of her cellmate. The hag-looking harpy, Viscera, sat right under the funnel tube that would eject them into the Glamorguis’ stomach the moment she tried anything shifty. “I can’t concentrate when you make such a heedless racket.”

“Don’t remember asking you, bird breath,” huffed Equinox. “You’ve done nothing but sit on your ass! Meanwhile…” she took another few swings, confident she was starting to make a dent. “I’m doing all the hard work!!”

Viscera opened one eye and gave a throatful chuckle. “Can’t stand the thought of being trapped like a rat, can you? I take this isn't your first time being held captive~?”

Equinox glared at the demi-human and threatened, “If you know what's good for you, you'll keep your beak shut!!”

“Try anything, and I’ll puncture your pretty pectorals,” the vile sorceress warned. “That is if the beast doesn’t finish digesting us first.”

The muscular thestral knew that any more real commotion would set off the UFO and snorted, “Whatever. You ain’t got shit on me.”

Viscera deepened her grin. “You think I merely guessed about that warlock longing for his partner? Or Beatrix’s secret plight of wanting to keep her immortality and adventures, despite the consequences weighing her down?”

“The fuck are you babbling about?”

“When I said 'I had a witch’s intuition,' I wasn’t lying,” the bird-faced beldam went on with chartreuse eyes emanating a sickly glow. “From the Necronomicon, I’ve gained insight into everyone's innate desires and weaknesses. And with it, the history of those wishes. Such as a certain thestral’s wish to escape the male-favored system that broke her in~.”

That made Equinox tense up, her yellow pupil shrinking as she stared at the harpy devil irate. Unfettered, Viscera continued, “It wasn’t easy becoming a marauder, was it? Gave up parts of yourself until they left you for dead to that changeling swarm. That’s when you understood the cruelty of life.”

A lone tear streaked across Equinox’s scarred face, memories she tried to forget forcefully resurfacing before her mind.

“But you became better than them,” said the avian monstress. “You survived and hunted them like the filthy flea-ridden curs they were. What they stole from you, you took back tenfold! You made your name well known amongst the raiders, to the point that you got the attention of Fiery Kickstart, who saw you as a fitting piece in his plan to overthrow the crowned prince.”

The batmare clenched her teeth, fangs bare, her bruised knuckles white from how tightly she bawled her fist.

“But you won’t settle for being a willing pawn, will you? You covet Fiery’s position. And you’ll do whatever—or whoever it takes.”

Viscera briefly flinched when Equinox slammed her fist next to her head, the two prisoners locked in a deep stare.

“Get to the point,” the thestral demanded through strained breath.

“I can give you what you want,” the nephilim surmised. “Along with the opportunity to see all you despise writhe and wriggle like worms on hooks~.”

Equinox narrowed her eye. “And how do you plan on busting us out of here? There’s only one pathway, and it’s through this thing’s intestines!”

Viscera pointed an elongated talon toward the ceiling tube above them. “Look carefully, and tell me what you see.”

The muscular thestral squinted a bit before noticing that the aperture-looking muscles weren’t fully closed, leaving a small gap in between. “So what? Unless you happen to be part octopus, we are not squeezing through that tiny ass hole!”

The Vile One rolled her eyes before elaborating. “While you were busy pounding the walls like a gorilla, I’ve been silently filling the Glamorguis’ internal passageways with anesthetic gas. Invisible to the naked eye.”

Equinox quickly jumped back, hand covering her muzzle. “Gah! Are you insane?! You could have knocked us out!!”

“Hence why I require concentration and silence,” retorted Viscera. “Due to the sheer size of this living frisbee, it’ll take some time until it begins contaminating the respiratory system. And I can only fume out small doses so that the toxic molecules remain undetectable. So do us both a favor. Zip your lips, and go sit down.”

The marauder sneered yet did as requested and sat by the corner of the glass cage furthest from Viscera. She glanced at the luminous eyes shining over them and muttered, “Won’t that demon whore notice her ship hasn’t responded and get suspicious?”

The vice lord gave an extra malicious smile. “Clearly, you haven’t been tuning in to the commotion up top. Put those big ears to good use for once and listen.”

Grumbling, Equinox closed her eye and relaxed her shell-shaped earlobes. Her brow furrowed when she heard a low sound echoing through the interior. “Someone's… crying..?”

“Ahh~! Such a sweet sound,” Viscera mused. “It seems poor Atalanta has finally passed on. I reckon everyone will be too grief-stricken to notice my breach in security.”

“I mean, I guess… damn, you are one cold turkey!”

The avian monstress tittered. “You flatter me~! Once the UFO temporarily shuts down, we’ll begin the next phase in my plan…”

Her twisted smile stretched as she obscured the glowing eye of the Glamorguis, noting it was already dimming slightly.

“… And then, I’ll be able to get him to do what I want~!”

*****

Fractures formed with audible cracks across the crystal coffin as Sombra carefully undid the seals placed on it with delicate spells. He knew all it would take was one mistake; his prize could be damaged beyond repair or even killed! Secreted in a private lab prepared for him within the main hive, he'd soundproofed the room and warned no one was to disturb him for any reason. Cerise Silhouette, plainly visible under the crystalline, stirred and silently moaned.

Another fissure depressed the surface. The slimy flesh and stone cavern around them reflected its luminous shimmer.

Finally, the casket crumbled into a miasma of diamond dust that whirled around them. Eyes still closed, Cerise tumbled forward and landed in her 'father's arms, his chest bare after he'd smoked more opium to keep him focused. “Can you hear me, princess?”

Gradually, the princess blinked her blurry eyes open. Then they dilated upon briefly seeing Omen’s face and recoiled with a scream.

“No, no, NO, NO! Let me go!!” She yelled, beating her first into his chest.

“Steady Cerise,” came his calm but firm reply, his hand cupped hard around her chin. “It’s me! You’re safe now.”

Once the terrible visage dissolved into her half-brother, Cerise whimpered and sobbed, unable to drive out what felt like an eternity of horror. One that should have driven her mad was trapped alone after her family and friends turned on and abandoned her. Yet she knew the real reason. The nightmare stag, that monstrous bastard. The one responsible for this calamity. How could he have betrayed them?

No… it would be more accurate to say he’d never been on their side. Not really. And now, Cerise was lost, too.

Tears dribbled down her cheeks, and her nose ran. She barely heard the words of this imposter, the monster who'd stolen her brother's body. Then, a sudden, sharp slap pulled her back to awareness. She rubbed her red-marked cheek and then stared at him down. “You hit me!”

“It was necessary,” he lamented. “You're no use to anyone like that. Lost in hysteria. That's no way for someone from my proud bloodline to behave! Especially with your ambitions to become a queen and rule over your own territory, away from a family that suffocates you!”

The charcoal mare blinked at him and sniffled. “H-how do you know-”

He tapped his skull. “I have access to all of Penumbra's memories.”

Her heart skipped. “Is...is he dead....?”

Sombra shook his head. “He resides asleep inside me, dimly aware. A mere phantom, like me, until I claimed his flesh!” He released a dark chuckle, relaxing his iron hold on her. “Go ahead. Cry, and get it out of your system. I expect you to show the steel I know you're capable of, my sweet daughter.”

Her face twisted in a sneer. “You're not my father! He's-”

“Kind? Compassionate? Don't be so simple-minded, child. Your half-brothers failed to protect you. Just like Inky Rose failed to mother you. All that coddling has made you soft! Unbefitting someone of my blood! You and your brothers were born to take what you want! Just as I have, like with all the crystal mare concubines I seduced-”

“Raped,” she corrected with a snarl.

He cruelly smiled at her. “Whatever you prefer to call it. One day, you'll grow to understand and even appreciate the addiction to power. To exercise one's dominance over others! To bend and break them to your will! That is what a king must do! What a queen should do!”

“I would never—!”

“You are my daughter,” rebutted Sombra. “It is your destiny to rule your subjects with full domination! They exist solely to serve your whims! Even Chrysalis understands this! When I claim a mare, it's for the thrill of the conquest. When I desire a queen, I take her by force~.”

“You're disgusting,” she proclaimed with quiet fury.

The dark stallion snorted, blood-red eyes trailing over her body with a sneer; Cerise was adorned by light armor that left her limber. “Garments like these are unfit to adorn the 'Daughter of Darkness.' Allow me to remedy this.”

He clicked his fingers, which lit as his aura transformed into phantom hands that tore the clothes from her supple body; Cerise stripped naked in seconds.

She glared hotly at him, not bothering to cover herself as her bared bosom heaved from naked fury. “Am I to be your latest ‘conquest’ as well?”

“No,” he denied with an amused leer, unable to help but drink into the supple curves of the charcoal mare. C-cup breasts that would fit perfectly in his palms, as would her hips and ass. “I've already prepared a suitable mantle to adorn the lovely princess of shadows! Behold!”

Elaborately crafted pieces of platinum floated across the air, carried by his aura, and surrounded Cerise, who held in a breath and tensed up. They slammed upon her flesh all at once and appeared to comfortably mold to her skin. She squeaked in shock. The liquid silvery sheen of the royal bikini conformed to her, over her nipples and the lips of her mound, but the rest of her left bare, other than small bracelets connected by a reddish-pink see-through scarf, with matching anklets and a choker.

The thestral raised her hot pink tail aside and looked over her shoulder at her bare ass. She hated to admit it, but it was a beautiful, sensuous costume. Even the ribbons that held up her hot pink hair were replaced as her cheeks colored.

“I take it you approve of my present?” He chuckled smugly while admiring her succulent form while he circled her.

“It's… well crafted,” she confessed, unable to tear her eyes away from the shimmery platinum that accentuated her contours and somehow made her feel more naked than if she were bare.

“Good. Now, follow me.” Sombra turned and undid the seal on his lab with a dismissive hand wave. A churn of twisted, slime-drenched flesh that adorned the worn rock opened to admit them out.

Cerise shivered within the interconnected tunnels of the hives. They passed drones that watched them with a leer at her but dared not touch her. Far worse to her were the moos of the captured holstaurs, somewhere between agony and ecstasy, while they were thoroughly bred.

They'd saved hundreds from the minotaur settlement. Yet it hardly seemed to matter to her when she saw these poor cows, bellies, and udders swollen as they leaked a steady stream of milk, forced to take cock-after-cock, suspended by sticky, slimy tentacles tethered from the caves.

Her heart ached, aware she could not rescue the dozens trapped here.

To her ambivalent relief, the egg-swollen, milky breeders were left behind on their entry to the 'throne room.'

Her heart froze once more at the insect mare hybrid before her, submerged nude in a pool with a malformed Mi-Go Mushroom before her. While this wasn't the same Queen Chrysalis that attacked her world, she was immediately reminded of her birth mother…Pacific Glow was stabbed to death by Chrysalis, which forced Inky Rose to take a knife and cut poor baby Cerise from Pacific's uterus.

She'd been born not fully developed, barely kept alive by her father’s magic. Torn from Pacific's womb by Inky's desperate hands to preserve her. “You… you murdered my mother!”

“Hmm? You'll have to speak up,” replied Chrysalis with a lazy splash of the murky waters.

“N-Nevermind,” Cerise said, curling the corner of her lip. This wasn't the same Chrysalis...but she was apparently no less vile from what she'd seen and heard. Glumly, she made her way in.

“Take a look around,” offered Sombra with genuine bemusement. Several denuded changelings stood around the shores with their heads bowed, most male but with several females, each sculpted to absolute sexual perfection. “Slaves bred solely to sate their queen's pleasure,” he explained while he rubbed Cerise's shoulders.

“Gross,” she muttered. Hedonism was one thing, but to groom and treat them like toys... For a brief manic moment, her features lit up, and a familiar face was spotted nearby. “B-Beatrix?! No, of course not,” she said, crestfallen to herself. “Then you must be..!”

The blue unicorn mare, adorned in no more than open robes that exposed her ample bare curves, made a theatrical bow and declared, “The Great and Powerful Trixie, at your service!”

“Wow. The appearance really is uncanny!” She'd briefly encountered another version of Trixie in the Lost World. However, she'd, unfortunately, had her body stolen by Doppia at the time...

Water sluiced from Chrysalis when she rose. “Oh? Do you know each other?”

“Not exactly,” admitted Trixie. “But my little hellspawn always spoke so fondly of her!”

“How quaint,” the evil monarch said in a dismissive flourish when she waded to the shore, the bountiful voluptuousness of her bare curves on full display. “So,” she said with a turn to her lover. “This is what you spent so much time on? She looks like a delectable morsel, but hardly worth the effort of putting a baby into—”

“She is not to be touched under any circumstance,” Sombra warned her again, his snout drawn in a low snarl.

“And I am not to be threatened,” she coolly answered in an imperious tone, her hands on her wide, wet hips. They stared each other down for a moment before she turned with a shake of a hip and a “Hmph. Do as you please. As for the rest of you, tend to me,” she ordered her harem, who snapped to obey.

While Cerise watched the perfect slaves rub down and smooth the moisture from Chrysalis' drenched mane and tail, all the while her 'father/brother' rubbed the dancer's bare shoulders, thankful that her hot pink tail concealed the crack of her ass as she shuddered under his hands.

To think this monster wore the faces of two of the most influential people to her! That he spoke to and touched her in such an intimate way! It made her shudder, despite his firm, sensual touch. Hands directed by the will of a stallion that no doubt seduced and ravished many mares until they screamed his name in bliss.

Her adventures with Beatrix had shown her the true face of evil. She couldn't hide in her palace from it anymore, desperate to blot out the darker shades of reality. Of the cruel tyrant, her father had once been.

“ꁝꏂ’ꇙ ꓄ꄲꋪ꓄꒤ꋪꏂ꒯ ꓄ꁝꄲ꒤ꇙꋬꋊ꒯ꇙ.”

Cerise stiffened. Her father/brother was speaking, but Omen’s insidious voice came out of his mouth. “ꃳ꒤꓄ꉔꁝꏂꋪꏂ꒯ ꋬꋊ꒯ ꋪꋬꉣꏂ꒯ ꉔꄲ꒤ꋊ꓄꒒ꏂꇙꇙ ꂵꋬꋪꏂꇙ. ꌦꄲ꒤ ꋬꋪꏂ ꓄ꁝꏂ ꄲꊰꊰꇙꉣꋪ꒐ꋊꍌ ꄲꊰ ꋬ ꉣꇙꌦꉔꁝꄲꉣꋬ꓄ꁝ ꉣꋪꏂ꓄ꏂꋊ꒯꒐ꋊꍌ ꁝꏂ ꒐ꇙ ꀘ꒐ꋊꍌ. ꋬ ꂵꋬ꒯ꂵꋬꋊ.”

“S-stop it..!” she tried to sound firm, feeling his hot whisper brush her ear, his hands trailing lower over her sides to rest on her shapely hips, which he pinched.

“Why? I merely speak the truth.”

She quivered when he fondled her shapely hips, rubbed and kneaded them. “Inky, Penumbra, Ashen… Utter fools trying to shield you from the bitter truth. They infantilized you and made you weak. It’s time you accepted reality, princess. ꏂꂵꃳꋪꋬꉔꏂ ꌦꄲ꒤ꋪ ꊰꋬ꓄ꏂ. ꌦꄲ꒤ꋪ ꃳ꒒ꄲꄲ꒯꒒꒐ꋊꏂ ꒐ꇙ ꏂ꒦꒐꒒.”

His callous palms trace over her dimples of venus down to the plush, supple slopes of her bare charcoal buttocks. She gasped when something hard and girthy wedged between her cheeks and yanked away from her father’s grasp. Sombra snickered. “You honestly need to relax.”

“Never! I’m already spoken for! And he’s thrice the stallion you are!” She fumed, heated all over while he leered at her.

The dark tyrant bellowed with laughter. “Ahh, yes. Your ‘husband’! The same pegasus who sought out other mares to sate his unyielding condition? Who nearly knocked you up while you slept? Sounds like he and I would get along~.”

Her heart went cold once more. “Th-that's...Middy...he's...”

“Unworthy,” Sombra pressed on as he fully drank her in. “A mere worm unfit to please my daughter. A true king would treasure his queen; give her the utmost respect and attention!”

“Like you’re on to talk,” Chrysalis scoffed. “This is tiresome. Just force her on her hands and knees already, like any harlot! You once brainwashed the entire populace of the Crystal Empire, did you not? Before you met your demise?”

“They were lucky,” the umbral stallion huffed. “And unfortunately, I've lost the proper materials to craft those helmets. Otherwise, it wouldn’t even be a challenge to take control of that military bore, Fiery Kickstart's army.”

“Yes, quite a shame,” lamented Chrysalis with a pout. “Ouch!” One of the latest additions to her harem, a female drone that brushed her waterfall of hair, had accidentally pulled her tresses. She hissed, “Watch it, you dumb whore! Bad enough, I needed to replace one of my boy toys with another lowly female!”

She raised her hand, her tailored nails readied to scratch the meek drone...only to have her wrist seized. Her attention snapped to Cerise, who'd crossed the dreary cavern to stop her. “Grnnn!?”

“Don't you dare hurt her!” Cerise blocked the drone and met the queen's cold stare.

“You're bolder than expected! But you're hardly a match for me!” True to her word, despite the earth pony strength Cerise still carried after her transformation into a thestral, it couldn't quite match a changeling queen's, as their arms wrestled and she groaned under strain. Chrysalis tittered at her. “What will it be, wench? Will you resist until your tiny arm snaps and bone is exposed—?”

An aura wrapped around the two as Sombra pulled them apart. “That’s enough! You've made your point!”

Chrysalis hissed at him. “You favor her too much. It will be the death of you. For the second time!” Her harem backed away when he approached. “Ooh~? Do you plan to have it out here?”

Soon he stood eye-to-eye with his queen, reminded that this uppity bitch needed to be put in her place. But Sombra couldn't be too harsh, or he'd drive his key to victory away. No, he needed to keep her properly pleased and simultaneously dominated since she held onto his potential army while he stood alone.

So instead, he suddenly shot forward and met her lips. Her eyes widened, but her taut posture relaxed again when he invaded her maw. One of his hands wandered across her lower back, over her ample ass. Cerise started to pull back, but he seized her wrist, which still ached as she rubbed it, his mouth drawn from his queen's. He firmly commanded, “No. Stay by my side and bear witness.”

Chrysalis smoldered with fury and lust. “What are you-” She bristled, and her cheeks burned when he spun her so she back faced him, and his firm hand bent her over, her face afire in humiliation. “How dare you—Yaaauhh~!!” She yelped when he landed a harsh smack on an ass cheek. Said butt wobbled under the impact, a red hand print left over her black flesh. Feminine lust drooled from her slit at his spank, the way he dominated and humiliated her, a treat she wouldn't dare let any other creature inflict on her! Worse still, Cerise was forced to watch her shame the entire time while he relentlessly spanked her soon-tanned asscheeks and readied his mottled cock.

Fished out of his pants, which he slid from his lean white frame, a cruel smile crossed his features. His flared tip traced Chrysalis' puffy slit until it was nice and wet, then rubbed a circle around the ring of her puckered asshole. “Beg for it,” he demanded, palms encircled about her buns, squishing under his hands.

“Wh-what-?” She sputtered in outrage as he spread her plush cheeks wide open, then let them clap together with an audible slap of spanked flesh, which he repeated as he prodded at her lower holes. Bad enough, he took her in front of his daughter and her harem like a lowly whore, but to treat her like she was his bitch and make her plead! She yelped as he slapped her wobbly ass. “P-please...”

“Louder!” Another crack across a bouncy asscheek as her beaten buns blushed.

“H-harder! I-I mean, please! Punish me more~!!” She somehow blushed even brighter through a whorish moan as she heard the fizzle of sorcery. She felt a second horsecock slap between her buttcheeks, her tail raised, while his first shaft teased over cuntlips that continued to drool nectar across his vein-lined dick.

Sombra laughed and, with another meaty swat of her thick round ass, said, “Since you asked so nicely...” His flared tips teased at her sex holes a few more times; more slaps landed across her buttcheeks as she whined despite herself until he pulled her mane and tail and drove into her orifices. She immediately clenched around him when he took her to the hilt.

Cerise squirmed uncomfortably while she watched her 'father/brother' fuck her mom's murderer like a piece of meat.

All the while, Chrysalis lost herself to pleasure despite her attempts to restrain herself; her holes stretched while he took her deep until she started to whorishly wail, which echoed throughout the caverns. Squelches sounded as her asscheeks wobbled under the impact of his thrusts, her spank-marked flesh left to ripple each time he drove past her cervix into her womb, and her bowels also plowed.

“Yes! Oh yes!” By this point, she barely noticed Cerise, Trixie, or her harem. Not that she particularly cared in the witch's case since her uterus was now a larva's slimy nest, which rendered a mere shell.

“Watch closer,” he commanded the princess. “Kneel.”

Reluctantly, Cerise knelt, her face a mere inch from Chrysalis' ample ass as it lewdly bounced with wet slaps each time he slammed it about.

Grunts arose from Sombra, who ruthlessly pounded into his lover and intentionally put on a show. One hand, still tightened around her mane, twisted her to meet his daughter's eyes, so she could witness the fucked silly pleasure written across her pink-stained, lurid face. A mixture of ambivalent emotions continued to war in Chrysalis; disgust and pity wrote on Cerise's innocent face.

“D-don't you dare look down on me...ooh!” Another sharp crack met her bare ass. The blur of his muscled hips stopped when he withdrew with a pop from her stretched holes. “Hey, asshole!” She sneered in an imperious manner to hide her lust. “Why the hell did you stop?”

“Settle down and take it, bitch.” Furious shame was swallowed by another euphoric moan once he fully sheathed her orifices in one brutal thrust until she went cross-eyed, and her tongue lolled out whenever he violently double-stuffed her to the absolute limit once more. A reminder of who really deserved to rule!

Despite how much she loathed them, the musk and other scents of their sex wafted into Cerise's nostrils. To her shame, her nipples grew painfully stiff under the two slim pieces of platinum that left most of her breasts exposed and, likewise, her lower holes clenched. Her hot cunt was moist and wet, greedy for cock, and used to how her hubby fucked her several times a day.

Once again, the Nightmare Stag’s presence continued to haunt and condescend to the charcoal princess. “꒒ꄲꄲꀘ ꋬ꓄ ꌦꄲ꒤, ꁝ꒤ꋊꍌꏂꋪ꒐ꋊꍌ ꊰꄲꋪ ꋬꋊꄲ꓄ꁝꏂꋪ ꂵꋬꋊ ꓄ꄲ ꊰ꒐꒒꒒ ꓄ꁝꏂ ꏂꂵꉣ꓄꒐ꋊꏂꇙꇙ ꂵ꒐꒯ꋊ꒐ꍌꁝ꓄ ꒒ꏂꊰ꓄ ꃳꏂꁝ꒐ꋊ꒯.”

“S-shut up!” She whimpered while chewing her lip; the first thin traces of arousal sliced down her hot inner thighs.

“꒐꓄’ꇙ ꄲꀘꋬꌦ ꓄ꄲ ꋬ꒯ꂵ꒐꓄ ꒐꓄. ꋊꄲ ꄲꋊꏂ ꅐꄲ꒤꒒꒯ ꊰꋬ꒤꒒꓄ ꌦꄲ꒤ ꊰꄲꋪ ꍌꏂ꓄꓄꒐ꋊꍌ ꃳꋬꉔꀘ ꋬ꓄ ꌦꄲ꒤ꋪ ꒯꒐ꇙ꒒ꄲꌦꋬ꒒ ꁝ꒤ꇙꃳꋬꋊ꒯. ꌦꄲ꒤ꋪ ꊰꋪ꒐ꏂꋊ꒯, ꂵꄲꄲꋊ꒒꒐ꍌꁝ꓄, ꋬ꒒ꋪꏂꋬ꒯ꌦ ꀘꋊꄲꅐꇙ ꓄ꁝ꒐ꇙ. ꇙꄲ ꆰ꒤꒐꓄ ꉣꋪꏂ꓄ꏂꋊ꒯꒐ꋊꍌ ꒒꒐ꀘꏂ ꌦꄲ꒤'ꋪꏂ ꃳꏂ꓄꓄ꏂꋪ ꋬꋊ꒯ ꍌ꒐꒦ꏂ ꒐ꋊ꓄ꄲ ꇙꄲꂵꃳꋪꋬ’ꇙ ꒯ꏂꂵꋬꋊ꒯ꇙ. ꃳꏂꉔꄲꂵꏂ ꁝ꒐ꇙ ꃳ꒐꓄ꉔꁝ. ꒐꓄ ꒐ꇙ ꋬ꒒꒒ ꌦꄲ꒤’ꋪꏂ ꍌꄲꄲ꒯ ꊰꄲꋪ~!”

While Cerise struggled to silence the demon in her head, it was apparent she wasn't the only one turned on as Trixie, her nipples erect, pleaded, “M-may I....?”

Unable to speak due to her moans, Sombra overruled Chrysalis when he answered, “Go ahead, slave. Disrobe, and rub yourself silly.”

The azure, all too happy to do so as she unlaced her cloak to leave herself nude and wet schlicks swiftly met her knuckle-deep, frenzied masturbation.

Soon, Trixie presented herself on all fours as Vox floated amidst a billow of robes and produced the fresh pair of finished wands. Greedily the witch snatched them up and plunged them up her cunt and asshole while she screwed herself on them, the knowledge they came from her butchered friends Lavender and Fuchsia all but forgotten. “M-my little hellspawn,” she moaned.

Sombra focused back on his work, the occasional moment taken to squeeze the pendulous breasts of Chrysalis, which swayed and jiggled under his angry assault. He pinched, twisted, and pulled her nipples, distended them far as he could yank them, all while she mewled below her relentless black stud.

Faster and harder, he fucked his queen, rewarded with one of many messy squirts across his loins. She winked and tightened around him. Grunting, he couldn't hold back anymore. With another spank, he yelled, “Take it all, you whore!” His tips violently flared and started to fire load-after-load deep inside her wet core.

Her knees shook once she climaxed with a continuous wail, harder than ever. In the middle of Sombra's explosive release, she tumbled forward, half-conscious when she landed on her face, her heart-shaped ass upraised as his twin, slick horsecocks popped loose from her widened orifices.

Sombra bellowed and continued to fire more ropes across her back and ass. Cerise yelped as a stray shot slapped her across the face and quickly closed an eye; her mouth instinctively opened in protest, simply to have another violent cumshot shoot into her mouth.

She hacked and coughed as a couple more stray shots painted her face and tongue, a mouthful of his runny splooge accidentally swallowed, as more spunk dribbled from her lips and spattered across her shapely tits. Her face burned, and her slick sex holes clenched harder.

The cruel king chuckled at his work after his last weak spurts impacted Chrysalis across her gaped, runny asshole and labia. “Sorry about that.” He lecherously stared at his cum-soaked daughter. “I need to work on my aim~!” In truth, it had entirely been an accident...but he could smell Cerise's moist, unwanted arousal!

Cerise tried not to think about how her 'father/brother' had just cum all over her face and in her mouth! How she'd accidentally swallowed a salty mouthful down! Or how insanely turned on she was, her features marked by his seed!

She tried to rub his seed off but smeared it further into her matted fur. “Are we done here?” Her eyes drifted to the murky pool. “Can I take a bath?” She wasn't sure the water was safe, but...

Sombra hesitated a few moments to gawk more at her cum-make up, proud of how he'd marked his prey. “Go ahead.” His aura wrapped once more around her platinum bikini and drew it from her contours, which wobbled once exposed.

The batmare seethed at the dark stallion but let her twin tails down and swept her hot pink mane aside when she waded into the warm pool. Sombra watched her bathe for a while, his diluted semen regretfully washed from her skin and fur.

Thankfully, he eventually lost interest and turned his back to focus on business with the cultists. Primarily since she was still worked up, she sank below the pool to masturbate on the sly. Despite how it burned at her core, it was less out of lust and more to scratch an itch, like she was in estrus.

Her heart-shaped clitoris poked out from the hood of her mound. She rubbed her love button in a quiet frenzy to seek release, her thoughts on those she desired. Her husband, Midnight. Their former herd mate Moonlight. Her fellow dancer Rhenaes, who she'd hoped would join her herd. Her free hand fondled a supple breast and pinched a perky pink nipple whenever she could sneak that in.

But dark memories manifested after her lust-ridden thoughts worsened, recalling when she had been possessed by the Pony of Shadows, who used her body to pass itself onto her father. Slowly, those memories became fantasies, Sombra celebrating his conquest of the Crystal Empire by pummeling his daughter over the balcony for all his subjects to see.

Her breath hiked, and her finger quickened, the disturbing yet arousing imagery helping push her closer to the edge as she fingered herself silly. Her head arched back, screaming for more, a voluptuous body on display, tits and ass bouncing freely from their royal confines, while her father bottomed out her love tunnel and flooded it with his tainted seed. The promise of becoming pregnant with his incestuous spawn satisfied her sickening desire, which she wondered whether Omen now pulled to the surface.

Her shell-shaped ears picked up on a faint conversation between Sombra and Vox. “...as part of our arrangement, we will return this to you—”

“What?!” The tyrant exclaimed with astonishment. “I thought this was lost forever! How did you-”

“That doesn’t matter,” said the cult representative. “Use it however you like, so long as it does not interfere with our design.”

Cerise continued her rapid, desperate schlicks and thumbed her tight asshole. Her amorous needs were much heavier since she married a hyper-stallion who required constant stimulation. Yet she paused for a moment at the sight.

A crimson horn, larger than any she'd seen and jagged. Her father's horn, or at least this version of Sombra's, since when his body was destroyed, this one piece of him had been cast far into the distance, with neither his conquerors nor his followers able to recover it. Until now.

“We managed to fashion it into a wand,” confirmed Vox. “You should be able to channel your dark magic more properly. Or perhaps you can attach it back to yourself? Usually, another pony's body would reject—”

“Yes, yes, I know.” He impatiently snatched his lost horn up and cruelly smiled. “But since I possessed this body, perhaps it can endure this horn, too! It will be a delicate operation. But should it prove successful, my power will eventually be unrivaled!”

Cerise shuddered and resumed her furious masturbation without relenting; her whimpers swallowed. Thankfully, after the show the couple put on, she tensed up soon, bit her lip hard, and climaxed. Her orifices tightened around her knuckles when she rode her orgasm out.

It wasn't a satisfactory release since she had to keep it quick and quiet. The charcoal mare suspected some of the harems had noticed her little masturbation session yet left her in peace as she finished with small squirts.

After she exited the pool and water dripped from her, the harem dried her off. Once dried, her metal princess bikini snapped back into place with a jiggle of her flesh. The tyrant rulers were intently focused on a pair of crystalline suits of armor. It was her first day in the hive, yet she feared worse awaited her.

But Cerise preferred this nightmare to the one that awaited her the next time she should fall asleep. For despite how hopeless the situation was, a small part of her held onto the possibility that she could reach her friends and warn them of the mastermind pulling their strings…

*****

Midnight Blitzer allowed himself to be overtaken by sleep, unable to shake the fatigue his withered form wrought him. The pegasus knight dreamt he was back in a lush, verdant version of his own homeworld, untouched by the bloodshed and death of wars and their aftermath, which defined his entire short life.

He reclined on a riverbank, the trees rustling around him, his fur back to its usual hues, his hardy muscles covered by a plain white tunic and breeches. Sunlight reflected over him when he rose and stretched amidst the breeze with a smack of his chops with a hearty yawn.

“Why is life always better as a dream?” he said. Green eyes drifted to the clear lake ahead, mountains visible on the horizon, and a few fluffy white clouds drifting across the blue skies. “It’s pretty and all, but… Kinda wish I wasn't alone!”

On cue, the body of water started to stir. From it, before his widened eyes, a familiar shape broke through the surface with a subdued splash, a massive, decorated sword lifted in one hand by the woman that held it. The matronly sheep's wool and skin were a bluish-white shade, her eyes honey brown, her chubby, voluptuous curvature adorned by no more than a thin, translucent shift, its soaked fabric conformed to her womanly contours, which simply drew his gaze more to her wide nipples, generous mammaries, and hips that terminated in ample buttocks. A taut labia decorated her bared mound.

“O-Oona?!”

Lady Ewe smiled warmly at Midnight when she surfaced and stood on the water's surface, her wooly mane done up in a braid that fell down the sides of her face and was bound by a jewel under her chin, a gentle face framed by curled azure horns. “Welcome home, Sir Midnight Blitzer. Come forth,” she beckoned with her free hand. “Excalibur awaits a worthy wielder. You.”

“Worthy? Me? After all the mistakes I've made?” Nonetheless, the blue pegasus started to walk towards the lake, prepared to wade in...and instead, his bare feet didn't break the water's surface, which enabled the hyper-stallion to stroll about the cool, pristine liquid unimpeded.

“Absolutely,” crooned Oona, her honeyed half-lidded. “Yer father once came here, too. He passed th’ trials tae claim th’ title ov Paladin, befur his descent intae self-pity after th’ loss ov his wife and child caused his downfall.”

By now, the pegasus knight stood before the azure caprine, four inches taller than her. When he reached for Excalibur in her hand, the legendary blade simply dematerialized before his emerald eyes.

“Ah-ah! Not yet,” Oona teased, wagging a finger. “Ye need tae to pass a test yerself. One Ah believe ye shall certainly appreciate~.” Her fingers sank into her wet gown and began to pull it over her wooly thighs.

Midnight watched with a swallowed gasp a her flimsy covering drawn up her legs, and exposing her mound and slit first. Then it drew over her round belly, massive mammaries momentarily dragged upwards by her attire, before they were released with a jiggle as the sheep's bountiful breasts flopped with a wobble and smacked into each other as they continued to quiver before they finally settled. Garments discarded to one side once womanly perfection stood fully exposed before his innocent leer.

“Come an’ lie wit me, Sir Knight,” Oona beckoned with hooded eyes and a sultry grin. “Ye must plant yer seed deep wit'in mah fertile womb tae survive, yes? Breed me so that Ah may birth th' spirit that will take Excalibur's true form.”

Midnight swallowed hard. Was this part of the test? Temptation? But no way his father would've turned this down, right...?

Before the hyper soldier could adequately think it over, Lady Ewe had taken his hand and guided it to one of her supple tits. Instinctively, his hand tightened around the massive boob, flesh pinched under his firm grip as she cooed in an improper manner. Warm milk spurted between his fingers, which ran between his digits, more left to spurt from her large, engorged nipple as she lactated.

His hyper-cock throbbed angrily for release as it pushed against his breeches and demanded to burst free of their prison. His heated balls similarly ached. With a free hand, Midnight tore his tunic away, chiseled muscles exposed under a row of his fluffy feathers. His bottoms soon followed, his horsecock left to bob when it sprung free, its flared tip lined in precum that dripped from his urethra.

When his hands slid down her sides and rested on her voluminous hips for support, Oona opened her legs to invite him in. “Yes~! Take me, Sir Knight. Claim mah maidenhood fur yerself,” she cried while he flared, oversized tip rubbed up and down her inflamed pussy lips.

“W-wait! You’re a virgin?!” He paused, the head of his cock half-teased into her silky twat. “But didn't you and my father—”

Lady Ewe laughed in a soft, musical manner. “This flesh is reborn wit each generation. Spiritually, Ah am th' same woman he encountered. But this vessel has been untouched...until now. Come, Sir Knight. Come an' take what is yers~!” she murred in a husky manner. His tip sank in a little more, and her hips drove forward, his flare teased against her hymen. “A-aaah! That’s it! Break me. Ruin me~.”

Spurred on by her words, Midnight ripped past her virginal barrier, her moan mixed with raw pain and pleasure, after which he fully penetrated the motherly maiden.

Blood and feminine lubricant dribbled between her asscrack, over her asshole that puckered up when she tensed around the hyper-stallion that soon sunk balls deep into the azure sheep, said testicles left to heavily smack into her soft, pliable rump on each entry into her.

Grunts rose from Midnight's belly when he started to properly rut the motherly sheep, hearing the wet squish of her stretched-out and filled pussy each time he hammered away. Her asscheeks bounced with fleshy claps each time he speared his bitch-breaking rod to force open her cervix and conquer her slippery, slimy womb, which his tip impacted under savage bucks in desperation for release.

“Yes~! Keep goin’… u-use me like a fucksleeve...” Oona kissed and drew him closed, her nails raked into his back. His palms encircled her buttocks, lifted her hips, and wrapped his wings around her back to support her. Midnight buried his snout into one bouncy tit to nibble and suckle at the milky nubs. He switched between them, lost to the schlicks of her claimed cunt and her unladylike vocalizations whenever he fucked her.

His wingspan, wrapped around her lower back, kept her hefted alongside one hand that kneaded the pinched flesh of a plush buttock; his other palm slapped across her fat titties with such force a fresh splay of milk sprayed his palm. He withdrew with a wet pop and shared a milky, tongue-locked kiss when she tasted herself on his firm, soaked mouth.

When their mouths disconnected, tethered by saliva and milk, she blushed harder and confessed, “Ah always wondered how Ah tasted~.” He hefted her free tit upwards to her mouth, and her lips encircled her nipple when she suckled directed from her heavy milker.

His digits buried harder into her buttcheek, one of his fingers sinking into the warmth and tightness of her butthole. Oona’s backside gripped around him, much like her slippery love tunnel did, as his vein-rigged cock pulsed with the need to inseminate her each time he drove in.

A milk-stained breast that ran with honey down a slope flopped free of her lips when she lewdly moaned. “Oh, please! Finish in me, you chivalrous knight...knock this poor maiden up! Make me fat wit a thousand young~!”

“F-fuck!” He could barely hold back the urge to impregnate her at this juncture, his thrusts faster, harder by the moment.

So lost was he at the moment, drinking from a milky breast while he watched the other obscenely bounce from the corner of his eye; he barely noticed the waters start to darken around them, as did the skies after darkness settled in.

Nor did he realize Oona was changing shape. Her legs wrapped around his waist to ensure he went nowhere, white fleece turning black and bristling with thorns. Her horns lengthened and sprouted an additional pair. And her warm honey-brown eyes darkened into a moderate red leer, emanated by an eerie yellow glow. Midnight’s muscled hips blurred as he fucked his sow with hard, deep thrusts. At first, he thought night had merely settled in...only to notice the lake turn to menstrual blood around him, the skies now vacant of any clouds or celestial objects. “H-huh? What happened to the—waaahh!?”

The pegasus balked when looking down at Oona, who wore a condescending smile once tendrils suddenly grew out from her wool, ensnaring the startled knight. A third eye blinked open above her bosom, its inverted pupil dilating. “Oona? What are you—!?”

“Foolish colt,” the dark faun tittered cruelly. “Sae easily smitten by anythin’ wit an open pair ov legs. Not tae fret, ‘Middy .’A’ll bring ye tae a warm place, where ye can devolve an’ fuck til yer wee heart expires~!”

Unwrapping her limbs but leaving her tentacles in place, Oona submerged into the blood lake… only to resurface as Queen Chrysalis. Midnight shouted as the tall and voluptuous changeling matriarch relocked her legs behind his muscled butt, her own arms, and wings, likewise drawing him close into her cunt.

“Now, you will fulfill my dream! Let’s show the world what a changeling hyper-stallion hybrid looks like~!” Chrysalis cackled beneath him.

Midnight failed to withdraw himself, driven entirely by hyper-stallion instinct to breed her. No doubt drawn to the fact that a changeling queen was the most fertile female in existence, able to bear dozens!

While he frantically tried to escape, the male pegasus gasped as massive crosses rose from the bloodied water, each adorned by the mummified and crucified forms of those important to his life. Among them were also his parents, Snowy Blizzard and Shining Armor. Thunder Storm included, who he'd once believed was his actual father. Even Fiery Kickstart and Equinox...wherever he turned, a familiar face, his twin sister, half-sister, wife, childhood friend, his mentor… “N-no! This is a trick!!”

“Believe what you want,” purred Chrysalis, her face a sweaty, blushing mess once her loose locks clung to her skin. Her breasts slapped against his chest under each hump, and her erect nipples dragged across his skin and fur. “A changeling can sense the emotions of her prey, transforming herself to fulfill your every base fantasy! You want to fuck all of Beatrix's female friends, don't you? And your half-sister, too!” She took on Beatrix's shape in a flash, mimicking her moans and voice while he screwed her tight snatch, unable to restrain himself.

As he violently fucked the changeling raw, the kind, innocent, outright naïve young stallion Midnight became a passenger for a ride by his hyper-stallion side. Determined to drown her ovaries and eggs in his sperm, fertilize them and make her belly swell to fullness. Howling like a wild beast, he sank in fully one last time, flared his trapped horsecock, and fired off inside the slimy core of 'Beatrix.'

To his horror, while he pumped an impossible volume of his load into Chrysalis and watched her stomach bloat from excessive loads, 'Beatrix' altered again in a flash, reacting to his lusty subconscious between many beautiful women he'd encountered, Snowy Blizzard nor Lightning Spark spared his lust-crazed need to put a foal in their fertile wombs. To ensure his genetic material would be passed on before age and atrophy brought on by his hyper-side finished off his short life.

The lust-filled voices of these women moaned and called out his name as Chrysalis tightened up around him, trembled as her messy, squirting orgasms washed over his masculine equipment and dripped from her underside, her uterus filled to the absolute brim as it threatened to pop. Gasps of bliss mixed with his cries for this fantasy-turned-nightmare to finally end.

“You're just like that simp of a father,” she taunted, her cunt convulsing around him, milking his balls for all they were worth. “Ready to sheathe your sword in the first virginal maiden you cross while you play the chivalrous knight in shining armor! He's probably with Marathyssa right now! Who knows? Maybe she'll pop out a few half-brothers and sisters for him…!”

“No! I hate the changes! I hate...” The words died in his hoarse throat as he continually came in her, his hazy emerald eyes drawn to poor Deinos and Marathyssa, also denuded cadavers.

“...hate...killed my family and friends...” His rage died away, unable to deny that, unlikely as it seemed, some changelings weren't entirely evil. Could he condemn them to death after their kindness, too?

With a rumble, the crosses that confined his loved ones slowly sank into the crimson lake. He, too, was sinking, the gangling limbs and black tendrils binding him to Chrysalis, whose mad cackling slowly muffled into the bloodied liquid.

Midnight feebly tried to yank his wings and limbs free, letting out panicked yells after the world around him crashed down. The lush fields of forestry that resembled the paradise world where he first encountered Beatrix became a desolate crater of rock and abyssal ruins, towering around the blue stallion once the warm blood ocean consumed him entirely.

And when darkness claimed him, he swore that the thing resembling Oona, standing by a vaguely familiar figure, was watching him drown…

Sharp groans announced Midnight's return to awareness. Green eyes blinked when the world swam back into focus. And for a moment, his features warmed over at the sight of his wife...only to realize the subtle differences when the mare that sat by his seat became clear.

Sure, the thick ponytail could easily be dismissed, used to the twin tails Cerise usually wore. But this charcoal mare lacked the thestral wings his wife usually chose to adorn, appearing a few years younger. Barely an adult, so innocent.

To his shame, his green eyes drifted to her breasts, which hadn't mildly reduced from years of intense dancing like Cerises. At least a D cup, his baser instincts informed him, unlike his wife's C.

But at one glance, the pegasus knight shook away such thoughts to his wrinkled, bony finger. A reminder of what his uncontrollable lust had cost him, barely able to support the golden ring that threatened to slip off. Thankfully, if this youthful mare caught his sneaky looks, she made no comment.

“Hello,” chirped the earth pony mare that sat at his bedside on a chair. “My name's Eclipsed Heart! Nice to meet you!”

“I-It’s nice to meet you too,” Midnight greeted with a faint voice and managed to sit up and wrap the sheets around his decrepit form, dressed in little more than a thin shift. “Sorry about my sorry appearance. I must look horrible.”

Eclipsed shook her head. “From what I've heard, you've been through an awful lot!”

He hoped no one had shared some of his more shameful moments. “Thanks,” he all but croaked. “So, you're the...” He cut himself off before he called her the 'alternate one' since he didn't mean to be rude. “You're the 'Cerise' of the Cyberverse?”

The pop princess beamed. “That I am! And you're Midnight Blitzer! I've heard many romantic stories about how you've protected her! You must've been so valiant! Oh, but it's terrible what's happened to you! Even so, with all the hi-tech stuff around here, not to mention all the witches and warlocks, surely someone will find a way to reverse this!”

She shifted in her seat, dressed in a two-piece futuristic roller derby-style costume without the protective gear, patterned with neon symbols for flair.

“Yeah… I sure hope so,” Midnight lamented with his head low. “I'm useless like this…”

Eclipsed, pouted, and innocently asked as her wide eyes met his own, “Is there anything I could do to improve it?”

More intrusive, lustful thoughts assaulted the soldier's mind's eye. Of Eclipsed Heart in a striptease, ready to service him like his wife had. Gulping hard, Midnight weakly turned his head aside and mumbled, “N-No! I mean...not much. Oh, crap!” His ring finally slipped off his finger and landed on the floor with a clatter. He tried to rise and almost fell when she tenderly touched his thin arm to stop him.

“It’s fine! You sit back and rest.” Eclipsed giggled and ducked down to try and find the piece of metal; his eyes pulled to the short shorts that conformed to her charcoal buttcheeks while she searched under the bed. “Darn it, where is it...?”

Apparently oblivious to the subdued sway of her hips and buttocks while she reached around, his open palm trembled, inches away from a claim of a supple cheek wider than his wife's own. Thankfully, he pulled back when she announced, “Aha! Here it is!” She darted back to her feet, unaware of her little unintended show, and shot him a toothy smile, symbolizing his betrothed atop her open palm. "Ta-da! It's so pretty!"

“Th-thanks,” Midnight murmured with rosy cheeks and reclaimed it.

“No problem! Oh, you poor dear!” She tilted forward to help tuck his lean body in, as the color had started to drain from fluffy fur and a few feathers that had begun to fall out. His vision was once more drawn to his wife's lovely, more youthful double, this time to those more shapely breasts suspended in her top when she leaned forward and dared to almost fall out from confinement.

Like his wife, her double also appeared to favor scanty clothes, although from what he'd heard, this was common in the Cyberverse, where the usual morals seemed laxer. However, unlike Cerise, Eclipsed hadn’t grown out of that innocent naivety, oblivious to the quiver of her own pleasure pillows whenever she fluffed the pillows and hummed a pop tune to herself in a shimmy of her hips.

“Better? A-Ahh—Hey!” She turned her head aside and pushed on his chest when his snout almost met her lips. “Middy, you're married! And besides, I have a boyfriend! One I'm very happy with,” she tenderly but firmly scolded him.

“I'm so sorry! You reminded me too much of Cerise,” he lamely admitted as they awkwardly turned aside from each other and went deathly quiet. Yet again, Midnight almost surrendered to his hyper-stallion instincts, which screamed that with a new mare claimed, he would start on the road to healing his pitiful state.

“For fucks sake, really?!” His eyes drifted across the room, where Moonlight stood with her arms crossed and tsked. “We’re literally a mare down, and you can’t keep your filthy hands to yourself? It’s bad enough you cheated on your herd with Equinox, but you won’t even stop while who knows what malicious torment poor Cerise is enduring!?”

“Moonie, it wasn’t like that! I swear! I-I just…”

“Best to keep away from him,” warned Iclyn, who walked in with arms folded. “A hyper-stallion won’t know rest until his lust has been sated. No matter what overuse has done to him!”

“Now that’s a classic case of bitch dependency right there,” joked Arron as he and the other demi-humans made their entrance. “Look at this blue raisin lookin’ ass~!”

Ana sighed. “Can’t even count 'a many possessive rip the 'airs I’ve ran into, aw grovelin' for a taste of me coochie juice. I’d almost feel sorry if it wasn’t so damn pathetic!”

“Hey, lay off him!” Eclipsed said defensively. “Hasn’t he gone through enough already!?”

“Aye. He’s been through th' wringer,” said Dion as he stomped through the main lobby. “But Ah can’t pretend like A'm not disappointed in mah student. He needs tae understand discipline. As do Foal-Bearer an' Wet Nurse. They pushed themselves tae th' limit an' almost paid th' ultimate price…"

“I...I'll do better! I swear it,” vowed Midnight, who balled up a shaky fist.

“Please do,” pleaded the popstar mare. “I want to know Cerise is well taken care of! Besides, she needs your help!”

Midnight's shoulders slumped once more. “Believe me, I really want to. But what can I really do in this state? Not even Beatrix with the Prima Materia could simply wave this away!”

“I’d argue she’d make things even worse,” Arcanum said, looking utterly restless while cracking the joints that stiffened his neck. The white ram raised a brow, noting the erenn stallion came from the same hallway Wet Nurse and Foal-Bearer had disappeared into.

Noticing the suspicious gaze, Arcanum quickly looked away and added, “Regardless, we need a concrete strategy if we’re going to survive the onslaught ahead of us. And it starts with figuring out who's behind this bullshit!”

Not long after, the other inhabitants of the Glamorguis gathered, save for Beatrix, the twins, Bellatrix, Zeloph, and Layla.

“Well, for starters, we currently know it’s an anomalous figure like Beatrix,” said Julianne.

“They also brought about the second coming of the Cult of the Nemesis,” added Iclyn, recalling their brief encounter with the spokesman, Vox. “But for what reason?”

“Here’s my current theory,” the scruffy detective cut in. “The anomaly has it out for Beatrix. Why revive the fallen order from her original dimension if not to strike fear into her heart? Their resurgence wasn’t by mere coincidence. It was elaborate! Cleverly orchestrated to bring strife when it came to her choosing to save Midnight’s world or Oona’s.”

“Makes sense,” agreed Dion. “She always had a knack fur pissin' off a lot ov folk. But now we’re back tae ‘why’…”

“I don’t think it matters ‘why,’” voiced Kitsune grimly. “Half our comrades are either wounded, weakened, or dead. And the others are scattered across two dwindling universes.”

Wispy Willow followed up. “Meanwhile, we’re stuck on a hostile planet, keeping two monsters locked in our basement. If we don’t come up with a solid solution, our asses are getting fucked without lube! Anyone have a real plan before we-”

Footsteps sounded when the changeling scientist and warrior, Deinos, made his way, no longer adorning the disguise of Web Spinner. “The solution to our problem might be closer than you think,” the arachnid changeling announced. “At least, regarding Midnight’s dire condition.”

Lightning Spark beamed. “Webs! Did you find a way to cure him?”

Deinos nodded and held up a tiny pale pill between his claws. “Thanks to the wonderful technology of the UFO, I refurbished a prototype that should cleanse the hyper-stallion gene from his cellular system.”

“That’s great and all, but how can he recover from his condition?” Moonlight questioned.

“That I haven’t figured out,” admitted the multi-limbed changeling. “Not even the Glamorguis can reverse all the abuse and trauma throughout his body. But perhaps the answer lies in the Necronomicon. Or, more accurately, Beatrix.”

Arcanum Folklore pulled out the forbidden tome from his inner coat pocket. “You think destroying it will undo Midnight’s advance aging?”

“Theoretically speaking, Beatrix’s power altered his timeline and made him a hyper-stallion. Destroying the book might absolve the changes done to him and everything else the witch has left her mark on. I know there was drama between her and Zeloph, so we need everyone on board to agree on the Necronomicon’s fate.”

“Right. Because Beatrix might be rendered powerless if her connection to the Necronomicon gets severed,” recalled Eclipsed, frowning.

“We’ll come to that when they’re good and ready,” said Kyube, who pointed to Midnight. “But for now, we can at least get him fixed, right?”

“About that,” Deinos cast an uneasy gaze on the weakened pegasus knight. “For the medicine to work, you must tap into your hyper-stallionism one final time. That means having all that burdening lust sated first. I don’t suppose anyone would care to volunteer..?” He looks around him.

Midnight gulped, his ears flopped as he looked guiltily at the surrounding females in the lobby, most of whom showed disdain towards the idea.

Then, in a poof of neon smoke, Moxxi shrunk down to her imp form and stepped forward with a roll of her eyes. “Y'all 're a bunch of sodded cunts! Leef 'im ter me. I’ll whip 'is sorry Khyber pass in shape!”

The blue pegasus gave a sheepish smile. “T-Thanks, Mox. I really owe you—”

“Button it!” The normally promiscuous demoness shot him a heated glare. “This ain’t gonna be sum thrill ride wif me, Middy. This is punishment! I’m givin' ya the dullest shaggin' of your life. So mind-numbingly borin', not even a vacuum cleaner will be enjoyable afterward!”

Midnight visibly paled while the others mused over his misfortune.

“Hooohohohahaha~!” Both Arron and Chisana wheezed with laughter.

“Damn,” Arcanum said, unable to hold back a snicker. “Just… just damn!”

“That’s a worse fate than death for any man,” mused Seb.

“Might as well hand over yer balls while yer at it!” chuckled Dion.

“And I thought I was cold,” commented Iclyn, a slight smirk on her snout.

“Attagirl, Mox!” Wispy approved with a wide grin. “Show him no mercy. Get him, queen~!”

Moxxi puffed her cheeks. “Don’t be cheerin' me on, ya stripy-tailed alleywhore! I’d rather barf out whale splooge than fuck King Dickhead over 'ere!”

“Still. You’re making us proud for taking one for the team,” the nekomata cheekily retorted and stuck out her tongue. “Now, if you’ll excuse me…~” She suddenly grabbed Kyube by his tail and dragged him away from the room, much to both his and Kitsune’s perplexion.

“I-Imoto! Where are you taking him?”

“Just gonna take Foxy for a test drive. See whether he’s worthy of my sis!” She replied, ignoring his yelps and complaints while she pulled his fluffed-up tail.

Kitsune frowned and narrowed her eyes. “You had better not act unjustly towards him,” she warned.

“Nah, relax! It’ll be fun; I swear~!” Wispy winked and headed off with the fox bandit. Kitsune quietly fumed at her sister's impulsive, hedonistic nature but nonetheless leaned on a wall for support and strained to follow after her, despite losing a vita ninth tail for balance.

Moonlight sighed as she watched Moxxi swipe the pill from Deinos before summoning her neon void adorning herself and Midnight to proceed with his seed ‘extraction’ in private solitude.

Her eyes then scanned the lobby while other pairs and groups took off together, no doubt to kill some time before their upcoming departure from Sacratera. She missed Moon Hammer's company already.

The thestral caught Dion side-eying her, but she shook her head, not particularly fond of the idea of some throwaway fun. Not after she'd decided to try out a short, interrupted lifestyle with the minotaur and his half-cow, half-mare twin wives. Her heart was still too raw. “Guess I'll have to stick with masturbation,” she muttered beneath a drawn-out breath.

Everyone, not focused on their own pleasures, convened with Arcanum at the center table to discuss more strategies since the ongoing war with various factions and adversaries loomed ahead. As well as uncover the source of the cosmic storm that swallowed up the multiverse since it was clear the Necronomicon's destruction was unlikely to end this dimensional madness.

The erenn warlock placed the evil book and drummed his fingers across its dried, fleshy surface, tempted to crack it open and devour its contents by its supernatural pull. To his relief, Bloody Merry hadn't appeared since the grimoire's loss and subsequent discovery. No, it had obviously decided to focus its temptations back on Beatrix...

*****

Moon Hammer moaned low, stripped bare while he sat on the toilet lid in his bathroom, soaped and rubbed down by his equally nude half-mare, half-cow twin wives. They doted over their husband, his muscles lined with nasty bruises and scars from numerous cuts and burns.

How many days have passed? He was still tender, but other than the marks, there wasn't any permanent damage. He considered himself lucky, despite it all.

“You poor dear~,” said Strawberry Moon as she rubbed her soapy, milky titties on his back with slow, drawn-out strokes.

“So many new sexy scars~,” added Blue Moon, who rubbed her buttery buns on his belly and teased before his masculine pillar.

He smiled at the sisters and rewarded the cows with a squeeze of each twin's tit and a pinch of the thick nipple that topped it, also cited by their moan-like moos and a small squirt of milk that dribbled down slopes of their voluminous udders. “Thank you, sweeties. Sadly, there's no time to play.”

Strawberry sighed with a business-like nod. “True enough. I know Bloody Merry wanted some alone time, but—”

“—we promised to help her today,” finished Blue. “I hope she, you know, doesn't need more 'private time'!”

The sisters shared a girlish giggle while they washed their bullish husband down. From the blushes on coral-pink faces and the playful shimmy of their hips and butts, he knew where their sex-addled minds were.

Moon Hammer shook his head, and his cheeks colored at what he envisioned. “We don't know whether she needed to touch herself. Most likely, the poor mare needed time to think. She's an-”

“Outsider,” said the sisters in unison. “We know. We've promised to look after her!” They'd helped him tailor a suit Merry requested, and then the twins talked to the local bartender in preparation.

“Get to it then,” he said with a sly smile and a playful swat on the part rumps of each mare. They tittered with another coy moo, and pretty soon, they were all toweled off and redressed for the day.

Breakfast was skipped since they could catch it at the local pub. Morning dawned on the newly dubbed town of Hammerfall, the first sounds of today's construction faintly audible while the sun peeked out.

Moon Hammer repressed a snort at the stallion soldiers that helped his minotaurs rebuild and expand his war-torn town. So far, most of the troops behaved, but he could feel the unspoken tension in the air.

His eyes fell on several straw and wooden dummies set up to one side of the town, where the thuds of arrow shafts filled their ears. Carefully, the three of them approached the rows of stands.

The blonde-maned, brick-red mare looked slick in her tailored suit. Bloody Merry had switched to an auto-crossbow, the closest weapon she could find to a rifle here, one of Hammer's latest works.

“Me accuracy’s shit when it comes to a bow,” she admitted. “But it’ll have to make do for now!” Taking aim, she squeezed the trigger and fired on her target. The clockwork mechanism rattled when the crossbow spat bolt after bolt and struck home in a blur of wood and metal.

“Impressive,” came a deep feminine voice at her side. “You claim you’ve never wielded a crossbow, yet you're a natural.”

In contrast to the new arrival, Chezka snorted each time she drew her compound bow back with muscled arms and loosed another heavy arrow into the bullseye, which made her bare, heavy breasts wobble each time she fired.

She rapidly knocked arrow after arrow from her quiver, one of her breasts lifted by the band, with more rumbles from her bared breasts each time she snarled and fired. All the centauress could think about was her Amazon sister Panna, how she'd been hurt...and how Fiery dismissed her! She stomped a hoof from her wounded pride as one loosed shaft split another.

Merry whistled while she reloaded. “Blimey. You’re always dead on!”

“To make it as an Amazon warrior, I had to be,” acknowledged Chezka. “Weakness isn't tolerated in our tribe since it could put our sisters at risk.” For the first time, she released her arrow in a blind fury and missed the circle on the dummy completely. “Shit!” She tossed her thick white ponytail off her clenched face.

Moon Hammer walked up behind the centauress. “Here. Let me.” His firm hands tentatively rested on her biceps. She tensed up for a moment since pride warred across her face until her taut muscles relaxed. “Strawberry, Blue, why don't you take Merry to the pub? We'll catch up later. Much later.” He winked.

The twins tittered and winked back. In unison, they said, “Come on, Merry!” He'd promised not to play around, so it was evident to him he had another reason than mere lust. No, he hoped to strengthen the union between both sides since he'd noted a rift between Fiery and his wives and decided to make his play.

The earth mare left the auto-crossbow in the booth. “I'd murder for some breakfast.” She fell in after the sisters.

After the three of them left, Moon Hammer continued to help direct Chezka's shots. Before, the anger that smoldered in her made her shake, but she settled down under his firm touch. Her sweaty breasts rapidly heaved and started to slow their rise and fall after she made more perfect shots. Her white, wild tail tickled his hips once she twisted her horse rump and rubbed it into his side. She also subtly shifted her torso's posture so his meaty palm slipped and cupped one of her bared tits.

With a manly squeeze of said heavy titty, the nub of her wide nipple rubbed into his palm. She leaned into his fondle.

“In our tribe,” she whispered in a husky manner. “A man that defeats us can take us as his bride.” She directed his free hand lower, over her toned tummy, down to where her skin appeared to terminate into the horse portion of the centauress.

His eyebrow raised in surprise after he found a portion of the horse coat under her belly peeled down under his touch to expose a second, human-like mound, complete with a pussy, its lips heated and sticky to the touch. From her lower back, he discovered the same, a second, womanly ass with plush, bare cheeks revealed to him as his palms traced them. “Well, I’ll be! You’ve got two—”

“Yes.” Her face colored a little. “Maybe centaurs aren't a natural race, but some fusion of woman and horse made from magic, or so the legends claim. Who knows?” She swallowed hard when he continued to fondle a titty while he kneaded her mound and womanly ass, any modesty surrendered from the peeled-back portions of the drawn-back horse coat. “You don't think it's—”

“Weird? Nah.” He shrugged his broad shoulders. “I mean, to the ponies here, a half-man, half-bull is odd. Honestly? It's pretty hot knowing you’re twice the woman. Just like my wives.”

A rare, warm smile lit her face. “Then I'll expect to double the pleasure!” She twisted her torso so her lips met his, and the bull's sizable cock fished out of his pants. Most mares couldn't safely take it without the aid of potions....but he was a suitable fit for the horsey portion of the Amazon.

He drove into her pussy. Heard her bicker, and her tail brushed across his torso. Her muscled buttocks slapped under each thrust, speared upon the bull's cock.

While he snorted and rutted her with wild abandon, rewarded by the Amazon's heated moans, Bloody Merry followed the twins into the pub. They'd warned her a little about the eccentric work here, but she didn't expect to see so many topless holstaurs, their voluminous udders dotted by wide areola, beads of milk leaked from their titty slits to dribble down breast slopes while they made the latest rounds.

They didn't wear much on their lower halves either, adorned by the tiniest cow print thongs that left their entire wide hips, asses, and most of their pubis on display, their puffy cameltoes visible. The waitresses shimmied their bouncy tits, asses, and hips as they made deliveries.

“Didn't expect a titty bar,” said Merry. “Should've called this place the 'valley of bimbos!' But doesn't this take the term 'milk maids' too literally...?”

The twins chirped in unison, “It's a nice way to earn lots of coins superfast!”

“....no way in hell.” Merry folded her arms. “I mean, me mother was an alemaid, and so was I. But I ain’t about to prostitute meself! I don't care how much you're prepared to pay me!”

The twins tittered once more as the saloon-style double doors were pushed aside to let them in. “Just a little fun,” teased Strawberry. “You can work here-”

“-as a bouncer!” Blue finished. “You can handle yourself, you've said...?”

Merry relaxed a little and smirked. “Yeah. Expert in hand-to-hand. Sure, why not?”

Nonetheless, she couldn't help but furrow her brow uncomfortably at the minotaurs and stallion troops that mostly made up the business here, served by the almost entirely naked cow women. “A little one-sided for them to serve males like courtesans, isn’t it?”

“They're all volunteers!” Strawberry winked while the sisters stopped to observe the cows that passed and practically drooled at them, their eyes drawn to those bountiful milkers that bounced, the sizable swayed hips, and the beautiful buttocks that wobbled each time voluptuous waitresses passed by.

Blue added, “And the funds are used to help rebuild the town! The owner is careful to ensure no one feels exploited, plus each waitress keeps a fair share of the tip pool! Everybody wins!”

They lowered their voice conspiratorially and whispered to her sides in each ear, “Plus, it helps keep the peace. Sometimes, the stallion troops here can get kinda...rowdy. Were we not busy with Moon Hammer, we might have worked here ourselves~!” They whistled as one and shimmied in their thin bikinis.

Merry read from the menu above the pub, which didn't serve any alcohol since the owner feared drunks could run out of control. Instead, various flavors of milk adorned the menu. The cows moaned a low moo each time they squeezed a titty and squirted a thick dollop of creamy milk into steamy coffee or tea.

“Fuckin’ hell….” Her cheeks colored at another note on the menu. For several more bits, a patron was allowed to milk a bloated udder directly or, for a ton more, drink directly from the milky tap of the cows. At a few tables, she saw this firsthand when a few minotaurs and many stallions paid extra to knead and pinch those udders to milk them or, in a couple cases, drink directly from nipples.

Suckles and moan moos resounded, satisfaction written across a stallion's fade when his time was up, and the udder wetly popped free, his lips stained in a milk mustache he ravenously lapped at.

Merry didn't usually think of herself as one with an eye for women, but she couldn't deny a stir in her loins at the sexual antics. Didn't help she hadn't been laid.

The twins approached the minotaur owner and chatted with him briefly while they informed him the potential bouncer had arrived and that she needed her first complimentary breakfast prepared. He nodded and, from behind the counter, started to work up a small feast, air filled with the aroma of fresh food.

The sisters returned to Merry and said, “Should you ever wish to work here, Beatrix left some of her alchemy potions behind! You could always boost your breasts more or make them milky too!”

The brick-red mare returned a clipped smile and simply shook her head. She decided it wasn't her style at all, especially since her bust was already heavyset.

She spotted a spotted doe with a half-melted horn on her forehead near a fireplace. “That's Panna,” said Strawberry. “Another of the Amazons and the second wife of Fiery Kickstart.”

The deer in question's eyes carried a hint of melancholy while she rocked back and forth in her chair. The soft velvet fur of her pert breasts was bared, her mouth tensed in a thin line as she juggled a series of knives, her eyes focused obsessively on the flames. A quiet reminder of when the hidden lands of the Amazon burned down...the day Fiery claimed her and Chezka as his.

Blue murmured, “Our husband plans to construct a prosthetic for her horn. Unfortunately—”

“—he's swamped,” continued Strawberry.

Merry turned to the outside window, where he still piled his dick into the centauress’ horse half. She scrunched her snout. “…Riiiiight.”

They replied in unison, “We’re serious! Hammerfall is still partially in ruin all over. So much left to be done, and he’s hardly had any chance to rest and relax!”

Merry rolled her eyes and sat at a stool, where steam wafted from a tray adorned by breakfast. She hesitated to drink the milk-laden tea but couldn't deny that the cow dairy was sweet! She looked to the twins that sat to her sides, adorned by cow print mini bikinis, and tentatively asked, “Please don’t tell me I have to—?”

“No dress code for bouncers,” they answered as one. “That suit will be fine!”

“Oh, thank fuck! The last thing I need is more limp dick fucks staring at me knockers, thinking I’m up for grabs.” She paused the fork before her lips, a steamy carrot speared on it. “Hope we don't run into trouble anytime soon. I'd hate to ruin such a nice suit on me first day.”

She ate in silence, lost in thought. A siege had recently torn across Hammerfall, and she worried the changelings or the cult could soon return, the settlement under-defended after its recent losses. Ripe for an invasion.

She'd throw herself into Hammerfall's defense in a second. But what difference could one soldier really make...? Her mind drifted back to the battlefield, back-to-back with Arcanum, up to their knees in muck and blood while the bullets whizzed. Before it all went dark...

Bloody Merry picked at the last crumbs of her meal when a yell drew her attention. “Damn it," cried one of the stallions, who slammed his fist on the round table. “Out-of-pocket change already! Of all the-”

“You need to pace yourself,” said another trooper. “You know Fiery limits our bits a week!”

“Yeah, yeah.” He seized a waitress by the wrist to stop her. “Hey, cutie! How about a freebie?”

The cow woman shook her head with a nervous smile. “Aw, c’mon, just one time! You can stick it on my tab if you let me stick it in you~!” He reached out and crushed a fat titty under his palm, skin pinched between knuckles that dribbled milk between them. She squeaked.

Immediately, Merry shot to her feet and raced over. “Oi! What the hell-”

The soldier warned, "Back off!"

He tried to strike her, simply to find himself tossed over his shoulder, onto his back as the wind was knocked from him. “Don't you know better than to touch a woman without permission? You know the rules.” Luckily, she'd memorized said rules written by the menu over breakfast.

The stallion wheezed and splayed across the floor. “Dumb bitch! You really think you can kick me out after all I've paid...?”

“You’ll be lucky if you get barred here for a week!” Were it up to her, she'd kick the punk out permanently, but the rules declared otherwise for a first offense.

“Screw that! Back me up, boys!” He looked at the soldiers at the table.

A few of them rose. “Looks like we're still on call for duty when we're in uniform,” said another soldier, who exhaled.

“Lady, just let him have his fill, and no harm will come to anyone!” His hand drifted closer to a sheathed sword.

Bloody Merry snorted and pointed to the plaque above the bartending area. “See that? They’ve got a right to refuse service.”

“Huh. Now that you mention it—” His blade snaked out closer than most could follow, which she deftly ducked.

The entire bar exploded into action at once. Holstaurs screamed and took cover when weapons were drawn, and minotaurs shot to their feet. The bar owner had tentatively allowed the soldiers to wear their weapons, hopeful it would help keep the peace, but now lamented that once violence exploded.

Merry disarmed the closest stallions with a flurry of swift punches and a couple of roundhouses. Bottles were thrown and smashed. Milk spilled across the floorboards. Fists flew; the minotaurs reminded Fiery's soldiers had killed some of their own and wanted any excuse for payback. Despite their lack of armaments, the bulls towered over the stallions and tackled or wrestled them to the floor.

The owner hurled himself into the fray, a club in hand, and even some of the waitresses pitched in to support the bulls since their Amazonian builds made them a match for the typical stallion. The twins made their own move, a heavy table pushed over that pinned a trooper on the floor. Another troop rushed the twins…then slipped on puddled titty milk.

Merry had no time to watch over the twins, though, when she threw another soldier across the room, and a crash resounded when he slammed into a bar, soaked in milk bottles on display that rained from the shelves. “Shit,” she cried as someone broke a bottle on her dome, and a sliver of hot blood dribbled down her face. Her elbow to his gut made him cry as a rib snapped in a loud crunch.

A woman shouted over the chaos, “Stop this immediately!” When the troopers ignored her, Panna hurled a knife at one of them, and he yelped as it thudded into the wall and twitched, just below his balls hidden by pants that he soaked in a urine stream. “Settle down. Now. That's an order,” she warned them.

Her words were calm and relaxed, but she kept another pair of knives ready to be thrown. As did the minotaurs, the stallions withdrew from the barroom brawl after the bartender nodded at the patrons and fellow bouncers to stand down.

Panna reminded them, “You're in uniform. That means you represent the Crystal Empire.” The fawn's arms folded under her bare breasts. “Clean this place up.”

Grumbles arose from her men, who nonetheless snapped to attention and saluted before they started to remove the mess. “I'm sorry,” said Panna, who bowed to the owner. “I blame myself. They're not from my unit, but we're supposed to be more disciplined than this. Here.” She slapped her satchel onto the cleanest counter, opened it, and spilled out a small fortune in sparkly bits. “Consider it a donation to the pub. I'll send you another one later.”

Merry studied the wrecked room. “No permanent harm done, I hope.” There were some broken bones, bruises, and cuts, but it didn't appear anyone had died or lost limbs. The fawn nodded while watching the men ensure everyone pulled their weight. She asked, “Where did you learn those knife skills, anyway? Doesn't look like anything the army teaches! Amazon technique?”

The doe shook her head. “My brother Cornelius and I used to lead a bandit unit,” explained Panna, who plucked an apple from a bowl, tossed it into the air, and skewered it on a knife before she raised it to her lips and took a crunchy bite. “Then I ended up captured by the Amazons and lost in another dimension.”

Merry whistled. “Yeah, this ain’t me homeland either. Your brother, he's—?”

“Alive, I hope. Not sure whether I'll see him again. Ever since childhood, my brother and I were always on the move. It feels like I've been tossed from one home to the next my entire life." Panna released a drawn-out breath." Sorry. I didn't intend to talk your ear off with my troubles. The loss of my horn made me rethink my life.”

“Gotcha. I've had to soul-search meself since-” Merry turned to the saloon doors, kicked open by a hoof, and left to rattle.

Chezka trotted in, closely followed by Moon Hammer, and slumped her shoulders. “Oh. We're too late. We were already headed this way and heard some commotion, so we broke into a sprint-”

“It's fine,” said her Amazon sister. “We've handled it. This is-”

“Bloody Merry. We've met,” replied Chezka, nodding to the brick-red mare.

Moon Hammer embraced his wives, who practically tackled him when he embraced the sisters; their milkers squished into his bare chest when they peppered his cheeks in kisses. “You two okay?” They enthusiastically nodded. “Good. We'd better pick up the calves from the babysitters.” They didn't like to leave their kids alone, but they also needed some time to themselves.

A sigh escaped him at the bedlam. He knew it would come to this eventually since both sides still resented each other. At least there weren't any casualties. “How you holdin' up, Miss Merry?”

“Just dandy, really.” She dusted off her maroon suit, thankful the blood missed it. “Honestly? It was kinda fun! Haven't had a real chance to test my skills! You've all treated me wonderfully, too, like I'm family! Honestly, couldn't ask for more!”

“Good to hear!” His snout split into a wide, warm smile. He, his wives, and Merry all pitched in, and by the hour's end, the pub was back to a presentable state. He hoped the minotaurs and stallions, forced to work side-by-side, would ease the tensions, at least for a while.

But he couldn't dismiss his people slain in the war. Had it not been for the cannon fire that rained down on the crystal barrier, it would have been much harder for the swarm and cult to invade, and fewer of the minotaurs would lie dead. Fewer holstaurs were reduced to breeding stock. He shuddered at their dark fate but knew they could not rescue them from the mass hives below.

Maybe once Beatrix and her friends returned. If they came back. He couldn't rely too much on them. No, Hammerfall was ultimately his responsibility. His burden to shoulder alone. At least he'd potentially won more allies to his side.

*****

A shack on the outskirts of Hammerfall was set aside for Shining Armor and Marathyssa, who was placed under house arrest by the chief. On occasion, guards would check in to make sure they were fed or didn't attempt an escape, but otherwise, they were left alone for hours. The pair in question retired to the bedroom after breakfast since their overseers had left them an hour ago.

The protoquen remained shaped like a crystal mare maid and curtsied to the stallion, who sat on the bed and obsessively stroked the new replacement leg the blacksmith crafted. “This one's wounds have fully healed.” She tried not to remember Fiery's brutal beatdown.

“You sure? It's only been a few days-”

“A protoquen heals much faster than usual, remember?” She smiled warmly at him. “Since this one's body, like all my protoquen sisters, was designed to potentially consume the royal jelly and become a full-fledged changeling queen that could constantly birth an entire hive. The trouble has always been how to feed our rapid explosion of numbers. Love requires a certain delicate touch-”

“-while lust is much easier. No wonder a vain narcissist like Chrysalis took shortcuts.” Much like he had, he realized.

Her face fell. “Exactly. No matter her terrible deeds, this one can't help but pity Chrysalis.” She took tentative steps towards him until she stood before the bedside and curtsied. “Let this one help you.”

He furrowed his brow. “Help me? How? You've done so much for me already, sweetheart. Far more than I—”

“-deserve? This one believes you're a noble-hearted stallion trapped in the unfortunate actions of his past.”

He lowered his head and exhaled. “No, I'm not. The terrible, unforgivable things I've done-” She interrupted him with a kiss, her flesh pressed to him, barely contained by the two-piece maid costume. He surrendered to her touch, her mostly exposed breasts pushed into his chiseled chest, layered by a thin shirt.

Marathyssa withdrew from his lips, their mouths connected by strings of saliva. “You believe yourself bad? Then this one has faith you can become the hero you always wanted to be. And this one will do whatever she can to help with that.” She reached behind her and undid her top.

First, she bared her perfect, crystalline breasts to him. Then she undid her skirt and stepped out of her panties. She didn't look too dissimilar to the twins that once served his wife, but with a different color scheme that matched her true form, luminescent moth shape, and a dense mane that fell like a waterfall behind her.

Shining swallowed harder. “I...I don't deserve...your kindness...” His words trailed off when she gently lifted his palms to cup her breasts, at which he started to draw lazy circles around her wide areola. Her cunt moistened and winked at him, his shaft hard in his pants, which she drew down.

He helped the protoquen pull off his shirt, both fully nude, aside from the heels, stockings, maid headdress, and choker she wore. Her fingers interlinked with his own as she sat on his warm lap. “This one can do all the work, should you wish it?” Tenderly, she directed his black flare to her tender pussy while it winked.

Inch-by-inch, she fed his horsecock into her and moaned low until he'd impaled her entirely. Gradually, she started to ride him; his palms encircled her lower back, hips, and ass. They traded messy but romantic kisses all the while when she rode him.

“You know...huff...one reason why this one healed so fast?” He shook his head. “Because this one...mmm...fed on your love. Protoquens are empaths. We can sense one's fantasies....” To demonstrate, she allowed instinct to take over, and her crystal body morphed in a brilliant flash.

She became what his subconscious currently desired. At first, the Elements of Harmony he once lusted after but was forbidden to touch. One by one, their familiar faces appeared before him while he bucked his hips back, simply to end on the one closest to him. His lost sister.

He wheezed small tears in his eyes. “Tw-Twily...” He seized harder into her purple hips and ass, his lover still skewered on his black cock when he practically threw her onto the bed and started to pound her missionary-style harder. Another moan met him, her limbs wrapped around the stud that let loose.

“Shiny~!” She came for the first time today, a deluge that ruined the sheets. Grunting, he closely followed her, sheathed himself in the womb of his 'sister,' and fired off his pent-up payload.

Shot after shot impacted her slimy uterine walls. Her belly swelled a little, she clenched her nails into the sheets at her sides, and 'Twilight Sparkle' turned her head aside to bite into a fluffy pillow.

“F-fuck...yeah…” By the time he finished and popped from her cunt, it oozed cum between her asscrack and coated her puckered asshole where it settled, mixed with her own pool of liquid lust.

Dutifully, Marathyssa crawled to him and started to clean his cock, which she took into her maw. Almost instantly, he hardened anew and blushed with a chuckle. “Looks like I still have a little of a hyper-stallion's needs, even since I took that experimental potion. Can we-?”

“As many times as you like. This one loves you,” she reassured him, her face still that of his sister's. Another flash and his wife appeared before him, all voluptuous pink curves fully displayed.

“C-Cadance...” He sniffled, another of his closest companions he'd failed.

“Shiny,” she purred in the voice of his dead wife, on her side while she lifted one of her legs and allowed him to penetrate her once more. Gradually, he started to pound her pussy raw anew.

Marathyssa allowed him to live out his fantasies. Another chance to make love to his wife. Her breasts and butt clapped each time he skewered her, and his nostrils flared when he took her harder, faster!

“L-love me, Shiny! Make me your mare, like the noble stud you are!” She craned her neck to kiss him, simply to surrender to her instincts and transform in a flash into her true changeling form. “Wh-what? This one wants to fulfill your every fantasy, so why have you-”

Shining Armor shook his head, his eyes locked with hers when he made love to her. “Fantasies are nice,” he wheezed. “But after what you've done for me, I don't want a dream. I want you, my love.”

Marathyssa's face burned, the moth-like protoquen awash in her natural luminescence whenever she savored his love for her, fed on it while they continued to please each other. She came on him again, and soaked in her desire, he exploded into her warm, wet core, womb quickly filled to the brim.

He pulled out and spilled the last few ropes across her face, breasts, and tummy. The hyper-stallion huffed, unconcerned with his seed all over her when he cuddled his lover close.

She smiled and met his eyes shyly. “No one has ever accepted this one like this before.” She cooed and nuzzled his neck as his hand slid over her voluminous, pliable butt, another kiss traded. Glowing brighter by the moment, literally due to her moth-like nature, she radiated with the intimacy shared between them, her heart aflutter when she rubbed his chiseled chest back as he cuddled her.

Shining murmured. “I think it’s time people should…you're wonderful…”

Tenderly, he stroked her mane and derriere, contented. He couldn't take back what he'd done. He ruined his relationship with his estranged son and the cadet that once saw him as her second father.

But there was still time to make a difference. To protect Marathyssa with all his heart and soul. He took a silent oath.

*****

Since Fiery Kickstart remained under intense scrutiny all the time, Moon Hammer was fearful the supreme commander would make a play to capture the protoquen and execute his former brother-in-arms; the chain of command weakened because Fiery often found himself distracted. Thus, many of his troops split off to act independently, including a camp outside Hammerfall. Tucked away in the trees a mile away, a campfire burned once darkness crept in.

Rowdy shouts resounded, and several dozen stallion soldiers gathered around the fire, which crackled and cast them in its glow. Without the oversight of Fiery or his wives, they could indulge in what he'd banned for at least a few hours before they were missed and needed to hurry back. Pots and pans rattled, emptied bottles strewn about the many men that drank themselves stupid.

“Good shit,” exhaled one grunt, his face afire after he hiccuped and downed the rest of his spicy drink. His eyes drifted to the standard issue cards passed out, covered in nude pin-ups. The soldier beside him snatched the nudie card of Fluttershy in his hand and tossed it into the flames, which hissed and crackled. He shot to his feet and drunkenly swayed. “Hey, what the hell-”

“You won't need those soon, believe me! Our captain paid a premium for tonight's service!” True to his word, a few caravans started to pull in, the riders in hoods and cloaks upon their approach. Some men reached for their weapons in alarm, but he raised his hand to stay them.

“Heeeeey,” came the lazy voice of a woman as the mystery mare strode closer, a swivel in hips below the cloak.

“Hey yourself,” said the captain with a wide leer. “Ready to start the show?”

“Totally,” she drawled, her crooked smirk visible under her hood, which she cast back to reveal thick dreadlocks suspended to frame her green skin and fur. Tree Hugger called, “You heard the man. Girls, like, let's put on a performance these studs never forget!”

From the caravans spilled out more mares in a series of drawn-out giggles, their hoods and cloaks cast off alongside Hugs to reveal all manner of the sluttiest lingerie imaginable. Prostitution had been banned since the previous war, and the supreme commander cracked down on such attempts even harder because troupes of mares like these lived outside society's laws to flaunt their freedom. Immediately, the well-paid prostitutes descended on all the stallions to cheers.

Pretty soon, the mares were draped over them, the occasional boob pulled from their bodices and bras to fondle, their buttocks slapped or groped whenever the grunts drank. A few of the whores played instruments, the air filled with song and jubilation after they settled into the rowdy camp and let the stallions molest them.

Within minutes, some of them started to fuck in the open, at least two mares available to each stallion. The band of sex workers needed to look after each other lest they end up captured by Fiery.

The captain had emptied his coffers to make this a reality. He knew his men needed to properly blow off some steam after the last battle...especially since this chance might not come again, and many of their comrades had been lost. Hugs put on a striptease for him while he sat on a log, articles of clothing tossed aside piece-by-piece until she was entirely bared. She crawled to him on all fours with a lopsided leer, and titties swayed below.

“Good girl,” he said with a whistle, his thighs parted once she dragged out his horsecock, and intentionally let it fall with a slap across her face, her half-lidded eyes and features smeared in precum as she rubbed her face all over his dick. Then, she widened her lips and took him into her mouth. He hissed and pulled on her hair once she started to bob her head up and down with lewd, loud slurps.

Saucy suckles sounded while she sucked him off and reached back to play with her cunny. “This is nice and all,” he wheezed between his teeth. “But I didn't pay all this for a mundane show. Get me, baby?”

She popped off his cock and continued to rub it across her slimy cheek. “Chillax, bro. This is, like, just the warm-up. But since you're eager to take this to the next level...” She whistled to more of her whores, and a few more exited from the caravan at the back, a leash in one's hand once they strode closer to them.

His flare spat more pre across her features while she rubbed his dick all across her face. “W-Whoa! Is that-?”

“Yep. A real live donkey. Just like you paid for.” She winked a slime-soaked eyelid. He'd believed they were all extinct since the first war, but the beast brayed when it was led over by the whores.

“Get to it then,” he all but commanded, his head resting atop her skull once he forced her head back onto his horsecock, which she dutifully took down her throat to the hilt with a muted choke. She leaned forward on all fours, her pert ass raised and positioned at the donkey.

The prostitutes helped the feral animal mount her like a bitch; the donkey's hips shifted against her wide ass before it drove its turgid dick into her pussy. It started to fuck her relentlessly, driven by instinct to simply spill its seed in her womb, while the captain drove her head up and down his dick. Green buttcheeks clapped under each bestial slam, her face pushed harder into his warm crotch.

Within a couple minutes, with a louder bray, the donkey dumped its load in her and immediately yanked free, her spread twat left to drool the mixture of releases from the pair. So aroused by what he'd witnessed, he blew his own load on the spot until thick cum ran from her nostrils.

After he released his hold, Hugs withdrew and proudly showed off her mouthful of spunk, which she rolled and swished about her mouth. “Round one done,” she slurred between the portion she continued to play with as one prostitute watered the donkey with a drink laced with a powerful aphrodisiac. Within seconds, it was rock hard again, determined to mount her anew. This time, as he mounted the hippie, the handlers directed his cock to her puckered anus.

By this point, she'd swished and chewed on his seed so much it was sludge and kept her mouth open so he could watch once she swallowed it. “Cum all over my face this time, babe,” she purred as she stroked and fondled his balls and the base of his shaft while she lapped her mouth's soft muscle around his wobbly tool. She peppered it in kisses and licks and worshiped it with abandon.

All the while, she moaned on the shaft she serviced while the donkey fucked her ass. Around the camp, one of his men pushed an empty bottle into a harlot's slick cunt with a pop. Another whore poured a drink over her titties, shook them, and let the stallion lick them clean.

Within a couple minutes, the donkey came deep inside Tree's asshole, and the captain shot ropes of cum all across her face. By this point, he was mostly spent, vision blurred, and from his side eye, watched his men sate their basest urges on whores about the campgrounds. He'd make this up to the supreme commander eventually. Really. But his men needed this release after all the hell they'd seen.

The beast exited Hug's stretched rectum, and she turned to suck the last dregs of cum out of his donkey dick, which she bobbed her head balls deep to clean off. She winked to the handlers, who nodded.

The captain leaned back, delirious and drunk on satisfied pleasure. "That was-"

He barely felt the clean sweep of a sacrificial blade across his throat. The hippie shushed him as he choked on blood, and her band of whores simultaneously drew their hidden knives.

Some stallions were still in the throes of passion when their throats were opened. By the time anyone not butchered realized what was amiss, most were too clumsily drunk or spent after spilling their seed many times to mount a proper defense and were cut down by multiple knives that descended.

A short time later, every last soldier there was slaughtered. Tree Hugger and her whores cried out like wild banshees as they scooped up handfuls of blood and rubbed the splatter into their breasts. Like many others, she'd been swept into this world from Beatrix's perspective.

Someone like Trixie was too well-known to pull this off. No, they needed a mare like her to carry out this mission for the Cult of the Nemesis because the prostitute troupe had fallen before the cultists weeks before, their wombs implanted with twisted eldritch larvae to make them into their submissive slaves.

“Hide the bodies,” she ordered her whores. “They, like, totally deserve it, really.” She knew those closest to Fiery knew a secret he had kept. Where mares that disobeyed the stallions often ended up.

It's where the prostitutes would have been imprisoned had they not encountered the cult first. A hidden prison fortress, which proved that Fiery and Chrysalis ultimately weren't so different.

When a search party headed by Fiery Kickstart went out the next day, all evidence of what went down had apparently been removed. Over the hours, he and his troopers culled the nearest forest but dared not head out too deep, aware the swarm and the cult were still out there and far outnumbered them.

Eventually, he stumbled on a half-scorched playing card that depicted a nude Fluttershy. “A clue?”

A powerful wizard could be used to track whoever held it last. But there weren't any on the level at Hammerfall or within his ranks, and he doubted Beatrix and co would want to work with him anyway, were they here.

“For all I know, the lost platoon are deserters. But I can't take chances.” He paused momentarily and swore someone watched him from the thickets but shook that aside as more paranoia.

Grunting, he ordered his men to return home, his bent wing still wrapped in a sling, uncertain whether it would ever correctly heal. He could ask Moon Hammer to build him a prosthetic replacement, but no, screw that option.

The minotaur had his chance to ally with them. Once their truce was called off and his army could properly march, he'd leave the bulls and cows to their fate.

Chapter 18

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In the main lobby of the spacecraft, the informal council continued over the Necronomicon's fate. Arcanum Folklore's fingers drummed across the dried-flesh cover while more attendants and allies gathered after settling their personal affairs or fulfilling sensual distractions.

Yet they couldn't come to a consensus. The tome's continued existence would spread havoc, yeah... but none of them knew for sure what the consequences of its destruction could mean. His attention turned to the dark void of Analise’s Onoma, which dissipated and revealed the thoroughly exhausted demoness and pegasus.

“Ahh, good. Perhaps some new perspectives will help cement our decision?”

Midnight and Ana hobbled in; the latter was visibly distraught, her shoulders slumped and her face drawn in a frown. She stretched her limbs and said through a yawn, “Final-fucking-ly! Pretty sure I passed aahhht carpet times durin' that bore-fest!”

Deinos approached them, Lightning Spark and Moonlight River flanking his sides. The twin pegasus gently said, “I understand the experiment wasn’t favorable for you, but I do want you to know how much I appreciate you helping my brother!”

“Yeah yeah, spare me the gushy shite,” grumbled the demi-human, arms folded underneath her perky chest. “Everyone else gotta make nasties while I got stuck wif Sir Drabsalot.”

“A noble sacrifice for the greater good~,” snickered Wispy Willow.

This irked the demoness, pointing a neon pink claw at the cheeky tigress. “I’ll get ya, Pussywilla. And it'll look loike a bloody accident!”

The nekomata stuck her tongue out in response, earning a flick to her nose from her vixen sister, Kitsune, who was still annoyed at her for (albeit unsuccessfully) seducing Kyube. The vulpine bandit sat beside her with his tanuki sister in his lap.

The arachnid changeling cleared his throat. “Unpleasantries aside, what are the results?”

Ana shrugged. “Well, 'e’s been fillin' me bowler tit for tat wif splooge for abaht pearly gate 'ours, and not once did 'e 'ulk aahhht. So take that as ya will.”

“That’s a good sign, right?” Eclipsed Heart asked from her seat.

“Indeed!” Confirmed Deinos, his large compound eyes analyzing Midnight’s condition while he patted down his clothes. Remarkably, the vibrant shade of blue had started to return to the stallion's fur and now fluffed-up feathers. “How do you feel?”

“Better,” he replied with some of his usual chipper demeanor returned and a pep in his step. He cast his sister and former herd mate a sheepish smile. “I think it worked out for me!”

Lightning gave two thumbs up while the moody batmare averted her gaze. While glad her childhood friend was recovering, bitterness remained from his neglect and selfish behavior.

Moonlight knew she could eventually forgive him, but what they would be afterward wasn’t as certain.

“Good on you,” announced Arcanum. “Now that you’ve got that out of your system, care to join the rest of us at the grown-up's table? We’ve still got problems that need solving.”

Nodding, the four took to the empty seats, one occupied by Dion. Midnight failed to suppress his irritation at the burly ram for bagging Moonie and Sparky while preoccupied. The warrior caprine noticed his pupil’s glare and arched an eyebrow. “Got somethin’ tae say, laddie?”

“… nothing,” the pegasus knight conceded. It wasn’t worth arguing over anyway.

“Right then, back to business,” Arcanum directed their attention until the electronic doors above the spiraling stairwell hissed open. Layla and Bellatrix gently descended and landed gracefully by the front of the table.

“Was the entrance necessary?” Iclyn said snarkily.

“Of course,” the motherly primordial teased back when she sat amongst her fellow Demi-humans. Seb and Julianne had been attentive, while Arron was more interested in the handheld mirror he brought, admiring his reflection. She looked around and noticed the interior wasn’t as luminous as before. “That’s odd…”

Once seated between Beatrix and Analise, Bella asked, “Did we miss much?”

“Eh. Not really,” the gambler answered. “We’ve gone back and forth about what to do about this wretched book. I mean, look at this thing! It’s so old and gnarly looking; I doubt even die-hard Wiccan wannabes would pay a petty penny for it!”

“That’s… completely against the point, but yeah. We’re still in a deadlock,” the erenn warlock admitted.

Eclipsed Heart furrowed her brow when noticing someone remained missing. “Where’s Zeloph?”

“Up top,” replied Layla. “I’d rather he not be bothered with this. Not while he’s still in mourning…”

Bellatrix cleared her throat and sheepishly added. “It’s better that he rests up after our intense bout of ‘training’…” She purposefully left out the aftercare she did to help lift the fallen one’s spirits a little before he requested time to himself.

Beatrix stood up in surprise. “Wait, what?! You were training?”

“And got some scrumptious angel cake on the side?!” Wispy joined in. “Lucky bitch!”

“Wispy!” The pop idol said, exasperated. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Yeah, sounds completely unnecessary,” agreed the deighdyr, fed up with these convoluted reasons just to lay pipe. Arcanum was about to say his piece but stopped himself. It wasn’t his place, especially after conducting his own ‘business’ with the half-succubi twins.

“It was, believe it or not,” insisted Layla. “Both needed this ‘union’ to revitalize and awaken the ancient power tied to our bloodline.”

“Sounds an awful lot like hyper-stallionism,” noted Deinos, stroking his mandibles. “And yet, not as frantic or with any dire side effects?”

The first woman nodded. “Think of it more as a ritual to strengthen their prowess. Not their physique.”

“Now that you mention it,” the violet unicorn looked over her succubus sister and beamed. “You do look a lot more energetic than usual! Kinda like when you were in your old angel form!”

“Yes, well… It helps that I fulfilled an item on my bucket list,” Bellatrix slightly boasted with a sly smirk and half-lidded eyes when her black leather thong-clad bottom lazily settled its crimson cheeks into a chair. Beneath the table, the succubus started curling her tail towards Ana's, eager to toy with her more. But when she was met with a harsh look from the dour demoness, she withdrew her spaded tail.

“But never mind all that,” she dismissed with a wave before resting her chin atop her hand. “Are we going to destroy the Necronomicon or not…?”

“That is the question,” said Arcanum. “Most of us are here and accounted for, so let's see where everyone stands. Me? I say destroy the damned book.”

“I second that,” Iclyn added.

“Aye,” grunted Dion. “Be done wit it!”

Eclipsed Heart shook her head. “We don’t know what’ll happen if we do! Most of our lives are tied to its effects. What if once the book is destroyed, and Middy, myself, and everyone else changed by its influence end up erased from existence?!”

“Mmmn… a fair point,” muttered the detective. Then he turned his eyes to the violet unicorn. “You’re more affiliated with the book than any of us, Beatrix. Ultimately, it’s your decision that’ll factor in the most.”

“It’s the bane of my existence,” the witch admitted aloud, scowling at the flesh-covered tome. “And the source of my power. Every inch of my life has been tethered to its morbid pages and forbidden arts. So much so, I feel it’s starting to affect my dreams.”

The cyan doe raised her snout. “Hmm. You have been suffering a lot of vivid nightmares lately. Care to elaborate on them?”

The witchy mare visibly paled when the freshest of her dark dreams manifested in her mind. She shook her head, not wanting to hear that dreadful chant. “Only that they’re pretty bad.. worse than before even…”

“I’ve also been having weird dreams,” added Midnight, who got a scornful look from most of the women in the room. Gulping, he continued, “Well… granted, they didn’t start bad, but this latest one was incredibly mind-boggling. It’s…er… Oona was in it—”

He yelped when a meaty fist slammed onto the table; Dion’s crimson eyes fixated with an intense glare. “Choose yer next words carefully..!”

“Hey, back off!” It was Moonlight who spoke up, showing previously concealed concern for her friend. “We’re well aware of his fantasies. Middy wouldn’t be talking about one if it wasn’t important.”

“Besides,” Lightning butted in, snout pursed. “You don’t get to act that way after we… erm, well~.”

“Damn!” Arron snickered. “You guys are putting rabbits to shame with how much ya’ll fuck~!”

The pop princess narrowed her gaze at the wrestler. “Oh. And you wouldn’t do the same if a cute guy was on board?”

“Nah! Ain’t nobody here worth the champ’s time. Besides, life’s got more purpose than just pleasure. And more pleasure will only lead you to more pain. I wouldn’t want to end up like that wrinkly ass dork over there~!”

The other demi’s openly stared at the bullheaded brawler in absurdity. Arron glanced at each of them with furrowed brows. “What?”

“That… was actually kind of philosophical,” admitted Analise, dumbfounded. “Well, minus the shade on Middy at the chuffin' end.”

“Still, I’m impressed,” complimented Seb. “Maybe we’ve been too harsh on you, amigo. I was wrong to assume a competent brain didn’t exist inside that fortress of muscles.”

“Oh, fuck the both of you! I’m not that big of a dumbass, you sacks of—”

“Focus!” Layla interrupted loudly, which got her brethren to shut up. Looking towards Midnight, she said, “You may continue.”

“Th-thanks, M’Lady,” the olden stallion graciously said. “As I said, the Oona in my dream didn’t act like the one we know and love.”

Iclyn’s cold gaze deepened. “How so?”

“She was completely unladylike. Used her elegant charms to tempt me into… y-know. But that’s when the scenery changed, and my nightmare took hold.” Fear was written across his features when he recollected. “Cadavers of my friends were crucified over a blood lake. Oona swapped forms with Chrysalis once she forced me to breed her until I drowned with them.”

“Sounds more like a wet dream with some mildly disturbing elements,” Arcanum scoffed, scratching his chin before lifting his mug of Irish coffee to his lips.

Midnight soured. “I dunno. Just something about how this Oona stared at me gave me the creeps. And the things she said while we made love were so absurd! ‘Birthing spirits,’ ‘Flesh reborn with each generation,’ ‘Fill me with a thousand young’—”

The erenn unicorn instantly choked on his drink at the sound of that phrase, coughing hoarsely.

Ana quirked her eyebrow. “Seriously? That’s wot gets ya? I’ve 'eard more depraved smack abaht baby-makin' from the bloomin' twins!”

After clearing his throat, Arcanum stared wide-eyed at Midnight. “That last part. Did she say that word for word?!”

The pegasus knight shifted uncomfortably. “About wanting ‘a thousand young?’ Yeah. What about it? It was just sexy talk… wasn’t it?”

The warlock blanched. “… No… oh, no no no no…”

His horn lit up to summon his belongings, spilling the bag onto the table while looking through his books.

“H-Hey!” Wispy exclaimed. “What’s with him?”

“I don’t know,” replied Iclyn, equally stumped. “I never seen him act this way before.”

Beatrix pursed her lips, not liking where this was going. “Arcanum, what’s wrong.”

The erenn stallion briefly ignored their concern as he scanned his books, rapidly flipping through the pages until he found the one he was looking for. “… I’ve only heard that set of words once before,” he elaborated through shaky breaths. “If what Middy said is true, then we’ve got more than an anomaly to worry about!”

Everyone shuffled close to observe the page Arcanum held his finger on, a wave of terror washing over the table at what was depicted on it. An ancient illustration of a forest, eclipsed by a dark, ghastly, vaguely caprine-shaped entity within a harrowing cloud. Its massive frame was extruded by long tentacles, salivating maws, curved horns, and hooved legs. And lurking out the trees were smaller eldritch creatures, overseeing the subjects who threw up their hands in worship.

“‘The Ebony Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young,’” Arcanum read the epitaph aloud. “Shub’Niggurath!”

Beatrix balked. “Shub-whatwrath?!”

“Whoa there!” Arron exclaimed. “I don’t think you’re allowed to say that!”

Seb added, “Yeah, since when did you get the N-word pass?”

“Quiet, you two!” Bellatrix cuts off. “This is a serious matter!”

“It was an insensitive century when this ungodly monster was named,” acknowledged Folklore with a roll of his eyes. “But that’s beside the point. What you’re looking at is one of the oldest cosmic entities that predate the mere concept of time. A perverse fertility goddess who cares only about preserving its vast power through its monstrous progeny.”

Kitsune frowned heavily. “That thing is a ‘she?!’”

“Inapplicable, but yes. Many cults were formed to offer it devotion. There have also been records of it impersonating other well-known fertility figures to steal would-be worshipers.”

“It’s true,” Layla concurred with a bitter face. “During my slumber, I’ve witnessed my old faith foolishly believe I had returned to guide them… when it was Shub’Niggurath in disguise. If I had the chance to face off with that greedy sow—”

Arcanum grimaced. “I’d advise against that. I’ve fought against plenty of minions and even a few of its ‘dark young.’ But to even dare try to tackle Shub'Niggurath directly is suicide! You’d be driven mad long before she even acknowledges your existence!”

“Pft. You forget how often legends and mythos are overexaggerated by their scholars,” reminded Iclyn.

“Even so, I can’t overlook Midnight’s dream as a mere coincidence. Cause things start to line up if you really think about it.” Arcanum ran his finger over the text on the opposite page. “Right here! ‘The most devoted to the Lord of the Woods include kindred relations, followers blessed by Shub’Niggurath herself, and—”

“The Mi-Go!” Beatrix gasped as she followed his finger. “Those are the cordyceps infecting Chrysalis and her changeling swarm!”

“Wait… you might be onto something,” the deighdyr considered. “One of the cult members we faced, Vox, mentioned answering to a ‘higher calling.’ We assumed he meant the anomaly… but what if he referred to Shub’Niggurath instead?”

Midnight perked up. “Hey, yeah! That might also explain the ‘flesh reborn’ line from my dream. The Cult was reformed by worshiping the Ebony Goat of the Woods!”

“So then, what about the anomaly?” questioned Eclipsed. “How do they fit in this?”

“Well, previously, the Cult of the Nemesis revered me as their ‘dark messiah’ due to my connection to the Necronomicon,” explained Beatrix. “If Shub’Niggurath is this all-powerful eldritch deity, who's to say they didn’t make a connection through her?”

Suddenly, Seb snapped his fingers. “A bargain!”

Bellatrix’s eyebrows lowered. “… Really? A classic ‘deal with a devil’ setup? It can’t be that simple!”

Arron held out his hand. “Nah, hold up! Let him cook.”

Nodding, the pinstriped demon continued. “So the current thought is that this ‘anomaly’ has beef with Beatrix, right? And, as the saying goes, when you get wronged, you wanna get even. And what better way than to gain similar reality-warping capabilities on par with Belladonna’s? So they go into hiding and try to find a way to revive their cause. Maybe even reach out to old forgotten deities. Perhaps, if you will, an omnipotent horny abomination on goat legs who's looking for a gullible sucker to spread its influence with? Then, Bada-bing, bada-boom! A deal is made. One gets dimensional-breaking powers. The other gains willing devotees after resurrecting the fallen order. And from there, they bide their time until the pieces are in place to reshape the whole multiverse and enact revenge on the one responsible for their downfall.”

“Ooh! That would make a lot of sense,” complimented Julianne.

“It does make for a convincing motive,” added Kyube.

“Here’s where I’m really sold about this theory,” the card demon went on. “Look carefully at this depiction of Shubby here. Remove the tendrils, mouths, and other goat bits. What does this resemble?”

Midnight tilted his head while squinting. “Huh… just kinda looks like a dark clouuuuuooooOOOHHH!!”

Moonlight’s eyes widened. “You mean like the one devastating our universes!?!”

Seb made a finger gun gesture. “Bingo~!"

Eclipsed Heart clenched her fists tightly and pouted. “Ugh! I have to give you credit. That’s a pretty good observation. Well played.”

She shuddered in disgust, feeling the shit-eating grin behind the demi’s bandana. “Why, princess! If I didn’t know any better, that sounded like a genuine compliment. Not a single ounce of sarcasm was detected! Am I on a roll today or what~?”

“Wow. Is it even possible for you not to gloat like a jackass?” Wispy hissed.

“Now, Sebastion,” the rosy-haired nun Julianne firmly said. “Nobody likes a sore winner. You did a good job. That’s all.”

Seb slumped back in his seat, arms crossed. “Not my fault you’ll get on my level!”

“Regardless,” Arcanum cut off. “Everything we’ve discussed about the Cult of the Nemesis and the anomaly points to Shub’Niggurath’s involvement almost perfectly.”

“Not to mention Chrysalis,” Deinos said. “Rather fitting, she embodies Shub’Niggurath’s philosophy of being the ‘all-mother.’ Being bestowed with the Mi-Go to further supplant her ideal hive of loyal changelings only solidifies the suspected partnership between her and the Cult of the Nemesis.”

Lightning Spark chimed in. “Then it's settled, right? We understand what we’re up against!”

Dion shook his head. “Nah. Just because we’ve got a clearer picture doesn’t mean we have a plan. Ah fought a lot ov things in mah life. But ne'er a borderline god…”

“He’s right,” surmised Iclyn. “We’re grossly ill-equipped and on thin ice.”

“Welp! We might well bend over and touch our tow's wif 'a much we’re gettin' fucked,” scoffed Ana.

Beatrix exhaled a long breath before rising from her seat. “If we’re going to beat this, we’ve gotta be willing to make sacrifices. And if that means putting aside my magic, immortality, and vanity to undo all my mistakes, then that’s the price I’ll pay!”

Iclyn furrowed her brow. “Are you sure..?”

Beatrix nodded, staring at herself through the table’s smooth surface. “Some people might be wiped from existence or lose their memories of me. But then again, maybe not. Sister, you were 'born' from the book but have been fine so far! But then there's everyone affected by my interference and influenced their reality! Midnight, Lightning, Eclipsed, Zeloph… What if they get erased?”

“We don't know that,” reassured Bellatrix. “I've survived the Necronomicon's 'destruction' before without consequence; I should be fine.”

“Plus, I highly doubt Mikael’s Crucible would allow the erasure of its current wielder,” stated Seb.

Eclipsed added, “And if we sever your link, potentially, the same can be done to the anomaly!”

“It’s the needs of the many versus the needs of the few,” surmised Arcanium. “But it’s the only shot we got to avoid total annihilation. We’ve got to take the risk.”

When no one offered objections to the notion, Layla rose up. “Then it is decided. The Necronomicon shall be destroyed. I’ll inform Zeloph and—”

Her words were drowned by the sudden blare of emergency alarms; everyone doused in a blinking red sheen. Around them, the Glamorguis bellowed out its pain and subtly quaked around them. “What’s going on?!” Exclaimed Beatrix.

“I’ve got a bad feeling,” lamented Layla. “Something is troubling the Glamorguis.”

Swiftly, she raced to the surveillance system and panned across the rooms, with special attention on her prisoners. And what flickered into view made her gasp in horror. “Oh no!”

A denuded Autumn Equinox left to twitch on the floor, stained in fluids, with Viscera nowhere to be seen. All that remained was rapidly festering substance, puss, gunk, and eyeballs growing from the meaty mold that contaminated the interiors. Worse, the UFO's power supply steadily declined by the second.

She yelled into the sound system, “Everyone! Remain alert! Viscera has escaped confinement and is sabotaging the ship! We’re losing power!”

Everyone balked. “What?!”

Ana recoiled in disgust. “Aaawh, fuck that!”

Lightning panicked. “What will we do? If the ship can’t take off, we’ll be stuck on this death ball!!”

Moonlight cursed. “I knew I should have stood guard!”

“The fault is mine,” confessed the primordial woman. “I shouldn’t have underestimated her, thinking not even she could possibly meddle with the advanced tech onboard.”

“You forgot who her predecessor was,” proclaimed Bellatrix.

“Well, we can’t just stand here,” insisted Eclipsed. “She’s probably filling the ventilation system with noxious gas!”

“But we can’t leave the ship either,” Wispy reminded. “Not without our organs melting!”

“Nidoto son'na koto o keiken sa senaide kudasai!” Chisana whined.

Layla steadied herself with a deep inhale and turned to everyone. “Then we have no choice. We return to Midnight Blitzer’s world immediately!”

Jellyfish-like tendrils descended from the ceiling to merge into the back and spine of the mother of all demons, who moaned and quivered from the sensation of symbiosis with her saucer-shaped pet. “I’ll use my energy to combat the sickness plaguing the ship,” declared Layla. “I should be able to repair enough of the damages to ensure we achieve lift-off.”

“But doesn’t this leave you at risk of getting infected?” questioned Kitsune worryingly.

“For the safety of my passengers and people, I’ll gladly put my life on the line,” the matronly succubus assured her.

Dion nodded and shouted over the alarm, “Ye heard th' lady! We ain’t just gonna muck around like sittin' ducks! Let’s split intae three groups. Group A, ye’re in charge ov huntin' down Viscera. Group B will be responsible fur retrievin' Equinox. Group C, look out fur those who can’t fight!”

Everyone quickly gathered into their preferred group and was ready to depart when a new alarm went off. The burly ram glowered, “Awfurfuxakes! What is it now?!”

Layla pulled up a holographic screen that displayed a radius outside the UFO, detecting an unidentified signature fast approaching.

“We’ve got company!”

The invisible windows manifested to reveal the dawning sun over the lush alien landscapes, highlighting the all too familiar silhouette of a three-headed dragon beating his mighty wings.

Mortis Saltaire and his followers rode Andrei’s scaled back, steadily closing the distance between them and the struggling spacecraft. “We will intercept their ship in a moment,” he announced. “Let none survive our onslaught. Only then may we finally rest in peace.”

“At once, master,” confirmed Triad, hand ready over the hilt of his magically infused katana.

“Oohoho,” hooted Penny Dreadful. “I shall make my most magnificent masterpiece out of their innards~! Faster, beastie! Faster~!!”

The undead drake growled once he soared through the deathly atmosphere. None the wiser to the kite-sized corvid creature that observed them, sailing overhead undetected.

“Y'know, I’ve been dealt some pretty shit hands before. But this?!” Seb pointed to the incoming undead legion. “Fucking abysmal ass luck!”

“I will buy us a little more time!” Layla said when she activated the Glamorguis’ defenses, raising a large, bubble-shaped force field to prevent their attempt to board. The tri-headed monster breathed ghoulish green flames, which smoldered and dissolved against the impassable barrier.

The lich, however, was unfettered and unleashed soul-infused black bolts from the palm of one hand, which wrapped around the invisible barricade. With the other, Mortis drew upon the familiar shadowy wisps of Shadow Scythe’s power to conjure a squall of sickle-based weaponry… and rapidly loosed them on the shield, the interior shaken under repeated blows.

Layla yowled, sharing in the ship’s distress and pain. “N-No! It can’t be!!”

Ana glowered, eyes glowing irate. “That fucker nicked Atalanta’s Onoma!!”

“This is bad,” whimpered Beatrix. “That means he can slip inside the ship through its shadow!”

“Not unless we bring the fight to him,” suggested Bellatrix, lengthening her claws. Turning to the other passengers, she directed, “Secure the prisoner, hunt down Viscera, and help get this bird in the air! The demis and I will deal with the undead!”

Seb waved his arms and exclaimed. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! ‘We?’ I don’t remember volunteering for—”

His complaint was stifled when the scarlet succubus seized him by the throat, golden eyes glaring hotly. “If you’ve got a better plan, I would love to hear it right about now!”

“Aaghk! Alright, alright,” the male demon choked. “I’ll play ball!”

“Love the new enthusiasm, Bella. 'eaven and 'ell! Tryin' ter keep me fuckbox from springin' a leak,” Analise praised while fanning her face. “But last nickle and dime we were outside the bloody 'appeny dip, we nearly mutated”

Arron grumbled. “Yeah, as much as I want round two with that three-headed gecko, I'd rather not go through that bullshit again!”

“Which is why I’ve taken precautions should such an occasion occur,” Layla proclaimed, struggling to maintain telepathic communion with the Glamorguis while in such shearing agony. Circular symbols blinked behind them before capsules rose with a whir from the floor. “These symbiotic suits should protect you from the lethal atmosphere. But be warned; they have yet to be tested.”

“They’ll make do. Now let’s move!”

Bellatrix, Ana, Arron, and Seb quickly stepped inside the capsules, transparent doors sealed around them. First, the air sucked the clothes from their forms, and the trio was left naked. Liquids started to fill the interiors. Within seconds of submerging, any protests were lost amidst gurgles as their mouths and lungs filled. Thankfully, the substance proved harmless to them; their bodies encased in a thin layer of suits that conformed to their bodies. The excess liquids drained, and the capsules opened with a low hiss. They all stepped out and took a moment to admire their new duds.

“My mask! My hat!!” Seb complained. “How about a little warning next time, huh?!”

“At least these 'spacesuits' are spiffy,” observed Bellatrix, who glanced over her shoulder to admire how shapely her butt looked, giving it a slight wiggle.

“Ooh! Wouldn’t mind 'avin' wahn of these in me wardrobe~” Ana purred while stretching the elastic skin material off her chest, watching it recoil and give her squished titties some jiggle.

Arron did some brief Adonis-style poses, loving how the suit conformed to his bulky musculature. “Ooh yeah, just what I need! Threads that won’t tear whenever I bring out the gun show~!” He kissed his biceps while pulling out some spare shades to adorn his face. “Alright, bros and hoes. We rollin’!”

The card demon looked at Julianne, still wearing her nun attire. “Wait, why aren’t you joining us?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t be caught dead in that,” the rosy-haired angel said, smiling shyly. “Too immodest!”

“Aww, C’mon! You’ll be a knockaht,” encouraged Ana. “Plus, we’re garn ter need your merry melodies if we wanna—”

“She is needed here,” reaffirmed the mother of demons. “Her musical healing will aid those who can’t fight.”

“Y-yeah, but—”

“Time is of the essence,” urged Julianne. “Now go!!”

Begrudgingly, they nodded, and the quadrant leapt through an open portion of the ship Layla conjured, each of them spreading their wings (save for Arron) to engage Mortis right as his magic penetrated through the Glamorguis' dwindling defenseless. But the matronly succubus sensed that two of the revenant's underlings had already breached the ship. Between the combined assault and spreading sickness within the UFO, the chances of becoming stranded on Sacratera grew more likely. Nonetheless, she would continue to undo the damage done and coordinate everyone.

“Penny Dreadful and Triad have made it onboard,” she announced. “We’ll need someone to intercept them!”

“I’ll find them,” said Kitsune, her brows furrowed and fangs bared when hearing the swordsman's name, reminiscing how easily he'd bested her in martial combat. “I have a score to settle..!”

Wispy joined in. “Not without me, you won’t!”

“Nor me,” Eclipsed Heart rallied, briefly looking at the vixen’s missing tail. “This isn’t a battle you can win alone, at least not until you've healed up!”

“She’s right,” added Kyube. “We’ll have better odds facing them together.” Chisana beamed and nodded in agreement, holding a thumb up.

A small smile stretched Kitsune’s snout a bit before she relented. “Very well. We’ll take care of the intruders.”

“And we’ll go retrieve Equinox,” decided Deinos, Lightning Spark and Moonlight by his sides with an affirming nod. Both teams separated into different corridors, hoping to reach their objections quickly.

“Then we’ll guard this area,” proclaimed Iclyn, her hands, and antlers lighting up with frost and snow. Dion readied his claymore and shield while Foal-Bearer and Wet-Nurse helped Midnight to his seat next to Julianne and Layla, the blue pegasus still sour and frail now that the hyper-stallion gene had been cleansed from his body. The pegasus knight was in no condition to fight, despite how desperately he wanted to redeem himself in the eyes of his distant companions.

“Guess that leaves me to go nephilim huntin’,” said Arcanium, loading up on weapons in his arsenal.

Iclyn raised an eyebrow. “You sure it’s wise to face her alone?”

The erenn warlock snorted. “Probably not. But I work better alone anyway. Especially after…huh?!” His eyes dilated when he found the Necronomicon missing from the table, hands frantically searching his inner coat pockets. “What the—where did it fuckin' go?!? I swore it was right…”

Iclyn’s expression soured when she noticed the sudden absence of a particular violet unicorn mare.

“Oh, for fuck sake—Beatrix!!”

“That wily witch must have snagged it when shit hit th' fan sideways,” assumed Dion.

Arcanum growled, slamming his fist into the table. “Bagh! Remind me to strangle her if we somehow make it out alive!!”

The trio raced up the stairway to chase after Beatrix, a brief flash of her cape vanishing once she entered Layla’s private chambers.

*****

At the topmost layer of the UFO, Zeloph sat motionlessly on the bed’s footside, oblivious to the blaring lights and sound around him. Too crestfallen and focused on his lover's death. It felt like he'd soiled her name by sleeping with another woman, despite receiving permission to move on the moment she passed her short life.

Dull cerulean eyes hovered on the Vorpal Blade in his hand, the weapon as lifeless as its wielder. Perhaps it no longer deemed him worthy after hours spent trying to force its latent ability out. With its mystic power muted, it was reduced to little more than a flimsy needle, likely to snap in half should it cross another blade.

His feathery ears barely twitched when the electronic doors opened, and Beatrix rushed inside. “Zell! What are you doing? We're in big trouble!” The angelic demi didn’t answer. Barely seemed to register that another person was in the room. Scrunching her snout, she marched up to him and dropped the Necronomicon beside him with a *thunk!*

“C’mon, snap out of it! Death is literally knocking at our door as we speak! Your friends and everyone are out there fighting to survive an apocalyptic battle! We need you!”

The somber angel glanced at the evil book, the same tome he had once been imprisoned in.

“Zeloph, please!” Beatrix pleaded. “I know you’re hurting right now. But you’ve gotta destroy it before more harm can be done!”

“I'm...not even sure that's possible now,” he finally spoke, gently holding up the Vorpal Blade. “It’s been dormant ever since I took her life. Perhaps that’s why it no longer responds to me…”

Whether that was the case or it was an excuse, it did not matter in the slightest. The witch could tell by his weary features he already accepted that answer. That he'd murdered his beloved.

Beatrix grasped his shoulders. “No! You know that’s not true. Mortis tricked you into stabbing him with the Vorpal Blade. You couldn’t have possibly known their souls were intertwined through a spell! Hell, the sword was practically blazing when met with the Necronomicon.”

“And now, not even an ember flickers,” he murmured melancholically. “It's time I wake up and face reality, Beatrix. I’m not meant to wield it! All that I touch—-everything I love… falls to ruin or dies. This planet. These people. Quicksilver. Jonn. Atalanta… I let them down. I’m no hero. I’m just… nothing.”

“No, you’re not!” Beatrix rebutted, roughly trying to shake sense back into him. “You’re the only one who can stop this crazed spirit of vengeance! Don’t you understand that? Mortis won’t rest until everyone is dead! Are you going to stand by and allow others to perish? Do you want Atalanta’s death to be in vain?!!”

“N-No..! But what can I—”

“Don’t even get me started, mister!” The witchy mare mounted atop the stubborn angel, stroking his stiff frame. “You told me I didn't deserve the Necronomicon's power if I was nothing without it. And you were strong way before you started using the Vorpal Blade. So what if that rustic needle doesn’t deem you worthy? You already were in Atalanta’s eyes!”

Before Zeloph could absorb her words and decide his next course of action, the echoes of twisted laughter resonated throughout the room. Beatrix rose up instantly, head waving around to locate the source, pausing on the single vent that slowly hissed with green steam.

She yelped when a taloned hand punched suddenly through the steel grate to grab the floor. Viscera crawled out, squeezing her monstrous frame and dusty wings through the confined space. More of the foul-looking mold spread from the torn vent.

Stretching her limbs and neck with grotesque bone cracks, the avian monstress leered at the unicorn and demi with a delightful grin. “Ohoho yes, my poor, lovesick seraphim. She’s absolutely right. You are more capable of defeating Mortis than you think! But don’t let her shallow sense of ‘morality’ blind you to what true power can bring!”

Zeloph gripped the Vorpal Blade tightly while Beatrix instantly drew out her Onoma and rapier sword, the darkness of the Demiurge cascading around her denuded form like a curtain as she mentally banished her clothes to let the cool darkness submerge her. When the nephilim took a few steps toward them, she warned, “Stay back!”

Viscera ignored her and proceeded to get closer. “Don’t you want to avenge your beloved Atalanta? Her executioner is right outside this ship. This is your chance, Zeloph. Now is the time to make him suffer! Make him wish he had never reanimated. And then… grant it!”

“Don’t listen to her,” urged Beatrix. “She’s trying to use you! You are not what she is! You’re not—”

“Evil? Ha! And who are you to label me as such?” The vile one chortled with amusement. “You, the foolhardy tramp who selfishly condemned half her friends and their worlds to their demise! You’re not even here to comfort him!” Her chartreuse eyes briefly glanced at the Necronomicon. “You’re just pushing your grievances onto him so he’ll fix your mistakes. All because you’re too inadequate to handle them yourself. Now who's really using who here~?”

The violet mare’s face hardened with fury once Viscera turned her gaze back to Zeloph. “But since when did lions care for the opinion of sheep? We are demi-human! We were made better, smarter, and stronger than the common mortal. We were meant to ruin mankind. This planet is living proof of that!”

The angelic demi shuddered as a nostalgic dread crept up his spine. Memories of thousands of voices crying out for help while he stood above the destroyed buildings and righteous flames.

Viscera offered her hand. “You can not escape who you are, Zeloph. Who you were meant to be. Together, you and I can finish what he started. We can reclaim Scaratera. Repopulate it with our superior offspring. And restore his fallen legacy~!”

Beatrix knitted her brow. “‘His?’ What are you on about? I thought you despised Varys. But if anything, your plan sounds no different from his!”

“Unless you mean…” A terrible epiphany slithered through Zeloph’s psyche like a venomous viper. A possibility that rekindled the burning wrath within. Not for Mortis, but for someone else who he held more contempt for. Someone he had long convinced himself no longer existed.

Vermillion eyes fixated on the harpy witch and, with tranquil fury, demanded, “…Whose legacy are you trying to restore?”

Viscera stretched her grin until her beak-shaped face was uncannily wide. She then gave her answer. “You already know who. You’ve just been lying to yourself this whole time. Did you really think he could be so easily done in~?”

The Vorpal Blade gleamed with brilliant light as Zeloph flashed forward to decimate the wicked bringer of beldam. Predicting this action, Viscera blocked the attack with orichalcum bones protruding from her wrists. With her prey right where she wanted, she propelled him into the glass barrier with a hard kick. Then her corpse flower tail shot a sticky adhesive and glued the seraphic demi-human to the dome.

Beatrix cried, “Zeloph!”

“Ohh, don’t worry about him. He’s not going anywhere,” the nephilim cooed, licking her teeth while extending her poisonous talons. “And neither is anyone else~!”

The witch snarled and launched a triple storm of elements at Viscera in an attempt to end her on the spot. The avian monstress flew out of the blast radius and fired back acidic projectiles and spinal quills. Beatrix, in turn, deflected them with an invisible barrier she mystically erected.

A rush of footsteps sounded outside the door. “Lassie! What th' hell is goin' on!?” bellowed Dion.

“She‘s in here! Hurry, before—”

“Oh, no, you don't!” The Nephilim shrieked as she soared and jabbed her claw into the panel beside the door. Instantaneously, the meaty mold rapidly expanded until the electronic gates were consumed by a wall of toxic flesh.

Eyeballs, warts, and pus-filled boils blocked out Dion, who cursed when he halted his charge. One swing proved ineffective, the disease absorbing the ram’s great sword and dissolving it into rot within seconds. “Gnaagh! Fuckin' nasty!”

“It smells worse than it looks,” said a revolted Iclyn, hand clipping her nose.

“You can bitch about it after we open this damn door!!” Ordered Arcanum, who blasted the foul green growth with spells. The deighdyr summoned a flurry to try and freeze the sickness, to no avail due to how feverishly hot the festering growth was. "Dammit! Our spells are useless too?!"

Trapped inside, Beatrix strained to hold back Viscera while Zeloph struggled to free himself. His hand desperately reached for the Vorpal Blade, which gleamed underneath the hardened discolored substance a few inches from his fingertips.

The witch flung her most potent spells and cosmic radiance, utilizing the teleporting orb trick she developed while training to keep Viscera on her toes. And fortunately, she maneuvered the ball to hit its mark when the vile one misstepped, dark matter bursting in front of her. “Aaaugh!”

Viscera squawked from the collision, tumbling onto the floor like a rag doll. When she lifted herself up, she found a thin blade poised between her brows, her glare meeting Beatrix’s.

“I’m only saying this one final fucking time! Stand down,” she commanded through heavy breaths. “Don’t think for a second I’ll hesitate to kill you!”

The nephilim gave a throatful chuckle in response. “You think your friends will be safe after you’ve murdered me? Idiot! They’ll never know peace so long as you're around to toy with their pathetic lives! After all, my dear Beatrix… It’s all your fault~!”

At the sound of those words, memories of that horrid nightmare Beatrix tried so desperately to repress instantly manifested. The violet unicorn felt her will falter as she dropped her weapon; the voices and images of everyone blaming her for the continued unraveling of the multiverse were overwhelming.

“N-No! Stop! I didn’t mean for this to happen! I’m sorry,” she cried hysterically, collapsing to her knees and clutching her head. “I’m sorry, Oona! Please forgive me!!”

Zeloph ceased his wriggling to observe the situation, eyes widened. Never before had he seen his ex-lover in such a state of duress.

“Beatrix...?” The others outside could also hear her bawling, which only drove them to try and break inside the room harder.

Even Viscera was briefly taken aback by the sight of her foe regressing to that of a frightened child… before immediately seizing the opportunity to tackle her to the ground. The shriveling witch thrashed wildly beneath the vile beldam, who pinned her hands with her wings.

“I must admit. I’m quite curious about what’s causing you such beautiful trauma,” Viscera purred, exploring and grasping the busty unicorn’s ample curves with one hand. At the same time, the other dragged her talon along her slim stomach. “If only so that I may replicate it tenfold~!”

Zell’s ears flickered at rhythmic tapping coming from behind him. He turned his head enough to see the corvid-shaped creature from before fluttering about while pecking the glass with its nooked beak.

‘You again?’

The pale raven tilted its head side to side before flying upward to somersault into the dome. But instead of smashing into the glass, like he was expecting, it phased through and planted its clawed feet into the sticky substance, trying to pry out the Vorpal Blade.

“What in the world..?”

But Zeloph didn’t waste time questioning the abnormality, somewhat thankful Viscera hadn’t detected the bird’s presence, far too occupied with molesting Beatrix during her hysteria.

After continuous tugging, the semi-skeletal crow finally ripped the interdimensional sword free in its talons. Astonished, the seraphic angel managed to unbind his arm and reached for his weapon.

The weapon finally responded and emitted a powerful light that dissolved the adhesive completely, allowing Zeloph to reclaim his saber and unfurl his wings. His sight set on the accursed book wafting with foul magic.

Viscera’s eyes winched at the sudden glaring light illuminating the room before her attention was drawn to her freed captive. “What?! How did you—NO!”

The vile one blindly fired eldritch bolts from her fingers. Zell and the raven ducked out from the projectiles, the avian thing knocking down the cast-aside Necronomicon, its malevolent aura shuddering from the ample light.

The delusions plaguing Beatrix vastly weakened, awareness returning to the shaken witch. When she realized what was happening, she called upon the Demiurge to entangle its inky tendrils around Viscera’s limbs.

Before any more doubts could change her mind, Beatrix raised her voice over the harpy’s screeching, shouting, “Now, Zeloph! DO IT!!”

With a mighty battle cry, the angel dove down to plunge the sacred saber through the flesh-bound grimoire, which imitated an agonized shriek. Oily black blood leaked from the stab wound, which caught fire as the purifying light expunged the evil within its moldy pages. Lightning, smoke, and noise funneled out from the Necronomicon, a cyclone of screaming visages and eldritch abominations evaporating into the aether.

Reality shook violently, and everyone aboard the Glamorguis lost their footing and fell to the floor. Outside, the UFO was no different; the battle between Mortis, Bellatrix, Andrei, and Demis came to a halt from the sudden tornado of damned souls whirling out of the glass dome, a pulsating light glowing larger beneath.

The lich’s spectral pupils shrank to pinpoints. “It can’t be..!”

At the catalyst of the Necronomicon’s destruction, time stood still, and sound deafened. The faces of many gazed at it with shock, awe, and subsequent dread. Zeloph, Beatrix, and Viscera couldn’t tear their gaze away from the beams of light pouring out the cracks chipping away at the cursed book until it ultimately exploded.

A giant shockwave of energy rippled out the ship, knocking everyone down with indomitable force and extending out Sacratera into the far reaches of deep space.

Every universe, planet, and sentient being felt the phantasmagorical wave run through them. The king and queen from Cerise’s world didn’t see anything change but felt something was amiss. The citizens of the Cyberverse experienced a period of power loss, which made them panic until the mayor regained control of the situation. Almost everyone in Midnight’s world believed it was a sign that the distorted terrain would worsen, prompting their war leaders to work faster into assembling their armada.

*****

At closing time, Bloody Merry helped the pub owner clean up. “Time to shuffle on,” she informed the stallion soldiers that lingered about. There were a few grumbles, but they rose and made their way out through the saloon's double doors. She'd taken off her jacket, sweaty from the summer heat. However, none of the minotaurs or holstaurs appeared bothered by the temperature. Despite the fall of darkness, a swelter of air stifled her.

“Goodness,” she muttered, wiping her sweaty brow with a napkin. “Not sure how you take this heat all the time! No wonder none of you bother to wear much in the way of clothes!”

The twins beamed back at her, down to cow-print bikini bottoms that barely concealed their pussies and left nearly their entire coral-pink asses on display, their bare, swelled-up udders dotted in beads of milk that rested on the tips of their broad, runny-pink nipples. “You should try this! It's fun!”

The brick-red mare smiled and waved them off. “No thanks, you two milkmaids have that covered!” The twins volunteered to help the staff today since Moon Hammer busied himself with Hammerfall and potential alliances. The troops not temporarily banned were ready to pay extra to suckle the milk from the twin sisters, mainly because they wanted to believe they pulled one over on the chief. However, Moon Hammer hardly minded their amorous nature, more concerned his wives were safe and cared for.

“Oh dear,” said Strawberry Moon, who deliberately bent over with a shake of her wide, heart-shaped ass, which she playfully shook as she used a napkin to clean up a milk puddle, her pendulous tits suspended. “Stains everywhere!”

“It's hard to always aim directly into a cup~,” whined Blue Moon, who squeezed a naked udder and watched the streams of blueberry milk fired from her plump nipple splash across the rim.

A low moo escaped the sisters as their cutie marks shimmered from shared stimulation. Merry shook her head, used to their amorous antics by now. After all, they'd told her they needed to be routinely milked many times, like all cows here, or their tits would swell and turn sore.

“You two relax. I'll take out the trash,” offered Merry, who hefted a heavy sack. She went behind the counter, past the storage room, and exited the back of the building. A phosphorescent light cut into the dimness, dense shadows cast across the dim brick wall on her way to a packed dumpster swarmed by flies. Her nose crinkled at the stench when she tossed the sack into the bin.

Her ears perked at faint words from an alley. Cautiously, she crept closer and peeked around. Troops were still on the property. She was ready to tell them off, especially when she saw a couple of almost naked cows were with them, but hesitated when she noted the conversation appeared amiable. Nonetheless, she stuck around to make sure the waitresses were safe...and to listen in.

One of the stallions smirked and said, “About that extra service-”

“The bits upfront,” replied one of the cow women with a smile as they stood taller than the ponies.

“Count it if you doubt us,” said the second soldier, who rattled his coin purse.

“More than enough, Creamy,” said the first curvaceous cow. The pair undid the strings to their cow print thongs and let them fall at their feet, rendered entirely nude when they lowered themselves to their knees. Then, they fished the half-erect cocks from the pants of the ponies and let them flop free with a heavy bob.

“Nice and hard, Milky,” said the second cow with a slow lick of her luscious lips. Immediately, the waitresses started to plant small kisses and licks on the tips of the flares, which leaked and throbbed while they swelled up to fullness.

“Goddamn,” the first soldier said as he ran his hand across the mane of the cow that sucked him off. “You have no idea how you milk maids work us up! Our damn commander won't let us blow off some steam!” He bucked a little into her mouth as Creamy's lips closed around his cock.

“W-well,” mumbled the second stallion as Milky throated him balls deep like a two-bit whore. “After what happened to that lost unit...” That information was supposed to be classified...but loose pussy lips led to their own loose lips.

“Rumor has it they fell afoul of that damn cult!” He pushed Creamy harder into his crotch and drove his dick down her gullet, determined to savor their money's worth as confidential info spilled out.

Merry leaned in around the corner to listen more intently. The so-called 'Cult of the Nemesis'? Worse, she couldn't help but feel a heated stir in her loins since she hadn't been laid in forever! 'Creamy' and 'Milky' (which she doubted were their real names) wrapped their udders around the presented horsecocks and continued serving them, determined to milk out their seed.

“Y-yeah...you cows should thank us,” one mumbled while he continued to rail her face; sloppy saliva mixed with his flare's precum leak dribbled down her chin. “We can protect you! Wouldn't want to end up at a breeder camp-”

“Hush,” warned the first one with a side-eye as he, too, facefucked his sow into submission. The stallions took the cows by their tiny horns and railed their hot throats as hard as possible.

The brick-red, blonde earth mare carefully considered their banter. Breeder camps? Would Fiery Kickstart really take it up to that level?

She'd heard the supreme commander was a fanatic, driven to unite the world under an iron fist and put ponies on top, but to turn mares into livestock should it help him win the war...?

She swallowed a surprised cry when hands pulled her back. “Oh,” she whispered. “Just you two.”

“Well, excuse us~,” teased Blue Moon with a swivel of her wide hips. “You look a little flustered.”

“Just a little,” confessed Merry, thankful that the foursome ahead didn't hear their whispers over their conversation and the sloppy sounds of their blowies. “No more than a small itch.”

Strawberry Moon sniffed the air. “Smells like estrus to us~!”

“Oi! Don't be weird,” she playfully warned back. “Rebirth must've kickstarted me damn cycle. Crapcakes! That means it'll only burn worse and worse until me...well...” Her cheeks burned harder.

“We can help you,” offered Blue, delicately tickling the mare's tummy as she lifted her shirt.

“Don't particularly swing that way. Plus, a mare can only do so much for my itch. But ah...crap. Doubt I'll be able to sleep a wink in this condition.” Merry could feel her resistances crumble little by little since her instincts screamed relief was nearby, unable to tear her eyes from the expertly serviced stallions.

Finally, she exhaled. “F-fine. Just a quickie.” She looked at a potion Blue offered. “This is-?”

“What we offered last time. It'll help,” she assured her with a sly wink.

Merry stared at the corked, bubbly tube. “...fuck it. Was always curious how I'd taste.” She popped the cork and drank down the contents, which settled in her belly. A warmth spread across her already sizable breasts, slowly expanding and threatening to burst out of her shirt.

She suppressed a low moan after her breasts and hardened nipples teased across the stretched fabric. The slight hint of a rip sounded. Swiftly, she unbuttoned her shirt, and her now larger-than-life tits flopped free with a lewd series of bounces.

“C-crap. When did they get so sensitive...” Likewise, her cunt leaked across the crotch of her silky panties and threatened to stain her pants, which she quickly pulled down and kicked aside. Her panties were soon dropped and pushed aside, too, as on instinct, she lifted a titty and raised the perky nipple to her lips.

Gently, she suckled at first, then harder, rewarded by a spike of pleasure when her face burned. A wet pop sounded as she momentarily released the now milky tit, her mouth stained by a messy milk mustache. “Huh. C-cinnamon?”

“Spicy,” murmured Strawberry when she knelt before the mare's plush ass and, likewise, Blue before her pussy. The sisters started to devour the earth mare's lower holes as Merry cast back her head and bit her lip to stifle a cry. She tended back to her cinnamon milk titties, which she kneaded. “Wh-when does this stuff wear off?”

“A few hours with that small dose,” reassured Blue Moon, who continued to eat her out. Thankfully, the triple assault on Merry's body soon made her shake and squirt directly into Blue's mouth when the stallions emptied their balls onto the rosy faces and down the well-pounded throats of Creamy and Milky.

Milk dribbled and squirted from the squeezed-together udders of the cows, who drained the last ropes that shot across their runny faces and tongues, drenched in dollops of splooge from the pent-up soldiers. Milky and Creamy cleaned off the last drops of spunk with tongue swirls, and likewise, Merry hurried to redress herself.

It wasn't like her to do something like this, but she knew estrus could make a mare do some pretty dumb stuff. Thankfully, the twins had helped her put aside her little problem.

“Let's keep this between us, okay? Don't want to build a saucy reputation.” The twins bowed and nodded before they headed back inside the pub.

More importantly, she'd learned a bit of information that could come in handy. Did the wives of the supreme commander know? At the least, she could share her knowledge with Moon Hammer. She returned to tidy up the milk bar, now lost in troubled contemplation.

Finally, she and the twins returned home. On entry, they heard muffled moans. “Of course,” said Merry with a slight roll of her eyes and a grin as she placed her jacket on a hatstand. "We're back!"

In the kitchen, Moon Hammer sat unclad in a chair. “Hey,” he called with a deep chuckle.

“Hello there,” also answered Panna over her shoulder, as the also denuded doe bounced on his cock, which left its imprint on her belly; she was only able to safely take his bitch-breaker thanks to one of the potions Beatrix left behind that rendered her insides extra stretchy. “He...he constructed me a replacement horn,” she huffed between her ride. “S-so...I wanted to properly repay him-”

“And help form another alliance,” whispered the twins with a twitter as they wiggled out of their bikinis and left them in a trail when they raced over to their husband and rubbed their udders on him while they peppered him all over with butterfly kisses. “Join us, Bloody Merry~?”

“No thanks. Me itch was dealt with.” For now. She knew her estrus wouldn't relent until she took some proper dick, but she wasn't about to submit to the first attractive male thrown her way.

Sure, she'd had a few dates that led to one-night stands in the past, but for the most part, she'd been too busy for romance. Just another soldier that helped carry out a covert war alongside Arcanum. While the blacksmith buckled under his rider, the fawn's spotted ass clapped across his lap, as did her equally spotted tits in his face.

All the while, Merry explained what she'd overheard about these supposed breeder camps. Despite his loss in the throes of passion, Moon Hammer listened intently and nodded, even when he wheezed, clenched up, and finally pumped his heavy load into Panna, whose belly swelled up as she, too, drenched his crotch.

He met Panna's emerald eyes and asked her, “Did you and Chezka know about this?”

She shook her head. “There are some secrets Fiery keeps even from us.” Sweaty breasts heaved on his chest while he stroked her sharply-cut mane that fell to her shoulders. “But somehow, I'm not surprised. My brother Cornelius and I used to fight an oppressive regime. Now I'm forced to serve one by my Amazon code.”

His firm, wide palm squeezed one of the supple cheeks of her spotted ass. “You could break it-”

“Could you so easily abandon your people? Chezka and I are the last representatives of the Amazons. Should our code be broken, their culture dies with us.” She mewled in appreciation at how he kneaded and rolled her pert ass and did the same with one of her tits.

Nevertheless, subtle doubt warred across her attempt to maintain a poker face. When she rose and popped the bull's cock out of her, a waterfall of his seed drooled from her slit as he patted her butt. She smiled back at him and hobbled over to the mechanical horn he left on the table for her. "The construction looks wonderful. Like a piece of art."

"All yours," he said and winked.

The twins playfully whined, “Hope you still have some stamina left for us~!”

“Always,” he reassured with a smirk. “Help yourself to the cooler, Merry.”

“Already had a heavy dinner at the pub. But I could use me a drink,” she confessed and rustled up a few beers while the minotaur kissed and fondled his insatiable wives. On her way to her room, she saw the nursery put aside for the newborn calves, cradled close to Chezka's heavy bosom as the centauress rocked them. “Hello there,” she said between drinks. “Didn't expect to see you around these parts, either.”

“They needed some alone time, so I decided to pitch in,” explained Chezka, who stared at the little bull and cow. “I'm not really used to the domestic lifestyle. It's kind of...quaint. And I overheard your talk in the kitchen. Panna doesn't care much about the Amazon code... but follows it for my sake. We're sisters, if not by blood.” She hummed to the babies before tucking them into their blankets in the crib.

Whatever she claimed, it was clear to Merry. This lifestyle stirred a softer side in the centaur.

Once in her room, Merry tossed off her sweaty clothes and underwear, then downed a few more beers. Outside, she heard the faint chirp of crickets and cracked her window to feel the breeze. Heavier and more prominent than usual, breasts settled into place and leaked more cinnamon milk. She lazily kneaded one; soreness became pleasure each time she played with her milkers.

"Damn it. They'll make me a cock gobbling whore yet at this rate," she muttered as she squeezed herself dry into a basin the twins had left in her room.

Merry had certainly seen some strange stuff around Hammerfall, which made her wonder, were most of the citizens here on Moon Hammer's payroll? It would certainly make sense to have people in the background like 'Creamy' and 'Milky'; well, milk the soldiers for information!

The bartender and twins were likely in on it too. It annoyed her to be left out of the loop, but she understood Moon Hammer's reasons as a former spy. She still needed to earn his complete trust.

She reclined on her back and wondered, would she be stuck here forever? Would she be able to see Arcanum since Moon Hammer and the twins seemed convinced they would return any day...?

*****

Ordered to undertake daily lessons for her supposed ‘destiny’ to become the ruler she wished to be, Cerise Silhouette felt there was little choice but to obey since the princess remained alone and surrounded in the labyrinthine, connected series of hives below the hollow earth. The closest thing to comfort came in the form of the queen's toys, who cast her odd sympathetic looks after she'd protected one of their own.

But nonetheless, they were compelled to obey their mistress. Not that she blamed any of the poor pleasure drones. A draft from the hollows rolled across her nubile form while she shivered.

Ahead of her, the crimson horn sat on the white stallion's forehead; enchantments carefully layered onto it every day until it permanently attached. “Lesson one,” called her 'father/brother' with a smooth clap of his hands. “Etiquette.”

Sombra stalked to the throne room, and she followed, mindful of how her rounded portions jiggled with each step in her almost nonexistent costume, several eyes from drones particularly drawn to breasts clad in pasty-like pieces of platinum. Her butt was partially on display, its crack hidden by her hot pink tail, but most of all, they eyed her taut twat, also concealed by a flimsy silvery piece over the slit that left her charcoal mound and pubis exposed.

Cerise kept her head down, and her cheeks burned on their walk through the tunnels. Again, they passed the chambers with the holstaurs and directly entered it this time. She realized he'd deliberately chosen the scenic route in this house of horrors, part of his test to break her spirit down and reshape it into the cruel, would-be successor to her father's tyrannical bloodline.

The occasional moo echoed around a cave slick with puddles of lactation. The cow women, suspended above and swollen with eggs after the drones repeatedly stuffed their wombs full of their seed, were intertwined with tentacles that coiled around and molested them when not in use by the hive, the heavy, pendulous udders left to swing and sway, the milk kneaded from their swollen titties. She winced and shuddered when a warm splash of honey-sweet milk splattered over her face and sluiced down her all but fully exposed breasts, which bobbed and swayed free with each movement due to a lack of support.

The platinum princess wiped her face and tried to dash out of these chambers of terror where the denuded, voluptuous were routinely milked, only to cry out and slip on a puddle. “Oof!” Her bare black butt splashed in a pit of cooled milk. Shakily, she rose, drenched to her neck when she rubbed her sore bottom with both hands and pouted.

“Heh. You shouldn’t stumble,” Sombra teased with a dark chuckle, his hands and horn lit to redirect the droplets that fell from above. The enchantments to fully seal his old horn to him were incomplete for the moment, so he dared not risk its destruction with any advanced displays of arcane prowess, telekinesis but a mere trifle.

“Not everyone is blessed with magic like you!” She refrained from telling him that none of her powers worked ever since she awakened from that crystal coffin. Not that she dared try and test them too much in her current situation.

Cerise couldn't summon a solitary crystal. And she doubted her ability to dance and entrance onlookers would be possible, either. Her sole question was, why? Did Omen do something to nullify her abilities? Or was it the hive itself? She knew it was pointless to speculate. Whatever the reason, she was rendered all but helpless here.

More self-conscious than ever in her tiny costume now that she'd been soaked neck-to-toe in milk that stained her skin and charcoal fur after they exited, she raced to follow him, despite the awkward bounce of her nubile contours. Not to mention the knowledge every drone here would sacrifice a limb to fill up her unused womb. She shuddered anew and willed this madness to end.

Finally, the pair arrived back at the 'throne room,' where the Mi-Go mushroom illuminated the room, and Queen Chrysalis awaited in her pool. The hive's mistress narrowed her eyes at the princess but kept her tongue; more water lazily splashed across her voluminous shape.

Sombra announced, “You've chosen the vocation of a dancer, yes? Then I think it's time we saw what you're capable of, my sweet.” He patted Cerise's bare rump to send her forward.

Glaring hotly at him, she replied, “Aren't you already more than familiar with that since you have all of my brother's memories?”

Yet dozens of drones started to collect around the inner sanctum, unable to help but salivate at the show she'd no doubt put on.

A wolfish grin spread his stolen features. “I want to see it with my own eyes! As does everyone else. Now show us what you can do, my daughter of darkness!” He all but ordered it with a harsher slap to her shapely pert ass, making her seethe harder, and pushed forward into the center with everyone distanced to allow her proper space.

Cerise swallowed and insisted, “W-Well, I can't really dance without mus—” Around her, many changelings produced instruments carried within their multiple limbs, which they started to play. Likewise, some onlookers began to clap to a rhythm. With a loud sigh, the dark dancer took the first tentative steps, slow at first, hesitant to totally lose herself to the sway that called to her like she usually would.

There was no choice but to persist, not when they'd simply punish her disobedience. Or worse, abuse one of the Queen's toys to motivate her. So she closed her eyes and continued to swivel.

“Smile,” commanded her 'father/brother,' and she forced herself to do so.

On instinct, she seized her amethyst-quartz-tipped spear he tossed her way. “Wh-what is this for...?”

“The cult recovered it from the battlefield. A prop will help you perform better, won't it?” His leer deepened.

Their confidence was evident since they considered her little threat even with her prized weapon, the spear tipped in quartz. With a heave of her shoulders, Cerise's bare feet moved delicately across her toes until she started to pirouette faster. Grace that befitted her royal status carried her every movement, her figure shaped to perfection by a lifetime spent in carefree dances. She realized portions of the earth around the rock were soft clay, and a sudden stroke of inspiration lit her features.

Cerise drove the spear's tip into the clay to keep the weapon embedded there, then started to twist around the makeshift pole to the cheers of approval from the crowd. For a moment, she'd almost forgotten where she was...until she momentarily opened her eyes and looked back to the masses, aware of what they'd done and were capable of, which made her stomach turn.

Omen’s voice sounded in her skull once more. “ꅐꁝꏂꋪꏂ’ꇙ ꌦꄲ꒤ꋪ ꏂꋊ꓄ꁝ꒤ꇙ꒐ꋬꇙꂵ ꋬꋊ꒯ ꉣꋪ꒐꒯ꏂ? ꓄ꁝ꒐ꇙ ꒐ꇙ ꌦꄲ꒤ꋪ ꏂ꒒ꏂꂵꏂꋊ꓄. ꒯ꄲꋊ’꓄ ꓄ꏂ꒒꒒ ꂵꏂ ꌦꄲ꒤’ꋪꏂ ꍌꏂ꓄꓄꒐ꋊꍌ ꇙ꓄ꋬꍌꏂ ꊰꋪ꒐ꍌꁝ꓄ ꋊꄲꅐ, ꋬꋪꏂ ꌦꄲ꒤?” She did her damndest to ignore the insufferable whisper, focused on the melody and rhythm to better guide her deft motions.

“ꌦꄲ꒤ ꒯ꋬꋊꉔꏂ ꃳꏂ꓄꓄ꏂꋪ ꅐꁝꏂꋊ ꋊꋬꀘꏂ꒯, ꌦꏂꇙ? ꉣꏂꋪꁝꋬꉣꇙ ꌦꄲ꒤ ꇙꁝꄲ꒤꒒꒯ ꋪꏂꂵꄲ꒦ꏂ ꌦꄲ꒤ꋪ ꉔꄲꇙ꓄꒤ꂵꏂ. ꉣ꒐ꏂꉔꏂ. ꃳꌦ. ꉣ꒐ꏂꉔꏂ. ꒤ꋊ꒒ꏂꇙꇙ ꌦꄲ꒤ ꅐꋬꋊ꓄ ꓄ꄲ ꍌꏂ꓄ ꄲꋊ ꒯ꋬ꒯꒯ꌦ’ꇙ ꃳꋬ꒯ ꇙ꒐꒯ꏂ~.”

Cerise hesitated. But at Sombra’s cold stare, she reluctantly conceded and discovered the spell on her costume that kept it adorned to her temporarily lifted. When she peeled off the first platinum pasty, her perky tit was drawn to full tautness before her stretched-out pink nipple was freed, and her teeth clenched after her bared titty bounced until it settled. She then drew out her other tit and released that erect nipple; that breast was also left to wobble under pressure once released. Finally, the lips of her pussy were pulled taut once she removed the bottom piece.

Rendered fully exposed, Cerise continued to straddle and spin around the pole, her tail hiking on instinct from the aroma of lust around her.

Chrysalis was the sole exception to the shared lust, who instead watched clearly incensed and ordered her toys to lower themselves on all fours and form a throne for her, which she then settled her voluptuous bare bottom onto. Another reminder of the queen's status, since she never bothered with clothes in the hive, Chrysalis could do what she pleased, whenever she pleased.

Sombra snickered. “That will be you one day~.”

With a shake of her head, the princess carried on her dance. Bared flesh quivered under the eerie, emerald sheen of the moist caverns. An hour later, the music ended, her skin and fur matted with perspiration, and her ears filled with more claps and cheers. She reclaimed her spear from the clay, forced a humble bow, and then squatted to recover her cast-aside costume.

“No need,” said the tyrant, as the pieces floated up and once more conformed to her flesh, breasts, and ass, left to violently wobble when the tiny silver pieces slapped into place. “You exceeded my expectations. Well done.”

“Thank you,” she answered neutrally after Trixie took her spear to put it away.

His leer widened with a lick of his chops. “You deserve a reward. Come to Daddy~.”

“E-ehh, no thank you—”

His saturnine face darkened, and Cerise approached him tentatively with another exhale. Sombra took her hand and led her to a private room he'd ordered specially prepared. The chambers resembled one of the fabled harems she'd heard about beyond the outskirts of her homelands, a verdant paradise that contrasted the endless desolation of the desert dunes. Exotic pastel plants blossomed around them. “I withdrew this from your brother's memories. A place he'd once stumbled on amidst a mission to free slaves sold to a harem, that momentarily tempted him.”

“I'd prefer not to see such a private place—”

Yet he pressed on. “You think White Shadow Penumbra pure? Hardly! He, too, deals with constant temptations, ones he pushes down with discipline. No wonder he went into military service! Your other half-brother, Ashen Dunes, at least knows how to have fun, weak as that fop may be! Penumbra's disbanded slavers and resisted slave mares that threw themselves at him...” To reenact this, several female drones stepped forward and, in a flash, took the shapes of beautiful, denuded mares, ready to service him by the saucy poses they struck.

Cerise grimaced. “S-so he finds pretty mares attractive? That's normal! What's your point?”

“My point is that this would be heaven to even the noblest stallion. To let his armor down and indulge in almost every vice imaginable! Certainly, he's content with his wife, Lily Longsocks, but she's barely above a peasant! Much like your own husband, since a knight is merely a couple steps above the masses!” Like Chrysalis, Sombra commanded one of the mares to prostrate herself on all fours. Once she did so, he sat upon her upraised bottom, and likewise, another nude mare lowered and offered a seat to Cerise with a sway of her heart-shaped ass. “Sit. Now. ”

Cerise begrudgingly obeyed and sat on the soft rump, which she hated to admit made quite a nice cushion when tender cheek flesh squashed under her bare bottom. She'd also heard the tales from Ashen Dunes of indoctrinated assassins, conditioned by drugs and the promise of virgins in the afterlife until they were molded into perfect weapons. Ashen and Penumbra once studied these dark, lurid tales in secret, and Penumbra had taken the lessons learned within to heart in order to master the sword...and himself, lest he one day lose himself to sin and embrace his suppressed inner darkness.

Her 'father/brother' removed his shirt and lit his opium pipe. Glassy-eyed, he inhaled the substance, then passed the pipe to her. Her hands shook when she took a puff and choked a little, reminded of one of her last interactions with Penumbra. No doubt his intention.

His free palm offered lackadaisical strokes of the bare buttocks he sat upon. “Free yourself, my sweet. Let the real Cerise Silhouette out.”

“The 'real me' wouldn't put up with all this,” she seethed impotently, the pipe passed back and forth. Her consciousness muddled increasingly with each drawn-out puff she took, her stomach pleasantly afire. A squeak escaped her when his hands and horn lit up, and she was drawn by his aura into his lap, where he sat her. Her blush darkened. “What...what are you....”

He caressed her heated cheek. “Doesn't it feel wonderful?”

“D-don't...oh...” A hum sounded when the silvery 'bikini' started to vibrate, subtle, but nonetheless, it added to the pleasant warmth from the opium, no doubt laced with other additives. Despite herself, her bare buttocks squirmed across his lap. The vibrations tickled her tender nipples and teased out her clitoris, which swelled and rubbed at her barely hidden slit, which moistened in answer.

Sombra summoned phantom hands, which started to rub her shoulders, and her back and moved lower across her hips. Cerise squealed between her gritted teeth, barely able to resist anymore in her hazy state, while multiple ghostly palms started to molest her all over. She tried to brush them aside, but there were far too many, wandering all over her feminine shapes, barely a trace of her body unmolested by his touch.

"Ah...n-no...!" Her face twisted into a fucked silly expression, tickled until tears dotted her eyes.

“Heh. But it seems I left an important piece of your costume out. You've earned it.” The dark tyrant pulled her down until she rested across his lap, her heart-shaped ass upraised like 'daddy' was ready to spank it. Instead, the other harem slaves started to rub every inch of her supple flesh down in scented oils. Glistened skin and fur were kneaded, squeezed, and pinched while she shamefully moaned, feet kicked, and toes curled.

Sombra licked his chops and produced the prize a slave handed him, a miniature plug in the shape of the Crystal Heart. He cupped one of his daughter's asscheeks, yanked it aside to expose her delicious asshole, and worked the plug into her pink pucker. The bat mare whined and squirmed, his thumb driven up her taut, heated sphincter, his digits dug into her pinched as flesh. He took his time to savor the act; her penetrated rectum widened when it was driven open when the false Crystal Heart settled in, the ring of her stretched anus taut and warm around its intruder that burrowed deeper inside.

“A-ahhh~! N-no, please...” She whined louder as her pussy winked and leaked across his lap, intimately touched by a sea of spectral hands and the warm fleshy one of her 'father/brother,' who continued to directly knead and squeeze her supple, oil-slicked pert ass. Her brain threatened to melt under unwanted bliss, and the princess was left to writhe and mewl under the full-body molestation.

Was this how he broke so many crystal mares? Addicted them to euphoria until they twisted into shameless sluts bent to his iron will...? There were flashes around her; the 'crystal mares' transformed into familiar females drawn from her brother's memories and her own, which his reattached crimson horn helped his skim.

Lily Longsocks. Inky Rose. Somnambula. Rhenaes. Even her birth mother, Pacific Glow, the earth mare that she was a partial reincarnation of. All the important mares in her life stood naked before her, reduced to pleasure slaves. She wiggled and moaned in his grasp, his deep voice in her curved ears when he fingered her hot pink asshole to the lewd sounds of wet squishes.

“They could all be your servants. To feed you lavish foods, bathe and massage you, and satisfy your every decadent fantasy! You could rule your entire world uncontested! Drive out all your doubters! They would happily serve your every whim, prepared to throw themselves on their swords the moment you commanded it!”

“I...I don't want slaves...!” Cerise barely choked out words when she leaked on him and the 'pet' below from violent winks of her puffy pink pussy.

“You will,” he assured her with a playful clap of her immaculately sculpted ass. “To think, so many alternate dimensions out there, ready to invade and conquer! Maybe I'll even claim Penumbra's lovely waif of a wife for my own!”

“N-no,” she whined under the fondles of her oiled-up, nubile contours, all nicely slick and shiny.

Thankfully, Cerise feels her lower holes seize up before she is shattered. She screamed out her pleasure and squirted all over his lap, a messy waterfall that made her toes curl and her supple skin quiver; her lips opened in a continuous howl as one climax followed away until, mercifully, her face warped in an undesired fucked silly face, where she eventually blacked out and went slack.

Worse for her, it didn't stop there. The charcoal thestral dreamed that her 'father' stripped her naked. Drove the princess to her knees, his massive black cock slapped across her face, a hand on her head to force her head down. Her lips spread around his vein-lined shaft, driven to service it with a wink of her wet pussy, her tail upraised and her heart-shaped ass lewdly lifted whenever she leaked dollops of liquid arousal.

'Daddy' continued to molest her while she slept and cooed, a fine instrument played by his firm hands. Pliable breasts and buttocks pinched and pulled under his ministrations. Instinct screamed for him to take her now. To seal the deal and put an heir deep within her fertile womb. But he realized it was far too soon. He'd already pushed her far beyond what he'd initially intended.

Would she loathe him even more once she came back to her senses? Would he be able to successfully twist her innocence before she ended up broken and all but useless to him?

She twisted once more when he planted an affectionate pair of pats on her plush posterior.

Outside of the hallowed chamber, Chrysalis quietly bristled. Her lover's attention continued to pull towards the new arrival. Sure, she was fresh meat, but what made her any better than a common harem slut? Royal blood? She scoffed at the idea! The spoiled wench didn't deserve her title! What had she sacrificed and endured?

“Royalty is more than blood. It's an attitude. Cerise lacks the imperious spirit,” surmised the queen. “Perhaps his brutalization can mold her into the mare he wishes her to be. But somehow, I doubt it. Her heart is too tender. Too pure.”

She rolled her eyes. At least Sombra took every opportunity to molest the wench, a cruel sneer at Cerise's humiliation written across her lips.

The black stallion in question exited without his prize, his cock's imprint painfully erect in his pants. Unable to stick it in his prized princess, his cold eyes turned to the azure unicorn instead. “You there. Do something about this.”

“At your service, my liege! Allow the Humble and Submissive Trixie to pamper you with her supple flesh~!” The unicorn mare snapped to obey, undid the laces that held her open robes, and let them pool at her feet when she knelt and started to roll down his pants. Sombra wasted no time once his dick was freed, slapped it across Trixie's face, which he smeared in his precum, and immediately speared his whore's throatpussy.

Chokes sounded, and spittle ran from her lips when he brutally fucked her face. He showed her no mercy, little more than a tool to be exploited; her throat railed into submission as she moaned and her cunt winked, to be used and exploited at his whim like any of his typical harem harlots.

He vented his frustrations on her, growling as he came down her throat, holding her face into his crotch. Trixie’s nostrils were filled with excessive cum that erupted outward and ran free. Then, he lifted her up by the hips and properly pounded her puffy pussy. She cast back her head and screamed. Her breasts bounced before him under each sadistic slam, liquid love left to dribble down her clenched asscrack and anus.

“Aaaugh! Yes, master! Fuck Trixie’s slutty pussy. Fill her filthy holes with your royal jelly~!”

Chrysalis shook her head as the cultists collected around her love slave throne, her attention drawn away from Trixie, who was ruthlessly railed raw. “Ugh… what do you want now?”

Their spokesman, Vox, floated before her, his visage hidden by a hooded robe. “We’ve received word from the anomaly,” he announced quietly so as not to draw Sombra’s attention. He doubted that would matter, given how ravenously he was now hammering Trixie’s backside.

Quirking a curious brow, the evil monarch said, “And..?”

“You must focus your efforts on rejuvenating the hive's numbers as soon as possible,” Vox told her. “The time for you to claim Equestria is fast approaching.”

Chrysalis glowered. “You can’t be serious! Do you have any idea how long it takes for me to sire a single platoon of soldiers?”

“All the more reason to strike now while your enemies are lapping their wounds. After all, hundreds were lost in the last assault. Should the armies of Fiery and the minotaurs properly formalize an alliance—”

“Don't tell me how to run my hive,” warned Chrysalis.

“No need to get angry with me, to majesty,” Vox chuckled. “I am merely a mouthpiece to consult with. An ‘advisor,’ if you will.”

The changeling queen scoffed. “What ‘advice’ would you offer? You’ve yet to give me a single ounce of useful information!”

“A warning then? Cerise's presence threatens your position in the master plan.”

Chrysalis did her best not to cackle loudly. “That sniveling whelp? Please! She doesn’t have the stomach for conquest!”

“But Sombra does,” reminded Vox. “What do you think will happen should he succeed in molding her into what he desires?”

That brought out more anger the wicked monarch tried suppressing. “He wouldn’t dare—”

“He would. And deep down, you know it’s true.” Vox held her shoulder and pointed towards the tyrannical stallion, battering Trixie’s womb in a mating press. “He’s not sating his lust with that floozy. He’s preparing to make Cerise a queen. His queen. And with his guiding hand, she’ll effortlessly usurp you.”

Her emerald eyes glowed with immense hatred, teeth bared and clenched.

“And should that happen, the swarm won’t be the only ones who’ll think you're unfit to rule,” Vox continued in a whisper.

Chrysalis fixated her glare on him. “What are you saying?! It was your Lord of the Woods who bestowed the power of the Mi-Go to me!”

“And you believed that made you irreplaceable?” The spokesmen laughed. “No, no. If you fail to live up to your role, Chrysalis, there are preparations for Marathyssa to take your place. You may have the experience and power, but a protoquen would be far more suitable in raising our ranks in time to win the war.”

Chrysalis was breathing frantically, trembling with fury. “You can’t do this to me! The swarm is nothing without me! I am the swarm!! I AM THE QUEEN!!!”

Face twisted with rage, her hand plunged into her slick cunt faster than most eyes could follow, withdrew a spine from her depths with a wet pop, and shoved the venomous spire into the cultist.

Immediately, he gurgled and shook, foam and discolored blood oozing out his hood before falling slack. The queen lifted from her makeshift throne and peeled away the hood, staring with disgust at the decrypted corpse before her… until the head suddenly shook.

She jumped back slightly when the mouth was forcibly opened, and a tiny pale creature slithered out. It detached blood vessels connecting to its exoskeletal frame before scurrying up the queen’s leg with surprising speed.

“W-What the hell!? Get off of me!!”

The creepy critter traveled up her voluptuous form quicker than she could slap it away, tiny legs clinging to her tummy before it nestled between her bosom. Chrysalis shuddered and moaned, staring down at the crustacean-looking bug atop her chest, resembling the appearance of a cymothoa exigua.

“You really must do something about that temper,” Vox said, his voice small and higher pitched than he usually sounded. “How embarrassing. I just acquired this body!”

“So all this time… I’ve been consulting with a mere parasite?”

“Correct,” confirmed the isopod. “As you can plainly see, I’m no bigger than half your palm. But what I lack in size and overall strength, I make up with a cunning mind. The only downside is that I must go through hosts regularly to survive, and they’re not exactly easy to sustain once expired.”

Chrysalis seized the tongue louse in her grasp, squeezing him tightly. “Wretched worm! Give me one reason I shouldn’t squish you here and now!”

“The Cult of the Nemesis would be very displeased to learn of my sudden death.” Vox chittered amusingly before taking a bite out of her thumb to loosen her grip. As she yowled, he crawled up her arm, along her neck, and settled above her ear. “And despite our arrangement to retrieve Marathyssa, I much prefer it if you remain in power. Superior genetic material only goes so far without the proper knowledge a queen is expected to have.”

The changeling queen visibly soured. “Quit sending mixed signals and get to the point!”

“I’m just informing you of what will happen if you don’t enforce your rule against Sombra’s,” said Vox. “We may need his prowess to better our chance of victory against Fiery and the Minotaurs. But predictably, I'm confident he'll attempt to seize power over the swarm and our order.”

“So then, what must I do?”

“Fear not, your highness. For I have a plan that’ll ensure he stays underneath your heel. One that’ll require physical commitment from you.”

Chrysalis briefly observed the scene of Sombra mounted over Trixie, who used her tits and mouth to worship his turgid tool while cum oozed out her overused pussy and asshole. Her eyes shifted to the slumbering Cerise, a hand stroking her swollen heart-shaped clit while she slept.

Her mind made up, the monarch softly asked, “And what is it you need from me?”

Despite not possessing a visible mouth, the isopod looked like it was smiling dastardly.

“Just one kiss."

Chapter 19

View Online

Moments after the destruction of the Necronomicon, those gathered by Layla’s chambers awoke from unconsciousness. Dion rubbed his head while Iclyn and Arcanum Folklore brushed themselves off.

“Ugh… what happened?” The burly ram asked. “Ah remember this swirlin' vortex ov horror, followed by a big flash an' then… blank!”

“I believe we witness the end of that wretched book,” the cyan doe grunted before examining the stairway ahead. “And that gunk barricading the entrance is gone!”

Without losing a moment, the erenn stallion lit his horn with magic to pry the see-through doors and hurried inside. The trio surveyed the damage and breathed a sigh of relief to find Zeloph, Beatrix, and Viscera unconscious.

Arcanum overlooked Zeloph, and the first visible ripples of the Necronomicon’s undoing manifested as darkness evaporated out of his body. The orange strife on the angel’s midnight locks gradually overtook the entirety of his hair, seemingly restoring it to its original color before his imprisonment within the tome. The beckoning Vorpal Blade dematerialized into cubic shapes, vanishing into the angelic alien’s forehead.

When Dion and Iclyn approached Beatrix, she stirred and murmured before she came too. The knightly caprine dropped to lift her into his arm, calling out, “Lass?”

The violet mare’s eyes fluttered open, a dreary smile on her face while she brushed a finger through his black beard. “Mmmm… If I pretend to still be asleep, do I get a kiss~?”

Dion sheepishly chuckled while Iclyn rolled her eyes. “Wonderful. Glad to know her childish nature remains intact.”

“Intact… what do you—wait..!”

Beatrix’s pupils shrank to pinpricks as she rose, startled, watching the essence of her power steadily leave her. “O-Oh gods, I… I can feel it! My magic… My immortality..!!” Silent tears ran down her cheeks as she poked her bust, which proved a tad less bouncy than usual. The pouty unicorn witch whined, “Even my alchemy enhancements are gone!”

The onlookers wore blank expressions as Iclyn dryly pointed out, “… Your tits look exactly the same.”

“Nu-uh! They’re far less perky and way smaller,” insisted Beatrix, fondling her set of double D cups. With a defeated sigh, she muttered, “At least the Demiurge is still connected to me for the moment…”

“You’ll have to let that go eventually,” reminded Arcanum.

“Aye, trust us. It’s fur th' best,” Dion reassured, stroking her platinum blonde locks. “Ye did th' right thing."

Beatrix managed to nod her head while letting her friends help her hobble back to heeled boots. “I hope… Oh! Zeloph! Is he—?”

“Out like a light. And a redhead, apparently! But otherwise, he’s okay.”

Beatrix heaved a sigh of relief before her expression twisted at the sight of Viscera, still sickly and foul looking.

As the group cautiously approached her, Dion drew out his great sword, ready to slay the nephilim while they had a chance. Unfortunately, Arcanum noticed her spines quivering and blurted out, “Hold it! She’s not—!”

The monstress demi-human snapped her eyes open and rose with a violent shriek. Her dusty wingspan batted away the warrior caprine. Iclyn tried to channel a flurry in her hands, only to be blasted with a chemical cloud that burnt into her eyes. “Aaaughh!”

“Iclyn!” shouted Beatrix, her horn flaring with a magical aura.

But when she unleashed her triple storm spell, all that conjured were three balls of the elements that hardly damaged Viscera, who tauntingly said, “Was that supposed to tickle me~?”

“Nah. But this will!” boasted Arcanum, who summoned his signature firearm and took shots at Viscera, who erected bony protrusions to block the bullets, though one magically infused round managed to hit and rip through her skin.

Hissing, she retaliated with corrosive shots from her titan arum tail, one of which reduced his weapon to sludge. “Motherfuck—!”

The warlock’s curses were interrupted by more orichalcum bones she released, unable to evade them all as one pierced his stomach.

And to make sure Dion couldn’t recover, Viscera ejaculated her adhesive slime all over him, the substance rapidly hardening to glue him to the floor. With all her obstacles out of her way, the harpy beldam leered at her unconscious prize and strutted towards him, running a tongue over her beak-shaped mouth.

In a panic, Beatrix stood between the two demi-humans with a protective stance, glaring defiantly at the villainous avian. “Get back!”

Viscera hollered with wicked laughter. “And who’s going to make me? You? Without the Necronomicon and Demiurge boosting your prowess, you only have cheap parlor tricks and second-rate magic!” She ran her tongue along her topaz bony wrist blade. “So stand aside, honey. You don’t have a chance~!”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” retorted Beatrix, with as strong a voice she could muster. She glanced back at Zeloph and proclaimed, “The Necronomicon doesn’t define who I am. And I won’t rely on it anymore! Especially when it comes to taking down the likes of you!”

In a black flash, Erebus manifested around the curvy witch mare, cosmic darkness waving around her form and her rapier in hand. This wiped the callous smile off the nephilim’s face as the two squared off in a duel, steel clashing against the bone with flying sparks.

Beatrix ducked and weaved out of any acidic projectiles and shrapnel Viscera flung at her, countered by orbs of black magic. Despite being at a major power disadvantage, the wayward witch didn’t skip a beat while manipulating her Onoma to suit her needs in combat, much to Viscera’s growing agitation.

“Grrrrrgh! Stubborn equestrian whore! You don’t know when to quit!!”

Beatrix valiantly yelled, “I’ll quit when you monsters stop messing with me and my friends!”

With the vile one distracted, Arcanum muffled his yell while yanking the bone out of his injured stomach, stumbling over to assist the others. He warned up his palm to cauterize the wound with a strained hiss. Iclyn had her hands cupped over her face, fighting off the sting in her eyes while Dion struggled to wrestle his way out.

“Hang on, big guy. I’ll get you out,” the scruffy detective said, channeling his magic through his dagger to slick through the hardened gunk, which proved a lot less resilient than the contamination mold.

Beatrix and Viscera reached an impasse, arms shaking for leverage one could gain over the other. Sweat poured down the unicorn’s brow, her foe slowly pushing her down… until the strange corvid creature assisted by fluttering at her face, trying to peck her eyes out.

“What—Ghaak! Stupid bird, where did you come from—Aaagh!!”

Seizing the opportunity, Beatrix regained momentum, unleashing Erebus’ full might to pin the Vice Lord against the wall. Spotting the cawing raven, she breathily said, “T-Thanks!”

Arcanum pulled with all his might until a sizable fissure cracked the carapace concealing Dion, who burst an arm out and pried the rest off. The two clapped hands as the alabaster ram pulled himself back on. Iclyn also recovered by rubbing some salt in her eyes, her vision blurry.

Realization of her imminent defeat quickly became the rage. Viscera let out a furious screech and conjured her own Onoma, using Erebus to spread her infectious blight toward Beatrix. Once the witch was forced to separate from her magic, the nephilim unfurled her large plumage to free herself and swooped past, knocking aside both the unicorn and alien crow.

She landed near Zeloph, seizing him in her talons, and flapped her wing to propel herself skywards before Arcanum and Dion could intercept, creating a strong gust that pushed them back.

Beatrix cried. “Oh no! Zeloph!!”

“Don’t let her escape!” Yelled Dion.

Both mages launched spells at the avian demoness, who twirled and bested her wings until smashing through the glass dome and sailing away. The collateral damage awoke the Glamorguis, as well as Layla, with a pained gasp. Once she put together what had happened, the motherly succubus resumed making immediate repairs with her energy before the spacecraft was too impaired to take off.

“Damn it all!” cursed Arcanum, who clutched at his wounded belly. “We’ll never catch her now.”

“It’s no use,” said Iclyn, equally irritated. “Had I not been blinded, I could have frozen that butt-ugly turkey solid!”

Reluctantly, Dion resheathed his claymore. “Great! We’re down an'ther member ov our team! Can this day ov shite get any worse?!”

“We can’t leave without Zeloph,” exclaimed Beatrix. “He doesn’t have a suit! If he’s exposed to the planet’s radiation long enough, he’ll—”

“We can’t afford to remain on Sacratera,” Layla’s voice echoed through the Glamorguis. “I don’t like it any more than you do, Beatrix. But we must trust Bellatrix and the others will secure Zeloph while we make port for Midnight’s world.”

Begrudgingly, the group cooperated and left the premises to refocus their efforts elsewhere while the Mother of Demons poured her all into recalibrating the hole in her roof. When Julianne came too, holding her head, she swiftly commanded, “Go help purge the ship of any disease you find. And heal whoever’s hurt on your way!”

“At once, your ladyship,” the rosy-haired nun complied, spreading her wings to fly off into one of the many corridors.

Layla pursed her lips together as she worked, aware that they were sitting ducks until the sickness was cleaned from the Glamorguis systems. She’d underestimated her prisoner, overly confident in the UFO’s extraordinary tech.

The primordial woman vowed never to make that mistake again. Should there be a next time…

*****

Wispy Willow entered a virtual room, which had taken the shape of the ‘Cyberverse’ cityscape on a rainy night. Usually, she wouldn’t even bother stepping in with the risk of getting wet, but they were in a rough spot with the Glamorguis struggling to fly.

Upon a rooftop sat Kitsune of the Nine-Tails, her eyes closed while she sat in the lotus position, the top of her gi torn removed, breasts concealed behind wraps. A constant drizzle sluiced over her amid deep meditation. The moon shone down on her from the black sky. One of her ears twitched at the sound of puddly footsteps approaching her.

“Sis! What are you doing?” The twin-tailed tigress called over. “There’s a war outside, and we’ve got infiltrators stalking the ship! Don’t tell me you’re afraid to throw down with that lost tail?”

Kitsune opened an eye. “No, Imoto. I’m in preparation to face our old adversary. I’m certain he’s on his way here.”

“Wha—You mean Triad?” Wispy snorted. “He’s a joke! Old news! You already cut off his head once; you can do it again!” Her studded crimson catsuit glistened under the moonlight and rain, a hand rested on her hip.

“Our last encounter did not end in my favor,” reminded Kitsune, the image of his cold stare while she collapsed to the ground, bleeding out, fresh on her mind. “I hold no shame in admitting he’s a lot stronger now, while I have gotten weaker.”

“Even if that were true, you’ve got us in your corner!” She nodded over her shoulder at Eclipsed Heart, Kyube, and Chisana, recovering from the shockwave that washed through them moments ago. “Come on, we’ll take him on together! Him, Penny Dreadful, Mortis, Andrei, and whoever else that—!”

“No, Imoto.” She gave her sister a sharp glare if only to assert her authority. Her gaze softened on Eclipsed Heart, glad that the Necronomicon’s undoing had no visible effects on her. And when her eyes met Kyube’s, she shook her head. “This is something I must do alone.”

Wispy bristled. “B-but sis—!”

“It is a matter of personal pride for her,” replied Kyube from below. “Do you want to deny your friend that?”

“N-no...but we’re really worried about you! In your condition, you might-!” Eclipsed began, then chewed on her lower lip to silence herself. At her side, Chisana looked on sympathetically, anxiety written on her face.

Before Kitsune could properly reassure her allies, her ears flicked when she picked up new sounds from the rooftops. Stoic determination took over her face. “He’s here!”

Kitasan Triad had infiltrated the virtual space with his magic sword, which he’d used to carve his way through the ship. But rather than stage a surprise attack, he too removed his pin-striped suit, leaving his chest and inked back bare and meditated on the spot. The pair of swordmasters held an unspoken truce while they honed themselves for their final duel. Raindrops sprinkled across the black stallion’s ebony muscles, which tensed in anticipation.

“We must cleanse ourselves for this moment,” explained Kitsune. “We want to face each other as fairly as possible.”

An uneasy silence settled between the sisters, while the others remained on guard in case Triad’s loony accomplice, Penny Dreadful, showed up guns blazing to spoil this fateful moment.

Then, the tattoos on Triad’s back separated themselves from him, his vermillion tiger and cyan dragon familiars boxing the group in while he stood back up.

“It’s time,” Kitsune proclaimed before rising, swathed in the wind and rain. “No matter what happens, promise me you will not interfere.”

Wispy growled begrudgingly before consenting. Before stepping down to assist her bandmate, she yelled over the mild storm, “You better win, sis! Or I'll kick your ass myself!”

“Of course she will,” Eclipsed proclaimed confidently. “Kitsune’s not the type of person to lose easily.”

“Yeah, but if shit blows sideways, what do we—”

A squeak from Chisana pulled their attention, the bladed point of the parasol at her throat when Penny Dreadful snickered and pulled the tiny raccoon dog back from behind.

“Aaagh! A-Aniki!!”

“Let her go!” warned Kyube, teeth bared.

“Ah-ah-ah~!” The clockwork griffoness said while wagging her finger. “You get anywhere close to the roofs, and I’ll empty her throat and bowels across these streets!” She backed up her threat by pressing the tip close to her hostage’s neck. “Nuugh! Cease your impudent squirming, you putrid little—!”

“Penny, no!” Triad called down to her, brows furrowed. “I want this fight to be as fair as possible! Release the girl!”

“Now, now, sweetie~,” cooed Penny with a quiver of her beak. “I’m simply keeping insurance so that none of these lousy vermin get in the way of your absolute victory!”

“You let her go now, bitch!” Wispy, snarled as her summoned plasma orbs sizzled against the raindrops.

Penny Dreadful's beak wore a vicious smile. “If you want her back that badly, try and take her~!”

Opening her wings, she took off from the ground. Glancing back at Triad, she said, “Don’t take too long, love! I want to finish these wretches quickly so that we can seek out Beatrix, Esmeralda, and Camellia! After they’re butchered, we can get married and spend our honeymoon somewhere wonderful! We’re almost free!”

“I know,” answered Triad, who leapt across the rooftops and landed close to where she fluttered. “Master swore to release us after we completed our last mission. But I will not stain my hands with the blood of a child. Now, please… set her free.”

“B-but darling—~!” Her protests were cut off when his lips met her beak in a deep kiss. Then, Penny hissed when Chisana bit her hand and slipped free. She stabbed at the tanuki girl, simply to embed the parasol's bladed tip in a chunk of wood left amidst a cloud of smoke. “Gaagh! You putrid little shite!”

Triad rolled his eyes before casting his steely gaze on Wispy, Eclipsed, and the Yokai bandits below. “It appears you’re all eager to fight. Here. Play with them for a while.” The kitasan swordsman snapped his fingers, and his tattoo beasts immediately attacked B.A.B.E. while he raised his katana and unleashed its arcane power.

“Sweetie, wait—!?” Penny was pushed back by the force of the blade's magic wave, which tossed her back toward the dampened ground. The avian assassin drifted to catch herself, while Kyube and Chisana sailed on the winds to land kicks that sent them into the alleyway. An arcane barricade formed to seal off the area, preventing anyone from ascending 50 feet above the ground.

“There. Now none of them can interrupt us,” huffed Triad once he and Kitsune circled each other. He’d poured all his fury and vices into the tattoo beasts to purify himself and face her with a clear head. Noticing her missing tail, he inquired, “What happened?”

“The price of constant war,” answered Kitsune. “Everywhere we go, there’s only more death and destruction. I doubt even our homeworld is safe.”

He nodded. “Most certainly.”

“It need not end like this, Triad,” she pleaded. “We’re all victims of the syndicate. Experimented on. Used like toys until we’ve served our purpose. Why not lay down your blade today… and help us save the multiverse?”

“In any other scenario, I would have accepted,” replied Triad, a hint of melancholy in his voice. “But you know why I can’t stray from my path now.”

Her eyes heavied with pity as she reluctantly drew out her katana. “I do. But I had to try—”

The kunoichi vixen shifted her vision when her teammates evaded a collapsing building. Wispy and Eclipsed threw plasma orbs and crystalline shards to combat the tattoo monstrosities, whose size and power increased due to the sword’s influence.

Taking a martial arts stance, Wispy beckoned with a hand and cried, "Bring it! Hiyah!" However, the yokai plasma fires she summoned faded the moment they struck the tiger. "What the dick-?"

"Mine too! This is bad," yelped Eclipsed, as her crystals turned to sparkly dust on contact with the thin dragon. She raced around its rapid strikes on her skates and said, "Somehow they're immune! Maybe it's because they're psychic constructs…?"

Distracted by their plight, Kitsune's ears detected the sound of sliced wind and deflected an incoming shuriken the black kitasan stallion tossed her way.

“Stop losing focus and face me!” demanded Triad.

The vixen's cool eyes narrowed, and her lips formed a line. “As you wish. I shall finish this swiftly!”

Their blades repeatedly crossed in a shower of sparks, their denuded muscles tensed and taut. Any martial arts used were just a means to maneuver around the other for a better angle to attack. Puddles splashed under their deft, dance-like movements.

Unfortunately, Kitsune’s equilibrium remained off-balance, even after her incisive training and healing through the ship’s aid. Her graceful movements proved less fluid and clumsier than usual, barely able to keep pace with her augmented adversary that now outclassed her skills in every way.

“You’re even slower than before,” he observed between locked swords.

“Speed… isn’t always the deciding factor!” she grunted as metal-struck-metal.

“Still, this isn’t how I wanted to end this.” From his side eye, he spotted the bestial tattoos overwhelm Wispy, who battled what now turned into a sabretooth tiger and Eclipsed, also beaten down by the lengthy dragon. “Hmph. It appears this sword harbors more tricks than I imagined.”

“This is between us,” reasoned Kitsune as the combatants circled. “Kill me if you want, but allow them to live!”

“Once my familiars have separated from me, they’re their own entities. I can’t even recall them back.” The beasts tore the clothes from Wispy and Eclipsed, their wet naked bodies exposed before their furious appetites, born from his basest instincts. The tiger and dragon roared, ready to loosen Triad’s suppressed lust and fury on them. “Penny’s vileness and cruelty must have rubbed off on me…”

This steeled Kitsune to deal with him faster than ever, fighting harder with precise movements. She tried to blot out the humiliating cries of her teammates when Wispy found herself mounted by the sabretooth and pinned by its weight, her wail somewhere between pain and pleasure as its thick, barbed cock tore into her slick wet cunt.

“Nyahh~! S-Stupid cat, get off of me!” The nekomata mewled, the heavy tiger hunched on her back, splattered with its heated drool. Its muscular bulk pounded into her pussy while keeping her pinned with its claws, forcing a climax from her lips. “A-auuugh, fuck~!!” Wispy whined and hissed, the corner of her eyes teary as the vermillion beast’s hips clapped her wide, striped buttocks.

It claimed its mate without mercy, relentlessly pounded away, determined to spill a spectral seed that thankfully couldn't take root. Wispy panted and her perky breasts swayed each time it hammered away, her face afire in humiliation, forced to take a barbed cock that drove another messy climax from her as she yelped and clenched.

“N-No, no, no, hold on! I’m taken-!” Eclipsed squirmed in the dragon’s tail, which repeatedly coiled around the pop star. Her charcoal flesh and fur were pinched, tits and cheeks bunched between its wrapped body. Her neck, cheek, and hot pink nipples were lapped by its elongated forked tongue.

“Bass... I-I’m so sorry! Forgive me!!” She sobbed and tensed up when its twin cocks pushed into her lower holes and spread them wide open, thankful she’d let her boyfriend claim them first!

The pop idol closed her eyes and tried to think only of her boyfriend when her captor took its pleasure from her spread wide open cavities, her twat left to leak its feminine nectar over the animal that invaded her entrance and backdoor with fierce, repetitive thrusts, which made her buttcheeks and titties bounce under every impact. "Oh~! Don't…!"

She, too, tensed up like Wispy as one of many climaxes were forced on them, their messy squirts lost in the drizzle. Yet even after the beasts spilled their seeds into their mates, they continued to violently make use of their bodies.

Kitsune snarled and burned with a white-hot fury unlike any she’d ever felt. Her yokai aura formed around her body, and balls of foxfire ringed around her, much to Triad’s surprise when he said, “The true power of the Nine-Tails?!”

She saw a moment of hesitation cross Triad’s face and took advantage of tht by flinging her blue and red wispy yokai fireballs at him, balanced by her blade. The kitasan swordsman was pushed back by the flurry of swipes, blows, and magic she released, driven to the building’s slippery edge. With a two-handed swipe born of desperation, he sent her back, where she flipped, landed on her feet, and skidded back.

“Let’s settle this,” she declared when thunder cracked and the sky flashed to better illuminate them. “Here and now!”

“This final strike decides it,” he concurred, the pair of them crouched and tensed to pounce. The two sailed skywards, silhouetted by the moon, and met in mid-air, where they crossed swords in a metallic clash of blades.

The two of them landed where the other one once perched and knelt. They stood motionless… until Triad tumbled forward with a pained groan. A giant line of blackened blood seeped across his chiseled chest and shoulder, all the way to the center of his back.

Both the tiger and dragon bellowed once they dispersed into the ether, freeing Wispy and Eclipsed as they tumbled into the watery floor. Both raised their heads to the rooftops with speculation, the lead singer asking aloud, “Does that mean..?!”

Kitsune hissed, suffering the blow from his blade that sliced through her bandage bra, releasing her breasts into the cold, damp air while a crimson line formed between her bosom and belly. She glanced at her broken katana, fragments of the blade shattered over the roof’s edge. Tossing it aside, the fox woman bit back the pain and approached her opponent, who managed to push himself onto his knees.

“You… you bested me. Just like before… yet without the need for cybernetics… Remarkable...!” The black stallion murmured, coughing out more black bile from his lips.

“The world of advanced technology is a dangerous place,” spoke the vixen through ragged breath. “Utter reliance on it dulls the mind and body. Through this truth, I could shed off the machinery that shackled me and return to my roots.”

Triad stared at his adversary with a vacant gaze, a bitter chuckle leaving his throat. “You have achieved nirvana… Something I could never do. Not in this… pitiful state of being…” He hissed, using his damaged arms to reach and present his magically infused katana. “Take it… as a memento of our final clash. Use it well…”

She studied it briefly before cautiously taking the infused katana into her hands, her glare less intense. “I will,” she assured, lifting it high behind her head.

The kitasan swordsman smiled gently before bowing his head forward, both a sign of respect and acceptance of his fate. Without pause, Kitsune departed Triad’s head from his corpse, which slumped along with his body and scattered into dust. She watched the severed face of her foe disintegrate, his voice whispering in the winds, “Thank… you…”

With the decisive battle now over and no trace of Triad remaining, Kitsune keeled forward and held her stomach to keep her entrails in, vomiting up blood.

“Kitsune!!” Wispy and Eclipsed Heart shouted, hurrying to the vixen’s side despite their sore unmentionables.

“Mmnngh… It’s okay, girls,” insisted the bleeding fox woman. “I-I… will live.”

“Don’t worry, sis!” The two-tailed tigress said with watery eyes. “Layla will patch you up! Just… stop talking! Rest!”

While she guided Kitsune to lie down on her back, Eclipsed was perked up by the flashes and sounds from the alleyways below. “Wispy, stay here! I’ll help out Kyube and Chisana!”

The cat woman tensed. “In your condition...?”

“I-I’m just a little sore, is all…” confessed Eclipsed, her face red when she redressed herself the best she could with the tatters of her torn clothes. “But that doesn’t matter now! Penny’s still at large!” At least her enhanced roller skates were intact, which allowed her to sail in the air into the alleyway.

“Tsk. Silly bitch,” Wispy muttered with a small smirk before the reality of her sister’s condition intruded. More hot blood washed over the nekomata’s striped fur after she held her close. She sobbed out, “You hold on now, okay?!”

“Y-yes,” murmured Kitsune, who almost blinked her eyes closed. Delirious, she whispered to herself. “Sakura... It’s a nice name. I hope Kyube doesn’t see me like this… s-so indecent!”

Wispy failed to suppress a giggle before turning her frown to where Triad once stood. “Poor bastard… Couldn’t save him from himself. Wrecked my favorite costume and punched my ticket, too!”

Meanwhile, Penny Dreadful carried on her dance of death down the narrow alleyway with Kyube and Chisana, who were forced to scatter from the barrage of tiny missiles she released from the silos in her wide opened wingspan. Graffiti-laden walls shattered into rocks and dust under the explosions that blossomed from each unloaded rocket.

She hooted, “Nowhere to run now, my pretties! You’ll make lavishing fur coats~." Yet every time she believed her rockets struck home, a Kyube clone faded away, or more smoke rose from Chisana, a dummy left in the place where she once stood. “So annoying! Ugh, what did Triad say this was? Yokai magic..? No matter. You’ll run out of reserves and tire yourselves out long before my silos are emptied! And then, this bird of prey will moves for the kill~!”

The griffoness kept her parasol’s blade ready and evaded the kunai knives tossed her way. “Ooh~! So close! But no dice—ack!” A swift kick to her head from a roller skate knocked her aside.

Eclipsed Heart twirled in the air after her surprise attack, a crystal javelin in hand, the scanty remains of her tattered roller derby costume hastily stitched back on her almost naked flesh. “Give it up, you nutty harpy! Your boyfriend’s dead, and your zombie minions are being cleaned up. You’ve lost!”

“What?! Triad is..? No… NO! YOU LIE!!” Penny screeched, eyes manically wide. Despite her declaration, she knew deep down it was true. She no longer saw his familiars, nor sensed his undead presence. “I’LL TEAR OUT YOUR HEART AND FEED IT TO YOUR FRIENDS, YOU SKANK!!”

She swiped at the pop star wildly, driven mad with vengeance, no longer concerned whether her assault ended in mutual destruction. Eclipsed pirouetted away from each reckless swing, blocking her parasol with her crystalline spear when cornered to a steel wall under her nonstop assault.

Penny primed the rest of her missiles and launched them all simultaneously, despite the warnings that flashed across her interior systems. The pop diva cried, “W-Wait, don’t—!”

Nonetheless, a flurry of rockets were fired point-blank, and the charcoal mare’s scream ended up lost in the explosion. The clockwork killer squeaked, her nuked doll body torn into chunks amidst the eruption. Her head, torso, and one arm remained attached, partially scorched, and her attire burned off down to her blackened feathers.

A black crater smoked where the pop princess once stood, a scorched hole torn from the spaceship. “YES! DIE YOU SLATTERNLY...WHAT!?!”

Her eyes turned to pinpoints at Eclipsed beside Kyube and Chisana, who had barely snatched her up in time, her charcoal fur singed but otherwise unharmed. Penny's outrage was reduced to childish bawling. “N-No… this isn’t fair! Triad… Daddy, I…I-Ah~!”

Unable to close the wound in its hull in time, a powerful burst of air sucked at Penny, her removed abdomen, legs, and arm tossed out into the Sacratera. Clinging on for dear life, unable to fly under the force with her plume wrecked, she yelped, “H-help...!”

Chisana narrowed her eyes. “Go jōdandeshou!”

“Unbelievable,” Kyube scoffed.

Tentatively, Eclipsed started to offer her crystal javelin, despite knowing the likelihood that it was a trick… which immediately proved correct when the griffoness screeched, “D.I.E., YOU FILTHY WHOOOOOOORE!!”

Her beak opened wide and fired one last hidden rocket. But the male kitsune flung a yokai ball fast enough to intercept the missile before it could launch out of her shrilling mouth.

The rocket went off on impact, the explosion tossing Kyube, Chisana, and Eclipsed back, the latter summoning a crystal shield to take the brunt of the fiery debris which burst before them.

Eclipsed huffed. “Everyone okay?”

The yokai bandits nodded while everyone gazed at the smoldering ruins of the clockwork killer, remains splattered all over the screen before dissolving into darkened specks. Eclipsed drained of color. “I-Is she..?”

Kyube nodded. “Departed this world the way she lived in it. Violently.”

Quest to her core, Eclipsed mumbled to herself, “Good riddance…” Chisana nodded and kicked a stray, charred talon aside before it too became dust.

The simulation of the Cyberverse ended in distortion, the fire, rain, buildings, and night skies disappearing into the pale room, which steadily repaired the torn hole. The trio rushed to help Wispy hold up Kitsune, who used the last of her clothes to cover up her sister’s injuries. The nekomata ordered, “Let’s get her to the infirmary room, stat!”

“I’ll carry her,” offered Kyube, who gingerly held the vixen in his arms bridal style. Despite her gruesome appearance, she looked peaceful in her rest, unconsciously burying her face into his chest.

“Let’s go before more trouble finds us!” Eclipsed Heart urged, guiding her bandmates and friends out of the A.R. chamber and through the lengthy corridor. Fortunately, the deadly infection Viscera had left to tender the U.F.O. had been thoroughly cleansed due to Layla's efforts, leaving the ship healthy enough to begin lift-off. With a subdued rattle the Glamorguis ascended from the battered Sacratera.

*****

Sombra was momentarily absent, putting the final touches on the enchanted suits of armor, while undergoing the proper ritual to re-seal his old horn to his new body. That left Cerise Silhouette at the mercy of Queen Chrysalis, and the black mare hesitated when the changeling commanded, “Follow me, princess.”

There was little choice but to obey, and so she walked a few feet behind the denuded changeling queen. Her unclad drone sextoys offered Cerise a sympathetic look and parted to let them by. This time they walked a tunnel unfamiliar to her, down a dank slope and into the darkness. All the while, she was clad in the platinum costume that consisted of a choker, bands on her wrists and ankles, pasties, and a maebari, with one new addition; a heart-shaped crystal stuffed up her sphincter. The constant stimulation kept her hot pink tail permanently hiked on instinct, and her buns partially spread.

The dark dancer blushed and tried not to think about it, her buttocks and breasts left to bounce with each stride. Her nostrils twitched at a foul odor from the darkness. “Wh-where are we...?”

“The larder,” replied Chrysalis, her horn lit. Cerise swallowed a scream when confronted with the bodies of captured minotaurs, their preserved corpses frozen in horror and trapped under thick walls of pure viscous fat.

Cerise took a step back. “Do you...plan to eat me...?”

Chrysalis laughed and bared her fangs. “No. Although the idea is tempting. You’d make for a delicious morsel~!” She teasingly licked her chops and ran her hand across the charcoal mare’s bare breasts. The princess withdrew, and the queen turned her back on her. “Come closer. We’re not done.”

“Like I have a choice,” she mumbled and took after her lead.

In the corner, a drone offered the queen a massive jug partially overrun with sparkly nectar. “Royal jelly,” explained Chrysalis, who circled behind the princess and rubbed her shoulders. “I needed to dispatch the protoquens, you see? All they needed to do was drink it, and anyone could replace me!”

“And… you’re telling me this, why?” She swallowed harder.

“Because I want to share it with you, princess!” She reached into the pot and scooped up a palmful. “Jealousy weakens the heart, and I’ll admit, I’ve been treating you rather poorly. So I thought we could make amends~!”

She stared at the substance quizzically. “But it’s meant for a protoquen! What effect will it have on a mare?”

“Nothing. Except for being the most scrumptious substance to consume imaginable! Close in similarity to that of honey, but far more potent! You don’t want to lose that nice figure on the basic oats Sombra is feeding you, do you? Go ahead, eat up! I insist~!”

The denuded, voluptuous monarch offered up her palm to Cerise’s mouth, who still hesitated. She didn’t initially trust Chrysalis, yet she found her ‘change in personality’ very suspicious. Nonetheless, the daughter of darkness resided the best she was able in her predicament and hoped whatever she was about to put in her mouth wouldn’t poison her or have any ill side effects.

Cautiously, Cerise took a small lick. Her brain lit up, and her taste buds danced at the heavenly taste. Growls fluttered in her tummy, her head tilted back by Chrysalis, unable to help but drink it down into her starved tummy.

The changeling’s smile stretched. What the princess didn’t know was it harbored an aphrodisiac effect on mares, since protoquen needed it to become the paragons of their hives. And, by Sombra’s instructions, she laced it with his semen, the tyrant wanting his daughter-sister to become addicted after he’d cum in her mouth.

Within a minute, Cerise swallowed the entire handful, burped, and blushed. Her bat ear twitched at a faint moan in the larder. “H-Hey, whose voice is that?”

“What—uhhh, nobody! You must be—” But Chrysalis’ words went unheard once Cerise broke away and ran into an adjacent juncture, her loose breasts left to swing and her buttocks clapping under her hurried movements.

Finally, she raced to a stop at the source, where a heavy white-and-blue pegasus mare sat in a birthing position within the shadows. Her heart skipped. “… Sn-Snowy Blizzard..?!”

Faded eyes, half-blind, looked her way and weakly whispered, “Wh-who are you...?”

“Cerise Silhouette! I’m married to your son, Midnight!” She knelt before the heavily knocked-up mare.

“Midnight...? H-He’s alive..?!” Snowy sniffled and managed a weak smile, even though she was on the verge of death. She brushed Cerise’s fingers and felt the silver wedding ring that adorned a digit. “M-My children… My husband..!” she said deliriously.

“I’m sorry!” She embraced the older mare, who returned her warm hold. The two of them wept and took comfort from each other in the depths of the interconnected hives.

“M-My daughter, Lightning! Is she okay..? Are they-?”

“They’re fine,” reassured Cerise, who decided to leave out the effects of his hyper-stallion side. “I... I’m sure they’ll help the Crystal Empire raise an army to rescue us...eventually...”

“Good to kno—ooh...~!” Snowy wheezed once her swollen belly pushed the latest clutch from her uterus into her birth canal. The slimy sphere peeked out from her leaky, swollen slit. She squealed in pain, and Cerise raced to help her deliver, heedless of the potential risks to herself.

“Hang on! You push, and I’ll pull!” She reached into her slippery birth canal and pulled. Behind her, the shadow of Chrysalis fell on the pair, and Snowy couldn’t help but scream hysterically.

“No..! Sh-she did this to me! You have t-to leave… before you become like me…” pleaded Snowy.

Chrysalis cruelly smiled. “That’s the last clutch! Poor Snowy Blizzard… All used up~!”

“You heartless monster!” Snapped Cerise, no longer caring about the consequences anymore!

“Mmm, I try~!” Chrysalis purred. “Don’t worry, princess. You’ll make an excellent replacement!”

“Wh-what?”

“Since you ingested that aphrodisiac jelly, your body is primed to become my next broodmare! Oh, I can hardly wait to pump your virginal womb full of a clutch and then inseminate them!”

Cerise clutched at her neck, frightened. “No! Y-You can’t! Sombra won’t—”

“Allow this? Please! I’ve already made arrangements for that wastrel! He probably won’t even notice his precious daughter was replaced by a mere drone!” With her formidable arcane arts, her horn lit, and she undid the spell that kept Cerise’s costume stuck on her.

Cerise yelped, her pulled breasts distended to their limits, and her nipples stretched, while likewise, her pussylips yanked by the costume, which Chrysalis used her aura to tear off and rendered her completely vulnerable. Lastly came the heart-shaped plug into her rectum, left wide open as it popped out, her holes presented to the queen.

“Guards,” mentally communed Chrysalis with the elite of her hive. “It’s time!” Her royal elites shuffled to arrive in the larder, while Cerise turned her attention back to Snowy’s final delivery. A wet pop sounded from the motherly mare, who pushed out a last egg from her overly stretched womb and cunt.

Snowy’s heavy breasts heaved. “N-no… no more…please…”

“Stop it!” Cerise cried while she wrestled out of Chrysalis’ grip. “No! Let me go!” She was yanked back to her feet when muscled changelings in chitin armor funneled in. They seized Snowy and forced the half-conscious mare to her feet. “Release her now, or I’ll-”

Chrysalis laughed harder. “You’ll what? Whine to Daddy? You have no real power here, princess! Take her away.”

Snowy whimpered, dragged by the stoic heavies the queen sent for. In desperation, Cerise tried to summon her crystalline power... yet nothing happened no matter how hard she tried.

The charcoal thestral snarled and demanded, “Where are you taking her?”

“You should be more concerned about what I’m about to do to you~!”

While the guards disappeared with Snowy from the larder, Chrysalis grabbed Cerise by a pigtail, making her yelp as she forced her to bend over, Cerise’s palms struggling for purchase on the slippery fat so she wouldn’t fall.

Cerise’s eyes widened. “N-no-!” She heard the tear of flesh and felt twin ovipositors land between her black buns with a moist slap between her asscrack, where they rubbed and smeared precum over her hot pink asshole and wet pinkness that peeked out from between her swollen labia lips.

Her face shamefully burned with fury and dread, her pussy left to wink and her anus clenched after continual stimulation, trapped in a constant lustful state that made an exposed pussy drip.

“Oh, yes~! I wonder what kind of hybrids the spawn of Sombra will produce!” Chrysalis drew back her shafts, aiming the tips of her cocks at Cerise’s lower holes, and slowly started to push into their warmth with a shared moan between them...only for the queen to suddenly be thrown back by an unseen force. “What the hell?”

Despite the queen’s attempts to weaken the enchantments, the princess’s enchanted costume activated and snapped onto Chrysalis like a set of bondage gear that restrained her. The platinum stretched like liquid metal, bound her hands and ankles behind her as Chrysalis screamed in outrage.

“What is this? Get it off of me!!” she demanded, horn lit up while she failed to undo the binds. Her twin ovipositors had retreated back into the shapeshifter, her voluminous black breasts and ass jiggling whenever she wiggled impotently in her prison.

Cerise huffed, turned, and recovered herself. “Serves you right!”

A slow clap sounded from the larder’s entrance once Sombra emerged, grinning ear to ear. “Once again, my dear Chrysalis, you prove to be predictably sloppy,” he mused while striding in, Trixie following by his side. “My daughter’s wardrobe wasn’t just for decoration. It was also a failsafe should anyone get the idea of laying a hand on her!”

“B-but how could you have known! You were all the way back—”

He tapped his reattached horn, which subtly vibrated. “A warning was set the moment those clothes no longer adorned her skin.”

Chrysalis huffed, blushed, and squirmed. “Release me, Sombra… L-Let me go!”

“Not until you’ve learned your lesson,” he denied coldly, his magical aura wrapped around the changeling and pulling her to him. He coolly commanded, “Trixie, drop those robes and prostrate yourself like a bitch.”

“Yes, master~!” Trixie undid her robes, tossed them aside, and went to all fours. He used her naked flesh like a throne and settled Chrysalis face down over his lap.

“Now then, how should I discipline you this time~?”

Cerise swallowed harder. She hated Chrysalis more than ever...but she wasn’t a sadist, either! She didn’t even want vengeance of any kind! “F-Father! That’s not necessary! All I want is for Snowy to be safe!”

“She’ll be taken care of,” he reassured her. “I’ve already sent my forces to retrieve her as we speak.”

What would generally inspire hope and relief sounded ominous to Cerise, but her attention was torn back to Chrysalis, who yelped and squirmed harder when Sombra laid hands on her bare ass with sharp spanks that left angry red handprints on her buttcheeks each time they rippled. “Naagh~! You can’t do this to me! I’m the queen!”

“And I am your king. Your equal, as you claimed. Yet that hasn’t stopped you from going behind my back!” He spanked her harder with a sharp crack.

“I...okay! Ouch! I’m sorry! I’M SORRY!” A few stray tears ran down the queen’s heated face.

Sombra paused to look at his daughter with a sly leer. “Come here, Cerise. It’s your turn~!”

Aware he wouldn’t be satisfied until she did so, Cerise trotted over and relaxed her posture, her arms crossed beneath her bunched-up breasts. She met Chrysalis’ furious eyes for a moment, tentatively drew back her palm, and landed the first soft smack on the queen’s wobbly, reddened ass.

“Harder,” demanded Sombra. “Make her feel it! Let her disobedience mark her skin! What was it you used to say, Chrysie? ‘Only royalty should flaunt their power?’” He chuckled when Cerise drew her hand back and landed a much harsher, more dominant spank.

Chrysalis hissed, her face afire as her lower cheeks were beaten raw until they heavily blushed. She whimpered when Sombra applied a cool liquid to her buttocks, which Cerise rubbed in to soothe her. His horn lit, and the costume that bound her retreated as he said, “That’s enough ‘re-educating’ for now. Remember this lesson well.”

The metal pieces floated off her, then slapped back into place on Cerise, which made her assets bounce. The dark tyrant lifted Chrysalis, rose to his feet, and beckoned Trixie to stand.

His eyes surveyed the minotaurs trapped in the fatty walls, places blank from where some were removed and used to feed the changelings. He settled on one area in particular, where Thunder Storm’s body had been kept preserved in preparation for this imminent moment. The twin suits of armor were complete. All they needed were a pair of proper hosts!

Chrysalis tossed back her mane and attempted to recover her dignity. At the very least, he seemed unaware of what Vox was currently up to! “What’s next on the agenda, then? We continue to build our numbers—”

He nuzzled her neck and idly groped at her bared breasts like putty in his palms. “Yes. They replenish much faster than the enemy’s! Even if the Crystal Empire and Hammerfall were to put aside their differences, I doubt they could win now. But I’m not content to sit around in this hive forever. Gather me an army to lead on the surface. I want to test my son’s body in battle!”

She swooned at his touch and argued, “We have minions for that—”

“I’m a conqueror,” Sombra cut off, crimson eyes glowing. “It’s in my blood to crush all opposition and rule. That is why you resurrected me, no?”

With a cruel smile, Sombra’s palm slapped back on her ass to draw her in and meet her lips. His false hand vibrated around the cupped asscheek, then slid to stimulate her bare pussy. Their tongues wrestled, her face heated and eyes fluttering after any lingering anger towards him dissipated under his wandering hands. He drew back and declared, “Have an army prepared. I’ll move out to march within two days.”

Chrysalis rubbed her snout clean off his spittle, clarifying, “So you plan to hit the cult’s next target? The breeding camp?”

He nodded. “Take that, and the Crystal Empire’s fall will swiftly follow. Now, how about a reward?” Once more, he pushed down and directed Chrysalis onto all fours, before he took her with the twin dicks he summoned. He also beckoned Cerise and Trixie to kneel by them and bear witness to their tryst.

Sombra pulled her mane and tail, then tanned her wide buttocks some more, and pounded her with such fierceness she whorishly moaned, while her pendulous tits madly bounced and swayed. Trixie couldn’t help but fondle her own tit and rub her clit, while Cerise sat still, her dark cheeks scorched red.

He took the changeling queen fast and rough, knowing he hadn’t much time to mess around. It was more like a celebration, before he planted the husband and wife hosts in suits of armor and transformed them into his latest experimental weapons. Chrysalis screeched out her euphoria beneath him each time he ruined her fuckholes.

It didn’t take long until Chrysalis howled and squirted and tightened around his shafts, which her lower holes milked for all they were worth. His swollen balls surged with cum as he bellowed, "Take my seed! Take it deep, my !" Like last time, his alchemy enhancements assured he’d produce far more volumes of virile semen than usual.

The first few loads blasted into her womb and bowels. Sombra withdrew in the middle of his release and started to fire across the queen’s lower back and butt. Then he aimed his double cocks at the onlookers and rained down a deluge of splooge that painted the pair. Cerise instinctively started to cry out in outraged protest again, as runny ropes of cum violently slapped across her blushing face and shot into her mouth, her tongue absolutely soaked by his familiar taste. Not helped by the royal jelly she’d ingested, mixed with his seed which he'd addicted his daughter to.

Their faces and tits were splattered under thick blast-after-blast, which ran down their contours and stuck to their glazed, glistening skin and fur. He smiled at his work, Cerise and Trixie drenched by his cumshots, until he finally tapped out with a few last weak releases. Face masked in his slimy cum that plopped onto her titties, Cerise yelled, “You did that on purpose!”

He chuckled. “That makeup becomes you, sweetheart. Trixie, why don’t you clean her up?”

“As you wish, master~!” Trixie tackled Cerise to the floor and started to lap the spunk from her. The princess squirmed but knew resisting was pointless, so instead, she sat still and let her lick her.

Whenever Cerise was allowed to sleep, the nightmares and erotic dreams proved worse than ever. She would whine in her sleep, even as her fingers moved on their own to rub her snatch, addicted to pleasure by her father/brother as he indoctrinated her.

This time, she found herself in Snowy Blizzard’s place, like the poor motherly mare, naked and alone in the larder; Cerise’s belly swelled up from a large batch of changeling eggs after Chrysalis had impregnated her. All she could do was scream until her shrill voice was hoarse in horror, weep useless tears, and pop out one slimy sphere after another. A stream of pee also escaped her. In the background, out of the corner of her eye, Omen was watching her. Relishing in her suffering.

She knew what awaited her, should Sombra fall in battle and Chrysalis seize complete power. So part of her wanted him to survive, to protect her brother, whose body he’d stolen, and to save herself from a fate darker than she ever could have imagined. The vibrations of her costume stimulate her.

Stirring in her sleep on a bed in her private quarters, she murmured in a deep sleep. “Midnight...Moonlight...Ashen...Beatrix...somebody...! Save me...!”

Yet the charcoal batmare knew her loved ones weren’t here. She would have to stand entirely on her own.

*****

As the UFO sailed through the vastness of space on its way back to Midnight’s world, those not involved in the battle pitched in to aid the ship’s self-repair system and allowed the Glamorguis to draw on their life essence through the jellyfish-like tendrils that rose around them. All was quiet… until Layla shuddered, sensing a tremendous sensation running through her voluptuous body that caused minor turbulence. Sliding doors opened, and Julianne hovered from the spiraling hallway. “Did you feel that, Lady Layla? It felt like—!”

“Exaltation,” acknowledged the motherly succubus, a warm smile on her plump lips. “Zeloph has awakened and unleashed his full potential!”

“R-Really?!” Beatrix chimed in, hopeful.

“Finally, some good news,” sighed Eclipsed Heart, who'd repaired her costume the best she was able, leaving some tatters since she liked the look. “Do you know what he’s doing now?”

Layla shook her head. “I cannot. I can only assume he’s engaged in combat.”

“Then let us pray that he and our friends will succeed in vanquishing both the revenant and the Vile One,” the rosy-haired nun encouraged, hands clapped together.

“Please tell me you’re not about to sing,” groaned Iclyn, fingers about to plug her ears until a cross-shaped rift suddenly appeared from overhead.

The witch mare yelped. “Whoa! What the-”

Out came Seb, whose sense of gravity failed him as he landed front first. The demon groaned while pushing himself up. “Well, that was weird—AAAUFFF!!”

Arron was just behind, and his massive frame crushed the slimmer demi-human. “Whoops! Sorry, bud!”

The burly demi quickly got off and helped Seb to his feet, hand favoring his sore back. He painfully wheezed, “Next time, just fully crush my head. I wanna be done with this fucking day..!”

“FRIENDS!” Julianne shouted joyously, walking up to hug her companions tightly. “You have returned safe and sound!”

“I wouldn’t say safe per se, but I’m glad to see you too,” Seb admitted, patting her bed. Upon noticing the others with tendrils sticking out their backs, he asked, “Uhhh… Am I interrupting something?”

“We’re trying to keep the Glamorguis afloat with our energy,” answered Layla. “So if you have the power to spare, it would be much obliged.”

“Sorry, lady. But I’m wiped,” exhaled Arron right as his form shrank to that of an imp. “I barely held out as is. I need a nap!”

“Infirmary is to the left,” Eclipsed guided him with a soft smile, getting a thumbs up from the golden demi as he power walked down the hallway.

The primordial woman asked, “And what about you, Sebastion?”

“Nah, just pull me up a seat, and I’ll pitch in,” answered the card demon, who started prying off the skintight clothing and took in the fresh air.

“Well, out with it! What’s happening on Sacratera?!” The violet unicorn demanded impatiently.

“Man, you should have seen it,” began Seb while Julianne helped him into his signature green pinstripe suit. “Mortis and Andrei had us on the ropes. But then Bella awakened her Onoma to summon some weird lizard genie that split the dragons apart.”

“That sounds a lot like my ex-husband, Asmodeus,” noted Layla, a playful smile on her lips.

“Still, sis has an Onoma now? That’s awesome!”

“Ehh, I guess. According to her, Gehenna requires she intake male seed to harness her full succubus instincts, which puts her through pseudo pregnancy. All that to summon one out of seventy-two demon lords. Feels like one of those high-risk, low-reward deals if you ask me.”

Beatrix pouted. “Yeah… Especially since she’s not particularly fond of men. Well, besides Zeloph, luckily enough!”

Eclipsed entered the conversation. “Speaking of, did he really achieve Exaltation?”

Seb nodded eagerly. “Saw it with my own two eyes. It was a thing of beauty! He was mopping the floor with Viscera, cooking her hotter than a stuffed turkey on Christmas Day! That is… until he had to come to save us from Mortis and send the doofus and me back here.”

Iclyn furrowed her eyebrows. “So the Vile One remains at large?”

“I wouldn’t worry too much about her,” said the motherly succubus. “I sense that she used most of her efforts infecting the Glamorguis and her attempt on both Beatrix and Zeloph. Out of the two, Mortis is the greater threat.”

“Which is why the sooner we land in Middy’s world and patch up the Glamorguis, the quicker we can head back to help them!” The pop diva urged worryingly.

“We’re in no condition to do so with the current state of our ship,” reminded Julianne. “I’m afraid it might already be too late by the time we land and begin repairs. The most we can do is have faith they will defeat Mortis.”

“Yes,” concurred Layla with unease. “Let us maintain hope. It may be the only thing we have left…”

A solemn silence hung in the air as the group continued to offer their combined energy to support the UFO’s travels.

Elsewhere, in the ship’s intricate maze of corridors, Autumn Equinox managed to pull herself together, redress, and slip out of confinement after the sudden shockwave knocked everyone out. Unfortunately, the undead that invaded the ship also perceived her as prey.

Outside of the vial Viscera left her, the one-eyed batmare only had her fish-hook gauntlet to cut a swath across the tunnel. “Outta my way, you braindead freaks!” Another carved-up hunk of partially rotted flesh slapped and skidded across the stained wall.

She needed to escape! To slip back into her own world before being taken back into custody! Without Mortis, Triad, or Penny present to direct them, the zombies proved more of an annoyance than an actual threat. With haste, Equinox danced circles around them and easily cut each to pieces.

Yet she knew with sheer numbers, they could potentially trap and overwhelm even her! The marauder didn’t have any allies here. Another speared zombie crumpled at her feet, the air filling with death’s reek. “Goddamn it all, where’s the fuckin’ exit?”

“Over here,” came the voice from a feminine, bat mare silhouette at the corridor’s end. Equinox clawed her way over, the two glaring at each other.

“Grr… Should have known you’d show up,” Equinox sneered, swiveling her way toward Moonlight. “Haven’t I whipped your sorry ass enough, Mooncakes? I don’t have time to play with you, so move aside before you’re another stain on my claws!”

She pointed her armed weapon at her fellow thestral, who answered by raising her own fists strapped in claws. “Not gonna happen, Cyclops! There are bigger problems ahead of us. I’m taking you in!”

Equinox scoffed. “Please! I could break you in half any day! You were lucky with that poison dart last time, but there’s no one around to back you up now! Meanwhile, I’m still in top shape~!”

To demonstrate, she zipped by at top speed, enhanced by whatever Viscera had pumped into her womb. Moonlight was nearly blindsided by the swift attack, but managed to dodge while also taking to the air. Even with the hybrid of cybernetic and clockwork wings designed by Moon Hammer, the former cadet strained to keep pace with the enhanced Equinox as they repeatedly swooped and crossed mid-air.

“She’s not alone!” Lightning Spark hurtled amidst an electric blue blur, followed closely by Deinos, who scurried across the ceiling, bioweapons extending out his hands.

“We apologize,” the mutant changeling said. “Got held up by a few dozen zombies, but I think the rest of the crew should be able to handle the leftovers!”

“Good! Just stand back! I can handle this,” Moonlight hollered. She'd lost too much to fail now! Yet to her dismay, Equinox still exceeded her natural abilities many times over!

Deinos muttered a curse as he craned his neck behind him. “More have followed us.” Another undead horde spilled in, the mass of bodies so thick they bunched up a tunnel in a wall of flesh.

“Please, Equinox,” Lightning implored her former friend. “Join us! We don’t have to be enemies!”

But the batmare scowled, “Quit being so naïve, Sparky! So long as you stand by that changeling, you’ll always be my enemy! Better to watch your own ass!”

True to Equinox’s word, the undead masses started to spill in. Deinos took the lead to fend their numbers off, each swing of his arms pulverizing the living corpses. “Nngh! Should have kept my flamethrower,” mumbled the shapeshifter.

Lightning said, “I can zap ‘em-”

“No! The ship is already compromised!” Her ears flattened at that, rebuked like a child, and his voice softened. “Help me handle them, okay? I can’t deal with these odds alone!”

“You betcha!” She raced up to his aid.

Meanwhile, despite her efforts, Moonlight huffed, covered in a few lacerations while they sliced at each other every time they passed. “How are you… this fast? Did Viscera… pant… alter you somehow?”

“So what if she did?” growled Equinox. “Not like it would have made a difference. I was always your better! I was on the frontlines, a true warrior ready to die for the honor of protecting Equestria. Meanwhile, you skulk in the shadows and stab people in the back!”

“You don’t give a rat’s ass about Equestria nor its citizens!”

“Pha! And you do? Didn’t you fuck a couple of fellow soldiers, then poison and kill them? And you still have the gall to paint me as a ruthless crook~!”

She balked and hesitated. “What...how did you—unf~!”

That was all Equinox needed to seize her throat and slam her so hard into a wall she knocked the wind from her.

“A little birdie told me,” she snickered through her sneer. “Seems Viscera knows all kinds of dirty little secrets about you punks! Face it, Mooncakes. You and I aren’t so different. In fact…” She reeled back her claws, one of the curved tips aimed at Moonlight’s left eye, which dilated with fear. “Why don’t I show you just how 'similar' we really are~!”

“N-n-no! Don’t—!!”

The fish hooks whooshed forward, ready to gauge the orb from her rival that dared mock her.

“Moonie!!”

Lightning spun back and blitzed over at full speed, face drawn in determination to save a mare she considered a sister. She managed to push Moonlight from Equinox’s iron hold with the weight of her tackle...and screamed, spattered in a rush of hot blood as the hooks sunk into her.

“WAAAAAAAAUUUGHHHHH!!”

Her screams woke Equinox from her fury, the one-eyed bat mare visibly shaken and pale.

“What?! Oh… oh Celestia, no…!”

Lightning slid down to her bottom, covering half her face as blood oozed out behind her palm, bawling in anguish. Moonlight fell to her own knees, appalled. “Lightning, no! NO! LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE?!”

She screamed at Equinox, who could only gaze down at the horror staring right back at her, punctured through her hooked blade. “No… It wasn’t… I-I didn’t mean to..!”

Lightning shivered as she went into shock, fainting dead away. Deinos tore his attention between her and the undead horde that advanced, which he cut down one-after-another. “YOU MONSTER!”

Equinox’s face snapped back to a dismissive snarl; any shame pushed down. “I-It was her fault! She shouldn’t have butted into my business! She’s weak! Fuck fodder for freaks like you!”

Before he could secure her in his multi-limbed grasp, the marauder sped past him, a swath cut across the undead that allowed the raider to finally slip beyond the tunnels.

Unable to follow, Deinos continued to fight off the swarming cadavers. For a moment, Moonlight moved to follow with a snarl, ready to murder the bitch in cold blood! But instead, the thestral tended to the pegasus the best she could. “Fuck..! She’s hurt really bad! Maybe we can slip back where Equinox came from and-”

“It’s a dead end,” reminded the arachnomorph. “We have to retreat! She needs immediate medical attention!”

“But there are so many blocking our way! How are we—”

Fireballs ripped across the zombies, crumpled and smoldered as a familiar unicorn stallion stormed through.

“Cheers, love! The cavalry’s here,” yelled Arcanum, flanked by Dion and the half-succubus twins.

“Time tae bash some skulls, girls,” the burly ram bellowed. “Clear a path so we can rescue th' lass!”

“At once, Sir Dion!” Wet Nurse and Foal-Bearer said in unison, giving their caprine champion soft kisses on his cheeks before they dived into the fray, smacking away the zombies with long talons and maces.

“Thank goodness,” whispered Moonlight, who cradled Lightning and tended her wounds the best she could from the limited field medical knowledge all cadets received. A few stray tears slipped down her cheeks. “This is all my fault! Now I know how Cerise feels after I protected her! I shouldn’t have...huh?”

She locked her wide eyes toward a gust of wind swept through the undead invaders, and her foalhood friend appeared with his lance in hand. “M-Middy? Is that really you...?”

Midnight Blitzer stood proud and tall, his youth and trained physique returned. Notably, he looked similar to their cadet days, with all bright blue feathers, fluffy fur, and wiry muscles. The only difference was the streak of gray through his spiky mane, resembling a thunderbolt. He offered her and his unconscious twin sister a pained smile. “Y-yeah. It’s me!”

“Yo-you look... you’re back to normal!”

“Looks like the Necronomicon’s destruction reversed every change done to him,” observed Deinos. “Not a single trace of the hyper-stallion!"

“That’s not all!” A bluish-green glow emitted from his eyes, wings cloaked with wind energy that he sent bowling through the zombie-filled corridor with one mighty flap. “I think I have an Onoma! Part of me speculates it’s tied to the aerial forces of nature that run through my family bloodline!”

“That’s incredible,” Moonlight admitted with a heated blush.

“Yeah! Remind me to thank Moxxi after we’ve landed… or, more appropriately, apologize to her,” the azure pegasus sheepishly said.

“Good tae have ye back, lad,” Dion said with a smile, slapping him on the shoulder.

“That’s the last of the zombies in this hallway,” said Wet Nurse, she and her sister naked as their half-succubi forms emitted a protective aura about them.

“We should be nearly done then,” added Foal-Bearer wistfully.

“Quickly! We have to get Lightning to the infirmary,” pleaded Moonlight.

“I’ll take her,” offered Midnight, who lifted his twin into his arms, pain contorting his visage upon seeing the grotesque gash across her face. This then gave way to anger as he snarled, “Equinox..!”

“We’ll go after her,” announced Arcanum, who, along with Dion and the maid twins, ran down the hallway they saw the marauder flee into.

Layla’s voice sounded from the speakers overhead. “Attention, passengers. Our arrival is imminent! Brace yourselves!”

The UFO shuddered and moaned when it entered orbit. Space and time warped to transmit the craft across the cosmos, rending through the cataclysmic storm, which now emitted strange and thundering roars.

Midnight, Moonlight and Deinos did their best to move along the corridor, despite the rough turbulence. Likewise, Arcanum and his group trod carefully through the circular hallway, with the erenn warlock muttering, “Bloody Merry… If only you were here to see all this nonsense...!”

*****

Bloody Merry’s ear twitched. “Oi! Did someone call up me name?”

Half-awake, the brick red mare swept back her thick blonde mane, seated at the pub to shovel down breakfast. Not that the bartender hurried her, but she wanted to pitch in and do her part, despite how it was still the buttcrack of dawn. Her estrus acted up again, not helped by that potion she’d taken, which left her already heavy breasts oversized and sore from excess milk. But she couldn’t exactly fondle them and milk herself dry, at least without funny looks and another offer from the twins to become a waitress here!

Not to mention the cramps and her inflamed, overly wet nethers. It’s a good thing she padded her panties!

“Urrgh! This fuckin’ blows donkey dicks!” A line formed outside, but customers weren’t allowed in yet. The saloon-style entrance was blocked by the other minotaur bouncers. “Gonna be another hell of a day.”

Worse, the sexed up titty bar only made it harder on her estrus! Blue Moon called, “Inspection time~! Line up ladies and drop those panties!” Gloves were snapped into place. The haulster waitresses, which numbered over a few dozen, stripped completely and rested their hands on the bar counter when they bent over to present themselves. The twin sisters approached them. “I used to be a nurse, you know!”

“Hence her old name Wet Nurse,” Strawberry Moon explained with a snicker. “And I was called Foal-Bearer!”

“Yeesh! Was your mum reading a porno mag when naming you two?” mumbled Merry between bites, trying not to sound judgmental. She considered sex work legit, after all, so long as no one felt exploited or was otherwise abused. It just simply wasn’t for her.

The twins inserted sterilized speculums into the cow women, each routinely inspected for infection or disease before their shift started.

“Clear~,” said Blue, who playfully patted the plush bare butt of the first cow.

“This one, too~,” added Strawberry with a wink, who flicked the fatty udder of her cow waitress.

One by one, the twins reached into the slick pussies of the holstaurs and rubbed at their slippery walls, relieved they all came up clean. The potions and instructions Beatrix left for Moon Hammer were simple to replicate, most of the alchemy reasonably basic, and the ingredients abundant since the world was overgrown ever since it fell to the changelings. These medicines made impregnation or the spread of disease primarily impossible, but they checked them over daily, to be sure.

One of the spotted cow women that called herself ‘Creamy’ approached the mare, still nude. “Hey there, honey. You look a little down. How ’bout a freebie~?” She bent forward.

Merry swallowed hard; pendulous spotted udders left to sway and settle in her face, the overly wide nipples tipped in dollops of milk droplets. Whatever her preferences, estrus made her pussy wet and winky. “Uh, thanks, but why? Just another bouncer, really, not special-”

“Girls around here feel different,” said the one named ‘Milky,’ also unclad save for the cowbells they wore on their chokers. The holstaur also stood taller than most stallions and was overly voluptuous. “You protected our butts when those soldiers turned rowdy! We wanna pay you back somehow!”

“Go ahead,” said Creamy. “Take all the squeezes you want. It’s on us.”

“Besides,” said Milky. “We need to be milked, too! Glad the twins have decided to help out!”

The twin sisters tittered, for after they finished up the inspection, they too slipped into what passed for a ‘costume’ in the pub, which barely covered their crotch and little else, so stuck to their skin and fur the heavy swell of their cameltoes were visible, their thong-clad coral pink ass and titties fully displayed.

With a hearty shrug and a clipped smile, Merry gripped and squeezed the heavy hangers suspended before her eyes. The pliable, squishy udders pinched beneath her fingers, kneaded like dough as she skillfully milked the heavy orbs, blasts of milk fired from hard, wide nipples into a pitcher of coffee while Creamy lewdly mooed.

She took a drink with a smack when Milky raised a cup to her lips. “Mmm… Good stuff~.”

“Now do me,” offered Milky, and with a playful eye-roll, as Merry switched her hands to Milky’s milkers. She took turns with the pair of cow waitresses, until she had a day’s worth of dairy supply.

“Now, now! Save some for the patrons,” reminded Blue Moon.

“Time to let the zombie horde in!” Strawberry tittered and stepped aside, as minotaurs bouncers parted to allow the first stallions inside. Within minutes, the pub was filled to capacity.

“Welp. Back on the grind we go,” noted Merry, who covered her mouth to help stifle a burp after she polished off breakfast. Creamy and Milky redressed like the rest of the waitresses, 'clothes' administered by the twins, who slid the bottom pieces into place and playfully snapped them onto their spotted butts.

Unfortunately, once the sun fully rose, the air started to swelter again. Grumbles rose from the restless stallions, several fans set up by Moon Hammer to help cool the pub. Nonetheless, Merry’s suit stifled her, and even the cow waitresses had sweatdrops roll down their curvy slopes.

Blue Moon waved a fan over her face. “Hot today, isn’t it?” She and her sister were ‘dressed’ like waitresses to help relieve the packed room; their heavy breasts still milked up after their births.

“A real scorcher,” replied Strawberry, as a sweatdrop rolled down an udder and mixed with a milky drop that dotted the slit of her perky nipple. She whispered, “I reckon another brawl is brewing.” She subtly nodded to stallions at a table, who traded hard stares with the minotaurs, despite how forward the waitresses were to help distract them.

“Won’t let that happen,” assured Merry, who stood up. “Shame Chezka and Panna are off with Moon Hammer.”

“Someone has to look after the calves while we’re away,” noted Blue with a coy wink.

“And take care of our dreamy stud~!” Strawberry shimmied her wide hips and ass. “Hey, that’s it, sister! Maybe a show will help cool their heels! How about a raffle?” She pulled her sister close in a conspiratorial manner, a series of sly whispers and feminine titters traded between them.

Merry removed her jacket and undid a couple of buttons on her dress shirt, her sweaty cleavage partially bared. The heat simply made her estrus worse. The twins hopped onto the bar counter after passing some words to the bartender, and then announced, "Whoever spends the most today will receive a special treat from us!"

Cheers erupted from the patrons, who raised their mugs and clinked them. That appeared to ease the tensions, but Merry kept a keen eye out anyhow.

“They have another agenda, honey,” whispered Creamy in Merry’s ear under the white noise. “You already figured it out, didn’t you? We talked it over with the twins, the bartender, and the chief. Lotta spies in Hammerfall. You have no idea the kinds of secrets horny studs will freely spill once we loosen 'em up.”

Milky whispered in her other ear, “But we can’t quite complete our map. We’re so close! Shame we can’t ask Fiery Kickstart directly! Not like he’ll fill us in on the movements of his army!”

“Yeah, I heard lots about the bastard. None of it remotely nice. Maybe I’ll pay him a visit,” Merry considered, keeping a keen eye out while the hours wore on and the bovine waitresses made more physical contact with studs than usual.

The afternoon passed into evening when the twins once more hopped onto the bar counter and made their announcement. As one, they cooed, “We’ve picked out the two lucky studs~! Congratulations!” They pointed at the stallions in question, met by more claps, cheers, and pats on the back from their fellow troopers. “Give ’em some space, boys; it’s about to turn much hotter~!”

Merry fanned her sweaty breast and finished off another creamed coffee, while the stallions pulled their chairs so close they almost touched, face-to-face, while the onlookers drew back and formed a circle around them. The half-bovine mare twins hopped down from the bar and paused their stride to ask Merry, “Sure you don’t want to slip into something more comfortable~?”

“Not happening, you silly hoes,” she playfully taunted and sent them back on the way with a slap on their butts. They giggled and wiggled their hips, thighs, and buttocks in an exaggerated walk, which made each individual buttcheek roll before they dropped their thongs entirely. Aside from their sheer stockings, heels, chokers with cowbells, and maid’s headdresses, they were completely naked. They hummed and walked hand-in-hand, milky udders left to bounce and wobble with each step.

Strawberry approached her stud and poked his chest with a mirthful leer. “I'm afraid we can’t offer full-on sex-”

“-but how close can we come without penetration?” Blue finished as the sisters unzipped the pants of the stallions, and let their erect cocks flop free. They then straddled them back-to-back, so close Strawberry’s and Blue’s perspiration-lined, heart-shaped coral-pink asses rubbed. Their hard dicks were fully tented and rubbed across the inflamed, moist pussies that dripped down their shafts, over their puckered assholes, and the docks of their pastel pink tails that were upraised from wanton arousal as cunts winked. Their asses deliberately rubbed from the shake of their hips, as did the thick horsecocks trapped between their buns.

Groans rose from the studs when one asked, “Uh... isn’t this a little-”

“Gay? Nah, feels pretty nice to me! Unf!” He crossed his hands behind his head while the waitress rode him.

The winners relaxed under the double buttjob, while the twin sisters directed their hands and allowed them to freely touch their coral pastel pink asscheeks. “No penetration,” they warned. “But otherwise, feel free to help yourselves to our plush butts and titties!" Groped and kneaded flesh rolled between their fingers, the twins pinched and fondled with wild abandon to more hoots and hollers from the worked-up male mobs.

Creamy and Milky then waded in, squeezed their udders, and spurted sprays of sweet milk across the titties of the twins, which the sisters then allowed the lucky studs to lick clean.

Heart-shaped love buttons swelled from the hoods of their slimy pussies, which rubbed up and down their pillars and made them moan from the shared, doubled, pleasurable friction. They winked and squirted a little over the vein-lined horsedicks now slathered in a mixture of their mixed feminine essence and precum, which their flares rubbed across slick pussylips and assholes.

“Ooh~!” Blue’s face reddened in a harsh blush. “It’s smeared all over my backdoor~! Good boy~!”

Strawberry teased her stallion. “You about to cum~? Bet you wish you could shoot it inside~!”

One of the stallions wheezed. “Can’t...hold it...anymore…~!”

As one of the twin sisters bounced their buns she demanded, “That’s it, studs! Shoot your load all over our asses~!”

At that moment, another customer pushed his way inside, despite the full capacity. The twins yelped in surprise at the cloaked and hooded stranger, who appeared to be four-legged from the mantle that billowed behind him, and Strawberry bounced buns slipped amidst the twerks they did. The stallion below's flare slipped off her sweat-slicked perineum, poked her asshole, and felt its warmth and tautness spread around his shaft, soon entirely devoured balls deep as her slippery ass landed back in his lap.

With a hiss, he started to fire pent-up load-after-load into her rectum. Unable to stop himself now, Blue shrugged and wiggled her hips and butt as she pushed her stud into her tight backdoor and clenched it as she milked his seed from him. The stallions continued to spread and feel up their buns, rewarded by a squirty climax from the twins.

“Eeuh! Messy,” muttered Merry, who deftly stepped back to evade the stray squirts of feminine nectar, which slapped onto Creamy, Milky, and a few of the soldiers closest to the circle.

However, some troops had pulled their attention away from the amorous show, where a new arrival casually strolled into view. It was a bulky figure, hidden underneath ragged robes, flanked by two bestial plant-like creatures.

“Huh?! H-Hey, hold it!” One stallion called out, alerting some of his squad to follow him toward the stranger. “Stop right there! Identify yourself!”

“I don’t answer to you, boy,” the interloper replied with a tired baritone. “Step aside and let me through.”

“Not a chance,” another soldier said, gazing fearfully at the botanic creatures. One resembled a mountainous bear, the other a snarling wolf. “F-For all we know, you’re in liege with the changelings. Or that damned cult!”

The figure snorted with annoyance. “I can assure you. I am not affiliated with any order.”

Another soldier added, “Prove it! Remove your hood or else—!”

“...tch. Fine.”

The stranger threw back his hood and revealed himself to be another minotaur, tunson blue in color with a corn yellow eye. Half his face was obscured by a white bark mask, and part of his horn was missing. “There. Satisfied? Now, if you’d excuse me, I’d like a meal and a drink before I take a well-earned respite.”

But the platoon wasn’t buying it, refusing to let him pass. “Not so fast, pal. We ain’t letting you off the hook.”

Another soldier added, “You may look like these filthy cows, but that mask and those… things suggest you’ve been infected!”

The bullman gave a disgruntled sigh. “I suppose this means you’ll be taking me in for questioning?”

His narrow gaze hardened when they drew out their weapons. “And risk you spreading the cordyceps to us? Fat chance!”

Overhearing the conversation, Bloody Merry shoved her way forward and rolled up her sleeves. “Oi! I Don’t care who you are! If you’re planning to start another brawl, you take it outside! Or else I’ll throw you all out meself! Clear?”

Grumbles arose from several stallions once they complied, pushing the strange minotaur and his pets out the pub and towards the center of the village. A few onlookers gathered with a mixture of complex expressions. The brick red mare stood before them, her snout scrunched when Fiery’s men reclaimed their weapons to throw down.

“Rush ’em,” called a trooper. Their sabers whooshed across the air, ready to make mince meat out of the intruder.

Merry was about to fight her soreness and jump in, unwilling to leave anyone with the odds stacked against him. But it soon became clear the bullman didn’t need any help when a smirk stretched the corner of his snout “How asinine to believe you have me surrounded,” he grunted as a vibrant pink aura shone through the eyehole in his mask, his horns alight with archaic magic.

The earth around them rumbled once ethereal walls were erected to confine the soldiers, much to their shock.

“What the hell is this?!” One soldier exclaimed, yelling when he tried bashing his blade against the magical barrier, only to be zapped.

“Your new prison,” mused the dark blue minotaur as his bestial familiars stalked towards the frightened stallions. “Or, more accurately, your new tomb.”

With a stamp of his cane, the walls took solid shape with specialized stone, trapping the troops with the botanic abominations. Screams and growls could be heard within, causing panic among the peaceful villagers. Blue and Strawberry Moon rushed to retrieve their husband.

Merry snarled at the half-faced bullman. “Oi! That’s too far! Release them at once!”

“Your so-called ‘allies’ threatened to attack my person without hesitation,” he rebutted. “This is merely self-defense. I’ll let them go in a moment.”

The wails and terrifying noises contoured for half a second before he stomped his cane twice, dispelling the magical barricade. The bestial creatures ceased their mauling and returned to their master’s side, leaving behind the bloodied and wounded stallions.

“Have you gone mad?!” berated Bloody Merry. “You could have killed them!”

“Do not pretend you wouldn’t do the same if you were in my shoes,” the magus minotaur stated, eying the heated mare coolly. “It’s written all over your face. You have ill-contempt for these soldiers. As does everyone here.”

She tore her gaze away, not wanting to admit the bull-headed bastard was right. More lights turned on across the town from the ruckus when Moon Hammer hurried onto the scene, his war hammer in hand, nostrils flared. “Violence is not permitted in my town! If you do not abide by our laws, take your beasts and attitude elsewhere!”

The dark blue bullman turned his attention to the chieftain and chuckled. “Is this how you welcome outsiders? Threatening to pummel them into dust? Not a very peaceful method of maintaining order, is it?”

Moon Hammer growled, marching forward before Bloody Merry blocked his path. “Easy there, big fella! You weren’t there for it, but Fiery’s men jumped the gun.”

The village leader softened his glare, though maintaining his stance. “You sure..?”

“Heard it meself! They were gonna off the luggar without giving him a leg to stand on!”

“Hmmph.” Once more, Moon Hammer approached the strange bullman, who held up his hand to calm his ursine and lupine familiars. When he got a better look at him, the chieftain’s brows burrowed. “Wait… I’ve heard of you. You were there for Beatrix and her friends during the battle with the Burning King! You’re...!”

“Yes,” confirmed the half-masked magus, his expression softening. “It’s me.”

“What the bloody hell are you on about?” Interrupted Merry. “You know him?”

Moon Hammer gave a nod of his head while keeping his suspicious glare on the stranger. “…Brutus Grimmwald!”

Chapter 20

View Online

“What are you doing here?” The chieftain of Hammerfall demanded softly, eye deadlocked with the minotaur magus.

“The same purpose as your allies,” answered Grimmwald. “To stop the calamity wreaking havoc across the multiverse.”

“Whoa, whoa! Hold up now,” interrupted Bloody Merry, who stood between the towering bullmen. “Who the hell is Brutus?!”

“Warden of Canterlot and consort to the Sovereign Witch, Tatyana… or at least, I was.”

Moon Hammer lowered his weapon, brow arched. “What do you mean by ‘was’..?”

Grimmwald dipped his snout slightly. “To keep this brief, I am no longer affiliated with the queen, nor the Vice Lords and their ‘Legion of Black Roses’, who are waging a petty war against Oona Ewe and her people as we speak.”

Merry planted her fists into her hips. “From your side of the multiverse, I take it?”

The half-masked minotaur nodded. “Something far worse calls for my concerns here. I detect traces of Specimen-01931 all around this land.”

Moon Hammer stroked his chin. “Specimen-019… wait, you’re referring to the Mi-Go!”

The brick red mare scowled. “So you’re the one who gave Chrysalis and her changelings the eldritch shroom?!”

Brutus snorted. “Don’t be ridiculous. As if I’d allow those cordyceps to spread their parasitic influence. It was stolen from me!”

“By the anomaly,” presumed the chief minotaur.

“Which is why it's rather fortuitous, my being here,” continued the bull mage. “I can play an active role in dismantling the prevalent threat that ails you. A way to atone for my crimes… I understand by your expressions that trust is not so easily given here. But it’s all I ask.”

“Humph. Can you really blame us?” Moon Hammer scoffed. “I mean, between the warring factions, Chrysalis' swarm, and this so-called 'Cult of the Nemesis,’ we can barely afford to harbor refugees as it is! Not to mention the U.F.O. that flew over Hammerfall several days ago, abducting Beatrix and her friends!”

“Belladonna is not here?” Brutus’ hard gaze softened. “That is unfortunate…”

Bloody Merry folded her arms beneath her buxom chest. “Regardless, this planet has become a patchwork of broken parts made from other worlds! So if you really want our compliance, you’ll tell us everything you know about—”

“What is the meaning of this?!”

Their conversation ended the moment Fiery Kickstart entered the scene, the supreme commander offering a pasting glare at his soldiers recovering from the short skirmish with the beastly abominations flanking Grimmwald’s sides. They snarled, baring teeth and claws at the approaching half-burnt pegasus, but didn’t act without their master’s signal.

Turning his harsh gaze at Moon Hammer, Fiery reiterated, “You want to explain why you haven’t imprisoned this intruder yet, chief? He assaulted my men!”

“Oho! You mean the same men who planned to—”

“Wasn’t speaking to you, wench,” the mustard stallion cut off, much to Merry’s growing ire. He resumed his interrogation. “Care to elaborate? Need I remind you that this affects our truce, as we are your only means of protection against the changelings.”

Moon Hammer balled his fists to white knuckles, wanting nothing more than to pulverize this mass murderer parading himself as a war hero. Instead, he exhaled his vexation and calmly said, “His name is Brutus Grimmwald. Another victim of the transdimensional merge. He claims to know about the Mi-Go mushroom infecting the changelings with eldritch power.”

“Does he now?” Fiery momentarily scanned the half-masked bullman before deciding, “Then he won’t mind confiding with me, will he? Such information could be vital in our efforts to win back Equestrian soil.”

“Fuckin’ war-happy cocksucker,” Merry muttered under her breath.

His ears twitched at the insult, shifting to put the mare in her place until Brutus said, “I’ll tell you everything I know. In exchange for safe passage here.”

Fiery stiffened but restrained his need for discipline and turned his back on the trio. “Very well. To my tent. And leave behind your ‘pets.’”

The minotaur magus scrunched his snout, but dispelled his grimms and cautiously tailed behind the supreme commander.

“Hey,” called Moon Hammer. “We're not done here!”

“I speak with you later, Chief,” Fiery hollered back dismissively, not bothering to turn around.

“Don’t get your knickers in a twist. I’ll keep me eye on them,” promised Merry, who took out her auto-crossbow.

Moon Hammer grimaced but ultimately nodded his consent. “I know you can handle yourself, but just… be careful. The last thing I need is to get on Fiery’s bad side.” Assured the situation was handled, he went to check on his wives.

“Pft. From what I’ve seen, that’s every side!” Nonetheless, Merry put her old spy skills to work and cautiously shadowed the pegasus and minotaur. After a brisk walk to Hammerfall's outskirts, the pair approached a lone tent and entered it.

No doubt the Supreme Commander was cautious and wanted to keep his secrets, since she'd heard he was notoriously paranoid. She hid behind a bush, close enough to hear pieces of the conversation happening within.

“… I’ve already heard plenty about the Mi-Go. We find the hive, locate its roots—“

“Mycelium,” corrected Grimmwald. “Their interconnecting nerves will sense if danger is near. Storming into Chrysalis’ hive won’t accomplish anything.”

“If I wanted your opinion, I would have asked,” Fiery retorted rudely. “Just tell me how to destroy it.”

“For that, you’d have to listen, which isn’t your strong suit, evidently.”

Merry flinched with how hard Fiery slammed his fist into his desk. He spoke with held-back anger. “The only reason you still draw breath in my vicinity is because I find your intellect useful. Now, I don’t know if you noticed, warden. But Equestria is dying. And I swore to protect her prosperity. So you can either tell me your secrets or be buried with them.”

Brutus chuckled dryly. “You think the answer lies in the slaughter of your enemy? Specimen-01931 can’t be destroyed. The biomaterial used to create the fungus was genetically harvested. From the essence of a primordial monster called Shub’Niggurath.”

The brick-red mare covered her snout with both hands to prevent a startled gasp from escaping her throat. ‘What? Shubb’Niggurath?! Here?!?’

Fiery gave a laugh. “The Ebony Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young? You honestly expect me to believe such fictional nonsense?!”

Grimmwald responded with a serious glare. “It makes no difference what you believe. The Mi-Go is indestructible… but not invincible.” He reached into his coat pocket and produced a piece of torn paper. “I’ve crafted a formula that, with enough time and ingredients, can create a special vinegar to cleanse the mushroom’s eldritch properties and stop its infestation.”

Fiery set aside his disbelief and observed the scrap presented to him before snatching it out of the bull-man’s hand. His brows furrowed. “What in the—There’s nothing on it!”

“Precisely,” Brutus gloated, tapping his forehead. “The formula is safe and secure in my memories. So that it can’t be weaponized by blood-hungering warmongers. If you want to ‘save Equestria’ as you so boldly claim, you’ll do it my way. Cleanly and without brutality.”

She couldn’t see it, but Bloody Merry could tell the Supreme Commander was absolutely livid with this ultimatum. A solution to his problems. A potential key to unlock his perfect victory. Gate-kept by some pompous cow who didn’t have the stomach for genocide.

Fiery was seething, nostrils flaring and eyes burning with rage. “You would dare risk the lives of thousands—millions of Equestrians just to spite me?! Many women and children have been kidnapped, raped, and made broodmares to bolster those monster’s numbers. Do you not understand that!? I need to know how to destroy Chrysalis and her swarm! I must win this war!”

“I said I would tell you everything I know, and I have,” the bullman clarified. “I never said I would help you. Especially when you call the kettle black.”

In an instant, Fiery rose and poised his sword near the Minotaur’s jugulars, flames immolating the steel. Yet Brutus did not flinch or even react to this gesture. Only smirking with amusement at how little control the Supreme Commander held over his temper.

“It never ceases to amaze me how easily men can be deceived by their true nature,” Brutus chuckled.

“What the fuck does that mean,” the mustard pegasus demanded through clenched teeth.

The eyehole of his botanic mask glowed softly as he analyzed his magical prowess burning within. “You harbor a familiar aura that I’ve seen before. Behind that audacious facade lies an all-consuming hatred on the threshold of outbreak. You are not the Good Samaritan you believe yourself to be, leading your people away from ill intent. You, Fiery Kickstart, are the ill intent, who have set upon Equestria down a road to ruin!”

The two held an unbroken stare for several seconds until Fiery lowered his weapon and disenchanted his Onoma. Turning his back to the minotaur mage, he gruffly said, “Get out of my sight!”

Parting with a ‘hrmph,’ Grimmwald exited and slowly made his way back to the ville. Bloody Merry quietly started to follow when Fiery’s voice forced her to halt. “I don’t appreciate the eavesdropping, bar maiden. You’ve got something to say? Say it to my face.”

Merry looked between the tent and Grimmwald, then cursed at that momentary distraction. “Hell's bells, this ain't me day!”

Putting aside her misgivings, the brick red mare pushed her way into the tent, confident he wouldn't try anything too bold while in potentially hostile territory. Gear lined the floor and tables, and the mustard stallion stood barechested as he tossed his armor and top beside a stool. “… How much did you hear?” he started off, his hands casually behind his back as he paced.

“Heard lots about you before the bloke arrived,” she admitted. “Most of it not so nice.”

“Yes, well, we all have our biases. The Crystal Empire and minotaurs never had an easy start—”

“You let cannons rain down fire to deal with the swarm!” Merry countered.

He stopped and bowed his head. “A miscalculation, born of desperation. But a few dozen holstaurs were still captured by the hive. Imagine what the whole population of Hammerfall could help Queen Chrysalis breed! So long as she’s still alive, none of us are safe. We have to put her down, once and for all!”

“Genocide ain't exactly what I'd call justifiable for any reason. But I'm not here to reprimand you. Not sure why you wanted to see me, anyhow. Wanted me to hear your side of the story? Hoped you could pull me to your side. Not happenin’! You treat everything like dirt while they’ve treated me like family!”

“But you're still a mare,” Fiery reminded. “You won't ever really be one of them. Not until you've taken one of those potions and become like those half-bovine bimbo twins.” He scoffed. “No, I'm well aware of their clumsy attempts to spy on me. Doesn’t help that my men get chatty when horny..!”

She met his half-burned face, the scars visible down the same side of his muscled chest and belly, and no doubt went well past his pants. “So why tell me then? Not much of a tactician yourself when the iron's too hot!”

The Supreme Commander leaned on the table. “You give me the impression of someone dependable in all situations. I understand you have a couple of problems of your own. Why not kill two birds with one stone?”

When Merry didn't answer, he continued, “I can provide a map of the hive's territories. It’s why you’re spying on me, isn’t it? Here.” He procured a rolled-up scroll from a stack of them and dropped it on the table. “I’m willing to lend it to you… for a price.”

Merry tried to hide a small swallow. “...what do you want in return?”

He crossed closer with a wry smile. “...you.”

She balked. “You shit spewing tart! I'm not a common camp whore!”

“Think of it more like how an alliance is sealed,” he pressured, standing tall. “I’m not asking you to marry me or put my foal in your belly. Surrender your body to me until the sun comes up, and the map's all yours. I've even marked it with the recent movements of my troops! You’re also in an intense heat, right? I can help cool you down.”

Bloody Merry cursed the scalding ache in her loins, subconsciously aware the studly stallion offered imminent relief. “Fuckin’ prick. Chastising your men for being down bad perverts when you’re no different!”

He shook his head. “It's the power that does it for me, honey. And there’s nothing more thrilling than to flaunt my authority over a mare,” he confessed with a smug smirk. “That pretentious bore really riled me up, so it’s in your best interest to unburden me of that stress. If not, I could always take it out on one of Moon Hammer’s sows…”

Merry rolled the idea over in her head and let it marinate. Could she ever look herself in the mirror, were she to do the nasty with this cruel tyrant? Would the map even prove useful? But were it so, she could potentially save lives in Hammerfall and possibly find a way to disassemble his army from the inside out!

She'd already died once. “...Alright, I...I'll do it. But if word gets out what we did, I’m castrating your giblets!”

Fiery chuckled. “I think you’ll find yourself enamored with my ‘equipment.’ Now, start by taking that top off. Slowly…”

With a roll of her eyes, the brick-red mare steadily undid the buttons on her dress shirt. When the last button popped, her bare heavy breasts flopped free, swathed in perspiration, and tickled by a steamy draft that rolled in.

The air started to cooled down in the late hours, so her nipples were swollen and hardened under chilly, nocturnal kisses. Bloody Merry tossed her shirt aside and began unbuckling her belt. ‘Can't believe I'm about to do this. Thank fuck me mum ain’t here to see me…’ She rolled down her pants and stepped out of them.

“Mmm… You keep yourself fit,” Fiery observed, his eyes drawn by her silky panties, crotch already moist despite the pads she'd put in place to lessen the leaks from her rampant estrus.

“I can break a stallion in half,” she warned him. For a moment, she considered the auto-crossbow holstered at her belt, tempted to put a few bolts in his brainpan, heart, groin…

“And I’ve broken plenty of bitches far more feistier than you,” the Supreme Commander boasted, gesturing with his burnt hand for her to turn around.

Merry’s face twitched in a subdued manner, but she nonetheless did exactly like he instructed, her wide, sculpted ass in his direction when she leaned forward and slowly slid down her panties, which slinked to her ankles before she stepped out of them. Looking over her shoulder, she spat, “There! Happy now, you half fried fu—uugck~!!”

Fiery seized her hips and answered with a hard thwack across her right cheek, grinding his concealed hard on into her bare muff. “Know your place,” he grunted, delivering another smack. “If my Amazonian wives weren’t so busy fucking around, I wouldn’t be this pent up. And neither of them have yet to bear the fruit of my loins. Useless cows… a shame I can’t have you knocked up in their stead.”

Merry chewed her lip to the point of bloodying her mouth, unwilling to give the bastard the satisfaction of hearing her reflexively moan while he bruised her ample ass with seats of his palm.

Eventually, Fiery backed off and pulled her around to face him. “Let’s put that stubborn mouth to good use, shall we?”

“Typical,” she hissed but conceded by dropping to her knees. Merry unceremoniously unzipped his pants and freed his cock, lined with a few subtle burn scars but otherwise perfectly intact and impressively sized. Her pussy wetly winked in anticipation when she inhaled his masculine musk and she planted the first tentative lick on his runny, flared tip.

“Good mare,” he murmured and opened himself wider to help her service him. The brick red mare tried not to think about what they were up to whenever she planted more laps and kisses across his shaft as it throbbed.

Merry swept her blonde mane aside, took him to the hilt in her lips, and bobbed her head. His palm rested atop her dome, Fiery reminded that he and Shining Armor were more alike than he wanted to admit. Yet he concentrated on Snowy Blizzard, the lost love of his life, imagined in Merry's place.

He would've protected her! Not like that noble fool, Thunder Storm!

Over and over, she sucked him off. Faster. More firmly. Her lips were a closed vacuum around his dick as he curled his hand into her mane and wheezed on the precipice of climax.

Suddenly, a loud thunder reverberated across the skies, pulling the Supreme Commander out of his lusty haze. “H-huh? Wha-what was that?!”

With Fiery momentarily distracted, Merry took the opportunity to bite down on his cock and punch his hefty nutsack for good measure. The mustard pegasus roared, cradling his injured pride and collapsing bow-legged, sharp pain overriding his arousal.

Merry grabbed at the map, fetched her clothes, and spat out precum when she made a beeline out of the tent before the angry stallion could recover. She didn’t bother wasting time to redress herself, ducking into a bush while several soldiers flooded towards the tent upon hearing the outcry.

“Sir! We heard a ruckus. What happened—”

Fiery immediately knocked the moronic grunt off his feet, belting, “Idiots! Abandoning your posts during a war! It’s because of you that bar maiden took my map! If Moon Hammer learns about those locations, the truce is over. So find the little harlot and bring me her head!”

“B-But sir—”

“NOW!”

The squadron nervously collected their unconscious comrade and scurried out to retrieve the stolen goods, lest they face the unquenchable wrath of their leader. With no one else to blame for his arrogance, Fiery trashed his private quarters by throwing a tantrum, breaking everything within sight.

Merry wiped away the lingering taste of his dick from her mouth after calming her breathing. She might have jeopardized what little peace there was between Hammerfall and the Crystal Empire, but hopefully, the contents within the map would be well worth it. The look of anguish on Fiery’s face was icing on the cake, too!

Once she was certain none of the Supreme Commander’s men were searching around the area, she undid the scroll and took a peak.

The map was repeatedly marked all over. True to his word, it revealed the recent known movements of his units, the swarm, and what little was speculated of cult activity. It also revealed one of his units had been recently lost and a possible area.

A delighted grin spread her snout. “Guess a wee bit of anarchy was just what we needed! Better get this to Moon Hammer pronto!”

Merry tucked the resealed map into her breast pocket and put on her garments and pants. As she was buttoning her shirt, she spotted something streaking across the blackened sky, growing in size and luminosity as it approached the ground.

“Blimey! Is that a comet? No, wait… Moony mentioned a UFO earlier! Has it come back?!”

Regardless, the brick red mare had a mission to do: fixing her wardrobe and making a quiet rush back to Hammerfall, evading Fiery’s pursuit squadron in the process.

*****

Upon re-entry of the war-torn Equestria, the Glamorguis rattled and warbled; many of the passengers braced for impact once it began to land. The enormous saucer-shaped creature mewled weakly the moment it touched down, suffering from the sickness inflicted by Viscera. By now, hundreds of zombies were slaughtered, corpses and pieces of them scattered across the grimy corridors.

Unfortunately, the damage had been done by the infiltrators, the onboard systems unable to keep up with the constant onslaught while antibodies deployed to remove the moldy plague corroding the passageways. Layla realized too late that this was Mortis’ true aim. Triad and Penny Dreadful were mere distractions while the undead hordes tore apart the U.F.O.'s technorganic interior.

Under normal circumstances, the damage would be surface-level. But thanks to the Vile One’s efforts, every system had been compromised, and the two villains took advantage of the situation for their own ends.

“My poor baby,” the mother of demons murmured, stroking a polished wall. “Mommy will make it better.”

Still connected to the ship, Layla attempted to heal it with her own life force, a skill she'd developed from the angelic form Bellatrix Primadonna cast off to become her new flesh… only to fall to her knees and hurl her stomach’s contents all over the floor. Sickly purple blemishes formed over her voluptuous form, veins bulging underneath her eyes, snot and tears oozing out her orifices. She coughed out bile between screams.

Julianne rushed to her side. “Lady Layla! Are you alright—?!”

“Don't… mmnugh! C-come any closer! Please,” the motherly succubus warned, hand over her mouth. “The disease has taken root in me as well… I've managed to heal some of the Glamorguis’ wounds, but at a terrible price. Viscera… I swear I’ll make her pay for thi—eeghmm!!”

Seb and Arron followed behind, only to recoil at the sight of the primordial woman vomiting all over the stainless floor.

“Eeugh! Now that’s a gamble even I wouldn’t risk,” muttered the card demon. “So undignifying!”

“Nah, that’s her child, bro,” said Arron. “You'd do whatever it takes to save your own, yeah?”

“…Y-yeah, I would,” Seb admitted softly, crossing his arms. “If I were still a part of their lives…”

“If I hadn’t intervened, the Glamorguis could have died. I understood the consequences,” Layla wheezed, her skin pallid and dotted in perspiration, fever boiling while it tried to burn out the sickness. “And I’d do it again if it means protecting my children. That is what a mother must do.”

“Still, the odds aren’t in our favor,” said Seb. “Zell, Ana, and the fakeubus are playing against a stacked deck on a deserted planet, which we barely made it out alive. Doubt we’ll be able to get the frisbee off the ground anytime soon.”

“There's more,” said Julianne, who tapped into the ship’s surveillance to pull up glitchy footage of a certain one-eyed convict climbing out a torn opening and spreading their bat wings to sail away. “Autumn Equinox managed to escape before our arrival. Scanners can’t find any trace of her nearby.”

“Pft! She’s just a lousy punk. Nothing a little attitude adjustment can’t fix!” Arron proclaimed, smacking his fists.

“We don’t have time to chase her,” the rosy-haired songstress said. “Not while the Glamorguis and her ladyship acquire medical attention.”

“Yeah, we’ve got much bigger problems at hand, amigo,” noted Seb. “At least we touched down a few miles from this ‘Hammerfall’ place.”

“Thank the stars,” whispered Layla, who sluggishly lifted herself onto her feet. “Anyone that wants to head into the minotaur town will have to hoof it from here. I need to incubate for a while; sleep off this ghastly illness.”

Julianne nodded and turned to her fellow demi-humans. “I think it’s best if we stay aboard as well. I can help the ship replenish while you boys guard the premises.”

“Oh, you mean like a bouncer? I can do that!” Arron said enthusiastically, literally bouncing on his heels while throwing punch combos in the air. “Anyone who crosses my way is gonna get got!”

As the burly wrestler strutted his way down the hallway, Seb cheekily added, “Nothing ever gets past you, buddy~.”

“Sebastian.”

The gambling demi stiffened before turning his attention back to the nun-garbed angel, whose bright and happy smile masked an unsettling aura that wafted around her.

“I understand you’re still healing from your previous fight, but I would really appreciate your help. Keep in mind that while I take temporary command over the Glamorguis, there will be no loafing of any sort.” She then loomed uncomfortably close as her cheery tone dropped to a threatening whisper. “Is that clear~?”

“Geh! Y-Yes, ma’am! Right away,” Seb acknowledged fearfully as he swiftly ran towards the armory section of the ship. Demand aside, it was a good opportunity for him to restock his deck of capture cards with higher-tier weapons.

Julianne tittered and turned to Layla, who was equally unnerved by how passive-aggressive the peppy nun was. She then said, “You need to rest, Milady. I’ll take care of everything in your absence. I trust we won’t get sick so long as you're in quarantine?”

“Y-yes, you all should be safe,” the motherly demi-human replied weakly. “It's because I was linked directly with the Glamorguis. I've taken every precaution possible to protect the pools here from contamination and sealed them off before the virus reached them. Consider the core a containment zone.”

“Splendid! I’ll inform everyone else.” The rosy-haired nun skipped her way to the control panel while Layla was raised to her room by the UFO’s jellyfish-like tendrils. Tapping into the communication hub, Julianne announced,

“Attention, passengers. In spite of the turbulence and zombie infestation, we have successfully arrived at our destination! Please follow the pathway lit by a red line to exit the ship.”

“Finally,” groaned Wispy Willow, who had been standing by the infirmary entrance in case any stray zombies were skulking around. Thankfully, it seemed like the invaders had all perished. “Don’t think I could handle another hour flying in this thing!”

Back in a cheongsam since her old costume was trashed, the tigress nekomata impatiently walked around her sister’s bedside, who’d she whisked here after her fated duel with Triad. “You feeling better, sis?”

“Yes imoto,” Kitsune softly said as she slowly raised, heavily wrapped in sarashi. The mystical blade left behind by Triad was sheathed on a shelf nearby next to her arsenal and tools. “I-I should be able to—”

“Dìyù lǐ méiyǒu bànfǎ! Guts’ll spill everywhere!” The twin-tailed tigress firmly yet gently pushed the injured vixen back down. “The others have got this, okay? Most of them are professionals like us! So just leave it to them!”

“O-of course, imoto... I'd merely be in the way,” lamented Kitsune, her foxy ears flattened.

Wispy planted hands on her pear-like hips. “No need to sulk about it! Geez, for such a badass, you sure are sensitive! Hēi! Kyube, Chisana! Back me up here!”

“You defeated Triad,” the male vulpine said encouragingly. “That alone offered them the chance to clean up the rest of the undead! And without their lieutenants to direct them, they’re little more but aimless fodder!”

“Sore wa ano kurutta tori no josei o taosu no ni yakudachimashita!” added Chisana, her ringed tail wagging.

Wispy nodded along with them before slipping into a low mumble, “Could've been faster, though... Can't believe I let that oversized tabby wreck my own pussy!”

Clearing her throat, Kitsune asked the Yokai bandits. “And what will you two do? Return home?”

“I'm not sure we have a home to return to, given the state of the multiverse,” admitted Kyube, his eyes torn between the raccoon dog and the vixen. A short smile then spread his canine features. “Who knows whether another chance will come? I guess, for the time being, you’re stuck with us~.”

Wispy purred, “Well, I’m certainly not opposed to your company, Húlí. But you miiiight wanna take it up with my sister though. Pretty picky about the people she keeps close by~.” She threw a wink at Kitsune while flashing a saucy smile. “Plus, Eclipsed wants to stay and help Cerise! And that means I'm with her, too!”

“I won't ever leave you or Eclipsed alone,” assured Kitsune, cheeks heated from the constant teasing. “I swore to lay down my life should it ever come to the worst. But in my condition...”

“Just relax, heal up, and let us take care of you! We can handle it!” Wispy insisted. “Say, do you think Layla has a television hidden in this thing? I would love to watch a few martial arts flicks! Hiyah!”

While the nekomata punched and kicked the air, Kyube shook his head. “I think I've seen all the combat I need for today. We were lucky to have finished off Triad and Penny Dreadful!”

“Ohh! Kawari ni shizen shō wa ikagadesu ka?” Chisana found a remote and turned on a monitor. But no matter what button she pushed, all the tanuki girl found was footage from the cameras outside, which showed the bloody battle underway, a thankfully one-sided one. She grumbled, “Kono chan'neru wa kiraidesu!”

“Whoa, kiddo!” said Wispy, who covered the raccoon's eyes once more. “That’s enough gory violence for you!”

Squirming free of the nekomata's hold, Chisana reminded with a pout, “Watashi wa kodomo janai yo!”

“Shizukani shite kudasai,” hissed Kyube, who nodded towards the other inhabitants further in. Moonlight stifled her sobs beside Lightning Spark, who she'd carried at the first opportunity. The pegasus was in a coma shortly after losing her eye, and the battle left for Midnight to finish at her request.

“It's all my fault,” choked the bat mare. “You trusted me, and I-I…”

How many more would they lose to these senseless wars before it was all done? Could she carry on...?

At least her childhood friend was back in shape and had apparently unlocked his Onoma. A small comfort after the hell he'd put her and Cerise through. “You'd better handle this, Middy,” she whispered sternly. “Because whatever you've done, we need you.”

Moonlight River’s entire life had been a lie. Her family was confronted by prejudice, since thestrals were associated with Nightmare Moon and blamed for the first major recorded conflict in recent history. At first, they'd needed to hide in caves until the military found them and indoctrinated Midnight, the boy her parents had taken in. To be by his side, she, too, enlisted to serve the state.

Yet until his hyper-stallion side awakened, Midnight only saw her as a friend, more like a sister to him. Shining Armor, the stallion she'd idolized, also used and abandoned her. And now Lightning Spark paid the price for her pride and the need to even the score with that heartless bitch Equinox!

“My parents will always be in danger until we finish this. I can't abandon them. Plus, I'll be able to see Moon Hammer.” She stroked the unconscious mare's cheek, struck by a solitary tear she couldn't hold back.

The electric blue pegasus mare twitched, half her face wrapped in bloody bandages that were routinely swapped, where she would later be transported to a pool to heal once the ship was properly stabilized. Layla explained it was too risky now, with all the systems focused on self-repair.

Otherwise, there was a risk her psyche would permanently bond with the ship in her comatose state.

According to Layla, even the ship's onboard technology couldn't recover a destroyed eye. At best, she could offer some sort of cyber replacement, which was a small comfort to the ex-cadet. And with the tech difference, she doubted even the minotaur blacksmith could do any better...

*****

Docked in the woodlands, stairs whirled out to allow anyone aboard to egress since, by this point, nearly all the undead that lingered were dealt with. Beatrix Belladonna was one of the first to exit, and stretched in the dawn's muted sunshine, where she breathed in the clean air with a wide smile and an exhale. “Aaaah~! Sure is nice to be back on solid, breathable earth,” she said to herself.

Arcanum Folklore strode out beside her, his coat bloodied and frayed in places. “Oi. Ain’t the time to be dottling. We still have this 'Cult of the Nemesis' shit to figure out. Stay sharp in case those bloody bastards attempt an ambush!”

“Yeah, yeah. This isn't my first adventure,” she replied with a dismissive wave. “You should try and relax, appreciate life a little more!”

Arcanum hardened his glare. “And you should be taking this seriously! Now that your enhanced magic is gone, we’ll need to double your training while on the road!”

Her face fell, reminded of what she'd lost with the Necronomicon's destruction. She was mortal now. More vulnerable than ever. “Right…”

Iclyn strolled behind them, her arms casually crossed under her bust. “I'll watch our flanks. I swear, I can already feel eyes on us.” The azure doe's eyes scanned across the thick forestation.

The party divided, half left on the U.F.O. to recover after the battle and help the spacecraft heal and protect those aboard. Meanwhile, Beatrix, Arcanum, Iclyn, Dion, and the half-succubi crystal twins headed towards Hammerfall to touch base with its leader.

Miles were passed on foot until they crossed the first minotaur scouts in watchtowers, on the lookout for intruders.

“Heeeey!” Beatrix cheerfully called from her cupped hands to announce herself. “Didn’t miss me too much while I was away, did ya~?”

The minotaurs and watch nodded. “Wait here,” said one, who climbed down from the watchtower lined with clockwork turrets and cannons, then headed to the heavy double gates in the distance. A few minutes passed before they opened, and a squad arrived to escort them inside.

Faint whispers and murmurs resonated from both the bovines and equines, bewildered and astonished to see Beatrix and her entourage return so suddenly.

On the way in, one of Fiery's men stepped in to ask, “Halt! How do we know you’re not changelings?” He kept a hand near his sheathed saber, like many of the soldiers that observed their approach.

“Aufurfuxakes, did ye not see th' giant saucer soarin' throogh th' sky?” grunted Dion. “We ain’t changelings!”

“We ain’t taking any chances, pal!”

“Ah ain’t yer pal, bub!”

“But you are mine. Step down,” told Moon Hammer dismissively, his face stoic for the moment as the air brimmed with tension. Small talk would have to wait until they weren't in the open.

In truth, at the news of their arrival, he'd requested Marathyssa's help, who'd immediately accepted. She'd taken the temporary form of a holstaur peasant, her protoquen senses able to sniff out drones or anyone infected by the cult's larva. Fortunately, she found them all clean and gave the village leader a subtle signal.

Before Fiery’s soldier could pry out any further information, Moon Hammer funneled them into his home. “Relax, friends,” he said after an uneasy sigh. “You're safe here. A lot's happened since you've been away, but we can discuss it later. I'm sure you're tired and famished.”

“Believe it,” replied Beatrix, who plopped down in a chair. “Going back and forth between two worlds is tiring. Even for me!”

“Aye. Our vacation was ruined,” said Dion, who also settled in with his half-succubi lovers in tow. “Ah needs me sum strong stuff!”

“Our specialty ~,” called Strawberry and Blue Moon with a whistle and went to fetch them breakfast. They were helped by Marathyssa, who retook a crystal mare maid form in a flash to assist the half-cow twins.

Once breakfast was served, the group of heroes relaxed and exchanged summaries of the events they faced. After the last few hours of relentless hell, they needed some relief, which came in the form of a well-prepared meal by the twins and protoquen.

Amaranth and Amethyst, the half-succubi twins, also hurried into the kitchen to provide service. The house was soon filled with a variety of aromas, and their bellies were full of food and beverages.

Iclyn broke the ice first after a light burp. “Excuse me! Been a while since I ate this good.”

“Preach~,” moaned Beatrix, patting her tummy.

“Right then,” Arcanum said while wiping his snout clean. “Onto business. We're strapped for time as it is.”

Grimly, Dion nodded. “All sorts ov villains have crawled out from th' shadows. Mortis, Viscera, Vice Lords, this damned cult led by th' anomaly. Not tae mention th' swarm an' Fiery's army!”

“At least they've called a truce for now,” the witch noted between sips of her tea.

“I hardly call this a truce,” admitted Moon Hammer. “What we have with the Crystal Empire won’t last long. Especially now that you’re back.”

“This isn’t the only world on the brink of all-out war,” reminded Iclyn. “Walpurgisnacht will happen soon in the Lost World.

“I’ve got a hunch telling me that both conflicts were orchestrated by the anomaly,” added Arcanum, half-downing a bottle of wine. “Mmm! Sublime.”

“This world could fall apart at any moment,” restated Moon Hammer. “Everything we've built could be demolished in an instant. My wives, our calves, my people...I couldn't bear to lose them.”

“We won’t let that happen,” assured Beatrix. “Layla’s Glamorguis should have plenty of room! Maybe we could—”

“It's in bad shape, lassie,” said Dion. “E'en if it flies, we need tae head back tae mah homelain!” He shifted towards Moon Hammer. “Besides, ye can't abandon this place sae easily, can you?”

The chieftain bowed his head. “… I can’t. Part of my world was pulled into this Equestria. It's like this planet's a complex patchwork made up of separate puzzles. I'd sworn to my people to protect this land. It may seem unimportant to outsiders, but the land's sacred.”

“I understand all too well,” said Iclyn. “The deighdyr have fought for generations to protect the native life of the tundras from invaders. It may be a frozen wasteland at times, but it’s ours.”

“And I have a family who needs me as we speak,” said Beatrix. “But even if we can’t stay for long to support you, I’m sure our friends from Sacratera will provide aid!”

Moon Hammer nodded. “Thank you. Speaking of, we've had some new arrivals of our own recently. One claims to be an old friend of yours.”

He looked at the warlock, who perched an eyebrow. “Old ‘friend?’ Who?!” Arcanum tensed up and shot to his booted feet, fearing it might be an old adversary of his. “If it’s that shit for brains Doctor Reanimator, I’ll—”

A knock sounded at the door, which then opened before they could move. “Apologies,” said the half-masked minotaur flanked by Moon Hammer’s guards. “Thought I’d let myself in and… Oh. You have arrived.”

“Brutus Grimmwald,” hissed Iclyn between her clenched teeth.

“Ye’re got balls showin' yer face 'round here,” growled Dion.

Arcanum, however, relaxed into his chair, utterly relieved it wasn’t who he thought it was. “Oh, thank fuck! Thought it was someone… eh, never mind!” He took another swig from his glass.

Beatrix paled, but nonetheless, her face also twisted while she rose up. “Why the hell are you here, Bruno? And don't tell me Canterlot's forces aren't far behind, ready to invade too?”

Brutus snorted. “You mean the same forces I commanded when I assisted you in battle with the Burning King? No, I’m here due to the disastrous storm desecrating the multiverse.”

The violet mare scoffed. “Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy, huh?”

“Listen, Belladonna,” the half-masked bullman said while taking a seat at a nearby table. “Whatever grievances you have with me are justified. I unintentionally brought harm's way to your pregnant lover—“

“‘Unintentionally?!’ You and that stuck-up bitch Tatyana are in league with the Vice Lords! The very people who ransacked my manor and enslaved her, my sister, and Omen!”

For a moment, she detected a lot of fury burning within his yellow pupils. Still, he managed to keep a little calm face. “That was never my decision. The Sovereign Witch had her heart set on conquering the Isles of Parras.”

“Yet you still allowed her to talk you into it, did you not?” Iclyn pointed out dryly.

“The queen… no longer listens to me,” he solemnly confessed, reaching into his breast pocket to pull out his wedding ring. “All I’ve ever wanted was to love her. But in my pursuit of such happiness, I was blinded to how ambitious, greedy, and callous Tatyana had become. How I had become.”

His eyes softened when staring into the wayward witch’s violet orbs. “You understand all too well, don’t you? To be burdened with the weight of thousands of innocent lives. All because you made the wrong choice.”

Beatrix lessened her tense expression and only offered a small nod.

“Consider this my exodus from the Lost World,” surmised Brutus. “I will not take part in Tatyana’s vanity quest. I… I wish to help you put an end to this growing madness.”

“Bah! Get over yourself,” Iclyn spat coldly. “We’ve practically started a whole club of people who want to make up for their heinous actions. Belladonna, Bellatrix, Zeloph, Shadow Scythe, Midnight—the list goes on!”

“At least they had th' gall tae tough it out an' not turn tail when their tower ov issues toppled over,” snorted Dion. “Unlike ye, coward!”

Grimmwald hardened his glare. “My penance is beside the entire point! Don’t you get it? The anomaly has set everyone against each other and plans to divide and conquer the remaining players from the ashes.” One of his furrowed brows arched. “… You don’t even know who's behind all of this, do you?”

Beatrix tensed up. “Oh, and you do?!”

“Fat chance,” said Arcanum. “Fat fucker’s lying through his teeth!”

Brutus brushed off the warlock’s insult and continued, “Contrary to belief, I am more than acquainted with him. I’m partially responsible for his becoming.”

Iclyn narrowed her icy green eyes. “Him?!”

“Wait, so you’re admitting that this is all your fault?” Moon Hammer accused. Beatrix clenched up from hearing those insidious words.

“I am,” confirmed the minotaur magus. “The crumbling multiverse. The Cult of the Nemesis’ resurgence. Both this war and the one brewing on the Isles of Parras. All of it was because of my misjudgment. In trying to plant the perfect garden, I allowed one bad weed to sully and taint my labor.”

Dion demanded, “Well? Out wit it, then! Give us a name!! Whose arse dae Ah have tae kick?!”

Beatrix more gingerly asked, “Who is the anomaly, Brutus..?”

With all eyes on him, Brutus reached for another item inside his waistcoat and placed it on the table. Everyone gathered in with a wry gaze, and what Beatrix saw sent her anxiety through the roof.

“His name is Aiden Darkbloom. But you know him by another alias…”

It was a withered photo depicting a much younger Grimmwald and Tatyana together, tied to the arm and waist with confident expressions. They looked happier, younger-looking, and without botanic accessories. But it was who was next to them that carved a sharp pain through Beatrix’s chest like a butcher’s knife.

A tall, gray deerman in formal clothing, face partially concealed with an open book. The side of his face turned away from the camera, maroon eye giving a side glare.

“…Omen?!”

Grimmwald cast a wry glance at the distraught witch. “Like I said. We’ve both made the worst mistake imaginable. We both indulged with the Nightmare Stag.”

Iclyn slammed her fists into the table, startling both the succubi and holstaur sisters. “I fucking knew it!” She sneered, frost spreading from her balled-up hand. “He was not to be trusted!”

“W-what, no!” Beatrix shook her head, refusing to accept the vile notion. “No, he was captured alongside Oona and my sister! He couldn’t have—“

“A convenient cover-up,” the icy doe shot back, her words laced with venom. “Using the threat of Alma hijacking the manor to draw away suspicion. Urrgh! And I was stupid enough to let Oona convince me to babysit you!”

“But he helped us rescue Abadonna,” the unicorn witch protested with watery violet eyes. “Why else would he—?!”

“It was your union that gave him the chance to re-enter reality,” said Grimmwald. “Tell me, if Omen truly cared, why hasn’t he made himself present throughout your struggle? When was the last time you heard from him?”

Beatrix shuddered, recalling the last dream she shared with Omen, how he consulted her about making the right choice before they engaged in promiscuous affairs. The witch then forced herself to confront the nightmare tormenting her. The final monster set upon her flesh, while her twisted beloved choked her out and harbored a head crowned by outstretched antlers. Omen has not once reached out to her ever since that night…

Bitter tears continued to fall down her cheeks as her wounded soul surrendered to the inescapable truth. Perhaps the deepest parts of the witchy mare always knew the Nightmare Stag was the culprit behind the calamity and tried to bury it, so she couldn’t acknowledge that she unwittingly allowed another monster into her life.

Except this time, he sought to use the woman she loved and the child they shared. All of them none the wiser to his nefarious design. “…I don’t want to believe it,” sniffled Beatrix, her voice without strength. “Why… H-How could he betray me and Oona so easily?”

“Because you’re so gullible,” Iclyn bluntly said, withdrawing some of her frustration.

“You brought this upon yourselves,” added Arcanum. “I mean, seriously? C’mon! His bloody name is a giant red flag!”

Beatrix felt her breath hitch as if an invisible noise was tightening around it. Oona Ewe used to warn her not to embrace darkness so easily, back when they were aiding Cerise and her family in stopping Zeloph. Remembering how often she would push her perspective on the azure shamaness in hopes of being understood and accepted.

More evidence tying back her childish naïvity. More blame to strap down her shoulders and weigh her down. The disembodied chant manifested inside her head,

“All your fault!

All your fault!
All your fault!”

“GaaaaAAAAAAHAHAHAAAA!”

Beatrix wailed like a banshee as she slipped onto the floor, knocking dinnerware and uneaten food down with her.

“Beatrix?!” Iclyn cried, she and the others rising with concern. The warrior caprine firmly grasped her shoulders while she squirmed and yelled.

“Get a grip, lassie! Tell me what’s wrong?!”

But the frightened witch could only reply in screams, her vision clouded by the ghoulish recollections of her comrades, their spiteful chants synchronized with the frantic beating of her heart, which drowned out any voices of the real world.

And squeezing her throat was the eponymous anomaly himself, his eyeless bony visage looming over Beatrix. His salivating jaws parted, exhaling rank breath to suffocate her senses, the buzzing of static and distortion growing in the background as the nightmare stag whispered into her ear,

“ꌦꄲ꒤ ꋪꏂꋬ꒒꒒ꌦ ꇙꁝꄲ꒤꒒꒯ ꁝꋬ꒦ꏂ ꇙꏂꏂꋊ ꓄ꁝ꒐ꇙ ꉔꄲꂵ꒐ꋊꍌ. ꃳ꒤꓄, ꋊꄲꅐ ꌦꄲ꒤ ꀘꋊꄲꅐ,” the nightmare stag whispered into her ear. “ꋊꄲꅐ ꏂ꒦ꏂꋪꌦꄲꋊꏂ ꀘꋊꄲꅐꇙ ꅐꁝꄲ ꓄ꄲ ꃳ꒒ꋬꂵꏂ ꅐꁝꏂꋊ ꓄ꁝꏂ꒐ꋪ ꅐꄲꋪ꒒꒯ꇙ ꋬꋪꏂ ꉔꋬꇙ꓄ ꒐ꋊ꓄ꄲ ꄲꃳ꒒꒐꒦꒐ꄲꋊ.”

“N-no!” She cried shrillingly, squirming as a long, slimy tongue lapped along the shell of her ear.

“ꋬꁝꁝꁝ~! ꌦꄲ꒤ ꓄ꋬꇙ꓄ꏂ ꇙꄲ ꂵ꒤ꉔꁝ ꃳꏂ꓄꓄ꏂꋪ, ꋬꊰꋪꋬ꒐꒯,” he chortled. “꒐’ꂵ ꍌꄲ꒐ꋊꍌ ꓄ꄲ ꇙꋬ꒦ꄲꋪ ꏂ꒦ꏂꋪꌦ ꅐꋬꀘ꒐ꋊꍌ ꂵꄲꂵꏂꋊ꓄ ꄲꊰ ꌦꄲ꒤ꋪ ꋬꍌꄲꋊꌦ, ꃳꏂꋬ꓄ꋪ꒐ꉧ. ꅐꋬ꓄ꉔꁝ ꌦꄲ꒤ ꍌꋪꄲ꒦ꏂ꒒ ꁝꏂ꒒ꉣ꒒ꏂꇙꇙ꒒ꌦ ꋬꇙ ꒐ ꓄ꋬꀘꏂ ꋬꅐꋬꌦ ꏂ꒦ꏂꋪꌦ꓄ꁝ꒐ꋊꍌ—ꏂ꒦ꏂꋪꌦꄲꋊꏂ ꌦꄲ꒤ ꁝꄲ꒒꒯ ꒯ꏂꋬꋪ.”

“No! No no no, NOOO!!”

“ꋬꋊ꒯ ꅐꁝꏂꋊ ꓄ꁝꏂꌦ ꋬꋪꏂ ꍌꄲꋊꏂ, ꌦꄲ꒤ ꅐ꒐꒒꒒ ꀘꋊꄲꅐ ꄲꋊ꒒ꌦ ꒯ꋬꋪꀘꋊꏂꇙꇙ. ꄲꋊ꒒ꌦ ꇙ꒐꒒ꏂꋊꉔꏂ. ꄲꋊ꒒ꌦ ꇙ꒤ꋪꋪꏂꋊ꒯ꏂꋪ. ꄲꋊ꒒ꌦ ꂵꏂ!”

“STAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHP!!”

Beatrix managed to conjure her Onoma into her hands and shoved the perpetrator off with a blast of magic… only for the illusion to glitch out and find Dion’s body lying between a broken table. Wet Nurse and Foal-Bearer ran to his aid while the others stared at her bewilderingly.

The hyperventilating unicorn stared at her hands with wide eyes, black steam evaporating from her palms. “Dion..? No…O-Oh gods, please no! I didn’t mean to—“

“Augh! I-It’s alright, lass,” the warrior ram reassured, mustering a stiff chuckle while letting his crystalline lovers and Moon Hammer’s wives help him back up. “Nothin' Ah haven’t broken before!”

He hissed, rubbing the reddish bruise on his muscular chest.

“Are you okay?” Iclyn asked, dropping her cold demeanor while running a hand over the sweaty mare’s face.

Beatrix shook her head rapidly. “I-I don’t know what’s going on anymore!”

“You’ve cracked,” huffed Arcanum, wine staining his undershirt. “Flailing about like a mental patient getting ready for the asylum!”

“It appears Omen’s Onoma has afflicted you,” observed Brutus, earning appalling stares from the group.

“H-His Onoma..?”

“It is called Melinoë,” the masked magus elaborated. “Through despair, he can harness your fear and cast you into a lucid state of perpetual paranoia. Entrapped with whatever causes you the most suffering. Driven insane until your heart expires from over palpitation. Normally, you’d be safe so long as you’re awake. But evidently, his power has grown beyond the limitation of sleep…”

“So then, how is he breaking reality?” Iclyn questioned. “We know Beatrix made herself an anomaly through the Necronomicon. What did Omen do to achieve the same?”

Brutus turned to the fireplace, charred coal left in the pit as his history played out through his mind’s eye. “… In my attempt to bring prosperity to Canterlot, I instead brought the beginning of our catastrophe. It was twenty years ago. Shortly after Tatyana’s coronation and our wedding day. That’s when we first met Aiden. He was a young, timid, yet sophisticated fellow, having traveled to Canterlot in the hopes of developing a cure that might end the mysterious ‘wendigo sickness’ plaguing his people.”

Beatrix looked at Iclyn, whose icy stare hardened.

“I took him in as an apprentice,” continued Grimmwald. “Together, we cultivated our studies, as well as our fondness for the finer things in life. Cooking. Gardening. Art. Music. It was nice to finally have someone who saw a similar world as I, since my wife wasn’t into any of the sort.”

His frown deepened. “But all of that changed when we first attempted a trans-dimensional spell. Aiden was convinced that the answer to his problem and our vision of a magical utopia lay within an ancient grimoire covered in ebony. Imbued with an odd-looking goat skull ornament.”

Beatrix’s pupils dilated to pinpoints. “Black book with a goat’s face? Then that can only mean—!”

Iclyn revalued the image; the book Omen was reading near pitch black. Yet she could make out tiny details that, sure enough, revealed a caprine-shaped sigil etched into the cover. Multiple coiling lines stemming from the bottom, “… Shub’Niggurath!”

Moon Hammer furrowed his brows in perplexion. “I’m sorry. This is a lot to take in. What the hell is a ‘Shub’Niggurath?”

“Not what. Who,” corrected Brutus. “Shub’Niggurath is an eldritch entity older than the passages of time itself. Known infamously as ‘the Ebony Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young’ for her insatiable desire to prolong herself through procreation and corruption. Many have long since revered that abomination as a goddess of fertility.”

The erenn stallion begrudgingly concurred, “If you know about ol’ Shubby, then you really ain’t shittin’ us, huh? Bloody hell…” He downed his current glass. “Me partner and I also had a few close encounters with the goat’s progeny. The Darkyung. Each battle more fucked up than the last, I might add.”

Moon Hammer snorted. “So then, what does this all mean?”

“We have reason to believe the Cult of the Nemesis is in worship of Shub’Niggurath,” answered Iclyn. “Hence their affiliation with Chrysalis' thirst for total conquest. They’re most likely using her to provide sacrifices for their ‘goddess.’”

“I told Aiden contact with such a being was highly irrational, if not improbable,” continued the masked bullman. “But he was adamant that the ritual would summon her. Desperate, even. And it wasn’t until the seance commenced that I understood why… He, too, was plagued by the disease he sought to cleanse.”

Beatrix pursed her lip.

Brutus shut his eyes, his brows squinting with how horrible the memory was. “Right off the bat, something went wrong. Instead of opening a portal from below as described, the ghost circle tore a rift through Aiden. His state of being split across different planes of existence, simultaneously everywhere and nowhere. It took both Tatyana and I to cancel the spell, but the damage had been done. To our surprise, the ritual proved successful despite Aiden’s anguish. From the circle sprouted what would become my crowning achievement in Canterlot.”

“The life-bearing tree.” The violet mare recalled how the towering behemoth broke through the castle to touch the skies.

“Aiden was incapacitated, suffering night terrors. Spouting nonsensical visions of events that had yet to occur. The disease he had kept hidden was mutated at a startling rate. Constantly salivating, always hungry. Flesh and mind wasting away. The only thing that seemed to help nourish him was the sap collected from the tree. Thus began my research and experimentation in hopes I could save my friend.”

“So that’s how th' Grimms came tae be, huh?” said Dion.

Grimmwald nodded. “Through collected samples, I discovered that the tree processed eldritch properties, hosting a variety of biological matter. Plant, mammal, fungus, arthropod. Anything you can think of, the tree would respond with complete symbiosis. That’s how I learned that the ‘sap’ we’ve been feeding Omen was anything but.”

“If it wasn’t sap, then what was it?”

The minotaur magus grimaced. “Milk… or something of a similar substance.”

The holstaur twins, along with their succubi duplicates, winched and kept a hand over their snouts to resist the urge to puke.

“Wait a minute,” Arcanum spoke up, having been quietly considering the information provided thus far. “I’m gonna go out on a limb and assume this ‘life-bearing’ tree is an extension of Shub’Niggurath herself, right?”

“An interesting hypothesis,” acknowledged Brutus. “One I believe is correct.”

The erenn stallion groaned with disgruntlement, shaking his head. “Oh, you fucking sod. You nursed him back to health with mother’s milk!”

The bullman furrowed his brows. “I beg your pardon?”

“It’s the sacred boon of the Black Goat of the Woods! A reward given to her devoted worshippers that, when consumed, morphs you into a new abomination to add to her progeny. Aside from that, it’s said to be the most scrumptious, delicious drink fathomable.”

“So not only did Omen make contact with Shub’Niggurath, he brought a small piece of her to the Lost World,” Iclyn surmised.

“And nearly destroyed himself in the process, by the sounds of it,” noted Beatrix. “But that still doesn’t explain how he became an anomaly like me!”

“If you’d quit interrupting, I’ll get to that,” grunted Grimmwald. When the table fell silent, he proceeded. “It is true that Aiden’s body was healing, but his mind was another story. He would rave madly in his sleep, arguing with something vexing him. Then he just… stopped. No slurred conversations, no tossing or turning. Just soundless rest.”

A borrowing expression twisted his face. “A while after that, the incidents began. Tatyana and I got reports about parents losing their children. It was only a couple at first. But the list grew more and more with every passing week. Mothers and fathers alike, complaining how the children spoke of a tall, slender antlered figure stalking them, luring their friends into a dark forest with the promise of ‘sweetish delight’…”

Beatrix clinched a fist over her heart, trying to hold back more tears, conflicted and sick to her stomach by what she was hearing.

“When I confronted Aiden about it, he claimed naïvity. He had only recovered enough strength to walk by himself, and his endless hunger seemingly quenched. But I could tell by the glint in his eyes that he was lying. The once kind, patient smile he gave me looked… wrong. A paper-thin mask hiding something far more malevolent. It was at that moment I knew my friend was gone, replaced by some kind of monster wearing his skin. I knew what had to be done to end the restless nights. But like always, Omen foresaw this…”

Brutus’ stout frame trembled as raw emotion bubbled from beneath his surface. “I should have just strangled him then and there. Maybe then I could have prevented… that night. That horrible night continues to haunt me to this day. I woke up in a sweat, having suffered a vision that would quickly come to pass. Blood and bodies decorated the halls. Guards and servants were brutally dismembered, their mangled frames displayed in a manner meant to mock me. Those that weren’t murdered were locked in deep sleep, screaming tirelessly with eyes wide and black as pitch.”

“After navigating around the massacre, I eventually found him with Tatyana in the dining hall, seated in her chair, limbs severed. I was expecting to see the monster those parents had described. Instead, I saw my friend crafting my wife’s arms and legs into a dish that would put my most talented chefs to shame. And he greeted me, clothes and mouth painted in red splotches as if none of the carnage around us had happened… I pride myself on never losing my temper, no matter the situation. But that rule was broken the moment Aiden presented me with a plate full of Tatyana’s garnished flesh and asked me to join him.”

“Geezus fuck..!” Arcanum muttered softly. He had his fair share of sick fucks to deal with during multiple cases and adventures. But by the anguish in Brutus’ voice as he retold this twisted tale, the erenn warlock could tell that Aiden—or Omen fellow, was an entirely new breed of sadistic.

“I fought with all my strength to take him down,” Brutus said with a voice wavering between sorrow and rage. “But he was so much stronger than I. Assaulting my sight with horrific visions, drowning my eardrums with the cries of all his victims.” His hand grasped the masked part of his face. “My horn lost to me in his attempt to finish me off. And he would have succeeded if not for the Dreamweaver’s intervention.”

“Dreamweaver..? O-oh! You mean Oona’s mentor!” Beatrix remembered her lover mentioning such a figure during a trip to Ebony Ivory’s village.

“Minerva had gotten wind of the Nightmare Stag terrorizing Canterlot and came to investigate. With her own oneiromancy, she managed to subdue Omen, casting a spell that would banish him from the physical plane. But during the process, he stopped fighting and smiled almost as if he knew this would happen. As he departed from the waking world, he turned to me and said this; ‘Fear not what I’ve done this night, my friend. Fear what I will do to this world when I return to rob it of its precious hope. All that will remain will be empty and hungry as I am!’”

The bullman paused, taking a moment to recompose himself. Blue Moon offered him a handkerchief to wipe away his tears, which he accepted. “Minerva assured me that she and the other dream shamans would ensure the Nightmare Stag could not escape the dream realm. So long as people brushed him off as a mere ‘boogieman,’ he would never come back. But despite their best efforts, his infamous reputation continued to haunt the minds and hearts of many throughout the years.”

Beatrix hardened her soft violet gaze. “Why didn’t you tell me any of this?! If Oona and I had known beforehand, we could have—!”

“You continued to mistrust me even after my aid,” countered Brutus. “Would you have really believed my story then?”

When she didn’t answer, he turned to address his audience. “I continued to perfect my Grimm experiments, resulting in both the creatures I magically conjured and the apparel adorning my face.” He tapped his stark-white mask. “But Tatyana required more than what I could offer, and after contacting every medical professional to heal her, she passed in secret.”

The violet unicorn balked. “Passed? Wait, you mean she died?! But I fought with her months ago!!”

“What you fought was merely a clone,” Grimmwald admitted uneasily. “The second of three, to be exact. None of them retained my wife’s kind and considerate nature. Each duplicate growing more powerful, angry, and deranged than the last.”

“All the more reason you should quit sulking and help us with that crazy bitch,” butted in Iclyn. “If what you say is true, then you owe it to the ponies of Canterlot to put down the monsters you created!”

Brutus lowered his face, unable to meet their gaze. “I will help you in any way I can. But I will not be returning to the Lost World. Not after all the irrefutable damage I’ve caused there…”

“Oi! That’s not yer choice tae make,” snarled Dion. “Now get yer sorry arse up an'—”

“Hold it!” Moon Hammer interrupted firmly, hand motioning for the irate ram to sit back down. “I understand that what’s happening to this world is connected with other realms. But my first duty is always to my people. Stubborn as it may be, I will not abandon them.”

He stared at his fellow minotaur. “Since you’ve taken refuge in my village, what will be done with you is ultimately my call. Now, I don’t fully trust you, Grimmwald. But I’ve seen what kind of magic you bring. One of those ‘Onoma’ thingys, right?”

Brutus gave a mute nod.

“Our last bout with the changelings ended with a lot of collateral damage. And we need time to rebuild our homes. I don’t trust Fiery and his ‘protection’ as far as I can throw my war hammer. But your barriers and beasts might just be what we need. So I ask you, will you lend me and my people your power?”

With his shoulders slumped, the masked magus momentarily weighed his options before replying, “I… will do what I can for Hammerfall.” He then glanced at Beatrix, a wave of sympathy washing over him. “I, too, have a selfish request. One I believe you and you alone can fulfill. If and when you have the leverage to kill Omen? Please… do not hesitate. End him.”

The distraught witch gave no answer. The room quieted down; everybody stumped on what their next move should be. For now, it seemed most prudent to rest and prepare as their enemies continued to multiply.

Wars continued and brewed on all fronts, with Omen poised to reap the benefits from the bloodshed.

*****

Wet squishes sounded around the bedroom. Cerise Silhouette twitched and stirred in her deep slumber, overwhelmed by a familiar series of nightmares brought on by the Nightmare Stag each time she closed her eyes and drifted off. A variety of horrific scenarios played about in her mind. Her womb once more filled with a clutch of unhatched ovum. A puddle of her lubricant pooled under her butt.

Her 'father/brother' slain in battle by her would-be saviors, and the war ended in mutual destruction, while Chrysalis cackled and made the princess the hive's bitch to punish her after she 'stole' Sombra from the queen. Like poor Snowy Blizzard, reduced to a broodmare until her prolonged expiration after she pushed out clutches.

She murmured, “N-no...!” Finally, she pulled herself back to dim awareness. Once half-awake, Cerise found herself propped on her side, a nude Trixie poised atop the charcoal mare while she scissored her silly. “Wh-what are you…? Trixie, don’t—a-aohh~!” Cerise moaned whenever the witch made contact with the tiny cover over her slit.

The scanty metal pieces vibrated in response, like the heart-shaped crystal shoved up her sphincter, stimulating her most vulnerable parts, her perky nipples and clitoris painfully erect. Wetness ran down the crack of her plush ass. Trixie huffed and blushed as she inquired, “Doesn't it feel nice, pretty princess?”

“Nah-N-Nooo~,” lied Cerise between her teeth. “Stop it! D-don't...what?” She felt the costume pieces on her vulnerable bits loosen, the enchantments Sombra placed weakened. Was this due to Omen's interference...? First, the sections over her perky pink nipples popped loose, followed by the one over her tight cunt.

“I'll miss those vibrations. But now I can make contact with your pussy directly!” To demonstrate, Trixie's puffy pink pussy smacked on Cerise's as their moist birth canals madly winked and squirted under a blur of fleshy contact.

Cerise whined and blushed despite herself, the pair struck by a mild climax. Surrounded by Trixie's aura, Cerise found herself flipped onto all fours like a bitch in heat ready to be mounted, and her cunt nudged by what felt like a slimy dick while magic kept her pinned.

“Wh-what...?” She looked over her shoulder and visibly shuddered at the sight. No, not a dick at all! A larva emerged from Trixie's twat, which spread and dripped while the love honey-laced worm was slowly pushed out! The creature started to burrow into her; the sexy mares connected by the eldritch abomination-turned-dildo!

“Just relax and let Trixie fuck a baby into you~,” she whistled.

“N-nono, stop! Please, Trixie!” Yet the once platinum-clad princess found herself paralyzed by her aura, her flesh weakened by the outpour of relentless terror Omen instilled, denying her true rest. Trixie drew her shapely hips back, then slammed them home, inch-after-inch slowly thrust into Cerise's cunt each time she fucked her.

Black hips and heart-shaped buttocks clapped under each moist, audible thrust, the princess taken on all fours like a lowly beast in heat, her eyes wet despite the pink tinge on her cheeks and another euphoric shriek forced from her lips once another wet orgasm washed over Trixie's thighs. The witch slapped a hand onto Cerise's ass, which wobbled, a red handprint left on her skin when the princess mewled.

“You like to be spanked, don't you? Most mares do!” She landed more slaps on her bare, bouncy buns, and fucked her harder to push more of the larva in.

“Gaaagh.. stop! You’re hurting me!” wept Cerise, aware once it fully breached her womb, she would be lost forever. The worm's moist head rammed at her cervix, squirmed, and started to wiggle into her slimy womb, ready to attach itself to its new warm, wet home and create a new, compliant acolyte addicted to depraved pleasures.

“It’ll only hurt for a second. We want to share our gifts with everyone!” Trixie had fallen to the cult members, despite her attempts to resist them. She, along with her close friends Lavender Lace and Fuchsia Blush, turned into larva carriers. Consumed by the purpose of sharing this bliss with her fellow slave!

The azure unicorn gripped Cerise's asscheek, which squished under her fingers and sank her thumb into her hot pink asshole. “Ooh~! Doesn’t this feel so nice? You like it, don't you? Let out the inner slut all mares secretly have!”

Another climax crashed over Cerise's mind, another squirty release left to wash over Trixie, the bloated larva that half-breached her uterus while it squeezed beyond her spread cervix, and the wet bedsheets. “I-I’m not a whore...I'll never be—Aaaauuhh~!!”

The grub's elongated tongue shot out, lashed out her inner walls, and licked their slimy surface clean, bit by bit. Another blissful, unwanted scream exploded from Cerise's open mouth.

She could feel the ribbed, fleshy bits of the larva tenderly caress her silky pink walls. Each squirm inside her wet depths, while he rubbed pink places even her husband's size couldn't reach.

Trixie's aura summoned ghostly hands which pulled on Cerise's hot pink pigtails, while she continued to fuck the last inches of the larva into her core. Cerise's eyes rolled into her head, her tongue rolled out while she panted, her medium-sized breasts left to clap like her asscheeks whenever she squirted even harder amidst feminine squeals.

“Almost there~,” huskily wheezed Trixie, struck silly by her own euphoria. “Mmm, nice natural handlebars!” She yanked harder on the mare's twin-tail mane. “Your hubby was one lucky stud~!”

Cerise would've sobbed, were she not wracked by unimaginable bliss whenever her brain threatened to melt. No doubt this was what happened to poor Trixie, Fuchsia, and Lavender, mind warped into submissive sluts...!

The larva prepared to detach and divide itself, to mold perfectly into the shape of its new home, a warm, wet royal uterus.

Trixie yelped, surrounded by another aura that ripped her away. The half-out larva retreated back into the witch's wombs amidst a squelch, while Cerise collapsed onto her breasts and huffed, face down and ass up, unable to stop how her pussy winked and smaller squirts rained across a bed behind her.

“If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s a disobedient concubine,” Sombra darkly said as he came into the room, his hand clasped around Trixie's throat. She sputtered and choked under his silver fist, shaken and shrinking under his crimson leer. “The question is, how did you break my enchantments? They're far beyond a mid-tier witch like you.”

When she didn’t respond, the tyrannical stallion chose to punish her by twisting Trixie into a full nelson position; hands cupped around the sides of her skull. He jabbed his girthy cock straight through her marehood with a lewd squelch and began brutally fucking his impaled harlot into utter submission.

“Yaaaahagh~! I-I'm sorry, master,” she mewled, cumming instantly around his intruding dick and balls in a slutty deluge. “Th-the thick and breedable Trixie-ee~! Was overcome by desire! Please forgive me! I-I’ll be a good girl~!”

“You can atone with your ass,” Sombra boomed into her ear as her blue buttcheeks slapped under each savage thrust. Behind him, the live sex toys flooded in, the drones shaped into mares drawn from Penumbra's memories. His mother, Inky Rose. His wife, Lily Longsocks. The court priestess and handmaiden, Somnambula. And Cerise's deceased birth mother, Pacific Glow, all of them fully denuded and ready to be bred.

'Somnambula' carried a tray with a bowl of oats and water to Cerise, who shakily sat up and accepted the food. Her empty stomach churned, and reluctantly, she filled her tummy. After she finished, the nude priestess handed her a lit opium pipe, which Cerise smoked to ease her frayed nerves.

Sombra skewered Trixie and all the sex toy drones present, tossed aside with a bounce onto the bed each time he finished inside and with one of them. Splayed on their sides, their stretched pussies left to leak his seed. He panted heavily, his narrowed eyes fully on Cerise. “Do you see it now, my sweet? Please me, and I shall reward you!”

“With what? More opium? I don't need that...” It was denial. He'd successfully gotten her addicted to it during the process of making her a slave to pleasure. His beautiful bird. Trapped in a gilded cage. Not unlike the harems of the hashashin that Penumbra drew inspiration from, as a swordsman.

“You needn't lie to me. I can see into your heart,” he huffed, one of Sommy's pendulous breasts manipulated in lazy circles. Her areola rubbed by his thumb while he pistoned into her tight cunt.

With his newly attached horn, the tyrant's aura lifted in a tray decorated with pastries that made Cerise's mouth water, her brain lit up by the sweets he offered after days of oats and water.

“Eat. You've earned it,” he said with a sly smile as he fucked the priestess.

Cerise shook her head, even as her defenses continued to crumble. She missed the comforts afforded by her royal position. “I won't be here forever,” she proclaimed with a voice break.

Sombra chortled. “Of course not! You'll rule by my side in the Crystal Empire~.” His eyes drifted to the silver ring on one finger, which even his magic couldn't remove. “If only you’d get rid of that trash tarnishing your finger. Don't you understand that symbolizes you're merely a piece of property to that useless husband of yours? Even worse, you’re tethered to an ingrate far below your stature! A vessel for his pleasure!”

A shaken Cerise snapped back, “Middy doesn't think of me like-”

“Ooh, really? He treated you and your friends like pieces of meat while foolishly clinging to his ‘chivalrous’ facade. I don’t have to hide myself, for I wear no shame about whom I lay with. So long as my lineage prospers!”

Sombra solidified his point when he grunted and pumped his seed directly into Sommy's breached womb, finishing with a loud snarl as she cooed in appreciation at her use. He unsheathed from his sex toy, leaving her in the afterglow with the others on the bed, her breasts left to bounce then settle.

Then he strode over, his face inches from Cerise's. “That being said, a strong successor comes from the purity of its bloodline. And as royals, we must ensure ours remains forever pure.”

She flinched when he cupped one of her medium-sized tits and started to manipulate it. “Perhaps that's where your power comes from? A repressed Onoma, maybe? Mmm, yes… One day, I might discover my own. But for now, it’s time that my blossoming queen receives her proper ‘coronation~.’”

Cerise whimpered and moaned; her heart skipped a beat, aware of the impending destiny Sombra would inevitably implant deep within her.

Her sore muscles were too tired to resist when he pushed her back onto the stained bedsheets, surrounded by the well-creamed drones that continually leaked his seed, their sweaty breasts left to heave. His knee parted Cerise's thighs, and she winced in dreaded anticipation of his cock slick with the love honey of so many well-used mares; but instead, his silver hand's digits pressed to her winky wet slit and wiggled inside. She squirmed and cried, feeling him wriggle into her slick snatch until he pulled back to taste the cunt nectar staining his hand. “Ahhh, yes~!” Sombra hissed low. “You are almost ready for my love~!”

“Ah~! N-noo..!” He resumed curling his digits and stroked her spongy g-spot, her pliable pussylips squelched around his digits. The dark unicorn’s intrusions proved slow at first, and then faster as his three invaders started to finger blast the quivering thestral mare. Juices were left to splash and run down his hand and the crack of her ass, over her puckered pink asshole. She arched her back and curled her toes, unable to help but wail in a squirty climax whenever his false silver hand vibrated.

Stimulated to her core, Cerie's drugged-up brain threatened to break under raw, primal bliss once more. His thumb shoved into her rectum with a squish, and he felt its ring spread around him once his thumb vibrated.

“Please… no more~,” she pleaded with a euphoric scream, multiple climaxes forced from her. Yet his cruel leer widened, driven to lay it on thick, his free hand used to squeeze and bounce one of her titties, while one of his unused fingers vibrated when it rubbed at her wet, swollen, heart-shaped clit.

His horn summoned up phantom, disembodied horsecocks, constructs made from his magic that hovered around the pleasure-wracked princess. Glazed-over hot pink eyes stared back at him, half-lidded, Cerise unable to keep an unwanted smile off her face while he continuously stimulated her.

“M-Middy,” she sniffled. “I'm sorry, I-”

“It's time,” Sombra announced and withdrew with a pop from her stretched snatch. His horsecock's flare throbbed and hovered before her tight pink twat, ready to fulfill his purpose. He'd planned to save this for later, but he couldn't risk Chrysalis or the cult defiling her womb while he was away.

No, she needed to carry his child and provide him with another heir!

Gradually, his tip spread her mound's moist lips. She moaned at the penetration and felt him sink into her inch-by-inch, past the medial ring, while her pink vaginal walls were spread. Soon, his flare pressed on her cervix, which quivered and dripped on his tip, some primal part of her eager to receive it despite how her mind screamed for mercy. He sheathed himself to the hilt, gasping with monstrous delight.

“It-it's inside,” murmured Cerise in muted horror as he let her adjust to his size and shape, which conformed like her pussy was made to take only him. Her love tunnel winked and gushed around him, ready to be fully claimed.

She was committed now, unable to do more than ride out what he had in mind. Slowly, he withdrew until only his tip remained inside, then pressed his flared tip back hard upon her squashed cervix.

“And now, you’re mine,” hissed out her 'father/brother,' who picked up speed with each thrust. Her buttcheeks wobbled under his slams, and her love honey dripped down her asscrack and over her asshole. “Your body. Your womb. All of it belongs to me! My beautiful conquest! Take my seed, and in union we'll conceive a perfect child!”

Her palms pressed hard upon his bare chest. “Brother, please! Wake up!”

Their eyes locked. For a moment, she swore she saw a flicker of realization in his eyes, but he doubled down on his brutish thrusts, whereupon his cocktip hammered on her slick cervix.

“He can't hear you,” he sneered in a blur of humps, determined to fuck her silly and into submission. “Because your brother’s no longer here~!”

“Penny’s still in there! I know it!” Her wide eyes pleaded with him, and her limbs wrapped around her 'father-brother,' her arms about his lithe chiseled back, her thighs locked over his hips, and her legs crossed behind his muscled buttocks. She huffed, “Don't leave me, brother! You promised never to abandon me! I know you can hear me! S-so, please… Please wake up, before this monster claims your soul! Before he claims mine!”

Awareness dawned in the tyrant's eyes. That moment of weakness allowed Penumbra, trapped deep in Sombra's soul, to swim back to the surface. Gently this time, his body continued to move into her, and his snout pressed into Cerise's as the pair started to make love to maintain their intimate union.

They realized the moment they stopped, their bond would be broken. They had little choice but to carry on, lest he be lost to Sombra's will once more, as the half-siblings surrendered to the lust forced upon them. Their tongues danced, their hands wandered; Cerise lifted from the bed when the desert prince stood, the princess so relaxed her cervix opened to accept him fully when his flare crushed upon it.

A climax made her entire body quiver when he breached her womb, his tip mashed on her slippery walls and dragged across their slickened surface. The lovers smoldered and blushed red hot, teary eyes locked all the while at their reunion. She felt each twitch of his horsecock locked deep inside her core.

When their mouths momentarily withdrew in a huff, their heated lips connected by saliva, she shyly whispered with half-lidded eyes, “Penny, I...I can feel your heartbeat..!”

“Cerise… F-Forgive me,” he murmured back with slow, romantic thrusts into her fertile core when he tenderly stroked her blush-stricken cheek. “But we have to keep up our link to the bitter end, or else I'll be lost again. And I don’t know whether I’ll ever be able to come back!”

They hugged each other close, wanting to be as intimate as possible, in hopes his will would settle to reclaim his flesh.

“…M-make love to me,” the princess shyly whispered. “Whatever happens, I’ll say sorry to Middy and Lilysocks later. They can blame it all on—”

“No. I’m sure they'll understand once we explain it. They wouldn't want to lose us,” he responded and strained to hold back his release. “Naagh… I-I'm so close now! But if I don’t withdraw—”

“Do it! Come inside me! We can escape, find Beatrix, and have her make a potion!” She desperately searched for some way out; her heart swelled with renewed hope while they made love. Her pussy winked harder, burned hotter, dripped wetter each time he buried himself foot-deep inside her.

“I can't-aaammh!!” The moment his balls swelled for release, Trixie pressed her bare breasts into his side and locked lips with him. The sudden distraction broke the romantic union between the brother and sister, the small moment Sombra needed to push his violent will back to the surface.

Glowing, narrowed eyes met Cerise's hot pink orbs, which carried an azure hue in the dimmed bedroom. Sombra's horn shimmered when he cast a spell, which left his daughter's tummy transparent so he could see himself breach her cervix and womb. When he hilted himself fully in his daughter's conquered uterus and directly pumped his seed inside, he witnessed violent blast-after-blast erupting like a volcano as cum impacted her slimy womb walls.

The princess squealed and came once more, her 'father/brother' absolutely drenched by her climax. Her belly swelled after he started to fill her to the brim as he watched himself continue to fire off into her fertile, feminine furnace.

The spectral horsecocks he summoned throbbed and started to burst. Furious cumshots rained all over the well-fucked mare's naked flesh, drenched from head to toe, almost drowned in his virile spunk, and her back arced while her 'father/brother' seeded her. His aura forced one of the spectral horsecocks into her mouth, past her open lips, and another up her ample ass, the triple-penetrated princess lost in a sea of pleasure when his horn shone to cast one final spell…a yonic symbol that materialized over her fertile womb, to ensure insemination.

Sombra emptied the last of his load. Gushes from her gash flooded out with a wet pop, left to gape when he withdrew from her well-explored depths. The ghostly horsecocks continued to plunder her mouth and anus, while Trixie mashed her tits on him to happily inquire, “I did well, didn't I, master?”

“You did,” he confessed, aware without her interruption, his will might've been swallowed up by their romantic union. “Now, your reward, my lovely slut. Make sure none of my seed goes to waste.”

Cheerfully, Trixie bent her heart-shaped ass over and started to eat Cerise out. He studied her bubbly blue ass with another leer, tempted to brutalize those presented holes once more. But in truth, he was finally tapped out. She cooed when he instead planted a playful smack on her wide buns.

Awareness dawned on Cerise once the phantom horsecocks exited her mouth and ass, which continuously leaked seed that would never take no matter where it was deposited...unlike the warm spunk that sloshed in her uterus.

Quiet tears leaked down her red, hot cheeks. Her dear brother, lost once more. Her core, conquered and claimed by her false father. Her future, betrayed.

She wanted to sleep. To tell herself this was another bad dream set up by Omen. Somewhere in her subconscious, she heard his disembodied laughter echo, the princess little more than another toy and potential casualty on his way to victory. Mutedly, she sobbed when voracious Trixie licked her flesh clean.

The rune cast by Sombra materialized over her abdomen, cast in the shape of a uterus to ensure insemination, shimmered as she felt his seed churn and slosh in her core, her eggs drowned by a sea of his spunk. She received sympathetic looks from the sex toys, none of them able to help her.

Weakly, she reached for the opium pipe and with hazy eyes took it to her lips.

*****

Chrysalis swam and swished in her pool, near the Mi-Go mushroom. Her wet mane trailed after and skimmed the water's surface, her curvaceous form lit up by the hive's eerie emerald shimmer. She swam to the bank, and her heavy black breasts flopped onto the rocky, slimy surface with a wet plap to rest.

“He spends most of his time in the labs these days,” she muttered impatiently.

The stallion in question chuckled. “Oh, are you lonely, my queen?” He, too, arrived denuded and dipped his hands into the pool before he splashed the liquids over himself. “I don't know how it happened, but someone broke the complicated enchantments on Cerise's costume. Were you aware of this?”

“Oh? I'm afraid not,” she whistled innocently with a smile when she met his eyes and swayed her breasts.

Sombra scowled. “Don't play dumb with me! I know you're up to something. I simply don't know what. Yet. But when I find out, you will—ahhuuachk!?”

Blood suddenly pooled from his mouth, which he clasped to see his palm stained in crimson. The only sound he could make were gags and chokes. Then, a hot pain shot through his chest, as if his veins boiled with lava.

Chrysalis’s smile stretched into a Cheshire grin. “I will what now~?”

‘Naaaugh! What’s going on?’ Sombra screamed internally. ‘Why… can’t I move?! What did she do to me?!’

Then his arm moved by its own accord, ceasing his musculature from trembling. And when he spoke, it wasn’t his voice that came out. It was another’s.

“She did nothing. This was all my doing.”

‘Vox! How did you possess me? Why am I still aware if—‘

The spokesmen chuckled. “If you weren’t so blinded by your own lust and greed, you might have noticed something off the last time you and the queen shared a kiss.”

Sombra watched the changeling queen pucker her lips mockingly as she emerged from her pool, water dripping off her voluptuous curves as she swayed over to him, a mirror in hand. When she held it up, the stallion’s bloodied maw opened to reveal a white, flat, multi-limbed louse now acting as his tongue, much to the despot’s bewilderment and horror. ‘No! NOO!’

“Such a strong, versatile body,” mused Vox. “And yet wasted by a self-deluded mind, full of ego and unwarranted self-importance. Such things are useless to our cause. Hence, I am now taking over operations. I had to wait near the back of your throat until you’ve completely exhausted yourself. Thankfully, the right moment came when you tried courting your precious princess. Hohohoho~!”

‘Get the hell out of me! Give me back my body!’

“This was never your body,” the pale parasite reminded him. “And even if I did comply, you won’t be talking much now that I’ve finished eating your tongue. I had to wait until you’ve exhausted yourself so that you wouldn’t notice. It won’t be long now until I’ve fully embedded myself and seized control of all bodily functions.”

Tears started to leak from the ducts below the stallion’s eyes, bristling for control.

“I almost feel pity for poor Princess Cerise,” teased Chrysalis with another shimmy. “She won’t even realize that both her brother and the stallion that claims to be her father are gradually being erased right under her nose~!”

“No matter,” scoffed Vox. “A powerful sorcerer like Sombra will no doubt prove an invaluable tool in our conquest. I think I’ll go along with this plan he set in motion and proceed with the siege on his chosen target.”

‘Conniving worm. Treacherous bitch! I’ll kill you both!’ Sombra barked from within.

“I’d like to see you try,” the isopod chuckled. “Here. Why not tell her Highness how you really feel?”

Vox momentarily allowed Sombra to speak of his own tuition, which he used to shout, “Chrysalis, you fool! You can’t do this to me! Don't you realize you'll be disposed of too...?”

“Pha! Unlike you, I’m too useful,” gloated the queen, arms folded beneath her sizable bust. “With you and your ‘daughter’ at my disposal, my victory is absolute! And no matter what it takes or how much I sacrifice, I will thrive as the long-reigning queen of the changelings! I don’t play second fiddle to anyone!”

She then pressed into him; heavy tits squished into his torso. The monarch planted another kiss, her tongue coiling Vox in her saliva. Pulling away, she breathed, “This is my queendom. And you will rule by my side. Willingly or not~!”

“…of course,” came his muted reply, chest heaving in defeat as her wide nipples poked into his skin. He squeezed her tits and ass once more as she embraced him, fearful of when Vox would regain control over his body.

For now, Sombra would play along until his time came. Like it always did.

At least his planned march and assault would continue on schedule. The twin suits of enchanted armor were prepared, imbued by their pair of hosts.

And soon, the tyrant would take them on a proper test run to seize a victory!

Chapter 21

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“I know you’re there, Middy,” said Moonlight River, still seated at the infirmary beside, her head turned towards the entrance. “No need to skulk in the shadows. Your sister needs you. And… maybe I do, too.”

As much as the ex-cadet wanted to make for Hammerfall and see Moon Hammer, she found herself unable to leave the comatose mare’s side.

The aforementioned pegasus knight stepped forward, his face a guilt-laden grimace when he saw Lightning Spark wrapped up in freshly replaced bandages. The pendant lay around her neck atop her hospital gown. He sat beside his childhood friend, declaring in a quiet tone, “I heard what happened. Equinox… When I find her, I’m gonna make her pay for all she’s done to us!”

“No,” Moonlight said with a shake of her head. “This was my mistake. I let a petty vendetta get in the way of… what really matters.” She sniffled and held Lightning Spark's hand. “I wanted to pretend what you've done didn't hurt me and Cerise, but I've stewed on it too much already. So now, I… want to put that bitterness and resentment aside for her sake.”

“Who? My sister or wife-”

“Both. Family should come above all else.” Moonlight pulled him closer and rested her head on his shoulder with a choked sob. “Middy… we're really fucked up, huh?”

“Yeah,” Midnight softly admitted, brushing his fingers through her mane.

“I can’t go back to being a part of your herd, not like this. I need some time to find myself and try some new things. But… maybe once we rescue Cerise...”

“I understand,” the blue stallion managed to form a smile, his massive plume squeezing her back. “The Necronomicon's destruction has left me with a second shot at life, and I'm not about to waste it! I swear it!” He thumped his heart.

She met his emerald eyes. “So no more hate?”

“...no more hate,” he reassured her and cast his smile to Deinos across the room. He couldn't exactly turn off what he felt, but he'd seen the changeling scientist protect his twin sister. “Lightning Spark?” He took her other free hand. “You need to wake up, for all of us! We love you, sis!”

He drifted an eye to the golden wedding ring that once more properly fit him. “Cerise...” Perhaps he could even find it in his heart to let his resentment for his 'father' finally die.

The soft sounds of rollerskates signaled Eclipsed Heart's approach since she'd come to visit her bandmates. “Hello,” she whispered. “I-I don't want to interrupt you two-”

“Nah.” Moonlight shook her head and smiled. “Honestly? It's nice to see a familiar face.”

“Yeah. Poor Cerise...” The pop star's face fell, her hands cupped before her. Then she looked into their eyes and announced with renewed determination. “I've decided to stay in this world and help you save the princess! My bandmates have offered to back me up, too! Of course, Kitsune's in no condition right now, but that won’t slow me down!”

“We'd appreciate it,” said Moonlight before briefly narrowing her gaze at the big winged pegasus. “You better keep your paws off her, Middy!”

“I-I will! I’ve put that part of myself behind me,” he swore with another thump of his chest as he and Eclipsed shifted awkwardly. “Sorry about what happened before! I couldn't help but be reminded of my wife! But you’re obviously your own person!”

Eclipsed nodded, a gracious smile on her snout. “We do share a lot of similarities. But she lived a lonely life in a palace, while I don't really have much of a past,” she lamented. “Actually, I've probably only been around a little over a year since Beatrix's Prima Materia helped 'birth' me into existence. At least that's one more thing I have in common with Wispy and Kitsune! Their memories were stolen by a syndicate.”

“Then we'll help you build some nice new memories,” assured Moonlight.

Midnight pumped a fist. “Yeah! Operation Rescue Princess Cerise will soon be underway! Oh, but it's not that simple.” His wide plume fell. “We'll have to cross all kinds of dangerous territory filled with changelings, cultists, and Fiery's men. Not sure how long that truce will hold. It's already shaky!”

Moonlight shrugged. “Eh. We’ll worry about that later! At least we can rest, resupply, and blow off some steam in Hammerfall!” The three of them bumped fists over the patient, more determined than ever to help out.

“In that case, why don't you two head into Hammerfall?” offered Eclipsed Heart. “I'll look after her.”

“But I...sure,” relented Moonlight with a forced grin, aware she couldn't afford to wallow in guilt. “Come on, Middy, let's see what this pub that's apparently all the talk around here is about?”

He returned a sheepish blush when she pulled him by the wrist. “The pub? B-But I thought—”

“Look, without Cerise around, I'd be the ‘girl boss’ of the group, alright? Besides, this is half a punishment, really! You’ll need to keep building up that resistance to lustful influence, like how Moxxi helped you burn out those hyper-stallion instincts. So look all you want, Midnight. But you can’t touch~!” She winked with an evil snicker.

His expression soured, but nonetheless, he hung his head. “Yeah, that’s fair...”

With a final return wave to Eclipsed Heart, the duo hurried out of the ship and into the town, which continued to expand from constant construction.

On the way there, some of the minotaurs shot Midnight dirty looks, well-informed of his reckless actions to the point some of them held him accountable for Cerise's failure to maintain the crystalline wall around Hammerfall. Thus the deaths and abductions of many of their people.

Midnight forced a pained smile back and kept his head low, reminded of how he was more alike to Shining Armor than he cared to admit. But this was his chance to start anew and perhaps make amends for his many mistakes.

He heard the former Supreme Commander was kept under house arrest somewhere and wanted nothing more than to storm in and confront him. But the pegasus knight had vowed to let his bitterness die away. Plus, he doubted Shining Armor could offer him the sort of resolution he wanted, either.

Perhaps, at some point, Midnight would get a chance to speak with the protoquen, Marathyssa. Unaware he'd already briefly spotted her under the shape of a common crystal maid mare.

*****

The evening arrived in Hammerfall, and the pub roared to life. The new arrivals were told by the waitresses that they could help raise money to refurbish the town, which continued to expand under constant construction. Strawberry and Blue Moon then asked in unison, “Would anyone like to volunteer~?”
“As a hooker in a titty bar? I dunno about that,” Beatrix declared pensively. “I mean, I'm a tad curious, but I rather not be the latest wankfest for Fiery and his band of incels! Plus, I want to set a better example for little Abby once she's delivered!”

“Haime? Bit late for that,” teased Wispy, who'd left her sister in Kyube's and Chisana's care. “You’re practically ready to pole dance in that get-up! No sensible mother would walk with their child dressed like Houdini’s private act~!”

The witch pouted. “B-But I… suppose that’s true…”

“Besides! I doubt we'll see those punks anymore after we leave this place! It’ll be the perfect time to tease 'em!”

“Well...they could use the money,” decided Beatrix. “Oh yeah! That reminds me, Arcanum. Moon Hammer claims your old friend is there.”

The warlock snorted. “I highly doubt it, but why not? Could use me a drink anyway. Shame that there’s no real alcohol allowed inside, but I won’t deny holstaur milk is pretty nice.”

Beatrix tittered before swaying over to Dion, bending forward to tease him with a swivel of her half-bared breasts, which threatened to topple from her leotard. “You're coming too, aren’t cha, big guy~?”

The burly ram chuckled. “A pub full ov saucy sows an' tits fur days? A'd be stupid not tae tag along!” He rose from his seat, which put Beatrix’s face purposefully close to his wooly crotch. “Not tae mention it gives us time tae do sum ‘catchin’ up’~!”

Beatrix beamed at him and wagged her finger. “Ah ah ah~! I promised you a special performance after your coronation as chieftain. And until I see the mantle, you’ll have to make do with ogling me for now~.”

“Hai,” chimed in Wispy with a naughty grin. “It’d take an army to keep him at bay. And even then, he’ll fight them all if it means getting to clap them cheeks~!” She then gave the bent-over mare a thawk across her violet backside, making her yelp.

Dion let out a hardy laugh. “A’m a simple man. Ah see sum'thin' Ah want; Ah take it!”

“We're in, of course,” said the other pair of crystal mares known as the Manor Twins. The half-succubi were already naked, with a perception filter enchantment cast over them to hide their delicacies from children in town. Whenever the quadruplets were in close proximity, their cutie marks, which were a pair of intertwined female symbols, resonated. Thus, their psychic bond and pleasure sensation multiplied.

“Well, then what are we waiting for? The end of the world is at hand, and I ain’t dying without getting laid,” said Wispy with a wink. “Baaibaai~!” She waved to the chief and skipped ahead.

“Have fun! I have to take care of my calves,” said Moon Hammer with a prideful smile. “I've prepared rooms for everyone once you're ready to come home, so take in the town!”

Onward, the party went into the more adult district, where a newly constructed statue stood of a voluptuous holstaur, the nude fertility symbol left to tower over the area. Her bulbous udders spurted a continual stream of sweet milk into the spacious fountain below, where it was continuously recycled.

A preview of what awaited, the pub in the distance now adorned by a pair of heavy udders built to welcome the patrons inside. Wispy took the lead and pushed open saloon-style double doors. She cat-called, “Wooo, yeah! Get those mommy milkers out, ladies! 'Cause this itty-bitty kitty needs her tiddy cream~!”

“You could at least try to have some class,” grunted Arcanum as his shadowed eyes scanned the interior.

“Kehhei! Take the stick out of your ass and get a sense of humor,” teased Wispy, who pushed her way inside to see the almost naked cow waitresses. Fortunately, the bouncers were informed of their possible arrival and broke apart to let them in. “Damn! A shame Moxxi isn’t here to see this!”

“Yeah, I bet she’d love it here,” whispered Beatrix with a hint of melancholy. “I hope she and Bellatrix are doing alright. Oona, too, of course. And poor Zell, ever since losing Shadow Scythe… Makes me wonder if they can take Mortis on their own...!”

Dion rubbed her shoulder and assured, “Oi. For all we know, they pulled a massive victory and are heading their way here right now.”

The witch gave a saddened smile. “Yeah… gotta keep on the positives, right?”

“Okay, ladies,” called Blue Moon. “Time to slip into character… and into more comfortable clothes~!”

The twins removed their cow-print bikinis and slipped into the thongs that barely covered the crotches all the cow waitresses wore, their puffy cameltoes prominent once the slim costumes were pulled into place.

Beatrix blushed and swiveled a heeled boot. “C-can I keep my hat and boots on, at least?”

Strawberry Moon tittered. “Sure, busty babe! It'll be even kinkier that way!”

With a hand wave, Beatrix banished her leotard, and her bubbly breasts bounced into the open while Wispy squirmed out of her dress and underwear the old-fashioned way to a series of whistles and leers from the onlookers.

They also downed a couple of potions Beatrix prepared for such an occasion. The first drink caused Beatrix's and Wispy's already sizable busts to temporarily expand to better match all the bare bovine udders on display. The second drink made their erect nipples twitch and leak dribbles of sweet milk.

“W-whoooa,” the nekomata mewled with a shudder, squeezing her altered tits as more creamy fluid dribbled out. “N-not sure how I feel about this!”

“It’s just to appease the guests,” reassured the witch, who couldn’t help but coo from how heavy and full her massive mammaries were. Almost like how they were before losing her immortality and enhanced magic!

“This is gettin' better by th' minute,” snickered Dion with a nod and appreciative leer.

“Bah! Knock yourselves out,” muttered Arcanum, who instead plopped down on a stool at the bar where the minotaur bartender idly cleaned a cup. His eyes scanned the menu. “Now, what flavor to try first?”

“I suggest a spot of cinnamon for starters,” came a mare's voice at his side. “Really gets ya giddy for the next drink.”

The ereen stallion almost dropped his glass from the familiar tone of that voice. He spun around and saw a duo of spotted topless holstaurs that flanked either side of a brick-red earth pony mare, who approached him with a sweep back of her blonde mane. That signature cocky smirk on her snout. “Ello, Archy. Been some time, ain’t it?”

“Bl-Bloody Merry?!” Arcanum proceeded to smack his face awake. “No… no,nononono! This has to be another trick. Yeah! From the… th-the…” The Necronomicon may have been destroyed, but that didn't mean this couldn't be an illusion. A shape-shifter, android, a clone, or..."

Her warm, soft but firm hand brushed atop his when she chuckled. “Quit getting your bloody knickers in a twist over it, mate! It’s me. It's really me.”

His eyes stared into hers in disbelief. Every bone in his body told him this couldn’t be the truth. Yet the pain in his heart tightened when he awkwardly whispered, “…promise?”

Merry beamed at him. “Promise. I don’t really understand it meself! You know that mystical portal you constructed in Moon Hammer's home?”

Arcanum’s eyes went wider. “No..!”

“Yep! Poofed back into existence in nothing but me birthday suit.” Her blush brightened when he caressed her warm cheek.

“I don’t believe it…! Merry, you're… you’re alive!” His voice was muted, unable to hold back anymore as his eyes moistened. She was suddenly in his arms while the old compatriots embraced. Softly, he admitted, “I missed you..!”

“I-I missed you, too!”

She sat her butt on a stool next to him and gestured to the two milk waitresses. “This is Creamy and Milky. They've helped me settle here! Just like the chief, the bartender, and the twins!”

“Nice to meet you, honey,” said Creamy with a bow. “Just ask, and we'll take care of you!” She and her fellow voluptuous spotted bovine waitress rested their heavy, milky udders that dripped atop their trays to deliver them.

Merry tilted her head with a wide smile and sheepishly asked, “Care for a glass of milk~? My treat!”

“Maybe later. But pour me a drink,” requested the erenn warlock. With that, Milky and Creamy pulled at the rings that adorned their wide nipple tips, dollops of milkiness spewed into the steamy coffee Merry had prepared. A moo escaped the pair of bovine waitresses as they milked themselves.

Wherever he turned, waitresses tended to the minotaurs and stallions, Beatrix and Wispy also in the thick of the packed pub with the quadruplets. The four half-crystal mares in question offered their bunched-up pastel pink titties to Dion, who paid handsomely to drink directly from the sweet source.

The two sets of twins removed their thongs and straddled his muscled thighs, where wet schlicks sounded when they rubbed their moist, puffy pussies to leave a slick trail down his skin and fur. The warrior caprine curled his brow. “Erm, not to ruin the mood, but… is this really allowed, lasses? With the dress code and all...?”

“We're friends with the bartender, and he's okay with it,” assured Blue Moon with a wink returned by the bartender.

“Not only that, you’re free to get a little handsy, too~!” added Strawberry, who bounced her bubble buns on him and guided his rough hands to grope and fondle her plush, coral pink buttcheeks.

“I think our master requires a little more direct stimulation,” purred Foal-Bearer.

Wet Nurse shared a look with her. “You know what I have in mind?”

They shared a nod, and the duo of half-succubi slipped their tails into his pants, where they started to give him a double tail job. Meanwhile, he molested and drank deep from the female foursome, rewarded by lewd moans.

The quadruplet's cutie marks hummed and shined even more while the muscled ram suckled lustily, the ram incredibly worked up after the last battle. The four females squealed in unison and messily came, their runny squirts left to run down their thick inner thighs while he slurped down their milk.

Titties and ass jiggled and undulated everywhere one turned, the sway and bounce of udders when the milkmaid waitresses bent over and carried drinks in sway of expansive hips. Beatrix and Wispy were especially popular with the patrons, who proved eager to sample their pseudo milky treats.

With a shake of his head, after Arcanum downed his coffee he and Merry slipped out the back. “Be back in an hour,” she called to the bartender, who smirked back and slowly nodded.

They arrived in an alley by the dumpster, where she looked around to make certain they were alone. “Sorry, we can't smoke inside. Want one?” He nodded and used a flame spell to light the cigarette she offered him.

Arcanum took a long drag before she gently reclaimed it and smoked it, too, before she passed it back. He could taste her lipstick on it, the night air quiet saves for the chirp of insects, while the moonlight fell on the pair and cast shadows on the alley from dim light.

“Just like old times,” he said. “We'd always have a smoke or two before we headed into our next battle. I often remember the last one we shared.”

Merry nodded and solemnly murmured, “Only wish you’d arrived sooner, mate. I...did something I'm not proud of. But that's what spies always do: to win a war. Not like I can take it back.”

“You don't need to tell me,” he reassured her.

“People say it would make it easier to open up, but… never mind.” With a flick of the ashes, she tossed the finished cigarette aside. “Not exactly the most romantic setting, and we don't have time to head home since I have to be back by hour's end. Follow me?” She headed back inside with a tail sweep.

With a shrug, Arcanum complied, silently taking in how her hips and buttocks swayed more than usual in her pants. Her blonde tail, too, was hiked and brushed across his nose, where he could smell the sweet scent of her marehood, wracked by estrus. No doubt she wanted a little 'help' with that.

Despite the unspoken attraction between them, they'd never made love and always kept it professional. Close friends and companions on the bloodiest battlefields, but no more.

She led him into a private restroom reserved for the waitresses...and paused when she saw Creamy and Milky were already at work, where they were taken by a few lucky studs they invited in. Some crude talk met their ears from the stallions that included “Bovine bitches, cow cunts,” and laughter while the spotted milkmaids took dick after dick in every hole and were soaked in innumerable cumshots.

“Let it all out, boys,” Cream huskily murmured, who jacked a pair of dicks presented to both sides of her while she rode a pair shoved into her cum drenched, spotted body. Like all the holstaurs, they were thick and very tall.

A similarly stained, sleepy-eyed Milky added, “Just remember, we work by the hour! Mmph~,” she moaned around another fat horsecock shoved past her plump lips to freshly swab her throat.

He mumbled, “What the bloody hell is going on—”

“They're spies,” she whispered in his ear. “The chief uses them to help track Fiery's movements. But don't worry about that now.” She pulled him into a free stall where a toilet sat. Her brick-red fur around her cheeks reddened more as she turned aside. “I, um, this embarrasses me to ask, but-”

“You know we can always be honest,” he assured her.

“Yeah. That's why it has to be you.” She started to unbutton her top and first half-exposed her heavy breasts. “Always dreamed we'd do this, but not in a place like this. My, er, estrus has mostly cooled off, but I could use a little more help before it drives me cunny bananas. You don't mind, do you love?”

“Course not.” He cupped her radiant red cheek. “But are you sure?”

“Sure as I'll ever be.” Coyly, she slid off her bra and bared her tits to him. While they could hear Creamy and Milky not far away take half a dozen dicks from the studs, their eyes were only for each other after she started to take off his shirt while he slid down her pants. Her panties soon followed, and his shaft was let loose, which he slid into her with a low hiss from her lips upon entry.

“No time for foreplay,” she'd told him. “Have to be back in less than fifteen.” Thankfully, estrus already left her permanently wet, even in its subdued state, after her forced tryst with Fiery.

The heat in her cunt cooled the moment he filled and spread her. The stall walls thumped when he thrust into her, and she rocked back until their snouts met. His palms cupped her wide, muscled buttocks to keep her aloft, the tender assflesh pinched and squeezed when her tits slapped into his bared chest.

“Harder~,” she urged him. “We need to finish this fast!” He bucked into her, felt her twat wink and drip over him each time he impaled her. His mouth closed around a titty and suckled at a nipple.

Fortunately, once time was nearly up, she'd come a few times, and he did too, with Merry's assurance that she'd taken one of Beatrix's contraceptive potions. He unloaded his seed into her, rewarded by her messy squirt that drenched his lap; another kiss traded between them amidst their climax as they savored the all too brief moment.

“Gotta head back to work, mate,” she lamented once their lips withdrew. “After me shift, come find me at the chiefs. There’s loads we need to talk about.”

“Aye,” he replied, her warm and wide buttocks still clasped in his palms. Gently, Arcanum let her down, and the pair of them swiftly redressed. She quickly lit another post-coitus cigarette the old friends shared before she threw the smoke butt in the toilet and sheepishly led him back into the pub.

At least this wasn't merely a silly indulgence, he decided, since a network of spies under Moon Hammer picked the brains of horny studs for info. Perhaps the others had been right in wanting to blow off their pent-up steam!

*****

“Good to know we didn't miss the party,” said Moonlight, who, with a nod from the bouncer, entered the pub with Midnight beside her. More dark looks from some of the minotaurs met the pegasus knight, but she brushed them aside, more concerned with Fiery's men, who openly leered at her when she arrived. “Oh, just great. Pretty sure some of these bozos recognize me!”
“H-Huh? Why?” Questioned Midnight.

“Never mind that! Just… go ahead and find a seat,” Moonlight urged, pushing their way inside past throngs of patrons. “But behave yourself, okay, Middy?”

“Yeah, I will.” Nonetheless, his emerald eyes widened at the holstaur barmaids, shaking their fat mammaries and asses around in intentional, amorous display.

“Hey,” called one of the troops at a table. “Moonmaid, isn't it?” He and his men snickered and undressed her with their eyes since rumors that the purplish-gray thestral wore a two-piece scanty maid costume still flourished.

“Moonlight,” she corrected and paused before the group of rambunctious men, a hand poised on her toned hip. “What the hell do you want? I'd prefer not to be kicked out during my first visit.”

“Nah, you’re nothing but trouble from what I’ve heard. But say, see them waitresses?” He jerked his head to his side at the half-nude, bountiful bovines.

The bat mare rolled her eyes. “...obviously. Your point is...?”

“Well, I hear they're always ready for more volunteers, and me and the boys think you'd make a nice addition...ex-cadet.” They snorted and chuckled while she quietly fumed with a twitch of her lip. “Oh, and before you turn us down flat, here.” He slammed a thick pouch of coins onto the table.

She swallowed hard. “... fucking tools, think I’ll degrade myself just because you throw bits at me,” she mumbled almost inaudibly.

The soldier shrugged. “Money’s money. And it's all yours… so long as you give us a proper show and work as one of the waitresses for a few hours.”

The idea stewed in her head. She knew Hammerfall badly needed more capital to help rebuild and expand. There was a little over a month's pay pooled between them, at least. All she had to do was humiliate herself a bit. Not like she hadn't already, with what she'd done to escape the Crystal Empire!

Moonlight looked to her fellow ex-cadet for his opinion. He shook his head while glaring at the other soldiers. “Don’t let them get to you, they’re not worth it! Just say the world, and I’ll wipe the smiles off their faces! Besides, I'm sure Layla must have a fortune back on-”

“No. I don't want to rely on her. Nor you. This is for my own pride. And the people here.” The bat mare shook her head and exhaled sharply before her eyes turned back to the boys. “Fine. But you better hold up your end of the deal!”

Moonlight River waved over a couple of minotaur bouncers to bear witness to their deal, and then she shook hands with the lead soldier, the terms restated. With the money secured, she slowly started to undo her casual clothes.

Whistles and catcalls met her bat ears, which twitched, unable to hide a dark blush across her face. First, she removed her top, her medium breasts bared since she hadn't bothered with a bra, her nipples already erect and perky from the eve's draft. Next came her boots and pants, kicked aside until she was down to her plain black silk panties. With a snort, she peeled down those, too, to more raunchy cheers.

Handing her clothes and undergarments to the bouncers, she reminded the boys, “Look all you want. But touch me, and I'll break your wrist.

“You ain’t worth keeping my dick warm, Moonmaid,” chortled the stallion as he and his boys fist-bumped at the end of her little strip show. “Now, how’s ‘bout you take our order? Maybe I’ll throw in a few more bits for a taste of your—”

“Don't push it,” she warned with narrowed eyes. Despite her discomfort, she took their orders and went to fetch them from the bartender, their lecherous gaze drawn to the swivel of her bare butt, bouncy boobs, and hips.

Midnight, too, couldn't help but stare and quietly lament what he'd thrown away. And for what? He'd never intended to hurt her or Cerise, but the damage was done. He couldn't imagine what his wife and Penumbra endured now, simply because he wasn't there for them. Because he'd let Autumn Equinox lead them astray. His eyes shot wide at an all too familiar naked, violet mare. “... what the—Beatrix?!”

“A-Ahh!? Oh, h-heeeeey there, Middy!” She blushed and bashfully smiled at him, adorned by her witch hat, heeled boots, a small patch over her slit...and nothing else. More curiously, she'd put her platinum mane up in pigtails and smeared her entire body in an oily sheen. “A-As you can plainly see, the town needs funds, so Wispy and I decided to volunteer! Shame we couldn't get more of the ladies to help out, but hey! I see Moonie's here!”

“Well, she didn't intend to. They mostly bullied her with tons of pay,” he informed with a sheepish chuckle.

“Yeah, the soldiers are real dicks. Plenty of them even snuck in a few stray squeezes and spanks! Eh-lets not do this here. Follow me!”

The witchy unicorn took the pegasus’ hand and led him out of the main room into the bartender's office, which was still under construction on a newly built second floor. Fortunately, it was safe to walk on, and in the sparse room, they could freely overlook the pub below from a window with complete privacy.

She sat him down in a chair at a desk in the dim, muted enclosure. “I've wanted a chance to chat in private for a while.”

His ears drooped, and he slumped. “Ohh… Guess it's your turn to berate me as well? Not like I don't deserve it-”

She pressed a finger to his lips. “Hush! I didn't drag you here to bust your balls. I'm sure you've had enough of that already. And heaven knows I've made some terrible mistakes! Like what happened to you, brother. It's my fault you became a hyper-stallion. Not to mention the sorry state of your world.”

While she talked, she mixed tea and a thermos of holstaur milk. She hummed all the while, and he couldn't help but be mesmerized by her bare, pendulous breasts, which swayed back and forth with her movements, and her titties drooped in front of his face. “W-well, you did throw away your immortality for me-”

“Not just for you,” she corrected. “I did it for Oona, Abadonna, myself! But… yeah, I've messed up really badly. What happened to Cerise...I can't bear to think what they’re doing to her. I shouldn't have let her come.” She sniffled, then shook mild tears aside.

Then, she spurred back to life. “But you’ve got a greater chance at making things right than I do. You're a knight, just like Shining Armor. But you'll be better than him, I know it! Knights are supposed to save princesses, after all~!”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Midnight agreed, his face hardening with determination.

“So I know we'll find Cerise, Penumbra, and then it'll all be okay!” With a wide smile, she kissed his cheek and handed him the thermos, her breasts absently brushed across his chest and arm. “Now, relax and drink up, okay?”

He tried not to stare at the seemingly oblivious, busty mare, who radiated body heat. “O-Okay. Thanks, Bea. Or do I still call you sis? I mean, we don't exactly have the same father, so—”

“I'm sure Thunder Storm was your real father...before I interfered with your life. It's like a bunch of possibilities from your life have been squashed together, much like this world is now a hodgepodge from other planets that converged across our scattered dimensions! Point is, I don't want to fight with anyone. Whatever mistakes I've made, I want to take responsibility and put all this bad stuff behind me.”

“Me too. But I have quite a ways to go before that,” he admitted and drank from the steamy tea-and-milk mixture, still unable to fully tear his eyes away from her oiled-up breasts, not that she apparently minded since they were practically shoved into his face while she worked and wobbled her bare bust.

Beatrix then giggled flirtatiously. “Y’know, if you really want to, Middy… you can drink from the source~.”

Midnight’s face reddened, and his breathing hitched. “B-But… are you sure? This would go against—”

“You’ve been gawking at my boobs for quite a while now,” she purred with a husky voice. “You might as well…”

The pegasus swallowed down his drink in an audible gulp, hesitantly lifting a hand before it lifted up one of her heavy tits. Even the slightest hold of the unicorn’s sensitive breasts brought a lewd sound out of her lips, which turned into heightened groans when Midnight slowly began massaging her hefty bosom, tit-flesh pinched and kneaded.

“Mmmnnh~ Yeah… come suckle me dry,” the horny unicorn encouraged, pressing one milky mound into his snout. With a muffled groan, the pegasus enveloped his mouth around her dark nipple, tugging and slurping down all the juicy milk leaking out.

Beatrix fully straddled her wide hips into his lap, grinding her aching, inflamed, all but bared marehood against the growing bulge of his trousers. When one tiddy felt drained, Midnight swapped breasts to siphon the other, one of his hands roaming down to squeeze and spank her shapely flank. He'd promised Moonie not to touch the waitresses…but surely Beatrix didn't really count; after all they'd overcome?

The filthy witch leaned her face beside his, panting and moaning hotly into his ear. “I have to confess, Middy. Before Cerise set her sights on you, I wanted to be the one to take your V card~.”

Midnight murmured against her tit flesh as she continued to hump and rile him up. “I also watched you plow Oona back on the ship, wishing it was me.” She giggled sexily. “Yeah… you’re not the only one who’s had wet dreams of us together. Not like we're really related. That's a byproduct of my wish~!”

After getting his fill of her breasts, Midnight pulled up to look longingly—hungrily at Beatrix, who returned the gaze with sinful delight. Not a second later, their snout crashed in a heated kiss, his tongue pushing her mouth into submission. Pulling back with a thread of drool, the pegasus mustered some of that hyper-stallion instinct and growled, “Let’s finally make that dream a reality then, shall we?”

The witch quivered with delight and slid her body down his, leaking a trail of milk until she was between her friend’s spread thighs. Midnight slightly lifted his hips to help her unbuckle his pants and bring them to his ankles, his meaty horsecock nearly erect and rigid with veins. She clicked her fingers, and the patch over her pussy dematerialized.

Beatrix started with wet, sloppy kisses and long licks along the shaft, allowing his musk to dominate her senses and shut down the rational side of her brain. Leaving only room for her inner whore to manifest as she worshiped her best friend’s husband’s cock with her mouth.

She told herself Cerise would understand. That someone needed to tend to his needs, now that Moonie wouldn't put out for the poor hyper-stud!

Midnight groaned, staring down with hazy green eyes, watching the busty unicorn mare lap her way to the tip and take in the first few inches. Her tongue wriggles over his flare, drowning her taste buds with his salty pre. But a healthy specimen like this deserves only the best! So she scooped her oiled-up titties and wrapped them around the stallion’s turgid tool, her half-lidded violet eyes pinned to meet his stare.

It took every muscle in Midnight’s body not to immediately thrust and make a mess in Beatrix’s skillful mouth, letting the witch do all the work in unburdening his stress with her maw and cleavage. The violet mare enthusiastically bobbed her along his thick cock, while her shiny breasts stroked and squished whatever she couldn’t fit inside. She made sure to slurp loudly, maintaining eye contact while she relentlessly worked him over.

“Hnngh! Damn, you’re a real addict for cock, huh?” Midnight growled playfully as she loudly sucked him off. “Couldn’t even wait a couple of minutes before swindling me away to get your fix. Are you that desperate for attention, Bea?”

The oddly demeaning language only served to arouse Beatrix more, managing to nod her head while keeping pace with her titfuck/dicksuck combo, nipples staining his thighs in milk as she drank down thick precum.

The blue stallion snorted. “It’s okay, Bea. We both know this is the only thing you’re good for. Your real calling in life. Well, outside of being a major fuckup. And since you royally fucked my life, it’s only fair I fuck yours too, right bitch?”

Before she could register what he was saying, Midnight grabbed her by the horn, forcing her back when he stood up and proceeded to brutalize her throat with harsh thrusts of his hips.

“Mnnaghk!? Glawck! Gluck!!”

“Nnngh! That’s it! Suck my cock! Choke on it, you filthy bitch!” His hips pistoned fiercely, leathery breeding bag swinging into her outstretched jaw wildly while Beatrix could only gurgle and sputter around the horsecock swabbing her esophagus. Tears leaked down her puffed cheeks, saliva dribbling down to splatter her wobbly milky tits. She tried to slow him down by pushing his hips, unable to breathe as he flared in her throat and threatened to pop it open…

Yet the thrill of getting skullfucked by her angry best friend ignited an insatiable flame in Beatrix’s loins, which leaked a puddle of feminine lubricant.

“Gheesh! You’re actually getting off to this, aren’t you, slut?” Midnight sneered with disgust. “Getting treated like a brainless cumdumpster. No, scratch that. Getting treated like you deserve.”

Finally, after minutes of non-stop face pounding, the blue pegasus pulled his wet schlong out of her thoroughly abused snout. Beatrix coughed and gulped air once Midnight yanked her up to her heeled boots. He smacked her milky mounds before gingerly laying a wide hand over her slim stomach.

“You couldn't care less about getting fucked in public, right? Here. Let’s show everyone how much of a cock obsessed bimbo you really are!” he muttered before shoving her up onto the window, her breasts pancaked against the glass. Her eyes widened at all the people below, indulged in debaucherous acts of their own.

The holstaurs had fully surrendered to the soldiers, letting them gangbang and fill their voluptuous bodies with cock.

Wispy and Moonlight were getting tag-teamed as well, making out with each other while their chosen respective stallions filled their holes up. “Yes~! Break me! Rape me with your cock,” screamed the former cadet. “I’m just a greedy bitch who needs to be put in her place! Make me a part of your herd~!”

“M-me too,” whined the twin-tailed tigress. “When you’re done fucking me, I’ll take you to see my bandmates! I'm sure they’d love getting dicked down hard by tons of rowdy studs like you~!”

“Agh! Just shut up and take my nut!” One soldier yelled in triumph.

“Yeah, get pregnant, bitch!!” The other moaned before they both reached their climax together and pumped the batmare and nekomata with stallion splooge; the pub turned into a messy den of depravity.

The witchy unicorn murmured in perplexion. “Wh-What..? No… this wasn’t supposed to—gaaahgh~!!”

Midnight took a couple of swings at her ass while batting his fat girthy breeding stick against her well-soaked entrance. “Sure it is,” he said coldly. “This is all a result of your constant meddling with my reality. And now you’re gonna pay me back like a proper prostitute!”

Without warning, Midnight shoved the entirety of his length inside the mare’s hot honey pot, forcing a shrill scream out of Beatrix from the brunt intrusion.

“Aaaaahahagh! M-Middy, wait! Stop, this isn’t—” The stallion behind her slammed her cheek against the glass, disregarding her protests in favor of taking his pent-up frustration out on her fuckhole, jackhammering it with wanton abandon. Cries of pleasure mixed with pain filled the room, her marehood tightening around the bludgeoning tool, reshaping her insides, much to her shame, as she came hard in a messy spray that rained across his stomach.

“Masochistic pig!” Spat Midnight, who bruised her supple ass cheek until it was bright red from his palm. With every thrust, he shoved her harder into the window, which began to crack from the excessive force he used to fuck her.

Her titties wetly slapped and smeared more milk across the surface. Through the mind-numbing trauma and ecstasy, Beatrix somewhat understood why this was happening. Instead of peering at the sexual depravity happening below, she focused on the glass itself, which reflected a haunting image. Defiling her from behind wasn’t Midnight Blitzer… but the Nightmare Stag himself. His gangly outstretched form towering over the broodmare he raped.

The witch released an orgasmic shrilly scream when her perpetrator pummeled into her, his flared tip kissing the back of her womb with how deeply he filled her. Her belly bulged with each impalement, threatening to burst through her guts, as another squirt splashed from her masochistic mare muff.

With a harrowing wail, ‘Midnight’ bottomed out and flooded her abused uterus with torrents of hot seed. He pushed her hard enough to finally break through the window, shattering the view below into something far more horrific.

Everyone, from the holstaurs to her friends and family, was dead. Their mangled corpses defiled by monstrous shapes and abstract horrors, which ate away at their flayed innards. The roof was obliterated, revealing a spiraling vortex of darkness and distortion, swallowing debris into a looming pitch black. Their screams of anguish were now looped in a dreadful ambiance.

“꒯ꄲ ꌦꄲ꒤ ꇙꏂꏂ ꓄ꁝꏂꂵ?” Omen’s voice slithered through her brain like a parasite, hand coiling her throat like a noose. “ꋬ꒒꒒ ꓄ꁝꏂ ꉣꏂꄲꉣ꒒ꏂ ꌦꄲ꒤’꒦ꏂ ꒒ꏂ꓄ ꒯ꄲꅐꋊ? ꋬ꒒꒒ ꓄ꁝꏂ ꂵꄲꋊꇙ꓄ꏂꋪꇙ ꌦꄲ꒤ ꉔꋪꏂꋬ꓄ꏂ꒯?”

“N-no…” Beatrix whimpered, some of the shrapnel stuck in her thighs, arms and chest, oozing out blood. So shaken from her unwanted orgasm, she could barely struggle in his grip. “I’ll… s-save them..! S-s-stop you..!”

The shadowy cervine gave a sinister chortle. “ꌦꄲ꒤ ꉔꄲ꒤꒒꒯ꋊ’꓄ ꏂ꒦ꏂꋊ ꇙꋬ꒦ꏂ ꓄ꁝꏂ ꄲꋊꏂꇙ ꓄ꁝꋬ꓄ ꂵꋬ꓄꓄ꏂꋪꏂ꒯..!” Five ghastly apparitions floated towards her, which the startled unicorn recognized as her dear mother, Trixie, Cerise, Penumbra, Shadow Scythe, and her love Oona.

Over and over, they called out her name, their expressions all but clear: they blamed her for their fates. She shriveled and sobbed as they got closer and closer, shouting louder and louder!

“Beatrix!”

“Beatrix!!”

“Beatrix!!”

“Beatrix?!”

The sound of Midnight’s voice broke the violet mare out of her trance, her violet eyes meeting concerned emerald orbs. The pegasus tilted his head. “Hey, are you okay, Bea? You’ve been staring all weirdly for quite a while now.”

The witch shook her head to clear out the daze. “… huh? Oh..! I-I was just—”

When did she space out? Apparently, not even her daydreams were safe from Omen.

“There you are!” Called another voice. Before Beatrix could turn around, two palms wrapped around her bare tits from behind and started to manipulate and squeeze them, her nipples pinched and pulled by deft fingers, which made milk dollops dribble from the perky slits.

“Wh-Whaaaah~! W-Wispy-! Oh~...” Beatrix moaned, shuddering under her famished touch and the tongue licking the shell of her inner ear with abandon.

“Not just me,” the nekomata purred with a nod over her shoulder. Behind her, Dion and the quadruplets wandered in. Like Wispy, their clothes were swiftly discarded for a bit more private fun. “Creamy and Milky have the bathroom tied up, so I asked the bartender's permission to take a little break here!”

Midnight blushed harder, unable to look away from all the shapely bodies and breasts on display. “D-Did you all really have to come in here butt naked…?”

“Oh, aye! Gettin' a bit too heated tae do this out in th' open,” Dion said with a sly smirk, settling back into a chair at one of the tables stored here. Once more, the foursome of crystalline twins straddled his thighs, one pair of sisters on each as they tittered and squished their tits together, presented to the ram.

Wispy sashayed her way over. “At least you can keep your eyes on all the hot bitches below from here,” she teased with a harsh smack on Beatrix's ass, which quivered under the impact.

“Y-Yeah! Quite the view,” the witch nervously laughed, still recovering from the disturbing vision she saw. To think how she wantonly lusted over Middy…

The forked-tail catwoman made her way behind the burly ram, rubbing his scarred torso and shoulders, earning a low groan. “So ‘Mr. Dauntless’. I’ve heard you’ve had quite the vacation!”

“Mmmnh! Wooldn’t call it that, exactly,” he grumbled. “Had tae take part in a civil war between two zebra tribes. Th' opposin' side was meddlin' wit th' successor tae Vice Lord Varys… Viscera, as she calls herself. In th' end, they retreated, an' a lot ovlives were lost. One ov which was their chieftain, Noble Savage.”

“An utter tragedy,” murmured Beatrix. “But at least Ebony Ivory is there to pick up the pieces?”

Dion nodded, smiling shyly. “No doubt she’ll renew her people’s strength wit her leadership an' wisdom. If there’s one regret A have 'bout returnin' home, it’s that Ah might not be present when our child is born.”

Everyone did a double take, Wispy pausing her massage to plant her paws on her hips. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold up! You got Ebony preggers?!”

“Before any of the twins?!” Added Beatrix.

His pale face flourished. “A-Ah mean, there’s a good chance it’ll be mine. She had a whole ceremony lettin' her tribe’s men impregnate her tae provide a new heir. Ah just sae happen tae be a participant. An' it’s not like Ah haven’t tried knockin' up Ama an' Amy!”

The succubi twins nodded. “It’s true,” Wet Nurse said. “I believe our mistress has yet to remove a conception spell from us that frees our fertility.”

“Not that we don’t mind our master fornicating with another woman,” Foal-Bearer assured. “So long as he holds up his end of our bargain~!”

“A-An' Ah will,” the caprine warrior insisted. “Ah take full responsibility fur any children Ah sire. Like mah father befur me, an' his father befur him!”

“Mmm. A man if your word, aye? Let’s test that!” Wispy twirled around in front of the seated ram to wiggle her fuzzy yellow-orange butt at him, her forked tail wagging enticingly. Looking over her shoulder with a smoldering look from her slit cat eyes, she challenged, “Prove your mettle in the next battle, and I’ll do more than just sit on your face~?”

Dion gawked at her waving bare buttocks and chuckled. “Ne'er been one tae back down from any contest! Yer stripy ass is mine!” He gave said striped ass a cheeky spank.

Wispy retorted with a titter, using her twin tail to stroke and rub his red cock a little, which throbbed and dribbled with precum, already worked up from the quadruplets, who rubbed their wet snatches across the ram's skin and fur. “Don't let me down, okay?”

Her attention turned back to the pub below, muted by the window. “Reminds me of when I'd hit up all the local strip clubs on tour back in the Cyberverse!”

“I remember Moxxi brought me to a high-end nightclub,” said Beatrix, recalling that fun little trip with the imp in an attempt to wash away the effects of Omen’s Onoma. “Down below was a glory hole that connected to multiple dimensions. Suffice to say, we milked a lot of cocks that day~.”

“Pft! Surprised she didn’t turn one of Julianne’s confessionals into one of those,” Wispy snickered when she mashed her own breasts on the window and moved them in circles, milk squeezed out from squeezed tit-flesh and smeared across the murky surface.

“You'll have to lick that clean, Pussywillow,” teased Beatrix. “Time to break out the final touch so we can be more like those haulster waitresses!”

The witch summoned then passed a set of nipple rings out to the twin-tailed tigress and winced with a low moan when she drove her own into her tender skin. “Don't worry, they're enchanted to be safe and sterile! Should be able to remove and discard them on a whim!”

“Got nearly an hour to burn before we have to head back from break,” said Wispy, who absentmindedly yanked on her nipple rings; the perky buds pulled, which sent an electric thrill in her. “So I'll have to find a way to pass the time!”

Her cat eyes scanned the dim room, where Dion did his best to wrap his lips around the presented nipples of the quadruplets and suck them at the same time. Suckles and slurps sounded, his mouth and black-bearded chin drenched by dribbly, milky sweetness.

She then looked for Midnight, having heard about what a beast in the sack he could be. But it seemed the young knight had already vacated the room, wanting to uphold his promise to Moonlight before the temptation of Bea's boobs in his face consumed him.

This left Beatrix as her true partner, which made her grin. “Welp, guess you’ll have to make do, babe. You’re always down-to-fuck, right~?”

“Huh? Y-yeah, but-” Beatrix moaned when she was shoved onto the desk Midnight where was seated before, one of her legs raised by Wispy as she was held sideways, and the nekomata ripped the scant cover from Beatrix's pussy before she pressed cunt-to-cunt with her amidst a lewd, wet squelch.

The witch's moans were muted when their lips met, and the nekomata scissored her. Squishes sounded each time their twats met and dripped every second they connected and rubbed.

Beatrix briefly glanced at the window, making sure nothing wrong was happening in their reflections. A little more at ease, the unicorn’s horn lit, and her aura floated over more potions to help mix up the impromptu kinky session. "Ch-check these out…!"

Wispy licked her lips while she continued to mash pussy-to-pussy with the wet witch. “Ooh~! What's this?”

“Just...a few potions I keep around for fun,” huffed Beatrix as she scanned the labels. “Breast enhancements...lactation...stretchiness…estrus inducement aphrodisiacs …oh, and this one, um… Lets you have a bit of extra—hey~!”

Without more confirmation, Wispy snatched the potion and drank the contents down while scissoring the violet witch. The liquids quickly took effect in her belly, her loins burned, and a lewd moan hissed from her lips. “Keihei! What th—?!” From her crotch, the flesh started to swell amidst a climatic, predatory hiss of arousal.

What arose from the nekomata was not one, like she expected, but two barbed cat penises, already slick and erect as they rubbed across Beatrix's wet lower holes and smeared them in precum. “Damn! You're a kinky bitch, just like I've heard,” she teased. “But are you sure you wanna take these? They're barbed. Most women would run and-”

“S-sure,” promised Beatrix with a hard swallow. “Better drink this, to be sure?” She downed a potion of her own, one she usually took when she mated with a more violent, primal monster. Ensuring that not only would she be extra stretchy to her core, but any discomfort would be converted into pleasure!

Soon, she found herself flipped onto her stomach and bent over the table as Wispy lined up the double-barbed cocks she was eager to test and rubbed at her orifices. "Get ready!" Gradually, she pushed into her amidst a shared moan, whereupon she started to fuck and spank Beatrix into submission.

“Ah-! Th-this is wonderful...!” Wispy stretched her open, her striped hips a wild blur. “No wonder boys are so eager to get into my pants~! Goddess, I'd want to shove my cock in every hole~!”

“I...don't think I can be impregnated since the 'Demiurge' is still attached to my womb,” sputtered Beatrix between moans each time her asscheeks clapped. “S-so it should be safe for you to cum inside! B-but I'll take a contraceptive potion, in case...oh~!” She constricted around her and came.

“That's it! Milk me,” hissed Wispy as the witch squirted on her and continued to spank and bounce her buttcheeks each time she skewered her warm, wet holes to the hilt. She squeezed her ample ass and tits, then railed her like a cheap harlot, still worked up after what Triad's damned familiar had done to her!

With a cry, Wispy hilted and unloaded into her. "Ah~! Take it deep, you cheap slut!" Cumshot-after-cumshot filled her. Beatrix was thankful that the barbs that spread and stretched her hadn’t torn her up, thanks to the potion she'd taken. Instead, they wracked her with bliss, her eyes fluttering as they rolled into her head, and her pussy poked and pulled each time the barbs bit into her.

The black mass of the Demiurge oozed inside the walls of Beatrix's womb where it was attached and made her shudder with another, mild climax. Each squirm in her uterus induced another climax, which rained across Wispy's lap.

Yet without the Necronomicon's influence, the Prima Materia had started to lose its luster. It made her aware that was the eldritch beast not permanently removed. Eventually, it could one day consume her entirely. Somehow, she needed to take it out before it bonded!

However, that could wait. With a dopey smile, Beatrix looked back at her feline partner and asked, “Round two~?”

"You bet your sweet ass~," teased Wispy with a firm smack on her buns.

*****

By the time midnight started to roll around and the pub prepared to close down, Moonlight River had earned herself a sizable amount of tips on top of her small fortune. To celebrate, she bought a few drinks from Fiery's men that they'd smuggled in, all too happy to help get her drunk in hopes she'd put out. Soon, she drank herself sick, then excused herself and tumbled out the back of the pub to take a short break.
“Uugh… Don't feel too swell,” she muttered and held her stomach, still butt-naked, as she almost emptied the contents of her stomach out by the trash. In truth, she missed the comforts of Midnight and Cerise badly, not to mention Moon Hammer. But she knew he was incredibly busy and wanted some time to look after his calves. “Damn it,” she slurred. “Why am I always tossed aside like used trash..?”

The drunken thestral leaned on the alley wall to keep her balance, aware she didn't have time to feel sorry for herself. Not when whatever happened to her didn't compare to Cerise's and Penumbra's current predicament.

The cool air whistled across her bare purplish-gray skin, her nipples painfully stiff. At least her estrus had died down, but the offer to strip for Fiery's men reminded her of what she'd done on her escape from the Crystal Empire, what had been done to her, and the lives she'd taken to cover her tracks.

“Maybe I'm no better than them… a-am I just another killer? I don't know anymore...”

The door opened, and the boys she'd entertained earlier followed her out. “Hey there, Moonslut. Need some company? We'd be happy to help~.” His eyes drank the denuded thestral in.

“Get lost, prick!” Her prosthetic wingtips curled, aware that with all the hidden compartments in the machinery, she could fill them all with dozens of darts that could paralyze...or kill.

He planted a hand on the wall beside her head and leaned in. “Ohoh? Plan to make us, you slutty Moonmaid? You're drunk off that cute little toned ass. You can hardly fight like this! So why don't you let us take you home and—”

“She said no!” Midnight shouted, sailing down to intercept the soldier in the lead, forced to back off when he landed. He leveled his lance at him. The waitresses had told him Moonie went off by herself, so he'd raced to recover his weapons and armor from the bouncers and then flew back, carried by his Onoma's winds.

Quickly, he lifted the unsteady mare into his firm arms and flew away from the alley into the open space of Hammerfall, hopeful they wouldn't be so foolish as to throw down in the open.

She clung to his barrel chest armor, a deep blush on her face. They sped onward in a blur, her soft flesh squished against the pegasus knight's breastplate when he cradled her close.

But a hard fist connected to his jaw, throwing both him and Moonlight back onto the ground, where they tumbled and skidded to a stop. They both glared up to find Fiery Kickstart blocking their path, flanked by a small squadron of his elite soldiers. The ex-cadets found themselves near the holstaur fountain and surrounded from every direction.

“So, this is where you’ve been, hyper-stallion,” the half-burned Supreme Commander said in a harsh tone. “And here I thought we had a mutual understanding. Disappointing.”

“You don’t know the first thing about me,” grunted Midnight, who kept Moonlight clasped to his white breastplate and his lance in hand.

“Oh, I think I do,” retorted Fiery, beyond livid thanks to his recent shortcomings. “You and your whore are traitors to Equestria. Deserting your posts, backstabbing your comrades, risking the future of Equestria. And for what? Some half-baked fantasy about being better than your pathetic father?”

“H-hypocrite,” Moonie spat out drearily.

The mustard stallion stiffened slightly before resuming his approach.

“H-Hey! The truce is still on!” reminded Midnight.

“I’m aware. And I’d hate to disrupt such peace over something so trivial as your insubordination. So be a good soldier—be a man, and accept your punishment outside Hammerfall.”

“And what punishment is that, exactly? Crystal Empire stud?!”

His statement caused Fiery to pause, and his eyes narrowed at the resilient pegasus.

Midnight rose up fully when he continued. “Yeah, don’t think I haven’t figured out why I’m so valuable to you. You want my genes to mass-populate your ranks with hyper soldiers. That’s why you had your wives and Equinox tease and seduce me! Hoping I’d give into my enhanced urges and knock up every mare and female in Equestria. So that I would unknowingly solidify your fascist regime!”

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll keep this quiet,” the yellow pegasus commanded coldly.

“Well, I’ve got a newsflash for you, Fiery,” rebutted Midnight, his voice drawing out residents and onlookers. “Thanks to your old buddy, Web Spinner, I don’t have hyper-stallion genes anymore! I’m no different from Shining Armor now! Maybe a little bigger and stronger than most stallions, but otherwise not that special anymore!”

Fiery's pupils shrank to pinpoints, his broadsword blazed to life. “…what?!”

Midnight wore a slight smirk on his snout. “You heard me, asshole. I’m useless to your plans for a ‘perfect’ Equestria!”

“No,” he muttered through clenched teeth, fist tightening around his sword’s hilt, trembling with rage. “You lie!”

“I-It’s true,” Moonlight sneered, cradled close to her childhood friend's breastplate. “Deinos worked on a cleanser that wiped his genes clean from the cell! So go fuck yourself and your empire, Fiery Kickstart! You failed!”

Already inflamed by Bloody Merry’s underhanded tactics, the Supreme Commander howled in fury yet refused to admit how far his plans had been set back. “I’ve failed nothing!! It is you who are the failures! And as Supreme Commander, it’s my honor-sworn duty to rid Equestrian of all filthy, changeling sympathizing scum!!”

Fiery brandished his flame-lit sword in an arc that made the air twist from the heat aimed at the couple. Fortunately, Midnight was prepared for any sudden hostility, muscles already tensed to spring back and evade the inferno. His wide plume whooshed forward to unleash his newly awakened Onoma, unleashing a gale of wind carefully controlled to limit the damage to their surroundings. A mini hurricane rushed out, and soldiers lifted and tossed onto the roads or into the fountain of milk, which splashed and overran across the soil.

Fiery lifted skyward and held his ground, his bent wing now partially healed and the flames that wrapped around them able to support his armored weight. His elemental Onoma matched up with the repressed hyper-stallion's, embers left to crackle around the Supreme Commander.

“Get behind me, Moonie,” called Midnight when he let her down. “I'll protect you!” He hadn't intended to throwdown in Hammerfall like this, but they hadn't left them with much choice!

Moonlight drunkenly stumbled a tad. “I-I can fight too!” Carefully, she launched a flurry of darts at the troops that started to rise, careful to only use paralyzing rounds as several were knocked out.

However, there were far too many for them to handle. Fiery ordered, “Leave Blitzer to me! I'll execute him with my own hands! Do what you want with the ex-cadet! Get that used-up whore ready for the breeder camp! Hell, rape the treasonous bitch to death for all I care!”

“Fuck you!” She hollered back. This time, she loaded up venous cartridges in her clockwork/cybernetic fusion plumage, ready to unload every last one into Fiery and make certain that bastard paid the price. However, more soldiers rushed at her with thirsty eyes.

“Moonie! Ack!” Midnight momentarily turned to his companion, and more wind launched from his plume, barely able to raise his lance in time when Fiery slashed at him. Flames crackled near his face, reminded that any strike could torch his skin and fur by the horrific nest of deep burn scars that decorated Fiery.

“Worry about your own ass,” yelled Fiery, who battered at him. “Weakness like that gets you killed in the heat of battle! Just like how poor, 'noble' old Thunder Storm was finally done in..!”

“Get off me, bastards,” yowled Moonlight, who hit a few more soldiers with darts before they seized her. Her metal plume cut one across the face, which made him howl and crumple. More tried to restrain and fondle her, the mare soon helpless to do little more than squirm in their arms as one lifted her up by the ankles to violate her.

The batmare struck out wildly and managed to slash a few more across the face and chest in splashes of hot scarlet, all while they continued to harshly clasp and squeeze at her wobbly, toned, soft flesh. However, one of the men cuffed part of her metal plume. “Gotcha, you dumb bitch,” he shouted in triumph.

“Certainly paid you a royal ransom whore,” said the stallion, his hard-on still in his pants, pressed to her puffy pink twat as she writhed, her arms held by the troops at her side. He rubbed the tip of his contained flare on her pussylips, which spread them a little and made her moisten. “Get her ready, boys, I-ack!”

Blood erupted from his throat and splashed red hot across Moonlight's heaving tits. Gunshots erupted across the air, which ripped into the soldiers that held her sides. She tumbled onto her bare butt with a yelp as they dropped, the one that held her ankles left to clutch his neck, where a crossbow bolt was buried from the back of his throat and exited out the front.

“Ahh! Nothing like a strong drink and a bunch of villains who need their teeth kicked in,” called Arcanum Folklore. “Don’t it just bring back memories?”

“Some of the best, old chum,” replied Bloody Merry, who professionally reloaded her auto-crossbow in hand.

The two pegasi shoved each other back into the ground, Fiery’s heated glare locking on the red brick mare who did him dirty. “You! After I’ve dealt with these morons, I'll make sure my entire army claims a piece of your ass before I execute you!”

Merry flashed him a cheeky smile. “Not too bright of you to start a fire in the middle of town! Drew us all here!” She and her partner opened fire on Fiery's men, torn into by arrows and bullets.

“Aye. So much for not wanting to ‘disrupt the peace,’” murmured Arcanum, the warlock's hands and horn glimmering with ethereal magic.

Beatrix rushed out of the pub, haphazardly fixing her costume and long pigtails still trailing behind her before stammering, “Y-Yeah! Throw down your weapons and surrender!”

Fiery snarled and rushed to knock the blue pegasus to the ground, his flame sword still pointed at his foe's throat. “You really want to start a war here? Over this pathetic sack of horseshit?”

Beatrix held up her hands, as did Arcanum and Merry, who ceased their actions while remaining poised to attack. More stallion soldiers and minotaurs raced onto the bloody scene.

“Not very wise, Supreme Commander,” called Brutus Grimmwald, who arrived with Moon Hammer, flanked by his grimms. “You stand against not only the people here but those who came with the U.F.O. parked in the distance.”

“One bad move and your entire regime goes belly under,” said Iclyn coolly, her cryomancy flurrying around her antlers and hands in a subdued cold snap.

Wispy Willow took a martial arts stance back in her embroidered scarlet cheongsam when she bared her claws and teeth. “You think you can take all of us? You're outnumbered, dumbass!”

“Best make yer sorry arse scarce,” hollered Dion, who didn’t bother to retrieve his clothes but carried his heavy claymore and shield in hand.

“This ends badly for you, I’m afraid,” Moon Hammer spoke as calmly as he could, always aware it could come to this. He hefted a war hammer. “Leave in peace or in pieces. Your choice.”

For a moment, no one spoke nor moved. However, doubts played across Midnight's face, aware he could unleash a hurricane and take out Fiery and his men...but it would tear apart a town that had already faced devastation. He was not yet trained to handle this level of power! Likewise, people on both sides tensed, ready to spill more blood after all the tensions.

The silence was broken when everyone gasped. Fiery decided to take his head anyway, consequences be damned!

But as he swung his flame-laced sword downward, a flash of light blinked between the two pegasus knights… and another saber doused in a righteous inferno clashed. “What in—grragh!”

The wielder forced Fiery backward, stumbling to his behind, guarding his face from the brilliant light. When it dimmed down, the onlookers gasped at the angelic creature that stood protectively in front of Midnight and Moonlight, adorned by radiant armor.

“Hey! I-Is that—?!”

“It is!”

Beatrix covered her snout, eyes watery with happy tears. “Zeloph!”

Merry rubbed her eyes clear, bewildered by what she was seeing. “I-I must be properly shitfaced, cause that looks like an angel! And last I checked, those bastards were just make-believe!”

“It’s… complicated,” admitted Arcanum.

The fiery-haired demi-human kept a collected gaze, his illuminated plumage spread open with each eye fixated on the mustard stallion. His teal blade aimed at his half-burn-scarred head. “I’d think a little more carefully about what you say or do next, warmonger.”

Fiery scoffed. “Or what? You’ll strike me down where I stand? I’d like to see you try, halo boy!”

Zell couldn’t hide the smile on his face. “Oh, I won’t be doing anything… she will.”

Leaping out from the darkness of his own shadow emerged a snarling canine beast, pinning the Supreme Commander and baring its sharp teeth. And to add further insult to injury, he felt the cold steel of a sickle-blade pressed against his neck, wielded by a similar creature cloaked in a hooded white cowl. “Go ahead. Make this more difficult for yourself,” she warned, her voice dripping sarcasm. “I dare you.”

The violet witch’s eyes widened hearing the familiar cadence of that voice. “… Shadow Scythe..?!”

Fiery’s nostrils flared, glaring at the strange alien creatures that subdued him effortlessly… before snuffing the fire from his broadsword. “...very well. Release me, and we will go.”

The couple looked at each other before nodding, and the reaper demi called off her shadow hound, which faded back into her silhouette. Once she stepped aside, the pegasus pulled himself back up and returned to his soldiers with what little dignity he could muster… but not before turning back at his enemies and declaring his ambitions publicly.

“You will rue this day, Moon Hammer. Once the Crystal Empire has extinguished the changeling swarm, your precious Hammerfall will be next. I will raze your land and slaughter you and your people to the last like the cattle you are! All that you’ve built and cherished will be turned to ASH!!”

The chieftain said nothing, well aware of this inevitable outcome. Regardless, he, his people, and the allies that stood with him would be ready. At his nod, the minotaurs reluctantly parted to let them pass and formed a wall of muscle.

With nothing left to be said, the Supreme Commander turned to his soldiers and ordered, “Move out!”

Hesitantly, the stallions of the Crystal Empire left with their leader, offering only contemptuous looks at the locals while packing their tents from outside.

The female reaper turned to the former blacksmith and muttered, “Y’know, I could have just killed him then and there. Save you and your people the headache…there's still time…”

Moon Hammer sighed heavily and shook his head. “...no. I'm afraid I'm honor-bound to let them leave. I always figured it would come to this, but we needed their help to weather the aftermath of that last attack. They may have helped keep our other enemies at bay. Still, you all came back and were ready to help defend us. So thank you.”

The minotaur chief kept an eye on Fiery's men, the last of which carried their wounded or dead away. Fortunately, there hadn't been any casualties on their side, but they were isolated once more and forced to rely on Beatrix and her friends for aid.

Within a few minutes, the area was cleared. He noted two of his spies, Creamy and Milky, were also on the scene, still nude but nonetheless ready to back him up once it all went south.

Zell helped Midnight back to his feet, noting, “You’re looking better than when I last saw you.”

The blue smiled, taking in the seraphic demi’s new outfit and hair color. “Yeah! You too! I like the new look!”

Beatrix ran up to squeeze her former flame tightly to her marshmallows. “You made it back! You have no idea how glad I am to see you again, hotspot!”

“Ahem!”

The unicorn balked and meekly glanced at the other demi-human, who tapped her folded arm impatiently, waiting for Bea to remove herself from her beloved. The witch sheepishly smiled and carefully pulled away before exclaiming, “A-a-and Shadow Scythe! You’re back as well! But how? I-I thought you died!!”

Atalanta removed her hood, showing off her braided snowy hair and raven-winged ears, simply stating, “I got better.”

“We don't fully know ourselves,” confessed Zeloph, rubbing the back of his head. “Through a lot of bizarro nonsense and spiritual interventions by the reaper order and its founder Greyscale Carnifex, Atalanta has been reborn as a demihuman…though it came at a cost.”

The reaper nodded. “We managed to defeat Mortis and his followers… but Demi-Trix sacrificed herself once more to make this miracle possible.”

“Demi-Trix? No...” Beatrix bowed her head solemnly, then perked up with a pained smile. “B-but she's a tulpa! She can always come back, yeah?”

“She will… eventually. As long as we keep her memory alive,” he answered with a pained smile.

Dion strode forward and said, “Good tae have ye back. Th' both ov ye!”

Wispy spoke up. “Wait, if you’re back, then where’s Mox—rrraaowl!!”

The nekomata jumped when something gave her backside a harsh slap that made her flesh wobble. Her first instinct was to claw at Dion, who held up his hands up and insisted, “Oi! Wasn’t me!!”

A familiar mischievous titter alerted the party as the imp demihuman Moxxi unveiled herself in a puff of neon smoke. “I've been 'ere the whole time~!”

“Nǐ zhège jiǎohuá de xiǎo dōngxī!”

“Sugar and spice ter see ya too, Rumpleteazer!” Moxxi mockingly blew her a kiss while avoiding her playful swipes.

Beatrix took the opportunity to check her former adversary out, marveling over her new form. From the skeletal markings along her limbs and lissome shape to the new floral-tipped tail. “Damn, that’s one hell of a transformation.” Her eyes then gawked at her lithe chest, the bottom of her breasts exposed under her ragged shirt. “I think you might have gone up a cup size, too~! Congratulations, Shadow Scy-”

This earned a hard smack that sent the smitten witch falling back. “Mare or demi-human, I’m still the same ‘Goddess of Death‘ that nearly killed you many times before, Belladonna,” Atalanta said, shaking off the recoil from her hand. “I no longer go by my alias anymore… despite my attachment to it." Her forced, cold expression softened with sly mirth. "Oh, and... nice mane style~.”

“Old habits die hard,” teased Zeloph, who held hands with his lover.

The pale reaper continued. “Demi-Trix is only a part of what made this possible. The fallen reaper order intervened on my behalf and helped this new form stabilize. We’ve also uncovered a darker truth about the 'anomaly' behind this madness. It's—”

“Aiden Darkbloom,” acknowledged the half-masked Brutus. “Or Omen, as he prefers to be called. I've already told them what I know.”

“Was about to ask why you were roaming about here,” said Zell.

“A shame we couldn't learn that sooner,” muttered Iclyn. "So much pointless tragedy could have been avoided. But there's no point wallowing in regrets."

“Yeah.” Beatrix quietly looked at the half-expanded skeleton of Hammerfall. “We lost poor Cerise and Penumbra...”

“But we will save them,” promised Midnight, who stood beside Moonlight as she wrapped a cloak around her provided by Moon Hammer. “We’re all finally back together as a group. Plus, we’ve now got a small army behind us!”

Dion shook his head. “It's not that simple, laddie. We don’t want tae directly put Moon Hammer nor his people at risk on what coold prove a suicide run.”

“Not to mention the destruction that awaits the Lost World,” Iclyn reminded them. “The ship is too damaged for interstellar travel. But now that you’re here…” The icy doe gestured to the fiery angel. “We can finally travel there before Walpurgisnacht starts!”

Zeloph grimaced. “That’s… not gonna happen for a while, unfortunately. We’re all still tired after our bout with Mortis, and I’ve burnt nearly everything I have to get us back here.”

Atalanta cast him a wicked smile and playfully pouted, “N’aww. Feeling exhausted, are we? That’s too bad~.”

She suddenly tripped him, seized his tail, and started to drag him back towards the ship. “Oww! What the-h-hey!”

“You and I have some unfinished business to attend to, love.”

Beatrix cautiously followed and asked, “Are you sure now is the time to—”

Atalanta snapped her head back and coldly declared, “Anyone who follows me or interferes with our personal time will be met with sharp blades and teeth. So swears the Goddess of Death!”

The witchy mare backed away slowly. “Duly noted!” With a wicked titter, the reaper tugged her prize along towards the ship. Everyone else watched with bewilderment while they left the town.

“…huh. Since when did she become sae feisty?” Dion wondered aloud.

“It appears Demihood has enhanced her hormonal levels,” observed Brutus.

“Shit! Maybe a threesome is possible now,” considered Wispy, her split tigress tail wagging excitedly at the idea. "Put a word in for me, Mox?"

The imp snorted. "Yeah, good luck wif that."

“Oh, for fuck sakes! Is there anyone in this accursed world that isn’t libido driven?!” Iclyn growled with frustration before stomping off. A chill swept over the areas she passed that made onlookers shudder, Creamy's and Milky's wide nipples painfully hardened.

"Think my milk froze a little," murmured the sleepy-eyed bovine Milky.

"We'll warm up at the pub," replied Creamy. "Hell, I could use a drink too."

“That was… scarousing,” murmured Beatrix, who looked upward at the flying saucer and spotted her succubus sister, Bellatrix Primadonna, within the UFO’s dome. She noticed the unicorn and waved back at her before the red-skinned devil vanished further in.

Moxxi did a small stretch. “Welp! I fin' this calls for anovver Moriarty! Back ter the tiddy bar, everyone!”

Wispy reminded her, “Isn't it closed?”

“Nuffin' I can’t persuade the bartender into~!” The imp made a jerking motion with her hand and winked. “Those poor waitresses will be so cream crackered and sore after I suck them titties dry!”

The imp zipped off in a puff of colored smoke, certain the whole of Hammerfall was awake after another war had threatened to break out. Everyone else decided not to concentrate on the eventual backlash that awaited them for now to resume recreational activities.

As everyone started to separate, Moon Hammer invited Moonlight back to his home. She kissed Midnight on the cheek and thanked him before she followed the chief inside. She'd done a lot of stupid, self-destructive stuff recently, burned by mistakes she'd made and those she'd failed in her short life. She wrapped her cloak around her nude athletic form, seated on a couch. “What about your calves?”

“Put to bed for the night,” he said and brewed some coffee in the kitchen. “I check on them every few minutes. Still fast asleep the last time I checked in. I also asked Marathyssa to look after them in return for a little extra freedom.”

“Good. Guess your wives are busy keeping Dion entertained, huh?” She accepted a steamy cup he offered.

“Yep. He wanted to swap lovers for the night.” The blacksmith chuckled. “But I figured I'd let him have the first round since I heard you were back and wanted to spend some private time with you. Sorry about the awful welcome you received. But at least things should settle down with Fiery and his men gone.” He practically drank the rest of the pot himself, his nerves shot to hell.

She shook her head and didn't bother to conceal exposed skin from the open cloak. “Hardly your fault. It was a dumb move to wind up drunk off my ass.”

“It was. I was worried sick about you. But I feel we should all make our own choices, wherever they lead us.” He sighed, his back still to her while he finished up another pot of steamy coffee. “I'd understand, should you not want to be 'intimate' right now. Especially after what happened back…there…” His voice trailed away when he turned as the mare stood and allowed her cloak to fall away, fully naked with her toned body on display.

“No way in hell! I've waited for what feels like forever to have this,” she confessed, reminded of her last frenzied masturbation session with him!

He snorted with a dominant smirk. “I dunno, cutie pie. Normally, a mare can't properly handle a minotaur's size-”

“I was in a herd with a hyper-stallion, remember? I’ve handled bigger—” Her voice died too when he pulled down his pants, his half-erect cock left to flop free, almost dwarfing Dion's and even Middy's. No doubt he could literally split a smaller mare in half once at full mast!

A mirthful laugh escaped him. “Wouldn’t blame you for having second thoughts.” By now, he'd stripped completely, his impressive leathery bulk on display. “I've been told I'm quite the slab of beefcake, despite my smaller stature. And my cum is rather addicting. That's why I've bulked up to lead my people.”

“A-All the more reason why I'll do this.” She approached with a slow, sensuous sway of her hips and a bounce of her handful of breasts, swallowing down her nervousness. Hell, the risk only made her wetter as her puffy pussylips winked lust down her thighs! “Might need a little help, though. Good thing you apparently came prepared.” On the kitchen shelves behind him, she nodded to a variety of potions that were labeled to display their various effects.

“My wives did this, actually, to aid our love lives. Courtesy of Miss Beatrix.”

“Of course.” She rolled her eyes with a sly leer and returned to him, then plucked the bottles she needed. One of them a dose to make her extra pliable, so she could safely handle his size no matter how rough he bred her...plus another that would enhance the size, jigglyness, and production of lactation in her breasts, which Strawberry and Blue Moon routinely took to become half-holstaur. Cautiously, she downed both bottles and let their contents marinate in her belly with the coffee.

“Don’t overdo it. One sample is okay, but do this all the time, and your physical characteristics will permanently start to become bovine. Once that happens, it will be difficult to reverse.”

“Worry more about what comes next, stud~,” she teased. Warmth spread across her breasts, and a mewl left her lips once perky nipples were beaded in milk that started to leak. Immediately, he latched onto a tit and suckled. She moaned and arched her back, pressing her supple bosom to his wide mouth.

Impatiently, she removed her prosthetic plume and tossed it aside, ready to get down and dirty. Her pussy wetly winked harder, sobered up but aware drunkenness always made her super horny. She leaped up, arms crossed around his neck when she kissed him, her thighs wrapped around his lower back and buttocks. The bull's cock prodded at her twat before, with a fierce thrust, he impaled her cunt balls deep.

“Ahhaghk! Ooooho, hell yeah~!” She wiggled her hips, able to feel him stretch and spread her like never before, the imprint of his dick visibly across her distended belly when he'd driven into her cervix and invaded her slippery, slimy womb on the first pass. She dripped over him, his meaty palms clasped around her buttocks when he fucked her with a slow but firm rhythm.

He snorted harder when his instincts started to take over. “Mmngh! Is this what you came for?” He'd picked up speed the moment he was certain she could take him but restrained himself.

“Fuck! This is exactly what I came for!”

His firm palm smacked her cushiony ass hard. “Think you can handle it?”

“I can,” she reassured him. “C’mon. Give it to me harder! Treat me like I’m one of your wives! Fuck!” She squealed when he started to really lay into her, the walls shaken when he slammed her into them with a brutish, dominant snort.

Marathyssa, still disguised as a crystal mare, scurried out of the nursery. “Moon Hammer, are you...o-ohh!” Her cheeks colored with a clipped smile, and bowed at the copulating couple. “This one wasn't aware you had company.”

“It's… nngh! All fine,” grunted Moon Hammer, like a train that couldn't be stopped once his instincts to breed kicked in, especially with such a comely broodmare that submitted to him. His lover was similarly lost in ecstasy, left to bounce as he hammered deep into her.

“Pleeease don't stop~,” pleaded the thestral mare, wracked by another messy climax. Her tits heaved, impaled time after time, the imprint of his cock distended across her tummy's flesh. “Gods, you make me feel so full~!!”

“Almost there...!” His balls churned for release wedged past her spread-wide cervix and buried in her womb, its slick walls brushed by his dense cockhead.

“Cum inside! I wanna take all that thick bull cum~!!” With her plea made, Moon Hammer bellowed and fired off inside her uterus. He was rewarded with another messy squirt around his cock, as her pussy winked and milked his load dry, spatter-after-spatter impacted around her inner walls as they came.

He withdrew in a loud, lewd pop and planted a playful slap on her ass to roll her onto her side atop the table. His thumb rubbed her warm anus while she whimpered, “Just...need a few moments to recover.” Her sleepy eyes focused on the crystal mare maid before them. “H-Hey! Do you...um…want a turn?”

“This one isn't sure...” Marathyssa ruminated over the idea. Stallions and mares often promised themselves to certain partners, as did a number of races, but to her kind, no such rules usually applied. Especially to a would-be queen. But would Shining Armor terribly mind? They weren't promised to each other, but she'd promised to take care of him. She met the chief's eyes. “...on one condition.”

He furrowed his brow. “It's not like you to ask a favor. Name it.”

“More freedom for Shining Armor. He's made terrible mistakes, but how can he redeem himself without a proper opportunity? This one has convinced him to fight on behalf of Hammerfall. So please. You've already welcomed this one into your home. Can you do him this one favor?” She meekly bowed.

He looked to the thestral as he continued to rub the warm ring of her taut asshole. “Are you okay with that? I know he's betrayed and hurt you-”

“I'm mostly over it. Mostly.” With what happened to Lightning Spark, most of her rage had burned out. Instead, she mostly felt rather sad...and empty. She sighed. “Maybe I'll regret this, but sure. The bastard has one last chance to prove he can be the father Middy needs him to be. That work for you?”

Marathyssa smiled warmly at them. “It does.” She approached them and slid down the top of her maid costume, which supported the heft of bare, heavy crystal mare breasts when they plopped free and sparkled. “This one can take any shape you prefer. Just name your fantasy, and it shall become reality.”

“That form is fine,” he replied when she stripped away her maid attire, her frilly silk panties included. “I warn you-”

“This one doesn't need a potion. A protoquen is able to handle any size.” While it could have sounded like a boast, there was no vanity in Marathyssa's voice. Just an admission of what she was since she was built to mate with any member of a swarm, no matter how bulky and beastly her mate.

While she mounted him, Moonlight scooped out and swallowed the minotaur's virile seed, packed deep into her moist twat, which leaked more excess down her butthole. She savored the taste and texture, then once fully cleaned out, she swung a leg over his face and settled her butt down around his snout, her lower holes offered up to the minotaur, who started to eat her out.

“Mmm. Good~,” moaned the thestral mare as his massive tongue pushed her pussy walls wide open to lick them.

“Good indeed,” admitted Marathyssa, who cradled the other female close to her so that their supple breasts squished and their lips met. She kissed and nibbled on her, ran her hands down her ample curves. They bounced atop the minotaur's face and lap. Grinded on him. Smeared him in their love nectar.

Pretty soon, he burst inside the protoquen, her uterus also filled to the brim, and her stomach ballooned by cum, his swimmers left to slosh inside.

They took a moment to check on the calves before resuming their sex session. He took them nearly a dozen times in their tight orifices before dawn finally broke, helped by the stamina potions they downed. Moonlight stretched with a wide smile in the sweaty, wet, and messy sheets of his bed when the sun broke in from the windows, curled up between the pair.

“Thanks. I really needed that,” she admitted, her wet breasts left to heave.

“This one is also satisfied,” confessed Marathyssa, in truth more happy that she would be able to help Shining Armor start to make up for his sins. She hoped to bridge the strife between the changelings and ponies like Deinos believed she could, to act as a peacemaker and save both troubled races. She batted her eyelashes. "Did this one's body prove…satisfactory?"

“You two were wonderful,” he assured and patted their bare butts. He wandered out to check on his calves once more while Marathyssa prepared them breakfast, still nude save for an apron she adorned, which the twins usually wore. Gently, she swayed her derriere as she hummed and cooked.

A little hungover after her latest self-destructive mistakes caught up with her, a thoroughly fucked Moonlight soon slipped off into a deep, uneasy sleep, unable to drive away troubled dreams about the fate of Cerise and Penumbra.

Constantly, she stirred in a fitful slumber and tearfully murmured, “Cerise...w-we'll save you from that hellhole of a hive...somehow...!”

*****

“...Stupid mongrels. Bold of them to assume these exchanges are one-sided,” muttered Fiery to himself while packing up his tent. Or… at least what hadn’t been demolished amidst the brief skirmish. “My best men have been hard at work, and soon they'll bear fruit. Speaking of which...come!”

The flap opened, and his wives were ushered in by one of his lieutenants. Panna and Chezka kept their heads low in a bow until the three of them were left alone. “Report,” he ordered the topless amazons that stood at attention before his desk, which he drummed on.

“Sir,” said Panna, the doe's face neutral. “No doubt you're aware Beatrix and her friends have returned?”

His scowl deepened. “Oh, yes! And just what tipped you off about that? Could it be the fact that we’re now forced to withdraw from this location? Or maybe the giant fucking UFO parked east from the villa!!” His fist slammed the desk.

Chezka pursed her lips, her lithe muscles tensed. “Sir, we were just—”

“Perhaps you’re both too stupid to understand, so allow me to reiterate slowly. Where... The fuck... Were you?!”

The amazonians balked, Panna admitting with ears pulled back, “W-We were preoccupied with our mission.”

“How convenient,” the mustard pegasus snorted, unamused. “Because while you were busy fucking around, my men and I were locked in a losing battle. The truce with Hammerfall is over, and we’re clearing out of here before the next sunrise. So since you were ‘preoccupied’ with your mission instead of racing your asses to help, you better give me some worthwhile information!”

“There isn't much else to report,” stated Chezka, her lips drawn in a thin line.

He dryly chuckled. “No, no, no, no, that can’t be true! You've spent a lot of time with Moon Hammer and his family. Surely, you've learned a few of his secrets? Surely, that’s the reason why you've visited him so frequently!”

“...yes sir,” the centauress muttered, her white horse tail flicking about behind her rump. She tried to maintain her posture and maintain a stoic face as his eyes bore into the Amazons.

“… Unbelievable,” he growled lowly. “Can’t even go one day without someone’s cock stuffed in both your snatches. And you dare come back to my tent empty-handed? Useless whores. I should have just left your asses at the camp. Have you pop out more soldiers to fill my army's ranks.”

Chezka stood protectively by Panna and cried, “No! Fiery, please! We can—”

He punched her mouth shut. Not enough to knock her down, but leaving a notable bruise on her cheek. “That’s Supreme Commander to you! Were you so busy gobbling minotaur cum that you forgot where your lives and loyalties lie? You swore yourselves to me above all else! And I will not tolerate any more insubordination, especially those who thought they could go behind my back!”

Chezka favored her swollen face while Panna froze like a literal deer in headlights, petrified as her master stalked around them, hands cupped behind him. “Yeah, don’t think I haven’t figured out what you’ve actually been doing,” scoffed Fiery. “Helping Moon Hammer build a map before frolicking in the flowers or some shit. That’s why the red cunt from the bar stole mine to complete the picture. But that’s okay… cause you’re going to steal it back for me.”

Panna stammered, “Excuse me s-sir?”

“I don’t care how you do it,” he continued, towering behind her. “Seduce him. Tell him you’ll bear his children. Spread your thighs and ass for the whole town, should it come to that. Whatever it is your fragile little hippie whore brain can come up with! I want that map, as well as notes about the type of tech Moon Hammer is using.”

The fawn stiffened when Fiery gripped her shoulder, fingers digging into her tender flesh. “This is your only chance to redeem yourselves. Complete this very simple order, and I will absolve you of these many failures. Am. I. Clear?”

Panna stared at her fellow Amazon, who slightly shook her head. Then, after taking a small breath, she bravely met his gaze and responded, “F-Forgive me, sir. But we can’t.”

His grip tightened, squeezing her shoulder painfully. “Can’t? Or won’t?”

“… won’t. It goes against our code...”

A terrible silence hung in the air for a moment until Fiery sighed. “I see. Then, this will have to do!”

The mustard stallion seized the clockwork horn prosthetic and, with a violent yank, tore it from her forehead. The fawn screamed when hot blood oozed from the opened wound, and a fierce snarl crossed Chezka's face; one of her hooves readied like the centauress was about to kick him.

“No! Sister, I-I'm fine,” reassured Panna as the centauress cradled her. “Nothing I can’t… fix..!” Dizzied and shaken, the medicine mage snatched up a medical kit in the tent and hastily stifled the wound with thick bunches of wraps.

“Let me remind you of your Amazonian code,” Fiery berated coldly. “I am your master. Please me, and I will reward you. Disappoint me, and you will suffer. And until your bodies expire of either life or usefulness, you… are… mine!”

Fiery ignored the spiteful, bitter stares and tears of his wives, focusing on the mechanical horn he rolled in his hands. “Hmm… perhaps your loligagging amounted to something after all. A small construct, yes. But I’m sure my scientists can reverse engineer this and replicate the basics to suit my needs.”

Not only that, he’d already had his soldiers snatch up and claim a few lost auto-crossbows, parts of turrets, and half-melted minotaur statues left unaccounted for in the siege. Suffice it to say, they would be returning to the Crystal Empire with plenty of material to forge stronger weapons, which would lead to a war machine that blanketed the land. Then, there would be order!

Chezka continued to glare at him fiercely, glowering when she all but spat out, “Will that be all… sir?”

“Yeah, you two can get out,” he replied with half-interest, his fury abated. “Better get your sister proper medical aid quickly. We’ll move out shortly.”

“Y-yes sir,” replied Panna with a clipped salute, crawling up onto Chezka’s back until the duo retreated from the tent.

Fiery gave a side glance at the female centaur’s wide-muscled rump, watching her buttocks swivel before muttering to himself, “… be a waste of good breeding material not to put those hips into good use. Once we’re home, I’ll have them escorted to the camp. Can’t let them become any more unreliable.”

The mustard stallion growled with vexation, the anger he'd forced down bubbling back to the surface as his thoughts stewed over recent events. “I can't trust anyone these days. The protoquen and the hyper-stallion were so close! And here I am, helpless to move in and claim what's mine!”

That would change once Fiery reunited with more of his scattered forces, a majority back at the Crystal Empire, with another impressive army at the breeding camp. Once he uncovered the secrets of Moon Hammer's tech, their advanced weapons would be mass-produced in his factories, and then he'd easily lay waste to the swarm and cultists! “A shame Web Spinner turned traitor as well… Next time I see that four-eyed freak, I’ll finish what I—”

The half-burnt pegasus reached for his broadsword when he spotted another silhouette past his tent and leveled the blade past the flap. “Show yourself!”

“Tch! No need to sound the alarm,” a familiar one-eyed marauder called before coming into view. “It’s just me!”

Fiery scoffed and lowered his blade. “As if you're any threat, Equinox. So, you’ve come crawling back to me as well, huh? Not surprising since no one else will dare take in a war criminal.”

“Oh, please! Like you’re any different!” She dusted off her ripped-up battle bikini attire, torn up when the saucer landed. At least she'd avoided the swarm and the doomsday cult! “From where I’m standing, you’re more in need of my level of expertise~!”

“I don't need anyone,” he firmly corrected, then lowered his sword, pinned at her breast at her approach. “However, I won’t deny I’m sorely lacking in dependable allies. Someone who can infiltrate their backlines and deal some real, lasting damage. A suitable task for a war band marauder.”

The batmare grinned wickedly. “Exactly! This is why I’m offering my services once again… for a reasonable price, of cour—aaghk!!” Her bargaining came short when the Supreme Commander swiftly crossed over her, his burnt free hand clasped firmly around her throat.

“Let’s get one thing straight, shall we?” Fiery grunted, leering down at the half-naked thestral. “If I allow you back into my fold, you will follow every order I give. I tell you to jump, you say, ‘how high!’ I tell you to get pregnant, you ask, ‘twins or triplets!’ You'll be all mine. Just like you were a whore for that fallen paladin. Do you understand? If not, then I will end you here and now...!”

Equinox nodded as best she could in his iron hold and sputtered, “A-Alright, please! I...I can be more useful then—”

The Supreme Commander lifted her off the floor by her neck, blade readied in his free hand. “Oh, I'll make good use of you, my whore. Any. Way. I. Want.”

His blade tip slipped under her battle bikini, her top cut away first to bare her breasts. He then followed by cutting off the bottoms of her attire, her muscled ass and cunt exposed to him. After Merry bit him, the treachery of his wives, and the humiliating loss by Midnight and his friends, he was beyond livid and needed some release!

Perhaps he should've fucked his treacherous wives into submission, but he needed them to carry out other tasks! Instead, Fiery pulled the marauder by the waist into his lap while he settled into a stool behind his desk.

Equinox knew it was the last chance to turn back and cut her losses. But she'd already come this far and wasn't certain she could fly out of the encampment in time now that Viscera's enhancements had worn off. She was in a sorry state after her comedown, despite her attempts at bravado.

Before the thestral could overthink it, he slammed her hips and ass down, and she felt him sink into her molten hot, slick depths. On reflex, she moaned and gradually shifted her hips to start properly bucking him, her palms on his half-burnt chest and his hands on her rump. He groaned, “You like that?”

“I've had better-ack!” His fist squeezed about her neck. He drove upwards into her core. Much as she hated to admit it, whenever he bucked back into her twat he knew how to hit the best spots.

“Let's try that again, bitch.” He cupped one of her breasts which wildly bounced, his grip tightened around her throat, which made her cunt tighten around him. “Not so bad, am I?”

“Pfft. You're...adequate,” she choked out, a tear in her one eye.

“Here it comes,” he warned and unloaded inside her. She winked harder around his cock as it swabbed her slimy walls, drenched his lap as blast-after-blast of cum painted her uterus, his tip mashed to her cervix.

After he finished, she lifted her hips and his flare popped loose from her runny twat. She heaved with a cruel smirk and taunted, “You already spent, stud?”

“Not until I've claimed you entirely.” He spun her around so that her pert ass faced him. Gripped by her toned buns, he spread them wide open to reveal her puckered asshole, which he swabbed with his cum-soaked flare to lube her up until her puckered ring was soaked. “Think you can handle it, raider whore?”

“Hit me with your best shot,” she said as he pushed into her. Her sphincter spread wide open, her teeth clenched with a hiss, and her ass sank hilt-deep into his lap. Gripped on her muscled flanks, which pinched around his iron hold, he started to clap her sweaty, athletic buttcheeks without mercy properly.

“Unf,” she moaned over and over, taken up the ass by the mustard stud. His muscles pressed into her back, and her supple breasts bounced and swung each time he pounded her, rewarded by another messy squirt and a roll of her eyes into her head as her eyelids fluttered under his bluntness. “Y-yes...”

He landed a harsh smack on her ass which made her squeak and lewdly moan, her brain addled from sadomasochistic lust, as she creamed herself and further ruined his cunny honey-soaked pants. Fiery landed more smacks on her buttcheeks, which rippled and turned darker than usual.

Finally, he fired his last volley into her bowels. Their breaths were heavy while she remained seated on him until he swatted her ass to send her off him.

“Asshole,” she muttered under her breath as her own ass leaked his cum.

“I heard that. And since you obviously haven't learned your place. Yet.” He yanked a spare, frilly maid costume from his pack, which he'd planned to punish Chezka with for her continual, quiet disobedience. “Put this on. Oh, and it's time for a mane alteration. Something a little less tomboyish.”

“Excuse me?” But he hatefully stared her down, and with a snarl of relent, Equinox put on the fetish-style, two-piece maid costume, which was now the uniform of Crystal Empire maids. She spat back, “Happy?”

“Almost.” He completed the look with a pair of ribbons to hold up her short, wild mane into a pair of small, feminine twin tails. “Perfect. Especially that infuriated look on your face! I'm already hard…”

“Shit. Now I look like that stupid princess wench,” she wheezed between her clenched teeth.

He leaned back in his stool behind the desk with a grin. “Just clean me off with that foul mouth of yours, whore. A little ass-to-mouth should help you learn!”

“You sick, sadistic fu—” He reached for his sword, which blazed to life in a crackle, and with a harsh swallow, she dropped to her knees and resumed servicing him, her lips wrapped around his shaft as she drooled down it. That's when another visitor announced himself, and his plume tips seized her shoulders and then shoved her down hard.

“Gluck!,” cried Equinox, who almost choked on his cock when she was shoved down, hidden behind his desk from the lower commander when he entered. She breathed in his musk when he mashed her snout into his crotch, felt him swell and throb in her swabbed throat when he subtly bucked.

“Sir!” He saluted. “We've found traces of that prostitute band not far from here!”

“Good work,” replied Fiery, who kept the blade immolated to hide the sound of Equinox as she sucked him off. All the while, he violently facefucked her with the aid of his plume tips, her face driven down repeatedly to fully sheathe him.

Maybe he tempted fate after Merry bit him...but the risk of what he'd do to her stayed with Equinox's teeth. Again and again, he made her face bob up and down as she slurped his shaft.

The lower commander stood at clipped attention while a couple of minutes passed in silence as he ravaged the mare's hot face. “Further orders, sir?”

Fiery intentionally took his time to think it over with a cruel smile, aware of Equinox's utter humiliation as he forced her to suck him off. Nonetheless, under a maid skirt that didn't even cover her entire bottom, her panty-less pussy wetly winked and oozed out more of his creamy seed. Her asshole also throbbed and dripped his packed in spunk, her tail reflexively hiked over her lower back while she blushed hotly.

“No, carry on. Capture those whores and your company is welcome to them.” The lower commander smiled back, and with another clipped salute fled the tent. Just in time, Fiery wheezed, the flame of his blade snuffed out. He clasped a hand around her pigtailed mane to hold her hilt-deep as he came in her belly.

More backed up cum blasted down Equinox's throat and ballooned her cheeks. Her nostrils burned when the excess exploded out her nostrils, and her one eye rolled into her skull. “That’s it. Swish and chew on my seed harlot,” he taunted her. “Don’t spill a single drop!” He pressed on her cheek, which forced more of his spunk in her tummy.

Glaring darkly at him when he eased the pressure on her dome, Equinox nonetheless opened her lips to reveal excess splooge stuffed into her mouth and swathed across her tongue. Layers of thick, sticky threads which she slowly, loudly started to chew, swish, and swirl for his amusement, her hot face now a soaked mess. “Good mare.”

She swallowed down a taunt...and his seed too, when he instructed it. Gulps sounded when his salty seed filled her hot belly, and true to his request she didn't waste a drop, not even the dense dollops that dribbled from her nose. At least he didn't demand she clean up the thick cum that dribbled out of her cunt!

Equinox rose afterward and wiped her mouth on the back of her hand. “There… Can I leave now? Sir?”

“Sure. I'm satisfied,” he huffed. “Of course, you'll have to stay on the downlow for now, before I explain to my men why you're back. There’s a private tent tucked away nearby, where I keep supplies stored. Just don't pilfer any of it, or I'll have your hand removed.”

“Yeah yeah, I know. Wouldn’t be the first time!” She started to turn, ready to slip away. Yet she couldn't help one last taunt. “Oh, and that hyper-stallion booster you wanted? Found an alternative way to supplement your soldiers with a little serum I got...”

“I’m really not in the mood for tricks, Autumn,” he warned. “Speak now, or I’ll throw your sorry ass to my men.”

“Not until I know my safety's secured first,” she replied, a cocky sneer still on her face, despite continual humiliation and his attempts to break her spirit.

“Very well. Keep your secrets, for the moment. But understand this...” She winced when he reached out under a maid skirt that left the bottom of her ass bare, a soft buttcheek firmly cupped under one of his palms. She resigned with a shrug to some more molestation from the Supreme Commander...before his other hand clasped over her mouth. “If you ever try to flee or betray me again, you won’t leave unscathed!"

Her eye widened when the hand on her ass heated up, causing her to squirm as the intense energy scorched her flank. Steam hissed and a tear dripped from her good eye, her nose met by the subdued sizzle of fur and flesh when his Onoma summoned up a small blaze.

He marked her plush ass with a brand of his initials, permanently burned to remind her who she belonged to. Then, with a hard snack to her other bared asscheek, he sent her on her way, so he could continue studying the bloodied clockwork prosthetic horn on his desk.

Equinox told herself she was a survivor. No matter the personal costs. She swore that someday, somehow, she'd be free. And that she'd kill him! Hell, she'd find a way to butcher everyone that ever dared cross her, humiliate them before she ended their lives…!

Chapter 22

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The moment Sombra left the hive to lead their forces to the breeder camp above, Queen Chrysalis made her move, smiling maliciously. At times, she began to doubt her decision to revive him, in spite of her desire for an equal to rule alongside her. But the petty monarch’s alliance with Vox and the cult would help put him back in his place!

More importantly, he wasn't around to protect his precious princess anymore. When he left, Sombra had started molding Cerise to suit him better, inspired by the memories of Penumbra he drew upon. Some of which included the princess’ hedonistic friend, Beatrix. Or, more importantly, her potions! With that level of alchemy, the dark tyrant could groom her perfectly to become his cherished queen.

The first potion Sombra applied to Cerise left a permanent, oily sheen on her skin and fur, glistening under the hive's eerie emerald illumination. Next, he applied another concoction, which made her already considerably soft and bouncy flesh more wobbly and squishy than ever.
“You'll be my ideal mate,” he'd told Cerise. “My broodmare queen, who shall bear me many suitable heirs!”

Cerise softly wept but otherwise appeared mostly docile for the moment, stripped naked by the hands of Chrysalis and tethered to her throne, by a chain so short she was forced to kneel constantly. The protective yonic rune shimmered dimly over her protected, seeded womb.

About her were the changeling sex toys, still in the shapes Sombra chose for them. Somnambula, Lily Longsocks, Inky Rose, Pacific Glow, Rheneas. Familiar faces that brought her little comfort. Or quite the opposite in the case of Trixie Lulamoon, who wore a face exactly like Beatrix's.

Cerise idly and obsessively rubbed her tummy and choked on a muted sob. “Why did they abandon me...?”

“Forget about them, dearie,” Trixie insisted as she wrapped the charcoal mare in her open cloak and knelt beside her. “You'll be much happier here. I can promise you that!”

She rounded on the witch with a snarl. “This is your fault! You did this to me!”

Trixie tilted her head, expressing a concoction of hurt and betrayal. “… I only wished to help. I-I didn't understand at first, either. But Lavender and Fuchsia showed me the way. And you will see it too!”

Cerise heaved and seethed before slowly softening up. It was pointless to cast all the blame onto Trixie. She was merely another victim as well. Likely, most of the cult members were forcibly indoctrinated or were vile monsters to begin with.

No, Omen was the true culprit behind this; his grim visage and slithery voice haunted her sleep-deprived psyche.

Worse still, whatever Sombra did to her, be it from the enchantment he cast or the potions he made her drink, it had already taken effect. Her fingers brushed along a small bump forming in her belly.

It was too late to turn back. The foal he'd put in her womb was rapidly developing.
The sex toys would bathe and feed her with sympathetic expressions, while Trixie would often visit and check up on her. However, that proved a cold comfort when Chrysalis came to see her hours after the possessed pegasus and his army departed the underground hive.

“Aww, look at the pretty little princess,” the infected changeling queen purred. “Properly bred with daddy’s spawn~!”

“You're not allowed to harm me,” reminded Cerise, her pink eyes narrowed in defiance.

Chrysalis whistled innocently. “Sombra isn’t around to stop me, so we’ll see about that.”

The dark dancer shook her head. “What do you want?”

“Oh, just some amusement to pass the time.” Chrysalis settled her bare butt onto her throne. Then, with her aura, she lifted a key and undid the lock on the chain attached. She then pulled said chain to sit the princess in her lap. “Mmm~,” she purred. “Nice and plush!”

Cerise shuddered with a heavy blush, her permanently oiled up body bounced atop the queen's lap as the changeling molested her breasts. She winced and tried to draw away from her touch.

“Nuh-uh! You're mine to savor now.” There was a sound like torn flesh as the insect queen multiplied her upper limbs, until she had six arms on her torso. While two were already occupied with Cerise's tits, another pair kneaded her buttocks, while one slipped fingers into Cerise's mouth and another toyed with her twat. “Just lay back and let me take care of you, princess~.”

She nibbled and sucked on Cerise's ear, who mewled and moaned despite herself. The princess stiffened when she felt a familiar swell underneath her ass as Chrysalis erected a pair of thick insectoid cocks, already moist and primed to spread the warm, wet fuckholes made to be bred.

“How long do you think it’ll be until Sombra comes back? Probably not before your mind breaks, after I continually fuck you silly~!” Chrysalis prodded her swollen cock tips at Cerise's clenched orifices.

Cerise's eyes fluttered when she teased her loveholes. Gradually, her pussylips and asshole parted when the tips started to sink in, lowered inch-by-inch to take the duel, alien cocks. She mewled, and her eyes rolled skywards upon full penetration, her cervix pierced, and her slippery womb filled.

“D-don't hurt the baby,” pleaded the princess. “Anything but that.”

“Don't worry. Your father's spell has your hot little oven safeguarded. I can be as rough as I please ~!”

Chrysalis lifted Cerise by her hips, then slammed her back down, again and again, screwing the platinum princess like a cheap, disposable toy, determined to break her. To melt her brain with unspeakable pleasure!

Within moments, Cerise cried out and squirted for the first of many times she would that day, the shapeshifter's cocks able to mold themselves at will, to reshape themselves perfectly to suit her, and hit every vulnerable place. To try and ravish out every last ounce of innocence from her fertile prize.

“Mmm, yes~! Nice and tight. Wet and warm. And the way you squeal like a horny virgin in her first bout of estrus! So sweet! So innocent! No wonder Sombra adores you! But no doubt you'll be even better after I render you a brainless, submissive bimbo! So take the entirety of your queen, you little slut! Take it hard like a broodmare bitch!” She continually bounced the double-stuffed mare's ample ass on her slick lap, which audibly clapped.

Repeatedly, Cerise winked around the insect cocks that stuffed her and cried out when another orgasmic deluge washed over her ravisher. She shook, yanked by the loose chain around her collar so that her head twisted back slightly to meet Chrysalis' lips when the changeling's elongated tongue invaded her mouth and dominated her own. She closed her eyes, whimpered, and cooed at her ministrations, forced to endure climax-after-climax as she fucked her.

Trixie said, “See? Our order can love us like no other! Join us, princess!”

Cerise panted and squirmed, and her oily breasts heaved when the changeling finally withdrew from her mouth to allow her to speak, their lips still connected by saliva strands. Her hazy eyes met the queen's and asked, “What...what...oh...would it take for you to treat your personal drones b-better?”

Chrysalis cackled while she continued to screw her, twisting the mare around to face her, pressed breast-to-breast until their tits squashed. “You mean my sex toys? Hmmm...” Lazily, she surveyed the nude 'mares' around her throne. “Are you attached because they wear the faces of your loved ones?”

She shook her head. “I-I wouldn't want them harmed-unf-either w-way!” Her face burned hotter, clenched down harder, when another multi-climax tore across her entire, supple body, which washed the queen's lap in more runny cunny honey. “Pl-please, I…I…!”

“You're already my slave. Your flesh is mine.” She fondled her harder. Pinched, pulled, and twisted her nipples. “What else can you possibly offer me...?”

“A...a queen wants subjects to worship her like a Goddess...doesn't she?” Or, at least, Cerise presumed from Chrysalis' vanity that's how she thought. “Wh-wouldn't you prefer a willing partner, to serve your every wh-whim?”

“Hmph. As if you could be worthy of that honor as my personal concubine!” She mashed Cerise's titties even harder.

“Give me a ch-chance...ah~!” With another howl of rapture, Cerise quivered, her eyes almost closed, ravaged by another mind-shattering orgasm as the changeling queen's throbbing dual cocks started to burst into her uterus and bowels. Within seconds, her insides filled to wear she appeared heavily impregnated, yet that was merely the opening salvo, more-and-more cumshots milked out by the winks of princess pussy, an excess of cum left to erupt around her swollen pussylips. She doubted her poor psyche could take much more. Already, she'd seen halstaurs broken by bliss!

Chrysalis hissed when she fucked her harder still, “You like me seed?! Would you love to be my broodmare bitch?!”

“Y-yes! I'll be your broodmare! Just treat your drones well, and I'll service you...!” She blacked out for a moment thanks to another squirty climax, almost passed out completely, impaled on the queen's dual cocks which expanded inside her.

Finally, with the last of her excessive load dumped, Chrysalis humped and gyrated the princess on her lap, her palms still cupped around her plush buttocks, which she spanked. “Oho. You're stronger than I've given you credit for. Most mares would have been broken beyond repair by this point!”

Finally, Cerise was lifted up by her hips, the cocks withdrawn in a loud, lewd pop, and her gaped holes oozed volumes of splooge. The queen's multitude of extra arms and dicks withdrew into her flesh until she was back to her normal state.
“I...I will take care of you,” offered the princess, who slid down the queen's body and knelt before Chrysalis, still seated naked and proud on her carved emerald throne.

“What do you mean...oh~!” Chrysalis cast back her head in a sweep of her thick mane when the princess mashed her snout into her moist mound and started to eat her out with slurps that dripped down her chin. “Mmm. Not bad. Seems you have some experience, my little broodmare slut. Probably because of that other saucy mare in your herd?”

Cerise pulled every last trick she'd learned from the times she'd been intimate with another female, aware she needed to win the queen over quickly. Not only to preserve herself before her mind broke from constant ravishment, but to protect the drones Chrysalis treated like disposable sex toys!

All the while, her swollen belly continued to spurt out thick clumps of cum that drooled from her widened orifices behind her when she continued her amorous assault on the queen's snatch. She teased out her swollen clitoris, suckled on, and rubbed it. Drove her tongue into her meaty pussylips, spread them open with licks that cleaned her wet walls, Cerise's muzzle soaked in her honey-like lust.

She used her fingers too, massaged circles around Chrysalis' love button, and rubbed the pink ring of her warm asshole before she slid a thumb inside and felt the pliable flesh clench around her. She intentionally slowed her attack at times, edged her enough to leave her wanting but not enough to piss her off, the sort of delicate game she would have to navigate amidst court intrigue.

Because whatever happened to her, the princess was still determined to become a queen and make her family proud!

Finally, a growl escaped Chrysalis as she pressed a hand to Cerise's skull and ground her face into her muff, helped by the queen's hips when she shoved her cunt hard into her face. “Gah! Swallow it all you silly bitch!” Cerise's snout sank fully into her moist canal, forced to receive the full force of her deluge as she squirted all over her.

She closed her eyes, her face and mane entirely soaked, her mouth, throat, and nostrils filled by her wet release, while more splashed and washed down her tits. Her entire world was consumed by changeling muff and love honey; she almost drowned in it, forced to drink it down rapidly, the release of her pent up lust excessive.

Finally, Chrysalis eased the pressure on her head. Cerise gradually withdrew to catch her breath and stifled her coughs, which she knew she'd take as rude. Her face was completely drenched, her fur matted, her medium-sized tits left to heave and drip more excess. “Are you...satisfied, my queen?”

“You are a wonderful toy,” admitted Chrysalis, whose cunt continued to wink and drip. “You do please me. Very well. I won't harm my toys anymore...so long as you continue to service me well. Oh, and I will grant you a minor boon for your performance tonight.” She replaced the chain and pulled her closer to her face once more. “So, what would you like? Sweets? More opium? Or-”

“I-I would like for your personal harem to have proper names...my queen. Please allow me to name and look after them. I...wanted to be a queen.” She lowered herself in submission to her.
“Ahh...that.” She waved a hand dismissively. “Sure, why not?” She turned to address her harem. “Very well, Princess Cerise is your mistress now. Obey her orders, but remember, the queen's demands always come above all.” The drones that wore the faces of Cerise's loved ones bowed.

“Thank you, my queen,” quietly answered Cerise, lowered to her knees.

Chrysalis waved her off once more. “Give her a bath and a proper meal. She's earned it.” She slapped Cerise's bare butt to send her off once she rose.

The queen's hum filled Cerise's ears while she was taken to the pool. Gently, the sex toys washed her while she tried to think up suitable names, her mind wracked by reminders of her condition.

What were her friends up to while she endured this? Could they possibly hope to mount a rescue...? She flinched when Trixie caressed her tummy from behind, breasts mashed to her back.

“They're loyal to you above Chrysalis now,” whispered Trixie with a smile.

“Yes...but at a heavy price,” murmured Cerise, who scooped up more water and splashed it over her bosom, which maintained its oily sheen like the rest of her skin no matter how she washed it.

Trixie waded over so that she faced her. “Is this really so bad?” She held the princess, pressed breast-to-breast so their denuded tits smashed, and tenderly stroked her let down mane. “Once the order spreads across the multiverse, it will finally be at peace!”

“You mean it will be a void after Omen's done.” She burned his hated image in her mind, ammo to keep her motivated to survive and thus endure whatever further horrors were thrown her way.
After her bath, she was returned to the 'harem paradise' Sombra picked for her quarters, where her entourage prepared her a proper meal. She took her time to savor it and the opium pipe they offered, aware that when she went to sleep, the nightmares Omen wrought in the darkness would inevitably return…

*****

Zeloph awoke from his short slumber, sensing the lack of another body next to him. A low groan rumbled in his throat, stretching out his limbs and fiery-tipped plumage, each eye blinking away the drowsiness. His eyes first glanced to where he last remembered Atalanta lying, but instead, they were replaced by a piece of paper with some writing on it. The angelic swordsman read the words quietly to himself;

‘My sun and stars,

Bellatrix and I are at Hammerfall, investigating a matter I cannot quite tell you about yet. Just trust me; I’m always right. Come find me when you can. Oh, and if you have the material, see if Moon Hammer can fix us a pair of rings like he did for Midnight and Cerise.

Don’t request anything too flashy. The goddess of death won’t be caught dead with anything unflattering of her person.

Yours eternally, A <3’

Zeloph chuckled softly, tempted to follow through with said request just to spite her. If only to see what sort of punishment the reaper demi would scheme.

But his smile faded, turning to the window. His biological clock said it was daytime, yet there were hardly any stars glimmering on the blackened horizon. How Midnight’s world hadn’t collapsed under all the entropy corroding it was astonishing.

Would a similar fate claim Sacratera as well? Was nowhere truly safe from the chaos brought by the Nightmare Stag?

Zeloph shoved the bedsheets aside, quickly ran a shower, dried off, and collected his sword and clothes. He hissed while walking out the room, having not fully recovered from his exhalation and climatic battle with Mortis Saltaire.
Not helping his case were the many many rounds both Atalanta and Bellatrix coaxed out of him. The demi-human blushed over how spent his loins felt.

‘So why do I still want more?’ He wondered internally. ‘I’ve long since been absent of sexual desire until now. Something is amiss here. The atmosphere, perhaps?’

The aether king’s speculation was soon cast aside when he walked by one of the virtual reality chambers currently in use by Eclipsed Heart. Zell paused and turned back around to observe the pop diva, who struggled to erect crystalline walls high enough to barricade the holographic depiction of Hammerfall.

Sweaty and worked up from hours spent training, Eclipsed Heart raised another crystalline barrier to protect the ville. Yet her power was nowhere near as studious as her true counterpart.
“Nugh! C’mon,” she strained with hot breath. “Just a couple more tries. I know I’ll get it right if I keep pushing!”

She jumped at the sound of Zeloph’s voice.

“Didn’t you say ‘pushing one’s limits would result in dehydration?' You can’t call yourself a role model if you don’t practice what you preach. Believe me; I’ve tried!”

Eclipsed patted her chest to calm herself, greeting the approaching angel with an awkward smile. “O-Oh! Hello, Zell. Nice to see you’re up and about~.”

Zell chuckled and cracked the stiffness out of his neck. “Still a bit sore after my journey beyond life and death. But ‘no rest for the wicked’ as some might say!”

The pop idol snorted. “Sure. Whatever you say, ‘O’ mighty Aether King’.”

She gave him an attempt at a playful curtsy with her tight bloomers that made up part of her costume, to which he responded with a polite bow. The two shared a laugh as the chamber powered down, leaving only a table in the room.
He gave a small gesture towards it. “May I?”

Eclipsed nodded and took a seat, allowing him to run and unwind her tense muscles and shoulders through his feathery, warm touch. Ripples of light washed away the stress and fatigue, replaced with euphoria that made her coo gently.
His mouth drew into an uncomfortable line. “I… I wanted to formally apologize for my—”

“You don't need to justify yourself to me,” she told him, soulful pink eyes looking up at him. “If anything, I should be the one apologizing. I don't have any right to judge you, no matter what happened between you and Cerise. All you can do is move forward and try to do better.”

Zeloph nodded, his cheeks flourishing as the angle of her leaning her head back provided an unintended angle at her cleavage. Normally, he wouldn’t stoop to his sister’s level of promiscuity, yet the normally celibate demi found his legendary resistance weakening.

“Thank you,” he said after clearing his throat and shifting his eyes away. “I'm sure with your help, they'll be able to rescue the princess.”

“Uh-huh. Like you, I… have to let go of the past, too, no matter how much it hurts.”

Eclipsed felt a similar strange arousal, leaning her body closer to his touch. Every rational part of her mind was drifting away, surrendering to bliss. Her light groans became needy mewls.

“W-we shouldn’t,” Zell tried to reason, despite his hands roaming to reach the rest of her shapely body. “You have a boyfriend. I’m practically married...”

“I… agree. But this feels so different. So good… I don’t think I… want this to stop.”

Lust-ridden thoughts heavily clouded their judgment, fantasizing about Zell delicately removing her top to fully massage her plump breasts, leading to Eclipse to fully lay down, head hanging over the table and unzip his pants, so she could fish out and worship his glorious cock. She recalled how Wispy would often whine about wanting this lengthy heavenly pillar, and now, here it was in all its glory. Gods, she could hardly wait to have him swab her throat while toying with her tits. A precursor to when he would claim her pussy, then bliss it with his virile seed, adding her to his growing harem of impregnated—

The ringing of a cell phone broke their depraved trance, causing Zell to move away from the popstar, his face pale with shame. “I’m so sorry! I-I don’t know what came over me. I wouldn’t have…”

“Nonono, it’s okay! I was acting weird, too,” she defended, scrambling to grab her heart-shaped phone. “Let’s just be thankful we snapped out of it before…”

Zeloph nodded, relieved he didn’t commit somnophilia. Atalanta, Wispy, and Kitsune would have had his head for that.

While he turned away to ponder what was causing this heightened sexual tension, Eclipsed unfolded her heart-shaped phone and answered the call. Appearing on screen was Mezzo Soprano, mother of her boyfriend, Bass, and his brothers, Alto and Tenor, from the once rival band, Sixth Measure.

The former opera diva-turned-president greeted her daughter-to-be. “Hello, Eclipsed Heart. Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. The city is in shambles, and politicians are spreading their propaganda like wildfire. Can’t get a good word in anywhere without riots breaking out!”

“H-hey, Mom—I mean, Mezzo! Sorry, caught me at an awkward time,” the charcoal songstress tittered sheepishly, readjusting her top's straps which left underboob exposed to match her bare midsection. “Sorry to hear things in the Cyberverse aren’t improving. It’s a messy situation here as well.”

“I can imagine,” the motherly siren said with a soft expression. “Now, what can I do for you while I have you on the line? I’d let you talk to Bass, but he and the boys are busy with a concert-”

Eclipsed shook her head. “Actually, I wanted to talk with you.”

Mezzo raised her eyebrow, smiling. “Hmm? Have you and your sweetheart decided to announce you'll tie the knot?”

“Wha—Uh, no. Sorry, It's probably too soon for that,” She blushed hotly at the idea. “Actually, it's about those demi-humans.”

Zell looked to Eclipsed at the mention of his kindred, puzzled and curious.

Mezzo wore a disappointed frown. “Oh… Darling, I thought we discussed this. I can’t allow them to—“

“I know. Please, just… hear me out! Arron caused a lot of property damage, and I can’t even begin to list how many crimes Seb has committed that don’t end with him locked away for life, if not executed! But… They helped us fend off against all sorts of foes! It’s too much for me to explain right now, but you have to believe me! We need all the help we can get!”

Mezzo relaxed, her posture turned sober, eyes looking past Eclipsed Heart. “… Is one of them present with you?”

Zell stepped into view, giving a small bow of his head. “Mrs. Soprano.”

“Zeloph, was it? I believe you were the one who joined in my children’s concert and helped defend the city during your kind’s rampage. Since then, you’ve become something of an urban legend.”

The two blinked at each other, bewildered by this development. “Have I?”

“Yes. I can’t show you now, but there's been plenty of graffiti in your likeness sprayed over billboards and monuments. Your popularity with the public is hard to overlook.”

The aether king rolled his eyes. “Oh, for heaven’s sake. I wasn’t even trying to indoctrinate followers that time!”

“Regardless,” Mezzo continued. “Your short visit has left quite an impact on the citizens, which is why I’m at the very least willing to loosen my restrictions on your banishment. Should you provide answers to some questions?”

Eclipsed quickly scooted to allow Zeloph a place to sit beside her, and he nodded.

“In total, how many demi-humans are there?”

“Counting myself? Seven. Mmm… roughly nine, now that I think about it.”

Mezzo narrowed her gaze. “Elaborate.”

His blush returned as he rubbed the back of his head. “My partner and I are trying to conceive. Plus, another is already with child. So if we are allowed to live in the Cyberverse, expect some little ones to be roaming about.”

“I see. Next question. Eclipsed claims that both Arron and Seb have changed for the better. Can you confirm?”

Zeloph nodded once more. “Arron has become my best friend in some ways. Convincing him to tone things down won’t be a challenge. And while he’s still a bit of a cad, Seb’s a lot more reliable than you might give credit. They’re both huge assets in my favor.”

Eclipsed briefly cut in. “I-If you could pardon them, they can help us save the multiverse!”

For a moment, Mezzo let her pleas sink in. “...you want me to absolve them of their crimes?”

“Y-yes. You saw those odd occurrences in the Cyberverse. Well, it's a lot more unstable here and in some other parts! A whole universe has become a void, and more will follow if we don’t—!”

Mezzo raised a hand to quiet her. “Arron's destruction I could easily overlook. Taxes will cover the property destruction, but no one was permanently hurt. Seb, however, is another matter. He threatened my life—my children’s lives, at gunpoint. It would give me no greater satisfaction to see that bastard get the electric chair.”

Both musicians physically recoiled at the thought of anyone going through that punishment.

“However… with the state of the multiverse, it appears I have no choice but to dismiss the charges. But in return, Zeloph, I need you to promise me that avaricious snake will be kept on a tight leash.”

He smiled. “I can assure you, there won’t be any sleight of hand or foul play from him. Abbess Julianne is very good at keeping him at bay.”

“Figures it would take an actual saint to charm that sinner,” the siren president groaned, rubbing her temples. “Still, I must advise that you watch your back around him.”

“I can handle myself,” Eclipsed politely but firmly assured her would-be mother. “I promise we'll save the multiverse and return home!”

“Good. Is there anything else I should know that is associated with you demi-humans?”

Zeloph stiffened. He was afraid she might ask this question.

Mezzo kept a firm gaze on the seraphic angel. “Your body language tells me there is. Out with it, please. I don’t think I can maintain this connection for much longer.”

“I… I can’t,” he confessed.

Eclipsed gave him a conflicted expression. “Zell..?”

Mezzo pressed further. “I was just starting to like you, Zeloph. But I require a more acceptable response.”

“I would if I could, Madame President,” answered Zeloph. “But due to the very nature of this subject, I am not allowed to say more than this. You’re better off in the dark.”

“That only raises my suspicions.”

“Just… trust me on this. You don’t want to know. For if you did, a disaster beyond your wildest imagination would occur.”

“Like the one plaguing our existence as we speak?”

“… more or less. I’m really sorry, but I’m sworn to secrecy about this matter. I cannot tell you more.”
The motherly siren took a deep inhale. “… very well. With everything else said, I will allow you and others like you to roam my city freely. With legal restraints and laws in mind.”

Eclipsed let out an overjoyed squee. “Oh, thank you, Mezzo! You’re the best!!”

Zeloph gave a calmer response. “I am grateful for this opportunity, Mrs.Soprano. You won’t regret this!”

“I had better not.” Slightly reassured, Mezzo smiled once more and relaxed her posture. “Oh, and don't forget that other old rival band of yours, S.L.U.T. They disappeared when they tried to follow you. Since they were last seen in the unstable zone where you vanished, they were probably cast somewhere else into the multiverse. I only hope that they weren’t cast into a void, never to return…”

“They're safe,” answered Eclipsed firmly, her brow furrowed. “They have to be!”

The former opera singer nodded. “Then I'll hold onto faith, too. Send Wispy and Kitsune my love. And remember, I love you too.” She ended the call, the pop diva warmed over by the matriarch of Sixth Measure.

As the pair walked out of the room, Eclipsed turned to Zell, who still seemed troubled by the tail end of their conversation.

“… I-If it’s about Viscera, you didn’t have to be secretive about her,” she insisted. “She’s not that scary.”

“Viscera can at least be neutralized,” replied Zell. “If, or when, she shows up again, I can handle her. But what I was referring to isn’t so easily comprehended. Please, I'd … rather we not discuss this.”

Eclipsed pouted, not liking being left out of the loop. But she respected his wishes and dropped it, at least, for now.

They dropped by the infirmary to check up on the current state of the injured patients. Both encountered Deinos in the guise of the stallion doctor Web Spinner, who smiled at the mare and demi. “Don't worry, I've kept watch over them.”

Eclipsed Heart grimaced at the sight of the resting Lightning Heart, a bandage covering half of her head to conceal her punctured eye. “At least she doesn’t seem to be in pain.”

“I upped the sedatives to prepare her for transplant surgery,” revealed the scientist. “Even with the Glamorguis’ hyper-advanced technology, the damage is too severe. I’m afraid this is the best we can do…”

Web Spinner held up a transparent container containing a false metallic eye doused with nutrients.

“Cyber augmentation,” murmured Eclipsed, equally relieved and heartbroken at what awaited the poor pegasus.

“Lightning Spark will be able to see even better than before once she's used to it.” He set the product aside, his hands slipped into his lab coat pockets while he stared down at the electric blue mare.

Zeloph suddenly spoke up. “Let me have a look.”

Web Spinner hesitantly stepped aside as the seraph gingerly removed the bandages, causing the pop idol to wrinch at how gnarly the eye injury was. Taking a slow inhale, Zell placed his fingers and thumb over the mare’s eye socket and allowed his radiant energy to pour into the injury.

His eyes closed to focus, feeling the damaged tissue and severed nerves. His angelic essence encouraged the unconscious mare’s cells to begin rapidly regenerating well beyond what they could normally do.

Eclipsed and Deinos were stunned to see the teal aura help reshape a new eyeball in place, as if it had never been lost. Lightning groaned, twitching from the pain of recouping before Zeloph held her head back down, his caress easing her back to rest.

Closing her eyelid shut, the seraph pulled back with a long exhale.

“Remarkable,” exclaimed Deinos, examining for himself the literal miracle performed. “No scarring or swelling at all! Her eye has been fully restored! I have records of healing magic that requires sacrifices—o-or shortened lifelines to regrow lost limbs. But you did so through mere touch! Without any such drawbacks!”

“Interconnectivity,” elaborated Zell, a small smile on his lips. “She and I may look different and have different parts and bodily functions. But the fundamental truth is that we’re all organisms. Animal, plant, mineral, liquid—it’s just a series of cells and atoms that are joined together to create specific outcomes. By infusing Lightning with a bit of my energy, I could guide her stem cells to repair her missing eye. Think of it like a flower that’s been plucked off its stem. So long as there's sunlight and the roots are still intact, it can eventually grow back. All I did was make the process work faster.”

Eclipse flourished, her smile beaming. “She’ll be so surprised to have full vision again! Thank you so much, Zell! Y’know… you would make a really great doctor~!”

Web Spinner further encouraged. “Indeed! Your phenomenal healing and insight would be a great asset in the field of medicine!”

Zeloph looked over his hand with consideration. It would seem accepting the luster pledge had more benefits than he originally anticipated. Unlocking exaltation also greatly enhanced his sacred touch.

“Hmm… perhaps,” he responded. “Jonn often told me I had a gift when it came to helping people realize there’s more to them than what they believe. But right now, I should let my colleagues know about Mezzo’s offer. And then maybe deduce what sort of bacterium concoction Viscera developed to disease Layla. Would help get the Glamorguis back in the air.”

With a nod, Zeloph departed from the medical wing to deliver the good news to Seb and Arron.
Meanwhile, Eclipsed Heart moved past the disguised scientist to seek out Kitsune, simply to be stopped by Chisana as the little raccoon tugged at her skater costume. “Oh, hey, Chisana! What's up—”

The child-like bandit raised a hand to silence her and nodded further in, where Kitsune was situated in her cot.

“2-Ba no aichō ni wa hitori no jikan ga hitsuyōdesu,” the tanuki girl whispered, her ringed tail wagging excitedly.

“Ooh! I-I see!” Eclipsed's cheeks colored, and she moved to block Chisana's view, much to her fuss, as Kitsune lay nude across the bed. Kyube only had undergarments on as well and the lean fox man rubbed down the vixen's bare back.

Muted moans escaped Kitsune's lips. “I'll work every last knot out of your muscles, Kit-”

“C-call me Sakura,” she murmured, taken to the proper name he'd offered her in place of the code name the syndicate forced on her. “Thank you. Your touch is helping me heal faster.”

“I'm just getting started, Sakura-san,” he assured her with a sly wink and a smirk.

The former cyber kunoichi-turned-yokai twisted her tall, limber form under him so that he now straddled her bare lap. Her cheeks were pink when she shyly met his eyes. “Could...you do my front, as well?” Gently, she directed one of his hands to palm a shapely breast. “You...may start here.”

“With pleasure.” He leaned in, and their lips delicately met as they started a slow, sensuous makeout session. Gradually, he rolled her palmed tits in lazy, playful circles. Her perky nipples hardened under his touch and poked into him when they explored each other's mouths with passionate kisses.

While Deinos had removed her bandages, he'd cautioned her not to move around too much or too quickly, lest she tear the stitches that held her wounds until the ship's healing waters were no longer contaminated. Thus, like he'd promised Wispy, Kyube took any advances slowly with his new lover.

Eclipsed continued to sidestep, which blocked Chisana's view. “Come on! This stuff isn't meant for a child's eyes!”

“Watashi wa kodomode wanaito nankai iwanakereba narimasen ka?!” whined Chisana with a pout, trying to slap away the hands concealing her view of the brewing lovemaking.

“Besides,” continued Eclipsed. “This isn't for me, either! We shouldn't invade their privacy!” Quietly, she squealed in delight to see one of her bandmates had found love, and she took Chisana's paw to lead her out. “Come! I'll get you some candy back in Hammerfall!”

“Anata wa bebīshittā to shite saiteidesu,” grumbled the tanuki girl, who nonetheless followed by hand at the promise of indulging her sweet tooth. As the pair made their way out of the infirmary and through the circular corridor, Eclipsed noticed Seb and Arron in the recreation room, the former setting up a game of billiards while the latter continued to flex and show off his oversized physique to his reflection. Zeloph was polishing the tip of his cue stick with white chalk.

“So… run this by me again,” the crafty card demon requested, serpentine eyes conflicted on his opponent. “Mezzo, who I so ‘graciously’ threatened both her life and the lives of her children, is willing to wipe my—“

“And mine!” Arron butted in briefly, his attention still fixated on himself.

“…slates clean and welcome us with open arms to the Cyberverse under the guise that I’ll behave like a good lil’ school boy and play nice with the others?” He pauses to sniff the air theatrically. “You smell that? That’s bait if I’ve ever smelt it! Plus…” He then took experimental sniffs before shuddering. “…hugh! Something else funkin’ up the joint.”

“You sure it’s not coming off Sunspot?” The wrestler cheekily pointed at Zell with a matching grin. “My man’s been filling up on death angel cake and red-devil pie~!”

“Pft! More like filling them up~!”

They shared a snicker while the target of their jest rolled his eyes. “It’s not a scam,” the seraph insisted while figuring out the best angle to strike. “Mezzo most likely realizes how dire of a state we’re all in and understands she could use our help before..” With one precise thrust, he knocked every numbered ball into a hole, leaving only the white ball on the board. “…Well, I’ll be damned!”

Seb did a double take, inspecting the board and Zell’s cue stick for any foul play before grumbling, “Look, even if the end of everything as we know it wasn’t happening, I doubt we’d get any fanfare for our return to Eternity City.”

“Yeah, bro. I straight up trashed that entire venue,” reminded Arron, though less apologetic and more pleased with himself. Stretching out his biceps and pectorals, he added, “How can I be expected to hold back all this unadulterated power and peak alpha physique? Plus, not a lot of cute boys in that town~!”

“…I’m sure you’ll manage,” Zell dryly answered, fishing out the balls to line them back up.

Seb shrugged. “I mean, if I get to avoid any jail time, I ain’t gonna say no to that! Matter of fact? Yeah… the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of going back. Build up my reputation again. Make me some real money~”

“You mean with a lot less murder and crime this time, right?” reminded Eclipsed, who butted right in with crossed arms.

Seb momentarily stiffened before allowing a chuckle to slither out of his throat. “Well, that goes without saying, princess. I’d imagine my activities will be heavily monitored, whether I’m running games or keeping my dealings more organized.” His Onoma briefly sparked as he stroked the triangular setup; the balls ricocheted all over the billiard board until all of them slid into the pockets. “Ooh! Jackpot~!”

The pop idol brushed aside the remark, not detecting the usual snark in his voice. He seemed almost...remorseful. “Well, good. Because I’m the one who made the call to the president, so anything you do affects my reputation!”

This made the sharply dressed snake’s throat go dry. “...Ohh. That’s… awfully nice of you, considering the bad blood between us.”

Eclipsed mustered a smile. “Don’t think too much of it! Despite our grievances, I want you both on our side. To back us up and help save the multiverse! I don't care whether it's here or in the Lost World!”

“They're all connected,” surmised Zell, who returned the mare's nod. “Each time another dimension unravels, the fabric that tethers the multiverse spins thinner and thinner.”

“Very poetic,” noted Seb. “Sounds more than fair, actually. More than I deserve,” he forced himself to admit aloud. “Thanks, sweet...Eclipsed. I really mean it.”

“Yeah, you’re not too bad for a Barbie ’d-up showgirl!” Arron admitted as well, throwing a bulky arm around Zell, who took his turn and pumped his fist when he knocked a couple of balls in. “And hey! If you ever need some real muscle to keep that butt covered, you know who to call! I don’t need to charge as much as snakeskin over there~.”

“Skill issue!”

“L rizz,” countered the burly demon smugly. “Can’t even get into that nun’s panties~.”

Seb flustered. “I-It’s not like that! She wants to be celibate, and I respect her wishes.”

Eclipsed giggled and clapped her hands. “We couldn't have beaten Mortis and his minions without you both! Oh, speaking of Miss Julianne! Will she continue to lend us a hand, too?”

“I'll ask when she and I peruse Hammerfall later today,” noted Seb. “She thinks it’s as good an opportunity as any to take in the sights.” He racked up the balls once more before hitting them back into place. “Yes! Bullseye!”

“Nice shot,” complemented Arron. “I’ll be going into town myself. Maybe some of the minotaurs will wanna tussle~! You tagging along, Zell? Both your misses are out and about already.”

“Not yet,” the seraph politely declined. “If you, Seb, and Julianne are taking a breather, I’ll look after security in your stead. I also want to do some medical work on Layla. See if I can create an antidote that’ll purify Viscera’s toxins. Though I do hope to make time and reach out to Moon Hammer. See if he can craft me a couple of wedding rings.”

“Nah, put it on my tab,” assured Seb. “I’ll take care of that for you, boss.”

Zell smiled. “I appreciate it, thank you.”

“Wonderful! We’ll leave you guys to it then,” the pop diva said, looking to leave the Demi’s to their affairs before Chisana tugged away and scurried up onto the pool table.

“You want in, kiddo?” Offered Seb, to which the raccoon dog replied, “Hai!”

Zeloph gave her his cue stick and left the table to ascend to Layla’s chambers. While they continued to play, Eclipsed wandered off and sent some more text messages to Bass, thankful for any brief chance to relax.

She was still settling on what options she should pick. They could remain on a planet that threatened to break apart and possibly doom them to save whatever they could. Or simply abandon it to the doomsday cult and the other factions and wage a war currently brewing in the Lost World?

After a few more texts and encouraging words from her boyfriend, Eclipsed clasped a hand over her breast.

She'd already made her choice. She wouldn't abandon Cerise.

*****

After the scuffle with Fiery's troops and the small blaze left in his wake, all of Hammerfall was on alert, despite the hour. As a result, the local pub remained open, despite the dawn threatening to break. Of course, Moxxi and Wispy Willow helped play a part in this, since they did their best to 'convince' the bartender, Redrum, not to close down, regardless of how overworked his poor waitresses were. Once more, the interior was packed, all of the bouncers on watch in case a stray enemy soldier was still about.

“Seoi Lo. Pretty sure not even Fiery would be stupid enough to wage a full assault with the U.F.O. nearby,” reminded Wispy, garbed in an embroidered crimson cheongsam. “But should he dare try...hi-yah!” She tossed up a sweet bun and spin-kicked it with a stiletto heel to send it across the room.

“Settle daahhhn, Pussywilla,” tittered Moxxi, who adjusted her breasts and plush rump into the pink and blue leopard-print bikini wear. “Save sum of that action for our 'ost~!” The pair of them sauntered over to the vermillion-colored minotaur bartender, who returned a knowing smirk.

At this point, some of the patrons were half-asleep or outright slumped over the tables, while some of the bovine waitresses were on shaky legs after pulling an all-nighter. Beatrix was still there to volunteer, the witch's platinum mane left in twin tails, though she was a lot less enthusiastic after her unsettling hallucination and almost looked timid.

Moonlight River also made her presence known; the bat mare was dressed in a mantle, which she allowed to pool at her feet, rendered nude.

Midnight bashfully interjected, “A-Are you sure that’s a good idea after—“

“Everyone’s seen me naked by now,” Moonie dismissed with a shrug. “You know what they say; sex always sells. It’s almost a shame we had to chase those horny bastards out of town, what with all the money they poured in!”

“I sure won't miss them,” said Midnight, seated at the bar. He drank from a mug filled with milk, so distracted he did a double-take when Moonie settled beside him, her toned bottom smooshed into a stool. She practically radiated after her session with Moon Hammer, a drunken blush on her face.

Moonie smiled, motioning for the violet mare, and requested, “Give me a drink too, Bea~.”

“Huh—O-Oh, right! Your wish is my command,” Beatrix teased clumsily, whose heavy breasts wobbled on the way over, draped atop a tray when she served herself up. “Just a cup? Or do you want it straight from the tap~...?”

“Just a cup, for now. Wouldn't want Middy to get too excited,” replied the thestral, who watched the witch squeeze a tit and empty milk into a cup before she handed it over. She sipped at it with a snack. “Mmm. Not bad.”

“Not quite on the level of a halstaur, I know. But I'm working on it! Arcanum and Iclyn have really helped me expand my alchemy knowledge!”

Beatrix turned her attention back to Middy and rocked on her heels when she bent over close to his face, her heavy breasts left to sway like pendulums in his face. ‘Stupid Omen. You can destroy the multiverse, but you won’t ruin sex for me!’

“Hmm~.” Milk beaded on the tip of her nipple she'd milked, swung from the engorged nub, then landed with a warm, wet splat on his pants, his wide green eyes unable to tear away from her.

Snorting, Moonie spun her stool to observe them. “Yeesh, Bea. If you’re gonna torture him like that, you might as well go all out~!” With an audible smack of her wild tail on Bea's bare butt, she tripped the witch forward.

“Oof!” Beatrix landed in Middy's firm arms, her nakedness straddled atop his warm lap. “U-uh... hi~!”

“H-hi,” he replied sheepishly, her bare bosom squished into his face, unable to restrain the tent in his pants. With the continued slack of the 'dress code,' after the bartender was convinced by Moxxi and Wispy, Beatrix had discarded the patch over her pussy, and her slit and asshole rubbed by his shaft, which ended up sandwiched between her plush violet asscheeks. The blue pegasus gently started to lift her off.

Moonie leaned on them to hold the pair in place, her pert tits rested on his arm. “Relax. I'm alpha mare now, and I say it's okay. It's not like you two are gonna fuck. Not like those three.” She nodded over her shoulder at the bartender, Redrum prostrated on the floor, while Moxxi and Wispy went behind said bar.

“You've had a bit too much to drink,” said Beatrix, who shifted uncomfortably.

“Whaaaa—Nonsense~,” said the lush thestral mare. “Never felt better in my life! *hiccup*” She, too, turned her attention partly to the bartender while the promiscuous nekomata and succubus started to undo his zipper. “Besides, don't tell me you didn't style your mane like that on purpose to remind him of his sexy wife?”

“Speaking of Cerise,” mumbled the pegasus knight as Eclipsed Heart entered the premises, her eyes pinned to the floor, and her face burned when she slowly skated towards them. “Uh, hey! I-It’s nice to see you! This is, er-”

“I'm used to it by now. Mostly,” said Eclipsed, who shyly met the scene before her. “I mean, in the world I come from, people are pretty 'loose'! I guess some things never change, huh? Or maybe Beatrix is drawn to, um, 'sexed up' worlds? Anyhow, Deinos is watching over Lightning!”

“Good. I don't want her left alone,” said Moonie, slightly crestfallen.

“Oh no, I'd never! Actually, I came to tell you she’ll make a full recovery! We were about to use cyber replacements for her eye until Zeloph used his ‘sacred touch’ or whatever to regenerate it!”

“Amazing!” Beatrix squealed, absentmindedly squeezing Middy's face further milky, marshmallow breasts. “Remind me to thank him later…”

“Pretty sure that’s a death wish, considering his type of woman,” mused Eclipsed with a sly grin.
“Hey! I’ll have you know I’ve beaten his ass on two separate occasions,” reminded the witch. “Shadow Scythe, too, now that I think of it! I can be very dominant and authora—yaaahh~!”

Beatrix yelped when Moonlight swatted her bubbly ass once more. “Girl, you don’t have a single dominant bone in your body. You're as slutty and submissive as they come~!”

The violet mare pouted, rubbing her brightened buttcheek. “Rude..!”

Eclipsed looked behind the bar at a dancer's costume on display. “Isn’t that—”

“A replica of what Cerise liked to wear,” said Wispy, who, like Analise, started to strip out of the attire, their breasts sandwiched around the minotaur bartender's mottled, meaty pillar of flesh without a faint hint of shame.

“We had it made in her honor after she helped protect Hammerfall,” explained the bartender. “Oh—The name's Redrum, by the way. Sorry we haven't talked much. I owe you all, after you help chase those nasty bastards out.”

“Consider us even, beefcake,” purred the neon demon, giving a tentative lick along the musky length of his bull cock. “Or as ‘baht as even as I’m gonna get after ya ‘murder’ this cunt~!”

Wispy snickered when she helped her stroke and polish Redrum’s shaft between their breasts and dexterous tongues. “Mmmnh~! Hey, that's an idea! We need a new cash flow now that Fiery's outta here, so why not-”

“No! I-I can't be unfaithful to Bass,” reminded Eclipsed sharply.

“Hey, let me finish! I’m not saying to fully strip. Just wear your alternate’s costume! Inspire Hammerfall with the visage of its heroine,” rephrased Wispy, nodding at the display case.

“But I'm not Cerise,” reminded Eclipsed, her hands clasped in front of her. “As much as I care about her, I...” She mulled over the idea. Hammerfall badly needed more positive influence and money now that their own trade opportunity was cut off. These were desperate times. “I'll...have to ask Bass first, see whether he's okay with this.”

“You do that,” answered Wispy when she and Ana stroked Redrum faster with their round tits, lathering his flared tip with suckles and kisses. “Say. Are Creamy and Milky your—”

Grunts arose from his taut vermilion belly when he throatily replied, “No direct relation. War orphans I took in. Unf. Hammerfall comes from a world that's not so different from this one. Lawless and wartorn. Divided.”

“Trouble wherever I go,” lamented Beatrix with a sigh, still straddled across Midnight's lap while Moonlight leaned on him. She held him and whispered in her half-brother's ear, “I'm so proud of you, Middy cakes! You've been on your best behavior the whole time, despite what we've thrown at you!”

“Yeah, well...I don't exactly want to repeat what happened to me. I've learned my lesson.” Nonetheless, he couldn't help but look at Eclipsed with longing and quiet remorse, aware that while they made the most of their lives, Cerise remained a prisoner. Eclipsed had taken out her heart-shaped, compact phone and messaged Bass for permission about what she intended to do. Green, innocent eyes drifted to the subdued sway of a plush bottom in hot pink bloomers while she typed away.

Moonie narrowed her gaze. “Don’t get any ideas. She’s not actually—.”

“I-I know.” Instead, he drank down another dollop of milk with a cheeky smile. He twitched painfully in his pants, felt the subdued warmth and wetness of Beatrix across his lap, and the soft crush of her's and Moonie's tits, topped by perky erect nipples that poked at his skin when they leaned on him.

It also didn't help that the topless, almost complete nude holstaur waitresses on duty continued to make their rounds in a series of bounces and wobbles. And not that far from him, Wispy and Analise worked their lips and tits faster, almost a blur when they double-teamed Redrum's shaft.

“Mmm~! A bitchbreaker almost on par with Moon Hammer's,” teased Wispy.

“re ya really that surprised? House To Let aw ya minotaurs 're packin' 'eat loike this, 'uh,” mewled Moxxi, who winked up at Redrum.

“M-maybe,” wheezed out Redrum, whose nostrils flared and his eyes hazed over when his instincts to breed really started to kick in, the older minotaur's fuzzy balls painfully swollen while they ceaselessly worked him over.

Eclipsed closed her phone and scooted closer to the bar. “Alright! Good news! Bass has okayed it!” She winked.

“Nice! Now get those clothes off so you can slip into your new costume, Princess Butterbuns~!” Wispy reached back with her split striped tails, slipped one tail under Eclipsed's scant top, which showed off ample underboob, and yanked it up to make her bare, teardrop tits bounce into view, each topped by wide hot pink nipples as Wisy whistled at the heavenly display.

“Will 'o Wisp! Ack-” Eclipsed's protests were cut off when, spurred on further by the drop and bounce of her bared breasts, Redrum finally lost it. The pent-up bartender's mottled cock throbbed and fired across the room like a cum cannon, thick dollops of spunk partially splashed across the pair of naughty minxes.

However, most of the copious downpour splattered across Eclipsed, her protests cut off when her mouth was filled, her eyes closed so as not to be blinded, and her bared breasts also hosed down. Midnight only partially shielded himself with his wide plumage in time, partly splattered by the stray shots, while Beatrix and Moonlight were also caught up in the splash zone, which drenched and matted their nude bodies and oozed the bartender's thick cum.

For a second, everyone fell silent.

Ana then released boisterous laughter. “Woo, blimey! Sorry abaht that, loves. Worked up the poor boy wif me lusty touch ter 'elp empty 'is cobbler's awls aw at once! turn that Jack Sprat log into a proper splooge cannon; I did~!”

Eclipsed coughed up the salty spunk she hadn't accidentally swallowed and wiped away a dense, layered mask of runny cum with a napkin, her charcoal fur sticky and matted when she tried in vain to clean herself off with what was available on hand. “Thanks a lot, Analise! Ugh, It's all in my hair...”

“Sorry 'bout that,” coughed Redrum. “There’s a shower in the back. Feel free to help yourself and use my bed for some shut-eye, should you need it.”

“Thank you,” she bowed and mustered what dignity she could, swathed in most of his seed since she'd bore the brunt and hoping this didn't count as unfaithfulness to Bass! Bad enough Triad's monstrous tattoos had taken advantage of her and Wispy! She fully removed her utterly ruined top and made her way behind the bar.

“I really am sorry,” said Redrum, ears down. “I couldn't control—”

“That's what you get when you play with Moxxi,” giggled Beatrix, used to the imp's devilish tricks while secretly relishing the minotaur's cum coating her. Moonlight, she figured, quietly did the same while Midnight wiped off his own thick, stained feathers on his plume. Wispy, meanwhile, followed Eclipsed into the back of the pub.

Once she appeared to be alone and entered the bathroom, Eclipsed also stripped away her drenched hotpants and undid the ribbon in her thick ponytail, which she shook loose, fully denuded, with her compact phone in hand. Thankfully, the device was water-proof, and she rinsed it and her spunk-clotted hands in the sink.

She leaned over the counter and inhaled while she met her reflection. An earth mare in this dimension, she was barely into adulthood, with fuller breasts and a butt compared to Eclipsed, from what she assumed was because she hadn't spent her life in dance, like Cerise. Or maybe Beatrix wished her this way. After she, she was formed by the witch's caricatured perceptions of her, due to the Prima Materia's power.

“This must be how Beatrix perceives Cerise,” she mumbled to herself. “Innocent. Silly. Fun. But I can't ever really be her. In truth, I'm...still not really sure who I am.” Taking another moment to admire her reflection, she turned and ran her hands across her supple curves, then stepped into the spacious shower and turned the knob, immediately hit by a drizzle of warm waters that sluiced down her curves.

She closed her eyes and rubbed her fur and flesh as the bartender's seed washed down the drain. Her hot pink mane was fully shaken loose once she hummed and started to soap up her ebony shapeliness with a muted coo.

Missing her boyfriend more than ever, her hand snaked out from the shower and plucked her waterproof heart-shaped phone from the counter, where she opened it up and readied it to take a picture. She shyly blushed and practiced the one-finger challenge she'd seen that barely hid her privates, then snapped the first of many nude selfies she planned to send to Bass. She then typed, “Are you alone babe?”

Moments later, he replied, “Yes. How are you?”

She beamed wide and sent him the first nude selfie. “I love you, babe,” she typed. “With all my heart! I miss you so much! Thank Layla, we can talk! And do stuff like this!” She sent him a heart emote with another coy nude shot.

So lost was she in the moment, Eclipsed took no notice when the nekomata kunoichi snuck into the bathroom, chucked off her clothes, and slipped in behind the steam-shrouded mare. Eclipsed yelped when Wispy pressed into her back, palmed both her sizable breasts, and honked them twice with a mischievous snicker. “Gotcha! Honk honk!”

“Will 'o Wisp,” snarled Eclipsed with a roll of her eyes.

“Sorry! Couldn't resist, Princess Butterbuns! You're too hot and sexy, Chinyan~!” She winked and blew a kiss at her, then her shiny slit cat's eyes went to the phone. “Ohoho~! Sending him some coy nudes? Wonder if this little baby can livestream across separate dimensions, too? Aiyah!”

“Wispy, don't-” Yet she'd already snatched the phone away. Hands-on her hips while soap suds ran down her curves, Eclipsed lamented, “Seriously, Will o’ Wisp? Someday, I'll have to teach you about proper boundaries!”

“Nyah~! But where's the fun in that?” Wispy snickered and suddenly typed, “SEND NUDEZ! SHOW ME DAT DICK!” She laughed and dodged around Eclipsed's attempts to grab back the phone as the women slid across the wet tiles, the kunoichi easily able to dance around her attempts.

In desperation, Eclipsed tackled her to the floor and snatched back her phone, hardly mindful of how their nude, slippery bodies squished as she furiously typed back an explanation and apology to Bass, who, to her relief, answered, “I figured as much. But it's nice to see you.” The male siren's face appeared on the screen, connected by the Glamorguis’ advanced tech when the couple live streamed at each other.

Despite separation across dimensions, they were able to see and hear their partner clearly, and traded warm smiles.

Still straddled atop her, Wispy smushed her breasts into Eclipsed's and leered at Bass. “How about we put on a show for him, Princess Butterbuns? What good-for-nothing boyfriend wouldn't want to see his hot babe lezz out~?” She squirmed atop the pinned mare, a twinkle in her slit, cat-styled eyes.

“The loyal kind,” reminded Bass as Eclipsed firmly shoved her bandmate off. “Not every man is as lecherous as you make them out to be!”

Wispy sat on her striped bottom and pouted, “Spoilsport!”

“Look,” said Eclipsed, who rose. “You can help me bathe. But no funny business!” She'd gotten used to her bandmate's antics by now and relaxed her muscles as Wispy soaped her up, rubbed her skin and fur, and then helped wash her down. She, in turn, also bathed the nekomata with a hum.

A mild blush painted Bass' face, but he didn't look away. With a subtle wink and nod to offer permission from Eclipsed, he undid his pants and started to stroke himself, his shirt undone one button at a time. It wasn't unusual to share a slow, sensual masturbation session when they were apart to help them bond.

Guiding the nekomata's hand to her bare pussy, Eclipsed directed Wispy to stroke her slit, slow at first, her love button teased from its hood. In turn, she rubbed Wispy's own downy soft slot, felt its pussylips swell and squish under her touch.
The pair moaned with Bass, who rubbed his cock faster at the display.

“Goddess...I want you, Bass...I want you inside me,” whispered his lover.

“Me too. I wish I could hold and make love to you,” he replied, sizable cock in hand when he stroked it steadily.

Wispy nibbled on the mare's ear while she plunged a couple of fingers into her twat with one hand, while the other palm a sizable tit, which she rolled and tweaked its erect nipple. “Bet you two fuck in secret before our concerts all the time. Dick her down raw until your cum is dripping down her leg on stage~.”

“It's...not quite like that,” squeaked Eclipsed, barely able to hold her phone. “More...romantic...”

“Bah! Pussy is pussy,” replied Wispy, who, from the blush on Eclipsed's and Bass' faces, made clear they teetered on the edge of release. “Cum hard for her stud,” she all but demanded, grabbed the phone, and mashed it against Eclipsed's cunt and asshole, the pliable flesh lewdly squished and flattened when it entirely filled the screen on Bass' end. He and Eclipsed howled out a shared climax in unison.

His cum painted his phone screen. Eclipsed's squirts likewise sluiced over her own, Bass' eyes locked on her squished flat snatch and asshole, which puckered and contracted as she splashed out her love and lust for him, her unmentionables swathed in a film of his own continual releases of spunk.

“Fuck, that's hot,” hissed Wispy between clenched teeth as she contracted around Eclipsed's own intrusive digits and came around them. The three of them shook from their climax, until Eclipsed and Wispy sunk to the tiled floor while Bass collapsed back, momentarily spent, onto his bed.

Kneeling on the floor while the drizzle continued to fall on the pair partially, a lewd squish sounded from Wispy's fingers when they withdrew from the mare's depths, tethered by pussy juices still connected to the well-explored slit she'd schlicked silly. The tigress murmured, “Have a taste, Chinyan~.”

Hesitating a moment, sure Bass still watched them, Eclipsed nonetheless closed her eyes and took the presented digits into her lips. She suckled on the slick fingers in a slow, sensuous manner, overcome by curiosity, and relished the sweet and savory taste of her own excited marehood.

When she finally withdrew with a wet smack, Eclipsed admitted with a mild blush, “I...taste nice.”

Their shower finished up. Eclipsed cleaned her phone and blew Bass a final kiss before she turned it off. Then, she and Wispy exited the stall and toweled down, used to such intimacy since they often needed to bathe between concert sessions. It made her think of poor Kitsune, left back on the ship. Hopefully Kyube treated her well.

With help from Wispy, she had the dancer's costume delivered to her in private and slipped into it. As she feared, it was at least a size too small for her, and she threatened to fall out of its confines anytime she made a sharp, wild movement. Nonetheless, she soon returned to the pub with a cheery smile.

All eyes were drawn to Eclipsed, who took a small bow, as some of the minotaurs and holstaurs even briefly mistook her for Cerise, the princess that helped protect Hammerfall. Redrum put on a record, and she started to dance her heart out, not on the level of her counterpart, but certainly no slouch!

Some of the holstaurs barmaids danced with her, while the others continued their deliveries, their milky titties left to bounce atop the trays they carried. Wispy and Ana ordered a number of refills, until the nekomata moaned and clutched her belly after she drank her twelfth cup. “Gah! I don't feel so well…”

Eclipsed whirled faster, determined to live up to Cerise's reputation as a heroine to the people of Hammerfall. She adjusted her costume on occasion, unable to help the occasional nipple slip or how it slid halfway down her bottom, the upper half of her exposed buttcheeks pinched by thin, flimsy cloth.

She beamed back at Middy, who in particular couldn't pull his gaze aside, while Beatrix and Moonlight returned to their waitress duties alongside Moxxi and Wispy, despite how sore the nekomata remained after she'd drank too much. Redrum put on another record when roosters crowed in the distance. The sun started to crawl from the horizon, Hammerfall left in a sleepy state despite these troubled times.

*****

Later that same day—night, it was hard to tell without any sunlight; when Moonlight River woke up, she found herself back in Moon Hammer's bed. The minute the blacksmith entered in but a towel, having gotten out of a shower, the bat mare immediately pulled the minotaur chief to her and, with a blush, declared, “I need you. Now.”

With a haughty grin on his snout, Moon Hammer wasted no time, and the mare found her ankles up around the side of her head, her ass raised when he entered her with a ball's deep thrust.
Her buttcheeks clapped, and the bed bounced under his fearsome pistons. Driven into a mating press as her impaled cunt dripped down her puckered asshole and her medium tits slapped, she cried out, “YES!” Over and over, he fucked all the pain away from the poor mare while his nostrils flared.

Thankfully, she'd had enough sense to drink another protective potion before he really started to go to town, much better able to take his size after so much practice, but still needing to make sure her insides were extra stretchy to be safe. Much as she adored the bull, she didn't want to be fucked to death!

Behind them, Marathyssa hummed, once more nude save for an apron and in her sparkly crystal mare form, while she cooked them breakfast. She asked, “One lump of sugar or two?”

“T-two-oh~! Huh. Wish I could have my second hole filled,” wheezed the well-fucked Moonie.

“This one could help with that,” said Marathyssa, who set aside the food she prepared for a moment, approached the couple, and bent forward, where she ran her tongue across Moonie's wet butthole. She kissed and licked at the ring of puckered flesh, swathed in her sweet juices and his dense precum.

Twisting and shifting himself so that Moon Hammer remained in Moonie's cunt but now faced away from her, his hands still holding Moonlight's ankles, Marathyssa undid her apron and shifted her crotch until a thick stallionhood arose from her. Then, the changeling carefully stuffed the dick into Moonie's rectum and started to help claim her, their cocks almost able to touch between the thin layer of mare flesh.

“Fuck!” She practically screamed and came on the two dicks stuffed into her well-used holes. Felt them piston in and out, one withdrawn to the tip while the other pushed in and clapped her raw.
She tried not to let her mind wander to all that had happened to her. All the betrayals and humiliations. The stallion soldiers that attempted to rape her, an arrow pierced from the lead rapist's throat, and his hot blood splattered across her bare breasts while they heaved and she'd frozen up in shock.

Nor were they alone. The moment they had some more downtime, Moon Hammer invited Dion and the quadruplets over, where they often heard them fuck in another room. Someone would routinely stop to check on the calves on occasion, usually Marathyssa between rounds.

With a loud plap, the duo withdrew from Moonie's lower holes, which ran with their seed. Her butt landed back on the bed with a bounce, and she sat up then lazily stretched wide with a loud yawn.

Moon Hammer asked, “Breakfast anyone?” He accepted a strawberry Marathyssa fed him.

“Maybe in a few minutes.” Moonlight wiped her orifices with a tissue, tossed it into a trash bin, and rose from the bed the chief had moved into the living room for these purposes. She laid out a mat across the floor he used to train and started to exercise in the nude, well aware his eyes were on her when she purposefully took her time to limber up and located another estrus potion. No doubt she'd need it, since she wanted to be fucked raw for a few more hours!

Dion strode into the room, equally naked as the set of twins that leaned on each arm, their cutie marks shining in resonance. He whistled in appreciation. “Heh. A very peculiar way tae exercise, lass. Mind if Ah help sport ye?”

The bat mare continued to stretch and heaved her shoulders. “Mmngh… be my guest~.”

Hastily, Moonie downed the estrus potion, and her belly was immediately on fire, alongside her hot, wet loins. The ram's hands closed around her buttocks when the quadruplets pulled away, and she was lifted up.

The ram's red cock thrust into her, taking him balls deep in one firm push to her core. While few could hope to match a minotaur's awesome size, he filled her more comfortably without a potion's aid!

Marathyssa watched the ram slam the thestral into a wall while they screwed and continued to feed the chief. “Remember, this one can fulfill any fantasy you have.” She directed one of his palms to a tit, which expanded its size under his touch, and likewise, her bottom bloomed under her will.

His already hard shaft bobbed and leaked. “Shame we may not have time for this soon.” As Marathyssa settled into his lap and sank into her, he said, “I hate to leave anyone out...”

“Don't worry about us,” said one of the succubi crystal twins, Foal-Bearer. “Since we're demons...”

“...we can alter our bodies to a certain extent, too! Watch!” Wet Nurse demonstrated as she and her twin stretched their own flesh with a hiss until stallionhoods arose from their own crotches. A more dominant side came to the forefront when they slapped the asses of the half-bovine, half-mare butts of Strawberry and Blue Moon, who prostrated naked on all fours on the bed in preparation to be mounted.

Without ceremony, the succubi, who'd provided themselves each with a twin pair of shafts, pushed into the presented holes of their doubles. The quadruplets moaned in unison with a shared shimmer of their cutie marks, the wide asses of Strawberry and Blue spanked as they were railed senseless.

Marathyssa felt felt herself lifted and still impaled on Moon Hammer when they stood, the protoquen's ample ass squished against Moonlight's when the females were harshly pounded by the minotaur and ram, their buttcheeks clapped into each other each time the women were laid into with brutish lust.

Dion felt his mare's tits rise and fall on his scarred chest and proclaimed, “Gods above, this is th' life!”

“You said it, brother,” replied Moon Hammer, who returned his fist bump and carefully studied the movements of Marathyssa's face, like the ram determined to make certain they kept their partners satisfied. Thankfully, all the ladies quivered, mewled, and, on occasion, splashed out their lust.

Marathyssa interlinked her fingers with Moonlight while their sweaty asses collided under each fierce hump, their other free hands wrapped around the shoulders of the males that took them. “We're practically sisters,” she whispered to her between hushed moans. “Bonded over skinship.”

“Y-yeah,” hissed Moonie and squeezed her hand back. “I've needed this so bad.” After the studs came in them with loud roars of triumph, both women were then twisted face-to-face, their tits mashed when they were bred anew.

The bat mare felt comforted in their presence. But she also knew that with Moon Hammer, she'd also always play second fiddle to another woman. And Middy had come to her rescue in her time of need. Perhaps he could still become the stallion she knew he could be, with time. It's that same potential which had first drawn Cerise to him.
She and Marathyssa felt their arms drawn behind them by the wrists while they were dominated by their studs, and the two women locked lips when they explored each other's wet mouths. She nibbled on the protoquen's lips. Felt the nubs of their nipples rub whenever their sweat-soaked, shapely titties slapped.

Their eyes rolled into their heads as they lost count of how many times they came. On occasion, her mind wandered to the herd she left, and badly wished they could be reunited once more.

A commotion outside shook the building. Groaning her frustration, Moonlight withdrew Dion from her slippery depths, hopped off, and raced to the window which she peered out of.
From here, she could see the adult district around the pub, where a contest was apparently underway. “What the-” By her side Dion arrived, and also paused to watch the match that was underway. A wrestling ring had quickly been thrown together from available materials near the holstaur fountain that spewed recycled milk from sculpted marble udders. The challenger made his way past the ropes and into the pit.
The crowd of excited fem cows hollered when the bull-headed demi-human removed his cloak in one fling, flexing his stacked physique with dramatic poses. His rock-hard abs and pectorals sparkled like shiny stones. The only thing keeping the burly demon from being fully nude was the much too small man thong barely containing his fat flaccid chod.

“Welcome to supreme chad city, boys and girls,” greeted Arron with a cocky smirk stretching his lips. “Population: Me~!”

“Oh, great! Just what we needed. More inflated male testosterones,” snarked Moonlight with a roll of her eyes.

“And yet you’re still hanging around the chieftain’s bullpin like it’s a daily rodeo show,” retorted the golden demon. “Funny how things work~.”
The thestral said nothing, only offering a flustered glare and surprised he could hear her mutter from so far away.

“But enough about hussies who need to return to the streets,” Arron waved off. “We're here to honor the ancient art of wrestling. By getting down and dirty in our very roots. Now, which one of you so-called minotaur ‘warriors’ has the stones to get in this mud pit with me and walk out the better man?”

As he jumped into the gooey mud, Arron lifted the shades off his nose, eying both Moon Hammer and Dion, who were both deeply eager to put the flamboyant heel back in his place.
“Come on, smithy! Show your people you haven’t lost touch. Or what about you, lamb chops? I bet I’d get a great workout session with you~! Hell! I’ll take both you losers on, just to give you guys a fair—”

The burly demi’s taunting was cut off by a megaphone Redrum used to announce, “And in this corner, the amazing tag team of our very own Creamy Canyon and Milky Mountains!” Claps and cheers resounded when the bovines approached in their cow print bikinis and ripped them off to bear their own shapeliness without any shame.

Arron recoiled with disgust and barked, “Hey, now, wait just a damn minute! I didn’t sign up to put on that kind of show for you udder-brained cattle! I don’t swing that way!”

“It’s an open challenge, dumbass,” reminded the confident Creamy. “Anyone is allowed to fight.”

“What’s wrong, big boy? Afraid you’ll lose to us girls,” the sleepy-eyed Milky retorted, swaying her heavy udders around mockingly at the demihuman.

The wrestler demon sighed. “Look, you might be tall and well-built amazonians and lovely at that. But those airbags and baby fat won’t cushion you when you run straight into the wall! Not without some weird voodoo bullshit, anyway…”

Creamy snorted and smacked her fist into an open palm. “Don't underestimate us, honey!”

“What she said,” added the sleepy-eyed Milky.

“You did agree to a handicap, after all! What did you have in mind? Maybe you'll take us on with one arm tied behind your back?”

“Hahaha! You know what? I’m game. Because one hand or no hands, I’m still taking you hoes back to the streets from which you came! Now, who wants to make Hammerfall some money!?”

Fresh cheers arose as Arron allowed one of the referees to tie back his arm. In truth, the demi meant nothing of the trash talk he spewed to rile up the bovines. It was just for show. No usage of his full strength or Onoma, for he had no intention of causing serious harm to the couple. Whoever won, tickets purchased by attendees would help Hammerfall's funds soar to the top!
Not that Arron believed they had a real chance, no matter what dirty tricks they pulled!

A bell sounded. Oil splashed around the bouncy bovines that bounded at him. He stood his ground to meet their reckless charge, their heads lowered to batter him with their small horns. He found the small nubs on their skulls more cute than deadly and snickered when they rammed him.

“Really proving me wrong here, ladies,” he mocked with a smirk, each of them held by one of their horns, one between his clenched teeth since his dominant arm was padlocked by a chain behind him. Then, Arron casually lifted and tossed them into the oil with a splash, earning some heated boos from the crowd. To which he responded with a laugh and shouted, “That’s what I do!!”

Despite how severely watered down this bout was, Arron found some amusement and fun. The more he worked up the crowd, the more the adrenaline kicked in. Ain’t no way he was gonna end this fast!

“Ouch,” Milky whined and rubbed her spotted bottom. “Yeesh, he’s no joke. We need a new plan...!”

Creamy snorted and flared her nostrils as her partner was soaked from the neck down in oil that left their flesh slick and shiny under the sun, Aaron's muscles similarly bronzed. “Screw that,” the cow woman bellowed, rubbed a foot across the pit in anticipation with a snort, then heedlessly rushed back in.

This time, Arron lowered his head, and their horns locked. His toes curled into the pit to hold his place, the darker-colored spotted bovine unable to move him an inch despite her attempts.
“Hey, not bad,” he snickered. “I almost felt that! Kinda tickled my horns a littl—augh!” Distracted by Creamy's horns locked with his own, he barely noticed Milky had risen...nor the jump kick the sleepy pale bovine launched, until both her feet collided with his ribs and nudged him backward.
Settled on his butt, he rubbed his side. “Heh. Good form,” he freely admitted.

Milky smiled. “Thank you! Um, I didn't bruise you, did I Mister Arron?” Creamy facepalmed at her partner.

“Pha! Please.” Arron shook his head and hopped back onto his feet.

This time, Creamy's horns struck his lower back from behind. Arron skidded along the oily mud pit, cackling as he completely dropped his villainous persona. “Woo! You two sure are tough; I’ll give ya that! Guess it's true that halstaurs are bred big and bold! You probably could've crushed those stallion grunts easily if they weren't armed!”

“Yeah,” answered Creamy as she and Milky grappled with him. “We don't have the sheer numbers of those ponies or changelings, so the ladies here have trained to defend themselves, too!” Together, they slammed him into the oil and used their combined weight to try and pin his bulk.

“I know we're amateurs,” whined Milky in a slow voice. “But we try so hard! We let those nasty soldiers do whatever they wanted to us, all so we could help support Hammerfall's empty coffers!”
“Money, information...we all play our part,” noted Creamy. “We can't all be born badasses like you, honey!”

Arron tossed them off him to more triumphant cheers and continued to intentionally draw out the show while more people made generous donations to an overflowing pot. “Rule thirty-two in the temple of Arron. Don’t just admire me—become me! Now, as much as I’m having fun, we have to end this soon! So prepare yourselves, ladies!”

While the next round started up, Seb paused to observe from the distance. “Damn… even the knucklehead is getting some action!”

The pin-striped devil grunted when he was pulled on by Julianne, who softly reminded, “Now, now, Sebastion. This is supposed to be our date~!”

“Oh, c’mon. You wanted a tour of Hammerfall, yeah? That means the adult district, too! I don't want to miss this chance since we’re likely leaving this place soon! And, lovely ladies aside, there's probably all kinds of bets on the match underway and I want to chip in-ack! Hey! E-Easy with the squeezing!”

“Ehh? Oh, my apologies!” She released his arm, apparently unaware of her tightly she gripped the demon.

“Erm… everything okay, Jules?” Seb asked with genuine concern. “You seemed spaced out.”
As always, the rosy-haired nun wore a pleasant smile and reassured, “I’m fine. I just don’t want to waste what little time we have together on blackjacks and hookers. May we instead head inside for a drink? I’m quite parched.”

Seb remained suspicious but shrugged it off and guided his date towards the other food establishment that was more geared towards the local families.

Unbeknownst to the gambling demi, Julianne intentionally kept her distance. Not so much from the adult section, despite her evident distaste for it. But the hounds that tried to shadow them in secret. At first, she'd wondered whether they were Brutus Grimmwald's Grimm...until realization dawned on the nun.

As the couple entered the establishment, Julianne cast her outstretched smile toward the rooftops. A pair of feminine silhouettes ducked down almost impossibly fast, which made her titter.

“What the hell!” whispered Bellatrix Primadonna as she hid behind a perch, shuddering. “She looked straight at us! Whatever this nun really is, she’s got razor-sharp reflexes, I must confess.”

Atalanta nodded slowly at her side, also hidden on a rooftop so high it overlooked the entirety of Hammerfall. “When I met the founder of the reaper order, Carnifex Grayscale, he claimed one of our own was closer than I initially believed. I can't see Julianne's aura, but I suspect she’s hiding it..!”

The bemused she-devil mused, “So then you’re certain? That the cheery nun is actually an avatar of death…?”

When the reaper demi nodded, the scarlet-skinned succubus scoffed. “At this point, I’m not even surprised. It's been nothing but misfortunes and bad luck on our side. But at least she’s not doing anything actively hostile…”

Atalanta narrowed her icy gray eyes. “…yet.”

Bellatrix patted her shoulder. “Look, as long as Seb is by her side, I doubt she’ll make a move. Not unlike Arron.” She motioned at the match underway.

“Guess it's useless to track her,” the death angel said with a sigh. “Somehow, she's able to sense and evade my hounds constantly.” Atalanta mentally recalled her shadowy canine familiars (save for one guarding the UFO), vanishing into the darkness of back alleys.

Bellatrix mused, “From what Ana has told me, Julianne liked to punish her nuns with bondage in some underground torture dungeon below her chapel. I could always call on my Onoma, Gehenna. Keep 'Miss Mother Superior' chained up while you interrogate her at your leisure...”

“As fitting and tempting as that may be, probably not a wise idea for many reasons,” soured Atalanta.

“I tease, of course. Let her keep her secrets…” A mischievous grin spread her lips, spaded tail wagging excitedly. “… We’ll just have to save the chains for Zeloph the next time we romp~.”

This made Atalanta titter a bit. “Oooh, trust me. Now that I’m alive and well, I’m not letting him leave my sights ever again. I’d let this storm tear the multiverse asunder before I’m parted from my beloved. Especially when I need to be mounted…”

Sensing a small invitation, Bellatrix shuffled behind the reaper and ran her hands over her exposed stomach, gliding them over to cup each of her small breasts. Earning a short gasp and shudder as Atalanta leaned deep into her companion’s plush breasts. “Mmm. Y’know we’re brood mates now, right?” She asked in a succulent tone. “We both carry Zell’s progeny and, therefore, share equal rights to his cock. But we also have to look out for each other.”

“Haahh… Yes,” moaned the reaper angel, sensitive nubs hardening under black talons, which pinched and twisted between her fingers. “I-If all goes well, we’ll be responsible for all three great divides. Above… below… and in between!”

Bella cooed into her ear, her tail entertwined with hers. “I, as queen of hell. With Alma by my side and a child to inherit my reign. You, beautiful goddess of death, to govern and deliver wayward souls to their eternal resting grounds. And dear Zeloph, now Aether King. He’ll likely remake heaven to provide healing and sanctuary to those in need.” The she-devil mewled with anticipation. “Just imagining life after this dreadful war fills me with great determination and joy.”

“A-Aahh… I sense something else is filling our minds with these desirable outcomes,” murmured Atalanta, noting how Bella molested her tiny tits before reaching into her bottoms to stroke her aching loins. Not that she did anything to stop her… “Never would I consider opening myself like this to anyone but Zeloph. And yet… I find myself disturbingly intrigued with the idea of open fornication. Combine this and my revelations with Julianne; something awful is happening.”

“Truly,” exhaled Bellatrix, who pulled her partner around to face her properly. “For only something so terrible and out of left field can feel this fucking good~!”

Despite their awareness of the situation, the two anti-heroines rationale was overridden by their body’s baser instincts, which drove them to make out and grind themselves on the rooftop.

The lustful atmosphere wasn’t lost on them, as after Moonlight had finished watching the wrestlers, her hips were seized once more by Dion, who plunged his cock back into her cunt. Her breasts bounced while he took her roughly, heedless of how the thestral was bent over halfway out the house and anyone that passed could see them copulate. In fact, it only made her wetter and she constricted harder around the ram while she shamelessly moaned her brains out and her cheeks were clapped and slapped by the dominant ram stud.

“Nnaagh! Too bad Ah couldn't have a match wit Arron,” noted Dion while he rutted her with renewed fierceness.

Moonie craned her neck to meet him with sultry eyes while he clapped the mare's toned cheeks, her tail pulled by one of his fists. “Pft! And miss this? Six-unf-potential ladies to breed raw?”

“Aye, good point,” he said with a grin and delivered another sharp spank to her ass, which rippled once she cooed in appreciation, the slits on her upper back exposed since she had put away her prosthetics. She narrowed her eyes and teased him with a sly taunt. “That's the best you can do, since you can't match the chief's awesome size~?”

“Oh, A'll show ye chief size!”

The burly warrior playfully spread one of her buttcheeks, spat on her butthole, and thumbed it. Then, Dion redoubled his efforts to lay into her, her face split wider in a smile. She moaned, "Yeaaah! That's it, stud! Tear that pussy up~!

By the time the last round ended, Creamy and Milky pouted, unable to overcome Arron, who nonetheless congratulated their resilience and determination. Redum provided him with a trophy, which he raised aloft with a bellow, and even Julianne stopped to clap for the champion softly.

However, Moonie found little time to focus on that and was tossed back onto the bed. She found herself straddled on Moon Hammer, who sank into her stretched and creamed cunt, while Dion lubed up her asshole some more before he drove back in, the bat mare sandwiched between the manly studs.

Marathyssa also went to all fours and slid her ample, expanded ass into Moonie's face, which the thestral started to knead, kiss, lick, and suck, the protoquen's pussy and butthole a nice meal for the famished bat mare.

The ex-cadet perspired and mewled, her mane and tail pulled and soaked. She'd demanded the dirtiest, filthiest sex possible, and they provided until she was an exhausted, well-used mess.
Then, she cuddled between the nude, sweaty forms of Strawberry and Blue Moon, who also dripped cum from their well-used, stretched orifices. Dion cuddled with his own wives, while Marathyssa draped herself over Moon Hammer, all of the lovers contented.

*****

While everyone in the ville was occupied with the festivities, Shining Armor was allowed limited freedom to traverse Hammerfall, due to Marathyssa's deal with Moon Hammer. The fallen paladin couldn't stray too far from his handlers, not that he could move fast with his prosthetic leg he struggled to adjust to, but the stallion had come close enough to see Moonlight halfway out the window when she was railed into a stupefied mess.

An ambivalent mixture of emotions immediately hit him. Lust, from the expression on her afire face, the bounce and sway of her bare breasts. Guilt and shame of how he'd used and abused then discarded her, after she'd been so loyal and admired her teacher.

He slipped away from his watchers. Just for a moment, to be alone. He knew it was a foolish risk. But he'd simply claim he needed to take a leak in private when he took care of business!
Which was half true. With the ex-cadet still in his mind when he vanished into a back alley, Shining looked around to make sure he was alone, whipped out his dark cock, and started to masturbate furiously. “Just...need a minute or two,” he wheezed and fantasized about all kinds of beauties.

His eyes closed to help him visualize the mares he lusted after better. He took little notice of how the temperature momentarily fell around him, and put it down to a breeze that rolled through, nor did he notice the thin miasma that rolled about the area. Wet lips suddenly wrapped around the head of his cock.

His eyes shot open. “B...Beatrix?!” The witch knelt before him, her leotard banished to put her body on full display, her mane in twintails when she wetly popped her mouth off his slick dick.

She rubbed his shaft on her cheek and smeared his precum into her skin and fur, her eyes half-lidded. “Mmm~. Hello there, ‘daddy.’ Swear to take care of my friends and family, be loyal, and I'll be yours!” She swayed her boobs at him.

“Th-this is so fast...oh~!” She pushed his hands away to fully take him into her throat, bobbed her head up and down, noisily and messily sucked him off without shame as her pussy winked and dripped onto the earth. With a low hiss, he seized her unicorn horn and fiercely bucked her face, fully lost to his lust.

She was the daughter of another Shining Armor from some distant, alternate dimension. Yet that simply made him more excited, spurred him to release her horn and instead pull on her pigtails when he continued to stretch and hammer her throat, his testicles soon swathed in her warm slobber.

“Glk! Glk! Glk!” She all but choked around his fat horsecock and precum when he hammered her face, fully aware she could handle the abuse.

Lost in a rut mania by the eerie mists, since with Marathyssa away, Shining Armor had no one to fulfill his needs. He removed himself, lifted Beatrix up by her ass, then shoved his dick into her moist twat. She crossed her limbs behind him, whorishly moaned as her bubbly backside smacked into the alley wall.

The paladin felt her heavy titties squashed into his barrel chest, prodded by her perky wide nipples, and remained blissfully unaware he was lost in a dream spurred on by his observers.
From the eyes of a tiny insect, a changeling-eldritch abomination hybrid, Vox was able to spy on Hammerfall to a limited extent despite miles upon miles of distance between the town and his army. To pull this off, he needed to stand stationary, allowing temporary freedom for his enslaved King Sombra.

Even a minuscule changeling could be sensed by Deinos or Marathyssa, were they to end up too close. Not to mention, he had no idea what kind of devastation the downed U.F.O. could potentially unleash! Perhaps it harbored all kinds of advanced weaponry or even an entire armada ready to attack...

“Primitive fools,” snickered the parasite attached in the tyrant’s mouth, his forces stationed more to the north of the continent. With the Cult of the Nemesis's aid, they let the mists roll in at small intervals, yet took care to keep most of Hammerfall unalerted. Anyone touched and thus intoxicated by the mists proved more vulnerable to the depraved, almost psychedelic influence of Lady She'ba, their base lusts stirred.

By the time the fallen paladin spilled his seed, he had snapped back awake and rubbed his mane with a harsh blush when his minotaur handlers found him and stared him down. 'Beatrix' was nowhere to be found. They shoved him back into town while he lamely explained his need to bust a nut.

“So concerned with unwarranted self-importance, they neglect the unseen invader slipping right through them. Right… Sombra?”

Vox allowed his host’s ability to speak freely, and the unamused dark sorcerer rebutted, “Do not compare me with that pathetic whelp, bug! He willingly threw away control, whereas I was robbed! The moment I can move on my own, I will tear you out and crush you before the—” Sombra frigates and painfully yowls as the pallid louse takes back control. Every attempt to resist makes the stallion woozy and weaker.

“Struggling is futile,” said Vox. “Time is but a meaningless measurement in the grand scheme of things. It won’t be long until I’ve fully linked with White Shadow Penumbra’s body and mind. Then you’ll both be nothing more than agitated memories of who you once were. Still, I do like this half-baked plan of yours. If only to see it come to fruition and fuel the burning hatred that lives inside Fiery Kickstart.” The tongue louse chittered with giddy as he used the possessed stallion’s hand to motion forth a pair of reanimated corpses that stumbled over towards the enchanted suits of armor that flanked his sides. “Yes… I believe these two will be the catalyst that’ll push him over the edge. Speaking of which, let us see what our ‘Supreme Commander’ is plotting.” Vox shifted his psionic vision to another Mi-Go spy, who was tracking Fiery Kickstart's movements across the wilderness.

As he anticipated, the army was headed towards the hidden breeding camp. A pitstop before their return to the Crystal Empire. They would stop to make camp on occasion, Fiery unaware that Panna and Chezka had abandoned him. Instead, the shirtless and fire-scarred Supreme Commander practiced his swordsmanship and Onoma in private amidst a clearing. The schematics stolen from Hammerfall were kept in rolled-up scrolls not far away as his blade arced in a blaze of fire with each well-practiced swipe.
The mustard pegasus also kept what scraps of damaged or lost minotaur technology he could with the scrolls, most of his engineers safely back in the Crystal Empire or the breeding camp. Once he met up with them, they could uncover their secrets and start to reverse-engineer them for his use!

The knowledge of his potential triumph made his inferno burn brighter, carefully controlled under his precise movements. Fiery stroked his burn-scarred hand to the equally marked half of his face and proclaimed in a murmur, “The pyres of war obey me. I am the master! I will not be consumed by them again!”

“Bold to assume you had any form of control to begin with,” commented Vox. “Nonetheless, the very fire you wield shall beacon the swarm!”
He could potentially march far south and ambush them now, but he must remain on course for the breeding camp. Chrysalis’ orders were to seize it so that they could fill their ranks much faster than ever!

Of course, to reach the hidden land, they would have to march through the most dangerous, unstable portion of the continent. Where the all-but-extinct Amazon tribe once called home...
Sombra's spy searched further. Some of the stallions drank, played cards, slept, trained, or were on watch, but whenever he listened in he picked up little of interest, since most of what they chatted about was already known to him. He then spotted a lone bat mare in the camp, his curiosity piqued.

He drew on Penumbra's memories. “Ahh. Autumn Equinox. How the mighty have fallen.” She'd hidden herself in a tent where old weapons, armor, and equipment were stored, tearing off the scanty two-piece maid costume and fixing her Mohawk-style mane. Behind a junk pile, the muscular bat mare curled up naked into a ball and claimed some fitful shut-eye, her muscled buttcheek branded by Fiery's burnt on handprint.

“Goddamned bastard,” she muttered to herself, half-awake. Her one eye shot open when she heard a rustle of metal and reached for her fishhook gauntlet. Mere inches away it waited, only for a boot to stamp her hand. “Fuck! Who fucking dares—” She glared up at the stallion that smirked down at her, surrounded by several more like him.

“Fiery insisted you remain in uniform, lieutenant,” he chortled. “Told us to take full reins of your punishment if you ever tried taking it off~.”
“Filthy bastard scum! I’ll kill you if you try to—ughagh!!”

Equinox was on her feet swifter than anticipated, wrenched her hand free from under his boot, and elbowed his snout. Bone crunched, and hot blood splashed her arm. He crumpled with a whimper while she kneed another stallion in the balls and grinned at the satisfying crunch that met her ears.

Unfortunately, even with them unarmed and unarmored, there were far too many of them. She managed to cripple a couple more with punches, kicks, and bites before she was slammed into the junk pile, the wind partially knocked from her under his weight. She hissed once an arm was wrenched behind her back, and a ravenous hand clutched around her branded buttock, which the stallion kneaded like she was his toy.

“Stubborn cunt. You outta remember your place,” he barked, slapping her branded ass cheek, making her seeth with pain.

“Narrggh! It’ll take more than a train of limpdick faggots to break me-ack!” Her words were cut off when one of them dumped the contents of a bottle into her mouth, which she accidentally swallowed before she spat out the rest. All the while, more hands felt her up all over, breasts grabbed and tugged on from the circle of stallions around her.

From how her core burned, her nipples painfully stiffened to fullness before her eye, and her pussylips started to swell while they dripped her lust and winked, she knew it must be some sort of concoction to induce estrus, often used by Fiery's men to keep more resistant mares in line and make them submit.

Glazed eye, dulled brain, how her anus puckered and her leather plume spread, her muscles relaxed, and her face flushed as she was rendered submissive and breedable…she momentarily panicked with a skip of her heart, then reminded herself these potions were only temporary. She hoped. Until then, she'd simply have to ride it out, the first cock pushed deep into her split cunt with a wet squish.

“All that talk, and yet you're so hot and tight for me,” the stallion taunted, humping his hips into hers. “Just admit it: you want to be used like a cheap cum dumpster~! That's why you came!”

“Fuck you,” she murmured, shaken each time he pounded into her.

“Way ahead of you, bitch!” More laughter surrounded Equinox as her body betrayed her, submissive to them by drug-induced lust. She was partially pulled onto a side so that another grunt could push into her rectum. Yet even in her compromised state, none had the courage to force themselves on her mouth and instead contented themselves as they fondled their bitch and rubbed their wet cocks all over her.

“Don't ruin this for me! Tighten up that asshole,” another mocked, who slapped her branded ass with a loud crack.

“C’mon, open wide,” declared another, who blew his load across her face, tits, and belly. “This is how all mares should serve on the battlefield. Comforting the boys as our personal pocket pussies!”

Once more, when they emptied themselves in and on her and the stallions switched out, Equinox silently swore to kill them all someday. She’s suffered worse. This was only a temporary setback that she could come back from, no problem. She was a survivor. She would adapt. Like usual.

Nonetheless, Equinox coughed and choked on another load shot into her mouth, the dick aimed at her lips. She snapped out, bit the presented cock, and made him yank back with a yelp. Some of them laughed, while another punched her in the gut and made her vomit up more spunk across her tits.

They redoubled their efforts to gangbang her into complete submission, determined to break her spirit before they wore her out. Nonetheless, she persevered and refused to surrender despite their violent treatment while they fucked her.
Hours later, when they were done and exhausted, she was covered in a number of bites, bruises, and cuts, her stretched lower holes left to gape wide open and drool out their cum.

“Wusses,” she declared and mustered what dignity she could, tempted to murder them while they slept. But then she'd be worse off than ever, branded a traitor and hunted since she couldn't exactly claim self-defense at that point.
Especially since she reasoned Fiery likely sent them, wanting to teach Equinox her place in his order after refusing to hand her trump card over so easily. She continued to keep the hyper-stallion sample hidden from him.

She slipped out into the camp and found a small river that cut across nearby to cleanse the humiliation and semen staining her, muscles sore and tender. “Shit. How many times did the fuckers cum in me? Glad Viscera made sure I can't be knocked up!” It seemed only because of that villainous vulture that she'd made it this far. Quietly, she bathed and tried not to shed a sole tear.

Amused by what he'd seen, Vox allowed Sombra some control once more, so he could focus on sapping the body of its essence for nutrients. The tyrant shuddered and snarled with fury, feeling that little parasite weakening his flesh, veins bulging as his heart worked harder to pump more royal blood to keep his body circulated while the spokesman taxed his borrowed arteries.

At least he could barely feel the presence of White Shadow Penumbra anymore. This body's original owner was pushed down into the depths of his soul. With a wave of his scimitar, he commanded his nearby subjects to adorn themselves in suits of armor before joining the march.

They fell into step behind his army, filled by the ranks of changelings, cultists, and beast-like chimera/manticore hybrids he borrowed from Queen Chrysalis that were usually used in the hive's arena. They didn't have to travel far across the thick forests before they ran into the troupe of whores, also headed to the breeding camp.

The hood of her cloak cast back, Tree Hugger bowed. “Salutations, dude. I knew if the girls and I hurried, we'd like to be able to catch up with you. Your men must be totally tired. Why not, like, let us serve you?” She undid the front of her cloak and allowed it to drape down to her feet, her nude body revealed.

Sombra reflexively licked his chops, despite Vox's attempts to retain total control. His body seemed to move on its own until he was upon the lead prostitute, his cock shoved into her cunt with the squish of a split wide open slit.

His army followed his lead, changelings driven to breed fertile mares by baser instincts, while the cult indulged in lust and depravity to further empower their so-called greater goddess. Worshiping her name with their bodies, sating themselves on whores whose wombs were infected by the parasitic larvae.

The troupe of prostitutes serviced them, the woods soon a sea of nude flesh. They were mounted by men, monsters, and beasts alike, subsumed and subservient like the cult in blind devotion to their ‘Lord of the Woods.’

Sombra tried not to think about the dark forces he trifled with, the potential costs, as he'd long dove into the forbidden arts. It's how he'd risen from mere warlock to untouchable emperor!
While the possessed hippie writhed and mewled, impaled on his horsecock, Vox pulled his attention once more to another discovery, which one of his hybrid insect spies made in Hammerfall. With one hand cupped around Tree's ample ass, another around a tit while the loose one bounced and swayed as he screwed her, his narrowed eyes shared what the spy saw. A familiar charcoal mare with hot pink hair in a dancer's costume far too small for her.

“Cerise?! How is that possible? She should be—wait...” He drew on more of Penumbra's memories, only to groan at both the pleasure and recognition. “This is her alternate self. Eclipsed Heart! Barely an adult, and she’s even plusher than my future queen! How fortuitous!”

Tree squealed when she came wet and warm around his dick, which began pummeling her pulverized pussy at a brisk tempo. “Y-Yeesh, man! Y’know, it’s, like, really rude to be fantasizing about another babe when you’re already balls deep inside—gaagh!?”

“I must have her,” he declared, his iron hold around the prostitute's neck to shut her up and felt her wet cunt tighten more as he choked the bitch out. He could feel Vox attempt to resist his own will before he even started to announce, “We'll split the army! One part will continue on to the camp, while another makes its way back to Hammerfall! She will be mine!”

He bellowed out his assured, imminent victory, his seed fired spunk deep into the unconscious whore's core amidst a triumphant roar.

*****

Back in Hammerfall, its chieftain remained restless. Before he returned to recreation, Moon Hammer called in an informal meeting with anyone available in his home. His messengers collected everyone they could, which they poured into the living room. Tables were pushed together, and a series of maps, some made by his own hands and his spies, were splayed across the surface. From the patchwork, he attempted to stitch a rough estimate of enemy territories. Unfortunately, that proved most of the lands that had been partially tamed by the Crystal Empire.

“That's our best estimate so far,” explained the head minotaur. His eyes scanned the attendees: Midnight, Moonlight, Arcanum Folklore, Bloody Merry, two of his spies Creamy and Milky, who had delivered much of the pooled information, Iclyn, Dion, Brutus Grimmwald, Atalanta, Bellatrix, and finally Beatrix, who arrived late due to changing back into her usual attire and fixing her hair out of the pigtails. “We've narrowed the areas down to—”

“That’s not enough,” the burly ram butted in, drumming at his portion of the rumpled map. “A’m sorry, lad, but we’re at a severe disadvantage if this is all we can cover wit'out alertin' either enemy!”

“When have we ever had a real advantage?” Countered Bellatrix. “This isn’t far from the usual situations we faced.”

“Yeah, there’s gotta be something we can do with this!” Added Midnight, desperate to form any sort of to help rescue his stolen wife and brother-in-law.

On occasion, the quadruplet maids would provide them refreshments, alongside Marathyssa, still disguised as a crystal mare maid since most of Hammerfall wasn't ready to accept a protoquen that freely moved about.

While Creamy and Milky left to help the quadruplets and Marathyssa prepare snacks and drinks for the impromptu war council, a skeptical Iclyn mused, “This assumes that the camp Fiery has men guarding is real-”

“We have every reason to believe it is,” came a firm voice from the door.

Several of them reached for weapons, but Moon Hammer rose and shook his head. “Chezka. Panna. Come in.”

Moonlight spoke up. “Are you sure? They may not prove trustworthy. They've already spied on us once-”

“I'll take that risk,” the chief replied. “After all, the Amazons helped make this possible.”

“Too right about that,” said Arcanum sarcastically. “They backed the wrong horse and helped bring this Equestria to the brink of self-extinction! All because of some outdated Amazonian code of honor!”

Merry touched his arm and reminded, “Oi, ease off, mate! They also helped me find me footing around here. Plus, I’ve got a good feeling they want out of their commander’s literal reign of fire. Let’s give 'em’ an ear…”

Snorting at the Amazons, Arcanum's posture nonetheless relaxed, and he holstered his pistol in his coat.

Panna returned a clipped smile. “Thank you. Yes, that is very much the case. We wish to help end this terrible war.” The two of them arrived bare-chested and unarmed, numerous scrolls carried in their arms, which they unraveled. From it, even more movements of Fiery's armies were revealed, and with them, potential changeling hives.

“Whoa! This is the motherload,” announced Beatrix with wide eyes, and Merry nodded alongside her, also impressed by what they'd been able to put together under Fiery's nose.

“They could be fakes,” added Iclyn dubiously. “Or a trap Fiery will close around us.”

“Could be. But we may have tae chance it,” said Dion, who poured over the maps with the others, and smiled to one of his wives when the nude half-succubi mares offered him a fresh cup of coffee.

Brutus shook his head. “Now is not the time to take needless risks. Still, this is very valuable information, especially given the limited resources at our disposal.” His half-masked face turned to the pair when he asked, “Tell me. You’ve seen the heinous cruelty Fiery Kickstart and his regime wrought upon Equestria. Why abandon him now?”

“Because… we were foolish to believe that we could nurture the trauma war has inflicted on his psyche,” admitted Panna.

“So… literally playing with fire,” Atalanta scoffed dryly. “Yeah, that’s pretty stupid on your part.”
“This was before he completely lost control.. and disgraced us.” Panna rubbed the nub of a horn on her forehead, the prosthetic built for her taken by their former master.

“Which is why we refuse to honor our code with someone who doesn't value us at all,” said Chezka more spitefully. “I was tempted to execute him, then and there! But much as I hate to admit it, I'm not sure I can take him now that he continues to master that odd elemental power of his. What did you call it? An-”

“Onoma. Arcane magic,” explained Brutus. “An ancient power unique to an individual. Normally, one has to be taught how to unlock their own. To think Fiery Kickstart managed to obtain his by himself… Yes, a most terrifying foe, indeed. It was probably derived from his own impassioned fanaticism.”

“Crazy and evil. Not too different from that Sovereign Witch you put a ring on,” spat Iclyn at him to remind Grimmwald of what he was responsible for. “What do you plan to do about Tatyana?”

“One problem at a time,” he answered, his head bowed while he leaned on his cane.
“We can't blame you for being doubtful. Our lives are in your hands,” said Panna. “After all, we've already deserted Fiery's army, who is on the move north. Should the breeding camp prove real, there's no way we could've continued to support him. Such an act of war is beyond our code.”

“Oh, but genocide isn't, though?” Moonlight stared them down from across the marked maps, her heated yellow eyes bored into the Amazonian pair. “Fiery almost wiped out Hammerfall and allowed thousands of women and children to be abducted by the Mi-Go-infected changelings!”

Chezka snapped back. “That was his tactical decision! We had no idea he'd take it that far!”

“It's fine,” cut in Merry. “What's done is done. Believe me, Arcanum and I have often dirtied our hands on a number of missions. But we've always avoided any civilian casualties!”

“Yeah. I still remember the last battle we fought in,” muttered Arcanum to himself when his mind flashed back to the bloodied battlefield. The day when he'd appeared to lose his old partner amidst a hail of bullets. “Bright as day…”

“Not gonna be much day left if we don’t form a sound strategy,” Bellatrix reasoned. “There is still Omen and the Cult of the Nemesis to thwart. Along with the eldritch goddess of fertility they worship.”

“Shub’Niggurath…”

Beatrix murmured as her hand touched her belly, feeling the Demiurge squirm in her uterus at the mention of the deity’s name. It was a reminder that she needed to find a way to remove it soon...before it permanently attached and altered her down to the core.

What would she look like then? A devil. Grotesque monstress? Or...

She snapped back to reality when another debate broke out. “Precisely why we need to board the ship and leave this doomed world behind,” demanded Iclyn. “Before it collapses in on itself…”

“It's not that simple,” reminded Moon Hammer sharply. “Hammerfall is my home. No—much more than that. My people hold the land itself as sacred. I won’t abandon it. Surely, you can understand that?”

“Tch!” Iclyn folded her arms, reminded of her own tribe..and of Omen's terrible influence.

Dion grimaced. “Tis’ a land ov peace an' prosperity. Much like th' Isles ov Parras, where my father an' sister reside...”

“Yes! Where we should be,” the deighdyr insisted. “Remember, the Legion of Black Roses is about to invade! Omen's using this sideshow to keep us distracted and off balance! We should cut our losses!”

“And forsake my wife and stepbrother to their fates!? Absolutely no way in hell!” Midnight fumed, a strong gale blowing through the residence in response to his emotions. He stomped over and then pointed at one of the known entrances to a hive. “We should rally, storm this area, and rescue them!”

Brutus rested his hands atop his cane and nodded. “I second the boy. Omen seeks to divide and conquer our forces, but with a united attack, we may be able to turn the tables on his plan.”

“Plus, it’ll give Zeloph and the ship more time to recover before we can even depart for the Lost World,” added Atalanta.

“Better to follow Fiery first and see what he's up to,” countered Arcanum. “Can't afford to end up trapped between the changelings and the Crystal Empire, nor this doomsday cult! At this point, it’ll take all our forces to deal with this mess!”

Merry nodded at his side. “I trust his instincts. I...couldn't leave, even if it meant I'd be safe! The people here took me in and looked after me! I-I want to return the favor!”

“Aye,” Dion agreed. “A true warrior never leaves th' weak defenseless. It does seem like th' most optimal strategy fur our survival...”

Iclyn’s cyromancy manifested with her anger. “At the cost of your own family and homeland? Are you fucking for real right now, Dion?!”

“No!! Th-that’s not what Ah meant! Ah have tae return home. Mah people need me!”

Midnight clenched his fists and fluffed up his plume. “But Cerise...Penumbra… They need us, too!” Again, he tried not to think about what happened to the pair of them. What they doubtlessly endured, even now.

“She's a spitfire of a lass deep down,” reminded Dion, who squeezed his student's shoulder. “ Have faith she'll be able to hold out for us. And I know Penny won't ever surrender!”

“Yeah.” He forced a smile back at the ram despite their shared doubts.

Beatrix stayed silent, troubled by the loss of their friends. Was she responsible for this disaster, too? Could she live with herself, were they to end up permanently scarred...or worse...?

Her attention snapped to Arcanum when he plunged his Kurdish Dagger into a marked spot on the map to shut up the arguments around him. “Oi! Take a look at this!” His finger traced across the hive entrances all over the maps. “I’ve been staring at these maps for a while. And maybe the fatigue is finally getting to me, but… doesn’t it look like all these spots are connected?”

Merry quickly scanned the sheets, and her brows furrowed. “… Oh fucking hell, I think you're onto something! That could mean not only are all the hives interconnected, but we could have a swarm of them deep under Hammerfall as we speak!”

“We'd better keep this quiet then,” noted the chief. “I don't want to worry my people more.”

Ultimately, they came to the best consensus the attendees could. Moon Hammer would commit a small army to help a party track the movements of Fiery Kickstart, while the rest would stay behind to protect Hammerfall until Zeloph and the U.F.O. rested enough to make the trip to Tir Nan Spiorad.

Lost in the moment, Beatrix spaced out once more and stared at a window...then did a double-take when a curvy figure with long wooly hair and curved horns passed by.

The witch suddenly shot up and rushed out the door, disregarding the voices of concern behind her and shoving the minotaurs aside. Her violet eyes shrank as she watched her lover vanish into the misty woods. “Oona..?!”

As Beatrix ran out of the ville, Iclyn yelled, “Beatrix! For fuck’s sake, what the hell are you—”
The cyan doe left the premises and rushed to follow the witch, much to the confusion of their entourage.

However, as they got closer to the woods, the miasma grew heavy and dense, and Beatrix's silhouette vanished into the mists. Icyln cursed and darted around to follow her, uncertain what direction she vanished.

*****

Enveloped in fog, Beatrix chased after the wandering silhouette of the dream shamaness, head racing with second thoughts. Questioning whether this was another hallucination brought by Omen’s Onoma. Yet, no matter where she turned, Hammerfall had seemingly vanished as the landscape shifted around her. Outstretched elder oak trees, bare of any botanical life, surrounded and obscured her path. Branches reaching towards the empty sky, which were mired by precipitation.

She questioned whether this was another dream brought on by Omen and resigned herself to march forward, deeper into the outstretched woods that made up the landscape. However, her focus honed in on the apparition of Lady Ewe, standing before the bed of a large clear lake, the moon’s reflection shimmering the surface.

Beatrix approached the maternal sheep she loved crestfallen, aware that she might be angry with her due to the circumstances that forced the witch to abandon her momentarily. “Oona… I-I’m so sorry if I’ve done you wrong,” she told her, tears welling up the corners of her eyes. “I swore to Middy and Cerise I'd help them. I couldn’t simply abandon them! But, in the process, I abandoned you to suffer in Omen’s madness alone. And… I’m sorry. I love you, Oona, I really do! Please find it in your heart to forgive me…”
Oona didn’t offer any sort of response to the violet mare’s earnest apology. Her head lifted towards where the moon in the lake apparently lay in the black veil above… and she began to hum an eerie tune. “O-Oona..?”

While Beatrix slowly got closer, she noticed that not a single layer of clothing adorned her, her large plush posterior visible in the darkness. Before she could reach out, Oona walked into the lake before slowly submerging herself into the moonlit waters.

Beatrix hastily ran right as the sheep woman disappeared, crying out, “Oona?!” A heavy silence hung in the evening air, save for the mare’s own hysterical breathing.

That’s when she noticed specks of darkness and ash coming off the flowers and trees around her. Her eyes drifted to the reflecting moon, a dark shadow steadily creeping across its surface before fully consuming it… where it then became blood red.

Its malevolent glow bled into the landscape, and the waters darkened with red essence, causing Beatrix to step back before she even thought to dive after her beloved. Thunder rumbled above, flashes of violent crimson bolts fracturing the bleak horizon.

Then, from the murky depths, the chubby, voluptuous caprine reemerged, her silver wool and nude body painted in blood, dripping off into the lake that she levitated over.

Beatrix stumbled back when her lover floated towards her; violet eyes met with fiendish moderate red orbs with horizontal pupils, a strange green bleeding out the iris. A third eye opened above the valley of her mountainous breasts, and thorny vines with monstrous maws sprouted to wrap around her limbs and assets. A wide, motherly grin stretches her features.

“N-No… y-you’re not Oona..!” The witch realized too late.

“No,” confirmed the entity wearing her lover’s face. “At least, not yet~.”

Beatrix nervously stood her ground, sucking in a heavy breath. “You’re the one who brought back Cult of the Nemesis! The one Omen answers to! The Ebony Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young!” Shub’Niggurath tittered with amusement and murmured in a low, husky rasp. “Please… call me Lady She’ba.”

The unicorn mare backed up when the satyress touched down on the distorting grassy ground, blood continuing to tinkle down her succulent contours, her heavy breasts heaved with each breath.

“Why are you here?” The witch demanded. “Come to admire your handiwork?”

“Like what A’ve done wit this place?” The eldritch goddess mused mockingly. “Ah plan on doin' th' whole multiverse this way~! But no, A’m actually here tae converse wit ye. Omen said that ye would arrive at Tir Nad Spiorad befur Walpurgisnacht commenced. But ye were takin' so long… an' Ah grew too impatient~.”

Beatrix scoffed. “If you think I’m just going to kneel over while you ruin every universe, you have another thing coming—”

A sudden surge of pain rushed into her head, causing her to collapse onto her knees while she screamed with agony. Her mind assaulted with vivid, constantly distorting images of unforeseen things and abominations too abstract for her simple mind to comprehend.

She was then hoisted into the air by an invisible force as Lady She’ba shook her head. “Yes, A’ve heard much ov yer inflated sense ov self-importance. Tae a thing like me, think ov how ye'd feel if a bacterium sat at yer table an' decided tae be snarky.”

Beatrix clenched when She’ba drew her closer, her leering gaze boring into the unicorn’s frightened eyes. “Befur there was time, there was nothing,” she continued. “An' befur nothing, there were monsters. Monsters who knew only four things. Kill. Consume. Breed. Adapt. Thus began creation. Thus began me. Get th' picture yet? A’ve been around a lot longer than these fledgelin' universes ye so cherish tae protect. Ah…am… Old, Beatrix. Very old. So Ah indulge ye tae contemplate how insignificant Ah find you..!”
She released her psionic grasp, and Beatrix dropped back down to her knees, looking back at the ebony goat with a heated glare. This earned a delighted cackle from She’ba.

“Ye know, when most mortals realize they are in th' presence ov an Elder God, they immediately grovel an' worship mah hooves. But not you though. A’ve only used a grain ov power, an' yet, ye still have it in yer head that ye’ll somehow defeat me!” She laughed some more before sighing. “A’d keep you as a pet if ye weren’t th' bane tae existence itself.”

She took a step back, appalled. “Wh-what? No! I-I’m not—”

“Yes. Ye are,” She’ba rebutted. “Due to yer connections tae th' Necronomicon, th' Prima Materia, an' th' Demiurge, th' fate ov th' multiverse has become entangled tae you. Because of yer constant interference an' tamperin' wit forces far greater than yer understandin'. Honestly, dear… how could it not be you? Yer blunders are what made all ov this possible~.”

“No, it can’t be! Omen! He’s—”

“Th' catalyst ov yer shortcomin's an' failure tae grasp th' full value ov another’s life,” the goat woman continued to belittle. “Ah haven’t figured out what ye did to deserve his ire, but he would not have taken this path if not for you. Ah am very grateful ye’ve brought me such a loyal servant. One who will help me unravel this tangled world an' make it anew~.”

Her vines seized the witchy unicorn and pulled her in close, pressing her into her bloodied bosom for morbid comfort. She stroked the mare’s head while she wriggled to break free. “Ye can be part ov that world, too. This doesn’t need tae end badly fur ye, mah little lamb. Give unto me, yer shepherd. Love me, let me in… and become one with Shub’Niggurath~!!”

“N-No… N-Never!!”

She’ba tsked at the struggling spellcaster. “Still determined tae play th' darin' heroine? Stop th' big bad villain, save th' multiverse, an' make amends? As if what was put in motion from ancient times could be halted on a childish whim! Yer hesitation tae commit has cost you even th' slimmest chance at victory.”

She cupped Beatrix’s face and forced her to meet her eyes when she spoke to her about the reality the witch refused to believe in.
“Ye’re too late, sweetin'. Omen an' I have already won.”

Beatrix sputtered, “You’re lying! That's a load of absolute horsecrap!”

She’ba arched an eyebrow with bemusement. “Is it now? E'erythin' is comin' tae an end. Allow me tae share wit you what is, an' fore'er will be, inevitable.”

The eldritch satyr pressed her thumbs into the unicorn's temple, and Beatrix's eyes widened, and her mouth fell open when her mind was flooded by apocalyptical premonitions. Visions of the nightmare stag erasing all of reality, the sobs of Oona’s anguish, the cries of Abadonna’s birth, under the blood moon’s radiance. A spiral of every universe she has known, the screams of terror warping around her ears. And then… nothingness.

Beatrix broke into hysterics, sobbing from the overwhelmed simulation.

“Do you feel it? Yer body singin' fur release? Fur surrender? Give in tae yer goddess an' she will bless ye wit a most bountiful gift. Th' return ov yer latent power. Yer immortality. An'… aaah~! Sae much more!” She'ba planted a kiss on the witch's lips, and her hands started to wander across Bea's ample curves, which she lazily kneaded.

“You can… do that?” Beatrix whimpered, shuddering at the alien sensations invading her lush curves and overactive libido.

A haughty smirk graces Shub’Niggurath’s mouth as it moved to her ear and says in a husky whisper, “I am the All-Mother. Nothing is beyond my capabilities! But there is something I want from you first…”

Beatrix released a loud gasp, which turned into a loud squeak when an elongated tongue slithered into her ear to wriggle and lap at her eardrum.
The goat’s molestation became more insistent, Beatrix’s tits and buttocks squished under her gropes. One of her tendrils poked and prodded her exposed marehood, causing her to shriek as the intruding vine wrestled its way into her neithers.

Her eyes dilated when she detected an alien-like shrill, staring at the bump in her belly that shifted and moved around, wrecking her body with pain and pleasure. She screamed as she felt something detach inside her womb before the tentacle pulled out, covered in mare cum and vaginal juices.

Within the toothy maw was the Demiurge, wriggling uselessly, screaming out for survival. Beatrix could do nothing but watch as the last remnant of her homeworld and power was snatched away… and killed with a sickening crunch. Its almond-shaped eyes dulled, and it ceased its struggle before sliding further into the vine as it swallowed its hole.

“There,” purred Shub’Niggurath, who tenderly squeezed her prey’s supple rump. “Now there won’t be any risk ov assimilation. Ye’re free ov that wretched thin'!”

A mournful expression contorted the violet mare. She knew she had to rid herself of it… “B-But… that wasn’t how I wanted to… h-huh?”

From the sea of trees, Beatrix spotted a few monstrous figures emerge. Large, masculine caprine creatures, maws full of sharp teeth and dripping slime. Where their eyes should have been, instead sprout large horns and branches. Their backs were nested with black tentacles that flailed about when they brayed.

“There is a ritual ye must undertake tae receive mah blessin',” elaborated She’ba, who spread apart the mare’s flanks to reveal her wet pussy and asshole. To draw her brood closer and entice them with a fresh morsel that would cater to their baser instincts. “One that requires yer womb unoccupied~.”

“W-What?! No, wait, I don’t want to be..!” But her eyes fell onto the beast's genitals, which throbbed with life and dripped with carnal purpose. Despite her protest, the mare’s fetish for otherworldly cock manifested, her pussy winking eagerly and salivating with feminine discharge. Her body made the answer for her.

Satisfied with her reaction, Lady She’ba beckoned her spawn in eldritch tongue. “Ĺ̶̠̤͕̮̰̮̦͈'̸̹̣̫͍͇͖̼̣̥̽͋̑͝͝͠ ̶̛̤̬̯̜̻̦̤͒̿͌̿͜ͅͅņ̴̭̪̣͇͖̋͒̒̏̒̈o̸͈̩͎͓̠͈̔̓̂͐͒̽̎͋̽̒͝g̴̢̩̳̓̆ ̶̢̫̖̘͕̲̣̟́́̍́̓͌͠͝ý̷̧̬͔̩̟̦̣͓̙̞́͌̒̋͜͜a̴̯͚̩̅́̂͂̎̿̀͘͜͜ͅ,̴̢̥̻̖̗̖́̾̏͑ ̵̠̻͍̰͚̪͈̣̞͇̪͋́͆͜y̸̢̯̺̝̑á̴̰̭̠͓̤̜͖̏͛̋̿̉͋̅͗̈́͊͘ ̷̢̩̙̠̫͇͎̟̻̩̔̽̋̈́́͛̀̒̐̉͠g̶̖͍̝̗͉̱̣͉̙̦̏ͅo̸̡͕̟͎̬̘̪̲̪̅f̴̧̺̹̗̺̖̻̤̱̦͔̂̅̃̉̇̃̃'̷̳̭͈̱̟͎̝̞̯̀̓̄͐̊̉̈̋̒͋͠n̸͇̋̋̒͊͒͠n̸͎̭̭̝̩͌̀̄̍̇!̵̡̧̜̬̫̮͎́͒̂ ̶̣̉͛͗M̴̧͖͇̤̪̫͚̒̀͋̄͝ͅģ̷̛̪̹̙̯̏̎̈̑͒́͘a̴̡̳͈̘͎͇͂̀̅̒̋ḧ̸͇̥͓͐'̷̭̼̯̬̺̯͓̤̆̅͂͑̽̕n̷͖͚̗͎͍̳̒͌͗͆̿̚͜'̵̝̙͔̗́̐̎g̸͈̗͔͓͉͉̳͓̞͈̯̓͊̄̅̽̈́̆ḩ̷̼̮͓̩̥̖̱͇̽̒͆̅̉̇̚̕͜͝f̴̘͖͖̯̙̝̩̾̀̓̂̊̀̏̃͐̚̕͝t̶̡̛̬̮͖͕̋̆̾́̈́̉̾̀̃͝ ̶̡̭̠͕̄͜f̷̺́̂̔͊͂̾̑͘͝å̷̗̭̝̠͍͝h̴͚̋͐̿̌̾͑̋͌͘f̴͇͓̫̭̱̼̯̈̄͆͑͜ ̴͓̀n̶͓̫̫̞͉̦̏̔́y̸̡̳̰̩̲̻͉̓̄̍͗͗̽̄͋͛͘͜͝͠ẗ̴̨̖̠̠̘̭͍͙̝̮̩́͐́͛̑̕͠ḩ̶̨̡̠͍̞͈̗̞̬͇̟̂̆̉͐̌̋͛̚'̶̡̥̬̰̲́̚d̷̰̼̼̭̮̫͇͂͜ŕ̸̰͍̞̭͕̀̇͗n̸̛̞̼̫͒̈́̆̈̃̀̃͝͠ ̸̧̧̢̨͇̰͖̦͇͈̦́̍̓̓̔͗̀̔͗̾́͠l̶̡̤͍̣̫̣̦͚̦̯̈́̃̾͂̑̚͝͠͝ͅl̸͎̘͈̼͕̫̥̦̙̞͍͋̉̈̈͋̊͊͘͜͠o̸̡̡̟̝̰̰͉̦͔̅͛̽̀̅̏͑͒͛͗͜i̸̝̇̀͂̓̀͗̏̈́͘̕g̶͕̭̠͉̅̀̔̀ȩ̴̡̬̬͖̬̣̲͙͙̽̆́͒̾͋̈́̊͜h̷̳̰̻̜͉̻̹͖͍̬̽͑͐̈͝ŷ̶̜̽̉͋͐̂̒̎͋́͘ě̷̲̄̅̂̎ ̸͓̤͈͎̲̔͒̈́́̇̉ö̵͚͙͙͙̱́̒̀͂͑̄̀͘ͅt̴̡̢̯͈͖͖̖̤̽͊̓̽̒́̆͊ ̴̨̙͉̙̮̣̘́̋̕͘u̷̢͕͈̝̘͈̩̜͓̼̟̓͐a̸̜̅̀͗͘a̵̢̹͔͉͉̲̹͈̎̿̌̓̀̀͒̉͗̉̔̕͜a̵̧̍̓͒͛h̵̨̜̯̭͚͔̮̬̪̖̻͌̀̂͛̒̆̓̾͘͜ģ̷̞̥̰̻̳́o̸͕̲̺̘̜͛͂̐̓̇̑̓̈́̌̀f̴̖̭̙͙̥̲͔̩̳̋͌̾'̴͚͕̿̎̎̎͗̈́͘ͅṅ̸̀͐͝ͅ~̷͎̖̭̯͕̉̔̄͑̅͊̍̌̕͝!̵̟͔̜̱̟̒̈́̀̀̇”

Still wracked by grief and stricken by doubt, Beatrix barely put up any resistance when she was pulled off her heeled boots by their rope-like appendages.

Greedy arms seized her, grasping at her mane and clothes, tearing them away. She heard the ripping of fabric, undressed from her leotard, when they lifted her up and moved in to take her. The witchy mare hardly had time to breathe as a pair of cocks stuffed into her cunt, one in her ass and one in her mouth. She went limp, batted between the Darkyung each time they thrust into her orifices.

She'ba swayed her wide hips on the way over to observe. “It was nice catchin' up wit ye. But A’ll leave ye tae think about mah offer.”

For a moment, a cock popped free of Beatrix's mouth to let her speak, attached to whoever took her by threads of spittle mixed with precum. “A-aauugh! Wait! Where are you...umph!” Her words were cut off when a dick that exited her mouth was forced back down her throat, her mane seized.

“A’ll be waitin' on th' Isle ov Parras,” She’ba replied; her sizable bosom swung when the ebony goat turned, and her plush buttocks undulated when she walked back into the sea of blood, looking over her shoulder. “We're all waitin'. So Ah suggest ye don’t take too long tae decide how ye want tae face th' End ov Days. Until then, do me a favor… and get pregnant~.”

With that said, Shub’Niggurath sunk back beneath the murky surface, leaving poor Beatrix alone to succumb to the insatiable lust of the Darkyung. The goat-like spawn of the All-Mother bleated and bawwed, hammering her overstretched holes more violently.

They mated with the mare without mercy, plunging their grotesque cocks deep into her womb, determined to seed it. She hoped that wasn't possible now that the Demiurge wasn’t tethered to the walls of her uterus. Especially when, with a bray and a final thrust, one of the beasts came inside her core. She shook, impaled on the four cocks that started to unload into her all at once until she dripped their hot seed.

Having her large titties sucked on while they worked her over, she clenched and came on the monstrosities, so lost in her nightmare she was unable to manage a simple magic spell. Instead, she was skewered between them, held up by the beastly shafts sunk into her slick, slippery depths.

In the midst of their climax, a cold snap swept across the woods. Animalistic heads were frozen, broken off, and shattered. Still impaled on the monstrous animals that went slack, their cocks popped free of Beatrix's entrances, which oozed spunk when she landed in the dirt with a yelp.

Iclyn's arms were crossed. “You idiot. Are you okay?” She offered her a hand.

Beatrix spat out a mouthful of cum to speak. “Y-yeah, I think so. Thanks...” She accepted her hand and wobbled to her feet, back in the middle of the woods not too far from Hammerfall.
The icy cervine eyed the monstrous caprines and questioned, “Are… are those the—”

Shaking off the ordeal, panic rose in her voice as she said, “Maybe! But that doesn't matter! We must leave for the Lost World as soon as possible!”

The deighdyr considered a snappy response, but instead nodded her head and, together, the two sprinted back to Hammerfall. Beatrix rubbed her belly…and felt the faint traces of the Demiurge still lining her womb, struggling to regrow despite the efforts of She'ba to destroy it. An ambivalent grin crossed her face.

The rumbling of the calamity above served as a reminder that there was no more time…

Chapter 23

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By the time the pair had made it back into the ever-expanding town, a thin miasma had layered over the ground. Everyone was ankle-deep in crimson mist. Approaching Moon Hammer’s establishment, the minotaur guards spotted the violet mare and cyan doe and moved aside to allow them passage.

The sound of doors flung open drew the war council’s attention to a returning Beatrix ranting hysterically about her ‘insightful’ encounter with the Lord of the Woods. Iclyn tailed her, calling out, “Get a hold of yourself, Belladonna. You're making a scene!”

The witch's violet breasts heaved with each strained breath. “No! You don’t get to tell me to calm down! You didn't even see what I saw! Oona's form was warped by that… that thing! That eldritch goddess, or whatever you call it!!”

Arcanum perked up in alarm. “You were in contact with Shub’Niggurath? And your mind wasn’t more fucked than usual?!”

“More like she sought me,” corrected Beatrix, cradling her ample bosom between folded arms. “Said that it was too late to stop her and Omen. All while parading with Lady Ewe’s likeness…”

“But that doesn’t make sense,” said Merry. “Why would the all-mother restrain herself to a mortal body?”

“Who gives a fuck?!” Dion butted in with a fist pounding the table. “If what she says is true, then we’ve wasted too much time! We need tae head back tae mah homeland! Now!!”

“Yes,” concurred Iclyn, her posture tensed. “It disturbs me to think Oona might become a meat puppet to Shub’Niggurath! Not to say I told you so again, but I warned you both about Omen.”

“Yeah, but without him, Abadonna might not exist either,” Midnight said matter-of-factly.

Beatrix stared blankly at the table while sitting back down. The urge to vomit bubbled in the pit of her stomach. So charmed by the nightmare stag’s kindness and cunning nature to allow him to use both her and her lover for his twisted scheme. How many times did he invade her dreams to warp her dark fantasies?

Beatrix had slept with villains who sought her for their own nefarious goals before. Sombra, Zeloph and Chrysalis, to name a few. But none so successfully insidious and intimate like Omen…

Moon Hammer did his best to unease the mounting dread at his table, a firm arm waving for more food and drinks that dotted the trays. “Regardless, we mustn’t falter by the loss of our friends and loved ones. All of existence is at peril unless we find a solution!”

The erren warlock grumbled while quickly scanning through a salvaged tome taken out of his coat. “Nuagh! Afraid this old book’s the best we have on hand. Serves me right for assuming I wouldn’t come face to face with an Elder God!”

Atalanta momentarily balked when she spotted one page depicting the King in Yellow, the malevolent ruler of Carcosa and, ultimately, the one responsible for the very conception of heaven, hell, and all its inhabitants. She allowed a small breath of relief to pass her lips upon seeing that not much was known or written about him—mostly referring to the eponymous play—as it should be.

Bloody Merry also pooled over the book her old partner opened. “The Great Old Ones and Those Who Follow. Man, I think it’s been ages since I last read this one! And that's-” She shuddered at the entry and picture of their old adversary, 'Doctor Reanimator'. The same stallion responsible for her last battle. Where she'd 'died'...

“Bastard slipped away,” admitted Arcanum. “But we'll take care of him. Someday... Afraid I have unfinished business here with the Mi-Go, so wherever the ship's headin', I'll be stickin' here.”

“Same. I ain’t about to leave these people behind,” confessed Merry.

“But the world could collapse at any moment,” reminded Bellatrix firmly. “You’d all be dead!”

“We'll deal with that when the time comes,” rebutted Moon Hammer, steadfast in his decision. “Like I said, my people won’t abandon a land that's sacred to us. No matter how slim, I must take the chance to save it.”

Beatrix raised her head and suggested, “So why not use the Glamorguis to attack the hive? Then we could rescue Cerise-”

The she-devil shook her head. “It's not a warship. Remember how easily Viscera infected it? If it were to fall under the control of Chrysalis...”

“… Oh. Gotcha,” the witchy unicorn murmured, her shoulders slumped. “Guess I'll have to have faith in B.A.B.E.!”

The band members had sworn to stay and help lend aid, which included the rescue of Princess Cerise Silhouette. The witch would have to place her trust in them while they acted in her place.

Beatrix was startled when Dion placed a hand on her shoulder, rubbing her firmly. “It's time tae leave, lass.”

“I know...” She rested her cheek on his hand, overwhelmed by anxieties. Cerise would understand...she hoped. Midnight and Moonlight, too, given their shared look and sad smiles. Yet it only made her feel more guilty. She had promised to help aid in their pursuit of their planet's survival. However, she dreaded that maybe it was already too late…

“Hmm?” Atalanta’s focus shifted to something tugging on her pale cloak. Poking its head out of her shadow was one of her shadow hounds, releasing the cloth from its maw to make a quiet whimper.

Moon Hammer turned his attention to the Amazonians. “Panna. Chezka. I can't spare too many men since they're needed to look after Hammerfall, especially since Fiery's forces are once again hostile to us. But I can put together a small search party to accompany you. It's probably best to move in small numbers, anyway.”

Arcanum nodded. “So we won't be so easily detected and tracked.”

“Count on us,” Chezka boldly declared, the pair of topless Amazons already marked by tribal war paint in preparation, breasts proudly thrust out on display. “We both remember the way past the old Amazon territory. Hopefully, it hasn't altered too much, despite the inconsistent state of this doomed land.”

“It'll be wild and untamed,” added Panna at her side. “All the reason to keep the party relatively small.”

“Should we be ambushed by the swarm, cult, or Fiery's men-”

“We'll kick their sorry asses,” declared Merry with a cocky smile, a hand on her hip. “It's personal now, after all those stunts the Crystal Empire tried to pull! I feel like this is me home now!”

Grimmwald added, “I have a task for you, if it’s not a burden. I need specific ingredients to counteract the Mi-Go’s infectious influence. Unfortunately, we don't have the time or liberty to save every changeling, so it will still be kill-or-be-killed on the battlefield.” Hastily, the minotaur wrote up a list of alchemy components.

“I'll see what I can do,” replied Moon Hammer. “Time to make final preparations for your farewells. Last chance to decide who will stick around and who will leave on the ship. You won't have a second chance.” With that said, the heavily burdened chieftain strode from the table and out the door.

Moonlight bit her lip. “Moon Hammer may not look it, but I can tell he’s severely stressed...!”

Dion shook his head. “Aye. Can’t say Ah envy him. But A'll be in a similar position once Ah take th' mantle from mah pa as chieftain ov Clan Jakobson. Ebony Ivory an' her zebra tribe helped me prepare fur th' inevitable.” His face dropped. “Ah hope she’s fairin' well after th' death ov Noble Savage…”

His muscles relaxed when his twin lovers, Foal-Bearer and Wet Nurse, pressed their plush bodies into him when they encircled his arms, the coral pastel pink half-succubi still completely nude. “She’s a fellow warrior,” reminded one twin. “She’ll pull through!”

“She’s got the future of her people to carry on her shoulders,” the other added, a naughty smirk on her face. “Not to mention in her belly~!”

With a hearty smile, the burly ram offered them a firm squeeze to Foal's closest buttock and Nurse's tit, met by their soft coos, thankful that their enchanted filter would make them appear clothed to more youthful eyes. Not that nudity was particularly taboo in such an open, parochial society.

Dion traded kisses with each of them, disappointed he had to leave this place behind. But his people were in trouble, his sister included. “Come on, Bea. Fill yer belly, an' let's head out.”

“Yeah, yeah,” groaned Beatrix, who managed to eat a cracker despite not feeling hungry.

Iclyn helped her up before narrowing her brows. “Where did the reaper go?”

Bellatrix also noticed Atalanta’s sudden absence and proclaimed, “Perhaps she’s gone to give Zell a heads up?”

The red-skinned succubus did her best to hide her concern. Given the recent spying she’s done on one particular ally, it may be a different matter altogether…

*****

No matter how stealthily the reaper, formerly known as Shadow Scythe, attempted to stalk her prey, the nun-dressed demihuman always seemed to be one step ahead of her and her shadowy hounds. Likewise, Bellatrix Primadonna also failed to successfully cut the saintly songstress away from her date, Seb.

The couple concluded their stroll around Hammerfalls and returned to the saucer-shaped ship, which had recovered significant portions of itself thanks to the maintenance inside.

“Ahh. It was such a pleasant date; I’m almost sad it had to end,” chirped Julianne, her face full of sunshine and smiles as usual. Not even when she noted her demonic partner’s soured expression did she lose her cheery demeanor. “Everything alright, Sebastion? You look a little disappointed.”

“Huh—Oh, no. Not at all! It was… lovely,” the card demon insisted unconvincingly.

“But not how you were hoping things would end, I presume.”

Seb cast his glance away, cheeks glowing beneath his bandana. “Man, my poker face is in shambles right now…”

Tittering, Juli perked the demi’s cheek. “Cheer up, Seb. I don’t fully expect you to repress the parts of you that desire physical vices. It is your nature as an incubus, after all. But it fills my heart with joy and gratitude knowing you’re respecting my celibacy.”

“W-Well, sure! I mean, I’ve always been a gambling man. That’s something I’m taking to my grave and beyond. But you… you’ve touched my soul in a way no one else has.”

“Oh, Sebastion, you flatter me,” the angelic nun giggled, cheeks merry. Looking back to the ville, she then suggested, “Why don’t you head back to the local pub and sate your vices? I’m sure you can persuade one of those milkmaids to entertain you~.”

The pinstriped devil tilted his head. “You sure?”

Julianne nodded in earnest.

“Well… alright then. Goodnight, Juli,” Seb parted, hand in his pocket, unable to fully tear his gaze from the lovely seraph, who waved him off. Her plush figure was highlighted by her otherwise modest attire. He shook his head, chuckling. “Heh. Maybe someday, the odds will be back in my favor.”

While he'd agreed to help these so-called heroes in their battle to save the multiverse, the gambling demon was still allowed to choose his battlefield. Not like he had any connection to this world. No, the demihumans were better off helping the Cyberverse, which seemed to welcome him back under the pretense of minding his attitude and criminal activity.

Or maybe there was somewhere else that would let them fully start over, at least for a little while. Who knows.

Leaving the sanctity of Hammerfall's massive walls, able to slip by the minotaur guards unnoticed with practiced ease, Julianne made her way outside in a casual stroll across a few miles, humming a soft melody until she reached an untouched meadow of flowers that rustled in the breeze.

She knelt, plucked a flower, and sniffed it. “Ahh~! The most fleeting of moments are truly the most beautiful.” Her grin stretched slightly as she turned behind her. “Isn’t that right, gentlemen?”

Shadows fell on the flower meadow, trampled beneath steel boots. Crossbows were trained on the demi-human, and swords were drawn with a hiss of metal that exited sheathes. A stallion soldier announced, “Well, well! Knew we were right here and didn’t even try to run! You either know what’s good for you or you’re stupid!”

Within moments, more than a dozen surrounded her. Julianne placed the flower back down and rose to her full height, hands neatly clasped together in front of her robe, head tilted to the side. “What reason would I have to run? You pose no threat to me.”

Her statement made the stallions cackle. “Maybe open your eyes for once, toots,” snorted one soldier. “We’ve got you outnumbered four to one! And with backup to spare!”

“Yeah, we stuck around in hopes there'd be a chance to breach that weird flying frisbee of yours, but no way in hell did we think anyone would be stupid enough to fall in our laps! Once we bring back my prize, the Supreme Commander will promote us for sure!”

Julianne hardly flinched when one rowdy guard seized her from behind, the tip of his cold blade brushing her cheek. His other hand crept over to secure one of her breasts, kneading the teardrop-shaped tit.

“Now… here’s what you’re going to do,” the lecherous soldier grunted after taking a lick of her face. “You’re gonna take off that cute little outfit, get on your knees, and learn a whole new prayer with your mouth~.”

“Yeah. Fill her up with our ‘holy spirits’,” another stallion mused.

But Julianne didn’t falter. In fact, the smile on her lips only widened as she offered them an ominously serious threat. “You have approximately six seconds to remove yourself from me before I render every vital organ in your pathetic flesh sack obsolete.”

“Pft! Cute words for someone with a knife to her throat,” the stallion soldier scoffed, his free hand reaching over to tear open her top. “We’ll see if you’re still smiling after we cut your head off and skull fuck you to dea—“

All of a sudden, his heated blood ran cold, and all color drained from his skin. His voice croaked, unable to let out any sound out of wheezed gasps as his body collapsed to the flowerbed, deathly still.

The other soldiers didn’t register what had happened until a few seconds passed. “… h-huh..?! What the fuck just happened!?!!”

“He can’t be..!”

“What did you do?!”

By the time Atalanta had shown up with her pack of wispy canines, all she could do was watch with a sharp intake of breath as the soldiers opened fire on Julianne… only for something blindingly fast to deflect their many arrows.

The reaper demi gasped upon seeing the seraph’s wings unfurl from her back. While the bottom pairs remained avian plumage that wrapped around her waist, the highest set had elongated and formed twin sets of scythes with eyes embedded in the blade’s base. All the color and life instantly drained from the flowers around her, as did her bright complexion. The only color that shone was the ruby red eyes, which were now wide open with darkened sclera.

“To death, you say? Well… that can be arranged~.”

She clasped her hands together and began an eerie hymn that reverberated around the entire meadow. Realizing what was about to happen, the demi reaper called off her attack dogs and covered her feather ears right as the other guards began screaming in tune. Her icy gray eyes dilated as she watched all their souls expunged from their withering bodies, which dropped like flies.

The spectral orbs screamed in confusion and horror as they were siphoned into the nun’s rosary. When her song ended, an awful silence hung in the air, save for the rumbling thunder and lightning flashes across the skies.

The gothic demi sucked in a breath, gripping her signature scythe in hand, and slowly rose to inch closer to Julianna, who, without shifting her entire body, reared her head to catch a side glance of the creeping reaper.

When she froze in her tracks, the songstress widened her joyful smile and chirped, “Atalanta~! I’m so glad you’ve decided to stop stalking me.” She then twirled to properly face her and then said, “We need to talk...”

Cautiously, Atalanta adjusted her stance, her lack of shadow hounds emerging from the underside of her cloak. “I knew it,” the snow-haired reaper accused. “You are a reaper! I should have suspected as much when you dismantled Mortis Soltaire so easily when we first met!”

Julianne tittered and applauded her statement. “Nothing ever gets past you, Atalanta! Yes, you would be correct… but not in the way you believe.”

Atalanta sneered, that constant smile starting to piss her off. “Oh yeah? What way then!?”

“The only way,” Julianne elaborated after a roll of her eyes. “I’m not a mere instrument like the other reapers in your order. Nor a pretender preaching to the choir like you and Mortis. I am death. Nothing more. Nothing less~.”

The way the colorless angel declared what she and her old adversary had done in the past sent a cold shiver up the death demi’s spine. The mantle of ‘death incarnate’ was not spoken as a prideful boast or claim for the throne. It was spoken simply as truth, as an undisputed fact.

A fact Julianne displayed with the immense murderous aura that made Atalanta tremble, and her loyal pets whimper. Billions of lives were consumed by this gospel singer, dressed as a saint with a welcoming smile. Come to think of it, every time Julianne was in combat, she strictly avoided the use of contacting anyone with her hands…

“Impossible..! How are you above Carnifex Grayscale, founder of the reapers?!”

“Let me rephrase. I am the primordial avatar of death of the demihuman world. Long before the King in Yellow spun the concept of God and Heaven, I’ve grown fond of this form. Although since your order now resides in my world and you are now demihuman, I suppose it makes me your ‘paragon’ in a way, doesn’t it~?”

Atalanta brushed off her bemused giggling and held her fierce stare. “But why? Of all the times to reveal your true nature, why now?!”

“Oh, my dear. Don’t you see? Now is exactly the right time for me to act. We psychopomps must deliver every spirit and wayward soul to their final resting place. My task is no different. I am to give this messy multiverse its swan song~.”

“No..! Then that means you’re aligned with—”

Julianne wagged her finger. “Don’t be ridiculous. Death has no alignment. It is never good or evil or goes by any other name. It is simply just. Before creation can be done, destruction must take place. And for a new era of peace and prosperity to come, the old world must be wiped away. You can’t refill a new cup of tea when it’s already full, can you~?”

“I don’t believe it,” Atalanta said, appalled. “What about Zell? Ana? Seb!? All our friends?! The people you helped guide and taught joy?! Did none of that truly matter to you?!”

Her outcry managed to make Julianne frown. “Oh, good heavens, no! I have loved and treasured our time together. You especially helped open my eyes to how much can change across a single, fragile lifespan…” The heavenly songstress heaved a great sigh, and a sad smile spread her thin lips. “… but all things, whether we want them to or not, must meet their end. And I will reap everyone and everything in this dying galaxy. I know it hurts, but one day, you’ll understand—”

“Shut up!” Atalanta cried, lunging forward to make a clear cleave for the deathly seraph’s throat. Once more, Juli’s scythe-shaped wings blocked the attack, her expression unfettered while the reaper demi spat, “If you think I’ll just sit idly by while you eradicate all life as we know it, you are sorely mistaken. I don’t care who you really are. You threaten Zeloph, Ana, Bellatrix, or anyone else I’ve formed a bond with, I will end you!”

Julianne tittered melodically. “You can not escape destiny, Atalanta... but you are welcome to try~!”

With a single flap of her wings, a hollow gust blew back the pale-cloaked reaper a few feet away from the death singer. As she regrouped, Atalanta sent her spiritual white raven to mark the floating songstress, who did nothing to evade it.

With a gesture, her canine familiars rushed down their prey with bared teeth and howls. But the elegant seraph stabbed each hound that pounded at her with her wings, causing them to dissolve into smoke. No matter how they approached or encircled Julianne, none could land a single hit on her. Likewise, spells and weapons Atalanta tossed at her were evaded with ease.

Julianne’s smile stretched with mania over the thrill of finally getting to kill again. The nun’s heart swelling with overwhelming joy, she started singing her heart out while dealing with her foe’s pack of pups. Aware she couldn’t keep manifesting shadow hounds forever, Atalanta took a direct approach and slashed forward, despite how futile it seemed. Sparks flashed as their respective weapons clashed in their deadly dance.

The same melodies that strengthened resolve and brought happiness now served to overwhelm and depress the reaper demi’s fighting spirit. Suddenly, Atlanta panicked when she felt Julianne’s hand reach for her and tried to disengage… only for the orichalcum wing scythes to seize her arms, piercing through her biceps.

“Naaaauugh!!” Atalanta wailed, struggling to escape. But any attempt to become intangible made Julianne jab her wings deeper. She was no more than a squirming incest trapped in the forelimbs of a praying mantis. Her frightened gaze met the elated stare and Cheshire grin of the avatar of death.

“Still not strong enough, I’m afraid,” she kindly teased. “You’ll have to conquer that mortal fear of death if you want to face me. Not that I’m surprised. Had I been serious, I would have claimed two souls this night, instead of one~!”

Atalanta’s eyes were pinpoints, and her lissome figure recoiled when she felt a ginger hand trace her bare stomach. While nothing happened, the raven-winged demi was greatly distraught to be unable to protect herself or her unborn child from her adversary.

“Congratulations! I’m sure you and Zeloph will make wonderful parents,” Julianne praised with genuine happiness. “I should warn you, though. Thanks to our biology, you’ll experience pregnancy much faster than most living things.”

“Wh-what are you… doing,” seethed Atalanta. “Why aren’t you..?”

“Preparing you for the future,” answered Julianne. “I need you to live. To get stronger. So that when you and I meet again in the next circle, you’ll put up more of a challenge than this.”

In an instant, her wings unclipped from Atalanta’s forelimbs, and she dropped into the meadow of wilted flowers. With a wave of her hand, the puncture wounds were healed in a green regenerative aura. The snow-haired reaper checked both her arms with frantic breath, then looked back at the nun as she spread out all her wings.

“I’ll be parting ways now,” said Julianna, looking over her shoulder. “This will be the last time we see each other in this universe. I’m sure you’re clever enough to come up with a competent explanation for my sudden absence. Goodbye, Atalanta. You’ve been a good friend to me, and I’ll never forget it!” She was about to take off before something else took hold of her smiling visage. Something that caused a single tear to slip down her cheek. “Oh, and tell Sebastian… I’m dreadfully sorry I couldn’t be more for him..!”

Pain and perplexion contorted Atalanta’s face once she sunk further into the meadow, hands rubbing her recently healed arms. All she could do was watch the death singer ascend into the air and vanish into the stormy clouds above.

Mentally wounded by this encounter and unsure if she could even call this a proper betrayal, the pale reaper took a moment to collect herself before rising onto her feet.

How on earth was she to tell Zeloph or anyone that their beloved friend was going to help end the multiverse on her own accord? As if the circumstances weren’t dire enough!

But Atalanta knew sulking about it wouldn’t change anything. Julianne was gone. For now.

One of her shadow hounds manifested to nudge her thigh, and she petted its whimpering head with a finger before she shuffled back into Hammerfall. And, despite having no interest in the local pub, the reaper demi nonetheless decided to head inside since she spotted Seb waltz past the saloon doors with his usual swagger.

When their eyes met, he gave a tip of his hat while she managed a small, awkward smile before sitting down beside a concerned Bellatrix. Needless to say, the card demon had been unknowingly lucky to have survived this long alongside Julianne.

Even going so far as to share a kiss with death.

*****

Layla's eyes slowly fluttered open, stirring and stretching herself out like she had been asleep for a thousand years. The first woman glanced at her surroundings, finding herself in a hospital bed rather than her luxurious chamber atop the Glamorguis.

When she realized it was Zeloph tending to her at her bedside, she smiled with pleasant relief. He met her expression with a gentle grin of his own, saying, “Welcome back to the world of the living.”

“Zeloph,” she murmured sleepily, reaching out to touch his face. “To think you would be the first thing I see upon waking. I could have sworn Deinos was my caretaker.”

“He’s busy keeping a close eye on the others. Lightning Spark remains still but in good health, and Kitsune’s anxious to get out of bed. So far, everyone should make a full recovery, you included.”

“Ahah. And here I thought good news would be hard to come by,” the maternal figure tittered teasingly.

“Ehh, in a way, it still is. Deinos is still trying to craft a formula to cure the changeling Mi-Go victims, using his hyper-stallion cleanser as a basis. They’re his people, after all.”

“And how are our people?”

Zell glanced out the done window, where the distant villa of the minotaurs flickered with lights. “They’re fine. I told them to relax and unwind at Hammerfall. Atalanta and Bellatrix included.”

A knowing grin spread her plump lips. “So she lives again as one of us now. You sure I’m still not dreaming~?”

“Hehe. I’m sure,” insisted the seraphic demi, a deep blush on his face.

Layla took a moment to examine Zeloph and then glanced at the Crucible lying against the side of the table. Her smile faltered slightly. “I see… so you’ve taken the luster pledge. Did you make contact with Michael..?”

“I have,” he confirmed, a serious look on his face. “… how long did you intend to keep the truth about… him, from me?”

The primordial succubus turned her head away. “For as long as I could. Metatron—the King in Yellow was a callous monster who masqueraded as the voice of god to ensure all of heaven followed suit. When discovering the existence of Terra, he abducted so many of us, forced us to partake in these ‘trials’ to single out which among us was worthy to be indoctrinated.”

“You and Adam were the first,” recalled Zeloph.

Layla nodded, folding her arms together as her fingers dug into her dark skin. “Until I proved ‘unteachable’ and was locked away while he hosted a new game. Thus, bringing in my replacement, Eve. Had Lucifer not grown suspicious and found me, I fear what the King in Yellow would have done to me…” She shuddered at the dreadful memories of her time in ‘heaven.’

Zell gave her a reassuring rub on her shoulder. “You’re beyond that now,” he reminded her. “As long as word doesn’t spread, the King in Yellow won’t bring any more harm to you, me or anyone else! And if he does come back, I’ll be ready for him..!”

Layla looked back to her descendant and tittered with amusement. “Thus decreed the mighty Aether King. Care to give me my diagnosis?”

Pulling up a holographic screen, Zeloph pulled up analytics that highlighted wriggling amebic-looking parasites. The imagery made Layla squirm in her covers, disgusted by the idea that these were inside her body.

“From what I could gather, it appears to be an ultra strand of naegleriasis, or primary amoebic meningoencephalitis. Normally, it takes roughly two weeks for its effects to turn fatal. But this virus has been engineered to immediately target the brain the second it enters the body.”

“Damn that wretched harpy,” coughed Layla.

“We’re extremely lucky my innate healing was able to cure this infection. Normal naegleriasis is extremely rare, and therefore, doesn’t have a reliable form of treatment. Most cases always end in death…”

“But if it’s a brain-eating disease, how is it able to grow moldy growth and destroy inorganic tissue?”

“That’s a whole different problem,” stated Zell grimly, pulling up a new tab about the mold, notably with fewer details. “This form of blight is unlike anything documented. Completely alien to any existing bacterium. So far, the only thing that seems to work against it is high concentrations of light. But even then, it’ll rapidly multiply if not completely wiped clean from the slate. Finding a proper cure for this is going to be tougher than I thought…”

“I know you’ll figure it out eventually, my dear,” Layla assured, shuffling a bit to sit forward, allowing the covers to slide down her voluptuous form and expose her bountiful bosom. “You’ve done incredible work, Zeloph. You should take a break. Spend time with your family and friends.”

“B-But what about you and the Glamorguis? Everyone inside—”

“Will be safe. Now that I’m awake, I can finish repairing the ship.” One of the translucent frilly tendrils of the giant eldritch ship descended to reattach to its hostess, who shuddered and cooed from the spine-tingling sensation. Offering a motherly smile, Layla urged, “Go on, have some fun. It may be the last time that you can…”

Zell gave a small nod before placing a chaste kiss on the primordial woman’s head and leaving the room to seek out his companions in Hammerfall. Even his heavenly glow seemed dimmed compared to the unraveling chaos and darkness around him as he sailed overhead with the gloomy storm thundering above. He swore that with each flash of lightning, he could make out different vague gaunt faces in the clouds…

Nonetheless, the seraphic angel landed right before the entrance. The minotaur bouncers stepped aside to let him in, recalling how he and his deathly lover had the pyromaniac commander at gunpoint.

Zell’s eyes widened, and his cheeks grew cherry tinted upon surveying the milk bar, across the patrons and nearly nude holstaur barmaids that served them. Not only that, he recognized his sister and Wispy Willows hard at work to rile up more minotaur customers with their provocative dancing and shaking.

The nekomata noticed that he had entered and flashed a flirty smirk, bending a little lower to sashay and make her bikini-clad tits wobble enticingly. Her forked tail wagged, and her slit pupils widened, tongue rolling over her lips at the sight of a bulge growing in his tight jeans.

Zeloph awkwardly shuffled to a barstool, which happened to be right next to Bellatrix, who smiled slightly at her flustered lover. “Not even half a day has gone by, and you’re already packing heat? I don’t know whether to be disgusted or impressed~.”

The fiery demi scoffed. “Well, in case you haven’t noticed, everyone has been more rowdy than usual lately. I think the atmosphere is polluted with some sort of aphrodisiac effect that’s driving us into a lust-filled frenzy. As a way to distract us from the mission at hand.”

“Yes, I have noticed,” the red-skinned demoness said before taking a sip from her milk. “Though I hardly see it as a problem. It did get you to put a baby in me after all~.” When his expression soured, she playfully stroked his tail with her own. “Relax, I’m only teasing. How’s Layla doing?”

“Better,” he answered while gesturing for a glass from the bartender. “She’s healed enough to take control of the ship again. Whether it’ll be able to fly us back to the Lost World within a reasonable time is still up to debate.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” the leather-bound demoness exhaled.

It was then that Zeloph noticed something about Bella’s eyes that furrowed his brows. “Huh… well, isn’t that something.”

“What is?”

He pointed towards the mirror behind the counter. When she looked, her eyes widened to discover they had changed color—no longer piercing amber gold but calming ocean blue.

But the moment she felt heated by this development, they returned to their natural color in an instant. “What in the nine hells?!”

Zell smirked coyly. “It seems hanging around us demihumans has had a major effect on you. Your eye color changed based on your emotional state: yellow for when you're moody or angry, blue for when you're sentimental. My eyes do something similar~!”

Bellatrix flustered, nibbling on her bottom lip with an annoyed look. “Hush you! This is only because I’m pregnant with your spawn. Once I’ve given birth, my iris won’t fluctuate like LED’s, and everything will be back to normal… right?” The haughty angel’s smile lengthened, making the succubus groan and down another round of milk. “Wipe that smile off your face before I remove it permanently!”

“Jokes on you; I’m into that shit,” Zell snickered, taking a sip. “Oh, don’t be like that! There’s nothing wrong with a little emotion. Adds to your character. Plus, it makes you a helluva lot cuter~.”

He let out a surprised yelp when Bellatrix roughly straddled his lap, her hand squeezing his hard-on while her tail helped take out her crimson dagger from her garter, the tip poking at his jugular. “Let’s get one thing straight,” she hissed, yellow eyes glowing angrily. “I am not ‘cute’. I am the hottest piece of ass you will ever have the luxury of worshiping. I am your future queen of hell! And if you wish to keep your beloved cock attached to your body, you’ll give me my due respect!”

While Bellatrix certainly meant to come off intimidating, she was having a hard time keeping composure when she felt her angelic consort grow harder in her grasp. And thanks to the erotic atmosphere, she too was becoming more aroused than she was frustrated.

Zeloph kept his haughty grin and leaned into the she-devil’s pointy ears, and said in a silky tone, “At your service, my queen~!”

He managed to earn a low gasp from Bella as his hands secured her ample buttocks, squeezing and worshiping her ass cheeks like they deserved to be. The hot-skinned demoness found her hips grinding into his, pressing her tightly clad pussy into the bulging tent of his pants.

Yet, she managed to withhold her urges and, with an airy titter, slapped his hands away with her spaded tail. “Ah ah ah~! Not so fast, puppy. As tempted as I am to ride you for all your worth and try for twins, I’m afraid I need to replenish my Onoma with new seed. Another time, Zeloph~.”

“Besides,” a familiar voice whispered cooly in Zell’s feathery ear. “If anyone is gonna get stuffed with angel cream, it’s gonna be me. And me alone~.”

“A-Ahh! Ooh! Heeey there, honey,” the aether king sheepishly chuckled as Bellatrix and Atalanta swapped places. The two embraced and passionately made out, which was the she-devil’s cue to scout her next lay, adding an extra sway to her graceful step.

Zell temporarily parted his lips when he noticed his lover seemed a little more pale than usual. Frowning, he softly asked, “Are you alright?”

Atalanta stared longingly into his concerned gaze, then mustered a sad smile. “No. I don’t think I am, but… I’ll tell you later. For now, let’s just… enjoy this.”

While rational thoughts told the angelic demi to press on the topic, he didn’t argue and only pulled her in closer. They were both lucky to be able to hold each other like this, given Atalanta had originally died as Shadow Scythe during their ongoing battle with Mortis Solitaire. And, given the dreadful state of everything everywhere else, any intimate moments like this were now precious…

Bellatrix unknowingly agreed with this while looking around the bar. There were plenty of randy minotaurs and saucy holstaurs who would be all too happy to bed the sexy, statuesque demoness. But whether because of her pregnancy or newfound affection, her sexual cravings were for someone a bit more familiar. Personal, even.

Her thoughts drifted back to Alma, the bloodthirsty Vice Lord who nearly enslaved her to an awful romance. A romance she couldn’t help but wish was more than their endless yearning for control. To stop the ache of how broken they both were, due to how monstrous they had become in their pursuits.

Suddenly, the lights went dim, and the music was cut, causing all the dancers to stop and twirl around in confusion. Then, a spotlight shined down on a stage, and after a puff of green smoke, Seb appeared with a grand piano and a microphone.

“Oi! What gives?!” complained Bloody Merry.

“Way to kill the mood, asshole,” added Wispy.

“Yeah,” joined in Ana. “We were gettin' our freak on loike Missi E!”

“Sorry, ladies, but I’m swindling this night of debauchery,” announced the card demon. “A whole lotta sizzlin’ hot tits and ass, but no real style or class. Ain’t spending my last moments alive in a borderline sex parlor.”

“Then get off the stage and leave,” Eclipsed shouted between cupped hands, which prompted the rest of the patrons to boo along with her.

“Hey, at least give me a chance to provide you with some real entertainment! Consider this a charity performance courtesy of yours truly.” At the snap of his fingers, a hefty sack of coins poofed atop Redrum’s counter.

After the barkeeper surveyed the bag and determined the money was, in fact, real, he steadily slid it behind the bar and the maroon minotaur cleared his throat. “Urh-achum! I say let him cook.”

The pop idol deadpanned. “Fucking seriously?!”

“Thank you, sir. You’re too kind~!” Seb boasted, bowing before taking his seat and cracking his knuckles.

Eclipsed rolled her eyes and crossed her arms beneath her bust.

“Relax, doll. Ain’t nah one’s gonna be impressed by a solo act,” scoffed the neon demon, who immediately made Eclipsed eat her words when Seb played his capture card, which summoned a whole band of sharply dressed imps, each with a pinstripe suit, hat, and jazz-centric instrument.

She yelled, “Oh, fuck off!!”

The gambling demon simply smiled behind his orange bandana and started off with a simple four-note interlude accompanied by drum taps. But the music number really went underway once the pinstripe devil began singing, much to the surprise of the bovine folk to discover he had a really great voice.

Even Eclipsed Heart, whose whole profession was the art of singing and performing, found herself hardpressed to pick apart or straight up call his song terrible. Seb could sing. And eventually, with some initiative from Zell, who snapped his fingers along to the rhythm, the rest of the bar swayed along and danced. The holstaurs and barmaids carried a lot more sensual movements and more opportunities to tease and entice their patrons, who responded with more hoots and wishes.

Bellatrix sat back down, admiring the show with a thoughtful grin. She tapped her fingers along the rim of her glass. As the music swelled and the band backed Seb up for the final chorus, the whole establishment erupted with applause and claps. The jazz underlings bowed before vanishing with puffs of smoke. Seb tipped his hat, adjusted his coat collar, and proceeded to take a seat as the lively club music resumed. While ordering a drink, Seb craned his neck towards the sultry red succubus seated right next to him. “Caught your attention, huh? I tend to have that effect on people~.”

“Hmm? Oh, no. The song was alright if a little outdated,” Bellatrix tried to brush off. “I’m just perplexed by why you would keep an entire jazz band in your back pocket. Like… in what scenario would that be useful?!”

The incubus shrugged. “Sometimes, the best way to win a gamble is to play something unexpected. You never know when it’ll pay off.”

Bellatrix leaned in closer, chin atop her hands and a curious look on her face. “And what, pray tell, are you betting on this time, snake?”

Seb chuckled, removing the bandana off his face, revealing the Glasgow grin scarring his cheeks as he took a sip of his drink. He then pulled out a card that displayed the Queen of Hearts. “That before this world meets its end, I might bag a bit more than dough from a fellow hellion patron~.”

Bellatrix snorted, rolling her narrowed eyes. “Oh yes! Because nothing says ‘pussy magnet’ like a pompous dickwad using broadway to stroke his fragile ego in front of a crowd.”

“And yet, you haven’t slapped me for having the gall to suggest we get nasty with each other,” countered Seb. “We can play games all you want, but given our current conundrum, I think it’s best we play our hand straight.”

“You’re delusional,” retorted Bellatrix, her arms crossed. “I’m just here to see my apprentice at work.” She motioned to Moxxi, who was back on the grind of lap dancing for a lucky minotaur guest. “Plus, I’m sure my sister will return here soon. The moment Layla's ready, the spacecraft will be off with me aboard it. At best, I have a couple of hours left to...indulge myself. Biology demands a succubus partakes of life's seed to survive, and this seemed a suitable place to do the deed!”

Seb exhaled. “Y’know, up until now, I always wondered why you and Beatrix call yourselves sisters. But I think I get it! You’re both faker than the finest silicone you can stuff tits with!”

This irked the demoness, who narrowed her golden eyes at him. “Excuse me?!”

“Please! I’ve seen enough poker faces to know when someone’s bullshitting me,” continued the gambler. “You may act like you’re in control of yourself, but it’s a hollow mask you wear to hide how palpable you really are. As a fellow sinner who also has dark needs to fulfill, I know better than anyone what that’s like.”

“Don’t pretend you know me!”

“Oh, don't I? The reason you’re not currently guzzling on some bull’s cumpump is because it no longer satisfies you spiritually. 'Cause you allowed someone to capture your heart in a way no one else could. And when they chained you up, broke it, and threw you away like yesterday’s newspaper, you flocked to the only good people you could connect with healthily. It’s the reason why you’ve got a belly full of sunshine and rainbows right now~!”

Bellatrix growled before tackling the demon off the barstool, pinning him with her claws around his throat. “You really like to push your luck, don’t you, Seb? Don’t think I haven’t noticed the way you follow around that peppy nun like a love-sick puppy! You’re just poor and bitter because she won’t put out!”

Seb managed to choke out a chuckle. “Heh. Got me there! Ack! Guess that makes us both losers! Can’t have the ones we want. So we might as well settle for second rate before judgment day~!”

The irate demoness glared hotly at the smug snake, trembling with fury… before roughly pressing her lips to his, shutting up his muffled groans. The two grabbed and manhandled one another, rolling around the table and knocking over bottles and drinks. Not that Redrum seemed to notice, too focused on the euphoria of having Wispy and Ana double-team his cock with their ample breasts squished together.

Both devilish fiends hissed and clawed at each other, ruthless aggression boiling into hateful sex. Eventually, Bellatrix rolled on top, taking the moment to yank her leathery top off and free her heavy bosom, which he openly grabbed and massaged with dexterous hands.

“Hhrnnn…~! Still think I’m fake, you fucking prick?” Bella seethed, nibbling her lip from how hard he pinched and tugged on her hyper-sensitive nipples.

“Nah, you misheard,” grunted Seb, humping his covered hard on into her groin. “You’ve got the personality of plastic. But these?” He empathized by slapping upside her tits. “Grade A bonafide mommy milkers right here! Really taking after Layla, huh~?”

Once more, the succubus shoved him back down, pinning his caged member against her aching pussy, which still burned from the sensation Zell was teasing her with earlier. “Do you ever shut the fuck up?!”

“Fucking make me, your royal bitchiness!”

While the two demons continued to rough house with each other, Zell and Atalanta observed with bewildered gazes before quietly shuffling away from the barstool.

“Well… this is getting kinda outta hand,” whispered the aether king, the air absolutely reeking with musk and sexual fluids.

“Tell me about it,” agreed Atalanta, taking another sip while looking around the lust-ridden bar. “I can’t fucking concentrate!”

Bare breasts and unclad save for minuscule thong buttocks bounced before her eyes as the holstaurs made their rounds to deliver trays of milk or, in some cases, let the patrons with deeper pockets drink directly from their milky udders. Moonlight went completely naked while she sat at a round table next to Midnight, while Eclipsed Heart danced on the tabletop in a scanty dancer's costume. There were claps and cheers from the onlookers, while a minotaur played the rolled in piano.

The blue pegasus, in particular, couldn't help but see his wife's image in the mare that danced carefree on the tabletop, lost to the music, giving him a worm’s eye view of her scantily-clad beauty. A costume too small for her more plush frame barely contained her contours, each curve left to threaten to escape from imprisonment each time she whirled about in a bounce of flesh.

“Don't drool on the table,” teased Moonie with an elbow to his ribs.

“H-hey! I can't help it!” Middy groans, having relearned to keep his raw lust under control since his cleansing, thanks to the help of Web Spinner/Deinos. Yet his painful hyper erection tented his pants, surrounded by so many half to fully nude females.

Moonie leaned her bare body on him from one side, constantly testing her friend’s resilience by squishing his bare bicep between her medium-sized breasts. Hard nipples poked into his toned arms, his breastplate left behind so that his fluffy feathers and blue fur were contained by a simple tunic.

Whenever Eclipsed spun and otherwise moved about, the thong-like portion of her costume crawled between her charcoal buttcheeks, and she repeatedly picked the buttfloss out, his emerald eyes teased by quick glances at the tight pink ring of her asshole that occasionally drifted onto display. Similarly, her large pink eyes stole short looks at the hyper-stallion's package, the shared physical attraction blossoming between them undeniable, despite their vows to their chosen partners which kept them restrained.

Eclipsed blushed hotter whenever the too-small top bared part of her wide areola and shifted the cloth back into place. “Yeesh, Bea,” she whined over the piano music. “Why'd you choose such overly plush proportions for me?”

“Pretty sure it was a subconscious wish,” defended Zell as he and Atalanta approached the table, hand wrapped over her hip. “Plus, given your profession, those… proportions are likely what Cerise would have acquired, had she not taken up dancing.”

Their appearance caused the pop diva to stop her dancing, gasping in surprise. “Whoa, h-hey! Wasn’t expecting you two to show up here!”

“More like we were dragged here,” answered the death angel. “Rumor has it our enemy has placed a bizarre aura over town that’s putting everyone into a lustful frenzy.”

“… I mean, that would explain the excessive debauchery going around here,” Moonie considered.

“Y-yeah, you don’t say,” Midnight clamored, trying to keep his eyes off the beautiful lissome reaper, whose exposed navel and underboob further enticed him.

His quick glances weren’t unnoticed by the reaper demi. Normally, she’d offer her signature death glare and warn him to keep his peepers to himself. But the amorous atmosphere was affecting her more than she wanted to admit. And the idea of someone of Middy’s size wanting a stab at her brought curious excitement between her legs. It brought back to mind their time at the manor, where lost to his hyper side, he nearly ravaged her like a beast deep in rut…

Zeloph wasn’t fairing any better, still painfully erect from his brief taste of Bellatrix. And hearing her hate fuck Seb into submission only threw more fuel to the pyre burning at his loins. As much as he hated to admit it, this was a problem a simple romp with his lover couldn’t solve alone…

The two looked at each other as if telepathically understanding each other and nodded. Atalanta then said, “I think we have a way to counteract this effect.”

Eclipsed Heart perked up. “Yeah? Because as fun as this is, it would be nice to focus on the mission at hand!”

Zell nodded. “But we’re going to need your help. My aura, if spread through song, should clear everyone’s emotional states long enough to prepare for the war ahead. Problem is…”

Moonie glanced down at the angel’s hardon and nibbled her bottom lip. “Ahh… I see!”

“Yeah, hard to sing an inspiring ballad when you have sex on the mind,” Atalanta tittered, her hand giving his bulge a light squeeze that made him groan. “We’d handle this by ourselves, but seeing as we may never get a chance to do this…”

“… We’ve agreed to open our relationship,” finished the aether king, who then held up his finger. “Just for tonight.”

“So you’re gonna ‘get the horny out’ now while you still can,” surmised Midnight. “Sounds like a good idea! So… any idea on who you want to—“

“I saw you eye fucking me, Blitzer,” Atalanta bluntly stated, eyes narrowing at the knight. “Begrudgingly for me, my body thinks it craves big bulky idiots at the moment…” Her icy gray eyes looked at the bat mare’s pale yellow orbs. “… if it’s not a problem for you? I know how close you two are.”

A half-drunken blush flourished on Moonie’s cheeks. “Nah, it’s fine. I’ve been getting my kicks off minotaur cock anyway. Although, you guys are showing me a valuable lesson here…”

The male demihuman quirked his eyebrows. “Ooh?”

The thestral then shifted her gaze back to her childhood friend. “A good lay isn't a replacement for someone you can depend on…”

Midnight was momentarily stunned by her statement but managed a hopeful smile.

Moonie snorted. “Don’t think this means you’re off the hook, Middy. You’re still prohibited from cumming!”

“Yeah, I don’t want your garbage semen, thank you,” proclaimed Atalanta.

“Wha-hey! That’s not—“

The blue pegasus backed down when Zeloph’s eyes flashed a vibrant vermillion, glaring hotly as he calmly spoke. “I trust you understand the consequences of failing to please my fiancé or disrespect her boundaries, yes?”

“A-ahh… y-yes, sir.”

His cerulean gaze returned, and a wicked smirk spread his lips. “Good. I wouldn’t want to give Cerise a new reason to hate me~.”

“That implies I wouldn’t have neutered him on the spot~,” Atalanta teased evilly while walking her fingers up her lover’s chest.

Midnight muttered, “I thought you two weren’t supposed to be villains anymore…”

“Speaking of Cerise… Eclipsed,” Moonlight called at the alternate. “During our trip to save her? I’d like to make a pit stop.”

“To see your parents..!” realized the pegasus knight.

The pop idol beamed when she knelt to meet them. “Of course! Moon Hammer says he knows where they are!”

“Then we'll ask him for more information before we head out,” noted Moonie before glancing shyly at the seraphic demi. “So… since they're gonna shag up, why don’t we do the same? Only seems fair~!”

Before Zeloph could respond, Wispy wandered over in a sway of striped hips, decorated by a choker and rings in her puffy pink nipples and nothing else. “Hai! Minotaurs really are the best! Haven't had a ride like that in some time!” She nodded over her shoulder at Analyse, who continued to bounce atop a half-exhausted Redrum.

Eclipsed rolled her eyes. “Don't you ever want to settle down?”

“Pft! When I hit my thirties, maybe. But I ain’t giving up this lifestyle that easily! I’m still young and carefree! Gotta play the field and make sure I find the best man, woman, or whatever to borrow my heart! Plus, they'd better be a beast in the sack!” A wicked snicker escaped the twin-tailed tigress, who watched Middy's eyes honed onto Eclipsed's toned butt which was mostly on display.

The table shook and nearly overturned when the tigress nekomata hopped up beside her. “Whaah! Hey, careful,” hissed Eclipsed, who nearly lost her balance from their combined weight as the tabletop shifted.

“Oh, lighten up and cut loose, princess butterbuns! Not like we haven't performed naked on stage lots of times! Sure, the crowd mostly sees our silhouettes and neon lights that make it look like we're wearing body paint, but it's not like we'll ever be back here after we leave, so why not let it all out?”

Before Eclipsed could complain, the nekomata's striped split tails hooked into the strings of her costume and undid them. Eclipsed tried in vain to hold her clothes in place...and finally tumbled with a strained yelp. “Ack…~!”

Midnight's vision of the mare’s bare black butt soon became a faceful of ass, as she accidentally sat on his face and they hurled backwards with the chair, the denuded mare soon seated on his face when they landed. Heat radiated from her asscheeks, which squished around his smothered face.

Her blush darkened with a low moan when her heart-shaped clit peeked out, plump and moist, and rubbed across the matted fur of his snout, like the other females aroused by the subdued hyper-stallion musk he emitted. When she shifted, her clit throbbed and rubbed on his nose. Her inflamed pink pussy winked moisture with need when she inhaled more of the aromatic mists.

Wispy let out hardy laughter while Zeloph and Atalanta shook their heads.

“Ah-!” She tried to contain the mini climax that struck her. All her instincts screamed to let him eat her out, yet loyalty to Bass kept a bout of lust-fueled madness at bay. “A-are you okay...?”

He offered a thumbs up, in heaven, buried beneath her buttcheeks as he inhaled her own lust and accidentally tasted it as she reluctantly rose from her cushion and punched Wispy's arm.

Wispy yowled and sputtered, “Okay, okay! Holeen~. I'm sorry! Don't pretend you two didn't like that!”

Midnight couldn't deny it once he sat up, and his fantasies ran wild once more. The intrusive idea he could bend Eclipsed over the bar and rail her cute ass senseless until she squirted all over him and squealed his name... He slapped a cheek to calm himself down.

No way was he about to fall back into bad habits, despite all the temptations around him, especially since the whole point of inviting her here was to overcome his lack of self-control!

“Good soldiers are supposed to be disciplined,” he reminded himself with a mutter and took a slow, deep breath.

Eclipsed clutched her discarded costume and bowed to him. “I'm so terribly sorry, Middy! Wispy can be the absolute worst sometimes! Especially when drunk off her furry ass!”

The nekomata stuck her tongue out at her before eying the demi couple, a wolfish grin on her face. “So I heard you two are looking to become swingers tonight, aye~?”

“… temporarily,” reminded the death angel in a huff. “I take it you’re interested?”

“Fuck yeah!” The catwoman purred, purposefully pressing her voluptuous body against Zeloph, who stiffened as her ample tits squished into his chest. Her forked tail rubbed along his own. “I’ve been wanting this little angel to fly through my pearly gates for a while now~!”

“I’m… flattered?” Zell awkwardly chuckled, his face heated.

She threw a saucy wink at Atalanta. “Don’t worry. I’ll fix him up real good for you!”

“Just keep your claws out of him,” the reaper demi told her with a threatening cadence, a couple of her shadow hounds poking their heads out of her shadow. “Otherwise, we’ll find out if cats truly have nine lives.”

Wispy’s fur stood on end at the sight of the creepy canines, and she let out a nervous titter. Nonetheless, she eagerly tugged Zell over to another table.

Atalanta rolled her eyes before yanking Midnight up to his feet, showing a surprising level of strength given how thin her limbs were. “Alright, moron. Let’s make this quick…”

Midnight gulped before following the petite demi while Moonie grumbled and folded her arms into her chest. More than a little annoyed that Wispy snagged Zell before she could even sample his heavenly pillar. “That fucking cat..!”

“Yeah, I’m afraid she’s got a bad case of ‘main character’ syndrome,” Eclipsed giggled.

The batmare sighed. “Anyhow, can't wait to set out on our journey and get Cerise back.” She lifted another glass and made a toast. “But here’s to Lightning Spark and Kitsune. May they make a swift recovery!”

Eclipsed perked back up. “Oh! Funny you should mention that. Lightning should be waking up real soon thanks to Zeloph’s advanced healing.”

Moonlight was halfway down her drink when she spit it all back out onto the table. She then coughed out, “Wait, what?!”

“Yeah, saw it with my own eyes,” elaborated Eclipsed. “Use his sacred touch to restore her eye and everything, and Deinos said she’ll be back up in no time. Same for Kitsune if all goes well!”

Moonlight’s face sobered with relief that Midnight’s sister would be up to continuing their adventure… Then her face instantly returned to scowling when she realized, “… You’re telling me I lost the chance to hook up with holy boy AND get my wings back?!”

“Urrrm… well, when you put it that way—”

She then climbed up on the table, cupped over her snout, and yelled, “SCREW YOU, PUSSYWILLOW!!”

The nekomata looked back, flashed a wink and a stuck out tongue while also flipping her the bird. Not too far, Ana finished up her latest bout with Redrum, who was recovering in a chair, his flaccid bull cock spent, balls sapped of cum.

The neon demon took notice of Zeloph. Specifically, how uncomfortable he seemed while the frisky feline pumped his iron within his pants. His face winched each time Wispy brushed him with her twin tails, purring happily.

“Tiān a! How are you able to hide such a long and thick sword in those pants~?”

“Very carefully,” deadpanned Zell.

“Pft! Don't act like you aren’t tempted to tap this,” the nekomata huffed, waking away to sway her hips before bending over to show off her plump furry ass, hands playfully smack and bouncing her jiggling cheeks. “I know plenty of men who’d kill to be in your shoes, boy~!”

Zeloph’s unease deepened upon spotting the copious white fluid still dripping out her snatch, not very keen on sticking his annoying erection into her literal sloppy seconds.

Still, he placed his hands over top of her fuzzy striped buns, which immediately backed up to hotdog and ground her dripping pussy against his stiffness. “Mmmnh~! Y’know, my sister’s started calling herself Sakura as a way to wash herself of the violent lifestyle we were forced into by the syndicate that experimented on us. I figured I should give myself a proper name, too. I was thinkin' something like… Xing Xing! Yeah! Name so nice, you get to say it twice~!”

“It's... got a ring to it,” he admitted between heated breaths, unable to deny Wispy had the softness ass he’s ever touched. And despite the seraph’s disgust of having her cum filled pussy anywhere near his glowing shaft, his lust-aidden body betrayed his greater judgment. The urge to conquer her pussy, pump it full of his seed so that his offspring could take root within frustratingly overwhelming!

“Enough stalling!” Wispy whined impatiently. “You need to clear your mind, right? So quit with the pussyfooting and get to the pussyfucking! I wanna feel that gorgeous cock bottoming me out~!!”

Hesitantly, he did as she demanded and slowly began inserting himself into her greedy womanhood. Feeding her inch by inch, making her moan and wriggle her hips to push him deeper until…

She felt empty.

Her slit eyes dilated in alarm, snapping her head back, only to find that Zeloph was not there.

“What the—Hēi! What gives?!”

Zeloph blinked, watching the flustered catwoman search around the bartending area to find him, to no avail. It was then that he noticed that the entire space around looked as if it were underneath a black light. Everyone outlined in bright neon colors.

“Ana? Did you..?”

“No need to thank me,” the lilim demi tittered, walking out from behind him. “Ya looked loike you’d rather stick your dick in a cactus before ya touch that alley slut’s gnarly axewound! Plus, I can't let Rumpleteazer 'ave seven minutes in 'eaven wif ya just yet~!”

The fiery angelman chuckled. “Well, I appreciate the thought, but this doesn’t help cleanse my body of this unbridled lust eating away at my psyche.”

The demon’s painted lips spread into a playful grin, slowly swaying side to side with her arms held back. “Nah, I suppose not. But Edgie's tryin' aahhht stinky Kingdom Come meat, and Bella’s detoxin' a Joe Blake. If only there was someone else 'oo could 'elp absolve ya of your sins…~?”

Zeloph caught on immediately to what she was implying. And, after a few seconds to think it over, offered a sly smirk of his own. He took a step forward to her as he said, “Yes… someone… more familiar to me.”

Ana’s tail wagged in anticipation as she stepped backward, distancing herself ever so slightly until she was backed into the counter. “Someone 'oo 'as always made 'erself openly available ter ya for many years…”

“Someone I always turned down due to our familial bond… yet, I can’t say I view her as my sister anymore.” His wings unfurled from his back as he leaned over top of the sultry succubus, eyes narrowed in a heavy gaze. His own pulse quickened as her hands slid up his torso before wrapping over his shoulders.

She fluttered her lashes at him, smiling widening. “Then wot am I ter ya, then? O’mighty Aether King~?”

Zell could tell by the dripping enthusiasm in her voice this wasn’t going to be a mere ‘one and done’ type of sex like most of her encounters with people. This was something the neon demon had dreamt about for years. And given how sensually and passionately Analyse rubbed and huddled into his warm body, it would be asinine of him to reject her in such a rare, almost vulnerable state of mind.

His arms reached to secure her curvy waistline, lifting her ever so closer; a light gasp as their privates brushed into one another. The tip of his spear perfectly aligned at her entrance, labia quivering and winking invitingly.

“… my most cherished friend,” he answered huskily, hot breath tickling her neck.

Ana’s face drew closer to his, completely red. “… wif benefits…?”

His eyelids lowered, hips shifting forward to slowly slide himself in. “… with benefits~.”

Their lips finally met, as did their hips. Ana muffled a heightened moan from feeling him fully sheath his cock into her, neon pink claws lightly digging into his shoulders from the sensation of being so… whole.

Likewise, Zell was struggling to buck his hips up, the lilim’s pussy locking his lengthy member in a vice grip. Ensure it went nowhere but deeper into her core. And, thanks to her biology, any trace of her previous lay had been thoroughly absorbed, leaving her love tunnel clean and ready for his manhood.

When they uncoupled their mouths, a small thread of drool linked between them. They gazed warmly, lovingly into each other.

Zell chuckled. “And here I thought you’d given up on trying to seduce me~.”

She snorted. “The fact that it took the chuffin' end of the fuckin' world for ya ter finally say yeah ter me, ya dickbiscut! I oughta tear ya into bloodied pieces… n-nyaaah~!”

Ana mewled when she felt her lover pull back until only the tip remained inside… and then jackhammered it back into place. Her pussy gushed with feminine discharge just from having Zell’s turgid tool saw back and forth.

“… B-bah! Just fuck the bloody shite outta me already~,” she begged airly.

Zeloph was all too happy to oblige, once more kissing the succubus demi while pummeling her womanhood with deep, romantic thrusts.

Atalanta had witnessed the whole ordeal up until Ana used her cloaking magic to tuck herself and Zell away from sight, leaving an increasingly frustrated Wispy on the prowl for someone else to scratch the itch left in her pussy.

A bemused titter left her lips. Still, she’d have to give the mistress of all mischief a proper thank you after this.

She then laid her head into her arms and groaned from the girthy intruder pushing in and out of her fuck hole. Midnight trying his damndest to fit all of his horse cock into the petite angel. But thanks to her humanoid shape, he could only manage the first few inches before the tip hit her defiant cervix. Refusing to open up for anyone but her true love.

He was sweating profusely. Both from trying not to climax and from the anxious predicament Atalanta had him in. The pegasus soldier glanced back to his infested shadow, where the eyes of the shadow hounds glared from writhing. Await any further commands from their master.

“Hurry up, Blitzer,” the self-proclaimed death goddess managed between grunts and pants. She then cruelly added. “Is this really the best you can do? I’m starting to understand why Moonie left you for Moon Hammer~.”

This earned a growl from Midnight, who doubled his efforts to bludgeon the tight little entrance. Make it so she wouldn’t feel anyone else’s cock after he was done! Teach this saucy bitch a lesson for ridiculing him!

But for Atalanta, this felt nothing more than like a trip to the massage parlor. A soft moan left her grinning lips as her backside and tiny tits jiggled from the brisk impact of his hips slamming hers. “Aaauugh, that’s it. I’m starting to feel it now. Keep going just like that. And remember not to cum~!”

The low-growling canines lurking in his shade reminded him not to displease the petite goth demi.

“Nnaagh! I-I’m trying,” he whined through clenched teeth.

Elsewhere, Seb was gripping onto Bellatrix’s ass for dear life as the succubus drained him outta four orgasms already, working on a fifth. His hips could no longer keep up to her bounces, the sound of wet flesh smacking into each other resonating throughout the building, drowned by the music and ecstasy.

“C’mon, keep up,” she wheezed with a snarl, practically impaling herself on the devil’s prick. “We don’t rest until every last drop is balls deep inside my womb~!”

“Huuurgh! I think I owe Beatrix and Mox an apology. Clearly, you’re the most cock hungry slut I’ve ever—mmngh!!”

His insult was silenced when the red-skinned demoness drove her tongue down his throat in an attempt to dominate it as their soft muscles violently wrestled amidst animalistic passion. As a succubus, before she achieved self-awareness, she'd mated with a number of monsters some would find grotesque. By contrast, she found his devilish charm and handsomeness (minding the facial scars) oddly appealing in his own unique way as she skewered her wet cunt on his dick.

It was their last celebration here, so Bella wanted an all-out party!

Playfully, she raked claw-like nails across his chest as she practically ripped his pin-striped suit open. Guided his tail with her own and sank it into her warm asshole with another wet squish.

At this point, Seb's balls had been milked until he'd deposited over a dozen loads into Bella's uterus, whose slimy walls were sticky with his viscous seed by the time she dismounted.

Glowing with satisfaction, the she-devil confessed, “You were… more than adequate. Maybe we'll do this again.” She allowed him to pat her ass a couple of times in thanks for the ride she'd taken him on.

“Anytime,” his voice mustered out of breath. He weakly lifted his arm to give a thumbs-up.

“It's not like I asked to be born a sex demon,” murmured Bella while picking up her clothes and putting them back on, leather bra snapping back over her breasts with a brief jiggle. “It's probably why I prefer women. I don't want to be dependent on males, especially ones that view me as another conquest added to their tally marks.”

The she-devil lifted her head to see Atalanta shove herself free from Midnight the second they hit climax. She vanished into the shadows right before the pegasus unleashed a torrent of splooge, covering the seat in thick white ropes. Upon realizing he failed to keep it together, he let out a frustrated groan.

Bellatrix couldn’t help but snicker at Middy’s shortcoming, sashaying her way towards a nearby seat. “You didn’t have to do him like that~”

Atalanta emerged from the shadows, adjusting her short shorts and leaning back with a sigh of contentment. “Dumbass has to learn the hard way that he can't proclaim resistance and then bolster mediocrity.”

“Very true,” agreed Bella. “It’s why I fail to see the attraction to those ‘alpha, machismo’ types. Although at least Dion has some charm.” She then groaned. “Really wish my Onoma wasn’t so dependent on cum!”

“Maybe I can create a sperm substitute?” offered the reaper.

Bella shook her head. “No, Bea's tried that. It lacked potency or nutrition. Like canned food you cook in the microwave instead of freshly prepared ingredients to craft a proper dinner. Plus, it's half down to the carnal act itself. Perhaps a female with a functional penis and testes would do...” Her toned wide buttocks spread on the stool when the statuesque she-demon sat down.

“Quite a dilemma,” answered Atalanta sympathetically before she took another sip of milk. “It’s Alma, right? The Vice Lord you've fallen for?”

The red-skinned demoness nodded, a faint blush on her cheeks.

“I didn't spend much time around them when Zeloph and I were marked by the 'Burning King', but I can see why she's considered beautiful. Not unusual for a vampire, from the little I know about them. Surely, there must be a way you can change her heart-”

“Like you and Zeloph? Ideally, yes,” confessed Bellatrix, who frowned. “But that was a unique circumstance. He didn’t try to enslave or dominate your will.”

“Correct. Because I would have dominated him,” Atalanta proclaimed with a smug smile. Still, the reaper cutie mark… nullified my emotions. The rest of my order may have been victims, Mortis Soltaire as well, in a way. Hell, Zell’s ideals were so severely warped by his family drama that I didn’t think redemption for him was possible!”

She gently placed her hand over top of the sex demon’s. “I’m not saying saving Alma isn’t impossible. I just have doubts our enemies would want to turn from their path of evil. And should Alma prove defiant…”

“… I'll take her heart myself. One way or the other.” Bella's open palm squeezed the open air like she could crush the Baobhan Sith's heart. “Esmeralda and Camellia too! Those treacherous wastrels!”

Atalanta nodded darkly. “Nonetheless, you're always welcome to be with Zeloph and me. We won’t ever turn away from you.”

“Thank you.” Bella's hand closed over the reaper's. “I hadn't interacted much with you in the past. But we have a lot in common. Both former villains lost and alone-”

“Ehh. Not so alone now.” A small titter escaped Atalanta, who rubbed the head of a shadow hound. While pets normally weren't allowed in, even the minotaurs hesitated to tell her no.

Bella shuddered a bit at the shadowy mutts, reminded of how Alma used to punish her. Allowing a number of hellhound packs to run a forceful train on her. Several with two knotted cocks to match their twin heads. All because Alma broke her promise and used Oona and an unborn Abadonna as barter tools, despite her promise not to do so in return for Bella's obedience. She'd helped Oona's people provide an escape and suffered humiliation and punishment in return for her actions.

Another in the line of betrayals is when Alma broke her word. The eldritch mansion she called home, who'd turned on Bella after she used it as a weapon and caused the beast a mortal wound. Esmeralda and Camellia, taken into her home and promptly backstabbed her.

But even their crimes and misdeeds failed to overshadow the foreboding threat of Omen. The Nightmare Stag having escaped Alma’s captivity on his own, while pulling the strings behind the scenes with the resurging Cult of the Nemesis. He was even somehow responsible for Mortis’ resurrection!

Their attention was pulled when Dion entered, flanked by the nudist arm candy of the Manor twins, Foal-Bearer and Wet Nurse. Half-succubi, thanks to Bella's dark arcane arts. “My sweet twins,” she lamented. “I'll miss them. But they seem happy with Dion.”

They'd even inherited her own angelic side's ability to heal, only in their case, it came in the form of sex, as Dion learned after the latest friendly match with the chief.

“Funny,” mused Atalanta. “When I first encountered that set of twins, they were enslaved by the eldritch mansion and brainwashed to do its dirty work. They collected dozens of heads-”

“I was trapped in its basement, and my life force was continually fed on,” lamented Bella at the memory.

Atalanta smiled ambivalently at her. “I was quite the villain then. Probably the closest I came to beating Belladonna! Would have succeeded had I not threatened to hunt down Abby~!”

“Oh yeah, that definitely set her off!” Bella took her own cup of milk. “To old times.” The pair clinked cups and drank.

“And to a better tomorrow. One without Omen, Shub’Niggurath, or any of their followers,” vowed the reaper demi, exhaling loudly. “Gods, I can think clearly again. Everyone sure seems hellbent on keeping their genitals wet. Not even I was immune to madness.”

“It’s the odd miasma outside,” said Bella with a stiff nod. “While it doesn't appear directly harmful, it could be a weapon of Chrysalis or the Cult. To keep us distracted...or weaken us once they strike. Mmm, maybe they want the people here to breed up another batch they can convert for the hive?”

“We'll have to trust Arcanum to handle it,” said Atalanta. “Supposedly, he's an expert, and we may not have time to look into it, what with another war about to break out in Oona's world!”

“I hope Layla has recovered enough to get the ship back in the air. Time’s running out as it is…” Her brows furrowed as her head looked around the place. “Say, where did that silly husband of yours go..?”

Her answer would come in the form of a heightened wail as the earth-shattering orgasm that ran through Ana caused her neon void to disburse, revealing she and Zeloph had been making love right between them. Legs held high over his shoulders, claws trending her plump tits, eyes rolled to the back of her skull. The seraph was wise enough to pull out of her gushing pussy to finish with her meaty thighs, grunting as he reached nirvana as well. Thick white splotches scooped between her breasts while the rest landed in her hair, face, and tummy, painting the neon demon in his highly virile seed.

After catching her breath, the sated demoness took in her surroundings and blushed hotly to find Bellatrix and Atalanta staring down at her with beguiled expressions. Flashing a cheeky grin, she said, “S’up, you saudy cunts~!”

“I see someone’s made good use of my favorite toy,” murmured Bella, who scooped a generous amount of Zell’s cum off her student’s belly and added it to her drink. After a sip and a couple of lip smacks, she mewled with approval. “Oh yeah, that tastes fantastic~!”

Atalanta pushed Ana’s legs apart to drink directly from the source, cleaning her sensitive lover’s coated dick with suckles and licks while making him whimper softly. “Mmmnh! Quite the zesty flavor~!”

Leaning back up, she eyed her angelic lover with a knowing grin. “I take it pussywillow wasn’t up to stuff? I thought you liked your woman extra pushy!”

Collecting his breathing, Zell retorted, “Attitudinizing is the term I would use. Eclipsed was right. Behind that ‘bad girl’ persona is just a rambunctious putty tat. A little less drunk and a bit more honest, then I might have been more willing to cater to her needs.”

“So the lustful fog isn’t clouding your head either! What luck.”

He nodded, then arched an eyebrow. “How’d it go with Midnight? You don’t seem exactly thrilled by his bedroom skills…”

“He got the job done,” she graded with a shrug. “As Bella said, most men only care about their pleasure when it comes to sex. Admittedly, he’s nicer about it but no less different. Plus, he makes my mind go numb… and not in the fun way.”

“Yeah, he’s a stiff lay,” added Ana, licking some of Zell’s cum off her fingers and titties. “A bulky wall that knows 'a ter fuck is still a wall...”

The aether king then concluded, “So… never again?”

Atalanta thought it over for a brief moment before deciding, “Mmm, well… I wouldn’t mind exploring this avenue a bit more. But only with the right people.”

“Of course,” nodded Zell. “You… have someone in mind?”

Her face heated up when she relented, “… I… I find myself awfully curious about what sex with Belladonna would be like. All these years of her putting out and teasing me have stirred some unsettled business. Plus, that skank owes me for getting to you first!”

This made the male demi chuckle. “I wouldn’t mind indulging with her once more… Y’know when the world isn’t in shambles.”

“Right. Speaking of which, get dressed already! We need to clear the air,” she urged, shoving her future husband away while the two demonesses huddled to each other, playing in angel cum while squishing their bountiful assets together.

“Sooooooo,” Ana purred. “How was Seb?”

Looking back to the gambler, who was also putting his pinstriped suit back on, Bella stroked her bottom lip with a claw before saying, “I’d say he’s earned a spot in my court. He’s not too shabby in the sack, and his skills as an assassin are too beneficial for me to pass out. Should returning to the Cyberverse prove inefficient, he’s welcome to serve me~.”

“Good stuff, mami~,” the neon demon tittered before seizing a crimson mound to playfully suckle and nibble on.

Bella let out a startled moan when her own milk started leaking out, which made Ana tug on her nub harder. “Ahahh~! W-wait, stop! This is embarrassing…!”

“Mal purr ov da puckig,” the mischievous succubus muffled against her boob flesh.

They watched the cheery debauchery continue. Eclipsed Heart decided to dance fully nude since everyone had already seen her disrobed, losing herself to the music and whirling faster with a wide smile on her face. Midnight watched, enraptured while wiping his dick clean of the mess he made… only for another’s tender hand to suddenly wrap around it. “E-Ehh!?”

“You've been a good boy lately,” giggled Moonlight as the unclad thestral slid down the pegasus knight's body, dragged out his hard-on, and nuzzled it. When she met his cocked brow, she murmured, “What, you think just because your size can’t compare to a minotaur’s, I'd lose interest in you? Dummy. What's more important is who this dick's attached to~!”

“Moonie, I'm sorry I hurt-o-oh...!” His eyes practically rolled into his head when she sucked him off. A hand gripping her head to help pace her bobs along his angry vein-ridden shaft, which she allowed to help direct her rhythm.

After swabbing his horse knob with her throat, the bat mare spat him out to stroke in all that saliva staining his cock. Then Moonlight crawled onto Midnight's lap and started to writhe on him, guiding his hands to rub down her tits and mash her slick pussylips on his cock until, after she'd teased him for a few minutes, finally turned and speared herself on her childhood friend with a sharp moan. “Give it to me,” she demanded, hands pressed on the tabletop while he started to fuck her.

While his hands pinched the hips and buttflesh of his former herd mate, his massive plume's wingstips reached around to grope her medium-sized tits and his feathers tickled her nipples. Fingertips spread her toned buttcheeks while he rubbed her anus, and her head turned to kiss him while he bent her over further and made her his mare. Eclipsed barely noticed them as she danced nearby on the tabletop, also entranced like Hammerfall that continued to fall under the mist's spell.

Moonie bounced faster amidst wet claps, scraped her nail across the tabletop, and left scratches, her pussy going through multiple squirting orgasms while tightly hugging down Midnight’s cock. As if it missed his familiar shape and speed. Toned buns impacted each time he speared her.

“Mmaaahh! Moonie, I-I can’t hold back anymore,” he warned between heavy pants while he fondled supple flesh.

“Then don’t,” she moaned back. “Do it! Fill me up with your cum. I’m yours~!”

Her loving words, after so long of being chastised for his wrongdoings, brought him over the edge once more. Midnight slammed deep and moaned to the rooftop as he unleashed another thick wave of white. Not as plentiful as his earlier climax, but enough to have Moonie’s belly bulge a bit.

Both extremely satisfied, the thestral leaned back to let him hold her in his arms, stroking his biceps as he held her tightly. “I missed you,” she softly admitted, tears streaming down her face.

“Me too,” he answered, trying to hold back his own sadness.

That’s when the lights went dim, and the partying came to another stop. The participants and holstaurs once more became rowdy at the interruption, only to go silent when light hit the stage, and Zeloph was sitting down, acoustic guitar in hand.

Smiling, he motioned for Atalanta to join him, who hesitantly walked over and took a seat beside him. The two looked longingly at each other before the angelic musician started to strum his strings.

The two sang a stunning love ballad, their voices perfectly in sync and harmonizing with each other. While the audience was spellbound by the music, Bella, Ana, Eclipsed, Seb, Dion, Midnight, and Moonlight paid special attention to the lyrics, which flawlessly summarized their relationship's journey.

Slowly, the monstrous urge to fuck, drink, and party melted away by the warmth and sound resonating throughout Hammerfall, touching the ears and hearts of all who listened. Perhaps the most sensitive to the song was Beatrix, who had been sparring and pushing her magic to the limit with Iclyn.

They paused when the music reached their ears, and instantly, the song brought up all the good mementos and memories the witch shared with her beloved Oona. Bittersweet tears rained down her cheeks, reminding her of how much time she lost on this adventure, aided by both her careless distractions and Omen’s manipulations.

Tightening her fist, she angrily yelled before resuming her practice, pushing more force and power behind her spellcasting while the icy doe swiftly dodged and counter-attacked.

Moon Hammer walked in, lured in by the performance the couple put on, a wide smile on his snout to see his people united in the moment. When the song came to an end, Zell and Atalanta shared a kiss, much to the applause of the tavern.

Even Wispy lost her sultry edge and was momentarily taken back by the beauty of their love. It made her second guess herself about what she said earlier… before she brushed it off and downed another glass of moo milk.

As the two took a bow, the chieftain approached them. “Before you head out of here, I made something for you,” Moon Hammer announced, fishing into his apron pocket to pull out a pair of rings. Made from the orichalcum metal Layla had salvaged from ancient times.

Zeloph flashed a grin at Seb, who nodded his head while giving golf claps.

“Holds the same protective magic I embedded into Midnight and Cerise’s rings.”

“Thank you,” Atalanta said as she and Zell accepted the gift and placed their respective rings around each other's fingers. His encrusted with a raindrop design, hers with a matching sun.

As they descended back down, the warm happiness they provided gradually became melancholy as the party looked at each other with somber realization.

The time for celebration had long ended.

*****

Everyone gathered in the UFO, its ethereal glow dim yet radiant—a sign that it was healthy. Deinos helped move those stuck in the infirmary outside with his four limbs. Lightning Spark murmured as she stirred awake, her vision blurry as her newly regrown eye adjusted to the light.

“Uuhhgh… huh?! I can see… perfectly?”

“Shhh,” the mutant changeling hushed. "Try to rest up. You’re still a bit shell-shocked from the trauma.”

The electric blue mare groaned and closed her eyes, the stimulation causing a headache. Kyube and Chisana had already helped Kitsune join Midnight’s faction, her wound having healed enough to require the stitches to be removed. Layla remained in her chambers, observing the scene below.

“We can’t afford to stall any longer,” proclaimed Iclyn. “We have to leave immediately!

“Unless we reach them in time, Oona and Abby'll be lost forever,” insisted Beatrix, shaking like a leaf.

“I still say we need at least one more hour,” Zeloph rebutted. “The Glamorguis isn't ready for interstellar travel—”

“We're outta time!” argued Dion. “We have tae risk it, laddie. Our fates could be th' crud ov th' multiverse!”

“He’s right, my love,” Atalanta added, her shadow hounds at her sides. “Even if we’re playing right into our enemy’s hand, we mustn’t hesitate. We strike now!”

“But should the spacecraft crumble in space, we'll all be lost-”

“All dimensions could be lost should Oona be corrupted,” explained Bellatrix. “We have reason to believe Shub’Niggurath will overtake Oona and become Lady She'ba. Grimmwald all but confirmed it!”

“Damn it,” Zell balled up a fist. “But still—”

Layla tapped into the speaker system and said through the intercom. “The ship and I are doing just fine, I promise. I fear we can't reach the Isles of Parras in time...but you should be able to, with the Crucible.” She nodded at his blade.

He studied the former Vorpal Blade. “It's risky... The fabric of reality is already thin here. One mistake and it will be irreparably punctured, which would cause the dimensional walls to collapse!”

Atalanta touched his arm. “So don't make one. I have faith in you, my love.”

“…” he sighed and relented, “Very well. I haven’t mastered this yet, but I don’t see any other options.”

With steady breath, he focused on a vantage point in front of him and carved a cross through the physical plain that expanded. Wind and sound sucking through the x-shaped tear. Zeloph turned to all who were leaving and shouted, “Quickly now! While I’m still able to seal it up!”

Nodding, Atalanta, Bellatrix, and Analyse sailed through the dimensional hole with Dion and the Manor Twins trailing behind. Iclyn leaped through gracefully, with Beatrix about to make the jump… only to turn back and run up to Midnight, hugging him tightly.

Tearfully, she looked up at him. “Tell Cerise I’m sorry I couldn't keep my promise. And that I’ll make it up to her! To you, both!”

Midnight smiled and squeezed her harder. “I’m sure she’ll understand! Now go! Oona and Abby need you!”

With a nod, she sprinted through the rift, waving goodbye to her comrades and friends, unsure if it would be the last time she’d see them again.

Zeloph looked to the blue knight and told him, “Good luck…” before departing from their world. The dimensional tear mended itself before it could grow unstable.

“You too…” Midnight acknowledged before taking Moonlight’s hand. Before following Moon, Hammer guided the entourage to a secret tunnel opened below Hammerfall, within his house.

The chieftain led his chosen men and a rescue party into the depths. The rocky walls were lined with chiseled structures and architecture. “These used to be an emergency tunnel, carved by my ancestors,” he explained, "In case of the unthinkable.”

Enchanted torches lit the sconches. Flames flickered and cast shadows to dance across the corridors.

“I had a laboratory similar to this,” admired Brutus Grimmwald, his hands atop a cane. “I used it to conduct experiments using the alien botanic life harvested from Shub’Niggurath”. Resulting in the Grimm, the clones of Tatyana, and… my greatest mistake…”

Moon Hammer shook his head. “This is sacred ground. Although it might be another thing that seems strange to outsiders. Behold.” He waved a muscled arm to a nude male minotaur statue that towered ahead, the bull's massive penis and testicles on full display. “Our fertility symbol.”

“More like a vanity symbol, bro,” chuckled Arron. “Betcha this guy was compensating for somethin’~!”

“Nah, mate. This type of culture has a strong foundation in worshiping deities” noted Arcanum, who chewed on an unlit smoke. “Often displaying them in full with statues and monuments.”

“Like the one of a milky holstaur near the pub,” stated Bloody Merry.

“Yes. Those statues are meant to empower our men and women. To make them more virile and fertile, respectively.” The chief waved them further in. “More importantly, I've been hard at work in case we face another attack.” Tucked inside was a workshop, where a titanic suit of mechanized armor sat on display, partially made from clockwork tech. “This could make even our scrawniest minotaur a dominant threat, once completed.”

Midnight's emerald eyes widened as he, too, proclaimed, “It's like a futuristic knight!”

“No shot! That’s a full-on mecha,” exclaimed Wispy. "Aiyah! Just like in some of my favorite anime!”

“You’re such a child sometimes,” Eclipsed said, playfully rolling her eyes. “So, is that really a mech suit?”

“Eh. It's more of a power suit,” admitted the chief with a proud smirk. "It has the same function but on a smaller scale. Anyone inside will feel like a heavy-hitting machine! Unfortunately, it hasn’t left its experimental state and remains untested. There's no way we can safely mass-produce it yet.”

Moonlight studied the suit in great detail, and the empty machine that was also bull-like in shape. “It's a shame Deinos had to stay behind. I'm sure he'd love to see this!”

“You’re taking quite the risk by showing us all this,” reminded Grimmwald, who curiously took in more enchanted armor on display, anvils, tools, and a stockpiled arsenal of weapons. “I’d hate to see what that thing is capable of in the wrong hands…”

“I know. So I hope you'll all continue to live up to my expectations,” answered the chief.

Chezka trotted ahead and asked, “So we simply follow this tunnel until its end?”

“Yes. It will take you into the thick of the forest once you're out.”

“You're lucky the hive hasn't discovered this place,” admitted Panna dryly. “Especially after we've confirmed this world is carved hollow. Chrysalis has all the hives interconnected after she slaughtered all the Protoquen's. Not counting Marathyssa, of course.”

Moon Hammer sighed. “Most likely. Sadly, I can only take you this far. From here on out, you are on your own. Godspeed, my friends.” The chief checked to make sure his work was safe before he, Arron, and Brutus left the party behind. He'd lent them a dozen of his finest minotaur soldiers, all decked out in heavy armor and ready to die in service to their people's future.

Eclipsed chewed her lower lip pensively. “We should still have a leader. Any volunteers?”

Midnight was about to raise his hand until Arcanum cut him off. “Hands down, son. You’ll only hurt yourself.” He then lit up his cigarette and took another long drag. “Nah, that’s gonna be me. No offense to any of you, but you’re all pretty much amateurs. Merry and I have survived a number of bloodied campaigns. Other than...” He looked at his partner, reminded of what had befallen her in the last battle with Doctor Reanimator.

“I second that,” added Merry with a toothy smile.

“You would,” Moonie noted. “But it's true: Middy and I are technically still cadets—well, ex-cadets.”

“Hey, I'm a lieutenant in a band,” argued Wispy, hands on the wide hips of her spike-studded crimson catsuit. “Okay, a bassist. But B.A.B.E. moonlighted as vigilantes after concerts! Plus, Kitsune and I were ex-assassins! We're totally qualified to take charge!”

“Being a mercenary with a celebrity status ain’t the bloody same as being an officer of war,” informed the erren warlock. “Name me one interdimensional aberration you fought and survived!”

The twin-tailed tigress struggled to think of a single scenario. And by the time she did, Folklore was already saying, “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

Eclipsed took her arm and shook her head. “I'd… feel more comfortable with Mr. Folklore in the lead. He has a history with warfare and eldritch monsters! He’s right, Wispy. We're really out of our element!”

Wispy hissed but relaxed her posture. “Fine, fine. Seoi Lo. You better not get any of us killed, or I swear—!”

“No promises,” grunted Arcanum while marching forward. “Death’s always a factor when it comes to combating the unexplainable or evil. If you’re not willing to die, turn back now and pray we somehow make it through this. Otherwise, don’t fall behind.”

The nekomata strode ahead in a huff, called after by Eclipsed, who skated behind her. Their silhouettes were left to loom across the tunnels, and their steps and skates echoed after the duo.

“Yep. She's definitely a cat,” muttered Merry with a snicker. “Blimey. I really hate to leave Hammerfall and the pub behind, but I wanted to stick by me old partner! Especially since-”

“Yeah, don’t worry about that, love,” assured the erren warlock at her side. “It won’t happen again.”

The scruffy detective had already lost her once. He'd seen too many friends and decent people get killed. That's why Arcanum had always been quick to punish evil without hesitation, and he had no patience for fools who couldn't keep up and put them all at risk.

The party traveled the tunnels for miles upon miles mostly in silence, determined to stay below the earth until they were forced to exit. Sometimes, the travelers swore they could hear faint sounds from even further below… unaware of how close the interconnecting hives were to Hammerfall, unable to burrow out the reinforced stonework that the minotaur ancestors had carved in ancient times.

It became clearer why this land was sacred to the bovines. Their history and generations of labor were contained here. Without it, they would practically have to restart in a new world. Hammerfall was simply a temporary home, which could always be rebuilt.

Of course, like so many here, such as the Amazons and yokai bandits, they'd been displaced by a mass dimensional storm. Strangers in a strange land, thought Arcanum and Merry in unison. But they'd both been drawn here for one purpose. The Mi-Go spread needed to be contained and eliminated.

Hours passed before they finally decided to take a break in a spacious, empty room. Pillars from the abandoned structure stood firm, covered in traces of dust and sediment but otherwise untouched by entropy.

“Eat up, take a drink and piss,” reminded Arcanum. “I don't intend to stop unless absolutely necessary—“

He spun and drew a pistol from his inner coat, Merry an even quicker draw with her auto-crossbow, and everyone else quickly alerted at a subdued shadow that loomed behind them.

“W-Wait! It-it's only me! Sparky!” The electric blue mare cautiously stepped into the open.

“Lightning!?” The blue pegasus hurried over while everyone lowered their arms.

“Have you learned nothing?” Hissed Merry. “That could be a bloody changeling!!”

Lightning kept her arms raised. “It's me! I swear! The moment the spaceship excreted the last of its sickness, Deinos stuck me in one of those weird pools with the jellyfish and healed me right up! See~?” She tapped the side of her head where she'd lost an eye. “Like it had never been stabbed! Hindsight 20/20! Man, next time I see Zeloph, I owe him something big! Pretty cool, right?”

“Sis.” He embraced her in his wide plume, and she returned the gesture with choked sobs, unable to hold back anymore while she bawled her eyes out. “Damn that Autumn Equinox; next time we meet, I'll...” He met Moonie's look from the corner of his eye. “I'll...make sure you're safe from her.”

“It was my own fault,” insisted Lightning. “But I couldn't let her hurt Moonie!”

The thestral offered her a painful smile. “You saved me. Thank you. But the fault's mine. I put a vendetta ahead of what really mattered. Middy and I have sworn not to repeat that mistake!”

Arcanum pinched his forehead, already deeply annoyed. “Right. Well, since you followed us here, you'd better pull your weight. I ain’t no babysitter, especially when doomsday is around the corner!”

Middy started to step up to the erren warlock, but his twin intercepted him and nodded. “You won’t have to worry about me! I might not be a soldier, but my Onoma is pretty damn powerful, or so I've been told!”

The warlock looked her up and down before giving her a slight smirk. “I’ll hold you to that. You’re a spunky one, for sure.”

Merry also shook her hand and said, “The more the merrier! Uh, that wasn't an intentional pun!”

Laughter filled the underground tunnels as the party made camp for a short time and took care to feed and relieve themselves before they resumed the trip, unaware of what would soon befall Hammerfall. One adversary in particular had awaited an opportunity to swiftly and decisively make his move...

*****

To this point, Sombra and the half of his army he'd split that were with him kept their distance and spied on Hammerfall, uncertain what the downed spacecraft was capable of. But for whatever reasons, it appeared the number of protectors around Hammerfall continued to slowly thin. He tried to fathom why. But whatever the case, intuition told him it was a chance to be seized! The town meant little to him. More fodder to be captured or slain. No, his prize was the second 'Cerise', Eclipsed Heart, who'd recently been spotted on her exit from the local pub.

Vox had fortunately kept docile, allowing Sombra temporary full access to his possessed vessel, Penumbra, on his latest road for conquest. Boldly, he marched at the head of his invasion force, lit the unicorn horn he'd attached to his skull with alchemy to empower his magic, and cast a hellish inferno at the watchtowers before they were alert. The minotaurs screamed and cooked in a blackened blaze that devoured them.

With a swipe of his blade, Sombra ordered the eldritch chimera hybrids to charge in and ram the gates. Despite how well they were reinforced, brute force that crippled the horns and cracked the skulls of the abominations at the lead allowed them to smash the way in at the cost of their lives. The creatures shuddered and whimpered, crippled, and he stepped over their broken bodies to lead his army in.

“Do what you will with the rabble,” he declared to his legion, who stalked after him. “But my dear Eclipsed Heart is not to be harmed, no matter what! Go!”

Despite his swift, surprise ambush, Hammerfall's defenders moved to properly man the ballistas. Sombra casually raised a mystic barrier to shield those closest to him, while more of his followers were skewered by dozens of rapid-fire arrows or blown to bits by launched explosives that rained down.

“Bastard,” yelled Moon Hammer from his house. “Of all the times for a surprise attack...!”

Grimmwald snorted, “A calculated risk. Allow me to repay your kindness.” The bovine magus stepped from the house and, with a tap of his cane, summoned his Grimm beasts to support the minotaurs. The botanic abominations met the eldritch chimera manticores head-on and proved a match for the brutish war beasts. The charred battlefield was swathed in smoke, fire, ash, and blood across the torn-up earth.

Without Fiery's army for backup and most of Beatrix’s allies now away, Moon Hammer knew they were potentially desperately outmatched. He'd have to take extreme measures to protect his people! And so, after a quick check-in to his wives and calves that he warned to stay inside, he rushed back to his hidden lab under the tunnels in a mad dash and prayed he'd be in time...

Near the ship, Kitsune struggled to keep her trained posture without kneeling over her pained abdomen. “The others need me,” she hissed between clenched teeth, Triad's sheathed sword strapped to her back.

“You're in no condition,” implored Kyube. “Leave it to Chisana and I!”

“Watashitachi ga taiō sa sete itadakimasu,” reassured Chisana, who tried to tuck the fox woman back in, only for the cyber kunoichi to throw on her usual form-fitted costume over her sarashi.

Gently, Kitsune covered Chisana's eyes with her hands when she leaned over the raccoon dog and tenderly kissed Kyube, a soft blush on her face which nonetheless bristled with fierce, quiet determination. “I must do this. It's a matter of honor. These people have aided and sheltered us.”

“… Tsk. Totemo gankodesu,” he sighed. “Very well then. Let’s do this!”

Nodding, all three yokai raced from the ship and saw that Layla was providing support around the downed ship. Seb was busy swapping out weapons to lay off the cultists, throwing duel dice to ricochet off their bodies back into his hand.

“Gaagh! Any word on where the hell Julianne is? Could really use her help!”

“I’m afraid not,” the primordial succubus said through the intercom, activating the ship’s defensive force field to keep the intruding changelings from swarming into it. “I thought she was with you!”

“Haven't seen her since our date!” More bullets ripped into flesh and punched into skulls until the triggers only produced sharp clicks. “Shit, I'm low on ammo!”

Meanwhile, Arron rushed off to support the women and children, with the self-proclaimed title of champion. Creamy and Milky offered what support they could, as most of his support took on a defensive role to endure the attack.

Cult members brandished severed unicorn horns fashioned into hellish wands that cast destructive spells until they burned out. Minotaurs were struck by magic blasts and, in some cases, cut down while they herded holstaurs and their families to safety amidst the pandemonium. Kyube split into multiple copies of himself, shrouded by smoke bombs Chisana dropped when the fox bandit and the yokai vixen used the shroud to launch their own surprise assault on the mass of cultist invaders.

Shurikens and kunai rained down, embedded deep into the skulls of cultists and changelings that writhed in pain or dropped dead on the spot in broken heaps. Kyube yelled, “Look! We have them on the defensive!”

Kitsune shook her head when she drew Triad's arcana katana, which shimmered and hummed. A pair of cultists nearest to her beheaded with practiced ease. “Not quite. They're suicidal. Fanatics,” she continued as Chisana applied more smoke, and she helped Kyube slay more. “A doomsday cult, ready to senselessly die in droves to fulfill Omen's dark work. There must be many hundreds of them here!”

Kyube called, “Then we take out as many as we can! Come on, Sakura!”

The vixen mildly blushed and nodded, thankful to finally have a proper name. Despite her wounds, she moved with most of her usual precision, aided by the mystic blade. “Triad,” she whispered, another dispatched. “You should have been one of us. Loyal to your fallen master, until the end.”

Sombra flew across the battlefield, scoured Hammerfall, raised shields to block arrows, and fired back spells or cut apart minotaurs in a whirlwind of destruction. His own decades of experience, combined with White Shadow Penumbra's disciplined swordsmanship as a General proved unmatched! Scores of warriors fell to his attack in bloodied mists, yet he paid them little heed, focused on his prize.

“Gggrrah! Where is she?!” He demanded, “Surrender the dancer! I know she's here!” The minotaur he'd stabbed sputtered up blood, and Sombra wheezed in frustration before he finished him with a stab to the heart.

Brutus and his Grimm were distracted by the manticore chimera, the most obvious threat of the invasion force. With the body he'd stolen's speed, Sombra moved like a white blur unnoticed through the smoke and embers, the minotaurs closest to his destination unsure what hit them.

Reading through Penumbra’s memories, he recalled parts of Hammerfall's layouts well and also that “his” son had risen to the rank of general despite his age, known as a whirling dervish of destruction on the battlefield for his unparalleled swordsmanship and blinding speeds.

Blood spurted from carefully made cuts across the throats of the guards on duty to blockade the building; their weapons dropped when they crumpled. Sombra hovered there a moment, certain that whatever they defended must be vital to Hammerfall and thus could lead him to secure Eclipsed! But where…

His crimson eyes narrowed when they fell on the chief's home, grinning widely in triumph. “Ahah...of course.”

The dark warlock zoomed down, walked past the corpses of the minotaurs he'd finished off, and with his horn lit, blasted the door open. “Moon Hammer! Come out and face me! Or shall your people remember you as the coward who left them all to die~?!”

He walked down the dimmed halls, hearing the muted echoes of warfare outside and the creak of his own footsteps across the floorboards. His fist wrapped around the hilt of his lowered blade in his steady pursuit.

A baby's squeal flickered his ear. He stalked towards the sound, into a small nursery. In the darkness of the unlit room, he made out a couple of calves tucked amidst blankets into their cribs.

He glared with murderous intent, his eyes and horn glowing, tightening about the hilt. “Then again, perhaps it’s better I purge this land of your disgusting bloodline—” He yelped in pain and barely twisted from a blow that cut into his plumage, bit into by the two-handed swing of an axe. Strawberry Moon struck with such force she shook when her blade cut into his flesh and bone.

At the same time, Blue Moon leaped from her own hidden spot in the nursery from behind him with a cry; her own heavy axe slammed into the side of his midsection when he tried to pull away in the limited space left between them.

“Impressive,” he remarked with a snarl. “For a pair of foal factories~!”

Strawberry's heavy bosom heaved in its cow print top when she snarled. “Get the hell away from our children, scum!”

“Or we won't hesitate to chop you into pieces,” added Blue with her own contorted fury, the two cow bikini-clad half-holstaurs, half-mares poised like mothers ready to protect their calves.

With a dark chuckle at his own unexpected fortune, despite wounds that would have been fatal were it not for his enchanted armor, which also helped to speed his ability to heal, Sombra used Penumbra's impressive speed to his advantage and thrust his blade. Hot blood splashed across his face and armored chest amidst a scream when one twin instinctively pushed her double out of the way.

Strawberry's lower lip trembled, and her eyes turned to saucers. “Bl-Blue Moon...? Sweetheart, please-!”

“S-sis...” For a moment the twins were too in shock to feel the shared pain, Blue Moon's stomach impaled on a bloodied blade that entered her taut belly and exited her back, the two of them without any protection aside from cow print bikinis. Not that most armor would have stayed his speedy stab.

“No…!” Strawberry sank to her knees from empathic empathy, as their cutie marks glowed in unison and Sombra withdrew his sword, the mortally wounded Blue Moon crumpled into a puddle of her own hot blood which continued to rapidly spread across the nursery carpet as the baby calves bawled their eyes out. “NOOOOOOO!!”

“Stubborn broads,” Sombra shuddered from his own wounds. “You shouldn't have forced my hand! But don’t worry. You’ll join your twin after I—Aaughk!!”

A mechanical hand caved in part of a wall and seized the tyrant swiftly but carefully, so that no one else was harmed. The clockwork power suit yanked the dark stallion from the house. The fist squeezed down, and the enchanted armor partially cracked from the applied pressure with audible whirs.

Sombra snarled and writhed to escape when he stared at the older maroon pilot. “And who the hell are you?”

“Just a bartender,” said Redrum with a chuckle, wired into the experimental clockwork mechanism. His muscles expanded and threatened to pop from his debonair vest. He'd yanked the tyrant safely away from the nursery, veins visible across the minotaur's leather skin. “Call off your army! NOW!”

The dark unicorn cackled. “The gall of you to act so defiantly when your own leader couldn't face me himself!”

“Not at all. I couldn't let him throw away his life! Hammerfall needs him!” Redrum, who was one of the select few who knew about Moon Hammer's hidden floor, had beaten the chief there and wired himself into the power armor despite knowing well the unbelievable strain it would put on his body. He'd helped his boss test it before, after all.

One strain that could prove fatal even to Moon Hammer. Without the chief, Hammerfall was surely finished!

“I… bow to no one,” wheezed Sombra while Redrum perspired and huffed, wires embedded in his bare chest and veins left to throb. To his relief, reinforcements arrived on the scene and hurried to render aid to the twins.

“Suit yourself,” answered Redrum without mercy, who pushed the metal fist's force towards its maximum limit.

Moon Hammer thundered back onto the scene. “Wait! Do that, and Penumbra will die!” The chief momentarily found himself torn by indecision. He'd battled beside the White Shadow to stop the swarm! Made him a replacement arm! Saw him as a friend! But that same arm had now cut down one of his wives...

Redrum hesitated as sweat drops rolled down his skin while he trembled. “B-but then—!” Pushed to his limit, his chest threatened to pop under a heart attack that almost knocked the maroon minotaur out, and with the slack, Sombra started to writhe free. In a roar of triumph, the tyrant tore loose.

One of his wings, which the axe struck, tore completely loose, bloodied, broken bone exposed, but Sombra grimaced in triumph as false arm took aim and unloaded a hail of metallic shards. Chunks of rapidly fired metal tore into Redrum's exposed chest, which caused the bartender-turned-barista to slump over, now punched full of tiny holes.

“Redrum! Uuuuaaargh, you bastard!!” Moon Hammer swiped his war hammer at Sombra, who, in spite of his injuries, was able to outpace him and slip behind the cultists who arrived to support their master. In frustration, he tanked blasts from unicorn horns with another set of enchanted armor he'd taken from his workshop, his frustration taken out on the crazed cult when he crushed skulls and pulverized bones.

By the time he finished, his armor was soaked in helmet to boots in runny crimson and meaty chunks. Sombra's decimated forces started to swiftly withdraw. It proved another empty victory, despite that for every Hammerfall citizen lost, few of them civilians, more than ten of Sombra's own were culled in a short, deadly fray.

Grimmwald pointed his cane, and the Grimms took down as many that retreated as possible. “Secure the area,” he commanded. “Make certain there isn't another wave on the way. Moon Hammer—” He paused mid-sentence as a blanket was placed across Blue Moon's pale body. Redrum's corpse was also extracted from the power suit, while Strawberry Moon was taken away by a stretcher.

Moon Hammer removed his helmet and spiked it on the scorched earth as flames continued to billow and smoke behind him, put out by those on hand. Bitter tears stained the blood-soaked ground. “One of my wives died..! Another, comatose..!! And an old friend who sacrificed himself to try and protect me! All because I hesitated! I’ve failed!”

“No,” reassured Brutus. “We’ve only failed if we give up. More than ever, we mustn’t let Omen succeed!”

“Then you'd better damn well start making up for it!” The chieftain fumed, stomped off, and checked on his calves, which were thankfully unharmed. He threw off his bloodied armor and clasped his children to his barrel chest, unable to help but bellow and wail in fury at compounded losses.

He shouldn't have left them! But could he have beaten Sombra on his own, had he stayed? Almost as bad was that he'd stayed his hand to do what Penumbra wouldn't have hesitated to, determined to save their possessed comrade-in-arms, only to also lose yet another old friend in Redrum.

At least he'd had Shining Armor and Marathyssa safely shacked back up after the meeting under house arrest, both safe from what his scouts reported. Yet he couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, had he turned to that damned Paladin for aid, his love Blue Moon may yet still be alive...

The weight of his failures was heavy upon him. Moon Hammer helped his people clean up Hammerfall any way he could, only to notice the hidden trap door he'd sworn he closed was left open. He hoped the search party was far away, and he overheard a mention of Sombra, who pursued a dancer.

Despite his wound, Sombra stalked down the hidden tunnels, a trail of blood left behind him. No matter. The armor would heal him, even if the severed wing would permanently be lost. Regardless, obsession drove him onward, the tongue louse able to pick up the faint trail of his prized prey.

At times like these, he missed his umbral form, limited by his flesh. He couldn't take them all on by his lonesome, but he could uncover where they were headed, and when the opportune moment presented itself, he'd corner and capture another potential queen in Eclipsed Heart!

*****

Elsewhere, Fiery Kickstart and his forces were also on the move, even before the attack on Hammerfall started. However, his goal was the infamous rumored 'breeding camp', deep within the heart of the wilderness where few would dare tread, and fewer still returned. His elite soldiers made sure of that: all male witnesses were killed on the spot, and, once the evidence was hidden, all females were then captured for the army's use.

Once more, the Supreme Commander reminded himself that this was for the future of Equestria! Men and women needed to return to traditional roles, with absolutely no room for compromise!

“They’ll understand,” he muttered on the approach of the massive dome, veiled by the overgrown foliage. “And when they do, they’ll thank me for all that I’ve done for them. I offered them riches and retirement. And in return, all they needed to do was settle at home and bear children! Don't they see we need every man, woman, and child to do their part? Our numbers are on the brink! Without a united front, our species is doomed to—!”

“Zeesh! Do you always talk to yourself like a deranged lunatic?” He glared back at Autumn Equinox, who was still forced to wear the scanty two-piece maid costume until she'd proven himself. This somehow didn’t stop the snarky marauder from testing his limits. “Must be a lonely life~!”

“Watch your tone,” he snapped, hand wrapped around the hilt of his saber. “Or maybe I should slice a new hole in your body for my men to fuck!” Involuntarily she trembled with a meek nod, and he released his grip. “Be lucky I don’t find you entirely disposable. Next time, know your place when addressing your Supreme Commander…”

The one-eyed thestral nodded once more and followed him into the gates that rolled open once those on guard identified Fiery's identity, the mare well aware of all the horny, rowdy stallions around her. Especially since so far as she knew, she was the last female in his standing army. But she'd heard some were still in charge at the breeding camp to help keep other mares in line and perform duties the other lieutenants believed were 'bitch work' that was far beneath them.

She reflexively shuddered once more inside the stone and steel walls that resembled a prison. Nonetheless, when they were guided further in the sterile environment soon gave way to debauchery. The reek of sex hit her nostrils before her eye took it all in.

Mares lined up nude in rows of stocks, some fully visible, others left in a depersonalized state with merely their bare nethers presented. Some left to drip semen and their own feminine excretions from well-used holes, others ready to be or currently mounted by soldiers that ruthlessly fucked them.

Wet flesh clapped and slapped. Grunts and moans filled the open air. Some of them formed small lines or sampled all the 'goods' on display, all with the goal of fertilizing the most fertile mares. Her heart raced, and her stomach turned at the sight of what could potentially befall her, should she prove ‘unworthy’.

“So the rumors aren't all horseshit,” she muttered, unable to hold back a small sneer at the display of debauchery.

Fiery gave a humorless chortle. “Keep up with that disobedience, and you’ll share the fate of these swine. Those who fall in line live like petty nobility in service of their country. Don't tell me you suddenly have cold feet?”

“...tch! No. These bitches are weak and stupid. They deserve it,” she hissed low.

“Good. Because I'd prefer not to make an example of a fine raider. Speaking of which...” He flew up to meet one of the jailers on duty, a uniformed mare with her mane cropped short below her cap and a megaphone in hand when she made the next announcements. The latest round was almost over, the most resistant mares broken down by aphrodisiacs that melted their brains until they were submissive bimbos. Then, they would bear the next line of breeders or troopers to fill his ranks.

When he landed by the mare, she lowered the machine and stiffly snapped into position with a salute. “Supreme Commander, sir. I've done exactly what you ordered. We're on schedule to-”

The mustard stallion backhanded her, not too hard, but her eyes widened in shock. “Your quota has fallen. Again.”

“Sir, our resources are stretched to the limit. There aren't many mares left to use, unless you intend to take in cadets. O-or what about the imprisoned loyalists who sided with Shining Armor when the, er, coup took place? Surely, you haven't broken the wills of every last one to your side.”

Fiery rubbed his chin in consideration. “Mmm… True. Not a bad idea. But that won’t make up for your repeated blunders! You've outlived your usefulness as a jailer. Fortunately, your body can still be of suitable service.”

He clasped her uniform top in metal-clad hands and ripped it open; heavy breasts were bared with a bounce, her wide nipples already hard in the cool air. “Quite the impressive pair you've kept hidden from me!”

Small tears filled the corners of her eyes as she sniffled, “S-sir, please! Just give me another chance, a-and I swear—”

He hurled the earth mare from the platform into the hungry arms of his men, who didn't hesitate to tear off the rest of her uniform, the rest of her figure surprisingly feminine despite her boyish haircut. She desperately looked to Equinox for help, who averted her eye once they molested and quickly claimed her holes like a rabid pack of wolves.

Fiery landed beside her and said, “Have I made my point?”

“You have,” Equinox assured with a steely gaze. “I won’t be debased like these incompetent whores…”

“Well said.” He then smiled cruelly. “You want to earn a proper uniform? Go help punish the new prisoner.”

With a snap, he ordered over a pair of nude mares; their heads meekly bowed as they fetched some tools. One of them was a tiny bottle of aphrodisiac, and the other, a stylized strap-on carved from a unicorn horn, both placed atop a silky, heart-shaped pillow. He asked, “I take it you know what to do?”

Equinox nodded, slithered from her two-piece maid costume, and slid the strap-on into place. The troops had withdrawn from the mare's well-stretched, well-used, and cum-soaked orifices but kept her bent over and ready to be mounted while Equinox took position behind her.

“Open your mouth bitch,” barked Equinox. Reluctantly, the teary mare did so, almost thankful to drink down the aphrodisiac, aware any pain and fear would soon be replaced by sheer ecstasy that would leave her otherwise numb. She slurped it down, and felt Autumn prod at her creamed cunt.

Then, with a fierce, brutish thrust, the raider pushed in, and the prisoner's eyes shot saucer-wide as she easily pushed past her cervix and struck the back of her womb. The men cheered as the latest recruit proved her worth and earned her promotion as she started to brutally fuck a mare, both of them soon lost to bliss. Cheeks clapped, and her mane and tail were pulled, left to drool when she squirted hard around the toy.

“Hell yeah,” said a trooper. “Broke the bitch in already! Could be a record!”

“Got to love these comfort mares,” said another. “The Supreme Commander's the best! Fresh pussy for all!”

With a steady supply of pussy, it was easy to keep the men loyal and ready to die for the cause. Fiery told himself this wouldn't be necessary someday, that once he wiped out the changelings, cultists, and minotaurs to the last, he'd build a utopia on the ashes and ruins of this hodgepodge land. While he envisioned it, Equinox pushed the mare face down, ass up when she pounded her harder for their crass entertainment.

His burn scars flared up at memories of Thunder Storm, Shining Armor, and the loss of Snowy Blizzard until they momentarily glowed like magma until he calmed his mind. Anger had led him to make a number of foolhardy mistakes. Like the two disobedient mare maids in the Crystal Empire, whom he'd torched in a fit of rage when their beautiful bodies would have been better put to use here. No more than scattered ashes, like so much of Equestria after its heroes failed it.

“I must be that hero. Even if I have to become the devil,” he proclaimed to himself. “Thus-”

Over the squeals of a broken mare in euphoria, Equinox's strap-on sheathed to the hilt in her while she squirted anew. With the cheers of his men came a deafening boom that drowned them all out. Fiery spun, and his broadsword blazed to life in a flash, his half-burnt face focused on the intruders above.

Two suits of enchanted, stylized armor appeared more ceremonial at a glance. One was ochre and obsidian, the other pale and azure, titanic axes in hand. The first one emitted another thunderclap, like a sonic boom, that bowled over the arena and knocked a number of onlookers flat. The second dropped the temperature around them in a cold snap that flash-froze a few men, who proved too slow to react.

Fiery started to fly to meet them...when abominations and cultists flooded in. To the Supreme Commander's muted horror, he realized his army's movements must have been tracked.

“Time to earn that uniform for real,” ordered Fiery.

“Yeah, yeah!” Equinox withdrew from the mare as her ravaged pussy stretched back into place with a pop once the strap-on exited. She hastily tossed on the two-piece maid costume again since, to her frustrated snarl, the uniform was completely shredded and then slid on her hook-like claw.

Among the cult was the troupe of prostitutes, Tree Hugger in the lead, her hood cast back to show her crooked smile, clad in a cape-like black robe that was open and showed off her denuded form. “Spare the females. You can, like, do whatever you want with the rest of them!” She and her band of whores took shelter behind the monstrous swarm that pooled in, each cultist with a severed unicorn horn in hand that shimmered and vibrated when they launched a cavalcade of potent spells.

Nevertheless, Fiery knew the suits of armor were the real threat. Each a one-man army! More thunderous booms buffeted his men. More slipped on sleet or felt their blood literally freeze. Walls quaked and cracked in places but held firm, the prison camp built to withstand volleys of cannon fire.

Flames arced from his slashes when he cut down the monsters that tried to intercept him. He flew in a hellish blaze at the armored living weapons above. The ochre-housed one took a familiar battle stance and waved aside the second one to face him one-on-one.

Fiery scoffed. “Honor, from a servant of a petty cult? Ha! This will be…” His pupils shrank, and bravado died when he recognized that particular battle stance. Having seen it many times before. “No… it can’t be… Thunder?”

He received no answer, other than the first strike he narrowly evaded.

Beneath the suit of armor, Thunder Storm found himself a hapless puppet, like he was trapped in an endless nightmare. His body moved on its own with decades of practiced skill; one of the finest swordsmen in the world, a member of the fabled three blades that once supported Princess Cadance.

His blade had tasted the blood of the innocent! Dishonored his sacred vows!

“F..Fiery...” His slurred, metallic voice escaped from the brittle lips of his preserved corpse under cold steel.

“It is you!” Yet Fiery barely deflected another blow that could carve him in two; sparks rained about from an impact that shook him. “Then… who is—” He unleashed the full fury of his Onoma, unconcerned with possible harm to himself when he manifested a wave of molten, bubbly lava.

His scars flowed like magma across Fiery's body, smoking and sizzling as his volcanic eruption struck the helmet of the white-and-blue armored suit. The faceplate melted and cracked, and a chunk fell away, the familiar but ashen face of his beloved Snowy Blizzard preserved in a half-dead state.

“H-help me...” She pleaded in a brittle, half-metallic voice, tears frozen mid-run on her cheeks like mascara.

“Snowy..! Those vile demons...!” Yet Thunder Storm struck once more; the flat of his axe struck into Fiery's armor, the blow perhaps pulled by his former friend's instinctive desire to spare him.

Nonetheless, the impact knocked Fiery from the wall. He twisted in a freefall and swooped to avoid a crash with the camp floor, while around him, his men were torched by spells, torn apart, and added to the piles of bodies, since for every invader they finished, at least two of his own were lost in a surprise attack!

They hadn't been ready. And with the powerful abilities of Thunder Storm's and Snowy Blizzard's Onomas...

Gliding over to Equinox, whose hook claws ripped open a changeling, his flaming sword helped dispatch more closest to them in an arc of violent hellfire. “Fall back! We must gather reinforcements in the Crystal Empire!”

Equinox huffed, “No way! We can still win this-”

“Not up for debate!” His curled-up fist punched her stomach and made her double over, then he tossed her over his shoulder, her short upraised maid skirt left to reveal her toned, bare ass to the world. “You should be thankful I'm able to save such a nice ass! Everyone, help clear a path!” Fire warped his fist.

Luckily, his men fell into step and helped cover their escape from the encampment. He raised a wall of superheated flames. Lava melted into stone that steamed and enclosed around a number of changelings and cultists, trapped in a deathly tomb that cooked them alive. Fiery continually cut down anyone who barred their path, until they were back into the thickness of the forests that swathed the camp.

Half of his forces were lost. They'd have to make a stand at the Crystal Empire. He couldn't afford to lose that, too…!

*****

Back in the evershifting tunnels of Chrysalis' partially organic hives, Cerise stirred and murmured in her sleep. Her brows furrowed, and her hands gripped the blankets tightly, beads of sweat running down her forehead when she whimpered and whined like a lost child.

The nightmares had somehow grown more horrid. What felt like weeks of nonstop torment from Omen had bled into reality. Today, while in the company of the queen’s toys, all she could see was his silhouette stretching out from the corner of her eyes. Reaching closer.

No matter what the platinum princess did, she couldn't drown out his voice or visage. Even the faintest hints of his antlers branching out behind objects and changelings kept her on edge.

All culminating with her latest fear-inducing dream. She was cold, lost, alone. Snow gently fell to blanket the ground while towering lifeless trees stretched to grasp the blood-red skies. A haunting red hue highlighted her charcoal fur.

Cerise wandered aimlessly, crying out the names of the people who mattered most.

“Midnight… Penumbra… Moonlight… Beatrix…!”

But no one came to answer her call. Save for the disembodied whispers and distorted laughter of the Nightmare Stag’s victims.

The longer the dark dancer walked through the endless forest, the heavier her despair weighed her down. Tears and mucus frosted against her face, and her body shivered from the dropping temperature. Arms wrapped around her shoulders, rubbing to try and create any warmth.

But all she felt was emptiness.

Succumbing to the bitter cold and hopelessness, Cerise leaned her curvy frame against the closest tree and allowed herself to slide down. It wouldn’t be long until the lanky, decrepit form of Omen found her and swallowed her whole, as most of these nightmares ended.

So, awaiting the inevitable, she tucked her knees into her chest and openly sobbed, no longer caring about sounding weak in front of her enemy.

“Please… just make it stop..!” she begged, the subtle disembodied laughter of various pitches and speeds growing louder in her ears. “I’m tired… hungry… I want to go home!”

Home—the warm desert paradise where her mother and father awaited her and her brother's return.

Would they learn of what had become of both their children? Would they even live to find out? “Daddy… mommy..!!”

Cerise cried harder, wanting nothing more than to be safe in their arms again. Gone was the aspiring young mare, destined to become queen… All that was left was a little filly bawling her broken heart out.

Suddenly, the taunting voices of her anxieties disappeared. And a new voice greeted her from in front. “Are you lost?”

The small princess lifted her head, wiping the tears that blurred her vision to see another girl before her. A strange hybrid of pony and sheep, with a long curly dark blue mane, with curled ram horns and a unicorn horn poking through. She had a welcoming smile on her snout, her eyes stark white, sclera black. A vibrant red cape flapped in the chilly wind.

Sniffling, Cerise asked the strange girl, “W-Who are you?”

“My name is Abby!” She introduced herself with a giggle.

“Cer-C-Cerise...”

“Nice to meet you!” she said, frowning. "You really shouldn’t be out here. Don’t you know there’s a monster lurking in the woods?”

“Uh-huh! But I… don’t know where to go! I just want my mom and dad!!”

“Shhhh,” the sheep girl hushed, pulling her into a warm hug, which the charcoal filly returned. “Don’t worry, Cerise! I’ll help you find them!”

Her soulful eyes widened. “R-really? You will?!”

Abadonna beamed. “Absolutely! But first, we should get you out of the cold. You’ll catch your death!”

Lifting the little girl to her feet, she wrapped one side of her cape to warm her up. “Come with me! My village isn’t far from here. You’ll be safe and sound there. Plus, you’ll get to meet my mom!”

“That… sounds great,” Cerise admitted with a hopeful smile. “I-Is your mom nice?”

“Oh yeah, she’s the best,” praised Abby. “She’s the most wonderful person you’ll ever meet! All-knowing. All-loving. And all that she asks is that you love her back. Do that, and my mom will protect you with all her heart~!”

The pair traveled through the vast woods until, for the first time, a clearing became visible. In the distance stood the silhouette of houses guarded by stone pillars. Lantern lights flickered.

“H-hey, we made it!” Cerise exclaimed excitedly.

“Abby?” A motherly voice called in a melodic tone. “Dinner’s ready~!”

“Coming, Mom,” she hollered back. “Let’s hurry! I bet she’s helped Dad with the feast.”

The mention of food made the little black filly’s tummy rumble. Her cheeks blushed with embarrassment. “I haven’t eaten anything in a while, but…” she lifted her snout in the air, sniffing the enticing aroma of deliciousness. “It smells good!”

Abadonna laughed while pushing. “Yeah, my dad’s also an amazing cook. His food is to die for!”

The two giggling girls quickly rushed towards the ville… unaware of the stalking cervine cryptid that hadn’t been more than three feet away. Having used the trees to hide himself while watching his prey head for safety. His low chuckle was drowned by the happy laughter Cerise and Abby shared as snow flurried to cover the entire dream in white…

Cerise awakened to find herself back in the dingy chamber Sombra kept her in. She rose off the bed with a groan, stretching out her limbs, which pushed out her ample bust.

The daughter of darkness felt… strangely rested. The details of her dream were fuzzy, but she recalled meeting and playing with Oona’s daughter—a welcome change, considering the back-to-back terrors she suffered!

The door opened and Trixie barged in with a tray of food and a drink. “Sorry Trixie is late with lunch. Guards kept me from accessing the kitchen and there's not a lot of ingredients to gather, outside of shrooms.”

Cerise surveyed the lettuce and tomato sandwich, slapped between grainy bread. Next to it was a glass of water, hopefully not from the pool Chrysalis regularly bathed in…

Taking the plate, the dancer cautiously took a bite of her meal, chewing slowly before swallowing it down. “It's… not terrible,” she offered. “Just a bit plain.”

The azure unicorn planted her hands on her waist. “Hmph! Well, excuuuuuse me, princess! We can’t all live in luxury like you.” She then sighed, reminiscing about the years before. “Trixie used to make scrumptious meals for Beatrix while we were on the road, performing for all who could gaze upon our magnificence! My little hellspawn… one day, you’ll come to your senses and join my side again. A mother knows best, after all~!”

Cerise finished another mouthful of her sandwich before asking, “…who?”

Trixie blinked and then said, “Oh, you know. Just about anybody? Commoners, royals, scoundrels looking to raid my old wagon—”

“N-No, I mean…” The dark dancer rubbed her forehead while glancing at the former magician with utter confusion.

“… who is Beatrix?”

Prisoners of War : A Beatrix Belladonna Tale

by Dr Sharaz Jek

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23