Chapter VIII: Cold Heart

Spike trudged through the streets of Ponyville. He kept his eyes firmly focused on the snow beneath is feet. He heard ponies greet him from time to time, but he didn't look. He didn't even say anything back. He simply trudged through the snow aimlessly, unsure where to go, or who to turn to. If he tried, they'd probably just try to sleep with him again, giving Twilight one more reason to break up with him. Again, he imagined her anger with him when she discovered what he had done- at this point, being thrown out was the best-case scenario. Twilight would…

Twilight…

He had a sudden, horrible realization. What if… what if Twilight didn't love him? What if whatever was wrong with him made her fall in love with him in the first place? He shuddered, feeling as though his heart had been replaced by a chunk of ice. He didn't want to believe it… but what if it was true? What if everything she did for him, all those kind things she said about him were fake? Tears began to well up in his eyes, but he shook his head. No. It can't be true. It just can't be! He turned around and began sprinting to the library as fast as his legs would carry him.

But what he saw a few moments later brought him to a skidding halt. Up ahead, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were walking down the street. Fortunately, they were some distance away, and were so wrapped up in some unheard conversation that they hadn't noticed him yet… but they were moving directly toward him, and it would be only a matter of time until they saw him. Spike panicked- taking advantage of a mare was one thing, but to take advantage of a young, defenseless filly… it would be absolutely unforgivable. If he let this happen… well, Twilight would most likely incinerate him on the spot for such a heinous crime, assistant or not.

He needed to hide. He wasn't worried about himself, oh no- he knew he was a goner, but he wasn't about to drag his filly friends down with him. He sprinted to one of the buildings on the side of the road, and grabbed the knob. By some miracle, the door flew open, and Spike dived inside, slamming it shut behind him.

The scent that hit his nostrils told him where he was- Sugarcube Corner. He looked around- he was in a big room, with shelves laden with baking supplies. He must have gone in through the back door into the storeroom. After a few moments inside, he heard a door creak, and saw a poofy pink mane bouncing through the shelves. "Hello?" Pinkie Pie's voice called. "Is somepony here?"

Of course, Pinkie Pie! Why didn't he think of her sooner? It was a stretch, he knew, but the crazy party pony just might be immune to whatever was wrong with him! So he called out, "Over here Pinkie!"

"Spike? Is that you?" The voice came from above him- he looked up, to see Pinkie standing high atop a shelf next to him. She jumped down to him. "What are you doing in here? You can't buy anything back here- there's no counter! Wait… are you the one who's been stealing our baking supplies?"

"What? N-No! I uh… well, I wanted to talk to you."

"Ooh, ooh! I know how to help! Now you hold on just one second." In the blink of an eye, Pinkie erected a small stand in front of him- written on the front were the words "Dr. Pinkie's Make-You-Feel-Better Clinic" with a smiley face drawn next to it. A small sign hanging off to the side read, "The doctor is IN!" Suddenly, Spike was pushed off his feet into a comfortable armchair that came to a rest right in front of the booth. Pinkie darted back behind the stand, putting on a pair of thick-rimmed glasses with no lenses. "Now you just sit right there on your tushie and tell me all your problems." She leaned across the stall toward him, resting her head on her hooves.

"Well…" Spike shifted nervously in his chair. "I think there might be something wrong with me."

"What, are you sick? 'Cause if you're sick, you should go see Nurse Readheart."

"No, I'm not sick. But something's definitely wrong with me. And it might have something to do with what… what me and Twilight did together."

For a few moments, Pinkie was silent, an uncharacteristically serious expression on her face. Then, she said, "Spike, come here." He stood up and approached the counter; when he was close, she put her hooves on his shoulders and pressed her forehead against his, looking deep into his eyes. "Spike, what happened isn't your fault. I don't care what anypony tells you, it's never the victim's fault. You hear me?"

"But, it is my fault. You have no idea what's been happening today. Every time I look into a pony's eyes…"

As Spike told Pinkie everything that had happened since the night before, he was oblivious to the changes she was undergoing- her curly mane suddenly straightened out, her pupils shrank to almost invisible black dots, and worst of all, a demented, cruel smile broke across her face. "…and after I realized that, I ran over here because I thought that you might be immune to whatever's wrong with me. And now that I think about it, can I borrow a quill and some paper from you? I really need to-"

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Spike," she said, her voice taking a sudden, menacing tone, "but there's something I need to ask you."

"What is it?" He looked into her eyes- he saw not hunger, but… something else. Something… primal. Unknowable. His tiny heart was struck with fear.

"Actually, it's something I need to show you. In my basement."

"Uh, I don't think that would be such a good idea, Pinkie…" Spike began to slowly back away from the pink pony. "I really should get going. Fluttershy needed my help taking care of-"

"Oh no you don't!" Pinkie jumped over the counter and landed the young dragon, pinning him to the floor and somehow stripping him at the same time. With a rope she seemingly pulled from nowhere, she deftly bound Spike's hands and feet. "Pinkie what're you- mmffmph!" Spike's protest was silenced when the pink pony then strapped a ball gag over his mouth. She then hoisted him onto her back. "You're coming with me," she said, trotting towards a nearby door. She opened it and hopped inside.

Spike was plunged into darkness. He bounced all over Pinkie's back, but miraculously, he didn't fall off. He guessed she was taking him down to… the basement. He shuddered- what was Pinkie going to do with him? Was it possible that she already knew about what he'd been doing? It sounded ridiculous, but this was Pinkie Pie. Sometimes it seemed that the very laws of reality itself didn't apply to her.

All of a sudden, Pinkie jerked up, tossing him off her back. He landed hard on his stomach, eliciting a deep, pained groan. "Oh, did that hurt?" Pinkie asked. "Well don't worry. That's going to positively tickle compared with what I'm going to do to you."

A light suddenly turned on- Spike squeezed his eyes shut, trying to keep out the harsh light. When his eyes adjusted to the light, he looked around. He was in a room with no windows, stone walls, and a few scattered, mostly empty shelves. He himself was lying on a large, battered wooden table Obviously, he must have been in the basement of Sugarcube Corner. She patted his head, an imitation of a warm smile on her face. "Now I have to go get a few things. You be a good boy, and stay right here." She turned and hopped up the stairs.

As soon as she was out of sight, Spike began worming his way across the table. His progress was painfully slow, and after moving only a few inches, he was completely exhausted; he struggled to breathe with the stupid gag stuffed in his mouth. He made a few muffled cries for help, before remembering Mr. and Mrs. Cake had gone away to Fillydelphia for the week, leaving Pinkie in charge of the store until they came back.

Pinkie returned. She was carrying a big cardboard box, the contents of which were unknown to him. She began to dig around inside it, tossing various objects out of her way. Spike could now see what the box contained- sex toys. Dozens upon dozens of them. He could only watch as dildos, vibrators, and numerous other items he didn't know the name of were carelessly thrown around the basement. One of the toys landed next to him on the table- a long rubbery dildo that literally stretched from the spine at the top of his head to past the tip of his tail. He screamed in terror as he desperately tried to worm away from the huge thing.

"Oh don't worry, that one isn't for you," Pinkie said. She'd stopped digging through the box and now stood on her back legs, fiddling with something- her back was turned, so Spike couldn't see what. "But this one is."

She turned toward him. He could now see she was wearing… a strap-on. He let out a terrified cry as he tried to get as far away from Pinkie as possible. He managed to move six inches before she caught him. She roughly rolled him onto his stomach, and seized his tail; he let out a terrified cry as he felt the dildo touch his asshole. "Ready?" she asked. "Oh what am I, silly? Of course you are." She rocked her hips back, before viciously plunging the dildo deep inside Spike.

Tears instantly began streaming down his face. It hurt. It hurt more than anything had ever hurt in his entire life. He couldn't even cry out, it hurt so badly. He doubted he would have been able to bend his back as long as it remained inside him. He felt a warmth creep up his back as Pinkie rested on top of him, bringing her muzzle right next to his ear. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry," she whispered. He shivered as she spoke, not because of what she said, but how- her words were laced with pure, unabashed hatred. "If you wanted me to be gentle, you should have said something." Spike felt her weight leave his back. "Now then, how would you like it? Gentle, or rough?"

Gentle, Spike tried to say. Please be gentle. But what came out was, "Ghhhnn. Ppfff ghhhhnn."

"Hmm? What's that you say? You like it rough? Okay, if that's how you want it!"

"Nnnnnn! Nnnnnn!" he screamed, but Pinkie paid him no heed. She pulled her hips back, until only the tip remained inside. Then, she rammed it in again, her body slapping against his. He screamed again as pain surged through his body, but Pinkie didn't stop. She thrust into him, over and over and over again, the pain remaining just as intense as when she first entered him. He squirmed, he cried out, he did everything in his power to try and get away from the crazed party pony, but he just couldn't. He began to sob openly in a mix of pain and terror as Pinkie violated him.

"How do you like it, huh?" she shouted at him. His only reply was a muffled cry. "How do you like it, Wind Runner?"

Spike jumped from terrified to confused in a heartbeat. Who was Wind Runner? It certainly wasn't a name he'd ever heard before. He looked back at her, asking "Mmmph?" in a mixture of confusion and pain. Pinkie looked surprised for a moment, before yet another cruel smile broke across her face. "You know what Wind Runner, I have an idea." She pulled out, but any relief Spike felt was instantly quashed when he was rolled roughly onto his back. Pinkie brought her face right up to his; he tried, without success, to pull back. Her eyes locked with his, seeming trying to bore holes directly into his brain.

"You want to know what my idea is, Wind Runner?" Spike replied with a terrified whimper. "I'm going to do what you never had the balls to, Wind Runner. I'm going to look you in the eye as I fuck you."

Spike let out another terrified whimper and tried to worm away. Pinkie simply grabbed his legs and dragged him to the edge of the table. After some adjusting, she pushed in again without any concern for him. He cried out, the pain now being forced into a different area. But it wasn't the pain that was the worst part. In his new position, he had no choice but to look up at Pinkie- she looked down at him, a cruel smile on her lips, her eyes filled with malice, with hate. Everything he saw told him that she was enjoying every last second of his suffering. He shut his eyes, but that horrible image remained.

"Look at me!" she screamed at him; his eyes shot open. "Look at me and don't you DARE look away again! Or do I have to introduce you to Mister Sharpie?" She stopped for a moment, pulling herself free from Spike, and reached down to grab something. She brought up a knife, its blade glinting in the basement's light. His eyes widened in fear. Pinkie's demented smile widened even further, and she suddenly swung the knife down toward him. He shut his eyes and squeaked in terror, as his mind flooded with thoughts of Twilight.

There was a loud thunk. Spike continued to squeeze his eyes shut, waiting for… whatever was supposed to come get him when he died. But nothing seemed to happen. So, after a few moments, he dared to open his eyes.

There was Pinkie, still glaring down at him. And there was the knife, mere inches from the side of his head, his reflection visible on the blade. "Now then, are you going to do what I say?" Spike merely nodded- even he hadn't been gagged, no sound would have been able to leave his throat. She pushed into him again, a deep groan escaping his throat- it still hurt, but now that he'd been "broken in," it didn't hurt as much. But he continued to squirm, to try and worm away, to no avail. But, as he struggled, he heard a voice inside his head speak to him, a voice that said simply…

I deserve this.

No, no he didn't deserve this. Nopony did!

I deserve this.

Well, after what he did to Twilight, he deserved to be punished. But… but not like this.

I deserve this.

Maybe… maybe he did. Maybe this was exactly what he deserved for betraying Twilight.

I deserve this.

Yes. Yes he did.

Spike's struggling slowed, and eventually ceased. The voice was right. He deserved this. In fact, it was the perfect punishment: he had violated Twilight's trust, and now he himself was being violated. He couldn't help but think maybe there was something to this "karma" thing he read about after all. So, he simply stared up at Pinkie, unmoving, as she glared down at him like some hateful goddess.

But then, the worst possible thing happened.

He began to enjoy it.

As Pinkie thrust her hips, she began to hit one particular spot, one that managed to coax his member out from between his scales. He looked at Pinkie, he made direct eye contact with her, but it did nothing to drive away his growing member. This wasn't lost on the pink pony.

"Oh, what's this?" she asked, prodding his dick with her hoof. "…you're actually getting off to this, aren't you?" He didn't respond. "Aren't you, Wind Runner?" He nodded in the face of Pinkie's sudden outburst. "I figured you would, you sick fuck. I bet it's always been a fantasy of yours to have a pretty mare bend you over a table and fuck you in the ass, hasn't it?" Spike nodded again, deciding it was better to just go along with it. "Well, enjoy it while you can. Trust me, this will be the last time you'll ever get any pleasure out of me, Wind Runner." She put her hooves on his hips and began rubbing that one perfect spot. The pressure mounted in his hips rapidly; Pinkie worked like a pro. He moaned deeply- he didn't want to enjoy this, but his own body was betraying him.

The end came just a few moments later. His seed dribbled out from the tip of his member onto his belly, his legs, the table. Spike moaned weakly, his eyes rolling back- he really hated to say this, but in spite of the circumstances, he had just had the single best orgasm of his life. It was better than Twilight's services, and even better than Rarity's… magic-job.

"You came," Pinkie stated bluntly. "Well don't worry, we're not done just yet. In fact, I've got a special surprise just for you. Something I've been holding onto for a very-" At that moment, from upstairs, there was a loud pounding on the front door. Pinkie huffed. "Of course, I get interrupted just as I'm finally getting to the good part. You stay here. And don't try anything funny." She quickly undid her strap-on and bounded up the stairs.

For a few moments, Spike simply laid motionless on the table, his breaths shallow. He fought to keep his eyes open- he had never cum so many time in one day in all his life. How many times had he cum today? Three times? Four? But all of a sudden, a voice in his head spoke to him, snapping him awake by saying, You need to get out of here. Part of him wanted to simply continue laying there on that table, allowing Pinkie to have her way with him, but that voice was quickly silenced as Spike strained against the ropes binding his limbs. They wouldn't come undone. But he had an idea. Mentally apologizing for what he was about to do, he took a deep breath through his nose, and exhaled a small plume of fire.

The ball gag disappeared. Spike inhaled again and breathed another jet of fire, this one aimed at the ropes binding him, and like the ball gag, they too disappeared. Now that he was free, he began grabbing everything he could get his claws on and sent them to the Princess. Every step, every swing of his legs felt like fire, but he fought through it all the same. There wasn't any paper (and nothing to write with for that matter), so he couldn't write a letter, but hopefully, she'd get the message and realize he was in trouble. But Spike did find something- a small block of wood. He grabbed it and hastily began scratching a message into one of the sides.

But then, at that moment, he heard… yelling, coming from the upper floor. There were some bangs, some more yelling, a few moments of silence, and then the sound of someone talking. Though muffled, he recognized the voice.

It was… Twilight's.

He finished scratching his message in the block of wood, sent it to the Princess, and sprinted up the stairs, through the storeroom, through the kitchen, and into the store itself.

The Royal Canterlot Library was normally a quiet place, but today, despite the librarian's best efforts, the whole building hummed with faint chatter. And why wouldn't it? Today, Princess Celestia herself had come to pay a visit. The Princess may have had a veritable army of servants willing to carry out her every whim, but research was something she still preferred to do by herself. So, she sat at a table that was much too small for her, surrounded by stacks of books on dragon biology. She was focused on one in particular, reading at what some would call blinding speed… but that was just a side effect of honing her skills after a millennium or two. She'd finally discovered a possible solution, but she wanted to check with a few other sources before-

All of a sudden, her reading was interrupted when there was a small flash of green light and something dropped out of the air, clattering against the wooden table. She looked down at it- it was… a ball-gag. Celestia was puzzled, but then there was another green flash, depositing a length of rope on the table, and yet another that dropped a long, rubbery dildo onto the table as well.

Celestia was more confused than embarrassed. Was… was this Spike's idea of a joke? If it was, then she didn't find it very funny. But before long, other items began to drop onto the table, one after the other- a flashlight, a few more dildos, a bucket, and a large block of wood. But just as soon as they had come, the items stopped appearing; Celestia waited for several moments, but no more came. She noticed something on the block of wood, and picked it up- hastily scratched into one of the sides were letters that spelled out "HELP."

Celestia immediately lifted up a roll of parchment. She didn't open it- instead, she merely cast a spell on it, before sending it to Spike. Then, she closed her eyes and waited. The sounds of the outside world, and even the sounds of her own heartbeat and breathing faded as she concentrated. Several moments passed as she waited… and then she saw it. Well, she didn't see it, but she definitely felt it- a little tingle in her brain that told her the scroll had reentered the world. She concentrated again, trying to find its exact location…

There. She had it. And without delay, her horn began to glow, as she disappeared in a flash of white light.

Applejack pounded on the front door of Sugarcube Corner. The others were gathered around, waiting anxiously for Pinkie to open up. "Oh, I hope you're right about this Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy said nervously.

"He's here. I'm sure," Rainbow Dash replied.

Applejack pounded on the door again. "Pinkie better open this door soon. I got a mind ta bust down this door myself.

"Let's not be too hasty, Applejack," Rarity said. "Now won't we look ridiculous if we break down Pinkie's door and-"

At that moment, the door finally opened. It opened just a crack, but it was enough for them to see that something was wrong with their friend- the party pony's normally curly, cotton candy mane now hung straight, and her pupils had shrunk to nearly invisible black dots. "Oh. Hey," she said flatly.

Warily, Twilight said, "Hi, Pinkie. How are you?"

"Busy. Can you come back later? I have a big order that I need to finish."

Applejack's hoof shot out, keeping the door open. "Hold on now," Applejack began. "Can't we just talk to ya?"

"No. I need to get back to work."

Rarity sniffed the air for a moment, and replied, "You're lying to us."

Pinkie made a painfully fake smile. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Darling, you stink of sex."

Pinkie's jaw dropped, her eyes growing as wide as saucers. For a moment, she stood frozen, before trying to slam the door. But Applejack was much too fast for her, holding the door open. The others joined in, pushing against the door with all their might. Pinkie may have had a surprising amount of strength, but there was simply no way she could overcome the combined might of five ponies pressing against her door, and it flew open, pushing her back. Applejack leapt on her, pinning the crazed pony to the floor.

"Rainbow Dash! Git over here and give me a hoof!" Rainbow Dash ran over and helped to hold Pinkie down.

"No!" Pinkie screamed. "No! No no no no no! You will not take this away from me! I won't let you!" She fought against the two ponies holding her down, to no avail.

Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy looked at each other. "What in Celestia's name is wrong with her?" the fasionista asked.

"Spike's spell must have affected Pinkie much differently than it did for the rest of us," Twilight replied.

"What should we do?" Fluttershy asked.

"Well, the book said the effects of the spell wear off after a few minutes if the target is removed from the dragon's immediate vicinity. So we just need to keep her here until she's back to normal. In the meantime, maybe I can convince her to tell us where Spike is."

Twilight turned to Pinkie again. As she approached, she cleared her throat and demanded, "Where is Spike?"Her tutelage under the Princess, along with having to raise Spike largely on her own, gave her a good authoritative voice.

Unfortunately, Pinkie didn't fold. "No! I'm not giving him back! Not until he pays for what he did!"

"We'll find him eventually," Applejack said. "Just make things easy for all of us and tell us where Spike is."

Pinkie bucked against the mares holding him down, but they continued to hold. "But he… he has to be punished for what he did."

"That isn't something for you to decide. Spike is-" At that moment, the door to the kitchen flew open. Everypony looked over- it was Spike.

Twilight quickly shielded her eyes. "Don't look into his eyes!" she shouted. But it was too late. The baby dragon had inadvertently made eye contact with every mare in the room, including her. Applejack and Rainbow Dash released Pinkie Pie, and the three began advancing on Spike, as did Rarity. The only one who didn't approach was Fluttershy. But before anypony else could reach him, Twilight teleported to the young dragon and grabbed onto one of his arms. "No! Stay away from him, he's mine!"

Applejack leapt, wrapping her forelegs around Spike's leg. "Oh no ya don't!"

Rarity latched onto his other arm. "I agree with Applejack. Spike isn't your personal toy, you know."

Rainbow Dash caught his other leg. "You're one to talk, Rarity. Leading the poor little guy along the way you do, it's despicable!"

"I'm not finished with him yet!" Pinkie shouted as she grabbed his tail.

"Oh. Oh dear. Girls, please, calm down," Fluttershy said meekly. They paid her no heed as they pulled Spike's limbs in different directions, eliciting a pained cry from the young dragon.

"I should be first! After all the work he does with me at the boutique, it's the least I could do for him!"

"Let me go first! I'll only be a few minutes, I swear!"

"He's my assistant! He belongs with me!"

"Ya've already been with him for two buckin' weeks! It wouldn't kill ya ta wait ten minutes!"

"Give Wind Runner to me! He needs to pay for what he did!"

"Oh, um, girls? I think you should let Spike go. I think you're hurting him." But the others paid Fluttershy no heed, continuing to tug on Spike's limbs with all their might. Spike cried out in pain as he was pulled in five different directions at once. None of the mares showed any signs of stopping, and if they kept pulling on him, they might dislocate something, or worse…

All of a sudden, Spike belched, releasing a plume of green flame, and a scroll. A letter from the Princess. Everypony stopped tugging on the baby dragon, but no one let him go. "Fluttershy, would you mind reading that for us?" Rarity asked.

The timid Pegasus picked up the scroll and opened it, before furrowing her brow in confusion. "What's the matter?" Applejack asked.

"It's… blank. See?" She turned the parchment around, showing it was indeed blank.

Though blank, Twilight could sense that the scroll wasn't just an ordinary scroll. "Let me have a look at it." Fluttershy brought it over- Twilight focused, her horn glowing as she read the magic imbued into the parchment. "The Princess cast a locator spell on it. But why would-"

Suddenly, the room was filled with a bright flash. Everypony looked- there, standing by the front door to the bakery, was Princess Celestia. They all immediately dropped Spike. "P-Princess!" Twilight stammered. "I… we… we were…" She never got a chance to finish. Wordlessly, Celestia's horn began to glow; then, Twilight yawned, curled up on the floor, and began lightly snoring. The others did the same. Only Spike was left awake.

"Princess, you came!" he said excitedly. He quickly caught himself, turning his eyes to the floor. "Uh, I mean, thank you." He looked at the others. "Uh… is everyone gonna be okay?"

Celestia lifted up the scroll. "They'll be fine. I simply cast a sleeping spell on them." There was a brief flash from her horn, before she set it down again. Then, she laid herself down on the floor.

"…P-Princess?" he asked, dumbfounded.

"Climb on," she replied simply. He did as she asked without a second thought. She stood up again. "I'm going to make everything right."

For a brief moment, Celestia's horn glowed. Then, in a flash of brilliant white light, the Princess and the young dragon were gone.