Chapter 9

Courtyard, Hall of Flames

Training, as Spike found out, sucked just about as much as he thought it would. His session with Onyx was far more productive than when he first set out with Ember. Mostly because he wasn’t busy ogling a certain region of the female anatomy.

Reluctant though he was to admit, having sex with Winter had done much to sate his relentless teenage libido. That combined with his concern over Ember’s condition had banished any lustful thoughts that remained in his mind.

Onyx made him stretch out too, but this time he decided to stand in front of her instead of behind. Given how lean and muscular she was, the attendant had very little to offer in the breast department. But that didn’t stop him from admiring her incredibly toned abs and legs. With a heavy gulp, he wondered if she could crack walnuts with just her stomach alone.

The young man chuckled to himself. Thinking about Onyx’s muscles reminded him of a funny story. About a year ago, he had inadvertently walked in on a contest between Rainbow Dash and Applejack at one of Twilight’s monthly sleep-overs.

Simply put, the two athletes somehow started a rather asinine competition to see who could complete the wildest dare. As in many cases when alcohol is involved, things get pretty raunchy in a relatively short period of time. Rainbow Dash’s cider addled brain came to the conclusion that Applejack needed to live up to her title of having “apple buckin’ thighs”.

Rather than be embarrassed about it, AJ not only accepted the challenge but upped the ante. With her whiskey fueled declaration made, she emerged from the kitchen a few moments later with her orange boy shorts discarded and a walnut placed in between her lips. If you think it was the pair on her face you’d be in her words: just plum wrong.

The cowgirl proudly stood in front of her five friends so they could all get a good look. After she took a deep breath, AJ grunted and the walnut cracked apart…leaving the two halves of the shell to clatter onto the floor below. There was complete silence afterward. All of the girls were speechless.

Spike, who had been in his room reading at the time, went down to fetch a drink and witnessed the bare-bottomed blonde standing there in all her muscled splendor. Applejack probably would have tried to cover herself up had she not been so intoxicated, but she obviously wasn’t thinking clearly. Instead, she wiggled her hips suggestively at the young man standing before her.

“See, even Spike is impressed! Ya owe me fifty bits, RD.”

RD slowly licked her lips. “Totally worth it…”

Looking back on it, he was glad he decided to get a glass of water at that precise moment. The burning question of what AJ did to groom her pubes was finally answered. She happened to trim hers into a surprisingly cute landing strip. Somehow, he’d expected her not to even bother with shaving down there. Then again, maybe it wasn’t quite so surprising. She always did like to wear those really tight daisy dukes.

It was also very fortunate that all of the girls had been completely sloshed. The next morning, all of them complained about how fuzzy their memories were concerning the previous night’s activities. Spike wisely feigned ignorance, offered medical grade aspirin, and cooked the girls a big breakfast.

As much as the teenager enjoyed reminiscing about AJ’s half-naked shenanigans, he really needed to focus on his training regimen. The remaining stretches weren’t terribly strenuous, but they did make his heart beat just a little bit faster. Spike took what he believed to be a battle ready stance and waited for Onyx to start fighting him. When she didn’t do anything, he stood there with a dumbfounded look upon his face.

Onyx laughed. “We aren’t going to start using any techniques for a while yet. You need to build up your strength and stamina first, Master Spike.”

“What, am I just going to be doing push-ups and stuff?”

“Not quite. Stand still for a moment and you’ll see what I mean.”

Spike did as he was told, albeit with a healthy dose of skepticism. In Onyx’s hand was a plain looking leather bracelet. It was completely ordinary save for a dark colored stone set in the middle. She secured it around his wrist and shot a tiny black hued flame into the stone by pressing her finger against it.

For a brief moment, it appeared as if nothing happened. That was until Spike felt like his entire body had been turned into a giant concrete slab. He took one step forward and promptly fell on his face. Every movement he made from that moment onward was a struggle. Even the simple act of breathing took a tremendous amount of effort; he wasn’t quite sure how he was going to train if he could barely move.

Spike gasped for air. “What…did…you…do…to…me?”

“The stone in the bracelet is made from dragon glass. It’s enchanted to intensify the effect of gravity on your body. That way, you can build your bone and muscle density in a relatively short period of time. Don’t worry; the magic will prevent you from seriously injuring yourself.”

Spike struggled to lift his head. “I can…barely move. How do you…expect me…to train like this?”

“Your task for today is to simply stand up. If you can do that, I’ll reduce the strength of the spell. In the meantime, I’m going to go tend to Mistress Ember.”

While he couldn’t argue with Onyx’s logic, he still wasn’t very happy about being turned into a flesh and blood bowling ball. For the first minute or so he didn’t move at all. In the back of his mind, he wanted to chalk it up to “getting used to the magic” but that was an utter lie. He was pathetically out of shape and he knew it.

Meanwhile, Onyx sat cross-legged next to Ember while they enjoyed a mug full of the Hall’s finest mead. The princess felt a little guilty, sitting there and drinking while Spike suffered…but Onyx insisted it was for the best. With a snort of frustration, she slammed her mug onto the ground.

“Just how weak is he?! It’s embarrassing to watch him like this. Let me go help him up.”

Onyx gently grasped Ember’s arm. “In order to have a strong body, one must also have a strong will. I purposely set the bracelet to maximum power to see if he could take it.””

“WHAT?! That’s just cruel! There’s no way he’s going to be strong enough to even crawl over here, let alone stand up and walk. I’m going to go help him!”

Onyx tightened her grip. “I’m afraid I can’t let you do that, Mistress Ember. Just let him figure this out on his own. You’d be surprised at what some people can do under extreme circumstances. Although, I commend you for having your heart in the right place.”

“Well, that’s ermm—to be expected! It’s not like I want to see him get hurt…”

Onyx giggled. “Of course, Mistress. Now please calm down and rest. You need to recuperate your own strength. You can’t do that if you’re stressed out.”

Spike watched the two women as they conversed. He was far enough away that he couldn’t quite make out what they were saying, but it was clear that Ember was upset about something. She still didn’t look like she’d recovered completely from the healing spell, yet she did look healthier than when they had walked out of the bathroom earlier. It served to calm Spike’s worries at least somewhat.

The young man snorted loudly as a blade of grass tried to make its way into his nose for a fourth time. How could he possibly keep his promise to Ember if he couldn’t even stand on his own two feet? Right now, all he was doing was wallowing in his own self-pity when he could be fighting the spell that kept him bound to the earth below.

If he couldn’t find the will do it for himself, he’d do it for someone else. In particular, a certain tomboyish princess that he started developing a confusing, and variegated jumble of feelings towards. It was as if a great fire lit inside his belly. Whether it was more than just metaphorical, he couldn’t say. The fierce energy spread through his entire being, giving his limbs a surge of strength.

Slowly, Spike began to rise to his feet. When he finally stood, it felt as if every muscle in his body was screaming at him in pain, begging him to rest. He paid them no mind. Walking was more important. It took a herculean effort just to walk a few paces, but he held fast. An agonizingly long time later, he found himself standing in front the two women with a strained smile on his face.

Onyx couldn’t help but be impressed and somewhat alarmed. She hadn’t really expected Spike to be able to stand so soon, let alone walk to where they were sitting. Though she doubted the young man knew he was consuming a great deal of his own magic to augment his willpower. It wouldn’t be too long until he collapsed from exhaustion, so she decided to praise his effort while he was still conscious.

“Well done, Master Spike! I think we can stop training for tod—”

Spike began to shake violently. “No…I…need to…keep going. Have to…get…strong.”

Onyx sighed to herself. The magic in Spike’s body was interfering with his ability to see reason. If she didn’t do something quickly, he might seriously hurt himself. The body could only handle so much strain and she was fairly certain that he wasn’t in good enough shape to endure it much longer.

She got up from her position and darted behind Spike. Since he could barely stand, she didn’t encounter any resistance when she wrapped her arm around his neck. Onyx needed to exercise the most extreme caution when preforming her choke hold. Spike’s life depended on it.

It was only meant to make him pass out, but with the added complications of his exhaustion and magic…things could get deadly with just the slightest error on her part. Only with centuries of martial arts experience, was she was able to apply the exact amount of pressure to subdue him. He promptly crumpled to the ground like a ragdoll.

Onyx tapped the stone with her finger. “I reduced the gravity significantly. It is still active, but he will be able to move with greater ease now.”

“Is he…going to be alright?”

“In time, yes. I stopped him before his magic could override his biological functions. I must say…he has quite an impressive reservoir for someone his age. His training will need to be modified because of that.”

Ember cracked Onyx across the cheek. “DON’T EVER DO SOMETHING SO STUPID LIKE THAT AGAIN! He could have been crippled or worst yet, killed! I thought you knew better than that. I trusted you, Onyx!”

“I’m…deeply sorry, Mistress. I erred in judgement. From this point forward, I vow that I shall exercise the utmost caution when it comes to Master Spike’s training. It shan’t happen again.”

Ember closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Good, see that it doesn’t. And…I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have slapped you like that, but the whole situation scared me out of my wits. I don’t enjoy seeing Spike suffer like that.”

“Ah, I see now. Have you, perhaps, developed an interest in Master Spike?”

Ember’s cheeks lit up. “I dunno…m-maybe a little bit? I don’t exactly dislike him, even though he can be pretty stupid sometimes. Ugh! Whatever! I’m just concerned about him, ok!”

“Fair enough, I am as well. The only question that remains is: should be we take him back to his home and allow Winter Silk to attend him? Or do we wait for him to wake up here and continue training?”

Ember bit her lip. “I suppose it wouldn’t be an issue if we just looked after him here. There are plenty of supplies within the Hall of Flames to suit his needs. Why don’t you wait here while I fetch a washcloth and some water?”

“Are you certain you don’t want me to do that?”

Ember nervously twiddled her fingers. “He helped me earlier, so it’s only fair that I repay the favor. There’s n-nothing more to it than that! So don’t read into it too much!”

“As you wish, Mistress Ember.”

When Spike finally regained consciousness, it felt as if all the muscles in his body had been stretched out like a rubber band, and then dipped in lemon juice just for kicks and giggles. He wanted to ask what happened, but his mouth was nearly devoid of moisture and his tongue didn’t seem to want to cooperate with him. In the end, he settled for rasping out the word water.

Not a moment later, he felt the tip of a water skin touch his lips. He greedily chugged the water like a man who had been stranded in the desert for days, and nearly choked because of it. When he finally started to gain his bearings, he realized that his head was resting on Ember’s lap.

He expected the princess to scold him or at least get angry, but she gently rubbed a cool washcloth over his forehead instead. For just a brief moment, he imagined that this might be a dream but quickly realized that people didn’t usually feel so crummy in dreams. Seeing as how he could barely move or speak at the moment, he simply enjoyed the sensation of Ember’s warm, soft skin against his cheek.

“Shhh, just rest and relax. Onyx made a mistake in your training. She…put too much strain on your body with the gravity spell. It ended up making you burn through your magic reservoir too quickly.”

“Is that why I feel like shit?” Spike croaked.

“Mhmm. I volunteered to look after you since you helped me out earlier. Think of it as repaying my debts.”

“You never owed me anything. I’d help you even if I got nothing in return. That’s what friends do, Ember.”

Ember blushed heavily. “Well, I’m still kind of new to this whole friendship thing. So…I guess I’d do the same for you. I-If you needed it, of course! Does that answer satisfy you, Mr. Creampuff?”

“Mr….Creampuff? Are you calling me that because I’m sweet?”

“NO! It’s because you’re pale, flakey, and always making a mess with your creamy filling.”

It was Spike’s turn to blush. “I told you I was sorry about that.”

“And I forgave you. But that doesn’t mean I’ll ever let you live it down.”

“Figures…”

Ember wiped his forehead again. “Just shut up and enjoy your treatment! This will probably be the first and ONLY time you’ll ever have the pleasure of experiencing it. So make it count!”

While it was a little awkward to be pampered like this, Spike had to admit that he loved every second of it. After all, what red-blooded man wouldn’t enjoy having a beautiful nude princess as a lap pillow? Even with that thought in mind, he wanted to show Ember how much he appreciated her kindness.

Spike slowly moved his arm and grasped her hand as firmly as he could. He was obviously still very weak and every movement he made felt like his body was wading through a vat of wet cement, but it was worth it to see the happy, if slightly embarrassed smile on Ember’s face. Encouraged by her reaction, he felt confident enough to place a soft kiss the thigh he was resting his head on too.

“Thanks, Ember. I really appreciate you looking out for me.”

“You’re w-welcome.” Ember squeaked.

He wanted to stay awake, but his body felt too weak. It urged him to rest and he soon realized that it was futile to resist any longer. Besides, Ember’s lap was just too comfortable not to take a nap on. The last thing he noticed before dozing off was the flowery scent of her skin as it wafted into his nostrils. It filled him a serene sense of comfort that allowed him to fall into a deep, contented sleep.

Near the entrance to the Hall of Flames, Lord Torch stood next to Onyx as they witnessed the two teenagers lying in the grass. He had not been pleased at all to hear of his head attendant’s botched attempt at using a gravity spell, but seeing Spike and his daughter together quelled a great deal of his ire.

Lord Torch had never been a man who was deeply in tune with his emotions, but even he had to admit that Spike and Ember looked as if they belonged with one another. It only further cemented his opinion that Spike was an excellent candidate to take his daughter’s hand in marriage. That was for the future, though. Until then, he would allow their friendship to flourish and perhaps grow into something more intimate.

Onyx, it seemed, had come to a similar conclusion as her lord. She looked at the two with a dreamy expression, as women often did when they found something adorable. Even though the attendant felt horrible about her earlier mistake, she couldn’t help but wonder if it had been a blessing in disguise.

It went against Ember’s very nature to allow any men who weren’t kin to become familiar with her. Her reluctance was rooted in her childhood when she was ruthlessly teased about her boyish appearance. While some of the other girls had participated in her torment, more often than not the boys were the ones who pointed out her lack of feminine appeal. That made her deeply distrustful of men’s intentions.

Even rarer still was her willingness to share any form of physical contact or affection with men either. Yes, she shared hugs with her father. But that was nothing unusual. The two of them had always been affectionate towards one another. It was one of the many reasons that Lord Torch was so protective of her. She was, without a doubt, daddy’s little girl.

Despite all of these issues, she seemed to be quite comfortable allowing Spike to sleep on her lap. It baffled Onyx somewhat. She hadn’t known Spike long enough to judge his character completely, but from what she’d seen so far he seemed like a kind-hearted, if somewhat awkward young man. Maybe that was exactly the type of man Ember needed in her life.

Onyx smiled. “They look so natural together. Wouldn’t you agree, Milord?”

“Aye, they do. The lad might have been raised by Equestrians, but I don’t think that’s entirely a bad thing. It makes him more empathetic, I think. Ember needs a man like that right now.”

Onyx nodded. “Do you believe they will take the next step soon?”

“No, she will still be very reluctant to do that. Spike, on the other hand, is a young man at the pinnacle of his virility. That is why I assigned Winter Silk to be his attendant. She will take care of his more—ah—carnal needs. Goddess knows I’m an old man, but I still have itches that need scratched.”

Onyx reached over and gently stroked his penis. “Do you have an itch right now, Milord?”

“This is exactly why I can’t stay angry at you, Onyx. As long as you’re up to it, I believe I’m in the mood to fuck you from behind. It shall allow me to admire your shapely behind.”

Onyx giggled when she felt Torch tweak her butt cheek. “I’m eager to serve as always.”

“Delmira’s tits! You’re truly the only woman for me! C’mon, let’s go back to my chambers. I promise that I’ll give you a good licking before we start.”

Onyx kissed his neck. “You spoil me, Milord.”

“Well, I want it to be enjoyable for the both of us! Besides…you know how much I love your taste on my lips. Let’s get to it before the two of them notice we’re fooling around.”

While Onyx wasn’t as skilled as Winter Silk when it came to sex, she made up for it in spades with her stamina. That was something a Wyvertii woman needed when bedding the Dragon Lord himself. If they happened to catch his eye, that is.

Her relationship with Lord Torch was such that he preferred to fuck her more than any of the other women in the entirety of Brimstone. In fact, she couldn’t recall the last time he’d fucked another woman prior to Lady Inferno’s death. That was saying a lot considering that he had an entire harem at his disposal.

The bond between them wasn’t exactly that of husband and wife, but she couldn’t deny that they loved one another despite the vast gap in their social status. It was strange and almost taboo, but she cherished every moment of it. Even if they never married, she’d happily spend the rest of her life beside him.

In one swift motion, Lord Torch swept her into his arms and they made their way to his personal chambers. All of the other attendants they passed tried to ignore the couple’s antics, but it was practically impossible with Troch’s gigantic erection bobbling around.

When the doors finally closed to the Dragon Lord’s chambers, a single female attendant went to go fetch some cleaning supplies. After those two were done fucking, the room would be a smelly, sticky disaster zone. The attendant grumbled to herself when she heard Onyx’s muffled moans. At least she would have plenty of time to enjoy a leisurely dinner before she began her unenviable task.