Mal

The staring contest continued to the song of an awkward silence. Spike was utterly speechless in the presence of the otherworldly mare before him, but she seemed to simply be playing along.

From the bed, the mare flexed her shoulders and shifted on her flanks, causing her to sway gently from side to side. Then, she let out an annoyed sigh. “You have questions... I can tell.” She rolled her eyes. “Fine! Go ahead and ask me whatever you wish. I’ll answer truthfully.”

Spike shook his blank stare as if falling out of a trance. “I- Uh... Who are you?”

The mare shot him a frustrated look. “You’ve asked that already...” She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath as if to regain her composure. “I’m Mallory. A few know me as the Princess of Lust and Fertility, but you can just call me Mal.” Her wide grin returned. “What can I call you?”

He’d never heard of such a princess, thought Twilight had notes of other existing Alicorns throughout the world. The mare before him must have been one of them. “I’m Spike.”

Mal looked amused by his name. “Hmm... Well, my dear Spike, I’d say we’re going to be very well acquainted, since you now posses my diary.”

Spike eyed the notebook that was still on the floor, and he reached down to pick it up. “You mean this? You came from this?”

The princess shrugged her shoulders. “In a manner of speaking, yes. I’m actually bound to that little book. I’ll spare you my life’s story, but I was once free to live a life of want and wonder until a certain Princess of the Sun decided to strip me of my wings lock me away from the world.” She turned to show Spike her bare back. The frustrated look on her face passed and was replaced by an eerily cheerful one as she spun back around to face him. “No matter! Wherever my diary goes, I will follow.”

Spike was certain now that he’d never heard of Princess Mallory, but if Celestia had sealed her away, there must have been a good reason.

Mal’s eyes began to wander, shifting from Spike to other points around the room. “Are these... your bed chambers?” Her arms stretched outward as she laid back on the comforter. “I must admit these covers feel very nice to the touch.”

The dragon nodded. “Yeah... This is my room. We’re in the Crystal Palace in Ponyville.”

She sat upright, locking her eyes with Spike’s. “Palace? Ponyville? I don’t remember Ponyville having a palace in it. I must have been away longer than I thought...”

He gestured fo the door behind him. “Sure. This is Princess Twilight’s palace. She’s was made the Princess of Friendship by Celestia a few years ago.”

Mal’s gaze narrowed. “So... Mistriss Sun Butt is still in power, I see.” Then, she closed her eyes and soothed herself with a deep sigh. “No matter. I’m not sore.” Like a switch, her mood apparently flipped again, and she scooted closer to Spike, nearly leaning over the edge of the bed. “Well, now that I’m here, what shall we do?”

Spike was taken off guard by her sudden question. “Do? What are you talking about?”

The white mare’s lips curled into a smile. “You possess my diary, remember? That means you possess me as well. I’m the master of lust, so I’m game for pretty much everything. If there’s a kink, I’ve got it.”

It finally dawned on Spike just what she was insinuating. “Wa-Wait, slow down... I don’t want to- You can’t just come in here and demand that we...” His voice trailed away as his voice failed him.

Mal quickly shook her head. “Okay, I think we’re getting off on the wrong foot. Spike, I’m here to serve you, not the other way around. As long as my diary is yours, I’m yours. Get it? If you don’t want to have sex with the Princess of Lust and Fertility, that’s your deal. That, however, doesn’t break our contract.”

Spike felt a sense of relief wash over him. “I’m sorry... This is a lot to wrap my head around, and... Well, you’re a bit distracting...”

The princess looked down and observed her own naked form. “Oh? So I am...” With a snap of her fingers, she was wearing a thin blouse that covered her chest and flowed down her legs to form a skirt at her knees. “You must understand that it’s been quite a while since I’ve been summoned by a mortal. There’s no need for clothes in the diary.”

Spike began to wonder what exactly it was that Mal did to get herself sealed away like that. Angering Princess Celestia wasn’t easy, so it must have been bad. Whatever the cause, however, he thought it better not to bring it up with Mal, as it seemed like a touchy subject. Then, an idea came to him like a scream in the night. This must be his chance to reform her! He figured if that could be done, he could even free her from the diary.

He cleared his throat. “Ehem... Okay, Mallory. I’ll do it.”

With wide eyes, she began lifting her blouse. “You mean you want to have sex now?”

Spike quickly shook his head. “No, not that! I mean I’ll go along with this, letting you stay here.”

Mal beamed at him. “Wonderful! I have no doubts that you’ll take good care of my diary.” She began to giggle and squirm. “Oh, this is so exciting! It’s been centuries since I’ve had a roommate. I hope you don’t mind if I take this side of the bed. I prefer the view of the window.” That wasn’t what he meant at all, but before Spike could object, she burst out laughing. “Ha! The look on your face... I’m teasing you, my sensitive dragon. When I’m not needed, I’ll be in my diary, so you’ll always know where to find me.”

Then, in a flash of light, she vanished.

He let out deep breath. The task of reforming her could have been harder than he originally thought. Then again, he didn’t even know where to begin, because he didn’t know what she didn’t to have herself trapped in a journal in the first place. Then, there was the problem of Twilight finding out. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what she might have to say about all of this.

Spike looked down at the dairy in his hands. It suddenly felt heavier than it had before. Out of curiosity, he opened the cover to the first page to discover that the line had changed again.

“If you have need of me, all you need do is ask. Until next time, my dear Spike.”

***Up Next: The Bargain***