Atop a balcony perched near the summit of a tall tower, astride the steep slopes of a mountain stood a lone figure, her gaze sweeping out over the vast tracts of land before her. Cities, towns and villages, farm fields, orchards, rivers, lakes and forests, all stretching out in a vast array, interconnected by roads, railroads and bridges of all shapes and size. The lands of Equestria were at peace that evening, as they had been for many years.
Ten years, in fact.
Nightmare Moon had long ago decided her moniker would remain instead of just going and trying to give herself a new name, but for reasons other than pride or vanity or simply because she was Nightmare Moon. No, her name remained so that she would constantly be reminded of who she was, and of what purpose she now served for these lands. She assisted with many aspects of running and safeguarding the kingdom, from diplomacy to military maneuvers and even social events. Yet, she had other purposes, far more suited to her goals in this newfound life.
She was still Nightmare Moon, for she was a nightmare to the enemies of Equestria. The vast horde of villains that had sought Equestria’s downfall over the past decade had rightfully learned to fear her name and avoid the kingdom altogether.
She was still Nightmare Moon, for she was the dark watcher over the nation, protecting it from harm both within and without. Luna watched the dreams of the kingdom, so she instead watched its borders and heartlands. It was easier, after all, to accomplish more if more were involved, and the other royalty had thanked her numerous times for sharing their workload.
She was still Nightmare Moon, for she was bonded with the one whose existence was even more terrifying to the enemies of Equestria than her own. It had indeed been ten years since her miraculous resurrection; ten years since she had been bonded with a figure most respected by the kingdom, and allied with the most powerful forces in the land.
Spike the dragon.
His name was whispered in hushed halls and taverns with the same tones as her own. Mighty defenders of the innocent, noble souls who sought to protect all manner of Equestria’s citizens from the things that went bump in the night, from the terrors beyond their borders to the threats grown within their own homes. They were the shield and sword of Princesses Celestia, Luna and Twilight Sparkle, the vanguard against the enemies of Equestria. Time spent at home was often a precious commodity, what with being off doing something important seemingly every few weeks.
That night was the night before the biggest threat they had faced yet. Queen Chrysalis of the changelings had long since lain dormant, her kind not appearing on the radar of any kingdom for many, many years. Many had thought them gone forever, their power broken many years before. However, it would seem that she had been biding her time, slowly but surely building up her forces, somehow, until they would be nigh-unstoppable.
The vast horde had dropped all forms of pretense and infiltration, instead deigning for the more direct approach. Bypassing countless forts and cities with a speed that outshone most trained fliers, the vast array of warriors had moved itself to within striking distance of the capital, Canterlot, which Nightmare Moon’s own tower stood high above. The queen had called for the surrender of the alicorns and the acknowledgment of her claim to the throne by way of conquest, conquest that as of yet had to happen. She must have been very confident in her abilities and that of her army to make such a statement, but with such a vast host at her command, who in their right mind was going to stop her? No other nation would be able to come to their aid, and their forces were vast enough to simply overwhelm any real defense they could muster.
The answer was simple: she, Nightmare Moon, would face down this villainous upstart, though not without some help. Spike would be there to, to provide support, though several important others would instead stay home with Twilight Sparkle.
Yes, in a time like this, Nightmare Moon entrusted her litter of rambunctious, often trouble-making alicorn-dragon hybrid foals, with the mare Spike loved as a sister, and whom her foals loved as an aunt. Seeing as their conception had been a great surprise to the pair of them, as well as a surprise to pretty much everypony else, the fact that Spike had tirelessly stayed by Nightmare Moon’s side through it all, from the pregnancy symptoms to the political ramifications, showed that he had truly cared for her, even after them only meeting a relatively short time before.
He truly was her knight in shining armor, and tomorrow would be the day she would need his help the most.
“Not getting any sleep won’t do you any good, you know,” a voice said, causing the tall alicorn to turn slightly. “Tomorrow is a big day.”
“Speak of the devil,” she muttered happily, seeing his large reptilian form slinking through the shadows. Though his size had not greatly changed from when they had bonded, Spike was no longer dependent on his instincts to woo her, and instead had come into his own right. Not only that, but his patience and penchant for reading her moods had greatly grown, though she suspected the former was the direct result of trying to help her care for their litter of foals. “I was just thinking about you, actually.”
“Good things, I hope,” he replied with a toothy grin.
“When have I never?”
“Well, there was that one time with that jar of strawberry jam on the new carpet...”
“I told you, little Eclipse came forward and told me it was she who had spilled it and tried to clean it up with her magic. I apologized later.”
He nodded his head, a knowing look in his reptilian eyes. “For about three hours in our bedroom.”
She nodded in agreement, though she turned back to the scene before her, her mind still wishing there could be some other way for this. Celestia had asked her to ensure that negotiations would not fail, but in any case, Nightmare Moon was certain they would. Queen Chrysalis and to a lesser extent her army was not the kind of foe to simply be banished by the Elements of Harmony, and the dastardly queen had already neutralized Shining Armor from increasing the size of his shield spell by sending an emissary laden with the flu to infect the Crystal Empire. Now, the shield could only be maintained within that country’s borders.
“You’re worried, aren’t you?” Spike asked softly, coming to a stop beside her.
“When am I never?” she replied. “With being a vanguard of the nation, a co-ruler of the country, and the mother of a litter of rambunctious foals who are just beginning to discover both their magic potential and dragon abilities, I find it hard to not be worried about something.”
“I did not say it was a bad thing that you were worried,” Spike replied, nuzzling her neck with a gentleness that seemed out of place with his size. “Besides, worrying isn’t always bad for you. No mother shouldn’t worry at least a little about her foals, especially seeing how energetic and oftentimes trouble-making they are.” Just last week, Midnight and Draco had almost set fire to their room, and little Polaris had tried to put it out with his magic, only to fill nearly the entire bedroom with soap bubbles. Thankfully the fire had gone out, but everything remained wet and sticky for days.
“Yet too much worrying could kill me, and I do not want to leave my foals in this world without a mother. They are not yet ready for something like that, but the stress is always there,” Nightmare Moon muttered, enjoying the feeling of his warm breath washing over her back. Her mate always did have a soothing presence on her, pretty much from day one.
“True, but that’s why I’m here,” he said. “To keep you grounded, to keep you sane... more or less.”
“More on some days, less on others,” she said, and despite her current mindset, she giggled slightly. Spike always seemed to know how to lighten the mood, even if only a little bit. “Still, tomorrow is a very important day, more than most. What am I to do?”
“No, the question is, what are we to do?” Spike asked. “We’re in this together, for better or worse, through sickness and in health-,”
“We never got married, and we both know why,” Nightmare Moon said a tad sullenly. “Dragons are forbidden to marry by Equestrian law, and even with Celestia trying to change that, your own species’ stand on marriage does not help matters.” The large majority of Spike’s species viewed marriage as simplistic and even pointless, as bonding was often a far more effective method of not only spreading one’s genes around as much as possible, but it was far less susceptible to changes in politics and culture.
“Well, to Tartarus with all of that,” he muttered. “You and I are bonded, something that is has much deeper meanings to my kind than just a pair of rings and “I do’s”. We’re together, as one, our souls intertwining like a flowering vine upon a palace trellis. A dragon’s soul may be equally bound to countless beings over the years, but we never forget what we felt with each and every single individual, and I will never forget how you make me feel, as you are my bright beam of moonlight, shining through the darkness like a beacon of love.”
His words always held some hidden beauty in them, even in the darkest of times, so for a moment, Nightmare Moon simply stared at him, happy he was always there for her. “You’re such a hopeless romantic, you know that?” she said, nuzzling him back.
“As I know you are,” Spike said in reply. “Now, about tomorrow... do you have any idea as to what we should do? I would hate to go to war.”
“As would I,” Nightmare Moon said softly. The ever-present threat of one or both of them perishing was always on her mind whenever a situation like this had presented itself. Mostly, it was the thought of one of them losing the other, or worse, their foals losing one or both parents. That was why she worried all the time: that was why she had to make sure negotiations would not fail, and that a hopefully peaceful settlement could be agreed to.
Yet, how could it? Queen Chrysalis had made it very evident that she would accept nothing less than either total surrender or an outright war. Her army was larger than ever before, and really, it would be a far stretch for them to defeat it. It would be wise to assume that the queen would only talk to them in person, as any agreement could not be made with another one of her kind masquerading as her. Total defeat of her army would also likely be the only way to make her agree to some kind of peaceful terms, but without the soldiers and means to do so, what chance did Nightmare Moon have?
“You know, love, I’ve been thinking,” Spike muttered, knowing his mate was lost in thought. “It’s been ten years since we met, ten years filled with love and growth and all manner of things both good and not so good. Did you ever think everything would have turned out the way it has now?”
“No, no my love, I would never have guessed it,” she muttered, leaning her head on his strong neck. “Ten years ago, I was reborn, and though the circumstances of both my rebirth and our meeting were quite peculiar, I would do it all over again if... I... had... to...”
She paused. Ten years ago, their meeting had indeed been strange, although the reasons for it had been more on Spike’s part than her own. But the part that Spike had played, while unforeseen, had been most crucial to everything she had now. It was his biology that lay at the core of that, and now, after all her other plans being ultimately useless, she finally saw how he could help her.
Therein the solution lay: there was the way everything could come together without war. Crazy, yes, absolutely mad, but Queen Chrysalis’s demands and tactics had given the former villainess an insight into her motives and weaknesses. She could see now what she had to do in order to defeat the queen without spilling a single drop of blood from either side, and hopefully change everything in the process. All the alicorn had to do now was convince her mate to go along with it, as crazy as it seemed.
“My scaly love, I have something to ask you.”
“Mmm?”
“I have an idea, a very unorthodox one at that, but please, hear me out completely before you say anything.” It was a stretch, but it could work, if nothing went too wrong.
“Normally I’d like to ask what it is, but considering what is at stake, I’m all ears.”
The next day...
The drone of the wing beats that filled the clear blue sky seemed like a dull, constant thunder, rolling across the grassy hills and into the very heart of the surrounding forests. Queen Chrysalis was not usually impatient, but that morning she happened to be. The large tent that had formed outside of her army’s encampment was not terribly threatening, but this was the tent of Nightmare Moon. Little had escaped the queen in means of information over the years, and although she knew the queen was bonded with a young dragon, for the life of her, she didn’t know why, and not knowing something about an enemy did not sit well with her.
“Must be into lesser creatures,” she muttered. “That baby dragon from the wedding fiasco all those years before... he must be, what, going through puberty by now? Probably molting every other day or whatever it is dragons do at that age. I’ll be he’s like her pet or something.”
It mattered not to her if the alicorn was bonded with a dozen young dragons; she would have little choice but to either concede to the changeling’s demands to avoid bloodshed, or else have the land ravaged by war. In either case, Chrysalis found her odds of success fairly high, and afterwards... well, she hadn’t planned too far ahead, but there were the ideas of forcing all the ponies who resisted her rule into some sort of mind-altering cocoons, but she would come to that only after winning.
Her guards standing fast beside her, she approached the tent, entering it without preamble. “No guards,” she noticed, motioning for her own to stand outside. Some of her more senior soldiers had pointed out that the alicorn might try and assassinate her, but Chrysalis knew that Nightmare Moon had been expressly forbidden from stooping to such tactics, and she knew the mare had little stomach for such underhoofed machinations. No, this would be a purely diplomatic negotiation, one which she would surely come to win.
“Queen Chrysalis,” a voice said, and in the gloom of the tent, the changeling could see the regal form of Nightmare Moon reclining on a large amount of purple pillows. Before her sat a small table, with many pieces of parchment stacked here or there, some of which were rather large.
“Nightmare Moon,” the queen replied, sniffling slightly at the musty air. Was she burning incense of some kind? It mattered little, but it did smell rather odd to the changeling. “I take it you were selected to carry out negotiations?”
“Naturally,” the dark alicorn replied. “Come, sit, we have much to discuss.”
Confidence evident in her stride, the bug-like mare walked over and sat down. “Surrender?” she asked simply.
“Oh, yes, but we’ll get to that later,” Nightmare Moon said. “Tell me, your highness, why do you seek to rule Equestria?”
“Why not? It is home to a vast multitude of ponies whose love we can feed off of to increase our power. Besides, it’s much harder to blend in with those filthy Diamond Dogs or stuck-up griffin commoners, even with our shape shifting.” Chrysalis was not necessarily racist, just pragmatic, as the truth in her words, however unpleasant, was exactly that; true.
“I see. Now, why, of all nations, would you choose to attack Equestria, other than the fact we are a mostly-pony nation? It seems to me that your kind’s history indicates a predilection for attacking pony civilizations.” The alicorn did not need to name off the others the changelings had sacked in their long and bloody history; she had studied the evens of the past well enough during the pregnancy of her litter of foals. She had needed a hobby, after all.
The queen shrugged. “We are much like you “normal” ponies, but in the end, very different, and we are shunned for this. That, and your love tastes better when fuelling our power; no other species comes even close.”
Slightly patronizing, but Nightmare Moon cared little for anything the queen had to say that did not give her much insight. This statement, no matter how seemingly insignificant, gave her information the queen may not have realized she was sharing. “Now, about that: why do you even need love for power? Is it simply part of who you are as a species, or do you simply wish for an easy fix to a simple problem?”
The queen was slightly confused, but did not show it. “By whatever do you mean?”
The dark alicorn simply shrugged. “Well, it would seem to me that you rely far too much on others to experience love, and thus the power it can provide. I mean, after all, why not love one another?”
“We do, we simply have a harder time experiencing it, and thus drawing power from it. It is hard for there to be a physical attraction in a species when the extremely vast majority look the same and can take the form of practically anything they wish.”
“Yes, well, good things come to those who wait, looks aren’t everything, and the sweetest of rewards are often the result of the hardest of struggles,” Nightmare Moon said. “I was locked away on the moon for one thousand years, and banished to a realm of nothingness soon after I was freed. Do you really think that, in the amount of time that I was gone, that I did not think things over, as to what I wanted and how to get them?”
“I should think not,” Chrysalis replied. “I too have given my kind’s own future a great deal of thought, and this course of action is the best option I know of. Conquest has always been a part of my kind, after all.”
“Well, you may think that, but in thinking this, I can see you for the real you,” the dark alicorn replied.
The queen blinked. “The... real me?” she asked. “Just what is that supposed to mean? This is supposed to be a diplomatic meeting, not a psychological study.”
“Ah, but they are often intertwined, and this one is no different,” Nightmare Moon said. “Your actions, and that of your kind, have revealed to me a greater truth behind your real existence, even if it’s something none of you can seem to comprehend. In all your history, did you not ever wonder why you were made, or what purpose you serve?”
“We have given it much thought, yes, but each time, could not come up with a satisfactory answer. So please, enlighten me,” the queen said with a scowl.
“Your kind is well-versed in fake love, the kind of love that looks and shallow personalities can draw in from nearly anypony. It is easy, quick, more seductive in its promises: the dark side of love, if you will. Yet, therein lies its own downfall: eventually, it always comes apart, whether through the decay of time or the whim of another. The love your hive feeds off of is this fake love, and in doing so, poisons your entire species. After all, why else would you be able to mimic physical appearances, and nothing else?”
The queen blinked a few times before making a scoffing noise. “That is... ridiculous. Love is a source of power for us, nothing more.”
“Ah, but in going for the easy route, one based upon appearance, you reveal to me that you, and indeed your entire species, is afraid of the truth. Fake love can only lead to so much, and it often leaves an empty feeling inside of you, a hole that can never be filled, so you constantly search for more “fake” love to fill that hole. In your case, you seek it for power, but as a species, you seek it because you are all afraid: afraid of the true nature of love, and all it can hold. True love’s power is something beyond your current understanding, and seeing as you do not understand it, you seek to try and control it, or else eliminate it in favor of what you do understand. Only true love can fill that hole in your selves, the hole that seemingly can never be filled.”
“Here I thought Princess Cadence was the Princess of Love,” the queen muttered, wondering just where all of this was going.
“Yes, well, she may be the living embodiment of it, but that does not mean she knows everything about it,” Nightmare Moon said simply. “We send each other letters over the ideas of love, and all of its many wondrous possibilities.”
“So then, my kind’s existence is poisoned by this “fake” love we use to fuel ourselves, and we are afraid of “true” love?”
“Precisely.”
“Then, pray tell, just what is “real” love?”
The dark alicorn shook her head, as if the queen truly didn’t understand what she was trying to tell her. “True love is much deeper than a mere physical attraction, Chrysalis. Take Shining Armor and Princess Cadence, for example: they love one another so much, that even after all they had been through, all the energy-draining trials of their wedding day, their love is what expelled you and your army from Canterlot. You were defeated by the very thing you feel your kind must feed on in order to be strong.”
“Get to the point, your humid tent is making me almost as dizzy as your inane chattering is,” Chrysalis said with a huff.
“True love is not about making yourself strong, which leads to jealousy and greed, but those around you stronger,” the alicorn said. “True, deep-seated love, is about not fearing the unknown, but embracing it in spite of that fear, using it to strengthen yourself and those you love, and who in turn love you. Did you not ever wonder how Shining Armor was able to regain such strength as to expel you and your army with his shield spell? It was Cadence’s love for him, and his love for her, that fuelled that sudden burst of power, power that made all at your disposal seem rather pathetic in the end.”
The queen of the changelings did not exactly like this turn of events, but she had to admit she was surprised. Here she had come to the tent expecting a quick meeting, but now this humid tent was making her feel funny, even as the words of the nature of true love rang in her ears. It made sense, to a point, but just why was the alicorn telling her this? “So?”
“My dear, when I said you were afraid of true love, I did not say that was the end-all of it,” the alicorn said, rising to her hooves. “I can show you the power of true love, a power that, hopefully, you and your kind can come to understand before it is too late, before your selfish ways lead to your ultimate destruction. However, in order to do that, you would have to experience something far beyond that which you have already. I think it is time you were faced with a situation that would require something besides magic or military might. Domination of an opponent is a very old tactic, the oldest besides cooperation, and soon enough, you will see that being dominated is not as bad as you think.”
“What kind of domination?”
“Sexual.”
Chrysalis paused, confused. Did... did she just say what she thought she said? “Sexual domination?” she asked. “Why in the world would I ever stoop so low as to let you attempt to sexually make me subservient?”
“Are you backing down from a challenge?”
The queen blinked. “No, no, of course not, I just... this seems a bit out of character for you. From what I’ve heard, you’re not all that into mares.”
“Are you?”
“No, not really, but then, if not you, who would dare try and make me submit? There isn’t a pony alive who could stand up to me in that manner. Besides, why go through the trouble of this and the whole “power of true love” spiel? Is this just a distraction?”
“No, I was just merely thinking an appropriate demonstration would be in order, and I see no better way than through the physical means,” Nightmare Moon replied, pointing her hoof at the table. “Remember when I said that this parchment was detailing surrender?”
“Yes, I do: it is yours.”
“Actually,” the dark alicorn said, just as her mass of purple pillows shifted below her. “It’s yours.”
Chrysalis stared as a large shape rose up from the ground, larger than her or Nightmare Moon by a good bit. Eyes like green flames, teeth like daggers, mauve scales polished to a light gleam in the dim light, a predatory body with a grace to match: it was a dragon, an awfully familiar-looking dragon...
“This is Spike,” Nightmare Moon said, a smile forming as her opponent seemed to freeze in place at the sight before her. “You’ve met him before: he was at Shining Armor’s wedding, the one you tried to ruin. Yes, yes, I know, he’s very different now from the little dragon he once was, and now I’m going to show you just how different. Remember how you said there isn’t a pony alive who could sexually dominate you? Well, I assure you, he’s unlike any pony you’ve met. I mean, after all... he’s not a pony.”
With nary a sound, the great reptile slithered through the gloom and was beside Chrysalis in an instant, his hot breath washing over her short pelt. She trembled slightly, his serrated teeth unnerving her somewhat. Was he going to attack or eat her? Had this indeed all been some sort of ruse to let her guard down, and assassinate her, or perhaps take her prisoner?
As if reading her thoughts, Nightmare Moon chuckled. “No, no, Chrysalis, this will not be your death, nor is it a kidnapping,” she said. “Remember when I said I was going to show you the true meaning and power of true love? Spike here is going to demonstrate that for you. You see, he and I are mates, bonded souls, but as with all dragons, there are exceptions to rules, and right now, you see, is the height of his mating season, the time at which his pheromone levels are at their peak.”
“M-M-Mating s-s-season?” Chrysalis nearly choked out, wondering why her magic suddenly seemed to drain from her horn and her legs feel weak in the knees. “Pheromones? All this talk of sexual domination and my surrendering to your whims, all the while you are using him as a tool to do so, and yet he’s bonded to you, and willing to go through with this?”
“Yes, yes indeed, and the pheromones are what you have smelled and felt since you first walked in here,” was the reply. “It is a wonderful thing, unlocking that which we hide within ourselves; our more bestial nature. Your body has already begun the process to accept him, and soon enough, your mind will realize this, though not through force or coercion, but through the fact that deep down, you will want this, as I must say, Spike is very, very good at what he does, almost irresistibly so. Face the facts, my dear; you were quickly outmaneuvered since you walked into this tent, and soon enough, Spike shall claim you as a mate, just as he did with me. You shall be bonded with him, as am I, at the price of your pride, and hopefully, your innocence on the nature of true love’s power. It is something that cannot siply be undone by choice, as this sort of bonding transcends even the conscious state. You will feel upset, downtrodden, if you are not with him, even to the point of deep depression. Therefore, when all is said and done, you will remain with us, in our care, and under our protection.”
The queen of the changelings could only choke out two words, so great was her surprise. “Mate? Bond?” All of this was going by so fast, she needed time to think, but these two weren’t giving her any time to think at all.
“Yes, yes, quite, and while I am usually more than enough to “handle” him at this time of the year, and when we are not in the mood, he is very good at controlling his impulses, but I do find it taxing at points to both keep him satiated and to keep my hooves off of him. So, to show you the true power of love, I love him enough to have asked him to follow through with this plan of mine. He immediately said okay, but not because he had the urge to rut somepony other than me: he did it because he loved me enough that, seeing as this was my idea, he was more than willing to go through with it, all for me.” The dark alicorn took a few steps forward. “You see, Chrysalis? That is the power of true love: getting another to do what you wish or need, not because you’ve enchanted them into a willing and obedient slave, but because they love you enough that they trust you no matter what, and that you trust them in an equal manner, with you willing to do the same for them.”
“Um...” the queen said, unnerved by how loud her own breathing seemed. The only thing louder than that was Spike’s heartbeat; slow, rhythmic, and very, very steady. “What is going to happen now?”
“Oh, nothing much,” Nightmare Moon replied softly, chuckling at the frightened queen’s expression. “He is simply going to rut you until you give in and sign the parchment, detailing your surrender to Equestria as a whole. However long that will take, I cannot say, nor can I guess as to what will happen to your species after you sign, but I do hope they will quietly accept your decision. After that... we shall have to see how everything plays out, yes?”
Spike growled softly at these words, and turning back to face him, Queen Chrysalis’s eyes zeroed in on a particular aspect of his anatomy. Long, dangling, yet undoubtedly stiffening, it was as mesmerizing as it was intimidating, and even as she felt her body open up to the prospect of its unique shape plundering her depths, she felt her resistance stiffen as well. They dared to think that this... this... this pathetic attempt at sexual domination would break her so easily? She was made of tougher stuff, and would weather this with ease... right?
“Do your worst,” she muttered. “The sooner we get this over with, the sooner I can conquer you all, and put this whole mess behind me.”
“I never do my worst; only my best,” the dragon purred, his voice sending a shiver through the queen. She had not expected his voice to be smoother than silk, yet as laced with venom as a rattlesnake’s bite. He must have thought her a truly despicable creature then and there, for such a tone, or was this all part of the act? “And I assure you, Chrysalis, it will be I who conquers you.”
“We shall see about that,” she replied, turning so she was presenting herself to him, her large cheeks spreading to reveal her dark slit. Unbidden by her suddenly spiking inner temperature, it was already glistening in the low light, definitely the work of those pheromones in the air around them.
“Yes, we shall,” Nightmare Moon said, lying down again as her mate slid his body over that of Chrysalis. With a small adjustment of his hips, his large erection prodded at the queen’s entrance, the tip suddenly sliding in with a slight squelch.
Chrysalis, despite herself, let out a combination of a small whimper and a gasp. She had had lovers before, of that she knew, but none had felt anything like this. The curvature, the texture, the sheer solid girth that seemed to press on every part of her inner being... it was like she was complete, made whole as she had never been in her life. This realization, combined with his weight settling deliciously on her large rump, made her entire body quiver, despite her best intentions to hide it.
Yet, either the dragon did not hear her whimper, or was purposefully ignoring her body’s response to his, for he kept pushing, slowly but surely, the heat radiating from his body like that of a smoldering bonfire. The heat of it seemed to seep into her very core, just as he finished pushing himself all the way into that same center.
“All the way?” Nightmare Moon asked from her seat, watching the spectacle with a myriad of strange emotions. Jealousy, triumph, indifference and... arousal?
“He’s... he’s so deep!” the changeling choked out, feeling him press further against her. It was like his entire body was molding around her own, prohibiting her from moving unless he willed it. “I’ve had d-deeper, of c-course.”
“Oh, I’m sure,” the dark alicorn replied, suppressing the urge to roll her eyes. “Just wait until he starts moving.”
As if on cue, the dragon’s hips began to piston, back and forwards, scraping his thick shaft along the queen’s insides. Chrysalis bit her lip in a vain attempt to keep quiet, but the feeling, the rubbing seemingly in every crevice of her, it created a moan that just had to escape, and escape it did.
“What about now?” Nightmare Moon asked, watching a cascade of emotions wash over the queen’s face; great surprise, restrained joy, unbridled lust, exquisite agony...
“How... how?” was the only answer Chrysalis was able to provide, for a sudden increase in Spike’s hip speed made her squeal with delight, her teeth flashing as she smiled as giddily as a school filly whose crush had just said hello for the first time.
“How what?” the dark alicorn asked, a knowing smile gracing her features.
“How can you handle this at all?” the queen begged, sweat beginning to form all over her coat. "It's insane!" The sheer exertion of trying to hold back, to keep some sort of control, was not only failing rapidly, but taxing her energy like never before. No advanced magic had ever made her entire body feel so... weak. Yet, if Nightmare Moon felt the same way whenever she and Spike made love, and to trust him to be by her side, to cuddle and snuggle and love her afterwards instead of simply discarding her like a used handkerchief... it made the queen of the changelings realize something astounding.
This must have been what it was like to feel true love, all the time. Not just during sex, as amazing as it was, but throughout life itself. It made her sad, it made her happy, it made her... jealous, to know whatever “love” she had experienced was nothing, absolutely nothing, compared to the real deal. The words of the dark alicorn, however, soon snapped her out of her thoughts.
“Oh, I must admit, he can go a bit overboard some times,” Nightmare Moon said, sensing the queen’s will and inner darkness begin to shatter like glass. She of all ponies knew how that felt, having surrendered her darkest thoughts and dreams ten years ago, first to love, and then to motherhood. “I’m afraid that he’s almost guaranteed to be ready to go immediately afterwards, seeing as I’ve been... conditioning him these many years to go more than just once. After our first encounter, you would not believe how often we did this. Besides, after the bonding is complete, and you are with him, you will experience this as many times as you wish.”
“T-T-This?” Chrysalis choked out as she felt him rear up slightly, the dragon’s fingers digging into the supple flesh of her ass as he began to pound harder, his slick organ easily plundering her depths. How was she even still breathing at this point? Every thrust felt like it was pushing the air from her very lungs!
“Oh yes, we do this all the time, even after ten years,” the other mare replied. “In the bedroom, the kitchen, in the palace gardens, under the dining room table, even in a broom closet during a diplomatic meeting. You never know when the mood hits, after all.”
“After t-t-ten years, you still are this way?” How was his dick twitching and writhing like that inside her? It almost felt like a thick, sinuous snake!
“Indeed, though we can’t be as careless as we used to be, even with sound dampening spells,” Nightmare Moon said softly. “Our foals are often nearby, especially when we’re home, and I must say, I’m not much of a quiet partner after a few bouts. Then again, with how often I’m sure you’ll come to want to do it, I guess you won’t be either.”
Chrysalis screamed as she suddenly climaxed at the mere mention of doing this again, feeling a massive amount of hot, sticky cum filled her insides without much preamble either. Yet, this was not caused by just the pleasure coursing through her body, but alongside something else entirely.
Throughout their physical union, though brief, Chrysalis could feel the waves of love radiating off of Spike’s masculine body, but they seemed to actually move as one solid mass towards Nightmare Moon, and to the changeling’s astonishment, those same waves, slightly different in nature but no less powerful, were redirected back to him, in a cascading loop that seemed almost physical to her senses. This was that true love the alicorn had told her of, of a bond so deep that it almost transcended imagination and nearly transcended to the physical realm. Only now, in this moment of suspended ecstasy, did she realize just how wrong she had been about love and the power within it. The love she had used against others, even with Shining Armor, had been a one-way street, which Chrysalis now realized was cancerous to a relationship. But this, a give and take kind of love, a love dependent upon and even feeding off of the reciprocated love of another... it made all other forms of it she had ever felt pale in comparison.
The power coursing through it seemed to barely touch her soul, and yet that briefest of touches was like a bolt of lightning striking out from the darkness of night. In a flash, power unlike that which she had ever fed off of poured through her very being. It blew away all memories she had ever had of feeling strength through her illusions and fake love. This, this was... absolutely incredible. Dropping to the ground, gasping for breath, she felt the long shaft slide out of her, whimpering slightly as it did so. She didn’t want it to be over so soon, not after feeling that much pure, unadulterated love course through her veins...
“As I said, you are not so quiet either,” the alicorn continued, her smile as smug as could be. “So, will you sign the treaty, detailing your surrender and that of your army? A permanent armistice, as we hoped for?”
“Nnnggghhhh,” the queen grunted, her head heavy with the aftereffects of tapping into such a force. “I... I will not sign it unless.... unless a stipulation is made.”
The pair arched eyebrows in unison at the queen’s words. “Oh?” Nightmare Moon asked. “And what might that be?”
“In exchange... for the integration of my kind,” Chrysalis began, raising herself back up on unsteady legs, her entire body shaking like jello. “I... I will stay with you, and with... Spike.” There was a note in her voice when she spoke his name that was akin to amazement and desperate need, as if she did not wish to be away from him all of a sudden.
“I see,” the alicorn said. “Might I ask why? I had already told you that would be the case, but for you to ask me to make sure of it... I should like to know the truth behind your request.”
“This... what exists between the two of you,” the queen muttered, feeling the hot cum drip from her core, even as her body contracted, biologically seeking to retain as much of it as it could. “This... true love, I... I wish to know more of it, to experience it as you have. It’s... it’s beyond compare. I’ve never felt anything like it.”
“And?” It was going to take more than that for Nightmare Moon to accept the queen’s surrender and request; she needed some sincere proof to complete the plan.
“I... I feel hollow,” she said with a suddenly anguished sigh, her façade crumbling quickly as realizations and resignation hit her with full force. “I need to feel this, to feel whole and happy and safe. All my life I’ve always been moving, on the run, never safe in one place, and all by my own doing, but you two... you two make each other feel safe. You are one another’s strongholds, a safe haven from the problems of the world. I want, no, I need that. I need to be safe, to feel secure, to experience real love, the kind of love you two share wholeheartedly.”
“An unusual turn of events, don’t you think, Spike?” Nightmare Moon asked. After this, there could be no going back, no other path to take. It was now, or never, but thankfully, Spike knew that, and was willing to do all he could to make the future safe for their foals.
“Yes, a bit unusual,” the dragon nodded, his dick retaining its rigidity. Unlike ten years ago, one simple bout would not sate him, as his mate had already explained.
“Are you willing to accept this?”
“Only if you are, my dear,” he replied softly.
Nightmare Moon nodded, turning back to the changeling queen. “I accept your surrender, though I will require your signature to make it official,” she said, and with a flurry of her magic, the queen’s stipulation was added, in small writing, to the document. “However, there are still several hours left before the negotiations are set to finish, and I believe Spike here is not yet finished with you. After all, bonding is not necessarily a one-and-done event. It can take some time, which is something we have plenty of right now.”
Chrysalis nearly fell again to the floor, her rump still raised in the air, as the dragon had grabbed onto it and was holding it aloft. “Then... we can continue?” the queen asked, sounding almost... hopeful.
“Yes,” Spike said, sliding into her slick tunnel once more, making the queen squeal again. “Yes, we can, but please, do try and keep quiet.”
By the time negotiations had finished and all manner of treaty signed several hours later, the vast changeling horde watched as their queen stumbled from the tent, giddy as a school filly and swooning like she was punch drunk. When asked, she forbade any within earshot of the tent from talking about whatever they had heard, and soon after that, began to spread out amidst her kind the truest love she had ever experienced, her horn aglow with a light similar to a falling star. Her kind was connected to her by biology, not telepathy or pheromones, but they could be influenced by her all the same, and for the first time in their history, this change would be not for her own desires, but for the good of their whole race.
Almost as one, the great horde began to change, their physical forms shifting slightly as the corrupt nature of their biology was caressed by magic unknown to them. The holes in their legs, wings and horns closed off, and their wings began to stretch and widen, becoming more like those of a damselfly or moth than a biting fly. Their horns curled slightly, like the proboscis of a gentle butterfly, and soon enough, their dark pelts began to shine with iridescent colors of all shades and hues. The fangs that formerly jutted from their mouths curved in on themselves, forming into the same kind of teeth normal ponies retained, and their multifaceted eyes reduced bit by bit until they were of one iris, one pupil.
Yet, perhaps it was Chrysalis who changed the most. Her kind’s appearance now more akin to a gentle butterflies now than fearsome dragonflies, her horn curved forward, like antennae, and while her wings remained larger than before, they became sleeker, more narrow, elongated like a wasp’s. Her coat became much darker than before, an iridescent sheen showing in the light with brilliant hues of green, blue, and even violet. A kindness came to her face, the jagged fangs and evilly-curved mouth becoming gentler, kinder, more apt to laugh than to snarl and more likely to smile than sneer.
In so short a time, an entire race physically changed, having experienced something akin to a biological revolution through the exposure to the transformative power of true, wholesome love. Yet, even now, they would have to face the future together, but Chrysalis smiled. Now, she would not be alone, for now she, like Nightmare Moon, was bonded to another on a level deeper than they had ever experienced before.
The future now looked brighter for the Queen of the Changelings, for all of her kind, and indeed, for all of Equestria.
Author's Note
Well, here's the sequel I had planned for quite some time, but took a few weeks to write.
What did you think?
