Author's Note

Happy Spooky Month of 2023!

Bit early, I know, but I figured I'd get this out now in case I miss the Halloween/All-Hallow's Eve deadline, again.

Thanks for reading and enjoy.

Wild Things

Every equine with a bit of sense knew it was unwise to stray from the few paths that winded through the sprawling Everfree. The untamed forest was a labyrinthine maze host to all manner of perils that could spell the doom of even the hardiest of explorers. Even the seemingly unstoppable might of the ascendent Lunar Empire and the onset of Long Winter had been unable to bring the sylvan wilderness to heel. This was of little comfort to a lone blonde mare sprinting through the underbrush, casting quick glances behind her for her draconic pursuer.

“Did ah loose ‘em already?” Applejack wondered aloud as all she could see was the trampled flora left in her wake.

Her question was answered by a rhythmic beating of mighty wings above her. As they grew louder, the former farmer deduced that the beast had elected to pursue her uninhibited by the thick foliage. While she was a fair athlete by even Rainbow Dash’s admission, the honest earth pony knew that she could never outrun something that could fly.

“Ah’m probably leavin’ a trail he can see from above.” She decided as she slowed her haphazard sprint to look for a shelter. “So better to hide…”

As the ‘thrum-thrum’ of scaly wings reverberated in her ears, Applejack chanced upon a fallen tree. Uprooted by extreme weather or a passing behemoth, the long-dead log had been hollowed out by rot yet would be a tight fit for a mare of her proportions. Seeing no better option, the blonde pony dove for the hollow and wriggled inside. The soft wood creaked and split to accommodate her but ultimately held. Not a moment after the gamboge earth pony managed to get her hips past the opening did something massive drop through the canopy with a powerful crash. Applejack did her best to make herself as small as possible and steady her breathing as the beast rose to its full height.

“Spike…” The honest farmer whispered mournfully as she beheld her fallen friend through a knothole in the log. “What did they do to you?”

Illuminated by starlight streaming through the fresh hole in the canopy, the draconic Champion of the Empire let out a low rumble as he scanned the forest for his prey. His heroic build had been warped into a brutish yet no less impressive frame; broad shoulders and muscle-bound legs and arms that easily surpassed her stoic sibling. The wings emanating from his spine-ridged back twitched and flared while his tail moved with a troubling serpent-like suggestion. His claws, sharper than any blade, flexed experimentally as Spike let a few errant sparks of dragon fire flitter from his maw. Applejack had felt those claws before in happier times when the once gentle drake had provided back-scratches and massages after a hard day’s work.

"Imagine what they could do to me now." She thought with a strange shiver. "Shred my clothes to ribbons, dig into my hide as he bends me over this log and splits me open with his massive-"

“AA-MMMPH!?!” Applejack slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a scream as a sudden piercing cold shot through her chest along with the intrusive thought.

For a moment, she feared that Spike had heard her as the Champion’s head whipped in her direction, his predatory eyes seemingly glaring right at her. The honest mare froze as she tried to remember if dragons hunted by sight, sound or sensed heat like snakes. Another low growl emanated from the beast as he stomped toward the log. Applejack felt each tremor of his footfalls as the horrid chill spread through her frame with each step. By the time the drake loomed over her hiding place, the apple farmer felt numb, frozen in both fear and preternatural cold.

"Hrrmm." The tyrian Champion rumbled as he placed a clawed foot on the log experimentally. "Here?"

*AROOO!*

A lone howl split the air which was answered by dozens more. The apple farmer knew the hunting call of timberwolves well and it seemed that a whole pack now surrounded them. The fell dragon let out a bemused grunt and he backed away from the log while rolling his shoulders; clearly welcoming the challenge. Applejack had never known the sylvian canines to attack dragons given the poor matchup of leaves and wood versus scales and fire, but she was not about to question her luck.

"Shoot, for all I know, I'm hiding in the remains of some elder wolf or something." The gamboge pony thought as she hoped she was not trading one dangerous predator for many.

“Bring it!” Spike bellowed as fire welled up in his breast.

The first attack came not from the assembled pack but from a bramble vine that struck from behind, ensnaring the dragon's maw and binding it shut. Seeing the threat of fire neutralized, the timberwolf pack attacked at once with some pouncing on the drake's broad frame while others sought to hamstring him. The Champion swatted two out of the air as he struggled to free himself from the snare. Others he smashed to splinters with simple but effective stomps and punches. Such immediate losses would have normally deterred the pack, yet they pressed the attack with even more pouring out of the forest to join the fray. From her hiding place, Applejack watched in amazement as sheer weight of numbers began to affect the dark drake, forcing him back and deeper into the forest. More plunderseed-spawn snaked out of the undergrowth and lassoed the thrashing dragon like a maddened steer. It may have been a trick of the poor light, but the gamboge farmer swore she saw the root of a tree pull itself out of the ground at ankle height. The embattled Spike backed into it and tumbled down an incline that was hidden by the thick brush. In time, the noise of howls, growls and breaking wood faded into the background of the wilderness. Seeing that she was now alone, the apple farmer let out the breath she was holding.

“Sweet Celestia, ah’ve never seen anything like that.” She gasped out as the strange cold receded yet did not fade completely. “Ah guess we’re even now fer that, lumberwolf.”

After waiting a moment to see if the coast was truly clear, the gamboge mare shimmied her way out of the log on her hands and knees. It was a tighter fit that she remembered and she had to split the wood at the entrance but she eventually emerged covered in a fresh layer of dirt and grime. She checked her surroundings to see that the battle had created a small clearing with a few more freshly upturned trees and a mess of claw marks of various sizes.

“Whew.” Applejack adjusted her hat was she got to her hooves. “Dodged a bullet there, sug-!”

*POP-RIIIP!*

The blonde mare froze at the sudden noise. Her chaps and jeans had split along the seams of her hips, exposing her trio of red apples cutie mark to the cool air. What had once been a pair of comfortable work clothes were now ‘vintage’ pants that tightly hugged her curves.

“What in tarnation?” The blonde mare wondered as just taking a step sent the tears down to her knees but decided she did not have time to dwell on it. “Get new ones later, need to get back to Mac n’ ‘Shy.”

Knowing it would only be a matter of time before Spike fought off the sylvan assault, the honest earth pony quickly made her way back into the woods. Not having a dragon hunting her allowed her to focus on finding landmarks. She may not have had extensive knowledge of the Everfree like Fluttershy or Zecora but she was confident that once she got her bearings, she could get out of the forest.

“Ah think ah know that rock.” The gamboge pony muttered unsurely. “Brush is trampled here so something might have made a path…ah!”

As she searched for a trail, Applejack came upon a tree with a small bit of bark scraped away. A casual observer would assume simple age or a beast with an itch was responsible, but the apple farmer was keener. In the center of the bare spot was a circular pattern reminiscent of a sun with a tiny arrow beneath.

“Zecora’s ol’ place.” The blonde mare tapped the small signpost with a finger. “Find that; find the path back to the Acers.”

Hoping that the untamed wilderness had not altered the path too severely, Applejack ran down the overgrown trail with her ears tuned to any sign of predators, imperial or otherwise. Her journey was a mercifully short one as she entered another clearing containing the solitary zebra’s abode. The great tree had seen better days as the Everfree had encroached on even this haven but had not fully reclaimed it. Masks, charms and other oddities of exotic Zebrica still decorated the exterior but what caught the apple farmer’s attention was the soft glow within and shadows moving past the windows.

“Somepony’s home.” Applejack muttered as she dropped into a crouch, grimacing slightly as her jeans tore again, and stealthy crept toward the hut. “Doubt imperials would hunker down this far out but…”

As she drew closer, the blonde mare could barely make out muffled voices within the dwelling. That ruled out the local fauna building a den and it sounded like there were more than one. Still, the apple farmer tensed her limbs in preparation for a fight and pressed an ear against the door. She could recognize Zecora’s distinctive cadence but little beyond that. The gamboge pony could also hear a second and third voice but had no idea who they belong to nor what they were talking about. Suddenly the muffled discussion ceased and hoof steps thudded from inside the dwelling.

“Something spook ‘em?” The honest farmer muttered as she tried to crack the door to peek inside.

There was a chime of magic and the door suddenly opened inward. Applejack tipped forward and faceplanted on the floor of the zebra’s hut. Before she could recover, a hoof stamped down on her back and held her in place.

“I do hope that’s you, Applejack.” Zecora challenged as she tapped the end of a heavy wood staff on the back of the intruder’s head. “But let’s see if your façade can crack.”

While she was confident that she could overpower the striped witchdoctor if it came to it, the freckled Element Bearer knew such hostility was needed with changelings about. She did not protest as the black-and-white mare produced an odd blue powder. The shaman sprinkled a pinch of the stuff over the earth pony and waited. Applejack felt an odd prickling across her fur that cumulated with a tickle at her nose.

“Ah-choo!” The zebra wisely withdrew her staff before the suspected changeling sneezed.

With no sign of failing disguises or other illusions, Zecora relaxed and offered a handkerchief. Once Applejack cleaned her nose and cleared the offending powder, she let her friend help her up. It did not escape the apple farmer’s notice that the zebra now wore a fresh set of garments in addition to bandages underneath Macintosh’s oversized duster.

“Glad to see you’re okay, Zecora.” The gamboge mare, minding her friend’s timber wounds, slapped her cordially on the shoulder.

“Likewise, Applejack.” The witchdoctor nodded simply. “Welcome back to my humble shack.”

Now able to see more than the floor, the gamboge mare looked around said humble shack. Like most homes post regime change, the zebra’s abode had fallen into disrepair. A thin layer of dust covered long dead exotic plants, empty bottles and trinkets from distant lands. A large cauldron sat in a small pit of cold coals, its last brew reduced to a murky sludge little better than ditchwater. Aside from a small alcove containing a moth-eaten bed, there was nothing and no one else in the hut.

“Is it just us here?” Applejack asked as she checked under tables and behind decorative masks. “Ah thought ah heard you talkin’ to somepony.”

“Only you and I as far as I can tell.” Zecora answered as she checked outside for a moment before closing the door. “What you heard was me channeling a spell.”

“Did… did this striped hussy just lie to us!?” The honest pony regarded the zebra skeptically. “Whoa, simmer down, girl. Why would she?”

“What kind?” The apple farmer tried to keep the suspicion out of her voice.

“A means for dutiful Twilight to receive our prize.” The witchdoctor explained as she pantomimed sending the extracted dream essence through a doorway over the cauldron. “Delivering it on hoof would have been unwise.”

“’Specially with Spike n’ Dash on the hunt.” Applejack concurred as she peered into the murky sludge to see a few errant sparks of magic. “Can we use it?”

“No, I’m afraid.” The zebra shook her head. “The ingredients to create the gateway have decayed.”

“Of course.” The gamboge mare mentally grumbled. “She could have just as easily sent it to the Nightmare if at all but… landsakes, why am I thinking like this?”

“At least this mission wasn’t a total bust.” Applejack sighed as she turned away from the cauldron. “Guess that means you’ll be hoofing it back to the hideout.”

“You’re not coming with me?” Zecora frowned in evident concern. “We could wait and see-!”

“Ah can’t leave Big Mac and ‘Shy behind.” The blonde pony interrupted. “Plus ah think Spike has my scent so stickin’ together will just get us both caught.”

“Your concern for me, I do not doubt.” The black-and-white witchdoctor placed herself between the earth pony and the door. “But it is you whom I am worried about.”

“Please, I’ve had hard knocks since I was a foal.” A nasty side of the Element Bearer boasted. “You just squat in this shack brewing ‘potions’.”

“Ah’m fine, Zecora.” Applejack insisted. “Ah’m not the one who got smacked by a lumberwolf.”

“This will heal after a few hours’ sleep.” The zebra absently tugged on her bandages. “But your taint, I fear, runs deep.”

“Taint?” The gamboge mare cocked her head to the side as Zecora pointed her staff at her chest. “Is that how- what the?!”

To Applejack’s surprise and slight embarrassment, the top two buttons of her flannel shirt had come undone. Beneath was a spattering of freckles across her collarbone just above a line of cleavage that led down to a black tank top. The honest mare attempted to repair the malfunction but could only fasten one of the buttons and even it was close to snapping.

“Damn, I’m lookin’ good.” Part of her appreciated what she had found. "Closing the gap with Rarity."

“That which turned Rarity, Dash and Spike too.” Zecora said knowingly. “Same thing may have gotten into you.”

“A-ah’ve been runnin’ through woods for who knows how long.” Applejack argued more to assure herself. “Briars and brambles just ripped them is all.”

“We know that physical change is a side effect.” The zebra said seriously. “We need to have you checked.”

“Not for nothin’ but ah’ve never been ah ‘small’ gal, not like Dash at least.” The busty blonde traced her proportions in the air with her hands. “Yeah, ah’m ‘thic’ but that don’t mean ah’m possessed by dream demons or anythin’.”

“But you were submerged in their essence.” Zecora countered. “You need time to become convalescent.”

“Ah’m still me.” The gamboge mare frowned as her patience waned. “Same ol’ simple country gal who needs to get back out there.”

Applejack made for the door only for the zebra to bar her path with her arms outstretched. The farmer tried to brush her aside but the witchdoctor rebuked her with a light but sharp thump on the head with her staff like a disobedient foal. Her temper flaring, the stubborn earth pony tried again only this time she managed to catch the staff and grab a fistful of her brother’s coat. She pulled the striped mare closer until they were muzzle to muzzle.

“Yer pushin’ yer luck, sugah cube.” Applejack all but growled. “Let me go 'fore ah get real angry.”

As if to compound her none-to-subtle threat, the tree-hut creaked and trembled as if a storm had suddenly brewed outside. Zecora seemed to debate something internally before her shoulders slumped in defeat. Seeing her friend’s expression, the gamboge mare bit back her anger and got out of her face.

“You won’t rest until your family is safe and sound.” The witchdoctor sighed. “If I can’t stop you, can you at least set me down?”

“Oh!” The earth pony suddenly noticed that she was holding the zebra off the ground with one hand. “Sorry.”

“I could break her in half like a toothpick.” The venomous thought drifted through her mind as she placed the black-and-white mare back on the ground.

“Before you depart, stubborn mare…” The zebra bid her stay as she moved toward a collection of curios. “… should you encounter the good sir Spike, I may have something to make the match more fair.”

A few moments later, she returned with a bottle similar to what she had brought to Sweet Apple Acers. The headstrong farmer took the flask and swished its viscous contents. It vaguely reminded her of cider which triggered a pang of nostalgic melancholy.

“’ppreciate it.” She said genuinely. “Er, what is it?”

“A boon to body and mind.” Zecroa explained. “Drink it to possess the might of ten ponies combined.”

“Not sure how that compares to a bull dragon.” Applejack thought critically. “Hopefully, we won’t have to find out.”

“Heh, ah can see why Appleboom took an interest in your brewin’ magic.” The gamboge earth pony stored the potion in her coat. “Well, ah guess this is where we part ways… again.”

“I do hope we meet again, brave Applejack.” The witchdoctor made a gesture of blessing with a forlorn look in her eyes. “Along with gentle Fluttershy and handsome Mac.”

“Yes, I bet you are.” The rotten whisper brought the blonde mare’s attention to her sibling’s coat. “Skank is probably going to sniff that the moment we leave.”

Images of the big red stallion plowing the supple striped zebra’s fields came unbidden into her mind. The witchdoctor clearly liked the stoic farmer along with most mares and some stallions in Ponyville. That combined with the fact that Macintosh would usually volunteer for potions runs made the gamboge mare wonder if her already expansive family tree had some exotic offshoots. As suddenly as the vile thoughts came, they went as Applejack shook them loose. She felt a pang of shame for thinking of her friends and family that way.

“Mac always thinks with the head on his shoulders and my friends are flirty at worst.” The apple farmer admonished herself as she doffed her hat to the zebra and stepped back out into the Everfree. “Even if some of them got moody when he got engaged to Sugar Belle.”

Zecora watched the headstrong earth pony disappear into the night, knowing that this was likely the last time she would see Applejack as she was. While what was left of Equestria has limited understanding of the Usurper’s ‘New Populace’, they knew enough to know what it entailed. The Element Bearer of Honesty was well on her to joining their ranks and thus far there appeared to be no means of bringing her back. Indeed, the motivation behind their costly expedition was to provide a sample for Princess Sparkle to study and, hopefully, uncovering a means of purifying those who had succumbed to the Nightmare's defiling touch. However, there was an ulterior motive that the belabored Alicorn had decided not to inform the team about except for Zecora. Such secrecy between the Heroines of Harmony would have been appalling in brighter times but after the hitherto loyal Rainbow Dash fell, Zecora had to begrudgingly admit it was now necessary.

“I long for a time when that is no longer true.” Zecroa let out a tired sigh as she bolted her door and turned back to her seemingly empty abode. “Otherwise, we would never work with devils like you.”

“Hmhmhm.” A disembodied condescending titter responded. “Don't be so sure, shaman.”

In the middle of the room, the cauldron began to shake as its contents churned and bubbled. A tenebrous miasma boiled over the pot and onto the floor like a thick fog. Out of the foul-smelling smoke emerged the elegant figures of a pair of unicorns. The murk collected into ethereal robes of mist and shadows that clung to their shapely and complementary bodies, offering brief flashes of azure and mauve fur beneath. One held an ebon wood staff embossed with esoteric runes and topped with the leering skull of a griffon whose hollow pits contained pinpricks of baleful light in her off hand. A large hood cast her face in darkness which made the otherworldly glow of her periwinkle eyes all the more intense. The other favored a panoply of charms, fetishes and other trinkets of loathsome magic that recalled memories of the infamous Alicorn Amulet in the zebra. Violet eyes that shone with stygian power peered out from the shade of an appropriately witchy wide-brimmed hat. Zecora once knew these two as merely an arrogant magician and misguided radical. They were something much worse now.

“So, the plebian falls to the Nightmare as well.” The busty azure witch noted with a cruel smile. “Sparkle is running out of friends.”

“You would think that the ‘Princess of Friendship’ wouldn’t spend their lives so frivolously.” The curvy mauve sorceress concurred bitterly. “That could have easily been us.”

“The very soul of the world is at stake.” The striped witchdoctor said defensively. “She hopes this arrangement can reverse their fate.”

“Hmm, so she dabbles in what would have us burned on a pyre.” The hooded unicorn sneered. “Such hypocrisy.”

“It’s just the superstitions of the uninitiated, Starlight.” Her counterpart placed a calming hand on her shoulder. “The Great and Powerful Trixie knows it’s maddening but we’ve learned to ignore such neigh-sayers.”

“I suppose these are desperate times.” Zecora grumbled as she made a note to exorcise her home. “But don’t think for a moment that this erases your crimes.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” Trixie Lulamoon clicked her tongue sardonically. “So ungrateful.”

“Can we get on with this?” Starlight Glimmer interjected. “We have a long list of errands to run.”

The zebra snorted irritably as she went to her bedroom reached under her disused bedframe. After feeling around for a few moments, she retrieved the box of dreamstone. No sooner had she picked it up did an aura of negative light envelop the container and jerked it from her grasp. It floated through the air and dropped into the former magician’s outstretched hand.

“So this is it.” Lulamoon said wryly as she looked over the core of a benighted behemoth. “The Mild and Disappointed Trixie was expecting something more insidious.”

“Likewise.” Glimmer frowned as she turned toward Zecora and leveled her staff at her. “You’re not trying to deceive us, are you, zebra?”

“I assure you this is no trick.” The witchdoctor scrunched up her nose at the bleached skull leering at her. “Now stop threatening me with your stick.”

The mauve sorceress instead took a step forward and forced the zebra against a wall. Her azure partner ignited her horn and began tracing intricate glyphs over the now hovering box as if scanning it. The nightmarish heart reacted to the presence of her strange magic, earning a smirk from the infamous hedge mage.

“The hermit is telling the truth, Starlight.” Trixie said as she dosed her magic. “This must have come from an ancient tantabus; one that has haunted the world of dreams for millennia.”

“Potent stuff indeed.” The esoteric equalist nodded as she withdrew her staff from Zecora. “Sorry for doubting you, shaman.”

“I’m not running a steal.” The zebra huffed irritably. “Now for your end of the deal.”

“Of course.” Glimmer ignited her horn and made a gesture over the shadows of the room. “One moment…”

The shadows shifted and coalesced in front of the sorceress. Zecroa felt a chill creep up her spine as a simple tome bonded in cold iron manifested from the darkness. The mauve mare plucked the grimoire out of the air and looked it over. The black-and-white mare reached out to take it only for the unicorn to pull back.

“You do know what this is, right?” She asked seriously. “Rather, does Sparkle know what she’s dealing with?”

“A tome of forbidden lore.” The witchdoctor answered cautiously. “The nature of nightmares, esoteric spells and more.”

“The Astute and Cautious Trixie is wary of a mare like Sparkle dabbling in such power.” The azure magician said pointedly as she produced a phial and carefully opened the box. “The Highway to Tartarus is paved with good intentions as the adage goes.”

“Then we are fortunate that we took a different route long ago.” The mauve sorceress said dismissively as her partner levitated the dreamstone heart out of its prison and forced it to 'beat' once, earning a spurt of eerie teal essence that she caught in the phial. “A book for blood as we agreed.”

“Wicked as you are, you are mares of your word.” The witchdoctor begrudgingly admitted as she took the book. “I feel compelled to offer you a chance to rejoin the herd.”

“Funny, I was about to suggest the same to you.” Glimmer said, earning a look from Lulamoon and Zecora. “What? I’m just offering the poor thing an alternative to dying in one of Sparkle’s plots or becoming one of Moon’s playthings.”

“I will stand with Equestria until my last breath.” The zebra shook her head resolutely. “There are more paths than damnation, corruption or death.”

“Perhaps but you may find that most end in… what do your kind call him ...Zagash’s service.” The azure witch grinned fiendishly as she corked the phial and returned the core to its container. “Speaking of, the Great and Powerful Trixie and her lovely assistant have other matters to attend to.”

“Then don’t let me keep you.” Zecora glared daggers at the witch and sorceress as the latter hefted her staff and aimed it at the door. “I’ll tell Twilight you came through.”

Beams of baleful light shot out from the skull toward the exit. Zecora was about to protest the destruction of her property when the beams cracked a fissure in the skeins of reality. A portal then tore into existence, a bleak landscape of colorless grass and onyx structures under a starless sky lying just beyond. While the zebra froze in instinctual terror, the two unicorns moved toward the writhing egress with the same eagerness of a workhorse returning home.

“Until we met again, witchdoctor.” Glimmer said in farewell she placed a hoof on the threshold. “The invitation stands; not just for you but for all who long to be free of this oppression.”

“Death is the great equalizer after all.” Lulamoon nudged her partner with an elbow who rubbed a temple in annoyance even as she smiled. “Eeeheehehahaha-haa!”

Trixie’s witchy cackle echoed about the hut as the pair vanished into the gateway. The khthonic portal snapped shut and melted away, leaving no trace of its presence. Zecora nickered derisively as she grabbed a bottle from a nearby shelf and began sprinkling its purifying contents over the floor.

“Shut the door, keep the devils in the night.” The black-and-white mare muttered an old mantra as she sactified her abode. “Light a candle and everything’s alright.”

As she struck a match to the wick, the flickering glow did provide a sense of calm for the now lone zebra. She slumped down into a chair and took a moment to collect her thoughts. The witch did have a point in that Sparkle’s mission was proving costly. The hope was that the rekindling of the sun would save those who had fallen into the Nightmare’s clutches but that remained merely an untested theory.

“It could very well reduce them to ash.” The zebra muttered grimly as she pulled the oversized coat closer to fight off a lingering chill. “Diligent Twilight must not do anything rash.”

Her thoughts turned to the coat’s former owner and his fate. Trapped in mud with imperials closing in, it would be naïve of her to assume anything else besides his capture along with Fluttershy. Part of her felt ashamed that she had fled rather than help the taciturn stallion. Still, she knew doing so would have mostly resulted in her own apprehension and subsequent corruption, a similar fate to Applejack.

“I do hope I am wrong about her.” The witchdoctor glared at the reliquary and the corrupted core within. “But the symptoms and situation all concur.”

There was no doubt in the striped mare's mind that the blonde had been tainted yet that fact she had not completely transformed gave her a spark of hope. Perhaps the possession was only partial or their actions at Sweet Apple Acers had weakened the dream demon enough for Applejack to retain her already strong will. If that were the case, then that boded well for her along with the rest of Moon’s abominable ‘New Populace’.

“I may be setting myself up for disappointment.” Zecora sighed as she got to her hooves to retrieve an old herb satchel to stash her acquisitions. “For now, I have to keep an appointment.”

Taking one last forlorn look at her home, the striped shaman snuffed the candle and slipped out into the eternal night. A long and lonely trek back to possibly the last stronghold of Equestrian resistance awaited her in order to deliver her ill-gotten goods. She would have plenty of time to think of the best way to break the bitter news of Fluttershy and the Apple siblings’ fate.

Applejack quietly yet quickly moved down the trail leading from Zecora’s shack to Fluttershy’s cottage. It was a long shot, but she hoped that her friend and brother were still at Sweet Apple Acers. In the likely event Rainbow Dash had gotten the better of the two, they would have been taken to Canterlot.

“Dare I pull a Spike and storm the castle to rescue them?” The honest mare thought with wry humor. “Sure he failed while he had wings, fire, scales and a weapon but I feel lucky.”

In what could be ascribed as cosmic coincidence, just as the gamboge earth pony was thinking of the drake, she caught a whiff of wood smoke. Applejack slowed her pace as just ahead of her, the darkened wilderness was illuminated by gout of fire. The unmistakable roar of an enraged dragon followed not long after.

“Ah, horseapples.” She nickered in mounting dread as the light grew closer like an oncoming train. “And no log to hide in this time.”

The blonde farmer barely had time to duck into the underbrush as the Imperial Champion crashed through the treeline. To her surprise and relief, the dragon was still embattled with denizens of the Everfree although it appeared to be the last bout. The remaining sylvan combatants took the form of a pair of formidable lumberwolves and a crumbling yet determined cragadile gnawing on the dragon's tail. While they were a far cry from the scale and power of the abomination she had ridden at the farmstead, Applejack knew such beasts were not to be taken lightly. Unfortunately, fire and striking power were critical weaknesses and the dragon had both in ample supply.

“BURN!” The tyrian drake roared as he set a wood wolf alight with a flash of fire.

The lumberwolf howled in primal terror as its wooden body sizzled and popped. Its cries were silenced by Spike ramming his fist through its snout and into the amalgamation’s gullet. The ethereal light faded from the wolf’s eyes as the dragon, still wielding its body like a weapon, slammed it against its kin. Charred leaves and smoldering tinder scattered across the trail as Spike rained blow after blow on the final foe until all that remained was a heat-shaped knot of wood in his fist and a misshapen pile of splinters as his feet. Applejack watched it all with morbid curiosity and a strange sense of excitement.

“Gotta git before he notices me again.” She muttered to herself yet her legs refused to move. “Those things barely winded him; just ripped his clothes.”

“No, not yet.” The thought crept into her mind as the chill manifested in her chest once again. “Just watch for a bit longer.”

“What? No!” Applejack shook her head as she sluggishly turned away from Spike attempting to pry the cragadile off his extremity. “Can’t leave Mac and…”

“They can wait.” Part of her insisted as the cold was joined by a very needy warmth between her legs. “We’ve been running ourselves ragged for them and that damn Sparkle. This is a perfect chance for some ‘me time’.”

Applejack froze in place and then turned back to the Imperial Champion. He had just yanked the gravelly gator free and crushed it to rubble in his claws. As the pebbles joined the pile of kindling on the ground, Spike spitefully immolated the remains, reducing them to glowing coals and ash. The brute tossed his head back and announced his victory with a mighty roar that shook the very air as if he was daring the wilderness to try him again. The hidden mare felt the vibrations in her very bones as she looked over the bull dragon with appreciative eyes. His encounter with the flora of the Everfree had mangled his clothes, exposing more of his imposing physique to her. Amongst his finely sculpted attributes were rippling pectorals she wanted to bury her face in; washboard abs she could peel apples on and what she could simply call a rock-hard ass that could crush diamonds. The crown jewel of the treasure that was Spike, however, was teasingly hidden from view by his still intact greaves.

“All those towel slips and entering-before-knockings gave us plenty to think about.” An increasingly prominent part of her mind reminisced as scandalous memories surfaced. “Just imagine what he looks like now!”

“Looks like… feels like…” Applejack bit her lip as one of her hands found itself on her chest while the other drifted southward. “The noises he n' Rares made… ah need just a quick tumble in the hay…”

Clarity suddenly returned to the amorous apple farmer as a pang of urgency cut through her building lust. With a grimace, she removed her hands from her shirt and what was left of her pants and forced herself to turn away. While she had to admit she had certain urges that she had not had to chance to address, doing so with Spike as he was now was beyond ludicrous. She had just watched him turn a living rock to dust and he dwarfed her by a considerable margin.

"Being split in two like a log makes for kinky dirty talk but putting it into practice..." The thought made her nethers twitch in excitement.

“For Celestia’s sake, what’s wrong with me?” The apple farmer admonished herself as she crept stealthily through the shrubs. “Ah’m tryin’ to save my family, not start a new one with stupid sexy Spike.”

“Why not both?” She seconded guessed herself as fantasies of adding a draconic branch to her extensive family tree flooded her mind. “Moon is trying to take us alive for a reason. Hell, Mac is probably bedding down some bat-skanks right now.”

“Rrgh! Leave me alone!” Applejack slammed a fist against a tree as she tried to banish the intrusive thoughts only to receive a fresh batch of salacious suggestions in turn. “Gah! Damn it!”

“Do it. Do it. You want it. You Need it. Who can stop you?” The blonde mare sank to her knees clutching her head as the rational part of her mind was drowned out by a mantra of her own voice. “Take that dragon for the ride of his life.”

“Ah… ah’m not…” Cold sweat dripped off the Bearer of Honesty’s forehead as she struggled to shake off the now overwhelming urge to jump the unaware dragon. “This- ugh!”

The preternatural cold intensified into a soul-harrowing freeze that spread throughout her hardy frame. Spasms and twitches ran piecemeal through her as her body grew to better accommodate the awakening tantabus within her. The blonde mare's long-suffering jeans split apart as her powerful legs lengthened and infamous thighs swelled, leaving only what could best be described as a pair of tiny shorts akin to the type she had forbid Applebloom from ever wearing. The back of her coat ripped open as, one-by-one, the buttons of her shirt popped off until the flannel fell open like a loose jacket. Her black undershirt rode up past her navel, exposing her midriff toned by years of honest labor and defined linea albas that led down past her wide hips to her venusian mound that had busted the fastener and zipper of her new shorts. The straps of her tank top strained as her befreckled bosom threatened to overflow the now far too small garment, her twin peaks poking through the fraying fabric.

“Whoa, nelly.” The blonde bombshell gasped as the episode passed. “That… felt good.”

Applejack carefully got back to her hooves, discovering that in addition to all her enhancements, she was also a good bit taller and her mane fuller. Blowing a rogue bang out of her eyes, the mare ran her hands over her new attributes. The chill had faded but she could still feel a lingering cold that told her she had more to look forward to. More pressing was the searing heat in her nethers that demanded her attention.

“Well, my fire’s lit.” Applejack sighed heavily as she focused her attention back on Spike who was sniffing the air inquisitively. “Only one way to put it out now.”

The gamboge farmer fished out the potion Zecora had gave her from her coat that now hung off her shoulders like a cape. She took a moment to study its contents before popping the stopper and downing it like a shot. Within moments, she felt fresh energy course through her expanded frame and a tingling race down her spine. The hot and ready earth pony charged out of the foliage toward the unsuspecting dragon, her mind swimming in a sea of lust.

“Get ready, Spikey.” The semi-Benighted Applejack thought. “We’re going for a ride!”

“Alright, pretty sure I’ve depopulated this corner of the Everfree.” Imperial Champion Spike mentally grumbled as he kicked some dirt onto the glowing embers of his last foe. “Seriously, what is tonight?”

What he had thought would be a simple hunt had turned into quite an ordeal. A fight with the Apple siblings was expected; a prolonged brawl with an eclectic horde of the Everfree was not. The drake knew packs of the sylvian canines were territorial, but he had never encountered such a number of persistent predators working in tandem with normally solitary creatures. At first, he speculated that by pure bad luck he had wondered into the territory of different denizens but that did not explain some of the other occurrences.

“I could swear the trees were trying to grab me and I thought those bramble vines were destroyed.” Spike glanced at a nearby oak that looked like it was winding up to sucker punch him. “Is the Everfree resisting the regime or has someone bewitched it?”

Short of burning down most of the imperial heartlands, the Champion decided the best he could do was simply report his experience to Empress Moon. That was, of course, after he caught Applejack. Beyond completing his mission, there was something about the mare that he could not simply forget and let her slip away. He had first noticed it when he separated her from Macintosh and Fluttershy.

“Her scent was… different.” The tyrian dragon mused as he absently sniffed the chilly air. “Not just dirt, grime and sweat but there was something… more.”

He struggled to put it into words, but it was a scent he associated with the likes of Vanity, Nightbolt and Empress Moon; those who had been touched by a tantabus. Applejack had the same albeit weaker at first but it had grown stronger just before he was beset by the elementals of the Everfree. He could only deduce that the honest heroine had somehow become the host of a tantabus that was taking longer than normal to Benight her. As for the circumstances that lead to this anomaly, he thought it best to leave it for the Empress to ponder. For now, he had to hunt her down and bring her into the fold before the Empire had a rogue New Earth Pony to deal with. Luckily, he knew Applejack well enough to know she would try to double back to Sweet Apple Acers to save her family. Plus, he had her admittedly appetizing scent committed to memory and even when competing with the smell of wood smoke it was unmistakable now.

“Huh?” Spike sniffed the air again and felt a jolt of euphoria shoot down his spine as he caught the telltale scent along with that of a very excited pony. “Wha-!”

The drake saw movement out the corner of his eye and turned to face his ambusher. Half expecting the Everfree to throw a family of ursas at him, he was surprised to find a gamboge earth pony barreling toward him with a wild look in her eyes.

“Applejack?!” Spike barely recognized the bombshell of a mare with her bountiful new attributes. “When did she get those?”

Unsure how to respond, the dragon settled for bracing himself as the blonde farmer charged into him. To his utter shock, he felt the impact through his scales and was knocked off his feet. The two rolled off the trail and into the underbrush before coming to a rest in a small depression. Spike landed flat on his back with Applejack straddling him, her muzzle pressed against his snout as her hat fell to the ground beside him.

“Howdy~” The apple farmer said breathily as her green eyes shone with desire.

“Hrm.” The dragon simply grunted in response.

“Aw, is that all ah get?” The amorous pony pouted playfully. “Maybe some sugar will help.”

Spike barely had time to figure out if this was pillow talk or pre-fight banter when Applejack answered it for him with a kiss. Compared to Vanity’s preference for the romantic and Nightbolt’s love of tongue dueling, the honest earth pony was all force. Her tongue forced its way into his maw, unconcerned with his razor-sharp fangs or the fire just a breath away.

“She’s not looking for a fight.” Spike concluded as his own serpentine tongue got involved, earning delight moan from the mare on top of him. “Well, if she or her tantabus wants a piece of me, I can oblige.”

“*Mwah* There, how was that?” Applejack broke her lip lock with a thin strand of spit still connecting them.

“Yee-haa.” Spike rumbled with a grin as he tried to sit up only for the gamboge pony to grab his shoulders and slam him back down with bone-jolting force. “Huh?”

“Nuh-uh! You stay right there.” The farm mare commanded. “Ah know just what- uh..ugh!”

Applejack doubled over as convulsions wracked her body. The Benighted dragon knew well enough that the dream demon within her was nearly at full control but not how much longer it would need. His train of thought was derailed by the tantalizing sound of fabric straining and the visceral noise of flesh remolding.

“It would probably be less intense without clothes.” Spike mused as he debated offering a claw to cut the bountiful beauty free. “Then again, making them explode is a tradition at this point.”

With a whip-like crack, the pitiful pair of shorts finally split apart and exposed her glistening puffy nethers to the bull drake. The heady scent of her arousal rammed into him like a train, threatening to rip his own pants open as his pride stirred to life. A single strap of her rapidly shrinking tank top snapped as holes appeared between her twin peaks. Out of impatience or discomfort, Applejack grabbed what was left of her clothes and ripped them apart. With an audible jiggle, the busty mare’s freckled bounties bounced free, her caramel hued tips nearly hypnotizing the dark drake as they settled.

“Well now, there’s some big ol’ ~uh~ tracks of land.” Applejack gasped as she gave herself an experimental squeeze. “So how ‘bout it, Spike? Ready to plow my field?”

Steam escaped the Champion’s nose as his viral totem escaped his ravaged greaves and slapped against the blonde bombshell’s ample rear with a meaty thwack. The simple sound broke the spell her buxom chest had on him as his eyes shifted southward. Spike had always considered himself a ‘tits’ drake but what was currently crushing his lap was shaking that pedestal. Applejack’s hips and thighs, much like the rest of her body, was mostly hard muscle with just a hint of softness that set her apart from Nightbolt’s lean athletic build or Vanity’s perfect balance. As she lifted herself up, he could just catch a glimpse of the bottom of her cheeks against her blonde tail through the gap of her thighs.

“That thing can kill.” Spike thought as Applejack lined herself over his drakehood, the heat from both their nethers steaming the air. “Pelvis, don’t fail me now.”

“Hmm, now there’s a blue-ribbon cock.” The gamboge earth pony said wryly as she kissed the tapered tip of his head. “Not sure ah can forgive- ah, fuck –Rares fer keepin’- OoooOH –this to her- SELF!!”

The first try parted her folds. The second sank into her velvety depths but caught on the many ridges and barbs. It was on the third that she hilted him, knocking the wind out of her and slamming his groin hard enough to make the dragon wince. Applejack braced herself against his shoulders breathing heavily while Spike simply let her get accommodated to his considerable girth. As Gilda had pointed out, the Benighted were the only ones capable of taking him without injury and the Bearer of Honesty was only partially elevated.

“Letting her set the pace would be best.” The Champion’s claws dug into a pair of rocks on the ground as he fought back the instinctual urge to go wild. “Once she’s one of us, then we can go all out.”

“Woo, boy. Yer big.” Applejack gasped out with a silly smile on her face. “Gonna be walkin’ funny after this.”

“Mm-hmm.” Spike concurred as his newest lover spread her legs wider and got her hooves on the ground.

The dragon brought up his knees a bit and sat up slightly to help balance the mare as she slowly began to gyrate. The tyrian drake rumbled in approval as the painful vice-like grip of her passage finally relaxed. Feeling him move more freely within her, Applejack shifted her posture slightly and began bouncing on his lap. The wilderness was soon filled with the rhythmic clap of flesh on scales and breathy moans mixed with bestial growls.

“Mmm, this is a ride!” Applejack said between moans as she picked up the pace. “Come on.”

With a throaty rumble, Spike bucked his hips only slightly as the bountiful blonde came down. The simple motion pitched her forward just enough for the drake to get within biting distance of her speckled chest. Capturing one in his maw, the Champion grazed the supple flesh with his teeth while his tongue lashed her aching peak.

“Hoooouu~ yeesh~” The former farmer moaned as she felt a rapturous pressure building in her core. “’Bout there, Spike?”

“Hmm.” Spike felt he could go longer but letting his partner finish first was the gentledrake’s way.

Applejack’s movements became erratic as she became addled by the desire of release. Everything else seemed so far away and insignificant compared to the dexterous tongue on her breast and the exquisite length knocking on the barrier to her inmost chamber. After so many months with only her fingers and fantasies to provide relief, she was finally about to break. The pressure reached its apex just as she cratered Spike’s loins into the ground, her eyes rolling heavenward in bliss.

“Oh.” Applejack said simply as everything seemed to suddenly freeze in place.

Spike noticed the abrupt pause and released his hold on her tit. He followed the stunned mare’s gaze upward where the pale, baleful moon was now bathing the site in its cold yet welcoming glow. Applejack, the Bearer of Honesty and one of Equestria’s last heroes, let out a small chuckle as she looked back down at her old friend.

“Heh, guess ah’m out.” She said with a shrug as if disappointed she could not think of something more profound in her last moments of clarity. “Y’all best do right by the girls, Spikey., n' mind mah brother.”

“Hm.” The Champion nodded earnestly as he braced for whatever was about to happen.

“AAAAIIIIEEERRAAAAGH!!!” The blonde bombshell let out a blood chilling scream of both ecstasy and agony as she fell backwards off of Spike.

“Here we go.” The New Dragon thought as the light of Empress Moon pushed the mare into the final stage of her ascension.

The gamboge earth pony convulsed violently on the ground as the cold that long lingered in her chest exploded into an icy flood that saturated her being. Concurrently, the pressure in her core spilled over, making her mind go blank as her thighs became soaked with her long-sought release. A horrid cracking noise like falling timber filled the area as the headstrong mare continued to spasm. For a moment, Spike feared that the pony did not meet the same criteria as he and was doomed to devolve into the aberrations they kept in the Canterlot dungeons.

“I know Applejack seemed to be more in the background compared to the other five.” The Champion thought as he got to his feet. “But she doesn’t deserve to end up like-!”

His train of thought was interrupted by something wrapping around his snout. He looked down his nose to see yet another bramble vine coiling like a python and holding his jaws shut. As he reached up to shred the offending piece of foliage, another seized his wrist followed by another ensnaring his ankles. With supernatural might, he was yanked up and against the trunk of a nearby tree. As he slammed against the bark, arm-like branches wrapped around him like the multi-limb hug of a giant insect. With his wings pinned and fire stopped, Spike could only wriggle helplessly against the daemonwood as his latest lover continued to writhe of the ground.

“RRrraaagh~ ah! Ah!” The former farmer’s cries of pain morphed into heavy panting as her long tongue lolled out past a maw of vicious canines. “AH!! Guh-!”

An earthy, reddish-brown sienna reminiscent of rotting apples spread like spilled ink across her fur as her cutie mark shifted into a trio of star-kissed apples that glowed a poisonous green. Streaks of tan and fawn joined her now billowing blonde mane. With her proportions already enhanced, Spike assumed that her ordeal was over and that the New Earth Pony could free him. His assumption proved premature when gnarled wood suddenly erupted from her arms. Fur and flesh gave way to leaf and bark as it spread across her arms to her hands, turning them into rending claws. The growth connected across her shoulders and followed her spine down to the dock of her tail, forming small pauldrons and a mantle. With a sickening crunch, the were-mare’s hooves split and unfurled into claw-tipped toes. The bark ran up her legs to just past her knees like a parody of thigh-high stockings. Finally, the unnatural wood formed a domino-like mask around her solid green glowing eyes that connected with her tapered, leaf-tipped ears, adding a suggestion of swooped back horns to her profile.

“Just when I think I got the whole Benighted thing worked out, this happens.” The still restrained Spike thought as the spriggan’s spasms finally subsided and she rolled onto all fours. “Hope she isn’t feral.”

The hybrid made some plaintive whining sounds before it shook itself violently, sending loose bits of leaves and dirt scattering. It then rounded on the entrapped dragon, teeth bared in a predatory snarl. Still on claws and paws, the timber-pony stalked toward Spike who could not help but admire the way her heaving breasts swayed or how the muscles tensed in her prodigious plot. He became acutely aware that he has still excited by their earlier activities and that it was the only relatively soft part of him exposed. A sick thrill crawled up his spine as the spriggan prodded his length with her muzzle and then dragged her tongue from base to tip.

“Don’t bite! Don’t bite!” The dragon mentally chanted as if it would ward away the hungry looking creature. “Don’t bite! Bite, do not!”

The sienna synthesis circled her tongue around the tapered head of the tyrian drake’s pride before taking him into her maw. The Champion tensed as he felt fangs graze his tender flesh, excitement and fear warring in his mind. His apprehension turned to amazement as he felt her nose against his groin and her throat tighten around his upper length.

“She didn’t even gag.” The New Dragon thought as the timber-mare began bobbing her head up and down.

“Mmm~” A muted whine of pleasure emanated from the dirty blonde hybrid as her tail flagged high.

A powerful scent akin to fresh squeezed apples and warm syrup wafted up into Spike’s snout. The mental battle between lust and self-preservation resolved in favor of the former as the Champion felt the intoxicating aroma flood his being. A small, logical part of his mind warned him that he was likely just attacked by pheromones but the virile bull dragon did not care. He made to grab the timber-mare by her mane and see just how much she could take but the branches of his prison continued to thwart him. As if to add on to his frustration, the sienna spriggan withdrew completely, viscous strings of saliva and his own arousal dribbling from her panting maw.

“Rrrrgh~” The sylvan hybrid snarled, her voice a mix of a guttural growl and creaking timber as she dug her claws into his scales and dragged herself up to his face. “Neeed morrrrre~”

“Stars above, is Applejack even in there?” The sobering thought put a damper on the drake’s primal instinct.

Spike stared into the beast’s eyes, dreading that the Element Bearer of Honesty had been lost to whatever strange mutation the tantabus had wrought. Her muzzle touched against his snout as she seemed entranced by his gaze. The tyrian drake maintained his stare, trying the replicate the infamous technique employed by Fluttershy; at the very least he could demonstrate to this creature who was at the top of the food chain. After what felt like an eternity, something changed in the sienna spriggan. The glow of her eyes dimmed, revealing the apple green sclera and emerald irises. They darted around for a moment in confusion before settling back on the Champion.

“Oh, Spike~” The mare once known as Applejack crooned sultrily, her voice still husky but now without the creaky sylvan affectations. “’Fraid ah lost mah head there fer a bit.”

“Hrm." A slightly more relived Spike offered a smile.

“Ah guess that dream demon still had sum lumberwolf left in it.” The hybrid mused aloud as she gave herself a once over. “Hellfire, ah even got toes now.”

“Even her accent got thicker.” The dragon noted as he also took a closer look at the lucid lumber lycan. “Aww, she kept her freckles; that’s cute.”

Her gaze found Spike’s still emergent drakehood prodding her just below her navel. The sight of the glistening totem of virility stirred a very base desire in both her animal and oneirological side. A wolfish grin spread across her face as looked back up at her draconic lover.

“Don’t think ah’m done wit you yet, Spikey.” The sylvan synthesis said breathily as she pushed off the bonded drake. “Field’s been plowed but you still got seeds tah sow.”

“Happy to serve if you cut me down firs-!” Spike’s train of thought derailed and exploded as timber-jack turned around and leaned forward. “WHOA MOMMA!!!”

Applejack had always possessed a pear-shaped figure; an irony that Rainbow Dash would often teasingly remind her of. While being Benighted had shifted her proportions closer to that of an hourglass, the fact she was bottom heavy was preserved and enhanced. The seam of fur and bark on her legs combined with the Venusian dimples on the small of her back framed her muscular rump in a peachy heart. Her dirty blonde tail flagged up and out of the way, giving the dragon a clear view of her winking nether lips and the tight ring of muscle just above. So enraptured by the tantalizing sight was Spike that he did not notice the tree lowering him until his feet touched the ground.

“Gotta admit, mah dream-demon has good taste.” The sienna hybrid gave herself a sharp spank that sent a wave across her corrupted cutie mark. “Now, where were we?”

The sultry spriggan backed against her restrained lover, savoring the intense heat emanating from his length as it slid between her cheeks. After some adjustment, his tapered head came to rest at dripping entrance to her love canal. Sucking in a breath past her fangs, the altered Applejack felt him sink back into her welcoming depths. Rather than take him to the hilt immediately, she began gyrating her hips in a corkscrew motion.

“Mmm~ Y’all like that?” The hybrid licked her lips as she felt every barb, ridge and vein of her draconic lover in her velvety grip.

“Mmmrgh!” Spike let out a muffled growl as the familiar fire began to smolder in his core.

The New Earth Pony paused at the top of her ‘screw’ and looked over her gnarled shoulder at their union. A knot of ruddy flesh had emerged from the tyrian drake and she could feel the scalding preleud of his release dripping into her. Spike’s eyes met hers again, a primal instinct shining within them that balked at the hitherto passive role he had been playing. The thought of feeling the carnal wrath roiling beneath the gentledrake sent a thrill of excitement through her Benighted being. Now it was just a matter of provoking it.

“Hold on tight now, sugahcube.” The ex-farmer grinned fiendishly as she threw her entire plot back against the Champion.

“Hrrk!” Steam escaped Spike’s nostrils as what felt like another airship crashed into his pelvis.

The daemonwood creaked as some of its bark splintered and cracked from the impact, a shower of loose leaves falling upon the two. The sienna spriggan ignored both as the exquisite pain of his knot stretching her open and his tip breaching her inner chamber made stars flash in her vision. Not even waiting to grow acclimated to the length and girth, the New Pony abandoned her corkscrew pattern and settled for simple yet bone shaking piston motion. A rhymic popping sound joined the plap and creak of wood and flesh on scales as Spike’s knot would slip free only to plunge right back in. The timber-pony gasped and moaned as a puddle of her pleasure formed between her paws, soaking the roots of the tree as each blow challenged its hold on both Spike and the ground.

“Uh, haa, oohh~ Getting’ close, Spiiike?” The altered Applejack’s tongue lolled out of her mouth in bliss. “Come on, fill me up~”

“Rrrgh! Mmmrgh!” The Champion barely registered what she said as the deamonwood began to lean precariously back. “RRRRAAAGH!!”

With one last powerful buck, the were-mare accidently uprooted the tree holding the dragon in place. With a primal roar, Spike ripped himself free of both branches and vines as the tree crashed to the forest floor. Still hilted in the sienna spriggan, the dragon bowled her over and planted her on her shoulders. The drake grabbed her legs and forced them open, stepped through the assisted split and began hammering the horny hybrid with brutish force.

“Oh! Sweet! Stars!” The New Pony had to brace her claws on the dirt in an awkward headstand as each thrust sent a shock down her frame and bounced her buxom chest against her face. “Ah! Can’t! Take! Ugh~”

Lost in animalistic instinct, the New Dragon and Earth Pony could only growl, grunt, groan, and moan as they both reached their peak. With one last drive that buried the entirety of his pride in the timber-mare, Spike threw his head back and bellowed his rapture to the moon above in a glorious fountain of dragonfire. As the first pulse of virile drake seed surged into her core, the creature once known as Applejack added her voice to the celebration with a long, echoing howl. The very Everfree seem to applaud their union as the trees and shrubs shook of their own volition and packs of timberwolves, basks of cragadiles, bunches of bramble vines and other animated flora joined the reverberating call. The chorus eventually faded and muted as Spike’s fire guttered to a few sparks before winking out.

“Moon above, that always feels good.” The tyrian Champion thought as clarity returned to him. “Definitely going to be sore for a bit though.”

He looked down at the latest addition to his horde to find a silly, almost drunken smile on her face. Her belly had bloated with his release and while his pride had begun to soften and withdraw, the dazed timber-mare’s supping tunnel refused to let him go. With all due care, the dark drake stepped back through her twitching legs and gently laid her down on her back. He flooded inmost chamber audible sloshed as she shifted, earning a giddy giggle from the sylvan hybrid. Minding his strength, Spike tried to extricate himself from the spriggan. His softening knot spread the ex-farmer out, allowing a spray of their combined juices to escape. With one last grunt and a tug, the New Dragon popped free and fell on his tail with a thud.

“Uuuugh~” The New Pony moaned as a steaming torrent of pearly white flooded out of her bruised and quivering nethers, filling the air with a heady scent as the mess steamed in the cool night.

“Something tells me I’m three for three now.” The father-to-be thought as he watched the more than likely mother-to-be bask in the afterglow. “Wonder what our foals will look like with her being… Timberjack? Applewolf? Applethorn? Eh, names for later.”

While he mused about the future, a gleam caught Spike’s eye. Amongst a pile of shredded clothes, shining in the moonlight was a golden apple. Curious, the drake reached over and picked up the shimmering fruit. He would have preferred a gemstone but Vanity had suggested adding more to his diet for all their benefit. Shrugging, the dragon was about to pop it into his mouth when a creaking got his attention. Looking over, the fallen tree seemed to be pointing at him and making the ‘nuh, uh, uh’ gesture with a finger-like twig. Spike looked from the log to the apple to the cum-drunk mare and back as he deciphered the intent. Slowly, the Imperial Champion moved the precious treasure away from his maw and held up a free claw in placation.

“The woods seem to be looking out for Applejack.” He mused as the daemonwood gave him a ‘thumbs up’ before going dormant. “If she has some control over it…”

The possibilities of finally getting the Everfree under control were many. Travel between the isolated cities could resume along with agricultural projects. To say nothing of robbing the resistance of their greatest hiding place. Deciding that such civil matters were better handled by Empress Moon, Spike shook off some lingering fatigue and got to his feet. Stomping back toward the hybrid, he was greeted by a raucous snoring. After everything they had done plus what were likely months since she last had a restful sleep, the dragon could only smile in understanding.

“Yeah, a peaceful slumber is one of the better perks of joining the Empire.” Spike thought as he stooped down and slid his claws under the snoozing spriggan. “You got a lot to look forward to, Jackie.”

Applejack only muttered something and snuggled against the living furnace as the Champion lifted her bridal style. He stretched his powerful wings and was about to take off when something occurred to him. Looking back as the ruined clothes, he found the well-worn Stetson lying on the ground. Using his tail, Spike whipped up the hat and placed it on his passenger’s head.

“Doesn’t quite fit anymore but Vanity can work her magic.” The Champion mused as he took to the air. “Okay, I’ve had my fill of nature for tonight. I need an ice pack and an entire chest of gems.”

The New Dragon broke through the canopy of the Everfree and entered open sky. After taking a moment to orient himself, he set off for the distant Mount Canterhorn with the New Earth Pony still in his arms. Along the way, he passed back over the ruins of Sweet Apple Acers. He scanned the area but saw sign of neither his colleagues nor their quarry save for freshly churned mud and the hulking wreck of the lumberwolf.

“Don’t see any other tracks leading into the Everfree so Dash and Knight must have gotten Fluttershy and Big Mac.” Spike internally mused as he continued his flight. “Wonder if they’ve been brought into the fold yet.”