It was a comfortable, balmy summer's eve, and all of Equestria slept as calmly as a baby in its mother’s loving embrace. Not a soul stirred in the night. The moon bathed Ponyville in a sweet silvery glow; the twinkling stars a glittering counterpoint to the soft light of the moon.
A susurrating sigh swept through the silent lanes and flower lined avenues of Ponyville. A barely perceptible wreath of smoke eddied along the ground in the soft shadows of the buildings. To any passerby it appeared to be no more than a faint mist settling in the cooling night air, but this was no ordinary mist.
The smoky fog spread ephemeral tendrils out across the paving stones, into every tiny crack and crevice it could find in the sun-baked paving stones of the avenues. It gathered substance and momentum, easing its way with little resistance under window eaves and under doors into the homes of sleeping citizens, only to emerge moments later, darker, thicker, and moving with an increased purpose. Wherever it went, it left restless residents murmuring in their sleep, tossing and turning with frowns creasing their sweaty faces. Nightmares snared the hapless citizens of Equestria on this fateful night.
Far away in the royal palace, Princess Cadence gasped and clutched at her chest with a pale, clammy hand. Her heart fluttered weakly, struggling to keep an even pace. With each faltering beat her strength faded, her limbs grew leaden and her magic seeped out of every pore, darkening the air around her as it fled her failing body. Her once warm, rosy complexion was now ashen and her lively pink and purple hair now appeared dull and limp. Her large purple eyes were sunken in their sockets, giving her a waif-like appearance. Doom was at her door and she was utterly powerless to do anything. Cadence felt as if her very soul was being sucked into an endless abyss.
Mustering what little strength she had, Cadence managed to tumble out of her bed onto the clammy stone floor. Gasping and weeping, she clawed her way upright and stumbled toward her guarded door. She had to make it to Princess Celestia, somehow.
Each step was a painful fight through cloying fatigue, the air felt as if was being sucked out of her lungs, and her limbs were on fire. Horribly dizzy, and her vision dimming, she barely managed to reach her guarded door before her faltering legs betrayed her and gave out. She fell, just in time to see an alarmed palace guard catch her as she crashed towards the cold stone floor. Before she could form the words she needed, she slipped into darkness.
In Ponyville, Spike was snoring contentedly. His gangly arm and lithe leg had flopped out the side of the bed and were dangling free in the cool dry air. Even in sleep he appeared awkward. He was growing fast and at times, seemed to be surprised by his own body. His chest rose and fell rhythmically with each breath. The mist squeezed it’s way under the front door of Twilight’s house, undetected by those inside. Now, it was so black in colour it appeared to be solid, and like it was sucking whatever light existed around it, into itself. It probed its way towards Twilight with a sense of urgency and menacing purpose, like a living thing it focused its attention on Twilight, completely ignoring the gangly youth asleep in his pallet.
Princess Celestia crashed through the door, her mane of multi-hued hair disheveled, her luminous eyes panicked and haunted. A royal guard carrying a bundle followed close behind.
Spike squealed in fright, promptly falling to the floor of the room. He looked up just in time to see a black wreath of smoke escaping Twilight’s parted lips, her chest heaving with a long pull of the now cloying night air. The wisp of menacing smoke escaped through thewindow next to Twilight’s bed. Spike’s head whipped around to the source of the almighty crash he had just heard.
“P—p-princess Celestia! What are you doing here!’ he stammered. His voice cracked with apprehension and adolescence. Spike was strange like that, his people lived long lives and their maturation process was largely unknown, although it seemed their adolescent period could stretch over two decades, if Spike was anything to go by.
“Oh no! We’re too late!” Celestia cried in anguish. Tears welled in her expressive eyes as she stared, stricken, at Twilight’s petite form asleep on her bed.
‘Wha-what do you mean Princess? What’s happened?’ Spike tried his best to shake off his sleep induced stupor. It was still completely dark outside and he was having trouble thinking straight. He noticed, somewhat confusedly, a pink and purple bundle in the arms of a burly palace guard standing close behind Princess Celestia.
A faint groan from Twilight caught his attention, and he turned towards her. “I just had the worst nightmare ever!” she mumbled groggily, sitting up.
Large dark shadows under her eyes stood out prominently in the darkness, and faint lines Spike had never seen before were apparent on her forehead and around her eyes. “What’s happening? Princess Celestia? Your highness, what are you doing here? What’s happened?” She asked, clearly confused and rubbing her dark amethyst eyes. Her midnight hued hair hung lackluster around her small face.
Princess Celestia’s shoulders sagged, and she dropped onto the edge of a book laden desk. “My dearest Twilight, can you explain to me once again what you were working on this past week?” she asked tensely.
Twilight frowned in confusion. Is this why the Princess was in her cottage? Why couldn't she just summon her in the morning? Twilight kept her questions to herself though.
"You see I was ……I had figured out………I thought that if I……….” Twilight trailed off, her mouth gaping open and closed like a fish. “I-I can’t remember quite what I was . . . I’m sure it will come back to me in a moment, forgive me Princess but I think I’m still a little sleepy.” Twilight trailed off weakly, she raised her hand to her head, rubbing at her temple. "I suddenly have the most terrible headache, Princess. Please forgive me, but I really need to rest.” she frowned in an absent mind manner and lay back down.
“My dear Spike, can I have a word with you in private please?” Princess Celestia turned to Spike.
Spike stared from Twilight to the Princess in shock, his mouth hanging open. He shook himself “Ah, sure your Highness, anything you want.”
Princess Celestia opened the door and gestured for Spike to follow. The burly guard was close on their heels.
“Princess, I feel like something real bad has happened. I've never seen you so worried before.” Spike said, clearly frightened.
Princess Celestia sighed heavily, her ample bosom heaving with despair. “Spike what I am about to tell you is something no young man should have to deal with but I fear, you are our only hope now, Equestria needs you, the very fabric of our existence is in danger of being snuffed out.”
Spike paled. “Whatever it is, I’m sure Twilight and the girls will be more than willing to help. Why, they’re the elements of Harmony all by themselves! I’m sure if anyone can do it, they can.” He said.
Princess Celestia shook her head sadly. “I’m afraid that this time, they are unable to help, little one.”
“B-but I’m just a boy, what can I do?” Spike despaired.
“Listen carefully, Spike, this is important, I need you to understand what I am about to tell you, we don’t have much time and there is much to explain.” Princess Celestia regained some of her regal poise and authority.
Spike nodded obediently and listened, hardly believing his own ears. She was so stern and compelling, it was hard to resist.
“It’s a very little known fact that the strength and skills that Luna, Cadence and I possess comes from a peculiar mixture of magic and science. In fact, I would say that until now the only ones who knew this, were the three of us.” Celestia paused and looked pointedly at Spike.
“And now a certain young man.” She tapped her chin with a finger.
Spike's adam's apple bobbed.
“We may be divine but our strength comes from the realm itself. The sun, the moon and stars, the love and faith of the people, and the health of the land. Each Princess has an affinity with specific sources of this power. Mine is mainly to do with warmth, light, and the sun. Cadence here has everything to do with love and happiness, so she is one most directly tied to the people of Equestria.”
The Princess bowed her head gracefully and looked Spike directly in the eye. “Did you see that black smoke near Twilight just as we came in?”
“I-I-I thought I did, I though it must have been a trick of the light or a shadow?” Spike was unsure of himself.
“That was no shadow, little one. I am uncertain of the exact origins of that thing, but I do know exactly what it does. You see, the love and happiness that is Cadence’s magic, comes from all the citizens of Equestria. Specifically, it comes from the dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin in their brains. They are basically the three love and happiness hormones. The more abundant these hormones are in our people, the stronger Princess Cadence is. This black fog, somehow has managed to enter the brains of our people, and leech out all of the love and happiness from our people leaving only sadness, despair, anger and fear in their place. Without a healthy reserve of these hormones our people can’t fight back against the negative energy and generate more of the good energy we need. That black fog has somehow managed to affect every single person in Equestria.” she explained in a rush. She pinned Spike with a piercing gaze. “Except, this thing didn't get you Spike. It seems we arrived just in time to stop the fog from attacking you.”
Spike’s mouth gaped and his mind reeled. He began to tremble. “Th-that means…Princess Cadence. . . she's dying!” he exclaimed.
Celestia nodded. “Exactly, if all the love and happiness dies, so does she. As it stands, she is right on the brink right now, and is dangerously weak. Spike, we will do everything we can to help you, but you must have faith and do this for us, and for Equestria. We are all depending on you.” Celestia stood and pulled back the covers on the bundle the guard carried, inside was an ashen faced Princess Cadence.
Spike gasped in horror. “Oh! Princess Cadence!” The princess had shrivelled into a tiny husk, where she previously towered over all the other citizens of Equestria, she was now the size of a young foal.
Princess Cadence turned her head toward Spike and smiled weakly. The guard holding her gently knelt so that she didn't have to raise her voice to be heard.
Her voice was barely a whisper. “My dear little Spike.” She murmured affectionately. “I am sorry it has come to this, but we have no option. What I am about to do is clearly in violation of the natural order of the world, but the world itself is at stake. We must fight this battle with love, and I will give you all the gifts you will need in order to succeed in this mission.”
She shifted in the arms of the guard, wincing slightly at some invisible pain. “ I am going to accelerate your growth, so you will be at your physical and hormonal peak. For you, that is late adolescence. I will fill your body with another hormone you will need, testosterone. This hormone will affect you in many ways. Parts of your body will change, and your feelings about those around you will be altered in a very mature, and grown up way. I will also gift you with a special pheromone, this scent will permeate from your skin and alter the receptiveness of those around you to your efforts.” Cadence waved a frail hand and a faint pink glow passed from her to Spike.
“Why, why do I need this Princess? Bu-but wait, I’m just a boy.” Spike was startled, he began to shy away from the pink glow.
“No you are not Spike, not anymore.” The pink glow swirled in the air around Spike, he began to change as the Princess continued to speak softly.
“Your task is to impart love to those fearless warriors who have fought for friendship, love and Equestria so many times before, I need you to love them Spike, release them from this miasma in their hearts and heads, create a flood of love and happiness in their bodies so that they may lend their strength to me, so I may live, and fight this cause by their sides."
Her eyes became more focussed and her voice a little harder, as if she were exerting immense effort. "I would change your form completely in order to increase your chances of success but my strength is severely depleted. I will alter as much as I can but there will still be some boyish traits left. It is your task to overcome objections to the old you when it comes to what you need to do."
"Change me into a man?! B-but that's impossible, no -" Spike spluttered, his eyes widened to huge round saucers filled with fear.
Princess Cadence interrupted him firmly. "Go now, go to Twilight and her best friends, and awaken their desire, and their fire for life and all things that need to grow and thrive. With these gifts imparted to you now Spike, I have nothing left to give, I am so very tired now.” Cadence appeared to wilt, she slowly closed her eyes.
Celestia gasped and held back a sob. “She’s fallen into a deep sleep.” She said in a pained voice. “She will stay like this for a few days at best, if you can’t generate enough love hormones Spike she will die soon after.” Celestia looked at Spike pointedly.
Spike was about voice his doubts to Celestia when he stopped himself. He was suddenly feeling very peculiar. Looking around at his surroundings he realized with a start that he was suddenly taller than the guard and Princess Celestia.
Princess Celestia cocked her head to one side and gave Spike an appraising look.
“Yes, I think this will do just fine.” She said calmly.
“Gah!” Spike exclaimed as he fell with an almighty crash onto the wooden floor, his blanket tangled around his limbs.
He groaned and rubbed his head groggily. ‘Uh, it was just a dream – huh?” he twitched in surprise. His voice was suddenly much deeper, almost unrecognizable. He looked at his hand and down at his body and couldn't believe what he saw.
His hands were large and strong, he flexed them and wiggled his fingers, making sure this was real and not a dream.
He tested our his muscular and well developed arms and shoulders, the swell of hard defined muscles and veins slightly visible under his pale skin. He curled his arms and flexed his biceps. They immediately turned rock hard and stood out on his arms.
Spike wasn't massive by any stretch but he had the lean, defined body of an experienced archer, rather than the knotted bulk of a swordsman.
He shrugged and flexed his broad powerful shoulders, muscles standing out admirably. His well-formed chest tapered into a narrow, firm, muscled torso with slim hips and long lithe legs with strong, lean muscles in his calves and thighs. His tail was sinuous, thick and vascular, the scale spikes along the bottom half were very tiny and soft, more like ridges of skin rather than scale.
His tail was currently wrapped around his blanket, as if choking a helpless chicken. With a concentrated thought he managed to release the blanket, as he did, the now tiny blanket slipped off his naked body exposing what was under it - a rock hard, raging member.
It was the biggest organ he had ever seen on any animal. The head was thick and bulbous and gave way to a slightly thicker, ridged, veined shaft, before suddenly thickening out into a large knot at the base. It had a slight curve pointing back towards him, the eye glistened wetly. It throbbed and ached, a sweet alien pain he had never felt before.
Spike was suddenly overcome with a heady urge, an almost uncontrollable, strange feeling he had never felt before. It raged like a torrent he had never experienced before, infusing his veins, his very skin with fire and an inexplicable yearning. Confused and more than a little terrified of himself, Spike heaved himself to his feet, something he found surprisingly easy.
A small noise alerted him and he turned to where Twilight lay with her back to him, her purple and pink hair sprawled in the early dawn light, her delicate frame moving slightly with her steady breathing. Sweat beaded on the smooth skin of her naked, alluring back.
Spike knew what he needed to do.
