"Woah..."

Spike looked on in astonishment as the two large doors in front of him opened, revealing what could only be the castle's archives. It was far bigger than the throne room, with rows upon rows of tall wooden bookshelves, with some even carved into the stone walls themselves. There were probably thousands of books on each shelf everything in the room looked like it hadn't even been touched in a very long time.

"I'm pretty sure Twilight would have an actual bookgasm if she was here right now." He mumbled to himself.

'Wait, didn't the book Twilight found in the Ponyville library say the castle was abandoned over a thousand years ago?
Meaning, that many of these are just as old.'

"Yea, Twilight would probably have an actual orgasm too... I'll have to show her this place." Making a mental note to do so, he walked in to survey the rest of the expansive room.

Most of the shelves and their contents appeared to be still intact at least. The room featured a high arched ceiling and a pair of tall statues that overlooked the center of the room. Both appeared to be alicorns, though one wasn't in as good shape as the other. The one on the left was very clearly meant to be Princess Celestia, with her signature flowing mane and incredibly attractive yet imposing figure seemingly frozen in time. The statue on the right, however, was a fair bit shorter in stature. Much of its face seemed to have eroded away with time, making it look pretty creepy. At first, he thought it was just another statue of Celestia, but upon closer inspection, it seemed to be another mare entirely.

'Huh, well, this seems like as good a place as any to start searching for information about the Elements Of Harmony. I just hope all these books are still in good enough condition to be read.'

Carefully shutting the heavy metal doors of the archives behind him, Spike started exploring. Thankfully, the shelves were organized and sorted in a very similar fashion as the Canterlot Royal Archives, a place he and Twilight visited almost daily back home.

As he passed by a dust-coated desk, he nearly jumped out of his scales as large star-backed spider suddenly darted past him from underneath it. The eight-legged arachnid scurried away and vanished amongst some stone rubble on the floor. Spike wasn't a fan of most bugs but Spiders were definitely one of his biggest fears. Most probably couldn't even bite through his thick scales, but they still creeped him out regardless.

'I really hope these books aren't infested with them...' Spike gulped.

If there was anything in Equestria that could reliably make Applejack nervous, it was the Everfree Forest. This area in particular, where she and the others were currently hiking through, resembled that of a dense tropical jungle or a swamp more than it did a proper forest. Long twisting vines hung down from tree branches like snakes and pretty much everything was damp and wet as though it had recently rained. This was making climbing over large rocks and getting stuck in the mud almost constant problems.

But none of that was why Applejack was feeling on edge right now. She had been glancing over her shoulder almost every few seconds, and each time she did, she half-expected to find multiple sets of glowing yellow-green eyes staring back at her from the darkness.

'Timberwolves...' She shivered.

Of the many infamous critters that made the Everfree Forest their home, most were predators and even more were deadly. Yet out of them all, Timberwolves were the ones Applejack was the most concerned about. She had something of a history with those wooden abominations, including quite a few run-ins with them in the past. As it is, she was amazed that they hadn't seen a single one so far. Aside from the manticores and the occasional hydra, they were the dominant predators of the Everfree.

'They could already be stalking us, and we wouldn't even know it until it was too late...'

No matter how hard or how many times she could kick them to pieces, they would just reform themselves a few moments later anyway. So, should a big enough pack surround them, this deep in the forest, they would run out of stamina trying to fight them long before the Timberwolves did. It didn't help her nerves that the monsters were infamous for not always immediately killing any mares that they managed to corner, instead of capturing them to use them for their own purposes. Applejack shivered. It was something that she, unfortunately, had some first-hand experience with.

'Thank goodness Big Mac showed up when he did...'

"Applejack?"

Applejack jumped, startled by Pinkie Pie who suddenly appeared on her left, looking up at her with a concerned expression.

"Wa-huh?" Applejack stuttered, trying to regain her composure as she tossed some troubling memories aside.

"Are you feeling okay? You looked like you were super-duper sad about something just now." Pinkie said, demonstrating her point with an exaggerated frowny face.

"Y-yea, I'm fine Pinkie, don't worry about me." Applejack dismissed, walking ahead of the mare. Pinkie seemed to ponder this for a few moments, clearly unconvinced.

Suddenly brightening up, she rushed to catch up to the tense farmpony. Skipping along merrily next to her, Pinkie reached deep into her bizarre mane before presenting Applejack with a flawless cupcake. It was perfectly baked into the shape of a bright green apple and was decorated with globs of smooth creamy icing that even depicted Applejack's cutie mark on the top.

"Well, if you won't tell me what's wrong, then I have no choice but to give you a super-special-emergency cupcake! A special cupcake I baked with the power to cheer anypony up!" Pinkie exclaimed excitedly, holding the treat out for Applejack to take.

"I-i...thanks Pinkie," Applejack sighed, adjusting her stetson and taking the sugary treat as her worried expression revealed itself.

"See? I knew it! Now, no more thinking about unhappy stuff, okay?" Pinkie playfully commanded, bouncing up to the front of the pack to start chatting with Fluttershy.

Applejack sighed and took a bite out of the cupcake, a surprised smile stretching across her face as a familiar taste stimulated her tastebuds.

'...Huh, it even tastes like a juicy apple from the orchard. I'll have to ask her how she does that.'

Feeling a bit less paranoid now, Applejack continued munching on the cupcake, taking a moment to see how the other's were holding up.

Twilight was up at the front, a surprisingly determined look on her face. Ever since the dragon had gone missing, she'd been even more driven to get to the castle than before. With any luck, they'd be able to find out what happened to him once they found these magic artifact things she was talking about.

If these 'Elements of Harmony' were anywhere near as powerful as that book of hers claimed, then they should be able to help in some way. It would be a real shame to lose Spike just like that. Granted, she didn't really know him that well, but he seemed like a pretty nice fellow and certainly wasn't too shabby in the looks department either.

Rainbow Dash was flying just overhead, skimming under the treetops with her wings as she flew. The forest must have been really getting to her. Other than the occasional cocky or boastful remark, she'd been strangely silent. Whenever she got worried or scared, the mare seemed to have a habit of disguising it by bragging about her exploits or going on about how sure she was she'd be accepted into the Wonderbolts one of these days. Hopefully, she was holding up alright...

Rarity seemed to be even more on edge than Fluttershy, though Fluttershy's recent confidence boost could simply be a result of her taming that manticore they met. By now, Rarity's dress had been reduced to a few mere scraps of fabric from a combination of their slide down the cliff earlier and the random sticks or thorns that always seemed to catch and tear more pieces of it off as they passed by.

In an attempt to keep some semblance of her modesty, Rarity had used her magic and what little she had left of her dress to stitch together a makeshift bra and skirt. It didn't look very strong or even all that modest as it only really covered her nipples and private parts, but then again, Applejack had never been a very good judge when it came to fashion or fabrics.

Pinkie, of course, was still as upbeat as ever, skipping along next to Fluttershy now while humming some sort of happy tune. While she could be a bit annoying at times, and at others completely oblivious, the hyperactive mare was probably the only thing keeping the group's nerves together.

Applejack finished off the last bite of her cupcake, licking the icing off her fingers as she took another step forward.

*Squish*

Applejack felt one of her boots suddenly sink down as it was surrounded by something warm and mushy. It was too dark to see exactly what it was, but from how it felt, she had a pretty good idea. It wouldn't be the first time she had stepped in something with a similar consistency while working on the farm.

"Y'all, watch yer step. I think I just stepped in some critter's business."

'It ain't mine anyway, that has a different feel to it...'

Nightmare Moon pondered what to do next as she growled at the memory of that yellow pegasus hugging the manticore. The alicorn was hiding nearby in her cloud form and had witnessed the mares deal with the beast.

'Perhaps these ponies are more capable than I first gave them credit. That beast should have easily been able to tear them asunder, but then that pegasus had to get in the way!'

On their current course, the mares would soon be approaching the wide river that separated them from most of the Everfree Forest, along with the castle that rested not far beyond it. With the aid of the two pegasi among them, they were sure to find a way across it eventually. She'd have to think of something to halt their progress.

Nightmare Moon had originally hoped to take advantage of the Timberwolves that were known to roam the forest in the past, yet she had not seen any around. Before her banishment, they infested almost every inch of this forest. One could hardly go a few feet inside it without meeting one along the way. Where had they all gone?

Flying up, she raced ahead to the river. With her speed, it wasn't long before she was hovering right above it. Looking up and down the length of the river, she noticed something under the water. Something at the very bottom that she hadn't noticed before. Taking a closer look, she suddenly realized what it was and practically shivered with excitement.

'A serpent?! This far inland? Perfect~'

"Aha! This is it!" Spike cheered, having finally found something in the labyrinth-like library that actually seemed useful.

It was a large hardcover book that had been resting atop a stone podium at the far end of one of the many rows of ancient historical texts. The front depicted a series of six gemstones, most of which looked almost identical to the ones he remembered seeing in Twilight's book from the Ponyville library.

He eagerly flipped the book open to its first page, intent on finding any and all useful information he might be able to use to help his friends and stop Nightmare Moon. His high hopes were shortlived, however, as all the text appeared to be written in some ancient form of Old Ponish.

"Ugh, I knew I should have paid more attention when Twilight was trying to teach me this stuff!" He groaned, flipping pages as he hoped to recognize something among the written gibberish. "But noooo, she just had to wear that stupid micro skirt that whole day..."

"Oh, little drake, where aarrre yoouu?" An ominous voice suddenly reverberated through the castle, sending a cold shiver racing up Spike's spine.

'She's back!'

Hearing the sound of heavy wing flaps coming from through the closed doors of the archives, Spike dove for the first hiding place he could find. Scrambling to get underneath one of the larger desks near the center of the room, Spike cringed as he ended up covered in cobwebs.

'I really hope there aren't any more spiders in here!'

From underneath the desk, he was able to find a small crack in the wood through the back of the desk, allowing him to peek through and see the entrance. No less than a few seconds after he'd hidden, the large doors burst open violently, revealing Nightmare Moon hovering a few feet in the air. She flew forward into the room, the moonlight shining off her scanty armor plates through a small hole in the ceiling. Her metal heels clicked against the stone floor as she landed, her large wings folding back behind her.

Spike gulped as he saw the mare's magical scythe materialize in her grasp as she scanned the room slowly, looking for any sign of his presence. Spike froze as, if for only a moment, he could have sworn she looked right back at him through the tiny crack he was peering through. But then finally, after what felt like an eternity, she turned and flew away. Using her magic, she slammed the large doors shut behind her.

Once he could no longer hear the heavy flaps of her wings, Spike let out a sigh of relief.

'Whew, that was too close! I thought for sure she saw me for a second there.'

After waiting for a few more moments, he clambered out from under the desk, hastily brushing off any cobwebs that were still clinging to his body. He was no expert, but any Spiders with brightly colored stars on their backs were probably venomous. He wasn't sure if these could get through his hide, but he wasn't willing to give them the chance. Reaching down, he grabbed the book he had been looking at before.

"I'll have to be careful, I really don't want to run into her again. With any luck, maybe I can find a book about old ponish somewhere in here?" He mumbled. "One that isn't already in old ponish preferably..."

Turning around to continue searching through the archives, Spike froze as he suddenly found himself face to face with the cleavage of a certain evil alicorn.

"I'm afraid you'll have to be much more careful than that to avoid my sight little drake~." Nightmare Moon chuckled darkly.

"Gah!" Spike yelped, falling backward and dropping the book again.

Before he could do anything, he felt himself once again being wrapped up in Nightmare Moon's magic aura as he was levitated high into the air. He flailed and struggled as best he could against her grip but it didn't seem to be having any effect.

"I don't know how you managed free yourself from my constraints, but I can assure you that it will not happen again." She growled.

"W-what did you do to my friends?!" He gasped out as he felt chains wrapping around him yet again. She had promised to return once they had been dealt with. Did that mean...?

"Hmph. Unfortunately, they continue to live for the moment. But after they meet what I have set loose on them, they won't keep breathing for very much longer." She chuckled darkly. "Now, I believe a proper punishment is in order for disobeying a direct order from your new queen." Nightmare Moon decided, licking her lips.

Spike gulped, trying to imagine what horrifying punishment a nightmare incarnate could possibly come up with. He briefly considered using his flames to try and escape her grasp, but at then again, he doubted he'd be able to do much against her all by himself.

'I'll keep my element of surprise, at least for now...'

"Yes, and I think I know just the punishment that will satisfy me as well." Nightmare Moon continued ominously.

As he was floated across the room, Nightmare Moon grabbed a wooden chair from one of the many desks, setting it down up against the end of one of the tall bookcases before sitting him down in it. Spike felt a familiar cold sensation lock around his wrists and ankles, as he was once again restrained to a chair. His arms were locked to the arms of the chair while his legs had been spread apart and his ankles tied to the bottom of the chair's front legs.

'Well, at least I can still move the rest of me a little better this time. But what is she planning on doing to me?!'

As Spike peered down at his feet, he felt a surprisingly warm and soft hand grab his chin, tilting his head upwards. His eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as Nightmare Moon's lips suddenly meet with his own, locking them both together in an unexpected kiss. His mouth opened in surprise, providing her the perfect opportunity to invade his mouth with her serpentine tongue.

Eyes closed, she eagerly explored the inside of his slack maw, intermingling with Spike's own reptilian tongue and toying with the tips of his many pointed teeth. Spike found himself reluctantly starting to really enjoy the sensation and blushed as he felt her moan into his mouth.

Eventually, she pulled back, leaving a thin string of saliva connecting their lips. She was panting lustfully and seemed to be almost out of breath already. Spike meanwhile just sat there, speechless and unsure how to feel about what just happened. Technically, that had been his first real kiss. In a way, he did feel a bit robbed, but at the same time... it was pretty nice.

"Oh~, it has been far too long." Nightmare Moon moaned between heavy panting breaths, clearly getting excited.

Taking a step back, she gave him a sultry smirk and reached her left arm behind her back. Spike, still stunned by the kiss, was awoken by a metallic click. The leather straps connecting to the bikini-like metal plates covering her breasts went limp and she allowed her top to fall, revealing both her huge globe-like breasts in all their glory. They lightly bounced after being freed from their confines. Her dark blue nipples looked perky and erect, standing proudly in the cool night air.

With a sigh of relief, she reached up with both hands and groped herself, biting her bottom lip and moaning again as her fingers dug into the pillowy mounds. Spike, now transfixed to the exposed mare in front of him, felt his crotch stir. The pink tip of his dragonhood was starting to peek out through a hidden slit between his scales.

"You should feel honored little drake, there are very few whom I have ever allowed to see me like this." She teased playfully, pressing her breasts together as she leveled lidded seductive eyes at him.

'T-this is her idea of a punishment?!'

She then proceeded to get down on her hands and knees, crawling up to him like a cat hunting her prey. Both of her breasts hung down from her chest, jiggling as she crawled. Upon reaching him, Nightmare Moon parted his legs with her hands, giving her full access to his crotch and the growing shaft jutting up from it. She wasted no time, swiftly taking hold of what she could with her hands as she began to inspect his stiffening cock. Spike gasped as she moved her fingers softly over each and every little bump and barb running down his length, sending jolts of sharp pleasure shooting through him.

Pinkish-red in color, his cock stood out from the rest of him and was decorated with a number of bumps and barbs, all designed for maximum stimulation. He was unable to stop a grunt of pleasure from escaping lips as his large, now fully erect nine-inch cock throbbed hard in Nightmare Moon's firm grip.

"Hmm, it seems like the legends of your kind's size were not exaggerated after all. I can't wait to see what else it can do~"

She began slowly stroking his shaft with one hand while the other slid down her own smooth yet muscular stomach before disappearing completely from view. Though, based her sudden gasp not long after, he had a pretty good idea what she was doing down there.

As she pumped her hand up and down his rock-hard shaft, a heat was building within it as his cock started to swell at the base. A small drop of pre-cum oozed down from the tip, and upon spotting it, Nightmare Moon leaned forward and hungrily flicked it off with her tongue. The sensation of her tongue grazing the underside his tip made Spike moan loudly, unable to restrain himself against the mind-numbing rush of pleasure.

"Oh? Is my little drake enjoying this?" She teased, dipping down and trailing her slender snake-like tongue all the way up the underside of his shaft, paying extra special attention one she reached his tip.

Spike grunted and strained at his restrains as he desperately tried to maintain himself through the wonderful sensations. Nightmare Moon stopped for a moment, scooting a little closer to his crotch. Her soft pillowy breasts came to rest around his twitching length, his cock popping up between her cleavage.

Spike shuddered, feeling a primal heat rapidly rising within him as Nightmare Moon started to toy with the tip of his cock with her lips. The warmth from her breasts around his shaft was intense. He gasped loudly when, all a sudden, her head plunged down, taking half of his cock deep into her muzzle in one go. The inside of her mouth felt hot and wet, forcing him to clench his fists and stare up at the ceiling to keep himself from cumming instantly.

'T-this feels soooo g-goood~!' He inwardly moaned, reeling from what was technically his first-ever real-life blowjob.

But it would not be easy to hold himself back as she began to go even deeper. He felt his cock slide across her tongue, his tip nearing the start of her tight throat. But then, just as a roaring climax seemed inevitable, his cock surrounded by warm and pillowy breasts and with the majority of his cock deep inside her mouth, all the stimulation stopped at once.

"B-buh?" He gasped between labored breaths, a rush of cold air replacing the warmth that was just surrounding his dick.

Looking down he was confused to find Nightmare Moon gone, leaving his wet and throbbing shaft standing alone and desperate in the cold air. He quickly looked around the room but failed to see any sign of the alicorn anywhere. Peering back down, he eventually noticed a small piece of paper lying in a large wet puddle between his feet. Squinting, he was just able to make out some scribbles on it.

"If you can learn to behave like a good little drake, maybe I'll let you finish next time~ -Your Queen"

"..."

"S-she really is evil..." He whimpered.

Author's Notes:

Fun Fact Of The Chapter: The Dragon Ball Z live action movie is one of the primary reasons that aliens haven't visited us yet.