//-------------------------------------------------------// Spike's Crusade -by Vexy- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter Two: Peer Pressure //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter Two: Peer Pressure Well, what was thatall about? Spike’s mind was in turmoil as he ran away from Sweet Apple Acres. Truth be told Spike was not oblivious to the nature of reproduction. He was familiar with the details; he’d read enough biology textbooks on the subject. All species needed to reproduce after all, ponies included. So, why had Applejack done... that with him? When a stallion and a mare love each other very much... Spike shuddered as Twilight’s voice resurfaced from the bowels of his memory. The notion that Applejack wanted to have foals with him didn’t quite make sense; there was no pony more sensible than the down-to-earth earth pony. Besides, he was a dragon. Would that even work? Spike felt sure he was missing something. There just had to be something more to this. To be honest, he’d done his best to avoid the subject as much as possible; the one time Twilight had tried to explain it to him, she did it in her usual egghead way: complex diagrams and overly graphic images. And I mean overly graphic images. Indeed, Spike had been scarred for weeks after that little fiasco, and he vowed never to willingly return to the subject ever again. However, now it seemed the matter could no longer be avoided. Spike had gone and committed something irrevocable, something he never wanted to whisper out loud, not even to himself. And it had been awesome. That said, he was kind of dreading what Twilight was going to say when she found out, and his plan of returning to the library quickly evaporated from his list of good ideas. Spike shuddered as he tried to comprehend the molten fury that Twilight would undoubtedly smite upon him for being so irresponsible. She’d be livid, and he’d probably not be able to live it down for months, maybe even years! And I still don’t know what’s going on. The realization hit Spike like a ton of bricks. So, he’d gone over to Sweet Apple Acres; given Applejack a bath; done the unspeakable and then run away, and yet still he was none the wiser as to what was actually going on in Ponyville! Stay calm, and be rational, Spike. All you’ve got to do is think this through. Applejack mentioned burning, right? And Twilight and Applejack both reacted violently to mentioning the word ‘heat’... so maybe it’s the time of year when mares get hotter than usual? But would sexual intercourse- Spike shuddered as the phrase ran through his head, and with it came bad memories. How can thatcool you down? That doesn’t make any sense... but it did feel really good. Spike sighed as he continued to walk down the lonely path towards Ponyville. Perhaps someone else could provide him with the information he needed? Maybe the whole ‘heat’ business is symbolic for something, like one, big metaphor? Maybe it’s a codeword for something Spike paused. Nah. Only Pinkie would use a ridiculous codeword like that. But the thought lingered. Could Pinkie Pie have convinced them all to use silly codewords to hide things from him? The idea seemed completely illogical... or perhaps just highly improbable... and yet there was no denying it had some merit. Perhaps the pink party pony could shed some light on his ignorance? Spike cast his mind back to Applejack’s warning not to go to Sugarcube Corner. It seemed silly, and there was no reasoning for it, but he decided to honor his promise and cross Pinkie Pie off his mental checklist. That leaves Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Spike glanced up. The sky was unusually cloudy, which signalled a certain weather patrol officer was shirking her duty. Despite, or perhaps because of this Spike couldn’t see the blue pegasus anywhere. And then there was one. Fluttershy. He only briefly debated whether or not he should go, but it quickly became apparent in his head that, after Applejack, Fluttershy was the one who was most likely to admit the truth to him, even if it was because he wouldn’t face much resistance from her. Not to mention the pegasus was far too calm and collected to try any sexual advances. She’d understand his frustration. This is Fluttershy we’re talking about. I’ve got nothing to worry about! Spike chuckled and broke off from the path, heading across the fields separating the road to Sweet Apple Acres from Fluttershy’s cottage. He didn’t quite understand what was going on today, but he suspected he would soon find out. Despite this, he wasn’t entirely sure whether he was going to like his answer. Spike tried not to think about it. Applejack rolled onto her back. Never before had she felt so at peace. All she wanted to do was lie there forever. She didn’t care that she was lying in a large puddle: a mix of dirty, bath water and her own bodily fluids. She didn’t care that she’d had sex with Spike. She didn’t care that she had no idea whether ponies and dragons were able to mate. All that mattered was lying here with her dragon. Here, where all the world fitted together perfectly, like pieces of a magnificent, intricate jigsaw. She opened her eye slightly and rolled over, not caring about the questionable liquid she was rubbing into her face. “Spike,” she groaned, “Are you okay?” Silence. “Spike?” the mare whispered loudly, dread welling up in her chest. She raised her head and looked around. “Aww, hay, no!” Instantly she was on all fours, galloping to the door. Suddenly, she started caring; if Spike told Twilight what they’d done- Applejack gulped. She never thought she’d see the day, but right now she was very, very scared. She feared for her friendship with Twilight. Would the unicorn ever be able to forgive her for taking advantage of the dragon? And it was definitely taking advantage, she assured herself. Spike had had no idea what he was doing. What would Twilight say? The guilt in her chest was crushing the breath from her lungs, making it difficult to breathe properly or think clearly. “Spike!” Applejack screamed as she burst out of the barn, “Spike! Wait!” She scanned the clearing outside the barn, but there was no one to be found. There was no sign of those glinting, purple scales or that cheeky grin. Spike had run away. Had she broken his trust in her? Would Spike ever forgive her? “Spike!” she shouted before collapsing onto the ground in resignation, the dirt and dust clinging to her drenched coat and mane. Spike was gone, and he wasn’t coming back. What have ah done? The thought ran through Applejack’s mind on repeat, bitter tears stinging her eyes. “Applejack?” a distinctive voice called. Instantly the mare’s head shot up as she searched for the voice, “Apple Bloom?” “Uh, hey, sis,” the filly said awkwardly as she trotted over to her sister on the ground. “What you doin’ on the ground? An’ why were you callin’ fer Spike?” Instantly, Applejack leaped off the ground and brushed herself down, blushing furiously, “Heh, don’t you worry none, Spike was jus’ here helpin’ me out, but ah guess he went off without tellin’ me.” “With what?” Apple Bloom said innocently, dragging her words out slowly into a dangerous question. The filly’s eyes bored into Applejack’s skull like a drill. “Jus’... with a bath! That’s why ah’m all wet, y’see. Heh, heh,” the mare chuckled forcefully, breaking eye contact with her sister. “Jus’ a bath?” Apple Bloom inquired further, “In the barn?” “Yes,” Applejack lied as her eye twitched uncontrollably. “He was helpin’ me... err, with the itch. He had some special bath stuff that helps with that kinda thing.” The filly perked up suddenly, “Really?” she gasped. “Does he have any left for me?” “No!” Applejack growled a little more harshly than she had intended to. The filly’s exuberance deflated faster than Pinkie Pie’s mood swings, “Aww, why not?” she whined as she began pouting. “Look, that don’t matter,” Applejack said, trying to shrug off the interrogation, “Ah need ta know where Spike’s gone.” “Ah might be able to tell you...” Apple Bloom began deviously, “If you want ta tell me what you two did ta get rid of the itch.” Applejack groaned, “He made me a bath, and we talked. Okay?” “Sounded like awfully loud talkin’ ta me.” Applejack froze. How much had the filly heard? She recalled being incredibly loud in the barn, and now it had really come to bite her in the flank. Inwardly, she cursed. “Spike was jus’... givin’ me a massage.” Applejack said ambiguously, “An’ ah had a lot o’ knotted muscles.” Apple Bloom didn’t look convinced. Nevertheless she revealed her secret. “Alright. Ah saw Spike runnin’ down the road ta Ponyville real fast. Ah don’t know what you did, sis, but he looked real worried ‘bout somethin’.” “Thanks, Apple Bloom!” Applejack sighed in relief, “Ah’m gonna go after him. You stay here on the farm now, y’hear? Ah’ll be checkin’ with Big Mac later!” And with that the mare galloped down off down the track. Apple Bloom just stared at where her sister had just been. Applejack sure was in an awful hurry... Glancing around for signs of Big Macintosh, the filly grinned when she spotted the coast was clear. She cantered over to the barn and pushed open the wooden door. The hinges protested as the filly ran inside and surveyed the situation. The barn was a complete mess: the basin had been tipped over, questionable liquid coated almost everything, and there was a strange smell in the air. Apple Bloom wrinkled her nose. Yep, definitely a strange smell in the air. It was thick and caught in her throat, and yet it was oddly pleasant, only worsening the itch between her haunches. The filly was careful not to tread in the puddle; it didn’t look terribly appealing. She continued to search the room, and her eyes fell upon one of the apple baskets at the edge of the room. It wasn’t the apples she was looking at, however, but the stetson that was on top of it. “Applejack’s hat!” Apple Bloom exclaimed. “Wait. Why did Applejack leave it here?” The filly rubbed her chin in thought. Applejack never went anywhere without her hat. She always wore it, unless she was racing. Once or twice Apple Bloom had even caught her sister cuddling it late at night, and yet now she had completely forgotten about it. Was finding Spike that important? Wait. “Ah got it!” The filly cheered, “Spike’s the only one who can relieve the itch. It’s gotta be ‘cus he’s a dragon or somethin’.” Apple Bloom rubbed her hooves together and cackled. She’d solved the puzzle, and she’d seen what Applejack and Spike had been up to. Well, just a little bit. “Eek! Ah gotta go tell the other crusaders! They’ve gotta hear ‘bout this!” And with that the filly rushed outside and galloped in the direction of Ponyville, completely ignoring her sister’s orders. Something was wrong. Fluttershy’s cottage - normally full of life - was completely deserted. No critters chased each other around her garden. No birds chirped in her trees. Nopony was there at all. The entire scene was devoid of life. “Fluttershy?” Spike couldn’t help but whisper to himself. It was a bright, sunny day, and yet Fluttershy’s house looked almost abandoned. It was like the pegasus had just spontaneously decided to grab her things and leave Ponyville. What if she’s left Ponyville? That’d mean I won’t get answers! Spike bit his lip at the prospect. Oh, yeah, I’d also miss a friend. That too. Spike felt unnerved as he tiptoed up to the door. The house was silent. Anxiously, the dragon raised his claw to knock at the door. The knocking sliced through the comfortable silence like a rusty blade, sawing through the jagged strands of quiet, leaving a crushing sense of foreboding behind in the frays. And then the silence resumed. This time it was awkward and uncomfortable. He knocked again. Silence. More knocking. Spike was getting desperate. “No one’s home!” a voice yelled, “Go away! … i-if you don’t mind, that is...” “Fluttershy?” Spike yelled, “Is that you? What’s the matter?” “Sp... Spike?” Fluttershy gasped from inside the house. There was the sound of movement, and the rattling of multiple locks, and then the door opened to reveal an exhausted pegasus. “Fluttershy!” Spike exclaimed in concern, “You look terrible!” And it was true. The mare’s coat was unbrushed, and her beautiful, pink mane was unkempt and disheveled. Her eyes lacked that usual shine, and the worried expression she wore didn’t improve her appearance at all. “Spike? I’m so sorry! But... but what are you doing here? Sh-shouldn’t you be with Twilight?” The pegasus whispered. “She just told me to come check up on you,” Spike lied smoothly. “Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen better days.” “Oh, well, thank you,” Fluttershy breathed, fidgeting nervously. “Yes, I’m fine, thank you for checking up on me. Would you like to come in? I-I can make some tea if you’d like?” “Sure!” Spike beamed, jumping on the invitation like a ravenous parasite. He didn’t notice Fluttershy glance around for anypony else as she closed the door behind him. “Where’re all your animals?” Spike asked as he glanced around the empty house. The place was untidy and poorly lit. The dragon could have sworn he saw some broken furniture through one of the ajar doors. “Oh, they’re just hibernating,” Fluttershy replied with a warm smile. “I’ll go put the kettle on.” “Oh, yeah. Thanks.” Spike mumbled, glancing uneasily at the boarded up windows. Animals don’t hibernate in the summer. “So, have you seen anyone today?” Fluttershy asked. The question seemed innocent enough, but it was apparent to Spike that there was more to the question than it first might seem. “Well, I saw Twilight earlier,” Spike chose his words carefully. “How about you?” “Just Twilight?” Fluttershy pressed, ignoring the question. “Well,” the dragon sighed - what was the point in lying, anyway? - “I went to see Applejack.” The mare’s ears pricked up at this, and she was visibly very interested in this turn of events, “Applejack? Did she... say anything to you?” Spike was beginning to get irritated by this pointless exchange of white lies. He needed answers! “Well, we talked, and then we went back to Sweet Apple Acres...” “Oh, my...” Fluttershy breathed, a worried expression crossing her face as the dragon described his day thus far, minus the little incident in the bath, of course. “... and Applejack didn’t even tell me anything!” Spike finished, “I still don’t get why Ponyville’s a ghost town, why everypony’s lying, and why Applejack was so hot and needed... my help.” Fluttershy blushed and scurried away to grab the kettle which had been boiling for almost a minute, “Spike,” she said quietly from the kitchen, “Is... is that why you came to me? You want... me... t-to tell you?” Spike shuffled uncomfortably, “Er, yeah,” he replied, forcing his voice not to phrase it as a question. Fluttershy brought two mugs of tea back over to the coffee table and sat down, sighing as she did so. Gathering all the confidence she could muster she looked the dragon straight in the eye. “The reason why nopony’s outside today is because it’s heat season.” “Heat season?” Spike inquired, raising an eyebrow curiously. The mare nodded mutely. Spike waited for her to elaborate, but when it was clear nothing more was going to be said he pressed the pegasus for more information. “So, what does that mean?” he asked. Fluttershy’s blush deepened, “Well, umm, heat season’s the time of the year when all the mare’s stay inside and try to avoid everypony else,” she whispered. “Why?” Spike demanded. Fluttershy was completely crimson now, “Oh, umm, well, y-you see... they get the urge to...” The pegasus’ voice was drowned out by the barely audible, soft gust of wind. Spike almost fell over as he realized he was leaning forward off his chair and was stretching his ear towards the timid mare. “What?” he asked, bemused. “They get the urge to have...” Once again the mare’s voice failed her. Spike groaned internally and resisted the urge to smack his face with his claw in irritation. “They get the urge to have sex!” Fluttershy yelled, before clamping a hoof over her muzzle in shock. Spike felt his insides churn. The images Twilight had shown him came rushing back once again, making his head spin. It all made sense now. This whole heat business was indeed one big metaphor. It was when all the mares got the urge to have sexual intercourse. This was the fact he’d been missing. So Applejack was so hot because she’s in heat. That must mean that Twilight- Spike felt his whole body freeze up as if ice had been poured on his neck. Oh, no, no, no, no! Desperately, he tried to scrape the thoughts from his mind, but they seemed to be branded into his memory, refusing to leave him alone. He felt a little sick. There was no longer any shadow of a doubt as to what Twilight had been up to when she had locked herself in their bedroom earlier that morning. “Are... are you okay, Spike?” Fluttershy asked, genuine concern clear in her voice. Despite the fact his head was swimming Spike looked back at the mare with a forced smile, “Yeah, I’m fine, it’s just... I guess I wasn’t expecting that,” he whispered. “Does that mean Twilight... Twilight’s also got this heat?” “Well, I would think so. She said she was going back to the library to-” Fluttershy squealed again as she clamped a hoof over her mouth, “Oh! But I’m not supposed to tell you that! Oh, no! Twilight said she hadn’t quite explained it to you enough.” Spike watched in a mixture of awe and horror as the pegasus began hyperventilating. “What will she say to me if she finds you here? Oh, I’ve been such a terrible friend!” Fluttershy sobbed, “You’re not supposed to be here. You’re not supposed to be here at all!” “Don’t worry, Fluttershy. I have a pretty good idea of what’s going on now,” Spike chuckled. The mare gave Spike a worried glance, “Twilight said she was going to close up the library and keep a close eye on you. Does she know you’re here?” “No,” Spike admitted, knowing he was going to struggle to bluff his way out of this one. No way was he leaving here without more answers. “But Applejack does.” “Applejack?” The pegasus’ eyes flickered. “Wait. Where’s Applejack now?” “Sweet Apple Acres,” the dragon stated simply. “And... she’s not here with you?” Fluttershy inquired quietly. “No.” “She didn’t... well...” Fluttershy squeaked timidly, unable to phrase the question, “She didn’t show you... give in... did she?” There was only a momentary internal debate before Spike realized he needed to be completely honest if he wanted actual answers. “Yes,” he nodded. “Eep!” Fluttershy squeaked, blushing furiously as she knocked over her tea in shock. The dark liquid spread across the wooden coffee table, and the pair stared at the puddle, neither willing to move. “I can clean that up-” Spike began. “No, no, i-i-it was m-my fault,” Fluttershy stuttered as she flew over to her kitchen to grab a towel. She mopped up the mess in silence, barely daring to even breathe. It was only after she placed the towel back in the kitchen and sat down again did she manage to force air through her constricted throat. “How did it happen?” Fluttershy whispered. “I stumbled across her this morning. She was the only other pony I saw in Ponyville. I wanted to know what was going on, so I followed her to Sweet Apple Acres. I didn’t mean for it to happen, I swear, but I kinda fell in the bath. I don’t know how or why things happened after that, but... it was pretty hot,” Spike breathed. The pegasus’ eyes widened, “You mean... you two actually-” She couldn’t even utter the idea, let alone imagine the young dragon in such a situation. The whole thing seemed so unlikely, so strange, and so appealing. She twitched as she buried the thought again. “I don’t get it, Fluttershy,” Spike continued, “If mares feel the urge to have sex, then why don’t they just do it?” Of course, Spike already knew the answer, and he was already formulating his next question. “Well, we don’t want to get pregnant,” Fluttershy whispered. “Raising a foal is something you need to be ready for, and-” “Wait,” Spike interrupted. “Does that mean Applejack’s going to have a foal now?” Spike crossed his fingers and held his breath. The thought that he could become a father had been gnawing at him ever since the walk to the cottage. It was a thought that scared him, not because of the responsibility of raising a youngling, but because of what Twilight might say to him when she found out. Indeed, it was that unicorn’s disapproval that Spike feared most of all. “Oh, no, I don’t think so,” Fluttershy said with a warm smile, much to Spike’s relief. “Dragons are an entirely different category of species to ponies-” Fluttershy felt her breath catch in her throat as she considered the significance of her own words. “You don’t know how glad I am to hear that, Fluttershy,” Spike sighed in relief. “But, if all the mares are suffering from this heat thing, then Rarity must be having problems too,” Spike gasped. “I’ve got to get to her. Maybe this is a perfect opportunity to tell her about my feelings after all! “Spike: the only brave stallion there to save Lady Rarity from her own carnal desires! Then I will take her into my arms and stroke her pristine white coat as I lay her down and kiss her passionately and finally love her until all her inner flames are satisfied!” Fluttershy wasn’t listening to Spike’s sickeningly romantic fantasies as she debated what she should do. She watched as the dragon kissed the table passionately and bit her lip. Suddenly Spike leaped up and yelled heroically, “I’ve gotta go!” “Uh? You’re going already?” Fluttershy asked, shaking her head clear. “Of course! I need to save Rarity,” he cheered in response. “You’re going to... oh, my!” Fluttershy covered her eyes with her hooves. Spike smiled as the pegasus’ blush returned. “Don’t worry, Fluttershy. I’ll prove my feelings for her by helping her with this heat thing. She’s gotta fall for me after this!” “But-” “I’ll be fine,” Spike chuckled. “I’ll tell Twilight to come visit you. You look kinda lonely all the way out here.” The dragon rose from the soft couch and began walking confidently over to the door. “Thanks for explaining things, ‘Shy.” “Spike, wait!” Spike paused in the doorway to the hall, “Huh?” “Spike, please don’t go. You’ve got to stay,” Fluttershy begged. “Fluttershy? Is something wrong? What’s the matter?” For the first time that day, Spike realized how really, really uncomfortable the pegasus was: her eyes were wide and pleading, and her posture was abnormal and awkward. The realization of the situation dawned upon him. “You’re the only one who... can make it go away. P-please, Spike. Stay with me,” Fluttershy whispered. Still, the reality shocked Spike, disrupting his ability to structure coherent sentences, “Wha- huh? Fluttershy? But- why... I mean... huh?” “Don’t leave m-me...” the mare whimpered. “I-I should go,” Spike uttered hurriedly as he turned around and walked briskly to the front door. “Does Twilight know?” Fluttershy asked suddenly, “About you and Applejack? Once again Spike was forced to stop before he could make his escape. He turned around. “No,” Spike admitted. “I promise I won’t tell Twilight. Just stay with me a little longer,” the mare pleaded. Chills ran down Spike’s spines. Was Fluttershy... threatening to tell Twilight? “I shouldn’t be here, Fluttershy. Thanks for the tea, though.” “Twilight doesn’t have to know...” Fluttershy whispered as she slowly advanced on the dragon. Thoughts once again flashed through Spike’s mind of Twilight. What would she do if she found out? “Fluttershy, I-” “You’ve always been such a good friend to me, Spike,” Fluttershy interrupted. Spike’s words caught in his throat. “Applejack’s been a good friend to you, too,” Fluttershy continued, her muzzle pressed up against Spike’s snout, their eyes locked. Spike searched for any remnants of his friend, but all he found was unadulterated lust. Maybe Fluttershy was in there, but she was lost beneath the tidal wave of desire that swam around her irises. And Spike could see his own reflection in them. “But that’s different-” “It’s not different,” Fluttershy insisted. “You trust me, don’t you?” “Yes, but-” “And you want to help me, don’t you?” “But-” “Then what’s stopping you?” Fluttershy cried, tears accumulating in the corners of her eyes. “Why don’t you want to help me?” She pulled away to recollect herself. “Fluttershy...” Spike breathed, but he was unsure of what to say. Fluttershy was on the verge of tears, and it was all his fault. No one makes Fluttershy cry and gets away with it, and yet here he was. The guilt weighed down upon his shoulders. “What’ve you got to lose, Spike?” the pegasus sobbed. “You can’t get me pregnant. What’s stopping you from helping me? What’s stopping you from making it go away!?” “You don’t want this,” Spike whispered. “Yes, I do,” Fluttershy declared, swivelling around to face the dragon again. “No, you don’t!” Spike repeated more firmly. “You’re not yourself, Fluttershy.” “You don’t like me,” the pegasus breathed, her eyes widening as if hit by the realization. Spike’s breath caught in his throat, “Huh? What!” “I knew it,” Fluttershy whimpered, tears sliding smoothly down her cheeks, matting her fur. “I thought we were friends.” She slid to the ground, her back once again facing the dragon. “Fluttershy,” Spike pleaded, “We shouldn’t...” “Please,” Fluttershy sobbed. Spike bit his lip and looked around, realizing he had no escape from this situation. “You... you promise you won’t tell Twilight?” he whispered. “I Pinkie Promise,” the mare squeaked pathetically from the floor. Was he really about to do this? Was he really about to do this - again? Spike thought of Applejack. Fluttershy’s a close friend, too. I can’t do this to her. “Okay, Spike said, drooping his shoulders in resignation. “I’ll do it.” Fluttershy raised her head to lock eyes with him. Despite all the torn emotions the dragon could see, the gratitude in her gaze was unmistakable. Fluttershy’s a good friend, she won’t do anything toocrazy. Spike’s thoughts were interrupted as Fluttershy wrapped her hooves around Spike’s petite frame and pressed her lips against his own. The dragon didn’t really understand the whole deal with kissing before sex. It seemed highly superfluous in the grand scheme of things. He’d come to realize, at least, that the gesture was not a romantic one. Well, he was pretty sure of it. Spike tried not to feel helpless in the pegasus’ firm grip as her tongue delved into his mouth. Was he really about to go through with this? The idea of getting lucky with Fluttershy was totally hot, but he couldn’t help but feel like he was being unfair on the mare. Could this be considered as taking advantage? Before Spike could think over any of his questions long enough to answer them, Fluttershy broke from the hot kiss, and the two broke apart. “The couch,” she whispered in between her deep breaths. Spike could feel her heart hammering in her chest: fast and excited. The mare didn’t even bother waiting for a response from him as she scooped him up and glided over to the sofa. Placing him on his back, Spike shuddered as the pegasus landed next to him and ran a hoof across his scales, her turquoise irises shimmering in the poorly lit room. The feral glare the mare was giving him was unsettling; he felt like goods being valued at the market, and her hoof gliding across his chest was doing little to disperse this simile. The touch was so soft and delicate, more so than Applejack’s had been. Spike quivered under the gentle caress and noticed a sly smile creep onto Fluttershy’s muzzle. The mare leaned down, pausing her muzzle right at Spike’s snout. There was no trace of her usual timid self, and her warm breath tickled Spike’s lips. He was expecting a kiss; they were usually the norm for these kind of things, right? So he was surprised, then, when the pegasus brought her lips to his neck, the fine fur of her muzzle gently brushing the sensitive scales. Spike tried not to laugh, but his mirth was short-lived as something alien ran across his neck. It was warm, rough and wet, leaving a sticky trail of saliva. She was running her tongue across his neck, and it was sending sharp jolts of electricity up his spine. He couldn’t help but twitch slightly, eliciting a soft gasp. Fluttershy beamed inwardly; she was trying not to let her uncertainty show, but Spike’s grunts and groans signalled she was doing the right thing. It was going to be easier than she thought to get the little dragon in the mood. Fluttershy had always been scared of dragons; they were too big, too aggressive and too scary, and they never wanted to be her friend. But Spike was different. She knew she could trust him. Feeling his claw comb through the fibres of her pink mane, the pegasus sighed in contentment and continued to run her tongue across the dragon’s scales. She hadn’t been expecting a taste, but her taste buds could detect more than just a trace of what had previously been on Spike’s body, and it was disgusting; old bath water mixed with something else she couldn’t quite detect. But Fluttershy found herself unable to stop. She wasn’t sure what it was that was driving her to continue, but she just couldn’t stop herself. She continued to run her tongue across his body, no longer limiting herself to just his neck. His moans were getting louder, and her nethers were getting hotter. Moving down to his chest, Fluttershy knew there was no going back. The thought both scared and excited her, the two emotions wrestling viciously for dominance. But she ignored them, focusing on the task at hoof. Spike’s scales glittered with the saliva that was generously distributed across his torso. Meanwhile, Spike’s emotions were in turmoil. The thought of actually doing it with Fluttershy seemed... unnatural; the pegasus was normally so calm and timid. Now, she was furiously tasting what remained of the little bath fiasco with Applejack. He didn’t want to think about what it must taste like. Scratch that; he couldn’t think about what it must taste like; he couldn’t think about anything. His sense and reason was clouded over by the absolutely amazing sensation teasing his scales. The mare had moved downwards, making quick tongue strokes across his belly. It was strange receiving attention of this kind there, but Spike found the tickling sensation increasingly addictive: at first, they left a trail of burning liquid, but then her tongue moved on, leaving the scales vulnerable to the biting, cool air. The method was torturous and beautiful at the same time, and he knew Fluttershy knew this too; his involuntary vocalization had ensured this. Spike couldn’t put up any more resistance. The burning spread across his entire body and down to his loins. His mind blurred as his primal instincts took over. The dragon closed his eyes. There was no going back. Fluttershy ceased the tame foreplay as she felt something hard press against her side and gasped at what she found. Or, correctly speaking, somethings. “Two? Oh, my...” Animals had always been her speciality, but she’d never really made the connection between reptiles and dragons. In fact, the idea seemed both alien and exciting at the same time. Fluttershy didn’t even pause as she grabbed one of the dragon’s cocks with her hooves. It seemed strange to do such a thing to such a creature, but Spike was no ordinary dragon, she chided herself; Spike was her friend. As she moved her hooves up and down the shaft Spike let out another loud gasp, signalling she was doing the right thing. The mass in between her hooves throbbed and convulsed in time with the gasps underneath his breaths. Spike’s mind was foggy. His loins were on fire again. It was as if having sex with Applejack not half an hour beforehand had had no effect at all. His carnal desires were back, operating at full capacity again. He grinned to himself. Fluttershy’s hooves were firm, yet soft as they gently stroked his burning phallus. With each stroke, he could feel his heart desperately attempting to pump even more blood into the bulging shaft. It was so much more sensitive than earlier. The pegasus picked up the pace, and Spike’s raging heart pumped faster to compete. His head felt almost as hot as his loins. Fluttershy had never done anything like this before, but that didn’t matter. All that mattered was that she was pleasing Spike and that she was going to get a reward for doing a good job of it. Suddenly, she could smell a new smell. Glancing down, she could see the member beneath her oozing a small amount of liquid. The smell was thick and intoxicating. She didn’t care about anything else; the smell invaded her nose and her mind, sending her senses into overdrive and driving her nethers crazy. The smell was so good. She wanted to taste it. Leaning down, she locked her mouth onto the end of Spike’s phallus and swirled her tongue across the sensitive tip, earning a loud gasp from Spike. It tasted so much better than it smelled. It was like drug she couldn’t get enough of, and greedily she sucked the tip, forcing more out. She increased the pace of her hoof movements again and began to swirl her tongue over the tip of the phallus in her mouth in time with it. More precum oozed out, and she drank it all up. Each drop excited her more and more, heating her nethers more and more. She was desperate to get more. Abandoning her hoof, she began to move her head up and down, slowly taking in more and more of Spike’s cock. Suddenly, she felt Spike’s claw on the back of her head, gently forcing the twitching member deeper and deeper into her mouth, Spike moaned loudly, and Fluttershy submitted, sucking in more and more. She felt so hot, and she could feel the sofa beneath her nethers getting wet. She needed more. Spike’s claw pushed her further and further until she was almost taking in the entire length. It pushed against the back of her mouth, probing closer to her throat. His phallus was so hard, and yet she wanted it to fill her mouth. She wanted it to fill her marehood. She wanted it so badly. Clenching her eyes shut, Fluttershy pushed herself to get her mouth around the entire length. He was so close to orgasming, she could feel it; the member in her mouth spasmed erratically. Spike wasn’t sure if it was because he was particularly sensitive, or he just hadn’t been paying attention last time, but he was overwhelmed by the feeling of Fluttershy’s mouth against his member. The mare’s small, delicate mouth was as hot as the rest of his body as it burned along his shaft, driving him crazy. It felt as if there was a literal pressure building in his pelvis, and it longed to escape. Spike wasn’t sure how long he could hold it in. Fluttershy was starting to feel the strain against her throat, but she couldn’t stop. Spike was so close. She wanted him to cum so badly. She felt as if she were hypnotized, Spike’s love juices intoxicating her into an unstoppable trance. She felt like she was running like clockwork, no longer in control. There was no going back. She increased tempo and hummed wildly. So close. In the corner of her eye, Fluttershy spotted the large mirror that hung from her wall, and her eyes widened when she saw what, or rather who, was in that mirror. A pony glared back at her with wide, feral eyes full of maddened lust. Her pink mane had become tangled and knotted. Her yellow fur was matted by the sweat and liquid escaping her nethers. Beneath the mare, her draconic friend was pinned down, helpless as she mercilessly took advantage of him. Fluttershy stared, and a mean, selfish pony stared back. Is that... me? She stopped torturing Spike and walked over to the mirror. Gently, she placed a hoof against the glass, and the cruel pony in the mirror did the same. “What have I done?” Fluttershy whispered. “Fluttershy?” Spike groaned, confused by this sudden turn of events. He was so close to his orgasm - he had to refrain himself from running over there and forcing- “I’m so sorry, Spike,” Fluttershy breathed, interrupting his thoughts. “I... I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to force you into this.” “Fluttershy,” Spike grunted, “It’s fine. I told you. I’m okay with it.” “No!” Fluttershy stated firmly. “You’re not okay with it. I forced it on you, I... I don’t know what came over me, I mean I-” Spike got up from the sofa, “Fluttershy, I mean it. I want this,” Spike insisted, trying not to grind his teeth too hard. “I was so stupid, and I’ve been such a terrible friend by pushing you so much. And I know you don’t want to b-be... with me,” Fluttershy squeaked. “Besides, what’s Twilight going to say when she discovers what I did with you?” The color drained from the pegasus’ face. “What if she never forgives me?” “Fluttershy!” Spike whispered as he walked over to her. “I don’t like seeing you upset, but-” “Spike,” Fluttershy urged, “You need to go.” Spike frowned, his members burned from the prolonged neglect. He was was going to need to change tactics. Gently combing a claw through her mane, Spike spoke softly, “Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere, not without helping you with this. I’m your friend,” Spike stated firmly, “And that’s what friends do.” “But Spike-” Fluttershy protested before the dragon tackled her down to the floor. Fluttershy squeaked in surprise. The tables had turned, and now Spike was the one on top, the sudden reversal of roles reigniting the fire in between her haunches. Spike had all four of her hooves pressed firmly against the floorboards with his own limbs. Fluttershy was powerless to resist as Spike leaned down and locked his lips with her own. She didn’t try to - didn’t want to - stop him as she embraced the kiss. Fluttershy’s fur bristled in excitement as the two broke apart and exchanged glances. “We can’t, Spike...” the mare whispered as she blushed furiously. “Twilight doesn’t have to know,” Spike whispered, a cheeky grin spreading across his face. That cheeky grin that she found so adorable. “You don’t want this,” Fluttershy breathed as the final wall of her resolve crumbled. “Yes, I do,” Spike retorted. “Sp-Spike...” Fluttershy whimpered. “I want to be a good friend,” Spike continued. “I don’t want to leave without helping you.” “I... I...” Fluttershy sighed as she went limp in resignation, “Okay,” she uttered and wrapped her forelegs around the dragon, embracing him in a tight hug. “I... Thank you, Spike,” she whispered, barely audible, even to herself. Spike smiled softly and kissed Fluttershy once again. The kiss was hot and passionate; it sent tingles across her lips and down her spine. The mare shivered in delight as the dragon began to nuzzle her neck. His snout felt warm as it gently brushed the fine hairs. Fluttershy moaned. It was most unlike her, but she couldn’t help it. She’d been waiting for this for so long, although she hadn’t expected her stallion to be Spike. Suddenly, she felt herself being picked up and turned over in Spike’s strong grip, a gasp escaping from her throat. The dragon didn’t stop or even hesitate as he combed the delicate fur on her back, his strokes running parallel to the tingling in her spine. Involuntarily, Fluttershy found herself moaning and enjoying the attention more and more as he continued to scratch her back. Now she knew how Applejack had felt when Spike had given her a back scratch that one time. She didn’t realize it was so... satisfying. The dexterous claws continued over to her wings. Fluttershy’s eyes widened as they began to comb the delicate feathers, gently preening them. It was like she was receiving a massage from Aloe or Lotus (had she ever actually permitted them to give her one), and the mare found herself relaxing and sighing in relief. She hadn’t realized just how tense she was. Every now and then, Spike’s claws approached the base of her wings, and Fluttershy tensed up slightly each time. The reaction didn’t go unnoticed by Spike who chuckled under his breath and began to gently massage the spot where her wings met her back. Fluttershy bit her lip in order to remain quiet and squeezed her eyes shut. She wanted to yell or scream - anything to let Spike know not to stop. Her hooves squirmed of their own accord as her nethers screamed for attention. The dragon stood over her as he preened her feathers, each stroke wrenching a gasp from her throat in between her deep breaths and squeaky moans. She could feel her arousal dripping onto the floorboards beneath her. She could smell it, the smell only snuffing out whatever control she had left. She wanted to grind her hips into the soaking floorboards - anything to relieve that unbearable burning. Spike was torturing her, but she didn’t want to tell him to stop. Whether that was because of the heat or just her usual self she wasn’t quite sure. As Spike continued his massage, Fluttershy felt his tongue join in with the teasing. The dragon’s tongue could extend an incredible distance, and Fluttershy felt her nethers burn even more as she imagined what it could do. The attention was making her body protest more and more. Her limbs squirmed as she moaned and writhed on the floor, and Spike’s claws danced across her back. They moved lower and lower down her back until they scraped along her flank, gently caressing her cutie mark. Fluttershy let out a sigh of contentedness. Involuntarily, the mare raised up her flank, desperate for the dragon to give her nethers some attention. She could feel her lips dripping fluid onto the floorboards beneath her. Spike smiled to himself as Fluttershy, of all ponies, raised her flank in the air, desperate for some attention. She continuously flicked her tail to the side, trying to draw his attention, but Spike found himself enjoying teasing the mare as he gently stroked her cutie mark. However, the dragon could see a pair of lips presented to him behind the twitching tail. Liquid ran down her haunches in rivers and soaked the flooring by hit feet. Spike didn’t need to be Twilight’s number one assistant to see that Fluttershy was incredibly horny - her squeals and moans only confirmed such a daring assumption. Slowly, but carefully, Spike ran his claws over to Fluttershy’s dripping nethers. The mare tensed and let out a cute whinny as soon as he brushed the sensitive lips, and even more of the liquid poured out. The smell was intoxicating, and Spike licked his lips in anticipation. He brought his claw once again to the mare’s sensitive lips and ran along its length, slower this time. The mare quivered in delight, her haunches almost buckling beneath her flank. As he brought his hand back up it was covered in generous amounts of the sweet-smelling nectar. Spike chuckled and caressed Fluttershy’s nethers again, this time lingering at her clit. “D-don’t... stop,” Fluttershy moaned as her whole body convulsed. Gently, he stroked the exposed clit and grinned as the mare beneath him reacted each time he did so, but, the smell was becoming too much for Spike; Fluttershy’s arousal permeated the air in the room as if it were a thick fog. Spike leaned in, and gently flicked his tongue against her lips. The reaction was more than expected: Fluttershy yelped, and her leg spasmed. “Fluttershy, are you okay?” Spike asked. “I’m fine,” Fluttershy moaned. “Please don’t stop.” Spike sighed inwardly in relief and turned the mare over so that she was facing him. Spike made eye contact and kissed her gently on the muzzle. “You ready?” he said. The mare nodded mutely, and Spike once again brought his tongue to Fluttershy’s vulva. This time, he ran his tongue across its entire length, tasting all of the sweet honey that had been running down Fluttershy’s haunches. It tasted even better than it smelled: deliciously sweet, yet slightly different from Applejack. Spike couldn’t get enough of it as it drove him into a frenzy, his tongue searching for more of the ambrosia. He ran his tongue all over Fluttershy’s nethers, licking up all the nectar they had to offer. The mare shuddered as he did so, clearly enjoying the attention. However, there wasn’t enough. Spike’s acrobatic tongue searched high and low, but there just wasn’t enough. In an ambitious attempt to find more of the addictive nectar, Spike thrust his tongue into the mare’s lower lips, rubbing it against her clit. The result was instantaneous. Fluttershy squealed in ecstasy, her love juices gushing from her nethers and straight into Spike’s waiting mouth. Fluttershy was in absolute heaven. She could feel Spike’s tongue inside of her, and it felt better than all of the attention she’d been receiving earlier. There wasn’t any guilt anymore, and that made everything feel so much better. Take Spike’s tongue, for example, to Fluttershy it felt firm and hot, the incredible dexterity only adding to the pleasure. Was she really doing this with a dragon, of all creatures? Yes, yes she was, and she was loving it; his tongue was massaging her exposed clit and touring along her inner walls. She never wanted this to end. However, she could feel her walls clenching and her breathing quicken. Her heart was beating erratically as her head moved from side to side. She moaned as her hind legs began to buckle - she was nearing her limit. Desperately, she bucked her hips upwards towards Spike, grinding his lips into her own. She could feel Spike’s incredible tongue licking up the love juices that were almost pouring out of her aroused nethers. Fluttershy had never felt so alive. The tension in her body was building and building up until it reached an unbearable crescendo. Fluttershy let out a very, very loud scream. It was most unlike her, but she couldn’t hold it in. As her entire body convulsed, copious amounts of love juices poured forth from her nethers. Each convulsion shook her entire body, forcing another loud moan from her throat. As Rarity would say, it was most unbecoming of her. These were not the demure “eep”s the pegasus normally squeaked. She couldn’t see Spike’s expression, but Fluttershy found herself smiling dumbly as she thought about what he might be thinking. However, even as she reveled in the afterglow of her orgasm, Fluttershy felt like she wasn’t quite finished for the day. Something was missing, and she was going to get it. Spike hadn’t quite expected such a reaction from the demure pegasus. Admittedly, Fluttershy’s loud screaming and furious convulsing had surprised the dragon almost as much as the liberal amount of addictive nectar that had followed. Even just thinking back, Spike found himself missing Fluttershy’s love juices. It was a strange thing to think, and Spike wondered what Twilight would make of that if he told her. Spike shuddered as the thought crossed him again. What was he going to tell Twilight? She’d no doubt worked out that he’d gone missing, and now that he’d got some answers- His thoughts were cut off as Fluttershy filled his vision. The pegasus stood over him, her muzzle once again pressed against his snout. Somehow, Spike had ended up on the floor in a daze. Had he been hyperventilating? Fluttershy kissed him, and Spike focused on her eyes. The teal irises had that look that Applejack’s had had when she was in the bathtub, and Spike knew exactly what it was that Fluttershy wanted. It also reminded him of his poor, neglected dragonhoods that were throbbing with a renewed desire to receive attention. Spike grinned as he knew what was coming next. “I want you inside of me, Spike,” Fluttershy moaned seductively. It wasn’t a question. Spike rose as Fluttershy backed away, her gaze glued to his lower regions. As he walked towards her, the pegasus continued to back away until she was lying on the couch. Widening her hind legs, she presented Spike with her lips once again. Clambering up onto the couch, Spike positioned himself at Fluttershy’s entrance, the tip of one of his members pressed against the delicate folds. As the pegasus bit her lip and nodded, Spike gently pushed his hips towards Fluttershy’s. A jolt of pleasure shot up Spike’s spine as the tip slipped into the mare. The pair moaned in unison. Pushing a little further, Spike groaned as the tension in his member built up. Fluttershy was incredibly tight. It felt like an amazingly soft fist clamped around his phallus. As gently as he could, Spike pulled backwards, slowly withdrawing from the mare, before thrusting in once again. This time he went a little deeper, and the moan that came from Fluttershy was a little louder. The mare’s body shuddered as part of him stroked her inner walls. Repeating this, Spike thrust out and in. Fluttershy’s walls felt like they were tightening more and more each time. However, he noticed that as he tried to push in further, he came across a large resistance. For some reason, he couldn’t push any further. "Go in all the way,” Fluttershy whimpered. “I want it all.” “I can’t,” Spike grunted. “Just push really hard,” the mare pleaded. Spike raised an eyebrow, “You sure? Won’t that hurt you?” “Just do it,” Fluttershy insisted as she bucked her hips upwards, forcing Spike’s cock in a little further. Spike didn’t question any further, and he brought out his burning member again as he prepared for another attack. This time, he pushed his hips as hard as he dared, forcing his cock past the strange resistance. He watched as Fluttershy’s face momentarily contorted in pain, but it vanished as his hips met Fluttershy’s,  his second member stroking the delicate fur of Fluttershy’s stomach. He was all the way inside of Fluttershy. His phallus was completely enveloped by the hottest, most velvety and silky sensation he’d ever experienced in his entire life. It was so much tighter than Applejack’s. So tight, in fact, that it felt as if the muscular walls were crushing his cock, baiting him to orgasm then and there. He wanted to buck his hips and start pumping his cock into the mare right away, but something wasn’t right. “Fluttershy?” Spike asked. “Are you okay?” The mare in question had forced her eyes shut as her face twisted in pain. “Don’t worry,” she breathed, “I’m fine. Just give me a moment.” “Do you want me to stop?” Spike pressed, concern clear in his voice. “I can feel you,” Fluttershy whispered, “It feels good, just give me a minute to get used to it, okay?” Spike sighed in relief and hugged Fluttershy lightly. He had been worried about whether he was hurting her or not. Seconds ticked by, the quiet broken only by their deep panting. Spike looked up into Fluttershy’s eyes and held her gaze. Even in her moment of weakness, Fluttershy still retained her grace and poise. A good feeling washed over Spike: he was being a good friend. Like any gentledrake should, he was waiting until his lady was ready. It was then that Fluttershy unconsciously bucked her hips. It was almost a signal for the drake to begin. Spike started slowly with weak bucks; he was still a little worried about hurting Fluttershy, and he felt as if every buck might snap the petite pegasus in half. However, Fluttershy calmed his concerns by moaning loudly and bucking her hips to meet his. Just like before, the feeling was so much better than with Applejack, as if he’d been too stunned to pay attention to the awesome feeling in his member. Each time his length slid in and out of the small pegasus, jolts of pleasure ran up to the tip. He was amazed by how unique and good it felt to have the delicate, silky marehood enveloping his cock. Fluttershy’s muscles crushed Spike’s phallus, clenching it as if they wanted to never let it go. It was the best feeling in the world. Every time their hips collided, Spike could feel the mare’s body shiver underneath his own. Fluttershy was groaning loudly as she increased the pace, gently pushing her own hips upwards to meet Spike’s half way. Spike could feel the familiar feeling of something building up inside of him, but Fluttershy showed no mercy. She pressed him with more and more vigor, her eyes begging him to thrust faster. The sounds of their colliding hips echoed throughout the room, complimented by Fluttershy’s yelps of ecstasy. The couch was completely drenched in love juices. It appeared as if Fluttershy was barely paying attention anymore. She leaned her head back, lying against the pillow. Her mane was scattered across the sofa. However, she still thrust her hips up to meet Spike, drawing his phallus even deeper into her. Her moans were getting louder - louder than he’d ever heard her be before. Suddenly, Spike could feel Fluttershy’s walls spasming around his member, clenching it with an impossibly tight grip. The pegasus screamed deafeningly as a torrent of fluids poured forth from her nethers. It soaked Spike's cock and Fluttershy's poor, abused couch. Fluttershy trembled as her orgasm reverberated throughout her entire body. Still, Fluttershy’s canal spasmed erratically. It was too much for Spike to handle. The last half an hour had mostly consisted of criminal neglect for his members, and now he couldn’t hold it back any longer. Spike moaned softly as he felt his balls spasm, pumping his semen out of one of his phalluses and into Fluttershy. His phallus kept pumping. Each time it pumped, Spike let out a quiet gasp. Fluttershy moaned loudly. Spike’s semen coated her insides. Finally, Spike sighed as his orgasm drew to a close. He didn’t withdraw his member. Instead, the pair simply lay there in silence. Spike watched as Fluttershy's eyelids drooped. He could see she was completely exhausted. Who knows how long she'd been urging to be satisfied. As his member softened, Fluttershy sighed happily, and drew the dragon into a tight hug. "Thank you, Spike," she whispered, gratitude clear in her voice. With that, the pegasus closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep. Who knew igneous rocks could be so fascinating! As strange as it might sound, Twilight Sparkle wasn’t actually kidding when she admitted to this guilty pleasure. As she finished the final book in the series “Of The Study Of Rocks And Their Magical Properties”, Twilight could safely tell herself she was much more informed now as to what Pinkie Pie did on a rock farm. Unfortunately, that last part wasn’t so interesting as it mostly involved pushing rocks around. Regardless, Twilight hummed to herself as she levitated the large pile of books over to the shelf. Now that I’ve read all of Bookshelf 8D, I can move onto- Twilight stopped and stared in horror at the bookcase, or, more accurately, at the lack thereof. She’d reached the end of the library. She’d read every book in the library. This was very, very bad. Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no! Twilight began hyperventilating as she began to mentally search the house for books she hadn’t read yet. “Spike,” she called, hoping for some assistance. “Spike!” Frantically, she began to scan along the shelves, “I’ve read that... read that... read that...” Twilight’s heart was beating erratically. If I don’t find something soon, I’m going to be distracted... A distraction! That was it! Spike went to get a game. I can play that with him until I think up something! Twilight paused. How long ago had she seen Spike? She was pretty sure it was around volume eight or nine... but that was several books ago. She couldn’t have read that many books that fast, could she? Vexed by her lack of time-keeping skills, Twilight rushed up the stairs to find her young assistant. “Spike!” Twilight called, “Have you found a game yet?” However, the only response that met her ears was her own hoofsteps. “Spike?” she shouted again. “Can you please come down? You can bring any game you found, I promise to play it with you!” Twilight shuddered as the thought occurred to her that Spike might have found Twister. However it seemed the dragon was nowhere to be found; only silence answered her calls. What could be occupying Spike that he couldn’t even give her an answer back? As dread welled up inside her stomach, Twilight reached the top of the staircase and glanced around uneasily. The library was eerily quiet. “Spike?” she called again, this time barely a whisper. Carefully, she pushed open the bedroom door and peered in. The bedroom was well-lit and positively empty. A cool draft wafted in from the open window. The open window. Twilight’s jaw dropped as the realization dawned on her. Fear, angst and anger surged forth inside her from nowhere. Spike had run away, deliberately disobeying her! “Spike!” Twilight screamed as she ran up to the window. She couldn’t see the ground through the thick canopy, but the streets around the library were completely barren. “Spike!” she screamed again. Without another second’s hesiation, Twilight galloped down the stairs at full-speed. Completely forgetting about everything else, she focused on one thing: finding Spike. Wrenching the front door open in her powerful magical grasp, Twilight ran straight into somepony else. “Ooft,” the pony grunted as Twilight collided with her at full force. Momentarily forgetting her peril, Twilight gasped in surprise, “Sorry!” she apologized, before realizing who she’d bumped into. “Applejack?” she asked. “Howdy... Twilight,” Applejack huffed, clearly out of breath. “Applejack! What are you doing here?” Twilight asked. “Did you run here all the way from Sweet Apple Acres?” The orange pony was, indeed, sweating profusely and gasping for air. “Listen, Twi,” Applejack spluttered, “Y’gotta listen to me. Spike-” “Spike!?” Twilight yelled suddenly, “You know where he is? Where is-” Twilight paused as a new smell met her nose. She realized it was coming from the pony in front of her. “He was at Sweet Apple Acres,” Applejack continued, “Ah don’t know why, but he was jus’ walkin’ through the middle of Ponyville, said he was goin’ ta see Rarity, or somethin’.” “In Ponyville?” Twilight breathed, her eyes wide in fear. “Rarity?” “Ah took him back to Sweet Apple Acres, hopin’ ta get him outta the way, y’know,” Applejack mumbled as she fidgeted nervously, “But then he started goin’ all crazy butler on me and prepared a bath fer me, even when ah told him ta stop.” Twilight blinked erratically as she put the puzzle pieces together. “And then he ended up fallin’ inside mah basin and,” Applejack’s blushed furiously, “Everythin’ went outta control from there.” “Don’t tell me...” Applejack gulped, “Ah’m sorry, Twilight! Ah didn’t mean fer it ta happen, ah swear! He was there, and ah was there! And things jus’ took off from there.” Twilight’s eyes narrowed, “What kind of things?” she hissed darkly. The earth pony quivered under Twilight’s deathly glare, “Ah swear ta you, Twilight, Ah didn’t mean fer it to turn out like this.” “Are you implying you had sexual intercourse?” Applejack nodded timidly. Twilight breathed deeply, using the calming technique Princess Cadence had shown her. She could almost believe it was working; that it was suppressing the enormous amounts of disbelief and anger that was building up inside her. “You had sexual intercourse,” Twilight Sparkle said quietly, before roaring, “With SPIKE!?” There was little doubt that all of Ponyville had heard Twilight’s booming voice; Applejack was almost sent launching across the room. “Ah’m sorry, Twilight!” Applejack whimpered as she recoiled from Twilight’s raw fury. “Ah tried to resist, ah swear! Ah swear by mah stetson!” Twilight turned around and walked back towards her reading desk. On it was a picture of her young assistant. He was grinning at her, as if he were taunting her. “Twilight?” Applejack asked taking a cautious step forward. “Don’t say anything, please,” she whispered and closed her eyes. “C’mon, Twilight. He’s a male, and he’s growing up. It was bound to happen sooner or later, you just need to accept this fact!” Strangely, it wasn’t Applejack who was speaking these words; it was Twilight. “And, on the bright side,” Twilight continued, “He did it with one of your best friends, and not with some strange mare that could have hurt him.” Twilight’s voice cracked as she finished her monologue and tears stung her eyes. “Twilight? Are y’alright?” Applejack asked worriedly as she approached her. This seemed to break Twilight was her momentary insanity, and she looked back at Applejack. “We need to find him,” Twilight stated coldly. “Now.” Applejack didn’t argue, and the pair galloped out of the door. Spike lay on the sofa with a purring pegasus asleep next to him. Fluttershy sighed blissfully as the pair bathed in the afterglow of the steamy coitus. It was a strange feeling, but Spike felt victorious. Fluttershy had been in need, and he’d helped satisfy her sexual cravings. He felt like a knight in shining armor, rescuing the damsel in distress. Spike felt proud. And he knew that other mares needed his help, too. If he found Rarity, and quelled her heat, then maybe she’d realize that he was the dragon for her. And if not, well, there was no denying that having sex felt absolutely amazing, and with a town of mares who all needed his help, he’d be an insane dragon to decline such a tempting offer. Rising up from the couch and ensuring he didn’t wake up Fluttershy, Spike walked away. As he left the house, sunlight poured onto him. He took in a deep breath, enjoying the beautiful scenery around him, before beginning his walk towards Ponyville. I can still get to Rarity’s boutique before the end of the day, and if I meet any other mares in need on the way, I can help them. Satisfied with his plan of action, Spike strolled confidently towards the town. He heard the clock tower ring out, and in the distance he could make out the time. Midday. The day had barely begun, and there was a whole town of mares he needed to satisfy. Spike had a Crusade to embark upon. //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter One: That's what Friends do //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter One: That's what Friends do Crusade: Verb - To lead or take part in a campaign concerning a social, political, or religious issue. One could almost say it was another normal day in Ponyville. Almost. For Spike, this day was extraordinary. This day was special. This day was going to be the day he finally confessed his love for Rarity! The dragon seemed completely oblivious to this outrageously unoriginal plot device as he smiled goofily. “Ahhh, Rarity,” he purred to himself, “Soon we'll be together!” Spike found himself daydreaming about that beautiful, white mare - her flawless mane, her deep, blue eyes, and her enchanting smile - Spike positively squealed at his sudden surge of courage. He could imagine it now: walking smoothly up to that perfect mare, kneeling down to kiss her hoof delicately, and whisper softly in her ear, “My fair lady. You are so beautiful that the sun and moon pale in comparison. Not even Celestia-” “Spike!” “Wha-” Spike gasped, jumping out of his daydream, “Huh?” “Spike,” Twilight chuckled, “You don’t need to think those thoughts aloud, you know.” Spike couldn’t help but blush, “But I’m practicing to confess my love to Rarity,” the dragon complained. “Well, save it for another day; we’ve got a library to clean.” The unicorn commanded. Spike glanced around the immaculate library, “Er, clean what, exactly?” “Books!” Twilight insisted, “Lots and lots of books!” she cackled madly as she used her telekinesis to drag every single book off the wall. A thousand thickly bound tomes thundered to the floor, and Spike gritted his teeth as a miniature earthquake shuddered through him, rattling his entire body. “Aw, c’mon, Twilight,” the dragon whimpered quietly, “I was going to see Rarity today!” Spike was sure he’d never seen anypony swivel round as fast as Twilight did now. “See Rarity?” she gasped, “No, no, no, not today. We’ve got lots of work to do, and Rarity’s very busy!” Spike shrugged, “I’m sure she won’t mind if I go over to help.” Twilight chuckled forcefully, “Heh heh, no, you see Rarity’s actually sick, Spike. She just told me! Isn’t that convenient? Heh heh, guess you can’t see her.” Spike raised his eyebrow suspiciously, “You’re sure?” Twilight nodded her head vigorously in response. Spike elicited an exasperated sigh before picking up the nearest book, “Fine, let’s get this over with,” he said with a scowl, “The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can go Sugarcube Corner. I’m dying for another one of those cupcakes with gems in that Mrs. Cake keeps experimenting with.” the dragon licked his lips in anticipation as his mind wandered. “Sugarcube Corner!?” Twilight yelped, “No! We can’t go there; we can’t go anywhere today. Sorry, Spike. It’s too hot... and Princess Celestia warned us the sun could burn us and give us.... sunburn... so, we all have to stay inside!” Spike frowned, “Twilight, are you feeling okay?” For the first time that morning, Spike noticed how nervous the librarian was. She was constantly shuffling uncomfortably and glancing uneasily at the stairs. “Twilight...” he said slowly, “Why’re all the windows closed?” The unicorn stiffened and inhaled sharply, “Because of the sunlight.” she breathed as she frantically fidgeted with her hooves. Once again Spike noticed the way Twilight adjusted her position on the chair. She looked like that time she had received the new Daring Do novel and was desperate to read it the moment she could get her hooves on it. “There’s a heat wave going on?” Spike asked. “Heat!” Twilight yelped, “Who said anything about heat? I didn’t!” she squealed quickly. Spike shrugged and picked up the first book, “So, why can’t we go outside?” By now, Twilight looked like she’d reached her limit, “Sunlight! Burning! Don’t go outside!” she yelped in quick succession, “I’ll be right back!” Spike watched in awe as his guardian dashed upstairs at a Sonic Rainboom speed. He shook his head and glanced back at the mess. Maybe she needed to go to the bathroom really badly? Spike felt his eyebrow twitch in confusion. After a very short internal debate, his curiosity got the better of him. Twilight was known to be prone to... ridiculous obsessions, to say the least, but even that was unusual for her. The dragon decided that he was going to try and discover what his guardian could be up to. Walking over to them Spike glanced uneasily up the stairs, arcing his neck to listen for any sounds. Only silence met his ears, however. Attempting to duplicate the stealth of Pinkie Pie, Spike crept silently up the stairs. He’d lived in this library for a long time now, and Spike knew exactly which steps creaked. Carefully, he placed each claw onto each step in just the right place and ascended to the upper floor corridor without making disturbing a single floor board. Once again he turned his head to listen for any noises. This time he heard something: mutterings coming from the bedroom. Questions bombarded his head. Does Twilight have somepony over? Is she reading something out loud? Is she just talking to herself? His mind flashed back to the time Twilight’s sanity had boiled down to enchanting her favorite doll with a ‘Want It, Need It’ charm in order to make a friendship problem. Surely Twilight couldn’t be having a similar problem now, could she? Trying his best not to even breath, Spike edged over to the bedroom, stopping next to the closed door and pressing his ear to the wooden frame. The first thing Spike could hear was heavy breathing. Huh? She went upstairs in a rush to... exercise? Spike wasn’t sure which was stronger: his bemusement or his amusement. Exercise was almost unheard of from the avid bookworm. The Running of the Leaves event had more than just Rainbow Dash and Applejack with dropped jaws- Spike’s eyes widened, and he pressed his ear more firmly to the door. Had he just heard what he thought he’d just heard? The sounds of gasping and moaning came from within the room. Spike felt his stomach lurch. Is she in pain? Only through sheer willpower did Spike manage to refrain from opening the door and running head first to face whatever monster was traumatizing Twilight. But something was strange. Twilight didn’t sound like she was in pain, and yet it didn’t sound like anything else Spike had ever heard. She sounded almost frustrated. “Dammit!” she cursed under her breath, startling the dragon. “Why can’t they just make a spell for this already? Stupid hooves.” Twilight ceased complaining and moaned even louder, and Spike wrinkled his nose. Wait. He paused and wrinkled his nose again. What’s that smell? A sickly sweet smell met Spike’s nostrils. It was thick and strangely pleasant. Spike struggled to define any sense in what was going on. Twilight clearly wasn’t in pain, but it sounded like she needed a spell to solve the problem. That’s it! Spike forced himself not to cheer. It was so obvious; all he had to do was find the spell Twilight was talking about, and he could help her! He paused. What is the spell Twilight wants? And what does she mean by ‘make’ a spell? Does she mean it doesn’t exist yet? Spike gulped at the prospect of searching through the high level spellbooks downstairs. His internal discord continued for several minutes, and Twilight continued to grunt on the other side of the door. “It’s just not enough!” Twilight groaned in frustration, “Seriously! How does everypony else manage this!?” she complained. “Maybe I could try inviting Big Macintosh or Caramel around? Oh, but what can I do about Spike? I can’t let him leave the library.” she began whining. “Why does it have to be so darn annoying?” Spike stiffened at the mention of his name, and he began to grow suspicious of Twilight’s excuses. Suddenly, Twilight moaned loudly once, and then silence befell the room. Spike realized the door was primed to slam into his face should Twilight decide to open it. He cringed away, backing slowly down the stairs. Whatever Twilight had been up to, it sounded like she’d finished. Spike didn’t feel relieved as he tiptoed half way down the stairs. Instead he just felt confused, and maybe slightly concerned. Just slightly. “Oh, I can’t let Spike see me like this!” Twilight’s voice carried down the stairs. The dragon instantly froze on the spot. The unicorn continued to mumble to herself. Ice ran down his neck as the door opened, and he heard Twilight scan the corridor for signs of her number one assistant. The breath caught in his throat. Fortunately the stairs hid him from view, and Twilight proceeded to the next room, muttering as she went. “Stupid mess, now I’ve got to clean this up. And probably wash those sheets too. There’s no way I could ask Spike...” The unicorns voice faded away, much to Spike’s relief. After another moment’s hesitation the door to the bathroom closed, and Spike walked slowly down the stairs. A thousand questions bombarded his head, and not one of them had been answered. If anything, more questions had decided to join the siege. Groaning, the dragon collapsed next to the huge mountain of literature. Nothing made sense, but there was one thing he could be sure of. Twilight wasn’t telling the truth about going outside. Renewed with this new resolve, Spike once again scanned his eyes over the pile of books. The scowl from earlier reignited on his face as he grudgingly began picking up each book and organizing them into orderly piles, and then stacking them in their rightful places on the shelves. “I’m so bored!” Spike complained as he bounced a ball against the wall and caught the rebound, only to repeat the mind-numbing process. “Oh, it’s not that bad, Spike,” Twilight reasoned, “Look at all the wonderful books we have in here to read!” “It’d be great if I hadn’t already read most of them,” Spike muttered under his breath as he glanced at the clock. It had only just turned eleven in the morning, but Spike felt like he’d been trapped on this desert island for weeks. Already he could feel a stubble growing! Subconsciously Spike ran a claw over his chin, only to be disappointed by the silky smooth scales underneath his jaw. He sighed, “Hey, if it’s so hot outside, why isn’t the library burning down?” he asked quizzically. Twilight stiffened, “I, er, cast a magic spell. Over the house, that is, so we’re safe in here, but we can’t go outside.” “What about everypony else?” Spike pressed for more, hoping to extract some information about earlier. “Same spell.” she growled, “I need to get back my book; I’ve just got to the good part!” Spike groaned and slammed his head against the wall melodramatically, “But I’m so bored!” he complained, “I’m gonna head upstairs and see what games we’ve got.” Twilight didn’t even respond, and the young drake elicited another groan as he ascended the staircase. Spike wasn’t sure how Twilight managed to not be bored out of her mind sitting in a tree house all day. Spike certainly was. If only he could escape, he’d go see Rarity. There could be no doubt that Twilight had lied when she said that mare was ill, or that Equestria was under attack by some apocalyptic heat wave. Sighing, he entered the bedroom. To his surprise the window was open, and the sweet, summer breeze washed over him, beckoning him outside. Spike gazed longingly at the window, drooled over the brilliant sunlight pouring in, and lusted for the promise of entertainment that was sure to be found through the enchanting portal. Spike only took one glance down the stairs before he made up his mind and dived through the open window and crawled as quietly as he could through the canopy. Branch by branch, the dragon descended. One more! Spike breathed a huge sigh of relief as his claws touched safe, solid ground. The relief vanished, however, when he looked up and saw the state that Ponyville was in. It was a complete ghost town. Was there some sort of special event going on that he didn’t know about? Maybe Twilight was right? Maybe there was some sort of apocalypse, which meant everypony had to stay inside? Nah. Spike shook the ridiculous notions away with a wave of his claw and focused on more probable justifications for the bizarre situation at hoof. Rarity was bound to be in her shop, and that was on the other side of the marketplace. Perhaps somepony there could explain what was going on? Humming softly, Spike began to walk through Ponyville. The sun was pleasantly warm, and most certainly not burning him. Celestia had certainly outdone herself, but it was a shame everypony was missing out. Still, it sure was a little creepy seeing the roads as empty as they were, and Spike kept to the edge of them. You know, just in case there were any zombponies about. One can never be too careful, right? Turning a corner, Spike sighed again, realizing the original reason he had decided to head to see Rarity. Once more he began to daydream about his imminent confession to that beautiful mare. Spike felt himself blush as he walked along the roads. Today was most certainly going to be a good day! “Darn it!” a familiar voice interrupted him from his thoughts, “Ah’m not going to be able to sell anythin’, today! Ah think ah’m gonna need ta go home an’ throw mahself in a tub of cold water to stop this stupid heat.” “Applejack?” Spike shouted suddenly, searching for the source of the voice. He found the mare in question closing up her apple stand. He was maybe just a little relieved that somepony else was alive, which meant that Twilight’s doomsday prediction and the zombponies had to be wrong. He couldn’t help but chuckle as he ran over to the orange mare, however he noticed that the mare looked uncomfortably hot and was sweating profusely. She had been using her stetson to fan her face, but upon hearing his voice, she promptly placed it back upon her head. “Huh?” Applejack said, searching for Spike, “Somepony there? Ah’ve got some apples for sale if ya be wantin’ any?” Her eyes widened when they found Spike. “Spike? What the hay are you doin’ out today? Does Twilight know ‘bout you bein’ here?” The mare’s eyes proceeded to dart frantically about the desolate marketplace. “Hey, Applejack,” the dragon chirped, “Why’re are you closing up so early today?” he asked, avoiding the questioning. “W-what are ya doin’ here, sugarcube?” she stammered. “Oh, I’m just passing by. I’m on my way to see Rarity to... er... talk.” “Yer goin’ ta see Rarity?” she asked with a frown, “As in, like, now?” Spike nodded in response. “Er, does Twilight know yer out here?” Applejack asked again. “Applejack,” Spike said seriously, “Can you tell me what’s going on today? First I wake up this morning to Twilight shutting all the windows and doors in the library, and then she told me we couldn’t go outside because of a heat wave-” “Heat!?” Applejack gasped, “Who said anything ‘bout some heat? Twilight didn’t tell y’all ‘bout that or nuthin’, did she?” “You too?” Spike scowled in frustration, “You know what? Forget it. I’m gonna go ask somepony else. Even Pinkie Pie would make more sense than you or Twilight.” “No! No!! Do not go see Pinkie Pie, whatever you do!” Applejack shouted, “She’s thelast pony you want ta be seein’ right now,” before muttering to herself, “Probably the last pony you’d ever see, if you did.” “Pinkie Pie? Why? What’s wrong with Pinkie Pie? What’s wrong with Ponyville?” Spike demanded. “Listen, Sugarcube, jus’ promise me you won’t try goin’ ta Sugarcube Corner today, ‘kay?” she insisted, glancing around warily as if the pink mare could be hiding in every shadow. “Uh-huh.” Spike groaned, “Fine. But what do you expect me to do if I can’t go and see anypony?” “Well you can always come back ta Sweet Apple Acres an’ help us Apples move the apples inta one o’ the barns. We still gotta move those apples, even during this-” Applejack paused, “Er, summer heat wave.” A drop of sweat rolled down Applejack’s forehead, and Spike could tell a lie when it left the Element of Honesty’s mouth. However he wasn’t really sure what was going on, and here was the only pony alive he’d seen all day. If he was going to get answers, it was with Applejack. “Sure.” Spike replied, “That’s what friends do, right?.” Applejack chuckled heartily, “Seems you remembered. Thanks, Spike.” With that the mare turned and began walking in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres, and, after a moment’s hesitation, the dragon followed after her, eagerly attempting to engage in conversation to gain answers. Oh, sweet Celestia, ah swear this dragon has more than one mouth on him! Applejack was doing her best to maintain the small talk without telling Spike the real issue. How could she tell him the real issue? Had Twilight ever even told him that mares go in heat each summer? Judging by the oblivious look on his face when she brushed the topic, the answer seemed obvious. Applejack forced a growl back down her throat. Despite her best efforts she was struggling to maintain her composure, and she frequently had to pause to catch her breath. And, of course, her friend was concerned. Slowly she could feel her mental walls wearing down. “Ah’m jus’ a ‘lil hot, Spike, don’t you worry none. Guess ah could be comin’ down with a fever?” Applejack cursed inwardly as her lie came out as more of a question. Spike didn’t seem too relieved by her answer. “Well, if you’re ill you can just lie down, and I’ll sort out the apples for you?” Spike asked, and Applejack felt her smile twist as thoughts of her lying down with Spike flashed through her mind. Darn it, Applejack. Control yourself! “Heh, naw, ah’m sure ah’ll be fine for a little while longer.” Applejack grinned forcefully, “Those apples aren’t gonna be movin’ themselves.” A wave of relief washed over Applejack as they finally arrived at the barn’s front gates, signalling the perfect opportunity for the conversation to end. Applejack’s flank crashed to the ground as she stopped to catch her breath. which twitched Spike’s curiosity even more. Spike wrinkled his nose in suspicion, “Er, do you want me to open the gate for you?” “Please...” she breathed, “If you would, kindly, sugarcube.” Applejack focused her gaze on the little, purple dragon as he walked to the gate and effortlessly pried it open. He’s stronger than he looks. . Applejack frowned and tried to shake the thoughts away.. He’s so cute like that. Maybe he could- Mentally, Applejack slapped herself. No way are you thinkin’ those things, girl! That’s Spike you be talkin ‘bout! Applejack rose from the ground as she once again ignored her thoughts, “Thanks Spike,” she said warmly, “Ah think ah’m gonna lie down though. Ah just need... ah just need ta lie down.” “Oh, no problem. Where are those apples you wanted moving?” Applejack felt ice cold water run down her neck as she walked through the doors to the barn and saw the apple baskets neatly stacked to one side. Internally she cursed Big Macintosh for being so kind and hardworking. The stallion grew ever more diligent at this time of the year. He really didn’t like all the extra attention he got from the mares. “Er, ah guess Big Mac already moved them. B-but ah’m sure there’s somethin’ else you could do.” “Sure, that’s what friends do!” Spike echoed. Applejack frowned as she realized she didn’t have anything for him to do. But there was no way she was letting him go back to Ponyville on his own. Hopefully she could keep the dragon occupied until Twilight came over looking for him. “Tell you what, ah think ah’ll probably have a bath.” Applejack said suddenly, “A good ol’ cold bath!” It’s probably the only thing ah can do now. “While ah do the bath,” she continued, “You can-” “So, let me guess!” Spike interrupted, jumping on the spot in excitement, “You need me to get your bath ready?” Applejack bit her own tongue. Oh, Princess, please help me. “Spike,” Applejack chuckled forcefully, “You don’t really need ta help me. Ah’m sure ah can fare pretty well by mahself.” “It’s no problem, really. Just wait right there!” Spike called as he rushed off to find a tub. Applejack didn’t even have time to try and stop him before the dragon had disappeared outside the barn. Applejack sighed. He’d probably end up flooding their bathroom. She groaned as she forced herself to her hooves. She didn’t want another catastrophe like the last time Spike had helped out on the farm. She started walking towards the door, feeling her heat grow that little bit more unbearable. Ah swear ah’m gonna start rubbin’ ‘gainst trees soon! To her surprise, Spike came rushing back from the house with a large metal basin over one shoulder and three buckets of water balanced on the other. Applejack wasn’t sure if this was a feat to rival Pinkie Pie or not. “Okay, I think that’s everything. You look really hot so I just grabbed cold water. Although I don’t know why you look hot; it’s a nice, calm day outside and I’m glad I’m not in a cold bath. But hopefully you’ll like it.” Spike said, beaming. He even has a mouth to match Pinkie’s. Applejack continued to stare as the dragon placed the basin in front of her, and emptied the three buckets into the large container. It filled up a little under half way. “Huh. I thought three would be enough.” Spike said with a frown, “I’ll grab three more, don’t worry!” He said, before once again dancing off out of the barn. Applejack once again tried to protest but Spike had already vanished again. Her gaze fell upon the basin in front of her. She felt better just looking at the bath full of crystalline water. The offer was too good to pass; she’d been waiting for a bath all day. Now was her chance. Trotting over to the basin, Applejack removing her loyal stetson from her head, placing it gently on the ground. She dipped her hoof into the water. The cool, refreshing water consumed her leg, and Applejack plunged the rest of her body into the basin. The cold water nipped at her skin, but she didn’t care. Already she could feel her sanity returning to her. “Got three more.” Spike said as he walked through the door with three buckets in his arms. The dragon walked over and poured the contents into the bath, filling it right the way to the top. The rejuvenating water completely soaked Applejack’s body, right the way up to her neck. Spike picked her hat from the wooden floor and perched it on top of one of the apple baskets, “You don’t want your stetson wet, right?” He said. Ah don’t think ah’d mind gettin’ a little wet... Applejack shifted uncomfortably as she tried to ignore her thoughts and focus instead on enjoying the bath. She stopped and frowned, however, as she realized she’d left her hair ties in. Flicking her long mane over one shoulder, she gently gripped the red string between her teeth and delicately undid it, plucking it out of her hair. Spike rushed over to relieve the mare of her hair ties, but was taken aback by her mane. It was indeed a rarity to see Applejack with her hair down. Now, the golden yarns fell down both of her shoulders, giving the mare a very different persona. The dragon snapped back into attention as she pulled the string from her tail and handed it to him. The blonde strands swayed in the water. “I’ll go take care of everything else for you.” Spike chirped. The orange mare watched as Spike placed her hair ties with her stetson and walked out of the barn. She sighed. She was sure Spike couldn’t cause too much trouble here at Sweet Apple Acres, and hopefully he wouldn’t see every mare in town struck down by the Summer Fever. The orange pony chuckled, wiping away a bead of sweat that was rolling down between her eyes. The water was icy cold, so it was difficult to relax, and it still she felt like she was on fire. The burning sensation showed no signs of abating as the chilling water enveloped her body. She shifted uncomfortably. Applejack slowly opened one eye and looked around for any sign of the purple dragon. He’ll probably be a while, and ah don’t know much more of this ah can take... After a second cursory glance around the barn she let out a sigh of relief as it was confirmed that Spike had indeed left the barn. He certainly didn’t need to see what she was about to do. Despite the voice in her head that was yelling at her, she carefully and slowly brought her hoof between her thighs. There. Applejack gasped as her foreleg made contact. It was as if an electric shock had run up her legs, and, despite the impossibility, the burning sensation grew ever more intense. The water did little to douse the unbearable heat. The orange pony felt helpless as it rushed around her body like a drug, washing away all common sense and reason. She didn’t care that Spike could return at any moment; the sensation was simply too much to bear. Delicately, as if she was trying to stroke the petals of a flower, Applejack began to rub her soft hoof against her clit. She tried to keep her mouth closed, but she couldn’t help herself as she moaned loudly. She’d been wet all day, but now she could feel her swollen clit getting soaked in her own juices as she ran her hoof over her it. The heat, however, only seemed to increase, and it showed no signs of backing down as Applejack continued to pleasure herself. The mare gritted her teeth as she began to rub harder, scrubbing the folds of skin, and sending shocks of pleasure up through her nethers. As a natural reaction she bucked her hips, eliciting a particularly loud moan as her body arched into the air, breaking the surface slightly. But the heat just wasn’t going away. Still the fire between her legs blazed like a raging inferno. Her hoof just wasn’t enough to make it go away. She increased in tempo, her hoof actions making small splashes in the water, and small puddles were collecting on the barn floor. Applejack was vigorously scouring her clit and gasping loudly. The heat felt like it was reaching a crescendo. She was so close. “Applejack!” Spike’s voice sliced through Applejack’s climactic atmosphere like a razor blade. The heat in her stomach was now accompanied by a potent mixture of guilt and fear as the mare jumped in surprise. A small cascade of water splashed over her and onto the floor. By now a small puddle had collected around the basin. “Here!” Spike said, beaming, “I’ve brought you everything you need.” He had with him a towel neatly folded and hung over his left arm as if he were a waiter, a small bar of a bright pink soap on his right claw, and a bottle of shampoo which he was able to balance on the top of his head. He walked over to the basin, and Applejack turned around to face him, but still keeping her body away from his line of sight. Her soaking wet mane fell across her face, and her breathing was even heavier than before. “Spike!” Applejack exclaimed breathlessly, placing her front hooves at the border of the basin, “Can you please leave everything there and wait fer me outside?” The dragon frowned. The bath was supposed to soothe the mare, but she was looking even more agitated now. “Are you alright, Applejack?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “Yes!” she gasped quickly, feeling her final wall of control cracking, “Ah’m completely fine!” Spike frowned. Anypony could tell when Applejack was lying. Today, however, she was being particularly bad at it - even for her. She kept shifting around uncomfortably and avoiding his gaze. Spike could see that something was up. “You sure, Aj? You look like you’ve just run the Running of the Leaves while I was gone.” Spike chuckled before glancing around at the wet flooring, “Although... what have you been doing?” Spike felt something was out of place. Applejack just wasn’t acting right. The constant fidgeting, the guilty look, the lying - it was all oddly reminiscent of Twilight earlier in the day. Would Rarity be like this if he found her later? Spike shook the thought away. “Nothing ta worry ‘bout, Spike, don’t you fret none.” The orange mare insisted. “Hmm,” Spike said slowly, rubbing his chin in thought, “I know what you’ll like!” he exclaimed suddenly. The dragon placed his burden upon the ground and walked towards an empty barrel next to a the wall. Carrying the barrel over to the basin he placed it upside down next to it and stood upon it so he was the same height as Applejack. Instantly the orange pony retreated hastily, trying not to let him see the state she was in. “A mane wash!” He yelled heroically. Applejack kept moving her hind legs frantically. The cold water was now causing the reverse effect: Instead of calming herself, the water rippled between her legs, stimulating her, urging her more and more. Jus’ think of what a dragon could do. “No!” She shouted, “Ah don’t need a mane wash, Spike. Ah can do it mahself.” Applejack cringed away from the dragon, who was already on the top of the barrel with shampoo in claw. A dragon probably can’t get you pregnant. It’ll be fine. “Hey! Don’t worry, Applejack!” Spike reassured her, confused by her erratic behaviour, “It’s just a mane wash. I help Twilight with her mane all the time.” Spike’s always been there for you. He trusts you. He’d do anythingto help you... “Spike...” Applejack growled as she evaded the dragon’s attacks. Spike, however kept darting his claws over to her, trying to catch the mare. You need this, Applejack. Applejack wished it had been in slowmotion. Maybe then she could’ve prevented it. She wasn’t, however, lucky enough to avoid it. Spike’s eyes widened as the barrel he’d been standing on slipped across the wet flooring and he fell straight into the bath with the mare. Water splashed everywhere, drenching Applejack. Applejack gasped as Spike’s arm slid in between her thighs. An unstoppable surge of pleasure jolted across her entire body as the intolerable fires she’d been forcing herself to contain once again reignited in a glorious display. Instinctively she bucked her hips, grinding his arm against her clit, soaking it in her love juices. She couldn’t get her hoof over her mouth before she howled in ecstasy and her whole body shuddered in delight. Spike froze as he noticed what was going on. His friend had her eyes squeezed tightly shut as she ground her marehood against his arm. He felt it lathering a sticky substance across it which, when mixed with the water, caused her to slip across his scales like butter. It felt like forever before her body stopped shuddering and her erratic breathing calmed to an almost normal tempo. The dragon wasn’t sure how to react. Should he apologize? Should he run? Should he do nothing at all? In the end his eyes were fixated upon the orange mare before him. Applejack gave him a look he’d never seen before, her eyes shimmering with excitement. And they simply exchanged glances for several seconds. It was the last straw. Applejack felt her resolve shatter like a brittle pane of glass. The shards scattered across her mind, mere fragments of her self control. “Spike,” she breathed, “That was-” “I’m sorry!” The dragon yelped quickly, “I didn’t know! I swear!” Applejack silenced him by placing her hoof over his mouth, neglecting to notice the fluids she was lathering across his lips, “Hush, sugarcube, that don’t matter. Ah just need... ah just need you to help me.” “Help you?” Spike asked, confused. He can make the burnin’ go away. All you’ve got ta do is ask... “Ah need you,” Applejack began as she ran her hoof down to the dragon’s chest, rubbing small circles across the scales, “Ta make it go away...” “Go away? Make what go away?” Spike asked nervously as he slowly moved away from the mare. “Mmmm,” Applejack moaned softly as her hoof continued its meandering across Spike’s chest, moving slowly down to his scaled belly. “Are you... are you okay, Applejack?” Spike asked again, his eyes darting down beneath the water where her other hoof was moving between her legs. The mare moved closer to Spike and brought her muzzle to his ear, “No... but you can make me feel a lot better.” She whispered. “H-how?” Spike questioned quietly. “Ah’m burnin’ up, Spike.” Applejack breathed, not really answering the dragon’s question. Spike’s eyes once again returned to the orange hoof beneath the water that was now stroking her nethers. With each stroke he could hear the mare moaning beneath her breath. “How can I stop it burning?” Spike asked nervously, but he’d already guessed the answer. Applejack addressed his questioning by tracing circles lower and lower down his abdomen until she was stroking his waist. Spike shivered as his suspicions were confirmed. He didn’t know what to do as the mare nibbled on his ear, biting gently on his draconic skin. All of a sudden the chilling water felt a little hotter than before. Spike felt his heart race in his chest - it thundered as if it was trying to escape his ribcage - and his breathing quicken. He opened his mouth to say something but Applejack moved her muzzle over to it, locking her lips with his. Spike was completely taken aback. Did Applejack have a crush on him? He tried to formulate possible solutions, but he was finding it difficult to concentrate with Applejack running her hoof over his tail. Each time she brushed the sensitive scales on the underside, sparks ran up his spine, and each time Applejack felt him shiver, she repeated the action. He barely recognized his body becoming more and more excited. “Ah think you’re enjoyin’ this.” Applejack whispered with a sly grin, breaking away from the kiss. A string of saliva connected their mouths comically for just a second before breaking away and falling into the water. Spike fidgeted with his tail as he absorbed the situation and listened to the mare’s sultry tone. “Do... do you still need help?” The dragon breathed. “We’re not quite done yet, sugarcube.” The mare replied in a lascivious tone and ran her hoof over his exposed dragonhood beneath the water. Spike gasped. In all of the confusion and whirlwind of emotions, he hadn’t even realized his body had grown so excited by the situation. He felt a little betrayed by his own body. Applejack gasped inwardly as well. She wasn’t quite sure what to expect; she’d not really thought about the anatomy of a dragon - a baby one at that - so she was surprised by the extent of Spike’s firm cock. It was shorter than the average stallion’s, but undoubtedly almost the same girth. The erect phallus was surprisingly thick, and the whole organ almost seemed disproportionate to the dragon’s small frame. Then her hoof brushed up against something else. Applejack’s eyes shot under the water and blinked in surprise. Spike had two members. One was beneath the other, but they both stemmed from the same base, and they both throbbed in unison. Clearly dragon anatomy wasn’t her strong point. Applejack didn’t feel guilty as she internally admitted that the thought of two cocks inside of her burning nethers excited her. Applejack removed her hoof from her clit and started rubbing Spike’s other phallus, gently stroking the pair in unison. Spike felt his breathing deepen. He’d never really felt anything like this before. The feeling was completely new to the dragon. Applejack’s hoof was surprisingly soft as she ran it along his lengths. Spike couldn’t help but make the inevitable comparison between the texture of her hooves and orange marshmallows. If the scales on the underside of his tail weren’t sensitive as it was, his members were tender on a whole new level. Each time Applejack ran her hoof over them electricity danced across his entire body and each phallus throbbed. He found himself unable to contain his moaning as each caress left him reeling. His thought processes danced off into a tangent as he thought back to earlier in the day when he had been outside Twilight’s bedroom. His own gasping was now vaguely akin to the unicorn’s when he had been listening to her. However his thoughts were interrupted as Applejack suddenly abandoned her fondling and pounced onto the dragon into a hot, passionate kiss. Spike wasn’t expecting the sudden advancement, and the pair fell from the bath as it tipped over. “Applejack!” Spike gasped, “Are you okay?” He asked in concern, glancing around at the pool of water that was rapidly spreading outward from the toppled basin. “Don’t matter.” The mare breathed in response before clambering on top of him again, locking her lips around one of his sensitive members. Spike inhaled sharply as the orange mare began her fellation, her lips running up and down the delicate dragonhood, her rough tongue eagerly caressing it. The feeling was indescribable. Regardless, I shall describe. Spike felt like he was burning up. He had a vague idea of how Applejack had been feeling the whole day. Spike felt it build up towards something. He wasn’t sure what, but he could definitely feel it building up towards something. Mainly because he felt like he was going to explode; the entirety of his loins were on fire and Applejack’s sucking was doing little to abate the flames. The mare changed her tactic and swirled her tongue just around the sensitive tip in a hot, circular motion. “A-Applejack!” Spike yelled in alarm as the feeling grew too intense to bear. Something happened. Wave after wave of ecstasy reverberated throughout his entire body. Spike felt his arms and legs spasm and one of his convulsing dragonhoods erupt as a burning liquid poured into Applejack’s waiting mouth. And then it was all over. Spike felt slightly dazed and a little exhausted, despite not having done anything particularly physically strenuous. A moment passed. And then another. Spike’s breathing had almost returned to normal as he shifted around to gaze at Applejack, who was lying next to him, hungrily licking her lips, and gazing longingly at his twitching member. “Applejack, I’m really sorry. You don’t still need help, do you?” Spike asked uncertainly. “Oh, we’re not done yet, cowboy.” Applejack giggled, wiping the remainder of his orgasm from her lips, and lay on her side so that all was revealed to Spike. “We’re not?” Spike groaned, fearing where this was heading now. “Mmhm,” Applejack chuckled, “Ah’ve helped you, so now you’ve got ta help me. Twice as much.” Her voice taking on a much more seductive tone as she motioned to her nethers. Her lower lips were completely soaking. Liquid dripped to the floor in small rainstorms, joining the bath water that was already lapping at her fur. This liquid was unlike the water, however, in that it was much thicker, and Spike found the only thing he could compare it to was honey. Spike wrinkled his nose. There it is. That smell again. It was a weird smell. It was slightly sickly and yet pleasant at the same time. Spike glanced unsurely at the pony’s marehood. He’d never seen one this close before and now that its owner was demanding he please her, the dragon felt more than a little uneasy. He crawled over to the mare who lay on her side and traced circles on her thigh like she had done to him earlier. He wasn’t entirely sure what he was doing, but he seemed to be doing the right thing as the mare sighed in pleasure and shifted her legs, trying to draw his claw closer to her exposed clit. He also wasn’t sure whether he was teasing the mare or merely procrastinating. He continued his circle tracing up her thigh and over her belly, and Applejack giggled. “Hey! That tickles!” She protested. Spike found it mildly entertaining to tease the mare and found himself getting slightly aroused again. Deliberately slowly Spike stretched a single finger down to her vulva. He gently prodded it once. Applejack’s moaning was so loud that Spike felt paranoid it might attract the attention of Big Mac, or worse: Apple Bloom. “Stop... stop teasin’, sugacube.” The mare gasped, completely red in the face, “Ah can’t take it.” Spike chortled cheekily as he once again flicked her overly-sensitive marehood with his overly-extensive tongue, and once again witnessed Applejack’s reflexive reaction. “P-please,” she breathed, “Don’t make me beg.” Spike chuckled slyly and this time ran his tongue over the length of her marehood. Applejack positively shivered in delight, the shuddering reverberating throughout her entire body as she yelled in pleasure. “Sp-Spike!” The mare gasped. The dragon ignored her as he continued to run his tongue over her erogenous clit. His tongue was rough against her tender nethers, and Applejack felt as if the entire day’s burning she had withstood had come rushing back in one huge burst. She needed more. She pressed her hoof against the back of the dragon’s head, forcing him closer, urging him to go faster. And he obliged. The tempo increased and Applejack felt as if she was going to faint. It was simply amazing. The dragon’s tongue ran circles around her marehood and then danced across the delicate folds of skin, lapping up the abundant fluids. Spike could have sworn that Applejack’s love juices had the faint taste of apples to it. Perhaps it was just an illusion, but Spike found the flavour strangely addictive. He licked faster and faster, trying to drink as much of the liquid as he possibly could. Applejack couldn’t take it any longer; she’d spend all day rubbing, and all day trying to ignore it. She needed somepony inside of her, or in this case, somedragon. She needed penetration. The mare pulled Spike on top of her, causing him to cease his eating. “Please, Spike.” Applejack whispered softly, her green eyes trembling, as she motioned one of her front hooves to her exposed nethers and spread one of the folds, presenting the dragon with the perfect, pink interior. “Ah can’t take it. Ah need you... ah need you inside o’ me.” She moaned, almost appearing as if she was in pain. “Inside you?” Spike asked, a frown tugging at his mouth. He had a pretty good idea of what the mare wanted thanks to Twilight’s omniscient library. He was familiar with the male and female anatomy and he already knew what was required of him. “Yes! Ah want it!” The mare yelled, “Ah want it NAOW!” “But... it won’t hurt you, right?” Spike asked in concern as he shifted uncomfortably. “No, sugarcube, don’t you worry none. Ah need this.” The mare replied stubbornly. The dragon glanced down at his twitching members and then over at Applejack’s raw nethers. Clutching one of his cocks, Spike aimed and thrusted it inside Applejack’s marehood. Applejack practically screamed in delight as Spike penetrated her with a thick phallus. It slid it in easier than he had expected, and he could feel his cock being completely enveloped by a wet, velvety texture, which was totally different from the scaly claw he was used to, yet it was so hot that he thought he really was going to melt this time. Although her nethers were soft, the muscular walls firmly clutched his cock, clinging to the sensitive tip with a tight embrace, holding him so firmly that every inch of his member received a thrilling amount of pressure, teasing him to his limits. Yet, at the same time, he felt that he was able to move in and out with ease due to the enormous amount of love juices flooding the sensitive channel. “Please!” Applejack shouted, her mind completely consumed by lust. The mare bucked her hips upwards, forcing Spike’s hips to grind against her own. His other cock slapped uselessly against the mare’s belly. She lowered herself again, and his first cock slid almost all the way out, before repeating the action. It felt amazing. Stars flashed before Spike’s eyes - mainly due to the fact he was holding his breath. Gasping he inhaled oxygen and elicited a sigh. The feeling was strange and yet absolutely amazing. He quickly caught on and began moving his own hips as well, causing a bright red Applejack to howl in pleasure on the barn floor, her hair swimming in the mixture of bath water and love juices. As the dragon continued his vicious pounding on the mare’s nethers he slowly developed a smooth rhythm. In, out. In, out. Each time he couldn’t help but grunt. The feeling was too good to pass. He couldn’t stop. In, out. Applejack was making noises he’d never heard her make before and he was sure he’d never hear again. At times she howled in ecstasy, and other times she purred like a tame animal. In, out. Spike himself couldn’t stop the pathetic gargles that rose up his throat, despite his protests. He couldn’t help the moaning that harmonized the orange mare’s beneath him. In, out. He began to pick up speed. This was going too slow. he needed that relief he’d felt earlier. In, out. He was snorting now, his nostrils flaring and puffing tiny clouds of black, acrid smoke. In, out. The taste of the clouds didn’t bother him. If anything, it only stimulated him more. In, out. Applejack was silent now. Her howls were replaced by heavy breathing, and her purrs were replaced by shallow gasps. In, out. His other cock was jabbing Applejack’s stomach, brushing against the incredibly fine fur of her underside. The sensation was both arousing and slightly irritating. It kept getting in the way each time he thrust the entirety of his dragonhood inside the mare. Each time her muscular walls protested, his second cock jabbed her belly, counteracting his efforts for orgasm. As if Applejack had read his mind, “Put them both inside... of me.” She gasped, turning her head to face him, “P-please.” The mare looked pitiful, begging for Spike’s other cock while lying in a puddle of her own love juices. He wasn’t quite sure why, but he couldn’t help but enjoy the sense of superiority. “Please.” She begged. Spike wordlessly grabbed his other phallus and gently probed Applejack’s clit. It was awkward trying to get both in, and Spike only succeeded in uselessly jabbing her vulva. The mare moaned in response. “Please, Spike... Ah can’t take it. Jus’ do it.” Applejack pleaded. “I’m trying.“ Spike grunted. In truth he was, but he was also enjoying teasing the mare. Each time he prodded Applejack’s clit, her moans suggested she was only getting more and more desperate as she got more and more sensitive. “Spike!” She cried, “Ah’m burnin’ up!” The dragon realized he could be merciful - just this once - and end Applejack’s torment. He dug both members deep inside the mare’s lips, forcing his way past any resistance. It was a tight squeeze as the tight walls protested, but inch by inch the dragon managed to defy them: inch by inch the dragon slid both cocks into the mare at once, and she screamed in ecstasy as the combined girth threatened to rip her apart. Applejack had never felt anything like this before. With both of Spike’s cocks inside of her, her marehood was being stretched to its limit. But the rapture caused all discomfort to be overshadowed by the pure bliss provided by both of Spike’s thick cocks wedged between her lips. On Spike’s part, the pleasure was truly doubled. The tight walls of her marehood squeezed his two cocks with twice the force, caressing his two members with the velvety texture, pledging for them to release. He felt his pelvis setting ablaze as his two members pumped in and out of her body like a piston, resuming his previous rhythmic beat. Love juices flowed like a miniature stream from the mare’s stretched clit, soaking Spike’s abdomen, encouraging him to delve deeper with the slippery stimuli. Applejack made it too easy for him. Even though the walls of her marehood tried to object, his cocks could slide in between them all too easily with the copious amounts of liquid they produced. It didn’t really make sense to him. All he cared about was that he was loving every second of this. Each thrust was responded to with a satisfying squish and an uncontrolled wail. “Don’t stop!” Was all Applejack screamed in between her moans and spasms of pure ecstasy. Never had Spike felt so hot in his life. Now he felt like he might be able to empathize with Applejack. But it was more than that. It was like being about to burst, like his entire body was struggling to contain it. Applejack’s joy could not have been more audible if she had been trying. Gone were the times where she might have cared if Apple Bloom of Big Macintosh could here. Hay, she didn’t care if half of ponyville heard her. She just needed to vent the pressure that was quickly building up inside her abdomen, threatening to erupt, and Spike’s thrusting kept poking the bubble. She couldn’t keep this up much longer. It was if all of her erogenous insides were receiving attention from Spike’s firm cocks, and his scaly stomach was pressing and rubbing her wet and excited clit. Spike began grunting. Once again he felt that something from earlier build up inside of him. It urged to be released, he just needed to thrust faster. The dragon began gyrating his hips faster and faster, grinding his cocks into Applejack’s nethers harder and harder. “So... so... C-close!” Applejack squealed. Spike knew the same sensation building up inside of him was building up inside of Applejack. Her breathing was labored, and she was sweating profusely. She repeatedly kept bucking her hips uncontrollably, attempting to make Spike go faster. He couldn’t go any further. He’d reached his limit. His entire body was on the verge of exploding. “Applejack, I-” Spike managed to blurt out before it hit him. Burning hot liquid shot from one of his cocks, this time inside of Applejack’s most intimate parts. He felt as if his entire body had been waiting for this one moment and was choosing now to empty everything. All of his thoughts, his doubts, his worries, and his fears - all was washed away by the overwhelming heat of the moment. None of that mattered now. It was all that Applejack needed to cave in to her own carnal desires and be engulfed by her own orgasm. She didn’t care that she was screaming as her entire body quivered and a burning stream of fire blasted from her nethers, soaking the poor dragon on top of her. Spike didn’t even realize it, but Applejack’s orgasm tipped him over the edge for his other member to ejaculate, sending him into yet another daze of pure, coital bliss. The feeling once again took hold of him as his second phallus emptied its contents into the waiting mare. Applejack’s nethers had reached their maximum capacity already, however, and Spike’s cum oozed out in a glorious display of white liquid, spraying out in all directions and dripping onto the barn floor. The pair fell to the floor, gasping. There was silence in the barn, besides their heavy breathing, but Spike could still hear Applejack’s begging screams ringing in his ears. He glanced at Applejack, sense returning to him. The mare had lay in a hypnotic state of bliss, a huge, satisfied smile plastered on her face. Spike frowned. What had they just done? Applejack awoke and glanced around, “Spike,” she groaned, “Are you okay?” Silence. “Spike?” The mare rose and looked around. The barn was empty. “Aww, hay, no!”