Chapter 10

Spike’s House, Brimstone

The past few hours were a hazy blur to Spike. Given how utterly exhausted he became after Onyx’s botched gravity spell, it wasn’t really any surprise that had trouble recalling things. But despite all of that, he distinctly remembered falling asleep on Ember’s lap as she tended to him. Given his final memory, the young man was baffled as to how he ended up in his own bed.

Two more details only served to further confuse him. He had begun his training with Onyx and Ember right around early afternoon and judging by the light filtering through the window; it had to have been early morning. The only reasonable explanation was that he had slept through the remainder of the day and into the next one.

It was an entirely reasonable explanation. His body had been pushed to its limit and needed to recharge. He could live with that. It was the other detail that sent his mind racing. The unmistakable feeling of warm, soft female flesh pressed against his back sent a bizarre mixture of excitement and panic down his spine.

For a brief moment, he thought it might just be Winter Silk teasing him…but he could definitely feel muscles, particularly where the woman had entwined her legs around his. She also wrapped her arms around his stomach in a gentle embrace, as if she were cuddling him like a big teddy bear. Even in the dim morning light, Spike could tell her skin was a lovely shade of bronze. It couldn’t have been Winter.

The only logical conclusion he could come to was that Ember had somehow decided it was a good idea to sleep with him. Slowly, the young man turned over so as not to wake up his impromptu partner. A fraction of a second later he was greeted by Ember’s sleeping face. Spike fought hard not to allow his brain to melt while he gazed at her adorable face. The soft snores that came out of her mouth didn’t really help matters either.

Spike held his breath as she moaned softly and snuggled up against him. This time it was far more distracting because he was facing forward. And just like any other morning he rose from bed, his penis proudly stood at attention to greet the new day. Spike let out a pathetic whimper as Ember unintentionally sandwiched his throbbing manhood between their stomachs.

He dared not move. Given how hard he already was, it would take very little to get him going. Spike did not want a repeat of what happened earlier. However, in this case, his erection was more the result of biological function rather than purposeful arousal. The distinction did little to ease his mind. He had no idea what to do next.

Spike tried scooching away from Ember, but her embrace was too firm to be broken without putting forth some serious effort. The young man watched in horror as she slowly began to awaken from her slumber. He prayed that she would be well-rested enough to forgive his breech of decorum.

Ember yawned and smacked her lips. “Mmmnnngh. Is it…morning already?”

“I guess so. I haven’t really been up very long myself.”

Ember looked under the covers. “You certainly seem up to me…”

“Yeah…I’m sorry. It’s not something I can really control.”

Ember gave Spike a half-lidded stare. “Yes, I am aware of that. You kept poking me in the stomach with your erection. That’s what woke me up in the first place. But…that’s what I get for sleeping with you, I suppose.”

“So, you aren’t mad?”

“Nah. It’s too early in the morning to get riled up over crap like that. Besides, this isn’t exactly the first time we’ve had such an encounter.”

Spike shifted uncomfortably. “True enough. Is there any particular reason you’re still snuggling me then?”

Ember was content to remain silent. She didn’t make any attempt to break their embrace and actually went so far as to gently rub her fingers along Spike’s back from time to time. As wonderful as it felt, her actions confused the young man to no end. She had never been this comfortable with physical affection before. What had made the princess change her mind?

Ember nervously rubbed her feet together. “I had an epiphany after what happened to you in the courtyard. It made me so angry and scared when you got hurt that I actually slapped Onyx. I—I…promise me you won’t laugh at the next part?”

“I promise I won’t. You can trust me.”

Ember bit her lip and blushed. “I think I-I’m…fallinginlovewithyou! There I said it! Now don’t expect me to be affectionate like this all the time! I’m just more comfortable with doing it here because we’re alone.”

“You actually have…romantic feelings for me?”

“Yes, I suppose I do. Is it really so hard to believe?”

Spike’s heart started to pound like crazy. “Ember…you have no idea how happy this makes me! I’ve been attracted to you ever since we first met and I honestly didn’t think you saw me as boyfriend material. Hell, I’m even more surprised that you’re actually admitting it!”

“Well, you’re still an idiotic pervert who’s always causing me embarrassment or just being a general pain in the ass. But…you’re also really kind, understanding, and patient. I guess that’s what made me fall in love with you.”

Spike’s stomach decided to ruin Ember’s heartfelt confession by rumbling its protest at not having any food put in to it for over half a day. Oddly enough, it was more embarrassing than the erection that he had almost forgotten about and was well on its way to subsiding. Ember, of course, took the opportunity to laugh at his misfortune.

The young man was just about ready to go hide somewhere, until he felt Ember press her lips against his. While the kiss lacked the intensity of Winter’s, it was nonetheless satisfying to Spike. In just a few short seconds, she pulled away and turned beet red, unable to look Spike in the eye after what she had done. It became glaringly obvious that matters of romance were completely alien to her.

Ember crossed her arms. “Your lips are dry and you have morning breath. But I wouldn’t mind doing it again. You know, just for practice…”

Spike didn’t need to be told twice. Since he was prepared this time, he placed his hands on Ember’s cheeks and gently pulled her towards his face. Their lips met once again, though this time the kiss they shared was slightly more passionate and exploratory.

Spike didn’t want to upset his inexperienced partner, so he refrained from using anything more than his lips. He yearned to entangle his tongue with hers, but the young man knew that he had to take baby steps when it came to exploring Ember’s body. In this case, he was glad that his normally hyperactive libido was dulled by a combination of hunger and exhaustion.

He would have to exert Fluttershy levels of patience where physical intimacy with Ember was involved, but he was willing to do so for her sake. Winter Silk would be more than willing to satisfy his urges in the meantime…though he wondered if Ember would take issue with that now that she had confessed her feelings. The wrath of a jealous woman was not to be taken lightly! Especially so for someone as strong as Ember.

This time they pulled away from one another with a bit more reluctance. Both of them clearly enjoyed the kiss and were panting for a few moments afterward. In the dream-like state of bliss that followed, Spike’s stomach protested again. Ember merely shook her head and practically dragged Spike into the bathroom.

“Let’s get cleaned up first, then we can put some food in your belly. I’m not quite as hungry as you are, but steak and eggs sound really tasty right about now!”

As it turned out, Ember’s definition of “steak and eggs” wasn’t exactly what Spike had in mind. It was not as though he thought breakfast was disgusting or anything like that. On the contrary, Ember was actually quite a talented cook. The entire dish just had some weird flavors that he couldn’t put his finger on. One thing was certain: the animal proteins he just consumed definitely didn’t come from cows or chickens.

Despite how hungry he was, Spike had been taught how to eat with the manners of a prince. It came with the territory when you were around Equestrian royalty all the time. So he chose to savor his meal with grace and dignity, one bite at a time. The Wyvertii did have cutlery, but it seemed as though Ember blatantly ignored it. In a piggish display that would have made even Luna blush, she tore through her breakfast like a starving Manticore.

It was one of those awkward moments that Spike felt incredibly embarrassed for Ember, but she didn’t seem to comprehend why he was blushing. Even worse, the young princess decided that belching was perfectly acceptable at the breakfast table too. He vowed that he would teach her how to eat properly at some point, even if it would prove to be more difficult than all of his training combined.

With all of the commotion going on, a very grumpy Winter Silk padded out of her room and glared daggers at the two of them. Her look was supposed to intimidate them, but ended up being ineffective due to her ridiculous case of bed-hair. Ember just sat on her cushion and sighed in satisfaction, while Spike broke out in a fit of giggles.

Winter poured herself a mug full of coffee. “Well, aren’t you two just a ray of sunshine this morning.”

“Your hair just looks so pbbbfff—goofy!”

“Unlike Mistress Ember, my hair requires a delicate touch to make it look presentable. Do you even have any idea how much time I spend in the bath straightening it out?”

Spike rubbed his chin. “You know, my friend Rarity has a very similar problem. I’m going to say that it takes you about two hours or so. Am I right?”

“That’s—actually a good guess. Maybe you do understand. I’m not a morning person, never have been. So, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t laugh at my lack of preparation at the start of the day.”

“Sorry, I couldn’t help it. You look adorable with your hair all mussed like that.”

Winter blushed heavily. “You’re lucky I like you so much, Master Spike. I assume…that Mistress Ember must have carried you here yesterday?”

Ember got up from her cushion and poured herself some of the same coffee Winter was drinking and tried to look as nonchalant as possible. Ember was a terrible liar and always tended to telegraph her emotions through her facial expressions, so her attempt failed miserably. She slurped from her mug loudly to try and detract some of the attention away from her face.

“I ermm—it couldn’t be helped! He was unconscious and there was no way I was going to just let him sit there all night. He w-wasn’t very heavy because he’s so scrawny! I didn’t even break a sweat.”

Winter grinned maliciously. “Ooooooh? That’s very noble of you, Mistress. And since you’re here so early, I must also assume that you slept with him too? What a bold direction to take your relationship~”

“He was already asleep when we arrived. I-I was still tired from Onyx’s healing spell and I thought that he wouldn’t mind if we shared a bed. Right…Spike?”

Spike coughed awkwardly. “Oh, yeah. No biggie.”

“You two are such sticks in the mud. Had I been there, we’d have had a morning quickie to start the day off properly. Still…it’s nice to see that you’re finally allowing a man besides your father to touch you, Mistress. Small steps still count as progress, I suppose.”

“Just b-because I’m not as comfortable with having sex as you are, doesn’t make me a stick in the mud!”

Winter slowly slid her foot along Ember’s thigh. “As I recall, you approached me earlier seeking advice as to what type of dildo was the best fit for your delicate flower~”

“I masturbate just like everyone else does! You don’t have to make it sound like I was doing something weird. I just…don’t go shopping for stuff like that very often.”

Winter giggled. “But you did follow my suggestion, didn’t you?”

“That’s beside the point…”

“Master Quartz’s dildos are the finest in Brimstone, but they just can’t compare to a real penis! That’s something you’ll just have to experience with a man~ Oh my, I think we’ve made Master Spike’s imagination run wild! We should probably stop or things will only get harder for him.”

Spike silently agreed that watching Ember play with herself was something he would have loved to witness firsthand, but at the same time he felt that Winter was being a little too pushy with her teasing. One look at his bracelet told him what he really needed to be focusing on. He took a deep breath to calm himself and got up from the cushion.

“Winter, Ember and I really need to start training in earnest. We got sidetracked yesterday because of Onyx’s mistake, so I’d like to make up for lost time. I’d appreciate it if you toned down the teasing a little. It’s making Ember uncomfortable.”

Winter sighed. “I’m sorry; your training is important and I shouldn’t be distracting you two so much. It’s just that…I’m feeling a little left out because I can’t really do much to help either of you. I’m more of a housemaid than a warrior.”

“You’ve done plenty! I know I appreciate coming home to a clean house and freshly laundered sheets. Plus, you’re a great cook too. Think of what you’re doing as ermm…keeping up morale! Yeah, that’s it.”

Winter kissed Spike on the lips “Flattery will get you everywhere, Master Spike. All joking aside, I’m relieved to hear that you think I’m an asset to you. And, of course, it goes without saying that I am more than willing to boost your morale further…should the need arise~”

Spike felt his balls try to retreat into his stomach when he looked over at Ember. The kiss that Winter gave him wasn’t overtly passionate but it did imply that a certain degree of intimacy did, in fact, exist between the two of them. Though the teenage princess didn’t voice her disapproval directly, Spike could clearly see her jaw muscles clenching tightly.

Ember practically dragged him off of the cushion. “C’mon, Spike. We’re going to the guard barracks for training. Winter Silk can prepare the bath for our return.”

“O-Of course, Mistress! Ermm—good luck with your training.”

Guard Barracks, Brimstone

Much to Spike’s surprise, he found out that there was a fairly substantial number of men who were part of the town guard. From what he had gathered earlier from Ember’s past, it was no surprise at all that there were no women present in the barracks. Wyvertii society was staunchly patriarchal and had strictly defined gender roles. Even Onyx, despite her vast experience and martial skills, was still considered only a head attendant rather than a guard captain.

It was a stark contrast to what he was used to at home. Equestria had been ruled by women for thousands of years, and was the world leader when it came to female rights. Or more accurately, gender discrimination was abolished centuries ago when it came to jobs, politics, and civil rights. Despite its progressiveness, Equestria lacked the liberal attitude Brimstone had when it came to sexuality. Spike didn’t like to dwell on the bizarre contradiction; it often gave him a headache.

Politics weren’t really on the forefront of his mind at the current moment. He was far more worried about how Ember was acting. They were currently inside of a large room that housed all of the equipment the guard needed to train with either their bodies or weapons should the need arise. The physical aspect of the training itself was intense, but did not place too much of a strain on Spike’s body.

Ember, on the other hand, was clearly venting her frustration on a straw stuffed training dummy. The scariest part about it was the fact that she had not even used a weapon to wreak such havoc. The poor dummy had been practically obliterated through simple, albeit powerful kicks and punches. It didn’t exactly make Spike feel comfortable sparing directly with her at the moment. He had no desire to leave the barracks with broken bones.

Spike took a deep breath and summoned every ounce of courage he could muster. He walked slowly towards the princess so as not to startle her out of her violent stupor. When he finally placed his hand on her shoulder to get her attention, he noted that she was positively drenched in sweat and trembling as well. Ember very nearly decked him with an elbow strike when she turned around. She stopped midway when she saw Spike wince.

“Oh goddess, I almost hit you! Why do I always have so much trouble controlling my anger?! It’s like everything else around me disappears and I just…blank out. Please don’t be afraid of me…”

Spike began to rub her shoulders. “Hey, it’s alright. You stopped yourself in time. Do you want to talk about what’s bothering you?”

“It has to do with Winter Silk. I’m—really jealous of her…”

“I have a pretty good inkling as to why, but go ahead and explain.”

Ember eyes began to water. “She kissed you! And don’t try to tell me that she was just teasing! Winter only kisses people she actually likes. Did you two already…m-make love? Do you prefer her as a companion more than me?”

This wasn’t a conversation Spike was remotely ready or willing to have. Yet, he had to give Ember an answer. He would be lying to himself if he claimed that he didn’t enjoy Winter Silk’s company. But it was a completely different type of enjoyment than when he spent time with Ember.

Spike did like Winter as a friend, but he was certain that he wasn’t in love with her. Their relationship was more about mutual, sexual interest rather than romance. In the words of the (in)famous Cloud Kicker: they were Bang Buddies©.

There was also their vast age difference to consider. Even though she didn’t look it, Winter was several centuries old…while he was barely considered a legal adult. He wanted to be with someone his own age, someone whom he could better relate to.

A practical romantic relationship between him and Winter just wasn’t very feasible in his opinion. She didn’t strike him as the type of person who would tie herself to one partner even if she did have genuine feelings for that particular individual. Winter was too much of a free-spirit to be monogamous.

Though it was still early in their relationship, Spike knew Ember was who he wanted to be with. Unfortunately, with all of her insecurities, it would be quite some time before she would feel comfortable expressing her affection for him with anything more than the occasional hug or kiss. It was painfully frustrating for the young man because he craved to explore every last millimeter of her body…but not at the risk of destroying the fragile blossom of love that was just starting to grow between them.

Spike sighed to himself when he remembered a quote from Pinkie’s father, Igneous. Anything in life that is worth having always requires hard work, patience, and sacrifice. While he would never consider rock farming as a career, the dour man’s words rang as the gospel truth. Ember was going to be upset, but lying to her was not something Spike intended to do.

“To answer your question, Winter and I did have sex. But…I don’t think there were any romantic feelings attached to it. We did it simply to have fun and blow off some steam. I like her in my own way, but I’m not in love with her.”

Ember suddenly turned around and pinned Spike to the floor. She reached down towards his waist and slowly began to stroke the shaft of his penis. The entire time, Spike could feel her hand trembling. She clearly wasn’t comfortable with the situation and the concern Spike felt overrode any sort of excitement he would have experienced otherwise.

Ember’s voice quavered. “This is w-what you want, right? I can please you too! That way…s-she doesn’t have to!”

“Ember you need to stop. You aren’t ready for this.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks. “Just shut up and enjoy it! I’m doing this for your sake, you idiot!”

Spike was careful not to move too quickly lest he have his dick squeezed like a tube of toothpaste. There was absolutely no way he was even close to being strong enough to wrench her fingers off on his own. She was far stronger than he was, after all.

On the plus side, he was still semi-flaccid and the two of them were close enough to one another that he could pull her into hug…even though it would end up being awkward and slightly painful for him. That being said, he wrapped one arm around her back, the other behind her head, and pressed her tightly against his chest.

Ember was so surprised that she immediately stopped stroking him and pulled her hand back towards to her chest. Spike didn’t utter a single word. He simply held her and ran his fingers through her hair in an attempt to get her to calm down.

It took a little while, but Ember finally started to relax. By that point, Spike’s chest was practically slathered in a sticky combination of tears and snot. Inwardly he winced, but took it like a man. Now wasn’t the time to fret over being clean.

Ember mostly remained silent, save for the occasional hiccup. Spike had to practically bite his own cheek to stop himself from laughing. She had some of the most petite hiccups he’d ever heard and it clashed horribly with her tough girl persona. When he felt the young princess kiss his chest, he returned one in kind upon her forehead.

“Are you feeling better now?”

Ember sniffed. “Mhmm…t-thanks. Why didn’t you let me have sex with you? Isn’t that what you want?”

“Of course I do. So much so that it drives me crazy! However, you aren’t anywhere near ready for it. When we do eventually decide to take that step in our relationship, I want us both to enjoy it.”

“I-I’m sorry for being such a terrible lover…”

Spike rubbed her back. “Hey, don’t say stuff like that. You’re just scared and nervous because you’ve never experienced a romantic relationship before. I promise that we’ll have sex only when you’re comfortable with it, ok?”

“I suppose, for the time being, I’ll continue to allow Winter Silk to satisfy your needs. And you can bet that she and I are going to have a long talk about this! She needs to know her place, after all.”

Spike couldn’t help but chuckle at Ember’s bravado. At least it meant that she was starting to calm down and accept things how they were. The two of them snuggled for a short while longer until Spike felt like it was time to get cleaned up and continue on with their training.

As Spike feared, she wanted to cover hand to hand combat first. Even worse, the techniques she showed him were nothing like the ones he’d seen in the movies. They were brutal, quick, and meant to telegraph as little movement as possible.

More times than he cared to admit, Spike had his ass knocked to the ground. It certainly didn’t help that the gravity spell was still active on his bracelet, even though it lacked the intensity from before. Ember was very careful not to hit him too hard. She wanted Spike to be able to continue his training rather than be bedridden with injuries all the time.

After two hours had passed, the two of them decided to take a break and hydrate themselves. Spike felt like his entire body had been stretched out like rubber band, but it was satisfying to know that he was actually learning how to fight. Unfortunately, his sense of satisfaction was short lived.

A lanky, orange-haired man stomped into the barracks. Though he was skinny, his body was covered with wiry muscle and scars. Spike swallowed a lump in his throat. He clearly gave off a “don’t fuck with me” vibe that make Spike’s skin crawl. Whoever he was, he didn’t seem too pleased that Ember and Spike were in the same room.

“Well, well if it isn’t Princess EmBRUTE! And who’s that scrawny little shit sitting next to you? Don’t tell you’re training him to be a guard.”

Ember clenched her fist. “Guardsman Garble, this has nothing to do with you. I suggest you go about your business before I decide to show you just how much of a brute I can be.”

“Like hell it doesn’t! I need to size up all of the new meat in Brimstone. Even though I’m pretty sure I’ve seen women with more muscle than him.”

Ember crossed her arms. “If it’ll get you to go away, I’ll tell you. The man sitting next to me is Spike. He’s come to Brimstone upon my father’s invitation.”

“Lord Torch invited him…here? That doesn’t make any sense! I mean, sure he’s scrawny and pasty lookin’ but he’s obviously Wyvertii.”

“Well, that’s because he was raised in Equestria. My father…summoned him to participate in the Gauntlet of Fire just like all men who come of age.”

Garble bellowed with laughter. “Oh goddess! You’re serious, aren’t you? That punk is actually going to try and compete. Hahahahaha! And what? You’re training him right now?”

“Y-Yes. What’s it to you?”

Garble scoffed. “Absolutely nothing at all. The Gauntlet might be two months away, but there’s no way he’s gonna be ready for it by then. The best he can hope for is to be knocked out in the first round.”

“We won’t know until it happens!”

“He’s a just soft-assed Outlander who has no place competing with true Wyvertii! Maybe you can convince your father to make him an attendant instead. With how soft he looks, he might as well be a mead wench.”

That was the last straw for Ember. Her emotions were still raw from what happened earlier even thought she’d had some time to calm down. She was sick and tired of putting up with Garble’s attitude. In a blur of motion, she lunged at Garble like a tiger and mercilessly kneed him straight in the groin. Despite how much of a jerk he was, Spike still winced as he watched the guardsman crumple to the floor while clutching his battered balls.

“You bitch! That’s…goddess above I feel like I’m gonna throw up…fighting dirty! No man would ever resort to—”

Ember kicked him in the back for good measure. “I’m not a man you brainless cretin! And if I ever hear you insult my partner like that again, I won’t hesitate to break every bone in your worthless body! C’mon Spike, we’re leaving.”

Spike took Ember’s hand as she led the two of them out of the barracks. The macho thing to say was that his heart was beating faster due to the adrenaline rush he got from seeing Ember beat up Garble. But he knew that wasn’t entirely true. Ember had defended him without a moment’s hesitation. As embarrassed as he was to admit it, he was enamored by the gesture…even though she ended up using violence to satisfy his honor.

Spike kissed her cheek. “Thanks for what you did back there.”

“I-It was n-nothing! Garble was being a jerk, so I just put him in his place. Anyway…let’s head back to your house. We really need to take a bath.”

Author's Notes:

Sorry this took so long everyone. I've been swamped with work and didn't really have much of a chance to hunker down and write as much of this in one go as I would have liked.

As far as the pacing goes, I hope that Ember's confession to Spike didn't seem like it came out of the blue. I just wanted to get the ball rolling on her dere side and establish their relationship. It really wouldn't have made much sense to drag it out any longer.