A Route Obscure and Lonely

Chapters

The Livid Surprise
Fashionable Twice
About the Trees
Grins and Lies
A Quicker Blood
Not Till After the Party's Over
Agitated by the Growing Storm
An Eidolon named Night
Poisoned Sleep
Unstable Dream

The Livid Surprise

Spike didn’t want to open his eyes. If he believed what Luna had told him, and he had no reason to disbelieve her, he had no idea what he’d see. He would have to be ready for anything. Unfortunately, he couldn’t be ready for anything if he couldn’t see. He opened his eyes.

And found himself in Sugarcube Corner.

“Well, so much for that,” he said with a sigh. All that talk about preparing himself for the oddity and surrealism of someone else’s subconscious mind had turned out to be all for nothing. He hoped Luna had a backup plan. As much as he hated being Equestria’s last resort, it was better than not having any… resorts? Could you use the word like that? It didn’t matter anyway; what mattered was that things had fallen through and they’d have to come up with something else.

But first, he’d go back to the library. Sure, somewhere in the back of his mind he knew it probably wasn’t any safer than anywhere else in Ponyville, but it was home. If he was going to get back to sleep at all, it could only happen in his own bed. He turned around and took a step toward the front door.

After that one step, he stopped. The floor didn’t feel right. Rather than his claws tapping on the hardwood, his foot sunk slightly in, as if he had stepped on a pillow. In fact, that seemed to be exactly what he was standing on. A very, very large pillow, even. No, it was a mattress. He shook his head as he chided himself for his slowness. Of course it’s a mattress. You were leaning over the crib when you nodded off. You must’ve fallen in.

He reached out to steady himself for his next step on the soft surface, but the bars of the crib were too far away. Several steps away, in fact. His eyes narrowed. The crib didn’t look right. Sure, he was short enough that the bars would reach above his head, but this was different. Somehow the railing that he had toppled over in his sleep had suddenly grown and was now several times taller than he was.

He rubbed his eyes. That couldn’t be right. If the rails of the crib were that tall, they’d go right through the ceiling. Come to think of it, the ceiling was a lot higher than he remembered it being. And as he gave the rest of the room a closer look, it really didn’t look much like it was supposed to.

“Oh, not this again!” He kicked weakly at the plush floor. “I thought dreams were supposed to be all freaky and bizarre, not just a little bit weird! Where are all the flying pigs and upside down trees and” —as if on cue, a large orange cake with bright green frosting rolled through the air in front of him before exploding into a burst of confetti— “I shouldn’t have asked.”

He scrambled to the edge of the crib. Fortunately one of the sides had been unlocked and folded down. He slid down one of the crib’s legs and landed on the real floor. Having his feet on solid ground was reassuring, but now his view was even worse. He scurried towards the round sample table that stood at the center of the room, feeling more like a mouse than a dragon.

At least the plan seems to be working, he thought. I just wish I knew what the rest of it was. He mentally rehearsed the steps she had given him. Go to Sugarcube Corner. Find the Cake Twins. Touch them and you’ll fall asleep. Save Equestria.

He couldn’t help but think she had skipped a step. Several steps, even. She had said that she would contact him once he had successfully infiltrated the dream, but he hadn’t heard a thing so far. All he could do now was take stock of his surroundings and hope he could find a clue about what he was supposed to do.

The table towered over him; the shadow it cast gave him the sensation of standing beneath the branches of an enormous tree. He approached the high chair that sat beside it and began his ascent. A few moments of huffing and puffing later and he was hoisting himself onto the tabletop. In the center of the table sat a cake that was as tall as he was. He dipped a finger into the icing and tasted it. It was unbearably sweet.

“Heh, Pinkie Pie would kill to have a cake this big,” he said with a chuckle. Satisfied that the cake wouldn’t attack him, he began to circle the table and survey his surroundings. The room stretched off into the distance, like a landscape. The walls were so far off he had to squint to make out any detail.

The more he examined them, the less they looked like walls. In fact, the place they met the floor reminded him of the horizon. The windows seemed oddly blank; light filtered through the foggy glass, but it was a dim and muted glow. As he looked closer, it struck him. The light was impossibly pale, so much so that where the beams fell, the colors were washed out rather than illuminated.

He looked up, and saw more cakes and toys hanging in the air, drifting aimlessly and occasionally popping into clouds of glitter with a surprisingly muted sound. The ceiling was so high that he half expected birds to be flying overhead. It didn’t seem solid, either. It wasn’t moving, exactly, but he couldn’t say that the rafters were still. The whole thing seemed to shift as he moved, like it was in a different place depending on where he looked. It started to give him a headache.

“So, this is what Pound and Pumpkin Cake see when they dream,” Spike said as took a seat at the edge of the table with his legs hanging over the edge. “I would’ve thought there would’ve been more stuffed animals or toys or something. Luna said it might be weird, but I was expecting something more babyish.” He sighed. “Where the hay is she, anyway? She was supposed to tell me what to do. How am I supposed to save Ponyville if I have no idea what I’m doing?”

He waited for Luna to suddenly appear. She didn’t.

“Luna? You there? Anypony?” he called. “You realize that I’m stuck in this dream until you wake me up, right? Well, I’m sure you know that, but it doesn’t matter if you aren’t around to do anything.” He thought for a moment. “If you can’t get into the dream, but you can hear me, could you at least make a bowl of ice cream appear? And maybe some fudge, too! And, you know, a piece of paper with instructions. That would be pretty helpful, too.”

Nopony answered.

“Ugh.” Spike flopped onto his back and closed his eyes. If Luna wasn’t going to show up, there wasn’t much else he could do other than pretend to get some shuteye. But now that the surreal view was gone, his ears began to pick up the slack. There were no sounds that wouldn’t be at home at Sugarcube Corner. But they were all just the slightest bit off. The sound of the ticking timers from the kitchen echoed far more loudly than they were supposed to in the storefront, and from above he could make out the muddled sound of one of Pinkie’s records. It was quite out of tune.

“Greetings, Spike!”

“Gah!” Spike sprung upright with such force that he almost catapulted himself off of the table. He twisted around as he fell and dug his claws into the wood. “Who’s there!?” he gasped as he dangled over the edge. He ceased scrambling just long enough to realize that one of the flower patterns that had adorned the side of the cake was replaced by a familiar face. “Oh, it’s just you.”

“Were you expecting another?” Luna said. Her face was emblazoned upon the cake in dark blue icing. Even though it showed in profile, her eye seemed to be staring right at Spike. “And what, pray tell, are you doing?”

“Right now? I’m trying not to fall off the edge of the table because somepony snuck up behind me.” He grunted and pulled himself back to solid tabletop. “And I had no idea who or what to expect from this dream, you know. It’s not like you told me anything useful about what was going to happen in here.” He clamped his claws together to stop the shaking. “What took you so long, anyway?”

“As I said before, the nature of the spell greatly complicates the process of manifesting myself,” she said tersely. Her voice sounded as flat as the frosting pattern she appeared as. “Even using your presence in the dream as an entry point, circumventing its effects proved most difficult.”

“Well, at least it worked eventually,” he answered, trying to sound less peeved than he felt. “I was starting to get afraid that you weren’t going to show up at all, and then I’d be stuck here.”

“Yes, yes.” She nodded. “In any case, at least that eventually did not actually come to pass. T’would have been most unfortunate. But it is no matter. I have never been one to shy from a challenge.”

“Um, it sort of is matter.” Spike said. “It’s really matter! Er, it really matters. what would’ve happened if you couldn’t… you know, make a frosting face for yourself or whatever? Would I just be trapped?”

“Until you woke, yes. But fortunately, that did not happen.” She cleared her throat, despite not actually having one. “Now we can put our fine plan into motion!”

“Great!” Spike said. “At least, I assume it’s great. I wouldn’t know, since you didn’t tell me exactly what the plan was before sending me out here.”

“Ah, yes. Well, I must admit that I was not entirely certain whether you would be able to enter the dream via this method. There was little point in getting your hopes up if the whole endeavor proved fruitless.”

“Yeah, okay, that makes sense,” Spike said, rolling his eyes. “Of course, if the plan did work and I ended up in the dream I’d have no clue what I was doing. If I knew the step that came after ‘enter dream’ I could’ve been doing something useful while I waited for you to show up.”

“You’ve made your point, young dragon,” Luna said with a snort. “Do you want some further explanation or not?”

“Of course I want further explanation

“Good.” She nodded. Her mane flowed lethargically in the frosting. “You were able to enter the dream because the two elements of the spell overlap. When you touched Pound and Pumpkin Cake, the spell was still present, and attempted to ensnare you as well.”

“And it did, apparently,” Spike muttered.

“But it also attempted to trap you in a false dreamscape, which you are immune to. However, because this particular iteration of the spell already had a dreamscape constructed, you were shunted there instead.”

“So basically the spell tried to make me fall asleep, and dumped me in the Cake twins’ dream instead, right?”

Luna nodded. “You are most astute.”

“Then why didn’t you just say that?” He sighed. He had never gotten many chances to talk to Luna at length. Even though he was already asleep, it was a bit tiring. “Listen, the technical specs of the spell are interesting and everything, but I really want to know what I’m supposed to be doing. It doesn’t really matter how I got in here if I don’t know what to do. Why did you have me come here in the first place?”

“Very well. Our goal is quite simple: find the Cake Twins and stop the spell from leeching off of their magic.”

“Great!” Spike clapped his claws giddily. “How do we do that?”

“I…” Luna paused for a distressingly long moment, “...am not entirely sure.”

Spike stared at her. “What?”

“I can say for certain that waking them up, within the dream of course, will prevent the spell from siphoning away their magic, but I do not yet know exactly what method we will have to use to do so. The spell is almost certainly designed to keep them asleep, and I am not sure what it may take to circumvent those measures. But worry not. I am sure there is a way. We simply must find it.”

“And by ‘we’, you mean ‘me’.” Spike pointed at himself. “Since you’re a cake at the moment.”

“Verily, I would happily render more direct assistance if it were possible. But alas, it is not. So yes, for the most part you will be on your own.”

“I kinda figured.” Spike smiled, trying to look more confident than he felt. He cracked his knuckles. “Great. So find the Cake Twins, then report back to you, right?”

“Yes. I could remanifest elsewhere in the dream, but I would rather preserve my magical energy.”

“And just to be clear, I can’t” —the word stuck in his throat and he had to force it out— “die. In the dream, right?”

“Of course not. Dreams, terrifying as they often are, cannot kill you.”

“Great! That’s all I needed to hear!” Spike saluted vigorously. “I’ll be back as soon as I find something interesting!” He scurried over to the edge of the table and began to carefully lower himself onto the chair that sat beside it.

“Wait!” Luna called after him. “We still have much to discuss!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Spike’s voice was faint. “We’ve talked about enough stuff! Don’t worry, I won’t be long!” He dropped from the chair. A few moments later Luna saw him in the distance, jogging towards the enormous kitchen door.

She sighed as she watched him grow smaller. “Such foolhardiness. He knows not what he walks into. This will simply not do.” She closed her eye, and a moment later she was gone.

Spike trundled along at a rate somewhere between a run and a walk. Being locked in a dream had some upsides. He couldn’t remember ever being able to go so far without having to stop and catch his breath. The whole “not dying” thing was pretty convenient too. Luna should’ve told him that earlier. Now that he knew, he felt… well, not good, exactly. The fate of Equestria still hung in the balance and he still didn’t know exactly what was going on. But at the very least if he failed, it wouldn’t be because he died.

He stopped. Not to catch his breath, but to take a quick look around for any signs of the Cakes. A few toys were scattered on the floor, and occasionally a stuffed animal would float overhead like a cloud, but nopony was anywhere to be seen. What he did see was that his initial assessment of the situation hadn’t been quite accurate. Everything was too big, obviously, but he couldn’t tell how big.

The room itself seemed to be stretching as he approached, or tried to approach, the kitchen door. The walls had begun to resemble a funhouse mirror, and the windows were subtly misshapen in ways that he was pretty sure shouldn’t even be geometrically possible. He turned his attention toward his destination.

“Oh, come on! That’s just not fair,” he grumbled. The kitchen doorway had barely gotten any closer. In fact, it seemed to get further away the closer he got. The sensation gave him a headache. He closed his eyes for a moment. It wasn’t as if he was going to run into any—

CLONK

The blackness of his inner eyelids exploded into stars and he found himself flat on his back, his forehead throbbing. He staggered back to his feet, and leaned against the doorframe, which was not only right next to him, but was much tinier than it looked. The sudden collision had knocked the door closed. At least if the doorway was any indication, the size of the kitchen would be more manageable.

“Stupid dream physics,” he muttered as he rubbed his head. “Knowing my luck, there’s probably not even anything in there. I’ll probably go through the door and end up in a broom closet or…” His voice trailed off as he heard something. It was small and soft, but it was undeniably a pony. “Luna?” he called. He waited a moment for her head to suddenly pop out of the wall. When she didn’t, he pressed his ear against the door. He had been wrong. It wasn’t a voice.

It was voices.

“Pound and Pumpkin!” he gasped. “Hold on, I’m coming!” He threw the door open and charged through, this time being careful to duck. He only took half a dozen steps before he stopped dead in his tracks. “What in the hay happened here?”

The kitchen, which was just as wrong-sized as everything else, looked like a war zone. The table that normally stood in the center had been split in half. The counters were split, twisted, and warped. A huge gash in the linoleum floor bisected the room like a canyon. The cupboards on the walls dangled precariously from bent nails, as if a hurricane had tried to tear them down. The air was hazy and thick with the scent of burning rubber.

The dead, colorless glow that shone in from the cracked windows had gotten, well, he couldn’t say it was brighter. If anything it had gotten paler, and almost sickly. The beams looked like crooked, glowing pillars in the smoke. He stepped forward carefully, not wanting to touch anything.

“What kind of baby has a dream like this?” He stepped over the edge of the curled up edge of the tear in the flooring. The edges of it looked blackened and crinkled with heat, and it stood nearly as tall as he did. “Pound? Pumpkin? Anypony? Is any— ew!”

He looked down and found that his foot was smack in the middle of a patch of thick, rainbow-colored goo. He tried to step back, but his foot refused to come free. “Oh come on, what is this stuff?” He tugged again. “Is this tar? Why would this even be here?”

Then he heard it. It was the voices, and naturally they were behind him. He contorted his body around and craned his neck. He smiled. Of course; the Cakes had a playpen in the corner of the kitchen, behind the decorating counter. He could just make out the corner of it, and through the mesh he could make out the shapes of two foals huddled together in the corner under a blanket. They looked very small.

“Pound! Pumpkin!” he shouted. “Hold on, I’ll be right there!” He waggled his leg, trying to get it free of the mess. “Just as soon as I get myself unstuck from this—”

His thought was interrupted by an explosion of noise, a piercing screech of metal on metal. It was the sound of a machine, a machine inside which something had gone horribly wrong. He twisted himself around. A clanging mass of steel levers, gears, and bars rattled towards him, leaving patches of oil and multicolored sludge in its wake.

Spike froze for a moment while his brain processed the fact that in ten seconds or so, the machine would quite literally be on top of him.

“GAHHH!” He shouted and pulled as hard as he could. The goop that engulfed his foot stretched, but didn’t break. He reached down and began to claw at his foot. His fingers sunk into the goo. “No no no!” His heart pounded in his chest as the whirling metal bored down on him. Then a thought punched itself into his mind. There was only one option left. He took a deep breath and blasted the goop with the strongest flame he could muster.

It resisted for a moment, then blackened and cracked as the heat did its work. He wrenched himself backward one last time, and his foot came free with a pop. He somersaulted backward and landed flat on his back. As he raised his head, the storm of metal roared past him, one of the flailing steel bars just barely clipping the tip of his spines.

He sighed in relief. Then he inhaled sharply as he heard the thing screech. It had ground to a stop. A chill ran down his spine as he saw it begin to turn. It was coming around for another attack.

“AAHHH!” He leaped to his feet and began to run. Behind him, he could hear the tangle of struts and levers picking up speed. He didn’t want to look back to see how quickly it was gaining. He’d never make it back to the door. He swallowed and ran full tilt towards the table in the center of the room, the one that the cakes used for decorating.

He gritted his teeth and leaped onto one of the table legs, clawing his way upward. He was barely halfway up when the machine smashed into it. The table shook, but his grip held. He reached the top of the table and forced himself to look over the edge.

Fortunately, the machine’s pursuit hadn’t followed him up the side of the table. Whatever it was, it couldn’t climb. He sighed in relief again, and this time it wasn’t interrupted. He flopped down on his back and stared up into the haze.

“What am I supposed to do now?” he mumbled. Obviously, he needed to get out of the kitchen and report back to Luna, but how could he? If he jumped off the table, he’d be ground to paste by… he didn’t even know what it was or why it was there. Would he be stuck here until that thing went off somewhere else? He still hear the squeal of rusted gears as they tried to turn, and the sharp hiss of leaking hydraulics below.

He cautiously crept to the edge of the table and peeked over. Now that it was no longer charging at him, he could get a better look at it. It didn’t help. It looked a bit like a very large canister or tank, but there was a gap in the middle where a bunch of metal bars showed through. They were rotating slowly. The entire thing was misshapen and dented; the inner moving parts clanged and grated against each other as they continued to turn, ignoring the damage. Oddly, that same rainbow goop that had nearly glued Spike too the floor seemed to be oozing slowly out of the gap in the metal plating.

“That thing doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere any time soon,” he muttered as he paced slowly along the edge of the table, keeping his eye focused on the machine. “None of this makes any sense. Why would Pound and Pumpkin dream about a giant machine that’s trying to kill everything? Well, at least this makes sense.” At the far end of the table was a place of chocolate cupcakes, which were each as tall as he was. He scooped out a handful of cake. “I guess I won’t— WHOA!”

A crash echoed through the kitchen. Spike was thrown on his back as the table pitched underneath him. He landed on his back with a thud.

“Ugh…” he put a claw on his forehead. “What the hay?” He rolled over and scrambled to the edge of the table on his hands and knees. The leg of the table he had climbed now bore an enormous dent; the edges of which were beginning to splinter. The machine hauled itself a short distance away, leaving a trail of scratches and rainbow splotches behind it. He watched in horror as it ground to a halt. “Uh oh…” He braced himself as it barreled towards the table once more.

“Gah!” The table rocked back and then landed back on the floor with a thud. The cupcake plate rattled beside him. “At least I can’t die,” He muttered as he dug his claws into the edge of the table. “That’s something, I guess.”

The machine slammed into the table again. The impact lifted Spike slightly off the table. He landed flat on his face. He groaned. “But I can still feel pain?” He suddenly felt like he had been impaled with an icicle. “I thought you aren’t supposed to be able to feel pain in dreams! If that thing gets me…” He pushed the thought out of his head. “Great. Just great.” He watched as the machine lined itself up for another charge. “I don’t know how things could get any better.”

“Really? I can think of several ways that this situation could improve,” said a voice from behind him.

“Wha!?” He looked back to find Luna glaring at him. This time, her head was made of chocolate, sitting on top of one of the cupcakes. “Do you do that on purpose?” he gasped, putting one claw to his chest. “Why didn’t you tell me that I’d still be able to feel pain in a dream? That’s kind of important!”

“I would have, had you not rushed off in such haste,” Luna said. It reminded Spike of all the times Twilight had chided him for not paying attention. “Of course you can feel pain. All physical responses are processed by the brain, whether in sleep or wakefulness. Though in natural sleep the sensation would typically wake you up. However, in this specific circumstance—”

“That’s fascinating,” Spike interrupted, “but I’d rather just try to avoid the pain in the first place!” The machine smashed into the table again. The cupcake platter rattled, and Luna’s chocolate head slipped to the side a little. “And let me guess, you were going to warn me about that thing too?”

“Well, not that specifically,” Luna said. “Just of the general danger.”

“What is it?”

“Like the rest of the dream, it is a memory. And like the rest of the dream, it is somewhat distorted by the perspective of the dreamer. No doubt you’ve noticed that the relative sizes of the locations and items within this dream are quite disproportionate—”

“Of course I noticed. How could I miss it?” Spike snapped, trying to keep one eye on Luna and one eye on the machine, which was getting ready for yet another charge. “Everything looks weird because it’s all baby memories, right?”

“That is the most succinct way of putting it, yes.”

“Good. Now that we have that figured out, why don’t you tell me how we can wake up the Cake Twins and get out of this dream before that thing turns me into mush!?”

Luna stared pensively off into space, disregarding the angry contraption’s attempts to upset the table. “You will have to defeat it, of course.”

“What!?” Spike’s voice squeaked as he choked out the word. “Defeat it!? How am I supposed to do anything to” —it slammed into the table again, this time so hard that the plate of cupcakes slid a few inches to the side— “that!”

“Yes, that will be quite the challenge,” Luna said calmly. Spike wondered if she was really that unruffled or if she was simply very good at maintaining her composure. “But it is not impossible. Everything in this place, save for you and I, has its origins in the memories of the Cake Twins. We simply need to determine which memory that machine is derived from.”

“Can’t we just, you know, go around it?” Spike asked, pantomiming the action. “And not fight the machine? I think that would be easier. I thought our mission was to free them, not fight that thing!”

“Fighting it is how we will free them. It seems that machine is the manifestation of the spell within the dream. Only by destroying it can they be released from the spell. Its purpose is to keep them trapped and—”

It smashed into the side of the table so hard that Luna’s cupcake was airborne for a moment. The plate clattered back down, on the very edge of the tabletop.

“And it’s trying to get rid of me!” Spike shouted. “How in Equestria am I supposed to get rid of it!?”

“Just remember that it is a memory that is based on a real thing,” Luna said. She was still composed, but Spike couldn’t help but notice that she was speaking much faster. Her chocolate eyes darted to the edge of the table. “You must discover what memory it is based upon and use that knowledge to your advantage. It is a reflection of a true occurrence, and that is what holds the key to—”

The machine struck the table with such force that Spike had to grab the edge of the table to keep from sliding down.

“Princess Luna!” Spike looked back over his shoulder just in time to see the plate, the cupcakes, and Luna topple over the edge. There was a moment of silence, and then the sound of shattering ceramic. The table slammed back to the floor. Spike leaped up and hurried over to where Luna had fallen. He could see the smear of smashed cupcakes under the shards of the broken plate, and nothing else. “Princess Luna! Are you alright?”

He didn’t get an answer.

“Okay okay okay,” he muttered to himself. “Luna’s fine. She has to be. She’s not really here. That was just a representation or whatever. She’ll probably pop out of the floor or something in a minute or two.” He heard a metallic groan. “I just wish I had a minute or two.”

He braced himself for impact. The table would be overturned, if not on this attack, probably on the next one. And then there’d be nothing between him and the machine. And he was still no closer to knowing how to destroy it. The table shivered as the machine slammed into it. Then it began to fall. He clung to the edge as it tipped, somehow managing to hold on as it crashed to the floor, leaving him dangling from the edge.

He clawed his way upward, straddling the edge of the table. He looked down just in time to see the mass of angry metal ram into his perch one final time. The force threw him off, and he found himself falling. He grabbed at the now-vertical tabletop in a futile attempt to slow his descent. The wood splintered off as he tried to dig his claws in, sending a rain of wood chips into his face.

“Oof!” He landed with a splat. “Oh. Whew.” The splat had come not from his body, but from the mass of cupcake he had landed in. He had barely finished exhaling when the machine roared around the upset table. “GAH!” Before he even had time to think, his legs were carrying him in the other direction.

Think, Spike, think! You have to figure out what that thing is! What the hay could’ve inspired them to dream about that thing? He looked back over his shoulder. The machine paused its pursuit just long enough to fling a glob of psychedelic goo in his direction. Spike could feel the breeze as it whizzed past his head. What the- that smell! I’ve smelled that before.

Luna’s words echoed in his head. A memory, she had said. Something the Cake twins had been through. If the scent was any indication it was something familiar. I thought that smell was supposed to be really good at jogging your memory! That’s what Twilight always says! He darted around the corner of one of the counters and pressed his body against it, hoping that the machine wouldn’t be able to find him.

“Okay, okay…” He tried to breathe slowly. It was surprisingly easy. Apparently dream bodies didn’t get winded. He’d have to remember that. “I know I’ve smelled that before, but I can’t think of where! It’s gotta be something recent, or it probably wouldn’t be here! But where did I see—”

The cupboard erupted in a hail of splinters just above his head. He scrambled forward as the machine tore through the wood. Nothing is going to stop that thing! He darted along the counter. At the very least maybe the thing would get slowed down.

Another sound suddenly rang in his ears. What? That’s not the machine! That’s a voice. He looked up. His path was taking him straight towards the playpen. It was as large as a room, and the Cake twin looked even tinier than they truly were. The pair huddled against each other in the far corner of the pen, wailing as they tried to hide from the cacophony. Spike gritted his teeth. This is a nightmare for them, he thought. I have to get them out of here. I can’t let them keep getting terrorized by that thing.

He ducked as it shot a gob of rainbow goop over his head. I just have to figure out what it is! He wove back and forth to avoid the projectiles that the machine spat at him. I can’t just keep running. Even if I never get tired, I’m never going to be able to get away from—

“Gah!”A particularly large gob splattered on the wall beside him. “Ew!” He clawed at the drop of goo that had smacked him on the side of the head. “Gross! I even got some in my” —he licked at the side of his mouth— “Wait a minute, this stuff is sweet! And fruity!”

He smacked himself in the forehead. The machine had been shooting clues at him this whole time. The answer had been staring him in the face this whole time. He paused just long enough to glance at his pursuer. This time he recognized it.

Now that he knew the answer, he wanted to kick himself for not figuring it out sooner. The smell should’ve tipped him off, but the taste had made it impossible not to recognize it. Tutti Frutti was his favorite flavor of Sugarcube Corner taffy, after all. He grinned. The machine barely seemed frightening at all now that he knew it was a taffy machine. The pieces began to fall into place.

He had heard Pinkie telling Twilight about it. Something in the taffy machine had come loose, and it had made a mess of the kitchen. Ever since then the Cake Twins had been afraid to go into the kitchen. And now they were having a nightmare about it. The machine was a monster, the clanging was its roars, and the taffy it had undoubtedly covered the kitchen with was its weapon. As far as weapons went, it wasn’t too intimidating.

I should be able to beat a taffy machine. It can’t be that dangerous.

As if in answer, the machine tore through the corner of the counter as it came after him.

“Whoa!” Spike dove out of the way as it hurled an enormous glob of taffy in his direction. “Or not.” He made a beeline for the steel prep table at the far end of the kitchen. If that thing catches me, I’m going to be taffy, he thought. He reached the table and scrambled up the table leg. The machine caught up just as he reached the top.

The room echoed with the clang of metal on metal, but the table held firm. Should’ve climbed up here first,he thought. And this time I’m not letting myself get trapped. The taffy machine lobbed a clump of taffy the size of Spike’s head upward. He scampered out of the way as it splattered down. “Well, that’s not good.” He watched as it launched another projectile. It didn’t land anywhere near him. “And neither is its aim.” A third taffy bomb landed, and an unpleasant thought hammered into Spike’s brain like a nail.

It’s trying to coat the table in taffy.

Another sticky explosion landed on the table. Nearly half the tabletop was coated in a layer of candy.

If I get hit by one of those things, I’m done for! There’s no way I’ll be able to burn through all of that! What am I supposed to do?

He made for the far end of the table as the barrage continued.

There’s nothing here to work with! My fire breath isn’t going strong enough to reach it from here! How does Luna expect me to do anything!?

The next projectile landed so close that a drop of taffy landed on his arm.

How does knowing that it’s a taffy machine help me!? How do you fight a machine? It doesn’t have any weak points, and it’s not like it has an emergency shutoff switch! There’s no way it could be that easy. Could it?

He poked his head over the edge of the table.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!” he shouted to no one in particular. On the side of the machine, protruding out like the weak point of a video game boss, was a large, red, and distressingly conspicuous lever. “How did I not notice that!? I’m such an idiot. I guess I just need to hit that switch.”

The table shivered another another impact. He heard a metallic rattling from beneath him, and it wasn’t from the taffy machine. He peered over the edge of the table. Dangling from hooks on the side of the table were a row of metal spoons. Spike glanced from the spoons, to the machine, to the switch. All he had left was one tiny corner of the table. It’s now or never, I guess.

He reached down and snatched up one of the spoons. I’ve only got one shot at this. If I miss, I’m… I’m not going to think about that. Everypony needs you, and that’s what matters!

“Eat spoon!” he shouted, not bothering to think about how ridiculous he sounded. “This is for the Cakes!” He hurled the spoon like a javelin. It flew through the air, straight towards the gap in the machine’s armor. The world moved in slow motion for a moment as Spike watched it land squarely in the gap. There was a clank and a hiss as the gears inside tried to turn, only to catch on the steel utensil.

Spike took a deep breath. No taffy machine is going to stand between me and saving my friends.

“And this is for Equestria!” He sprinted towards the edge of the table and launched himself off the edge. For a moment he felt like he was flying, and the next thing he knew he was landing on the handle of the spoon. He slid down the handle and landed with a hollow thump on the side of the machine. As his feet touched down, the machine tried to twist out from under him. It was too late. The spoon began to buckle, but it was enough.

Spike launched himself forward, latching onto the power switch with both claws. His momentum carried him past the switch, but his grip held as his whole body weight pulled on the lever. It held firm for just long enough for his heart to skip a beat. Then the switch flipped with a loud click. The taffy machine vibrated for a second, and then was still.

For what seemed like an eternity, Spike kept his claws clamped on the off switch.

“I… I did it!” His claws shook as he slowly took them off the level. The machine didn’t move. It was so still that it was hard to believe it had ever moved. “I did it!” Spike punched the air triumphantly. “Eat that, taffy machine! No way a candy machine is gonna take down a drag-Whoa!”

He toppled from his perch atop his defeated foe and landed with a thump.

“Okay, that’s enough celebration,” he mumbled as he picked himself up and jogged briskly towards the playpen. “Pound and Pumpkin need to be freed from the spell! I’m not sure exactly how to do that, but now that I don’t have a rogue taffy machine trying to kill me, I’ve got plenty of time to figure it out!”

He smiled as he approached the pen. Through the thin mesh he could see Pound and Pumpkin curled up in their blankets, sleeping serenely. “I hope I don’t have to wake them up. Although, that’s kinda what we were trying to do. Or did we just want to wake them up literally? Or figuratively?” He shrugged. “This would be easier if there weren’t like three different ways of waking up. I’ll have to ask Luna about it. Or at least figure out where she went. Probably shouldn’t mess around with the babies until I find her.”

He turned and surveyed the kitchen. The pale, color-draining light was brightening into warm, golden beams. Even though the place was still a mess, it already looked a lot more home-y. It was still bigger than it had any right to be, but it was a different kind of bigness. It had the same sort of grandeur that Spike felt whenever he stood in the Great Hall of the Princess’ castle. Before the place had just felt like a cave. A cave with floating toys, but a cave nonetheless.

“Mmmph!”

“Huh?” Spike’s ears perked up. “Who’s there?” He turned. The sound was unmistakably a voice, and it seemed to be coming from the pile of smashed cupcakes beside the upturned table. “Luna? Is that you?” He hurried over to the heap of debris and began digging through it. “Are you in there? Are you alright?”

“I am fine,” came Luna’s muffled voice. “I assume that you were victorious?”

“Of course! What did you expect?” Spike asked. He reached under the large shard of plate that the voice seemed to be coming from under.

“Huzzah!”

“Gotcha!” Spike said. He shoved the shard away with his foot as he pulled her out from under it. “There you go.” He bit his lip to keep from laughing. He was holding her upside down, and one of his thumbs was firmly planted in her eye. “Whoops.”

“Pay it no mind,” she said as he turned her upright. Her entire head was a bit misshapen from the fall, and her right eye had an unfortunate dent now, but she didn’t seem to have noticed. “This is only my avatar in this dreamscape. As damaged as it may be, I myself am unharmed.”

“That’s good to know.” He breathed a sigh of relief. “So, uh, now that we found Pound and Pumpkin, what exactly should we do with them?”

He nodded towards the playpen.

“It seems to me that they are doing quite well.”

“I thought we were going to break them out of the spell’s control.”

“We’ve done that. Or rather, I suppose I should say that you have,” she said. “That machine was the representation of the spell within the dream, remember? With it gone, they are more or less free from its clutches.”

“Really?”

“Yes. They are likely not lucid yet, but there is really no need for them to be so. The spell is no longer leeching magic off of them, and the nightmare is not troubling them. The important thing is that we have established the nature of the spell and how it can be combated. Now all that remains is to continue freeing ponies from the spell’s sphere of influence in order to weaken it.”

“Oh yeah, I’m sure doing this another dozen times won’t be hard at all,” Spike grumbled. “I barely managed to pull it off this time.”

“You performed most admirably,” Luna said. “As a matter of fact, you exceeded my expectations.”

“Really?”

“Certainly. I had thought that discovering and exploiting a weakness would take you far longer.”

“Oh.” The rush of pride Spike had felt deflated like a balloon. “Well, it’s not like I haven’t ever done any hero work, you know. I did save the Crystal Empire.”

“Yes. Though by your own admission it was more luck than anything else. But accidental or not, you accomplished your mission.” Luna’s good eye looked Spike over. “Though you do seem to have gotten yourself covered in… toffee, was it? I must admit that this confection is not something I am familiar with.”

“Taffy. It’s called taffy. Once we’re done here, I’m sure Pinkie will make a bunch of it for you.” Spike turned Luna’s head around so she couldn’t keep staring at her. “Now what do we do?”

“Go on to the next dream of course. Though before we go I would like to examine the remnants of this machine. It may give me more insight into the workings of the spell. It certainly seems that the machine was the key to breaking it.”

“Things do look a bit more dreamlike,” Spike admitted. The light looked almost normal now, so normal that he could hardly remember what it had looked like five minutes earlier. The air was still hazy, but the haze was more bright and ephemeral, like a foggy sunrise.

“Indeed. That is what worries me,” Luna said. “It seems as though the spell not only utilized the memories of the dream, but somehow exaggerated them. Using the substance of the dream is one thing. Manipulating it to one’s own ends is something else entirely. An independent instance of the spell should not be able to do such a thing.”

“Wait, you mean you’re saying that the spell is doing something it shouldn’t be able to do.”

“I am saying that under normal circumstances, manipulating a dream in that matter require someone to do the manipulating.” Luna’s eyes narrowed. “You may have vanquished your foe, but we would be wise to be cautious.”

“Whatever you say.” Spike slowed his walk to a shuffle. “You’re the expert. It does look a bit… creepy.”

As he approached the machine, he couldn’t help but notice that it still looked off. The weird, colorless aura that had pervaded the dream still surrounded the debris.

“It appears that the spell still seems to have a localized effect,” Luna said. “Just a moment. I will see if I can use my magic to analyze it. I may be silent for a few moments. It should not be long.”

Her eyes closed, and Spike could tell that her head was now just a lump of chocolate. He resisted the urge to take a bite out of her ear and turned his attention to the machine. Her analysis spell, whatever it was, seemed to be working. The remnants glowed slightly and began to tremble. Then it jolted, and the air was filled with the sound of a loud hiss.

“Whoa!” Spike leaped backwards as the thing shook violently, so much so that it looked like the metal plates were coming apart. Then it began to smoke. Or at least it looked like it; black, greasy, fumes began to pour out from the gaps in the metal, congealing into a single cloud of darkness. He hugged Luna’s head to his chest and tried not to shake as he watched it. It didn’t look right. It was too rough around the edges, like someone had scribbled it into the air with a piece of charcoal.

It turned. It had a face. A face that churned and flowed like a cloud, but was unmistakably a face. Two eyes, glowing dimly like dying embers, turned toward him. He took a step back. He wanted to turn and run, but he couldn’t turn his back on the thing that was hovering in front of him.

Then it screamed. Or at least, it sounded like the sound that a ball of congealed darkness would make if it screamed. It twisted in the air and began to shrink, as if it were being sucked into an invisible drain. He watched in horror as it collapsed in on itself until it was almost nothing. With a final pop, it disappeared in a flash of pale light. He stared at the empty air where the darkness had hung. He could almost see the eyes still there, staring into him.

“Spike.”

He slowly looked down, his claws shaking as they held Luna’s head. She looked up at him.

“Spike, are you alright?”

He nodded dumbly.

“Good. It seems that things have just become a good deal more complicated.”

“What…” His voice cracked. “What was that thing?”

“That,” Luna said grimly,” was a Nightmare.”

Author's Note

"Cautious—We jar each other—
And either—open the eyes—
Lest the Phantasm—prove the Mistake—
And the livid Surprise"
~ Emily Dickinson, "We dream—it is good we are dreaming"

Sorry this chapter took so long. A bunch of real life stuff was distracting me. Hopefully the next one won't take quite so long.

Thanks to the following people for their help in editing the chapter:

Midnight Rambler
Meta Four
SugarSwirls
Sereg
RubberLotus
Blank!

Fashionable Twice

“Of course it’s a nightmare! I don’t need to be dream expert to know that. I want to know what that weird shadow cloud darkness blob was!” Spike grumbled as he trudged towards the playpen. The lifeless aura that surrounded the taffy machine had vanished, but he didn’t feel particularly inclined to stay near it. He carried Luna’s head, still chocolatey and malformed, under his arm.

“I already told you, it is not just a nightmare, it is a Nightmare.” Luna sighed the sigh of a teacher who couldn’t get her students to pay attention. “This will require further explanation. You may want to sit down.”

“Sitting down sounds nice,” Spike answered. “I am bit tired. Which is weird, since I’m still asleep.” He sat carefully against the side of the Cakes’ playpen and set Luna’s head in front of him. “So, it’s not a nightmare, but it’s a… nightmare? What’s the difference?”

“Spike, do you know the origin of the word ‘nightmare’?” Her tone of voice made him feel slightly embarrassed for not knowing.

“Uh, well, dreams are usually at night, and… sometimes they’re about mares?” He shrugged. “Although usually that’s a different kind of dream.”

Luna rolled her eyes. Or rather, she rolled one of them. The other was too squashed to do more than wiggle slightly.

“An adequate guess,” she said, “but no. I suppose I cannot blame you. According to my sister, no true Nightmares have been seen in Equestria since before my banishment.”

“True nightmares?” Spike asked nervously. “How are those any different from regular nightmares?”

“Bad dreams were not always called nightmares,” Luna said wistfully. “They were simply that: unpleasant dreams. The name ‘Nightmare’ was reserved for something worse. The first Nightmares were a race of Abstrovorous creatures.”

“Abswhat creatures?”

“They were Abstrovores, beings who subside not on food, but derive their sustenance from abstract concepts and emotions. Such creatures are not as common as they once were, but I am sure that you are familiar with some of them.” She raised an eyebrow. “Windigos, for instance.”

“Oh,” Spike nodded as if he had already known that and momentarily forgotten. “Or Changelings! Right?”

“Yes, Changelings are also Abstrovores. Specifically, they are Amovores, while Windigos are Descovores. Nightmares, on the other hoof, are Phobovores.”

“Phobo…vores…?” he said. “So that means they feed on…”

“Fear,” Luna said. “They preyed upon anyone unlucky enough to fall into slumber when they were nearby. While dreams may be unsettling purely by happenstance, the Nightmares delved into the memories of the dreamers, twisting and manipulating their mind in order to create more fear to devour. The terror of those dreams was often so great that those who suffered through that they were loathe to sleep again.”

Spike swallowed before speaking. “That bad, huh?”

“I can safely say that while you may have had bad dreams of your own, these dreams were worse. The Dream Wars were a scourge upon all of Equestria.”

“Dream Wars?” Spike asked. “I have no idea what those are.”

“You wouldn’t. They occurred during quite a turbulent time in Equestria’s history, and few historical records from that period remain. Celestia and I were working on compiling what documents we have and fashioning them into useful history, but other matters came up.”

“Well, if you get around to it, could I get a copy for Twilight. I’m sure she’d be interested.”

Luna chuckled mirthlessly. “She would. I must admit it is hardly my favorite period of history, but that does not make it any less important. I only wish that they had remained confined to the history books instead of resurfacing now.”

“Hey, look on the bright side.” Spike tried to smile. “At least we know who’s behind this attack.”

“Yes, I suppose there is that.”

“So now that we know that” —he cracked his knuckles— “what do we do to get rid of them?”

Luna’s eyes wandered for a moment before they looked back at Spike.

“That is a very good question.”

“Wait, you mean that you don’t know? Didn’t you defeat them and, I don’t know, seal them inside something?”

“Contrary to popular belief, we do not deal with every threat to Equestria by magically sealing it away.” Her eyes were surprisingly cold for being made of chocolate. “That would be simple procrastination and I do not make a habit of it unless there is no other option. In the case of the Nightmares, they proved a most devious enemy. Unlike Windigos or Changelings, Nightmares seemingly have no physical forms, at least not that we know of. They appear to exist solely in within dreamscapes. It makes dealing with them quite complicated.”

“Really?” Spike asked anxiously. “How did you fight them then?”

“Much the same way we are combatting them now, though on a larger scale,” Luna answered. “Using my own powers to enter dreams, Myself, my sister, Star Swirl the Bearded, General Firefly, and a number of others mounted a counterattack. As luck would have it, it turned out that feeding upon fear makes one craven. Once they realized that we would not be cowed, the battle turned in our favor. We can only hope that they have not grown braver while I was away.”

“Yeah, I hope so too,” Spike said. “So what happened to them?”

“When they realized that we meant to fight, they fled, likely to seek easier prey. We pursued them, and many of them were defeated by the Elements wielded by my sister and I. But we could not capture them all. There are places between dreams where they hid, and even I could not find them all.”

“And now they’re back.”

Luna nodded. “It seems so.”

Spike closed his eyes. Normally, when an ancient enemy reared its head after a thousand years, Twilight and her friends would take care of it. “In that case, what do we do?” he asked.

“We continue as planned,” Luna said. “It is really all we can do. Even though we know our enemy, there is little else we can do. We must continue gathering information and attempting to awaken more ponies, not only to weaken their spell but also because we will need allies if we wish to defeat them once more.”

“Okay,” Spike nodded, then held up a claw. “Wait a minute. If we keep messing around with everypony’s dreams, won’t they notice?”

“There is a risk of being found out, yes. But we do not have any other options. We either take the risk and have a chance, however slight, of winning this battle, or we stand by and let them proceed with whatever their plan is. At the very least, I can safely say that the spell does not monitor the dreams directly, which is good news for us. Now, all that remains is to select our next target and set about freeing them. Are you ready to do so?”

Spike thought for a moment. “No, but that’s never stopped me before.”

“I suppose that will have to do,” Luna said with a slight smirk. “Now then, shall we decide which of your friends we are going to rescue first?”

The Clock Tower read 5:02 to as Spike approached his next destination. He still couldn’t quite believe it. Exploring the dream, fighting the taffy machine, listening to Luna give him a history lesson, discussing who they were going to rescue next, all of it hadn’t even taken two minutes. He didn’t know if that made it better or worse.

He looked past the clock tower at the moon. It was only a thin crescent, halfway hidden behind a cloud. Had the sky been cloudy when he first went to Sugarcube Corner? He hadn’t thought to look. As far as he could remember, it might as well have been hours ago, but despite that it felt like time had stopped. Ponyville remained still as a stone. He couldn’t even hear the chirping of the grasshoppers that always filled the warm summer nights. There was nopony but him. Well, him and the Nightmares.

He tried not to think too hard about about that. It would be better to be alone in the world than to be alone with them. Maybe he was alone. Maybe Luna was right and the Nightmares didn’t really have bodies, and as long as he was awake, they couldn’t do anything to him. If they could, he would still be asleep.

“Nightmares, Schmitemares,” he muttered to himself, hoping that they couldn’t hear him. “I’ve eaten burritos that give me worse nightmares than these things could! And there’s no way I’d ever be afraid of a burrito. I mean, burritos are delicious! Especially with hot sauce. When we’re done with all of this we should celebrate by going out for burritos. Wonder if Luna even knows what those are? Did they even have them a thousand years ago?” He stopped. “Looks like I’m here.”

He knocked on the Carousel Boutique door and waited for a moment. “Wait a minute.” He shook his head. Of course nopony was going to answer the door. He let himself in. Rarity had to still be here somewhere; this year she didn’t have to help decorate the town hall and had instead used the time to make sure she was presentable for the Princesses. Sure enough, she was there. Despite the circumstances, Spike couldn’t help but smirk. Even in the spell’s grip, Rarity had managed to gracefully drape herself across a pile of fabric.

He reached for her hoof, and paused. All dreams are made out of memories, so if I go into her dreams it’s like reading her mind. No, I can’t worry about that now. All of Equestria is at stake here. And… He looked at her face. She was frowning. Nightmares. I can’t leave her like that, no matter how awkward it might be. He reached out and took her hoof.

I’m going to save you.

“Whoa.” Spike blinked. At least this time there wasn’t any ambiguity about whether or not he was dreaming. The inside of Rarity’s head looked nothing like the outside. He stood in a corridor that was loud in every sense of the word. Everywhere he looked was gilded and shined to a mirror finish, glittering brightly in the multicolored lights that poured from the most ostentatious crystal chandeliers that Spike had ever seen. They rattled sharply, shaken by the rumbling music that filled the air like a fog.

“Huh, I never expected Rarity’s dream to look like this…” he muttered as he rubbed his eyes. “I thought it might be a little gaudy, but this is something else!”

He examined the… he wasn’t sure he could even call it a hallway. The general size and shape reminded him much more of a cave or a tunnel. A wallpapered, carpeted, and otherwise fully furnished cave or tunnel, but a cave or tunnel nonetheless. The roof seemed to curve up around him, and the walls were too irregular and lumpy. The floor, which was covered with multiple layers of ornately woven carpets, was just as uneven.

“Rarity?” he called as he started down the corridor. He could hardly even hear himself through the music. Even if she were standing right next to him, she wouldn’t hear his call. The music began to get louder, growing from an indistinct jumble of low notes into a thumping beat. The corridor seemed to be sloping downward as well, winding back and forth like an oversized rabbit hole. He inspected the walls as he went. They were covered with a patchwork of patterned wallpapers and adorned with crookedly-hung frames.

He paused to examine them more closely. None of the frames seemed to have any paintings in them. The nearest frame was made of dark brown wood, carved in with minute detail into the likeness of ivy clinging to a trellis. But instead of a painting, it contained only a piece of splotched paper, stained by what looked like a coffee ring. It was tattered around the edges. Rather than any sort of painting, scribbled on the paper in rough lines was a sketch of a dress design. No surprise there. Spike thought.

He narrowed his eyes at the sketches as he continued down the hallway. “There’s something weird about these…” he muttered to himself. “Oh well, no point in worrying about that now.”

The nearest sketch looked a bit more… “sketchy” was the only word that Spike could think of. Something Rarity would only have drawn if she were forced to rush through them. The paper was smudged with repeated erasures and redrawings, and despite the corrections they lacked her usual precision. Some of them were so distorted that they resembled caricatures more than anything else.

Spike turned away and focused back on the hallway. Last time he had stopped paying attention to where he was going he had walked right into a door. At least this time around time everything was mostly to scale. The brightness at the end of the tunnel seemed to be getting bigger at an appropriate rate for the speed he was walking. If there was any clue to as where Rarity was, it was probably there.

He stepped through the arch at the end of the hallway and froze. “What the-?”

At first glance, he couldn’t even tell what he was looking at. The edges of the passage ballooned out into a cavernous chamber. Like the first passage, it was gilded beyond all reason, with enormous tapestries draped against the walls. From the ceiling hung a veritable mess of lightning implements, everything from chandeliers to disco balls to an entire spotlight array blasted the room with every conceivable color of light.

The floor looked like it was moving. The lights flickered across it, making it ripple like the surface of a lake. Weaving in and out of the prismatic glow were... Spike rubbed his eyes to make sure they weren’t playing tricks on him. Empty clothes meandered to and fro as if they were being worn by invisible ponies. Spike recognized some of them as designs from Rarity’s shop. But some… they didn’t look like anything Rarity would even allow herself to be seen near. The colors were garish and the shapes were haphazard. Some looked incomplete, and others had too many sleeves or were clearly patched together incorrectly.

The far end of the chamber was dominated by an enormous set of curtains that hung above a stage. Spike gasped. It wasn’t just a stage, it was a runway, and on the very end of it, in the very center of the room, was a cage. Inside the cage was a familiar pony.

“Rarity!”

Spike charged forward, ignoring the ambulatory suits and dresses that wandered the floor. A moment later he realized that he probably shouldn’t have. No sooner had he dashed past than one of the empty dresses, a green frilly affair with with an enormous bow on the back, than it whipped toward him. The fabric wrapped itself around him and before he knew what was happening he found himself wearing it.

“What’s going on!?” he gasped. He could feel the garment pulling on his limbs, attempting to resume it’s aimless wandering. “Hey! Stop that, you stupid dress!” He tried to take a step towards the cage, but the dress got in his way. It was ill-fitting and bunched up in all the most uncomfortable places. It wanted to walk in the other direction. It wasn’t particularly strong, but it was just forceful enough to make him stumble and land flat on his face. “Ugh, this is not going to work.”

He tried to get back to his feet, but it was too late. The dress continued to move on its own, carrying him along, away from the cage. He kicked weakly towards the floor, trying to push himself back toward the center of the room, but the garish piece of clothing wouldn’t let him. Instead, it took him to the edge of the room, and began to pace him along the wall like a marionette. He sighed and stopped resisting, letting the dress hold his weight.

“At least there’s nopony around to see me like this,” he grumbled.

“Your luck is not so good, I’m afraid.”

Spike groaned. “You always have the worst timing, you know that?” With great effort he wrestled the dress around so that he could see where Luna had materialized. This time she had appeared inside one of the hanging sketches. Her face was scribbled on the paper much the same as the sketches. The way she moved reminded Spike of the stick-pony flipbooks that Pinkie Pie sometimes drew.

“I am no expert on fashion,” she said, “but I do not believe that color is very flattering on you. It is too bright.”

“I’m not wearing this thing because I want to,” he grunted as he struggled to keep the dress from dragging him away. “This thing grabbed me when I tried to get to Rarity!”

“You’ve found her already? Splendid!” Her smile took up nearly the whole frame. “Did I not tell you that once you acclimated things would go more smoothly?”

“I don’t know if I’d say that it’s going smoothly,” Spike said. “At least, I wouldn’t think that having Rarity locked in a cage that’s guarded by a bunch of living clothes really qualifies as ‘going smoothly’.”

“But you do know where she is.”

“Yeah, but that kinda doesn’t help me much if I can’t get there.” Spike dug his claws into the carpet. They left furrows in the rug as the dress slowly pulled at him. “I have to get this thing off, and then I have to figure out how to keep them off me while I get her out of there.”

“I see.” Luna nodded. “Well, if nothing else, you have a set of well-defined goals. As to freeing yourself from that garment, might I remind you that you are a fire-breathing dragon?”

“I, uh.” Spike looked sheepishly down at the dress, which suddenly resembled more like a ball of kindling than anything else. “I knew that.” He spat a small jet of flame at the obnoxiously large shoulder frills. It caught immediately, and the dress began to dissolve into ashes. It began to flail wildly in response, but he wriggled out of the burning fabric with ease. As it crumpled to the floor, he gave it a few good stomps for good measure, leaving nothing but a burned patch on the rug and a few charred scraps of fabric.

“That is more like it!” Luna said happily. “Now you must only formulate a plan to reach Rarity without being made to forcibly cross-dress! Not that there is anything wrong with indulging in such a habit, but now is not the time.”

“Oh, I already have an idea.” Spike grinned.

“Excellent. What is your- Hey!” Luna glared at Spike as he lifted the frame from the wall.

“Don’t worry, I’ll hang you up somewhere as soon as I get to Rarity. I need a shield, and this way I won’t have to fight my way back over here.” He turned back to face the room. If he ran, he could be at the cage in less than a minute, assuming he didn’t get dogpiled by dozens of rogue outfits. “Here goes nothing!”

He charged forward, doing his best to run through the gaps in the false crowd. A pale yellow suit started to trot toward him, but a hefty thwack with the heavy wooden frame slowed it down. He dodged a few more evening gowns and found a flouncy ballroom dress in his way. It was so hefty and loaded with extra ribbons that it barely moved. He snorted a flame at it and sped past. As he approached the end of the runway, the throng grew thicker and thicker. He smacked away at the suits and dresses as he moved, spitting the occasional fireball to make sure his way was clear.

The crowd of eveningwear continued to grow thicker, but Spike kept pressing forward. They couldn’t, or at least didn’t try, to grab onto the picture frame, and his flames kept the rest at bay. At least for the moment. For each one that he managed to shove out of the way, another appeared. The were so thickly packed that he could barely push his way through.

“I don’t believe you’ve thought this all the way through,” Luna muttered as Spike took a swing at at an orange leisure suit. “It seems that you are about to be overwhelmed.”

“Shut up!” Spike gasped between breaths of flame. “We’re only a few steps away!” He spun around and immolated a navy blue cocktail dress. “Hold on tight!” He held the frame above his head and spun, spewing fire in all directions.

“Spike, I am beginning to get dizzy!”

“Yeah, me too!” he said as he ground to a halt. The clothing had backed off, leaving a sizeable ring around him. “Brace yourself!” With all his might he hurled the frame onto the stage and charged forward. The clothes immediately rushed inward, crowding toward him. He shot a fireball at the purple tuxedo immediately in front of him as he ran. At the very last second, he leaped with all his strength, landing with a thud on the edge of the runway.

“Whoops. Guess I still need to work on my hang ti-Whoa!” He looked back over his shoulder. Half a dozen separate ensembles had latched onto his legs and begun to pull. He grabbed onto one of the legs that supported the cage and held on for dear life. For beings that lacked any muscle, they were surprisingly strong. He craned his head back and tried to roast them, but his neck refused to turn far enough. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the various sleeves and ribbons winding themselves around his legs and tail like a bunch of silky tentacles.

“Oh no you don’t!” He released one claw’s grip on the cage and pushed against the runway, twisting his body as hard as he could. He spun on his other claw as he flipped over, lying on his back, his lower body hanging over the edge. The clothes hung on, but now their appendages were all tangled into a single knot.

“I don’t have time for this,” he grumbled before breathing a jet of flame. The fabric snapped and he dragged himself the rest of the way onto the stage. “I wish I could’ve come up with some sort of cool line to say.” he muttered as he dusted himself off. One final bit of ribbon lay on the edge of the stage, twitching and writhing like a worm. He flicked it away. “I bet if Pinkie were here, she would’ve been able to come up with a great pun. Oh well.”

He turned his attention to the cage. It looked like an enormous birdcage. A birdcage made for an immaculately fabulous bird; it curved like an hourglass, and every inch was gilded and encrusted with gems. Then he looked between the bars, and any pride he felt at his momentary victory evaporated.

“Rarity, are you okay?” He grabbed two of the bars and tried to squish his face between them. “Rarity!”

Sure enough, Rarity sat at the center of the cage, but she barely looked like herself. She was hunched over a small sketchbook, scribbling furiously. Her mane was far past disheveled, knotted and matted up in ways that Spike could barely even believe. She stared forward as she doodled. Every few seconds, she dropped the pencil, ripped out the page, crumpled it and tossed it aside to start on a new one. Her eyes were bloodshot and heavy bags hung beneath them. Her cheeks were stained with patches of mascara. A stream of words poured out of her mouth.

“Nonononono this is not right at all the colors don’t match and it’s what they ordered and it’s a Rarity original and now is not the time Sweetie Belle I swear I made it myself and of course I didn’t choose the color but if that’s what you want and I have a deadline tomorrow we can play later and of course I’ll do it what are friends for I’m sorry but I’m afraid that isn’t possible but I can do my best-”

“Rarity! Are you alright!” He tried to reach through the bars, but she was too far away. “What’s going on?”

If she heard him, she didn’t respond. She simply continued to ramble. “I didn’t mean to do that Sweetie Belle I just need a little more time and it’s not an imitation of that pattern you know how it is when I have to work around you and it was meant to be inspired by that design and I’m sorry about the delay but I can give you a discount and it was an accident Sweetie Belle and everything will be just fine if I tweak the design a little-”

“Great.” Spike slumped against the cage. “She can’t hear me.”

“Mmmf mf mmmmpf!”

“Huh?” Spike looked up. Luna’s picture frame still lay facedown on the stage. “Whoops!” He scurried over and picked her up, leaning the frame against the cage.

“Thank you,” she said. “I do wish you would be a bit more careful, even if you can’t cause me any harm in this form. It really is quite aggravating not being able to see anything. I see you successfully made your way through that.” She nodded at the suits and dresses, which were back to aimless meandering.

“Yeah yeah, I did. But that’s not important right now. I found Rarity, but I she can’t hear anything I say.”

“That is unsurprising,” Luna said. “Would you mind turning me around so that I can see exactly what we are dealing with?”

“Sure.” Spike picked up the frame and held it up to the cage. “See? We can’t just leave her in there!”

“We certainly cannot,” Luna said in agreement. “And we ought to hurry, for her sake. I do not envy her predicament.”

“Huh?” Spike spun the frame back towards himself. “I get that we need to get her out of there, but is being stuck in a cage really worse than being attacked by a giant machine? I mean, if it were a particularly rusty cage, I could see why she’d be that miserable, but this cage looks pretty nice.”

“You must understand, Spike,” Luna began; he could tell that she was putting on her lecturing voice, “that there is a world of difference between childish fears and adult fears. The dreams of young children are often straightforward, full of monsters, darkness, and other such things. While adult dreams are not entirely devoid of such content, the fear tends to skew in a more… existential direction.”

“Exi-what?” He had heard Twilight use the term before, but the definition eluded him.

“Feelings that are rooted in emotion and meaning. The fear of being ignored or forgotten, fear of not being loved, fear of loneliness-”

“Oh, that kind of thing.”

“Fear of losing one’s reputation, fear of losing those you love-”

“Okay, I see what you mean.”

“Fear of uselessness-”

“I get it!” Spike interrupted. “How do we get Rarity out of that cage? I guess I could try melting it, but I don’t know if that would work. It’s probably a lot tougher than regular gold.”

“You are quite correct. It is a metaphysical representation of her deepest fears. Breaking through it will not be quite as simple as physically destroying the offending object.”

“Why not?” Spike set the frame back down and began to examine the cage. Twilight had told him what the melting point of gold was at one point. Was it it 1490 degrees, or 1940? Or was it closer to an even thousand? “It worked well enough with the taffy machine.”

“That worked because the machine was, so to speak, itself,” Luna said flatly. “It was a simple fear; they were simply afraid of the machine and it appeared in no greater capacity than that. In Rarity’s case, I doubt that it is the cage itself that frightens her. It is what the cage represents that holds her captive.”

“Yeah so… how do we get her out?” Spike asked again. “If we can’t break the cage, what do we do?”

“I believe the situation is quite simple.” Her face vanished into a whirl of sketchy lines. “How else would one open a cage? You unlock the door.” The lines materialized into a crude facsimile of a key.

“A key? Seriously? I thought you said that it wouldn’t be simple.”

“Well, it is not a literal key.” Luna’s face reappeared, and she looked very tired. “Just as the cage its not what is really imprisoning her. Dreams are a reflection of waking life, that is true in the case of both children and adults. The fears that cage her in are the same fears she faces in her waking life, only exaggerated to a horrific extreme and without access to the coping mechanisms that normally allow one to face those fears.”

“So you’re saying that the key is her method for dealing with whatever fear is keeping her trapped here?”

Luna nodded. “I believe so. In her waking life, there are many factors that can keep one’s fears at bay. Rational arguments, hobbies, books, music, loved ones, I have even known some whose deepest fears were kept in check by coffee. But the Nightmares know how to strip all of that away. Only by restoring her ability to deal with her fear can we wake her up.”

“So I’ve got to find that key, then.”

“Yes. Or else you could attempt to pick the lock, but I do not think you will have much luck.”

“Yeah, me neither.” Spike examined the lock. It was a massive chunk of rough metal, so rusted over that it didn’t look like it would ever open, even with a key. Just looking at it risked tetanus. “So, any idea where this key might be?”

“Unfortunately, I do not,” she said. “As a matter of fact, you may very well know better than I do.”

“What?” he gasped. “Why would I know about that? You’re the dream expert.”

“You know Rarity better than I do. Not only does this mean that you better understand her fears and anxieties, but you better know where she draws her strength from. That is where the key will be found.”

“Right, in the parts of the dream that are built out of her good memories of her friends and family.”

“Now you are getting it.” Luna nodded around the room. “You may have to do some exploring throughout the various places in this dream in order to find them, but they must be here somewhere.”

“So I basically have to dig through Rarity’s memories to find the ones that will help her get over her fear.”

“Precisely.”

“Oh.” Spike looked down at his hands. He clicked the tips of his claws together. “I… uh… that’s really the only way?”

“Why do you ask?” Luna asked. “Is there a problem?”

“Well, it’s just…” —he began to twiddle his thumbs— “...going around and poking around in Rarity’s memories. Aren’t those supposed to be private? I don’t know if I should be looking through those.”

Luna looked at him for a moment. As she fixed his eyes, the scribbled lines that made up her face smoothed out slightly. When she began to speak, she did so slowly and deliberately.

“I will not mince words,” she said. “You may very well come across memories that Rarity would rather neither you nor anypony else see. You might find memories that you yourself do not wish to have seen. In dreams a pony’s innermost thoughts can rise to the surface. It is why I prefer a light touch when dealing with such things. I know full well the damage that can be caused when those boundaries are crossed.”

Spike swallowed. “So…”

“However, because I know of such things, I am that much more sure that intervention is necessary. The Nightmares are already here. They have already unearthed the deepest, darkest memories of not only Rarity, but of everypony in Ponyville. And they will use them only to generate as much fear and as much pain as they are capable of. Yes, delving into the memories of your friends is an invasion of their privacy. I will not pretend that it isn’t. But I will say that we have no other recourse. Her privacy has already been invaded, and it is better that you explore her memories out of a desire to rescue her than allow the Nightmares to violate those same memories to make her miserable.”

Spike was still for a moment. Luna certainly had a point, but that didn’t get rid of the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“I guess that’s true,” he mumbled.

“I know it is a great responsibility, and I regret that I must ask it of you. But I would not ask you to shoulder it if I did not think you were capable and trustworthy.”

“And it’s not because I was the only person available?”

Luna paused for a moment before answering. “If I did not think you would be able to help, I would have attempted to solve the issue on my own.”

Spike thought for a moment. “If you say so. I guess I don’t have much of a choice, so I’ll get going. I still feel a bit weird about going through Rarity’s memories.”

“Well, if it is any consolation, the fact that you are wary shows that you have a healthy perspective. If you were ready to rush in and begin rooting through her mind with gusto I would have been rather reluctant to let you do so.”

“Thanks,” Spike said, not really feeling much better. “I’m just not sure I really want to look. I have no idea what I’ll find.”

“It is a risk you’ll have to take.”

“Yeah, I know,” Spike sighed. “Alright.” He pointed at at the far wall. Half a dozen doorways of varying sizes led out from the stage chamber. “Which one should I search first?”

“Hmmm… It is up to you.”

Spike rolled his eyes. “I don’t know why I asked.”

The patrolling guard-clothes had barely even managed to touch him as he escaped from the stage. He vaguely imagined that once all of of this was over, Rarity would be downright embarrassed by how incompetent her dreams were. Not that she would care too much about it. If anything she would be far more mortified at the aesthetics.

The passageway that Spike had chosen resembled an enormous closet or storage room more than anything else. Half-used fabric rolls and old decrepit mannequins were propped up between stacks of moldy, taped-up cardboard boxes.

“So, uh, where should I start?” he asked the painting under his arm.

“Anywhere and everywhere, I suppose. There’s no telling where the relevant memories might be.” Luna smirked as Spike leaned the picture against the wall. She watched him open one of the boxes, stare into it for a moment, and scratch his head in confusion. “Irrelevant memories, on the other hoof,” she said, “are everywhere.”

“Are you serious?” Spike lifted the box and flipped it over. Several dozen raw potatoes tumbled to the floor with a symphony of wet thumps. “Why would Rarity have a box of potatoes lying around?”

Luna shrugged. “I have no idea. Presumably at some point in her life, Rarity encountered some potatoes and for whatever reason that memory turned up in this dream.”

“So when you said I would have to search her memories…”

“I meant all of her memories. You did not think that dreams draw only from significant memories, did you?”

Spike began to rummage through the next box. “I know that now.” He reached into the box and drew out a clawful of sand. “I guess this must be from… a beach vacation?” He began to sift through the sand. “It’s pretty rough sand though. Maybe-” He froze for a moment, his eyes as big as saucers. “Or maybe it’s not from the beach. Ew.” He delicately put the box down and began to wipe his claw on the rug.

“What seems to be the problem?” Luna asked. “It is just sand, is it not?”

“Well, uh… Rarity owns a cat.”

“A cat?” Luna furrowed her brow. “What does that have to do with… oh.”

“Yeah.” Spike held up his claw and spewed a flame over it. “That should clean it off pretty well.” He turned and began to open another box, this one more carefully. “I don’t suppose that there’s any rhyme or reason to how the memories are stored?”

Luna shook her head. “The lack of such logical organization is a defining characteristic of dreams. Certain memories may rise to the surface to dominate the general appearance of the dream, but aside from that, all the rest tend to be distributed quite randomly.”

“Random is right,” Spike said as a balloon with a glittery bowtie emerged from the box and floated up to the top of the passage. He looked into the box. It was empty except for a fishbowl filled halfway up with hairpins. “So I guess I’m just going to have to search aimlessly until I find it?”

“Most likely, thought there is a small chance that the location of the key may not be entirely random.”

“Really? Great!” Spike tossed the fishbowl aside. “Where’s that?”

“Do not get too excited, young dragon,” Luna said. “I never said that it would be to your advantage. You recall that the Nightmares manipulated the dream, correct?”

Spike nodded.

“It is entirely possible that they not only brought Rarity’s fears to the surface, but also that they took the key to overcoming them and hid it in a place where it would be unlikely to surface.”

“So in other words, it’s going to be wherever I’d be least likely to look.”

“Yes.”

“And I’m assuming that the Nightmares realize that, and put it somewhere else.”

Luna thought for a moment. “Most likely.”

“But if I look there, they may have anticipated that and not put the key there either.”

“That is also quite possible.”

“So if I’m getting this right, I’d probably just be better off searching randomly rather anyway?”

“...Perhaps.”

“Ugh. Why did you even bother getting my hopes up in the first place?” Spike grumbled as he tossed another box over his shoulder.

“Well, judging by your previous demeanor when I failed to fully inform you of everything, I thought it would be prudent to inform you now rather than wait and see if it became relevant.”

“Thanks for trying, at least,” Spike said. “I don’t suppose there’s any other information you could give me about nightmares or dreams that might come in handy?”

“Oh, certainly. There is quite a wealth of information that may be useful. I suspect that the majority of it will probably not be. It would be a tiring and most likely futile effort to inform you of everything regarding dreams. My knowledge of such things is quite extensive.” She watched silently for a moment as he continued to root through refrigerator-sized box that was emitting a cloud of green bubbles. “Would you like me to give you a general introduction to the nature of dreams? Though I must warn you that many ponies consider the subject quite dry, particularly where the development of dream theory is concerned.”

Spike snorted. “I think I’ll be okay. I’ve taken notes for Twilight for years! If you’re talking about stuff that’ll actually be useful, I think I’ll be fine.”

“If you say so,” Luna said. Spike couldn’t see the knowing smirk on her face. “The first serious studies into somniac mental processing was begun by Clover the Clever, shortly after the unification of Equestria…”

Spike was good at making mental notes. Keeping track of Twilight’s schedules was a surefire way to get a lot of mental exercise. So he made one very important mental note: never let Twilight study with Luna. If they did, they might very well enter a research singularity and never emerge again. For the first few tunnels, it hadn’t been all that different from listening to Twilight, if a bit denser. But Twilight usually had to take a break, if only to use the bathroom.

Luna had no such limitations. There weren’t any clocks in Rarity’s dream, but he couldn’t imagine that less than several hours had passed. Several extremely dense hours. He had given up on trying to absorb everything Luna recited. A few hours in, she had started drifting into the realms of theoretical dream physics, and he couldn’t make heads or tails of it. Occasionally she dipped back into comprehensibility and he started paying attention much more, but it was rare.

Which was just as well. He needed to focus on finding that key. Unfortunately, it eluded him just as easily as the finer points of Luna’s lecture.

The two of them had uncovered some rather interesting memories in the course of their search. He had never known that Rarity knew so many recipes for Vichyssoise. Their hopes had risen upon finding what appeared to be a safe, but all it contained was a number of photographs of Rarity’s teenage “straight mane” phase and some baby pictures of her wearing an aggressively bright yellow and pink bonnet. Then they had stumbled into her pile of leftover memories from school and spent a while sorting through cabinets full of half-remembered mathematical formulas and historical dates. But still no key.

Spike emerged back into the stage room and sighed. There was only one more tunnel left. If the key wasn’t in there, he wasn’t sure where else they were supposed to look. The knot of cave-maze-tunnel rooms twisted in on itself like a ball of yarn. He didn’t want to even think about the possibility that some little side tunnel had escaped his notice. His head was already starting to spin. If he had to re-search everything, it would spin so hard that he’d bore a hole in the floor.

The final passageway was narrow, low-ceilinged, and empty except for the occasional cardboard box by the wall. He cracked his knuckles and headed for the nearest box. He set Luna down against the wall.

“...of course, this standard dream structure is merely an abstraction,” she was saying. “While it is quite useful to speak in general terms, it becomes progressively less accurate in specific situations, though it remains useful as a basis against which to compare non-standard experiences. This is particularly true when observation, however discreet, occurs, as an observers’ presence will necessarily act as a variable in dream formation.”

“Can you run that by me again without the jargon?” Spike asked. “I know I pick up a lot of technical terms from Twilight, but I don’t exactly have a Ph. D in Dream science.”

Luna sniffed. “I was simply pointing out that specific individual dreams must be different due to the different circumstances in which they form. For example, in our current situation there are a number of abnormal factors at work.”

“By ‘abnormal factors’ you mean the Nightmares, right?” he asked absently as he picked up a small box, one the size of his hand. He reached in and drew out a single piece of dark green fabric. As he pulled, it grew longer, as if he were retrieving it from a fabric roll.

“Yes, that is the greatest and most influential factor, of course. But it is not the only one.”

“It isn’t?” His ears perked up as he piled the fabric on the floor. He had already withdrawn at least half a dozen yards’ worth of it, and the box wasn’t any emptier.

“No. For example, our presence here influences the dream, though in a far more subtle fashion.”

“That’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? I mean, this dream is built out of Rarity’s memories, but it’s not like we can really do much other than move some stuff around.” He kicked another box over, then groaned in frustration as he found that it was full of pins and needles.

“Actually, while our influence is certainly limited, we do have slightly more influence than simple physical manipulation.”

“What, like your manifestations or something?” Spike picked up the frame and stepped carefully over the pile of sharp objects. “Isn’t that limited to your magic though? I can’t change stuff like that.”

“Not like that, no. But you do have some subtle influence over what appears in the dream. Or rather how things appear.”

“I do?” Spike tilted his head. Or at least that was how it looked to Luna. She couldn’t tell if he was turning his neck or just holding her crookedly as he headed deeper into the passage. At the very least at least he was paying attention now. “I didn’t think that any of my memories would pop up here unless it’s my dream?”

“That is true, but there is… perhaps you might call it a loophole.”

“A loophole?”

“Yes. While the substance of the dream is built out of Rarity’s memories and her perception determines how the dream appears. However, whenever a dreamer becomes lucid, their own perspective begins to influence the dream as well, and it does so whether or not it is their own dream.”

“Wow, really?” Spike grinned. “That’s awesome!”

“Do not get your hopes too high. The effects are quite minimal, and it is quite difficult to purposely cause any changes.” She raised her eyebrows. “But it is true that your mere presence in this dream changes it, however slightly.”

“That could be handy, I guess.” He stopped. “Crud.” The hallway had looked a lot longer a few seconds earlier, but it ended abruptly with a flat wall. “Dead end.” He groaned. “I guess we’ll have to look somewhere else. Or find somewhere to look that we haven’t searched already.”

“Not necessarily,” Luna said. “We ought to examine a bit closer. Is there anything odd about the wall that blocks our path?”

“Is there anything odd?” Spike rolled his eyes. “What isn’t odd in this dream?” He turned back to the wall. “It’s… it’s a wall! What am I supposed to say about it? It’s just a perfectly normal.... wait a second.” He looked closer. “What is a normal wall doing in a dream like this?”

He put his claw against it. Nearly every wall he had seen so far had been uneven and lumpy, like the walls of cave. This one was perfectly flat, cutting straight across the passage. And while it did have a frame hanging on it, the picture within didn’t quite fit in with the others. It was badly drawn, but all the others were the bad drawings of an experienced artist whose skill was skewed by stress, fatigue, or hurriedness. But this one… it looks like whoever had drawn it simply had no idea what they were doing. As a matter of fact, it reminded him of something…

“Is that…?” —he squinted at the picture— “That’s like something Sweetie Belle would draw!” He knocked on the wall. “It’s made of cardboard! Did the Nightmares really think that a cardboard wall was going to stop us?”

“Well, it very nearly stopped you,” Luna said with a hint of pride. “Though it’s possible that the Nightmares are not responsible for it either. Rarity herself may have made a subconscious effort to maintain control of her memories.”

“Really? She can do that?”

“Not consciously, no. But it is entirely possible that this is the result of her desires to protect the memories that she considers especially important to her. If that is the case, there is a chance that the key may be there. We need only to get through this false wall.”

“Oh, I can handle that, no problem.” Spike dug his claws into the wall, feeling them pierce through the thin barrier. “It’ll take more than some cardboard to keep me from saving Rarity!” The cardboard crinkled and tore and Spike pulled on it. A huge chunk of it came away, leaving a dark hole in the wall. He crouched and peered into the darkness. “Whoa.”

“What is it?” Luna asked.

“See for yourself.” Spike picked up Luna’s frame and shoved it through the gap.

The room beyond was dark. Rather than flashing lights and strobes, a few candelabras cast a warm, flickering glow across the floor. The pounding music suddenly sounded distant. In its place, a soft and fuzzy piano melody filled the air, emanating from an antique victrola that against the far wall of the room. The walls, barely illuminated by the candles, were draped in dark violet curtains.

Aside from the record player, the room was mostly empty. A familiar looking fainting couch was placed against one wall, and a dresser sat across from it. Spike took a few steps forward and turned to examine the wall that he had broken through. He found another picture frame. This one didn’t contain any sketches. It contained a photograph. Rarity was at the center, surrounded by her friends, all wearing their gala dresses. But they weren’t at the gala, they were standing on the display stage at Carousel Boutique. Spike recognized the picture. He had taken it. After their impromptu fashion show for Hoity Toity, Twilight had insisted on immortalizing the moment.

“Well, that is a change of pace,” Luna said. “I assume that this space is indeed a creation of Rarity’s positive memories, is it not? You would know better than I would.”

“Yeah, this is definitely Rarity,” Spike mumbled. “I’d know that couch anywhere. And that dresser is definitely hers, too. I helped her move it into her room.”

“Really? I did not think that you would be able to lift such a thing.”

Spike glowered at her. “Well, technically Twilight put it in her room, but I helped her make sure that it was straight. Lots of moving it back and forth by an inch or two.”

“I see,” Luna said. “Now that we have established that this is indeed something of a sanctuary for Rarity’s memories, you must be particularly thorough in your search for the key. If this is where she has set apart her special memories, there is a good chance that it is here somewhere. However, I would not get your hopes too high. It may only be a distraction.”

“It had better not be. I’ve spent enough time searching.” Spike strode over to the fainting couch and stuck his head underneath it. “Nope. Not under here.”

Luna watched in puzzlement. “I would’ve thought that you would check the drawers first…”

“That’s too obvious!” Spike said as he searched under the pillows. “You’d be surprised what you can find in a couch. I looked through our couch once and found like ten bits, a hairbrush, and Twilight’s copy of Daring Do and the Shrine of the Silver Monkey.”

“And did you find anything in this couch?”

“Not yet. You ever find anything interesting your couch?,” —he paused— “Or throne, I guess. Do you even have couches?”

“In our private quarters, yes.” Luna thought for a moment. “Now that I think about it, Celestia claims she once found her crown between the cushions, though I am not sure how serious she was.”

Spike looked up in shock. “Celestia lost her crown? I didn’t think she was the type to lose something like that.”

Luna snorted. “Believe me, you would be surprised at the things that my sister has managed to misplace. When we succeed in rescuing her, perhaps you can ask her about it.”

“Oh, right.” Spike face fell for a moment. He wasn’t sure how he had forgotten about that. “I’ll make sure that I do. And if she gets mad about it, I’m telling her it was your idea.”

“Very well.”

“Doesn’t look like there’s anything useful in the couch,” Spike said as he replaced the pillows. “I did find a tube of lipstick, and the trophy that Rarity won at the Manehattan fashion show. No key, though.”

“So, the dresser, then.”

Spike shrugged. “Sure. I bet if she hid that thing anywhere, it’s in here.” He strode over and pointed to the jewelry box that sat on a doily on the center of the dresser. He recognized it quite clearly. It was carved from some sort of rare wood from a country whose name Spike couldn’t even pronounce, and it had an exceedingly intricate carving etched into the lid, portraying a sun and moon.

“You really think so?”

“Of course! It’s where she keeps all of her most tasty jewelry. Unless it’s the Grand Galloping Gala or something, she never wears this stuff! If she’s going to hide some precious memory, it’ll be in this box!” He held it out for Luna’s examination.

“If that were the case, wouldn’t it have a lock?” she asked.

Spike stared at Luna, then at the box, then back at Luna.

“That is weird, now that I think about it.” He shrugged. “This is no time to be worrying about that, anyway.” He flipped the box over and dumped the contents on the dresser. He listened for the sound of a key clonking onto the wood, but he didn’t hear it. All he heard was some rustling.

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news,” Luna said slowly, “but the key does not appear to be in the box.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” Spike grumbled. “What is this, more pictures?” He began to shuffle through them.

Some of them he recognized: the group photo from Rainbow Dash’s qualifying run for the Equestria Games, Rarity and Sweetie Belle holding the 2nd place trophy from the Sisterhooves Social, one of the promotional shots from the Hearths Warming Eve pageant. But the other weren’t so familiar. There was one of Rarity as a filly sitting in a rowboat next to her father, most of her head hidden by an enormous straw hat. Another showed Rarity and her mother shrieking at the sight of a frying pan going up in flames. Yet another showed a baby, who Spike could only guess was Sweetie Belle, chewing on a young Rarity’s tail while Rarity wrinkled her nose in displeasure.

Then there were some that he couldn’t understand at all. One photo seemed to simply depict a large rock, and not even a particularly interesting rock either. Why Rarity had lumped that in with her most precious memories, he couldn’t imagine.

“Oh come on!” He kicked the dresser, and immediately began to hop around on one foot. “Ow ow ow! That was stupid.”

“It really was,” Luna observed.

“You have to be kidding me!” Spike shook the box. “Where is it?”

“Not there, apparently,” Luna said.

“Very funny.” Spike tossed the box onto the couch. “That key has gotta be in here somewhere. Maybe you were right about the drawers.” He grabbed the first one and yanked it clear out of the dresser, dumping it on the ground. A flurry of more photographs poured out. He proceeded to the next drawer, only to find it filled with more pictures. “Seriously?” He moved from drawer to drawer. The pile of photographs at his feet grew.

“Spike, you should remember that there is a chance that the key is not here…”

“I don’t want to hear that,” he snapped. “We’ve already looked everywhere. If it’s not here somewhere, we’re never going to find it.”

“We will find it.” Luna glared at him. “Even if it means that we must continue to search everywhere all over again, with even more attention to detail.” She paused. “Though I hope that will not be required.”

“Yeah, same here,” Spike put his claw on the handle of the final drawer. “I don’t know if I can take much more of this. Here we go!” He gave the draw a yank and it popped out of the dresser and clattered to the floor.

Luna watched intently as he shuffled through the contents.

“Heh, I remember this,” he said. “I kinda wish I didn’t, though.” He held up a picture of himself. Even at a distance Luna could tell that he was several dozen times larger in the picture than he was in reality.

“Ah, yes. My sister told me about that incident.”

“Go figure,” he grumbled. “The one time I actually show up in her memory, and that’s the one that comes up. The time where I turned into a giant monster and laid waste to Ponyville.”

“Such a memory would certainly be prominent.”

“Obviously, but that’s like the only memory of me that I’ve seen!” He kicked the empty drawer. “The only other time I saw myself in here was when she came to rescue me after I went on my dragon migration, and that wasn’t my finest moment either.”

“I would not put too much stock in that,” Luna said carefully. “You must remember that a given memory’s prominence in a dream is hardly a reflection of how much the memories are valued.”

Spike snorted as he turned the drawer upside down and shook it. “I thought this was where she hid all of her most valuable memories. Couldn’t she have at least saved the ones where I tried to save her from the Diamond Dogs, or when I gave her that Fire Ruby?”

“Even if this is a hiding place for her memories, that hardly makes it a perfect indication of her perception of you.”

He looked at her and frowned. “I thought that dreams were a window into a pony’s mind or whatever.”

“You underestimate how complex minds can be,” she said. “Spike…” Her voice softened. “It is true that you can learn a great deal about somepony from their dreams. But that is not the same as knowing them. I know about Rarity from this dream, but you know her from your day-to-day life. You cannot let what you find in a dream make you forget who she really is.”

“You’re just saying that,” Spike grumbled.

“I am saying it, yes,” she said sternly. “I am saying it because it is true. I would think you would trust me when it comes to matters involving dreams.”

Spike stared at the massive pile of photos that now littered the floor. “I guess so. It’s just… I would’ve thought that I’d have been in her memories somewhere. And not as a giant monster who tried to kidnap her or some kid who ran away from home. Why couldn’t she have any good memories of me.”

“I’m sure she does,” Luna answered. “They simply are not here. And there are a number of reasons why that might be. Off the top of my head I can identify at least eight. Would you like to hear them all?”

“No thanks. I’ll just take your word for it. I’ve been listening to you talk about dream stuff for like, six hours now. Let’s-”

“It’s closer to eighteen hours, actually. In dream time at least.”

“What?” Spike’s eye twitched. “How could it be that long?”

“You’d be surprised at how quickly time can pass when you do not physically tire or have to stop to use the bathroom.”

Spike threw the drawer down. “How can we search for that long and not find anything? Where else am I supposed to look?”

“Where we have already looked, only closer.”

“C-closer!?” Spike sputtered. “I’ve been looking so close that my eyes are starting to hurt, and they aren’t even real eyes! And you want me to go back and look over everything again? I can’t take much more of this!”

Luna sighed. “Spike, I realize that this experience is a trying one, but unfortunately we have no other options. As much as I would love to give you a chance to rest yourself, we do not have time for that at the moment. There is no one else who can—”

“I know that already!” he snapped. “Can’t I at least take a break? It’s not like I’m being chased or anything. Besides, you said that time moves really fast inside the dreams anyway. I want to save Rarity, but my head is going to explode if I have to go through this whole dream a second time without a break. Can’t I take a dream nap or something?”

“In theory, yes, but you seem to have forgotten one important fact.”

“What?”

“It is true that time moves at an increased rate within the dream. However, Rarity is also within the dream. She may not be aware of the dream, but she experiences it at the same rate that we do.”

“Wait.” Spike turned to face her so quickly that it looked like he snapped his neck. “You mean that Rarity has trapped in a nightmare for as long as we’ve been searching?! For a whole day?”

“Longer, actually. Ever since the spell put her to sleep, she has been trapped in the midst of her fears. It would take some time to calculate exactly how long it would be from her perspective, but it has almost certainly been several days at least.”

“You mean that Rarity’s been stuck in her nightmares for that long?” His voice cracked as he spoke. “I thought that it only lasted that long if you were, you know, awake in the dream or whatever.”

“Well, the lack of lucidity would make it difficult for her to keep track of the time, but—”

“Why didn’t you tell me that!? You’ve been lecturing me about dreams for hours and you never mentioned that during all that time Rarity is caught in the middle of a nightmare?”

“I had assumed you realized that. I am quite sure that I mentioned that any consciousness in a dream will typically experience the passage of time at comparable—”

“Whatever!” Spike interrupted. “I’m going to go find that key and get Rarity out of here!” He made for the gap in the wall.

“Spike, wait!” Luna called after him. “You must—”

“Ow!” Spike cried as he tripped over the drawer. He tumbled forward and slammed head-first into the wall.

“...watch where you are going,” Luna finished.

“Ugh.” Spike sat up, just in time for the framed photo on the wall to fall on his head.

Luna watched silently for a moment as Spike say prone. “It is a good thing that your dream self cannot suffer any permanent damage.”

“Yeah,” Spike mumbled, his voice muffled by the frame, which now lay on top of him. Then he made an odd noise. “Pfffha.”

“Spike? Are you alright?”

He made another noise. For a moment, Luna thought he was crying. Then it began to get louder. She could hardly believe her ears. He was laughing.

“I should have given him time to rest after the first six hours,” she muttered. “The stress has finally gotten to him.”

“I’m such an idiot!” He snapped as he kicked the picture frame away. “Why didn’t I think of looking there?!”

“Spike, what are you talking about?”

“I found the key, that’s what I’m talking about!” He held up the picture frame and spun it around. On the back of the picture, written in what appeared to be lipstick, were the words “Hoity Toity Show, #2.” Underneath the writing, held to the back of the photo with tape, was a key. It was, naturally, gold, and set in the handle of the key was a fire ruby.

“Ah. We neglected to check the frame.” Despite her own frame being monochromatic, Luna blushed. “How embarrassing.”

“Who cares about embarrassing?! We found the key! Let’s get Rarity out of that cage.”

“It is wonderful that we’ve found what we were searching for,” Luna said quickly, “but you really ought to—”

“There’s no time to lose!” Spike interrupted. “Let’s go!” He grabbed the key and tore it from the back of the frame.

Luna flinched.

For a few seconds, everything remained normal, or at least as normal as the dream could be. Then the lights, which had covered the full spectrum, suddenly limited themselves to the warm side of the color wheel. The beam of light that shone through the hole in the wall was a harsh red. The copious bass in the music vanished, leaving only a whining drone that sounded not unlike a siren.

“W-what’s going on!?” Spike clamped both his hand around the key like his life depended on it.

“The Nightmare seems to have designed countermeasures for—”

“We don’t have time for that!” Spike grabbed Luna’s picture frame and began to shove it through the hole in the wall. “Can you give me the short version?”

“When you grabbed the key you set off some sort of alarm and now the Nightmare will be actively attempting to stop you.”

“What do you mean?” he asked as he jogged down the passage back towards the stage. “You mean that they weren’t trying to stop me before? What else are they going to” —he turned a corner and skidded to a halt— “do?”

The answer stood in front of him. The empty suits and dresses that had been meandering aimlessly around the stage were now lined in ranks across the end of the hallway. The coloration was inexplicably darker, and most of them now had pointy bits that Spike did not remember seeing before.

“That can’t be good,” he said, in a voice far more calm than he felt.

“What can’t be?” Luna said. “I can’t see anything from down here!”

Spike held up the picture frame, not unlike a shield.

“Oh.”

A flurry of motion swept through the foremost row of clothing and a metallic shimmer shot through the air. Spike stumbled backward as a hail of sharpened sewing implements landed around him. As he turned to run headlong down the corridor he could tell that Luna’s picture frame was riddled with needles and the occasional pencil. He rounded the corner just in time to avoid a large pair of scissors that whizzed past his head, embedding itself in the wall.

“What should I do!? Should I head back to that secret room?” he gasped.

“No. It is a dead end and no longer secret. You must—” Luna’s words were cut off by another barrage of pointy objects. The clothes were following him.

“This isn’t fair!” Spike shouted as he sprinted down another passage.

“Why should it be?” Luna answered. “I am quite sure that the Nightmares adhere to the old adage that if you find yourself in a fair fight, your strategy is—” A tearing sound replaced Luna’s voice.

Spike looked over his shoulder. An enormous pair of shears had torn through the frame, ripping the painting nearly in half. The lower portion hung by a thin strip of canvas.

“Luna! Are you alright?”

“I- -fine. --ly a project-” Her voice cut in and out like a radio with lousy reception. “-orry about me. -lock the cage! It- -top the—” The canvas snapped and the bisected picture went blank.

“Cage! Got it!” Spike dropped the empty frame and clutched the key with both claws. That was doable. He could stick a key in a lock. That would be easy. Getting to the lock on the other hand…

Why are these things suddenly so fast? The clothes were flying after him, literally. Most of them weren’t even bothering to pretend that they contained bodies and were simply hovering along, pausing only to launch more sharp objects. I just need to get back to the— he turned the corner and groaned. He wasn’t the only one who realized that the passage had an opening at the other end.

A bright pink leisure suit shot forward and before he could even react, it wrapped him up like a straightjacket. He tried to breathe flame over it, but a second outfit already had a heavy scarf around his neck. The flames singed the edge of the fabric, but he could barely move his head. He teetered back and forth as more and more outfits layered themselves on top of him.

“Whoa!” He attempted to shuffle forward to keep his balance, but a single large stocking had forced itself over both of his feet. He fell flat on his face. “Ugh. At least the carpet is soft,” He mumbled. “I’ve gotta get out of this stuff! I have to get that cage open. And Rarity would kill me if she caught me wearing this stuff, even if I don’t want to.”

He closed his eyes and pretended that he was back at home, standing in front of a mirror. “Lookin’ good, Spike,” he muttered as he flexed every muscle in his body. The tip of his tail waggled slightly, but the rest of his body barely moved. “Okay, so I guess that’s not going to work. Maybe if I…” he scrunched his body up, doing his best inchworm impression. With great effort he managed to arch his back for a few seconds, but the suit was too strong. He landed back on his face, the clothes holding him rigid as a board.

“Okay, plan B… I don’t have a plan B! Maybe I can cut through this stuff with the key.” He tried to move his claws, but as soon as he started, the sleeves began to tighten. “No, that’s no good. If I try to move any more I’ll drop the key.” He sighed deeply into the carpet. “Ugh, I need a breath mint.” Then an idea sparked in his mind. “Wait! Duh! Carpet!”

He took a deep breath, or at least the deepest breath that he could, and exhaled a wave of fire onto the floor. The flames spread into the carpet. The ranks of garish clothing that stood around him drew back as the patch of fire grew. He could feel the fabric’s grip weaken around him as the fire caught. He flexed again, and this time the fabric fell to smouldering pieces.

“Whew, that’s better. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that sooner!” He dashed down the passage, spitting fireballs ahead of him. The enemy clothing darted away, not daring to venture into the burning patches of carpet. “If this keeps up, I’ll be able to make it back to the cage with no problem at— whoa!” A large razor embedded itself in the floor next to him. The clothing couldn’t reach him, but the flames weren’t going to do anything against projectiles.

“Good thing I’ve got scales.” He grinned as some needles rattled off of his back. “As long as they don’t throw anything too big, I should be—” Half a second later he realized that he should’ve kept his mouth shut.

A portable sewing machine crashed into his back, sending him sprawling. The key slipped from his claws and bounced along on the floor.

“Noooo!” He grasped futility at the key, but it was out of his reach. It skidded across the carpet and slid under a nearby sofa. Spike leaped to his feet and braced himself for the inevitable attack. It never came. “Huh?” He glanced back and forth. “Where’d they all go?”

The ranks of haute couture that had begun to close in on him were nowhere to be found. Off at the end of the passage he could see a pale blue nightgown shuffling into the distance. Wait a minute, I thought they were all red and yellow and evil looking. And now that he had a moment of relative quiet, he realized that the light and sound had reverted back to music and disco lights.

“Everything is back to normal?” he asked no one in particular. “Why would the Nightmare suddenly stop attacking me now? They even managed to make me drop the key, and… duh!” he smacked himself on the forehead. “Of course, it’s the key! That whole alarm thing went off as soon as I touched it, so when I dropped it, it shut off.” He thought for a moment. “That’s kind of a lousy alarm system, but I guess I shouldn’t complain.”

He crouched down. “Of course it went under something. Just my luck. Wonder if that’s what Luna was talking about when she said that I influenced the dream somehow.” He felt around underneath the sofa. As his claws found the key, the light went red and the sirens started up again. He pulled his hand back and everything snapped back. Then he smiled so widely that his face hurt.

“This is going to be easier than I thought.”

Spike clamored onto the stage. Making his way back through the corridors and through the throng of clothes had been almost embarrassingly easy. Part of him even wanted to feel sorry for the Nightmare who had designed the thing. Then he saw Rarity cowering in the center of the cage, murmuring to herself.

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to infringe on your design and it was an accident of course I didn’t want to hurt her I was just frustrated and the deadline crept up on me and I had to cut a few corners and I didn’t want to but I had no choice and it’ll all be fine…”

Spike’s sympathy for the Nightmare evaporated. He began to unwrap the folds of fabric that he had hidden the key in, being careful not to touch it. The last thing he needed was to get mobbed by every enemy in the dream at the same time.

“I really hope this isn’t a fake…” he muttered as he slid it into the lock. The key matched the cage well enough, but the lock itself looked like something that had been recently unearthed from an archeological dig. “Here goes nothing.”

He twisted the key with all the strength he could muster. It stuck for a moment, then turned with a clunk. The shackle that held the cage door shut detached completely from the rest of the lock, which fell to the floor and shattered into a pile of metal bits and pieces. Spike reached for the cage door, but stopped.

The cage began to wobble as if the whole thing were made of clay. The gems encrusted in the edges of the cage cracked and shattered. The whole cage began to twist, as if an invisible hand was trying to tear it open. The cage groaned from the tension, and then burst like a balloon, raining shards across the stage.

“Rarity! Are you okay!” Spike leaped forward to where Rarity lay. He reached out and gently put his hand on her hoof.

“H-huh?” She raised her head slowly, as if it had an enormous weight on it. She blinked at him, yawned, and shook her head as if she were trying to shake off a deep sleep. “Spike?” She rubbed her forehead. “I just had the most awful dream…”

“You’re okay!” Spike grabbed her in a tight hug. “I’m so glad you’re alright!”

“Y-yes, I am,” she squeaked out. “But may I please ask what- what…”

“What what?” Spike asked.

“What is that?”

Spike turned to look where she was pointing. The shards of the cage had begun to evaporate, sending up lines of thin smoke, like that of a recently extinguished candle. The strings of smoke tangled together in the air in a strange, ethereal knot. The amorphous shape hissed like steam. Spike swallowed. He had no doubt that the sound was directed at him. Then it hissed again, this time making a noise like air escaping from a balloon. Then, with a pop, it vanished.

“W-what was that?” Rarity repeated. “And come to think of it, where am I? What’s going on?”

Spike opened his mouth to answer, then realized he had no idea where to even start.

“It is a long story,” said a voice from below him.

Both he and Rarity looked down to see that Luna’s face had materialized in the pattern of the carpet that now sat where the cage had been.

“P-princess Luna!” Rarity gasped and then toppled over onto a fainting couch that hadn’t been there a moment earlier.

“Do you like sneaking up on people?” Spike said, rolling his eyes. “And can she even do that? Fainting inside a dream?”

“Apparently so,” Luna answered. “You ought to wake her up. We have much to discuss.”

Author's Note

"Purple—is fashionable twice—
This season of the year,
And when a soul perceives itself
To be an Emperor. "
- Emily Dickinson (that's the whole poem)

Yeesh, that took me longer than I thought it would. At least it's longer. Wanted to make sure I had the background issues ironed out a bit.

Thanks to the following people for their helping to edit the chapter:

Meta Four
Sereg
Yami Vizzini
Blank!

About the Trees

“So you’re sayin’ that we got blindsided by some sorta spell by a magical fear-eatin’ creature?” Apple Bloom asked.

Spike nodded. “Yeah, that just about sums it up.”

“And Princess Luna enlisted you to travel from dream to dream and free everypony from the spell?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“She sure did,” Spike said proudly.

“And you freed us from the spell by gathering us together and bringing us to the clubhouse?” Scootaloo asked.

“Yes, I did.” He struck a dramatic pose. “See, according to Luna, everypony has some sort of coping mechanism to deal with fear, and I figured that the one thing that helps all of you deal with that stuff is being a part of your club together!” He gestured at the clubhouse where they sat. “Between being with your friends, and being in the place where you guys enjoy being, it was enough to break the spell entirely.”

The three crusaders glanced at each other, then back at Spike.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure I’m still dreamin’,” Apple Bloom said. She glanced around the room as if trying to convince herself that it was really there. “None of that stuff makes much sense.”

“Well, you technically are still dreaming,” Spike said, “but it isn’t like a regular dream anymore.”

“I already knew that,” Scootaloo said. “My dreams are usually a bit more exciting than this.”

Sweetie Belle glanced out the window and surveyed the landscape. “Yeah, even if this is a dream, there’s definitely something really weird about it. I’ve never had a dream that looked like this.”

“That’s right. You should listen to Sweetie Belle.” Spike punched the button on his wrist. Again. Hopefully it would make Luna hurry up just a bit. “If Luna would just show up already, she’d be able to explain this way better than I would.” He spun around. It was practically a cue for her to show up, and this time she wasn’t going to catch him off guard. She wasn’t there. Yet.

Then a voice came from behind him.

“You know, that time I actually tried to show up in front of you,” she said wryly as she waited for him to turn around. She had replaced the Rainbow Dash balloon sculpture that had sat on the table in the corner of the room. “Good work figuring out how to break the Nightmare’s control over the dream.”

“Oh, that was no problem at all!” Spike said proudly.

“Wait, so all that stuff he said about Nightmare capturin’ ponies in their dreams is true?” Apple Bloom squeaked.

“It must be,” Sweetie Belle said. “Or else Princess Luna wouldn’t be here.”

Scootaloo just stared. “But why is she made of balloons?”

Luna turned slowly around to face her. The balloons squeaked as she moved. “It is easier to manifest my presence in a dream by using material already present in the dream. Under normal circumstances it is not necessary, but due to the spell, it is an unfortunate limitation.” She paused, and noted the expressions of the three fillies, who were staring at her like she had two heads. “I realize my appearance might be slightly odd.”

“That’s… a little bit of an understatement,” Spike mumbled. “So what are we going to do now? We know the Nightmares can combine dreams together or whatever, but what does that mean for our plan?”

“It means that we will precede with more caution.”

“You mean I’m still going to go jump into other dreams?” Spike asked. “If they’re all connected, doesn’t that mean that the Nightmares will have caught on by now?”

“If they haven’t noticed us by now, I have no idea why they would.” She frowned, her rubber eyebrows squeaking slightly. “While this dream may be a compound of three normal dreams, it does not necessarily mean that it is connected to any other dreams. I have been able to monitor the spaces between dreams, and as of yet, I have not seen any Nightmares there. It appears that they are confined to their own spaces as long as the spell is active.”

“Well, that’s good,” Spike sighed in relief. “At least we won’t have to worry about them popping up.”

“It’s true we won’t have to worry about that,” Luna said. “However, I cannot imagine that the Nightmares will want to keep themselves isolated for long, which means that whatever they are planning must be occurring soon. We must hurry on to our next objective.”

“Right!” Spike punched his palm. “What is our next objective, anyway?”

“You can save my sister!” Apple Bloom interrupted.

“Or Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo added.

“Or Rarity!” Sweetie Belle said.

Luna shook her head as the three fillies immediately began to bicker. “Girls!”

They froze.

“First of all, Rarity has already been freed from her dream. We must take stock of our remaining options and choose accordingly. The control over Twilight is even greater than that over the rest of your friends, so we will not be able to free her yet. This leaves Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Fluttershy. Do any of you know where any of them are?”

“I think that Pinkie was going over to the Town Hall to deliver a cake,” Spike said. “I’m not sure if she’s still there, though. She had all sorts of last minute errands to run, so she could be anywhere.”

“I’m pretty sure Fluttershy is still at her cottage rehearsing with her birds for one last time,” Sweetie Belle offered. “Does that help?”

“Perhaps. Though her cottage is on the other side of town, if I remember correctly.” Luna thought for a moment. “Would either of you two happen to know anything about Applejack or Rainbow Dash’s whereabouts?”

Scootaloo shrugged. “I don’t know where Rainbow Dash is. We were all gonna meet at Town Hall. She might still be at her house.”

“I hope not,” Spike said. “I don’t know if I can get up there.” He turned to Apple Bloom. “What about Applejack? Do you know where she is?”

Apple Bloom thought for a moment. “I don’t know exactly where she is, but the last time I saw her, she was on her way to the boutique. She hooked her dress on a nail and needed Rarity to stitch it up real fast. I’m not sure if she got there or not.”

“I never saw her,” Sweetie Belle answered. “Rarity was getting herself ready while she waited for Applejack to show up. She was worried that she wouldn’t show up in time and they’d be late for the celebration.”

“So we know that Applejack is somewhere between Sweet Apple Acres and Carousel Boutique.” Luna nodded. “Fluttershy is likely at her cottage, and we do not know where Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash are.”

Spike scratched his chin. “So I guess I should go to Fluttershy first, since we know where she is?”

“Perhaps. But Applejack may be even closer. I would recommend you make your way to Fluttershy’s cottage, but take the route that Applejack would use to reach the Boutique. If you find her, enter her dream. If not, proceed to Fluttershy’s cottage. And naturally, keep an eye open for Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash.”

“Will do. Are you going to give me another one of those button things when I get into the next dream?” He tapped it with his claw. “It really saved my butt this time, you know.”

“Yes, that should not pose a problem. Though the fact that I do not know which dream you will be in might cause it a bit longer to find you to begin with. Are you ready to proceed?”

He nodded. “I think so. You’re going to keep an eye on the Crusaders, right?”

“Of course.” She smiled. “I have made something of a habit of it. I am hardly going to stop now.”

“Great. I guess I should get going now.” He waved at the Crusaders. “Don’t worry, we’ll have this whole thing sorted out in no time! Don’t go getting into any trouble while I’m gone. See you later.”

“Good luck, Spike!” Apple Bloom said. “When you find my sister, you tell her I’m okay.”

“And thanks for saving Rarity,” Sweetie Belle added.

“You probably won’t need to save Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo said, “but keep an eye out for her anyway.”

Spike grinned and gave them a thumbs up. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. Spike is on the j-” He vanished with a muted poof.

“Hey!” Apple Bloom scurried over to the spot he had been standing. “Where’d he go?”

“He woke up,” Luna said sheepishly. “I did not realize that he was going to continue talking. But no matter. There is much that you must be caught up on. It is only proper that you understand the situation.” She cleared her rubber throat. “Now then, I will do my best to keep this brief…”

The night air was so cold that the shivers rattled Spike’s scales. That was what he told himself. He was shivering because he was cold, and not because the empty silence that hung over the town was starting to get to him. He had gotten used to wearing that button on his wrist, and its sudden absence made his arm feel light. His head felt light, too. He had long lost track of how much time he had spent dreaming, but it was enough that being awake felt odd.

He turned a corner onto the road that led away from Main Street toward the farm. He sighed in relief. Applejack was splayed out in the middle of the road. The dress and lack of a hat masked most of her features, but he could recognize that snore in his sleep.

“Why couldn’t you have fallen asleep in a house like everypony else?” he grumbled as he approached. The notion of leaving his unconscious body lying out in the street didn’t appeal to him very much, but he didn’t have the time to drag her inside. And he wasn’t sure that it was even possible to do that without getting pulled into the dream anyway.

“Your dreams aren’t too weird, are they? Everything’s probably just made of apples, right? If I ever get stuck somewhere I can just eat my way through.” He carefully took a seat next to her. If he was lucky, Applejack’s psyche would be as calm as his wasn’t. “Don’t worry, when this is all over I won’t tell Rarity about how dirty you got the dress.” He reached out to put his claw on her hoof. “Apples, here I come.”

The night melted away around him and for a moment he felt like he was floating. Then the dream began to condense around him; a tangle of dark shapes growing more solid by the moment. Under his feet, he could feel the ground taking shape. Unfortunately, that shape wasn’t flat. Whatever it was he was standing on heaved up underneath him and before he knew it, his left foot was as high as his chin.

“Wha-”

The next thing he knew, he was tumbling along against something knobby and rough. In his vision he could see flashes of dull color around him, but it spun too fast for him to see what it was. He grabbed blindly around himself, trying to stop his fall. A large object stopped it for him.

“Uggghhhh….” Spike opened his eyes slowly, reminding himself that despite the aching, he couldn’t actually be hurt.

The dream was upside down. He tried to move, and realized that the dream was fine. He hadn’t landed right side up. As he righted himself, he noticed that the ground was still uneven. In fact, it wasn’t ground at all. He had landed against the base of a tree, on top of a massive tangle of roots.

Directly ahead of him sat another tree, a short, squat specimen. It sat atop a pile of roots so high that it took Spike a moment to figure out where the roots ended and the trunk began, looking more like a hill than a tree. He could only guess that he had arrived somewhere at the top of its roots. The trunk itself looked almost like a barrel, with a few knots spotting the otherwise smooth surface. It had only a single scraggly branch protruding from the top of the trunk. The branch was as skinny and pointy as the trunk was round and thick.

Something dangled from the end of it. Spike began to climb the hill of roots to get a better look. Despite the absence of so much as a single leaf, it seemed that there was a fruit hanging from the branch. And unbelievably, it wasn’t an apple. Or if it was an apple, something was horribly wrong. It was elongated and dark, almost like an eggplant.

As he came closer, he could make out a slight sheen in the air around it, almost as if it were glowing with some sort of dark light. He reached out to touch it, but his claw stopped a few inches from the surface.

“On second thought, I probably shouldn’t mess with that. There’s no way it’s anything good. Maybe Applejack’s nightmare is one where all the apples are diseased or cursed or something.” He turned and surveyed the landscape, if it could even be called that.

Whatever way he looked, trees of every shape and size covered the ground, spreading their roots so far that he couldn’t see so much as a patch of grass. He looked to the sky. It was a dull reddish-orange glow, as if the sky had been frozen at sunset. A few thin, dark clouds sat in the air, unmoving, as if they had been painted on the sky.

A chill ran down his spine. He was no botanist, but it didn’t take an expert to see that something was wrong. He had never seen trees like this before, not even in the Everfree. None of them were the right shape. Even the most normal of them looked misshapen and twisted, with branches jutting out at odd angles in strange formations, curling like claws. Some of the trees looked like they had grown through each other, as if they were trying to tear each other apart from within. A few even looked like they were upside down, with roots crawling through the air, scratching at the sky.

Scattered among the trees were what looked like enormous bulges, some in the ground, some within the trunks, some were even suspended. And hanging from every tree were more fruits. He didn’t recognize any of them. Some of them were similar, but they were all wrong. The tree that he had landed against had a couple bunches of blue, banana-like fruit that seemed to be vibrating or twitching. Another one a short way away had what looked like an orange that was about the size of a watermelon and was covered in pink polka dots.

“I should’ve figured Applejack’s nightmare would be a world without apples,” he muttered. “What the hay are those things?”

He began to make his way through across the roots towards one of the nearby bulges. Halfway up an otherwise normal-looking tree, the trunk ballooned out, as if the trunk was a pipe that was about to burst. As he approached, it began to look less and less like a bulge and more like something the tree had grown around something. Or rather that it had grown through something. It was, or at least it appeared to be, a room.

He couldn’t be sure, but it looked like the tree had grown beneath it, hoisting it into the air. Or maybe the room had grown from the tree. It was a dream, after all. It wouldn’t be impossible for that to happen. The branches didn’t seem to be growing through the planks that made up the room; they grew into the planks, like they didn’t want to go through the trouble of being cut down and going through a sawmill. More fruit hung from the top of the room, green, translucent, and gelatinous-looking.

“I guess I should try to see what’s up there,” Spike said as he reached the foot of the tree. The room looked a lot higher up than it had from the distance. At least the trunk was gnarled enough that it presented plenty of handholds. “Applejack might be trapped in one of those things.”

Out in the distance, he heard a rustling in the branches. He looked behind him, but didn’t see anything. He gulped.

“I really hope that was just the wind.”

It took a lot of willpower to turn his attention back to the tree. He cracked his knuckles and began to climb.

“I still can’t believe I’m dreamin’,” Apple Bloom said as she scribbled absentmindedly on a piece of paper. “This is all just too crazy. Havin’ some sorta magical Nightmares runnin’ around and Spike comin’ in… it’s just too much.”

“I can believe I’m dreaming pretty easily,” Scootaloo answered. She walked to to the clubhouse window and pointed out. “I mean, just look out there. It makes way more sense that this is a dream. If all of that is real it would be even more unbelievable.”

“Well, yeah, but how do I know that all that weird stuff Spike and Princess Luna were talkin’ about is true?” Apple Bloom looked down at the paper on the table. It was a vaguely tree-shaped green scribble. “Maybe I’m just dreamin’ like normal.”

“This doesn’t feel like a normal dream, though,” Sweetie Belle added. She had been standing at the clubhouse doorway, trying to dare herself to step through. “It feels more clear than that. And I’ve never had a dream where I had a conversation with you two.”

“That is pretty weird, I guess,” Scootaloo said. “It’s not the right kind of weird though. Like if this was a normal dream there’d be more stuff going on than us just sitting here talking about whether it’s a dream or not.”

“I guess it’s all real, then.” Apple Bloom crumpled up her drawing. “Everything about the Nightmares and everypony bein’ captured and… and…” Tears started welling up. “I just hope that my sister’s alright.” She buried her face in her hooves and sniffed.

“Don’t worry, Apple Bloom,” Sweetie said as she patted her friend on the head. “I’m sure it’s all going to be just fine. Princess Luna is fixing everything right now. We’ll be waking up any second now.”

“Easy for you to say,” Apple Bloom grumbled. “Spike already rescued your sister. I don’t even know if he’ll be able to find Applejack.”

Scootaloo took a seat next to her and put a foreleg around her. “Come on, there’s nothing to worry about. Applejack can totally take care of herself. She’ll probably buck that Nightmare right out of her dream before Spike even gets there!”

“You really think so?”

“Of course!” Sweetie Belle said with a nod. “Applejack’s the toughest pony I know. If there’s anypony who can handle herself in a nightmare it’s her.”

“I...I guess…” She sighed. “I just wish I knew what was goin’ on. It’s drivin’ me crazy not knowin’ what’s goin’ on out there. We got nothin’ to do but sit here and wait for Princess Luna to come and tell us what’s up.”

“Well, if that’s the problem, we gotta find something to keep ourselves occupied!” Scootaloo leaped to her hooves. “We can’t just sit around and worry about what’s goin’ on out there.”

“So what are we supposed to do?” Sweetie Belle asked. “We can’t really work on any of our clubhouse projects; it’ll all be gone when we wake up.”

“Exactly!” Scootaloo pointed out the door. “Think about it. We’ve got like three whole Ponyvilles worth of stuff to work with, and this time we won’t get grounded or lose our allowances or anything if we mess it all up.”

Apple Bloom’s eyes lit up. “And Princess Luna told us that we can’t get hurt while we’re dreamin’ either! We can do all that stuff that everypony won’t let us do when we’re awake! Like buildin’ that catapult!”

Sweetie Belle shook her head. “Are you two sure about this? I know we’re in a dream, but is that really a good idea?”

“Sure I’m sure!” Apple Bloom smiled a little too widely. “I’ll start drawin’ up the plans. You two can go look for some glue! We’re gonna need a lot of it.”

“We’re on it!” Scootaloo grabbed Sweetie Belle’s tail and dragged her toward the door.

Sweetie Belle sighed. “Why can’t we ever just play ‘Go Fish’?”

“Almost… there…” Spike gasped as he continued to drag himself up the side of the bulging tree trunk. He hadn’t really thought this through. It had been clear enough that there was some form of construction embedded in the trunk, and he had no doubt that something of importance was inside. In his haste to explore, he had neglected to actually find an opening before beginning his ascent.

Fortunately, he had found an open window. Unfortunately, it was near the top of the trunk.

There had better be something helpful in here. One of his claws reached the windowsill, and he hoisted himself up with a grunt. For a brief second, he balanced on the ledge, then tumbled through the window into the room.

The space was, at best, extremely dilapidated. It had the musty scent of a place that had been closed up and left alone for years. Even the beam of light that came in through the window was dirty. He coughed. Whatever it was he had landed on had sent up such a big cloud of dust that it made his eyes water. As he blinked, his eyes began to adjust to the darkness.

The room was packed full of familiar furniture and other miscellaneous junk. A tarnished mirror hung lopsided on the wall next to a ratty old cabinet. A chipped and worn dresser sat crookedly in the corner, propped up on one side by a tree branch protruding from the floor. Everything was coated in a layer of dust thick enough to grow potatoes in.

The floor creaked as he climbed off the couch. At best, he could describe the space as overly cozy. It was like a whole room’s worth of furniture had been compressed into the space of a closet. Making it even more cramped, everything was shoved slightly inward by the branches that protruded from the walls.

“What is this place?” he muttered to himself. He made his way over to the dresser, stepping carefully across the uneven floor. The drawers were mostly empty, except for dust balls and cobwebs. Then he opened the top one. Stuck in the corner was a scrap of paper. Spike pulled it out and found that it was a photograph. The dust had settled so heavily on it that he had to scrape it away, revealing the grainy image beneath. The photo had the faded color of one that had been taken years ago, and the image itself had the blurred monochrome of cameras from generations past. The ponies depicted looked even older. They were skinny and dour-faced, dressed in formal clothes that hadn’t been in fashion for a century or so. Spike shrugged. He had no idea who they were.

“Maybe they’re Applejack’s grandparents,” he said to himself. “I don’t know why else they’d be here.” He put the photo back in the drawer. “There’s gotta be something useful in here. It wouldn’t be here if it didn’t mean something. He began to search under the sofa, but no sooner had he crouched down then he heard something in the distance. It sounded like howling.

“What is that?” He made his way back to the window and cautiously peeked out. On the top of the tangle of trees that masqueraded as a nearby hill, silhouetted against the dully glowing sky, was the shape of a timberwolf. “You have got to be kidding me,” he muttered under his breath.

The timberwolf finished howling and lowered its head. If it knew where Spike was, it didn’t show it. Instead it proceeded to one of the nearby trees. The tree had a bone-white trunk, like a birch. A few narrow, spindly branches protruded from it, with clumps of dimly glowing cherry-like fruit dangling from the ends. The wolf sniffed at one of the clusters. Then its jaws snapped, tearing the fruit from the tree.

As it swallowed, the glow shined through the gaps in its throat. The light spread down its body, like the flickering of flames under the wood of a fire. The timberwolf threw its head back and howled once more. Flames burst from between the chunks of wood that made up its body. For a moment Spike hoped that it would fall apart, but the creature barely seemed to notice. The howl picked up a crackling texture before it faded away. The timberwolf snorted, and charged off into the forest, leaving smoldering pawprints in its wake.

“Well, that can’t be good.” He squinted into the distance. Timberwolves were pack animals. Applejack knew that. If she was dreaming about them, she wouldn’t dream of just one. “They must be hunting her. But where would she be? There’s no way she’d let herself get caught by those things.”

He leaned slightly out of the window and glanced down the side of the tree. It had been hard enough to climb up, and he had claws. “Maybe these weird rooms are Applejack’s safe spots. No idea how she’d get up here, but I guess not all of them are up in the trees. Maybe she’s hiding in one of these things. Hopefully her hideout is a bit cleaner than this...”

His thought was interrupted by a cacophony in the distance; barking and rattling wood on wood. He rushed to the window and glanced out, trying to keep himself hidden. In the distance, an orange shape darted between the trees.

“Applejack!”

Not far behind her were timberwolves. Not just a few; there was a whole pack. Spike couldn’t quite count them, but there had to be nearly a dozen. And only half of them looked remotely normal. The rest of them looked less like timberwolves and more like forces of nature. Spike recognized one, wreathed in flame, as the one that had eaten the cherry-like fruit. Smoke poured from another, and a third oozed streams of pale yellow-green slime. He didn’t have time to look at the others. He kept his eyes fixed on Applejack as she nimbly skipped back and forth between the trees, keeping the wolf pack at bay.

Spike didn’t dare to breathe. There was no way that Applejack could keep ahead of them for long. She would get too tired. They would surround her; her escape routes would be cut off and she would be surrounded. Even Applejack couldn’t keep up a dead sprint, even if she was being chased by timberwolves.

But try as they might, they couldn’t seem to gain on her. All of her weaving between the narrow gaps between the trees that comprised the landscape seemed to keep them at bay. Now and again one of them would stumble, exploding into a cloud of whatever element they were trailing behind them.

“I guess she doesn’t get tired in dreams either. But if she’s not hiding, it means that the only way to free her is to…” The obvious solution hit him like like a ton of bricks. “Oh, you have got to be kidding me! There’s no way that I can take out all of those timberwolves. There must be some other way. I just need to figure out what.” He narrowed his eyes. “Maybe Applejack can give me some suggestions. I just have to get her away from those timberwolves.”

He glanced out the window again. Applejack and the pack of timberwolves were vanishing into the distance and shuddered. Why did it have to be timberwolves?

“You couldn’t find glue anywhere?” Apple Bloom grumbled as she followed Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo along the road. “We got all of Ponyville to ourselves! There’s gotta be some glue somewhere.”

“Well, we did find a few bottles in one of the schoolhouses,” Scootaloo said. “They were all dried up and crusty though. But that doesn’t matter! We found something way cooler!”

“Is it cooler than a catapult?” Apple Bloom said, unconvinced. “‘Cause I’m tellin’ you, this thing could launch a watermelon right over the water tower!”

“Trust me, it’s pretty awesome,” Scootaloo said.

“And it might help us save Equestria, too!” Sweetie Belle added.

“Really?” Apple Bloom perked up.

“Yeah!” Sweetie Belle nodded vigorously. “We could be heroes!”

“Besides, what do we need to hurl a watermelon over the water tower for anyway?” Scootaloo said.

“We’d probably just punch a hole in it and end up flooding Ponyville or something.” Sweetie Belle pointed. “Okay, the thing we found is right over there!”

“Whoa!” Apple Bloom froze mid-step as she turned the corner.

Two massive Ghastly Gorges cut across the landscape, criss-crossing one another like an enormous X. The sight was incredible, but Apple Bloom barely noticed it. Her attention was focused on the floating island that floated in the gap where the two gorges met. At its center was an enormous shape, an amalgamation of a dozen different buildings. There were bits and pieces of the town hall, Twilight’s library, Zecora’s hut, the clock tower, the barn, and a handful of other places, all pasted together willy-nilly like into an architectural collage.

“What is that?” she asked quietly.

“I dunno,” Scootaloo said with a shrug. “I just know that we definitely don’t have one of those things in Ponyville, so if we’re gonna explore it, we gotta do it now.”

Apple Bloom turned her head sideways, trying to make sense of the thing. She had a vague hunch that if they hadn’t been dreaming, the piece of construction couldn’t have stayed in one piece for long. “What do you think it’s doin’ here?”

“Maybe that Nightmare was a fan of that ‘Modern Art’ stuff.” Sweetie Belle said.

“Or it’s hidin’ somethin’ in there!” Apple Bloom grinned in a way that usually preceded shenanigans. “We should go check it out. You know, in case it’s somethin’ important.”

“Are you sure we should go poking around in there?” Sweetie Belle asked, twiddling nervously with her mane. “It might be dangerous.”

“It’ll be fine!” Scootaloo patted her on the head. “Luna confirmed that the Nightmare is gone, remember? And since it’s a dream, we can’t get hurt or anything.”

“Yeah,” Apple Bloom chirped. “And with these little doodads” —she held up her foreleg to display the button on her wrist— “we can call Luna for help if anythin’ happens!”

Scootaloo nodded in ascent. “Besides, it’s just a weird looking building. It’s not like it’s a haunted house that’s filled with monsters and ghosts or anything.”

Sweetie Belle swallowed. “Monsters and ghosts?”

“Why’d you have to go and start talkin’ about that?” Apple Bloom jabbed Scootaloo in the flank. “It’s a dream, there doesn’t have to be all that freaky stuff to make a building look weird.”

“But it’s the only one that looks like that!” Sweetie Belle said. “Sure some of the other buildings are in weird places or kinda leaning a bit, but none of them are all squashed together like this one is. There’s gotta be something different about it.”

“Well, maybe that’s because whatever is in there is the key to figurin’ out how the Nightmares mashed our dreams together!” Apple Bloom said with a grin. “Don’t you wanna help us figure out the whole mystery of the Nightmares?”

“I dunno…” She took a step back. “If it is, who knows what might be in there?”

“Come on, Sweetie Belle!” Scootaloo scurried behind her and gave her a shove. “Princess Luna told us this dream was totally safe! Besides” —she winked— “maybe we’ll get cutie marks for saving Equestria.”

“A ‘saving Equestria’ cutie mark would be pretty cool…” she admitted. Then she took another look at the building. It looked a bit more ominous every time she glanced in its direction. “But even so…”

“Okay, how about this,” Apple Bloom said. “Scootaloo and I will go in and check it out first, and you can stay here and be the lookout. Once we find out if there’s anything in there, we’ll holler at you and you can come in and meet us. If you see anything, just yell.”

“Alright, but hurry up, okay?” Sweetie Belle said. “I dunno if I want to be stuck standing out here alone for too long.”

Scootaloo nodded. “Don’t worry, we won’t be long. Besides, it’s not like anything is gonna happen.”

“I sure hope not,” Sweetie Belle muttered as she watched Scootaloo and Apple Bloom head towards the structure. The floating island was close enough to the edge of the gorge that they had no difficulty hopping over it. They clamored up to the door, which was at an angle a few feet above the door, and disappeared inside.

Sweetie Belle suddenly wished that she had gone with them. It was far easier to notice just how weird the dream looked when there was nopony around to distract her. The landscape in the distance rose up into where the sky was supposed to be, and none of it looked quite the way it was supposed to. And she was stuck here, while who-knows-what went on outside. For all she knew, Spike and Luna had already been defeated and it was only a matter of time before the Nightmares returned…

“No no no, not going to think about that stuff!” She shook her head violently. “Apple Bloom and Scootaloo are probably bored in there and it only looks interesting on the outside.” She talked too quietly for them to hear, but it helped a little bit to hear something other than the eerie silence of the dream. “Any minute now, Apple Bloom is going to stick her head out and yell at me to come over and see what’s in there.”

She turned slightly, trying to keep both the weird tower and the landscape in view. She wouldn’t be much of a lookout if she didn’t try to see if anything was coming. There probably wouldn’t be anything. Luna had made sure of that. If anypony would be able to tell when the Nightmares had been booted out of a dream, it was her.

Everything was still, unnaturally so. She had never realized just how much life was usually around her. Birds fluttering through the air, squirrels climbing in the trees, the sounds of ponies chatting away… the dream had none of it. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo could drown out the silence well enough, but with them gone, the emptiness began to weigh in on her. She was beginning to consider heading into the tower herself when she heard a creak.

She turned to look and saw Scootaloo’s head poking out of the crooked door. Scootaloo was smiling. Normally that would be a good sign. But Sweetie Belle recognized that smile. She had seen Scootaloo use it all too often. It was the face she put on for adults when she wanted to hide just how badly one of their ill-thought-out schemes had gone. She had never been on the receiving end of it. It wasn’t very convincing.

“What is it?” Sweetie Belle asked. The dread in the back of her mind growing by the second as she watched Scootaloo hop off of the island and slowly saunter towards her. As she got closer, Sweetie Belle could see that she was trembling. “What happened?”

“Uh, well…” She swallowed. “Try not to panic, okay?”

“P-panic!” Sweetie Belle squeaked. “Panic about what?” She felt like a bucket of icewater had just been poured over her.

Scootaloo took a deep breath.

“Apple Bloom…” Her smile finally failed as she forced the word out of her mouth. “...disappeared.”

Spike poked his head out of his most recent hiding place. He had spent the past who-knew-how-long sneaking from tree to tree, investigating and plundering the various rooms embedded throughout the landscape. Most of them were quite similar to the first one he had found; abandoned and mostly empty aside from furnishings that had long since passed the point of being antique. He had salvaged a few things that he imagined might eventually be useful, and now he needed to stash them in his hideout, the first room he had explored, before he put his plan into action.

He had found an ancient set of saddlebags in one of the hidden rooms, and had fashioned it into a makeshift backpack, which he had subsequently filled with anything and everything that could potentially be of use. For the most part, it was rope. Rope, a few pulleys, some belts, a hat (mostly for style), a few baseballs, and a few other various knickknacks that might prove helpful.

So far, the Timberwolves hadn’t shown any sign that they were even aware of him. They had come distressingly close a few times; at one point they had very nearly bowled him over. He had only evaded them by wedging himself in a gap between routes and watching silently as they dashed past. They were so focused on Applejack that short of running him down, they wouldn’t notice him. He hoped so, at least. He wasn’t about to take chances.

In the distance he heard them barking, fortunately in the opposite direction from where he was headed. He jumped out from behind the stump where he had been hiding and sprinted to the tree with the room in the trunk. He went over the plan in his head again as he climbed. It grew more and more absurd each time it came to mind, but he didn’t have any other ideas. Absurd as it was, it would have to do. Assuming he could get up the nerve to do it.

He groaned as he dragged himself over the windowsill and into the room. While the dream kept him from getting tired, it certainly didn’t make the load any lighter. He dumped the bag on the floor and began untangling the rope from itself and everything else. They would circle back soon, and he needed to be ready.

“What do you mean ‘disappeared’ !?” Sweetie Belle squealed. “How could she just disappear!? What happened!?”

“We were just looking around!” Scootaloo answered anxiously. “She ran ahead of me, and by the time I caught up she was gone!”

“Why would you let her go off on her own!?” Sweetie wailed, shaking Scootaloo violently. “We should’ve known that it was gonna be dangerous! Why didn’t you keep an eye on her?”

“It’s not like I ran off somewhere!” Scootaloo retorted as she shoved Sweetie Belle away. “She ran up ahead of me! How was I supposed to what was gonna happen!? It’s not like she’s gone forever. Luna said that there’s no way to get out of the dream, so Apple Bloom has gotta be around here somewhere.”

“Y-you really think so?” Sweetie Belle wanted to believe her, but Scootaloo’s blatantly false optimism didn’t do her any favors. “We should contact Princess Luna!”

“Not yet!” Scootaloo snapped. “We don’t know if anything actually happened to her. She could’ve just wandered off and couldn’t hear me when I was calling for her. There’s no point in wasting Princess Luna’s time if nothing really happened anyway.”

“But what if something did happen?” Sweetie Belle said.

“Then Apple Bloom would probably have hit Luna’s button herself. If she did that, Princess Luna is gonna show up anyway.”

“Fine,” Sweetie Belle snorted. “Then what are we gonna do?”

“We’ll go in there and see if we can find Apple Bloom. And we’ll stick together to make sure we don’t lose each other, alright.”

“You want me to go in there now?” Sweetie Belle shook her head. “No thanks.”

“Well, I’m gonna go look for Apple Bloom. It’s up to you if you wanna come with me or not.” Scootaloo turned around and began to stomp back toward the tower. “I’m not afraid of any dream.”

Sweetie Belle glared at the back of Scootaloo’s head. She tried to yell after her, but all that came out was a loud squeal. Following Scootaloo into that thing was one of the last things that Sweetie Belle wanted to do. But being left alone outside it while Scootaloo rushed back in was even further down the list. And who knew what was waiting in there? Sweetie Belle gritted her teeth and followed her.

“So what did you find in there, anyway?” Sweetie Belle asked apprehensively as she hopped onto the island.

“I’m really not sure, actually. I know it’s something really strange, even for a dream. You should probably just see for yourself.”

Scootaloo pushed the door open with her nose, somewhat awkwardly, given that the door leaned a bit to the side. Sweetie Belle nervously poked her head through. The interior of the building wasn’t quite as chaotic as she had expected, though it did seem a bit bigger than it really should have been. While the styles and furnishings of the walls were a patchwork, and the walls and floors weren’t quite flat or even, but on the whole it looked less like a dream jumble and more like a case of exceptionally shoddy construction. It vaguely reminded her of the renovations she and Scootaloo had attempted on the clubhouse while Apple Bloom had been down with the flu.

“It’s upstairs,” Scootaloo said. “Careful, the stairs are kinda crooked.”

Sweetie Belle followed her up the stairway, which wound around the edge of the room. The room above was somehow even larger, so big that there was no way it should’ve fit without the entire structure being shaped like a mushroom. She was about to shout to see if her voice echoed, when something else grabbed her attention entirely.

Floating in the center of the room was a black ball. As they drew closer, she could see that it wasn’t entirely black. It was filled with tiny pinpoints of light, almost like the stars in a night sky, swirling around in a circle. It wasn’t exactly a ball, either. It was perfectly round, but as they circled it, the pattern of swirls on the surface didn’t change, as if it were a flat projection that rotated to always face them. Or maybe it wasn’t moving and simply looked the same from every angle.

“So that’s what you found?” Sweetie Belle focused her gaze on the object. The sight of it sent shivers down her spine. It didn’t look like it belonged here; it didn’t look like it belonged anywhere. It was a thing that barely even looked like it ought to exist at all. She didn’t dare look away from it. “What is it?”

“I have no idea,” Scootaloo said with a shrug. “Apple Bloom ran up the stairs first while I was still looking around downstairs. Then she yelled down ‘Hey come and look at this!’ and by the time I got up here, she was gone. Whatever this thing is, I bet it has something to do with it.”

“You think?” Sweetie Belle hoped her sarcasm masked the shakiness in her voice. “Maybe it’s a trap. You didn’t see this thing until after she disappeared, right?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “No. I told her to wait up, but when I came up here, she was gone, and all I saw was that thing. You think she might be stuck inside it?”

“I don’t know where else she would’ve gone unless she found a secret passageway or something.”

“But how are we supposed to tell?” Scootaloo asked. “Do we try to, like, break it open? Can we even do that? It doesn’t really look very… solid.”

“I’m sure not going to touch it,” Sweetie Belle said. She scratched her head. “I mean, we don’t even know if she’s in there. It could’ve just teleported her someplace else, or maybe she just didn’t hear you and she’s still in here someplace. I think we should keep looking around just to make sure. I don’t want to start messing with this thing until we know she’s not around someplace.”

Scootaloo stared warily at the globe for a moment, then nodded. “I guess you’re right. Who knows what could happen if we go and start poking it.”

“I think we should call Luna,” Sweetie Belle said. “She told us to call her if anything happened! I don’t care if she’s busy. We don’t know what’s going on and we have to help Apple Bloom!” She punched her button before Scootaloo even had a chance to respond. “Now let’s get out here. That thing is creeping me out.”

Scootaloo sighed and followed Sweetie Belle back down the stairs.

Spike sat just behind the window, peeking over the edge. He could hear the commotion of the wolves chasing Applejack in the distance. They didn’t have a specific route they followed, but they seemed reluctant to leave the general area, and sooner or later they would pass by Spike’s hiding place. The sound grew louder. It would be sooner rather than later.

He grabbed the rope that dangled from the pulley he had attached to the branch over the window. From the other end, outside the tree, hung his best attempt at a lasso. He tugged on the rope to make sure that it wasn’t caught, and then he waited. Every time she passed the tree, Applejack had followed the exact same path, leaping over a protruding root before dashing around the tree and heading up the hill. Hopefully she wouldn’t choose a different route this time.

“I really hope this works,” he muttered.

Applejack sprinted into view, weaving through the trees just as she had every other time she passed by. He held his breath as he watched her charge toward the rope. He just had to hope that his plan worked on the first try. He didn’t have any plan B.

Right on cue, Applejack leaped into the air. Whether she noticed the rope, or if he simply had luck on his side, he didn’t know. Either way, Applejack shot through the rope. Specifically, halfway through. The loop wrapped around her midsection and her momentum carried her into the air. Spike gave a tremendous tug on his end of the rope, towing her upward. The timberwolves roared past, seemingly unaware that their quarry had vanished. They continued into the distance, vanishing into the trees where Applejack would have gone if Spike hadn’t caught her.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he continued hoisting her up to the window. At least he wouldn’t have to deal with a pack of timberwolves barking at the base of the tree. All he’d have to worry about was figuring out how to free Applejack from the grip of the-

“Spike, what the hay are you doin’ here?”

“Huh?” He nearly lost his grip on the rope. “What?” Applejack’s face was visible over the edge of the window, bearing a rather bewildered expression.

“I’m the one who oughta be askin’ that,” she said. “How’d you get here? And what’s goin’ on? Why am I danglin’ up here? Last thing I remember I was on my way to Rarity’s and next thing I know I’m bein’ chased by a pack of timberwolves. And now I’m danglin’ here.”

“It’s kind of a long story,” he said as he pulled on the rope. “Let’s get you in here and then we’ll get everything figured out.”

It is an impressive feat of Somnial Engineering, I will admit that much. The three dreams are so thoroughly incorporated with each other that it isn’t even immediately recognizable as such. Though I must wonder why they went through the trouble…

The magical blueprint rotated slowly in front of Luna, pausing only when she leaned in to look closer. The final product was certainly remarkable, but as she examined it, she could pick out more and more oddities. The dreams had been combined, but combined in a number of different ways, with methods that had little to do with each other. It was as if somepony had attempted to combine several objects together, but couldn’t decide on how to do it, and in the end some points were sewn, others were glued, others melted into each other, and some points even seemed to be mixed. That was the closest analogy, at least. Obviously, the dreamscape was hardly a true, physical object, but it was an easy way to think about it.

All of the combinations were well executed, but she couldn’t help but think that it was all unnecessary. Any one method would’ve sufficed perfectly well. Why go to the trouble of using so many approaches? Settling on just one would have been a far simpler way of doing things. The seams between the dreamscapes would’ve been nearly invisible, and it would’ve taken far less effort.

The only reason to do things like this would be if they are just… practicing.

Luna frowned. That explanation made more sense than she wanted it to. If this dream was just practice for modifying other dreams, who knew what might be hidden elsewhere? She did not savor the prospect of re-examination, but if that was what it took, she would undertake it. Fortunately, none of the dreams that Spike had explored had changed. And it didn’t appear that there was anything out of the ordinary about the one he currently inhabited.

She smiled. He was doing well, certainly better than she had expected. In fact, she felt a twinge of guilt at the fact that she had been so reluctant to ask for his assistance. At times he could be a bit dense, but one could hardly expect more from a dragon who had barely begun to reach adolescence. Taking that into consideration, his propensity for absorbing information was quite impressive; he had earned his place as Twilight’s assistant. Of course, he also needed to be able to focus a bit more. Twilight was probably partially to blame for that.

But what truly impressed her had been his heroics. She had, of course, seen him performing such feats in his dreams on more than one occasion, but his latest efforts went beyond mere wish fulfillment. Perhaps his escapades at the Crystal Empire were not simple luck after all. If she were lucky, he might even be able to free Applejack without her assistance.

The sharp squeal of an alarm cut the silence. Her blood ran cold as she saw who it was that required help.It was not entirely inconceivable that within all the overlapping dreamscapes, some sort of hidden snare had eluded her. She hoped not. Perhaps the CMC were just bored, or wanted an update, or any of a dozen things that would not endanger them. Or perhaps it was something more serious. Either way, there was no question. Her investigations would have to wait.

“Then I figured that if I wanted to get you out of here, I’d need to get you away from the timberwolves. So I managed to rig up that pulley system, catch you in the rope, and lift you up here!” He took a deep breath and smiled. The situation just seemed more and more unbelievable every time he tried to explain it to somepony.

Applejack just stared at him. He wasn’t sure whether she was confused or skeptical or just didn’t care. At least she hadn’t taken after her sister and interrupted him after every sentence.

“So now you’re up here, and we need to figure out how to get rid of those timberwolves, because I’m pretty sure that those are the Nightmare’s minions. Any questions?”

“Well, obviously I got a whole bunch of questions, but I’m guessin’ that most of ‘em aren’t real important now. You said that Apple Bloom is alright, didn’t you.”

“Yeah, she’s fine. I just came from her dream. She’s just hanging around with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo right now.”

“Whew.” Applejack sighed in relief. “That’s all I’m really worried about right now. Well, not all I’m worried about, but that’s one of the main things. I guess my question is what we’re gonna do now. You got me away from those things, but they’re still prowlin’ around out there.”

“Well, according to Luna, the Nightmares build dreams out of your memories and then manipulate them to be about stuff that scares you.”

“I can see that,” Applejack said. She poked her head out the window and surveyed the landscape. “Makes a lot of sense now that I think about it. All these dead trees are pretty much what I imagined as a filly whenever Granny told me about droughts. For a while I was convinced that if we went more than three days without rain that’s what everything would look like and we’d all lose the farm. I guess I never really stopped thinkin’ about that.”

“But what about those weird fruit things?” Spike asked. “The ones that the timberwolves were eating.”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “That’s my big brother’s fault. When I was a filly he used to tell me all these tall tales about magic timberwolves that ate all these weird fruits in the Everfree forest and how they’d eat all our apples if they ever ran out of fruit.” She wrinkled her nose and snorted. “I had bad dreams for weeks ‘cause of it.”

“That makes sense, I guess,” Spike said, stroking his chin pensively. “I mean, it’s kinda weird that your mind wasn’t trapped like everypony else’s was.”

Applejack shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe I was. While I was runnin’ from the timberwolves everything was really sort of a blur. Like all I could think about was that I had to get back to work on the farm and try to salvage the crop so my family could stay in Ponyville, but I knew if I stopped I’d get eaten. So I just kept runnin’ away while I tried to come up with a plan, but it was like my brain didn’t wanna think about it.”

“Oh, so you’re cleared up then?”

“A bit, yeah. I’m still kinda boggled at, you know, bein’ in a dream and all, but at least I feel like my head is workin’ the way it’s supposed to.” She sat on the couch, sending up a cloud of dust. “So what do we do now? I’m guessin’ that just pullin’ me up here didn’t complete your mission.”

Spike coughed a few times and rubbed the dust from his eyes before answering. “Yeah, the Nightmare is probably still hanging around in the dream someplace, and I’ve got to get rid of it before I go anywhere.”

“Well, how do we do that?”

“That’s a really good question. So far it’s been different in each dream.”

“So how’d you figure it out?” Applejack asked.

“Luna says that everypony has some way of coping with things that scare them, and that you can use that to beat your fears. The problem is that it could be pretty much anything.” He shrugged. “You’d know more about all that than I would.”

Applejack thought for a moment. “So what you’re sayin’ is that whatever kinda copin’ mechanism I used to deal with my fear is the key to beatin’ this Nightmare?”

Spike nodded. “Um, I guess it might be kind of embarrassing, but it’s kind of an emergency. Don’t worry, I swear I won’t tell anypony. Especially not Rainbow Dash.”

Applejack smirked. “Don’t worry about any of that, Spike. I know that we got bigger things to worry about. Besides, as far as bein’ scared of stuff goes, stuff like this really isn’t all that bad. It’s not like I got a fear of, I dunno, butterflies or tacos or something like that.”

“I guess if you’re going to be afraid of something, it does make sense to be afraid of timberwolves,” Spike said.

“Exactly. What’s more” —she winked— “I think I know what their weakness might be.”

“You do?” Spike asked excitedly, glad that for once he didn’t have to figure it out on his own.

“If you know anything about timberwolves, you know that they run in packs, right?”

Spike nodded.

“Well, every timberwolf pack is lead by an Alpha Timberwolf. The alpha is usually the biggest, toughest timberwolf with the pack. Rather than goin’ out and huntin’ themselves they send out the rest of the pack. I’m bettin’ that somewhere in all these trees there’s an alpha timberwolf that we gotta take out. Does that make sense? You’re the one who’s been jumpin’ from dream to dream.”

“Makes sense to me. If the timberwolves are based on your memories, and that’s what you remember about them, the dream probably does it, too.” He rubbed his claws together gleefully. “This is great! Normally it takes me a while to figure everything out! This is so much easier! All we have to is find the alpha timberwolf and...uh… how exactly do we defeat an Alpha Timberwolf?”

“What are you askin’ me for?” Applejack tapped him on the top of the head. “You already beat one that one time, remember? You saved me.”

“Are you talking about that time I threw a rock down its throat and then it exploded?” Spike looked at the floor. “That… that was kind of an accident. I’m not even sure why it exploded like that. I don’t think I’d be able to do that again.”

“Actually, it might not be quite as tough as you think,” Applejack said. “I was curious about how that happened too, so I had Twilight look up some info for me. You know that nasty green mist stuff that the timberwolves cough up?”

Spike wrinkled his nose and nodded. “How could I forget. That stuff smelled like week-old gumbo. Took me forever to get it out of my scales.”

“Same here,” Applejack said. “I had to take a bath in tomato juice to get it off my coat. Turns out that timberwolves secrete that stuff to mark their territory and keep intruders away. When you threw that rock down its throat, you must’ve clogged up its throat and the pressure of all that green hazy stuff built up so much that it blew apart.”

“And you think I can do it again?” Spike swallowed. “I don’t know if I can pull that off. Last time it was kind of a lucky shot.”

“Hey, if you did it once by accident, don’t you have an even better chance at pullin’ it off again when you’re tryin’ to?”

Spike gave her a weary glance. “Maybe, I guess. I feel like I might be stretching my luck pretty thin as it is. I’ve used up a lot of it getting this far.”

“I don’t think that’s luck, Spike.” Applejack patted him on the head. “Besides, this time I’m not gonna be stuck on something. We just need to find it and come up with a plan for when we do.”

Spike cracked his knuckles. “We’d better start planning then.”

“That’s the spirit!” Applejack said. “Those wolves are no match for the two of us.”

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo sat silently outside the tower. As soon as they had explained the situation to Luna, she had hurried them out and forbidden them to enter until she had given them permission. The lack of sun made it difficult to tell how long had past, but it had to be several hours, at the very least. They had seen neither hide nor hair of her in all that time. Occasionally a discordant hum would echo from the tower’s crooked doorway, and now and then pale light would shine from the windows.

The two fillies had made a valiant attempt to occupy themselves, but Apple Bloom’s absence hung over their heads like a cloud. They had bounced a ball back and forth a few times and played a dozen or so games of Tic-Tac-Toe, but eventually they gave up on trying to pretend that things were normal and focused their attention on the tower.

“I wonder what she’s doing in there,” Scootaloo murmured.

“Studying that weird… thing.” Sweetie Belle shrugged. “I mean, she told us she was going to try to find out what it was.”

“I know that,” Scootaloo said. “But how do you think she’s doing it? You think maybe she poked her head in it to see if it goes anywhere and got stuck?”

“Um, I don’t think so.” Normally, the image of Princess Luna with her head stuck in something would’ve caused giggling, but not now. “I don’t think she’d just poke something that might’ve sucked up somepony.”

“So then what is she doing?”

Sweetie Belle shrugged again. She didn’t have the energy for anything more. “Probably some sort of complicated magic thing. I bet Twilight could understand it if she were here.”

Scootaloo glanced back at the tower, then at Sweetie Belle, then back at the tower. One of the windows, presumably the one that lead into the room with the anomaly, was glowing with silver light.

“Maybe we could go look?”

“Princess Luna told us to stay here!”

“That was hours ago!” Scootaloo protested. “We can’t wait forever!” She took a step in the direction of the tower.

“No!” Sweetie Belle scurried forward and planted herself in Scootaloo’s path. “Luna said that it might be dangerous!”

“That’s even more reason to go check!” Scootaloo took another step forward. Sweetie Belle didn’t budge. She shoved, not hard enough to push her back, but hard enough to let her know that she meant business. “Maybe something happened to her!”

“So?” Sweetie Belle pushed back. “If something happened to her, what makes you think that we’d be able to do anything!? If they captured her, what are we going to do?”

“We… we could… uh…UGGHHH!” Scootaloo’s words degenerated into a frustrated moan. “I don’t know! I’m just sick and tired of sitting here and not knowing what’s going on! I can’t take it any more!” She stomped her hooves violently, as if she was hoping to break the dream open. “I don’t want to just stand around while everypony else is helping save Ponyville.”

“I know how you feel,” Sweetie Belle said carefully, “but running in there and getting ourselves in trouble isn’t going to help anypony. I’m sure Princess Luna knows what she’s doing, and we just have to trust her.”

“Fine,” Scootaloo snapped. “We had better hear from her soon, though. I don’t know if I can last much longer without going crazy.”

“Don’t worry,” Sweetie Belle said, doing her best to sound reassuring. “I’m sure she’ll let us know what’s going on as soon as she-”

She was interrupted by a loud explosion. Or at least that was the closest thing she could call it. It didn’t sound like a typical explosion, at least, with the ball of flame and plumes of smoke. It sounded more like the popping of an enormous balloon. It was accompanied by a bright pink flash from the tower’s windows. A moment later, a massive stream of shimmering silver mist blasted out of every opening in the structure, hissing like a leaky steam pipe.

Both fillies shouted in unison. “Princess Luna!”

They galloped towards the tower as fast as their hooves could take them. They were just about to jump the gorge onto the floating island when a familiar form emerged from the ground in front of the doorway. The two fillies skidded to a halt at the edge of the canyon.

“Princess Luna!” they shouted again, this time in joy rather than fear.

“I apologize for the wait,” Luna said. Her mane, despite being projected in the ground, looked slightly disheveled. “I did not anticipate that it would take that long.”

“Are you okay?” Sweetie Belle called.

“What was that?” Scootaloo asked.

“I am fine, just slightly disoriented,” Luna answered. “I was conducting one final experiment to absolutely ensure that the area was safe before returning to you.” She blinked a few times. “The rebound energy was… a bit more than I expected. My projection in the dream was very nearly destroyed.”

“Did you find Apple Bloom?”

“What happened to her?”

“Was that weird spinning thing a trap?”

“What’s that thing for!?”

“What-”

“Girls, please!” Luna snapped. “I understand that you are concerned about Apple Bloom, but I have spent the past few hours attempting to wring every last bit of thought out of my brain. Let me explain what I know, and then you can ask questions.”

She glared at them with the glare of someone who had been woken up all too early on their day off. They remained silent.

“Now then, I must be honest. I still do not know where Apple Bloom is.”

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo opened their mouths to gasp, but Luna silenced them with another glare before they could get any words out.

“However, there is still cause to be hopeful. I have also determined that she has most likely not been captured either. That anomaly you discovered is not a trap. It is a portal. A portal out of the dream.”

The fillies’ eyes lit up like fireworks.

“You mean we can get out of here!?” Scootaloo asked.

“Quiet!” Luna snapped. “If you would let me finish my explanation, it would likely answer most of your question. The portal does lead out of the dream, but entering it will not free you from the dream, either. Rather, it leads into the space between the dreamscapes. It is extremely likely that it is the means that the Nightmares use to move from dream to dream. It seems that the particulars of the spell, namely the fact that it stabilizes each dreamscape to such a degree, require a system of portals to facilitate movement between dreams.”

They stared blankly at her.

“The Nightmares need the portals to move between dreams as long as the spell is active. Believe me, it took no small amount of analysis to determine that. The only easy way to determine where a dream portal leads is to enter it, and that is not an advisable option. Furthermore, it appears that the portal is activated by contact. It appears that Apple Bloom inadvertently activated the portal, and is currently in the space between dreams.

“I have attempted to locate her so that I can bring her back, but doing so without alerting the Nightmares will be difficult. On the other hoof, I believe I can safely say that the Nightmares are not aware of her presence in their portal system, or at the very least if they are they do not appear to be interested in finding her. In short, she does not appear to be in immediate danger, but at the same time we do not know exactly where she is, and there is always the possibility that she will be detected. For the time being, I will continue trying to locate her, but at the moment there is unfortunately little that I can do.”

She hung her head. “I am sorry.”

The silence hung in the air for a minute.

“So,” Sweetie Belle finally said. “What can we do now?”

“I will inform Spike of what has happened, and we will both continue to watch for Apple Bloom. As for you, I must simply ask you to be strong and to be careful. We will do all that we can to keep her safe, but I will not allow you two to put yourself in harm’s way in some misguided effort to save her. The two of you must stay away from the portal, and if either of you discovers anything else, you contact me immediately, understood?”

The two fillies nodded sullenly.

“Good. Believe me, I am every bit as worried about Apple Bloom as you are. If I was frightened for your safety as well, the stress would drive me crazy.” Her head vanished for a moment, then reconstituted itself right in front of them. “I know it is scary, but I know you two are tough enough to get through it. So I need you to be strong” —she paused and thought for a moment— “but not so strong that you can go find Apple Bloom yourselves. I am serious, do not mess with the portal.”

“Okay, we won’t,” Scootaloo said, her voice hoarse.

“Good. Now, if you have any more questions I will be happy to” —a loud buzzing sounded in the air— “answer them as soon as I return. Spike seems to require my assistance. I will return as soon as I am able. In the meantime, be careful and keep one another’s spirits up.” She sunk into the ground and vanished.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle stared at the patch of dirt where Luna had disappeared. Then they turned to face each other.

“Do you think Apple Bloom will be okay?” Sweetie Belle said, her voice shaking.

“I don’t know.” Scootaloo tried to sound confident. “You know what?”

“What?”

“I bet wherever Apple Bloom is, she’s probably laughing at us for being so worried about her.”

Sweetie Belle forced herself to smile. “Yeah, she’s probably thinking ‘They’re just both too chicken to follow me!’”

Scootaloo grinned. “She’s probably beating up a Nightmare right now.”

“Yeah, there’s no reason for us to be worried about her.”

“Yeah!”

“So, while she’s off saving Equestria, we should probably keep gathering materials for the catapult. You know, so when she gets back we’ll have everything ready. It’s not like we have anything else to do.”

Scootaloo nodded. “I guess you’re right. Let’s get back to looking for that rope.”

Applejack crept silently along, keeping herself low, sneaking through the massive roots of the gnarled trees that covered the dream. She could hear the timberwolves prowling. They were not so close that she had to remain still, but close enough that if she was not careful they would be on top of her in no time. She resisted the urge to sneeze. After their first failed foray outside of the tree, she had disguised her scent under a layer of smoky soot, courtesy of Spike. The stuff clung to her coat and made her smell like a campfire, with just a hint of sulfur, and had the added bonus of helping her blend in between the roots.

Spike was nearby. She hoped he was nearby, at least. They had split up to make their way around a particularly massive tree trunk. Surely the Alpha Timberwolf couldn’t be far off. They had long since made it out of the area she had been chased through. Pack Leaders never rested on their hunting grounds.

Things no longer looked the slightest bit familiar to her. No, that wasn’t it. Everything looked familiar. They were drawn from her memories after all, from her imaginary pictures of what the farm might look like if the trees turned on them and swallowed up the land. If I ever get out of this, I’m gonna tell Big Macintosh that he can’t tell Apple Bloom any scary bedtime stories. I don’t want her havin’ these kinds of dreams.

She could tell that she hadn’t been through this part of the dream yet. The roots grew more and more gnarled, almost to the point of being thorny, and the trees were more and more misshapen, almost like they were twisting in pain. How could that not be a sign that she was getting closer to the core of the nightmare? Now all she had to do was make sure that Spike didn’t-

“AAHHHHH!” Spike came sprinting between the trees.

“Spike!?”

He skidded to a halt as he ran by. “I have good news and bad news!” he gasped. “The good news is that I’m pretty sure I found the Alpha Timberwolf!”

“And the bad news?”

A loud howl split the air.

“That’s also the bad news,” Spike said.

“Hop on!” Applejack grabbed the dragon and flung him over her back and galloped in the opposite direction, just in time to see the Alpha crash through the trees. From every crack in the wolf’s surface, a different energy poured. Flame, water, miasma, green mist, darkness, and light all streamed from its body as it chased them. “I thought the plan was to sneak up on it!” she managed between breaths.

“I tried to! I was climbing up a hill to see if I could get a better view and it turned out that the timberwolf was the hill!”

“That big, huh?”

“See for yourself!”

Applejack glanced back over her shoulder. The timberwolf was twice the size of any timberwolf that she had ever seen, almost as if it was two timberwolves mashed together into one. In fact, it seemed as if that was exactly what had happened. Why else would it have two heads?

“Well, that sure makes things more complicated,” she said.

“No, really?” Spike answered. “We have to find a way to block both throats at once! How are we supposed to do that?” He ducked under a branch. “I can’t throw two of these at one time!” He patted the bag that hung at his side. It was filled with the half dozen or so baseballs they had scavenged.

“Well, in that case you’re gonna just have to be quick!”

She darted to the side, weaving through the trees. The Alpha Timberwolf thundered along behind her, quite literally moving through the trees. The forest slowed it just enough for Applejack to stay ahead as she led it along. She smirked. If not for her pursuer, she would’ve enjoyed herself. It wasn’t every day she got to run for as long as she wanted without eventually having to rest.

“We’re almost there!” Spike said as they rounded one of the hills. “Are you ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be! When I distract it, you throw both of those as quick as you can. Hopefully you can make both shots.”

“Alright.” He clamped his legs around Applejack and carefully drew two baseballs from the bag. “Let’s take that Nightmare out!”

“Here we go!” Applejack’s steady gallop broke into a full sprint. Behind them, the pounding of the Alpha Timberwolf’s paws sped up.

Spike grinned as he saw a familiar silhouette growing larger and larger. It was the same hill where he had first toppled into the dream. And upon investigation, they had discovered that there was a gap in the roots. A gap just big enough for a pony with a baby dragon on her back to fit through.

He ducked, and a moment later the roots were above his head and they were headed for the point of light at the far end of the hill. The roots shivered and he heard a crash like the sound of a tree falling. The Alpha Timberwolf hadn’t been able to slow down in time.

“That got ‘im,” Applejack said. “Remember, just like we planned!”

"Got it!”

As Applejack exited the tunnel, she felt Spike hop off of her back. She turned and began to skirt around the side of the hill of roots. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Spike scurrying to the top. Now was the time to get into position.

As she rounded the hill, the enormous bulk of the timberwolf’s body came into view. It was nearly as large as the hill, and it was glancing around with both of its heads, searching for its prey.

She took a deep breath and shouted.

“Hey!” The wolf’s heads turned to glare at her. All four eyes were glowing. With every breath, it expelled a thick, greasy stench. It snorted once, as if it were daring her to say more. She immediately realized that she didn’t know what to say. “Y-your breath is awful, you know that? And I think you got some moss growin’ on your shoulder there. Y’all might wanna get that checked.”

The wolf stared at her for a moment. Then it roared, so loud that the roots shook. Each mouth was so large that it could swallow her whole. At least it would give Spike a bigger target. She bit her lip and tried not to give the Timberwolf any sign of Spike’s presence. At the edge of her vision, she could see him on the top of the hill, baseball in claw. He wound up, and threw.

She breathed a sigh of relief as the the first throw hit its mark. The ball vanished down the Timberwolf’s throat. The creature reared up, roaring from one mouth while sputtering from the other. She watched Spike take aim and fling the second ball. His aim was perfect.

Then the air was split by a loud hissing. A jet of green mist spewed from the wolf’s unclogged head with such force that it knocked the ball out of the air. The beast lowered its heads, glaring at Spike with such intensity that its eyes looked like they were burning.

Spike grinned nervously. “Um, Applejack? I think we might have a problem.”

“Spike, run!”

He leaped from the top of the hill, just in time to avoid the Timberwolf’s jaws as it lunged forward.

“Hang on, Spike, I’m comin’!” She ran around the edge of the hill as fast as her legs and the uneven terrain allowed. Spike had to be somewhere on the other side, but she had no idea whether he had tried to hide, or whether he had tried to flee. The Alpha didn’t seem to know either. It was still perched at the top of the root hill, sniffing around for the scent of dragon.

She hoped Spike hadn’t gone too far. Their plan wasn’t a failure yet; she just needed to give Spike an opening to clog the timberwolf’s other mouth. It didn’t look like it was making any effort to clear its throat. One of the heads simply hung somewhat limply on its shoulder. But the other head, it threw back and howled, so loudly that Applejack’s ears rang.

“What was that? What’s it’ tryin’ to” —she came around the other side of the hill and skidded to a halt as she saw a pack of timberwolves pouring from between the trees— “oh.” She spun around and galloped in the other direction, the pack of wolves hot on her hooves.

This is not good. Spike thought to himself. And that was a massive understatement. Sure, he had made one shot, but after that the only thing that had gone right was not being eaten. He had all but rolled down the hill, again, and found himself in the same place he had landed when he first entered the dream. He had managed to sneak back into the tree-room he had hidden in before, just in time to see Applejack get chased into the distance by a pack of timberwolves.

So in essence, he was right back where he had started, only now there was an angry Alpha Timberwolf prowling around right outside his hiding place. And it was easily tall enough to pluck him right out. He looked into the saddlebag. He had three baseballs left, and one other ball that might’ve been a baseball at one point, but was so old and battered that he couldn’t really tell. He had four shots to take out the timberwolf before it cleared its other airway or found him. He didn’t think it would be long before one of those things happened.

“Okay, I just need to find a way to distract it!” he babbled to himself. “Applejack is being chased around and I won’t be able to get her out of that without the Alpha Timberwolf eating me or something so I need to find another distraction before it-”

The whole tree jolted, knocking Spike off his feet. The trunk groaned under the strain, crackled, and began to fall

“Oh come on!” He ran to the window, moving practically uphill as the room tilted. He leaped through just as the tree slammed down, tumbling awkwardly down the trunk. Broken branches and chunks of his former hiding place tumbled down, burying him in debris. For a moment everything was still. Then he heard scratching. And snorting. The branches that had fallen over him were pulled away, and he found himself face to face with the Alpha.

Its other head still hung limply off to the side, but it really only needed one. He had no idea how a single baseball could destroy it. It could swallow him in one bite. The wolf snorted again. A wave of foul-smelling fog blasted Spike in the face. He staggered backwards and stumbled over the mess of tangled roots behind him.

“So, uh… no hard feelings?” he said nervously as he slowly crawled back. All he could think of was trying to stall it long enough for it to get distracted, but its gaze stayed glued on him. The dream was silent except for the pack of timberwolves yapping in the distance as they chased after Applejack, and the crunching of the ground beneath the Alpha’s claws. He punched the button on his wrist. He needed a distraction. Something. Anything.

“Hey, look!” —he pointed— “It’s an Ursa Major!”

The timberwolf kept its gaze fixed on him. Then it took a step forward. Spike pushed the button again.

“What, is this thing broken?” he muttered. “Where is she?”

The timberwolf took another step forward.

“Fine! Take this!” He hurled a ball at the creature’s head. Maybe it would flinch, or dodge, or do something that would give him an opening.

The ball bounced harmlessly off of the creature’s forehead. The timberwolf ignored it, as if it hadn’t even noticed.

“Come on, Luna!” He pounded his fist on the button as he stumbled backward. “Where are you?! I just need something to distract that thing! I’ll take anything!”

“What the hay is goin’ on here?” The voice was familiar.

“Apple” —Spike’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head as he saw who had spoken— “Bloom?”

She stood resolutely on a lump of root, tensed as if she was ready to pounce.“I dunno why you got two heads, or why you’re chasin’ Spike, but I’m not lettin’ you get away with it!”

“Apple Bloom! What are you doing here!?”

“I’m helpin’ you fight that thing!” She thrust a hoof at the monster, who seemed every bit as confused about her presence as Spike was.

“H-helping!?” Spike sputtered. “You have to get out of here! It’s danger-”

The timberwolf lunged forward with a roar. Spike was faster, by only a mere fraction of a second

“Oh, no you don’t!”

He blinked. A baseball was flying through the air in front of him. He didn’t remember throwing it, but he must have; his claw was already mid-followthrough. The throw was perfect, arcing gently through the air, straight towards the Alpha Timberwolf’s gullet.

The wolf landed with a crash, just short of where Apple Bloom stood. It clawed futilely at both of its throats, wheezing and choking as it tried to clear its airways. Its body creaked as the pressure began to build. Spike sprinted past the beast. He glanced at its face just long enough to see that it was giving him a stinkeye.

“Watch out!” He grabbed Apple Bloom and dove behind a tree trunk.

“Hey! What are you doing?” She gasped.

“Just keep your head down!”

The dream was silent for a moment. Then there was an enormous bang, like the world’s largest balloon popping. A wave of stinky, green air blasted past the tree. A second later a rain of smouldering wood chips rattled to the ground around them. In the distance he heard similar sounds, like distant fireworks. Wherever Applejack was, she wasn’t being chased anymore.

“Oh,” Apple Bloom mumbled.

“Spike! What is it!?”

“Gah!” Spike spun around, still clutching Apple Bloom. One of the knots on the tree he had been hiding behind was now replaced with Luna’s head.

“I’m sorry for the delay,” she said. “I had a rather pressing matter to…” she stopped as she saw Apple Bloom tilting her head quizzically at her. “...attend to.” She sighed. Spike couldn’t tell whether it was rooted in relief or frustration. “Though at the moment it appears it is not so pressing as it was a few moments ago.”

Spike raised an eyebrow. “Huh?”

“No matter.” She cleared her throat and blinked a few times, as if trying to recompose herself. “It appears that you have broken the Nightmare’s control over this dream, correct?”

He nodded as Apple Bloom wriggled free from his grasp.

“Spike just exploded a giant two-headed timberwolf like, just a few seconds ago! It was awesome!”

“And her?” Luna asked.

Spike shrugged. “I have no idea where she came from.”

“I believe I can answer that,” Luna said, her eyes fixed on Apple Bloom. “But first, find Applejack. I would prefer to only explain things once, and furthermore I believe she will want to hear that her sister is safe.”

“Will do!” Spike saluted. “Come on, Apple Bloom. Let’s find your sister. I know she’s going to want to see you.”

“Yeah!” Apple Bloom grinned widely and followed him through the trees.

Luna watched the two of them with narrowed eyes as they marched into the distance.

“These dreams just become more and more worrisome…”

Author's Note

"I wonder about the trees.
Why do we wish to bear
Forever the noise of these
More than another noise
So close to our dwelling place?"
~ Robert Frost, "The Sound of Trees"

I'm sorry this one took so long. I've been getting hit with some nasty writer's block lately. I think I might take a brief break on this story to work on something else for a bit and see if I can get the inspiration going again.

Grins and Lies

Spike, Apple Bloom, and Applejack sat in one of the tree-rooms. They had shoved most of the unnecessary debris out of the window, leaving the space mostly empty except from a sofa, a chair, and a few boxes that served as an impromptu coffee table.

“So we can’t go back to that other dream with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle?” Apple Bloom asked cautiously.

“No,” Luna said.

Apple Bloom recognized the tone. She had heard the basic combination of emotions before when she and Sweetie Belle had wandered away from Rarity during a trip to Manehattan and subsequently gotten lost. When they finally reunited, it was hard to tell whether Rarity wanted to hug or strangle them.

“Why not?” She tried to keep from sounding whiney. “I didn’t have any trouble gettin’ here.”

“That is true. It is also true that it was nothing short of miraculous.” Luna glared at her so hard that Apple Bloom had to turn away, an impressive feat given that Luna’s head currently manifested as the embroidered pattern on an old, dusty throw pillow.

“I am still somewhat baffled that you managed to make the journey without being noticed. Spike can slip through because of his resistance to the spell, and I have the knowledge required to remain unseen. You have neither of these things. Obviously, we cannot risk trying it again.”

“So I guess we’re stuck here.” Apple Bloom hopped off of the couch where she had been sitting next to Applejack and poked her head over the windowsill. “This dream is kinda freaky, but I guess I can deal with it. At least my sister won’t be stuck here all alone.”

“Thanks,” Applejack said with a smile as she patted her sister on the head. “I know your friends aren’t here, but this dream isn’t all that bad. At least now there aren’t timberwolves runnin’ around anymore. We’ll find something to do to pass the time.” She turned to Luna. “Unless there’s something you need us to do, of course.”

“At the moment, you need to do nothing. Aside from staying away from the portal” —she glared at Apple Bloom for a split second— “and contacting me should anything unusual occur. I will go inform Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo that Apple Bloom is safe, and ensure that they stay away from the portal. These portals could be a difficulty, but it is possible that we may be able to turn them to our advantage. The ability for anyone other than Spike to travel from dream to dream could prove to be a great benefit. Assuming, of course, that it is possible. I will inform you if I require your assistance in any way.”

“Well, best of luck getting this all sorted out,” Applejack said. “You and Spike have been doin’ a great job so far.”

“Thank you for the encouragement. Hopefully, the next time I see you, it will be after this whole incident has been resolved.” Luna’s face dissolved and the pillow reverted to its old, flower-shaped pattern.

Apple Bloom turned back to Applejack. “So now what do we do?”

Applejack shrugged. “I dunno. I think me and Spike saw a checkerboard in one of these trees here. Want to go look for it?”

“Sure!”

For all of a few minutes, Spike had thought that he had finally acclimated to the eerie silence that hung over Ponyville. Then he arrived at Fluttershy’s cottage. He had never really thought about it before, but as soon as he stepped through the doorway, it hit him like a bucket of cold water. There were no birds chirping, no paws thumping, no scratching of mice in the walls, and no bear snoring as it took a nap in the back yard. It gave the strange sensation of somehow being even more quiet than silence.

Almost involuntarily, he brought his feet down extra hard as he climbed the stairs, the dull thumps holding the stillness at bay. He sighed in relief as he poked his head into Fluttershy’s room. There had been a worry at the back of his mind that Fluttershy had already left, or that she had decided to rehearse somewhere else with her birds. Fortunately, she hadn’t. She was curled up in front of the open window. On the windowsill perched a line of sleeping songbirds.

Spike sat down carefully next to her, trying to find a comfortable pose so that he wouldn’t be so achy when he woke up. Hopefully she didn’t have any hidden neuroses that would make her dream unexpectedly terrifying. If he was lucky, it would be something full of flowers and bunnies and —he thought of Angel— maybe not the bunnies. Puppies. Puppies were nice and hopefully Fluttershy’s dream would be full of them. Probably not, but he could always hope. He settled himself against the edge of her bed and put his claw on her hoof. He barely even noticed as the dream sucked him in.

As he entered it, he found himself falling, with green and white blurs rushing past him. He opened his mouth to scream, but before he had the chance, he smashed facedown into something. He lay still for a moment, grateful that whatever it was that had broken his fall was spongy, though slightly slimy as well. The surface he lay on was slightly curved, as if he had landed on some sort of enormous pipe. He opened his eyes and found himself staring at what seemed to be a thick layer of bright green moss growing on a tree branch.

“Trees, huh?” He began to rise to his feet. “Not like I just got out of a dream with hundreds of those or any-WHOA!”

He had barely stood when his feet slipped out from under him and he found himself falling once more. But this time he didn’t even have time to scream. His fall was broken by something stretchy and sticky, like an enormous trampoline covered in gum.

“What is going on?!” He blinked. Whatever it was he had landed on was at an angle, but the stickiness was keeping him from sliding. “What is this—”

He swallowed involuntarily as he recognized the thing that had caught him. Thick, white threads crisscrossed beneath him in a—one word jumped to mind, and he shoved it away to replace it with another—net. Yes, a net. Definitely a net, and certainly not anything else. He turned his attention to his surroundings.

Trees of nearly every shape and size, from full grown redwoods to narrow saplings, stretched into the distance as far as he could see. Branches curled from tree to tree, forming paths through the forest. The tree trunks stretched far upwards above him, so high that he couldn’t see a single treetop. He chuckled to himself. Twilight would’ve been frustrated to no end by the implausibility. Everything was covered by a coat of moss so aggressively verdant that it hurt his eyes. The only break in the endless greenery were interlacing gossamer threads that crisscrossed between the trees in a tangle of… nets.

He stood and began to climb back up. There were more than enough wide branches to allow him to make his way through the trees. The cords beneath him stretched and bounced as he worked his way upward. He kept his eyes focused on the branch, refusing to look down. Then he saw something out of the corner of his eye.

A dark shape sat next to him, just a few scant feet away. The word web forced itself into his head. Obviously something had to have woven them, and now he was right beside one of those somethings.

He wanted to scream and scramble away, but he forced himself to stay still. It must be asleep or something. It hasn’t moved, so if I can just sneak past… He trembled as he continued to climb. If he could just get off of the web without disturbing the spider, he’d be safe. If he could just—

The strand snapped. He had clenched his fist too tightly as he pulled himself up, and his claw sheared through the string. He toppled downwards, straight towards the spider. His claws flailed widely as he tried to grab the web. One of his feet caught in the threads, and he found himself hanging upside down, right next to the dark shape. He braced himself, expecting any moment to find himself assaulted by wriggling legs and mandibles and whatever other pointy bits of anatomy a spider had.

But he wasn’t. He hesitatingly opened his eyes, and with a sigh of inexpressible relief, he saw that the spider wasn’t a spider.

It was a mask.

It was the face of a pony, constructed out of paper mâché and painted in dark, earthy colors that made it stand out against the pale webbing. The eyes were darkest of all, simple holes cut into the surface. It looked just enough like a real face that the fakeness of it made him cringe. He turned away and continued to climb.

When he reached the branch, he sat carefully against the trunk of the tree and dug his claws into the moss for good measure. As the pangs of fear began to subside, he noticed that the mask he had fallen onto wasn’t the only one. He hadn’t seen them at first, but if he looked closely at the other webs, he could see similar dark shapes at the center of each one.

He looked down and saw nothing but trees, webs, and masks. It seemed obvious that no matter how far down he climbed, he would never reach the ground.

The forest was silent. He hoped that it would stay that way.

“I guess that I should get a move on,” he said, his own voice sounding loud in the silence. “Fluttershy’s got to be in here somewhere.”

The discovery of the dream portal in the Crusaders’ shared dream had raised all sorts of questions. It would be trivially easy for them to create portals that could be used only by the Nightmares themselves; why would they allow the possibility of a pony slipping through? Either it was an unbelievable oversight, or they had deliberately left a hole in their megaspell.

Luna sailed through the spaces between the dreams, keeping an eye on the shimmering threads of magic that flowed from the portal. The Nightmares had at least been competent at camouflaging it; at some points it was nearly invisible against rippling wall of magic that comprised the Nightmare’s spell.

A valiant effort, but it takes more than that to hide your spell from me. The magical pathway split into a myriad of passages as it weaved through the walls that kept the dreams from one another. It reminded her of the numerous secret passageways in the ancient castle where she and her sister had once lived. She picked one and followed it as it twisted and curled through the dreamspace.

This is just what I was afraid of. Luna thought as she reached the end. The branch of the portal network vanished into the thick wall of magic that defined the border of the Cake Twins’ dream. If the Nightmares bothered to connect that dream to their portal system, it is likely that the rest are also connected.

She was still as she watched the magic shimmer and spark. The spell was almost beautiful, in a way. Despite the nefarious purpose, she would have been lying if she claimed not to admire the craftsmanship. Only a master spellcrafter could possibly create such a thing. Which made it that much more of an enigma that it existed at all. Surely anyone skillful enough to design it would realize that it was wholly unnecessary.

Their oversight may be the key to shattering their hold over everypony. But doing so would risk drawing their attention, and if that happens... It is not a decision that I ought to make on my own.

She backed away from the spell and floated off in search of Spike.

Spike cringed as he crept past another mask. He couldn’t win. If he looked at it, the not-quite-rightness of the expression gave him the chills. If he looked away, he could feel its eyeless face watching him and again, the chills. He settled on watching it out of the corner of his eye. That’s number twenty-seven. Or is it twenty-eight? Yeah, twenty-eight. That sounds right. Twenty-seven was the one with the feathers...

Counting the masks was the only way to gauge his progress. The trees all started to look the same after a while, but each of the masks were unique. Most of the faces were ponies, but a number of other races, griffons, zebras, dragons, and even the odd minotaur, were scattered throughout. None of them seemed to be any particular individuals; at the very least, Spike didn’t recognize a single one of them.

The masks themselves were fashioned from a wide variety of materials in just as many styles. Paper mâché was the most common, with manes either cut from solid pieces of fabric, or woven from string, like an arts-and-crafts project. Other masks were carved from wood, like the masks that he had seen adorning the walls of Zecora’s hut. Some were porcelain, bone-white and shiny. A few were even yak-style, woven crudely out of some sort of plant he didn’t recognize. He had even seen one that seemed to be carved from stone and colored with chalk.

“How am I supposed to find Fluttershy in a place like this?” he asked out loud. “This forest just goes on forever in every direction!” He kicked out at a clump of moss on the branch and nearly lost his balance. He sat down heavily. “I guess I could start checking those masks” —he shuddered— “but there are just as many of those as there are trees. There’s no way I could actually look at all of them. I’d never get out of here.”

He flopped down onto his back, staring into the trees as they stretched infinitely upward.

“Spike.”

“Gah!”

There was always the thought in the back of his mind that Luna might appear at any time, but his effort to distract himself from thinking about what the masks might be hiding was a little too successful. He sprang upright with such force that he rolled right off the branch, tumbling a few feet before landing on a web.

“Apologies,” Luna’s voice said from above. “I did not intend to shock you in that manner.”

“No, no, it’s my bad,” Spike mumbled as he climbed up the web, being careful not to touch the wooden zebra mask at the center. He had brushed against it as he fell, and he didn’t intend to do so again. “I should be used to that by now.”

He clamored back onto the branch and found Luna’s face in the moss on the trunk of the tree. Her expression looked oddly tired.

“So, do you have some sort of hint about what I should be looking for?” he asked. “Or did you need me for something?”

“I have a question for you,” she answered. “A matter has come up, and I would like to hear your thoughts on the matter before I take action.”

“You want my thoughts?” he asked. “What on earth do you need my advice for?”

“I wish to hear your advice because the matter impacts you more than anypony else. I cannot press forward unless I know whether you believe it is worth the risk.”

“O-okay,” he mumbled, feeling like a load of bricks had been dumped on top of him. “So what’s going on?”

“I have been examining the inter-dream portal network that Apple Bloom discovered. It appears that it connects every dream that is affected by the spell. At least, it has nodes in every section I have examined. Furthermore, it seems that the network itself is entirely vestigial.”

“Vestigial?” The word sounded familiar; Spike knew he had heard it somewhere.

“It is likely a leftover spell component from an earlier iteration,” she said. “My guess is that when they were originally designing the spell, they included the portal system as a way to travel from dream to dream. However, the spell is designed in such a way that a dedicated method of transport ultimately wasn’t necessary.”

“Then why would they leave it in?” Spike asked. “Wouldn’t it just end up causing problems?”

“I do not know exactly, but my best guess would be that even though the portals themselves were unneeded, the magic is so entwined with the other elements of the spell that removing it was not possible. With a spell this complex, everything is interconnected, and changing a single component could prevent the spell from being properly cast. I’m certain that Twilight would be able to explain it in greater detail.”

Spike shuddered. “I’m sure she could.”

“Whatever the case may be, the fact remains that the portals were left in the dreams despite the Nightmares not using them in any capacity. If Apple Bloom’s experience was any indication, these portals can be used by ponies as well as Nightmares. Obviously, this offers us an unprecedented opportunity.”

Spike nodded excitedly. “If everypony can leave their dreams, it wouldn’t just be me having to run around and free everypony from their Nightmares! We could break the spell so much faster that way!”

“Yes,” Luna said, her voice free of enthusiasm, “we could.”

“Okay, what’s the catch?” Spike asked, noting her tone of voice. “If it were that easy, we’d have already starting doing it.”

“How astute of you. The short of it is that in order to make the portals viable for pony use, I will have to make some modifications to the spell. Apple Bloom was able to make her way into Applejack’s dream largely through luck. Furthermore, I believe it was only possible in the first place because your presence interfered with the spell’s normal operation.”

“So… we can’t use it, then?” He scratched his head. “I’m not sure exactly what I’m supposed to be helping you with.”

“We can, but first I must make some slight modifications to ensure the safety of anypony who uses it. And that is where I must ask your advice. In order to make such a plan feasible, I will need to directly interact with the spell’s component magic, something that I have mostly avoided thus far so as not to draw attention. Should I do so—”

“There’s a way bigger chance that you’ll get caught,” Spike finished.

“Yes. And if we are detected, I believe we can safely assume that our current plan would fall apart completely. We have only gotten so far because we have been overlooked.”

“Whew…” Spike took a deep breath. He knew it wasn’t real, but the motion helped keep him calm. “So it’s sort of an all-or-nothing thing, isn’t it?”

“More or less.”

“Why are you asking me about this?” he asked nervously. “Wouldn’t it make more sense to ask Rarity or Applejack?”

“I am asking you because this decision affects you the most.”

“Me?” Spike jumped to his feet. “But this affects everypony. Including you!”

“Yes,” she said. “Our circumstances are unique. You and I are the only two in this town with a natural resistance to the spell. Me, because of my special affinity for the magic of dreams, and you because your dragon magic interferes with the spell.”

“I already knew that!” he snapped, punctuating his words with a stomp. “What does that have to do with anything?!”

“It means that you are the only one who could escape.”

Spike froze. “What? Escape?”

“Do not tell me you have not already thought of it. Every time you wake up, you have the opportunity to leave. You are only in this dream because you chose to enter it. For every pony in Ponyville, they are already trapped. If my plan were to fail, if we are discovered, their situation would be no worse than it was to begin with. They would be sent back to the Nightmares where they were first imprisoned. That situation would be awful, of course, but at the very least we would have provided a few ponies a bit of respite. In your case, however, things are different.

“If we are discovered, you would almost certainly be captured as well. I cannot say how exactly they would go about it, but I have few doubts that they have the ability to patch the loophole through which you originally escaped. In short, you are the only one who has an escape route, and once my plan is put into motion, there is a very real chance of that escape route being closed.”

“So…” Spike mumbled, half to himself and half to Luna, “My choices are to either stay here and risk being caught, or to bail on everypony?”

“To put it bluntly, yes. I will not close off your escape route without first giving you a chance to use it. Perhaps you could make for the Crystal-”

“Wait just a second!” Spike interrupted. “What makes you think that I’m going to run off and leave everypony stuck here!?”

“Because the alternative is potentially being trapped in your Nightmares along with all of us! I could not possibly fault you if you want to take the opportunity to avoid that fate.”

“No!” A flame shot from Spike’s mouth, singing the moss beside Luna’s face. “I’m not going to leave all my friends, my family, stuck in their nightmares! Forget it.”

“Spike, I admire your dedication, but you really should consider just what is at stake.”

“I know what’s at stake. And that’s why I’m not going anywhere.” He sat back down, arms and legs crossed. “Besides, I don’t think that those are our only options.”

“Is that so?” Luna raised a curious eyebrow. “What, pray tell, is this other option that I have not considered?”

Spike shrugged. “You… just don’t mess with the portals. We’re doing just fine without them. If it’s so risky, why not save it as some sort of ace-in-the-hole and only use it when we really need to? You know, like a backup plan.”

Luna’s face was still for a few seconds before she answered. “You realize, of course, that this means you will continue to shoulder the entire burden of finding everypony yourself. Are you sure that you wish to do that?”

“Yeah!” He nodded confidently. “I’ve already been doing that for what seems like forever.” He puffed up his chest and thumped it with his claw. “I can keep going no problem! There’s no reason to risk everything when I’ve got things under control.”

“Under control,” Luna repeated. “Are you sure?”

“Sure, I’m sure. Why do you keep asking me that?”

“It is just… I want everypony to be freed from the spell as soon as possible. I can hardly bear the way they are suffering. But I suppose you are right about the portals. The risk is great enough that we ought not to take it yet.”

“Thank you!” Spike grinned, proud that he had managed to change Luna’s mind. “I know I haven’t exactly been going fast or anything, but I have freed quite a few ponies already. We’ll have this spell down before you know it!”

Luna couldn’t help smirking at his confidence. “In that case, I will leave you to your efforts while I conduct further analysis. I ask only that you be careful.” She began to fade back into the moss.

“Wait!” Spike said.

“What?” Her face reformed itself in the moss.

“I… uh…” Spike sheepishly twiddled his claws. “I was just wondering… if you had any advice about this dream. You know, just to make things go a bit quicker.”

Luna chuckled quietly to herself as she surveyed the dream from within. “I take it you’ve been exploring for a while?”

Spike nodded. “Yeah, and it’s all the same no matter which way you go. The only things that aren’t the same are the masks.” He cringed. “They’re kinda freaky. It feels like something is watching me.”

“Creepy though they may be, if I were in your position I would examine them more closely.”

Spike sighed. “I was afraid of that.”

“Masks are most often used to hide oneself, but I find that more often than not, you can tell quite a lot about somepony by the mask they choose to hide behind.”

“Okaaay… but what if behind the mask there are… spiders?” His eyes darted involuntarily towards a nearby web.

“I have every confidence that you will be able to handle it. You have already dealt with Timberwolves, ambulatory clothing, and a rogue taffy machine, after all.”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it,” Spike grumbled as his confidence drained away.

“And of course, if you ever need my help, you know how to contact me.”

“Great.”

“Do not sell yourself short, young dragon. It is no mistake that you have gotten us this far. Best of luck.”

Spike took a deep breath, then gave her a thumbs-up.

“Thanks. I got this!”

“Good. I will catch up with you later.” Her face faded away and Spike found himself staring at a moss-covered tree trunk.

The silence of the forest closed in on him as he found himself alone. A thought poked itself into his mind like a splinter. Maybe I should’ve considered her offer…

“No!” He shook his head vigorously as if he were trying to get the thought out. “Luna’s counting on me. Everypony is counting on me. We can’t risk the Nightmares finding us. I have to do this! Once I save Ponyville and everyone is safe again we’ll have a parade and I’ll get a giant pile of gems from everypony, and this whole thing will just be a chapter in a history book. Not even a chapter. Just a subsection, with my name at the top. Or a footnote. Hopefully I’ll get more than that.”

Spike walked carefully along the branch, as he had done so many times as he travelled through the dream. At the end, where the branch met the trunk, a large web was stretched between two trees. This time, he wasn’t going to pass by it.

The mask was a mare’s face, made from thin, pink plastic. A bushy blue mane and equally bushy set of eyebrows had been crudely glued on around the edges. I’m lucky, he thought. At least this mask isn’t all that creepy… comparatively speaking.

He stepped out carefully onto the web and reached for the mask, half expecting it to explode or suddenly grow legs or any of another hundred possibilities. I shouldn’t have borrowed all those horror movies from Rainbow Dash. He braced himself and plucked the mask from the web.

Nothing happened.

“Huh, I though that would’ve done something.” He carefully stepped back onto the branch and began to study the mask. It didn’t seem to be particularly unusual. He turned it over. The inside of the thing was every bit as mundane as the outside. “Wait a second…”

He flipped it back over. Something was wrong. Something more than the normal uncanniness of a fake face. He cringed as he saw the problem. It was the eyes. They were dark as ink. He hadn’t noticed while it was still hanging on the tree, but now that he looked more closely the eyes were still filled with shadow, even though he should’ve been able to see through them. He turned the mask around and looked at the inside. Through the eyeholes, he could see the trunk of the tree behind the mask.

“Weird,” he said to himself. “Maybe if I put it on…”

He pressed the mask against his face. For a split second, a bizarre sensation erupted through his head, as if he had been smacked in the face with a block of electrified jello. He couldn’t feel his face. Or rather he could, but he couldn’t tell where his own visage ended and the mask began. The sudden rush overwhelmed him and he toppled flat on his back.

“Ugh…” He reached up to make sure that his face was still there. He only felt the mask. “What the-?! What happened to my face?!” He put a claw over his mouth. Even though he could feel his mouth move and hear the sound of his own voice, the mask was still. “How does that even work?” He sat up. “And I know that wasn’t there a minute ago.”

A path made of shimmering light wound through the branches. It glowed brightly, as if it were forged from red-hot metal. He stuck a foot out, prodding the pathway to make sure that he wouldn’t fall through it.

“Huh. I wonder why putting a mask on would make that thing show up. Maybe…” He reached up and felt for the edge of the mask. It was fused to his face, but there was still a ridge at the edge where the plastic gave way to his scales. He grasped it with his claws and pulled. His ears were filled with a sound like an enormous cork popping out of a gigantic champagne bottle. Everything went dark, the light sucked away in a flash of darkness.

He blinked a few times and found himself holding the mask in his claws. The glowing path was nowhere to be seen. He reached out to touch it, but his claw went through the air where it had been. “So I guess I can only see it while I have the mask on. What is this, some sort of video game?” He braced himself and slipped the mask back on. The path lay in front of him, glowing brightly.

“Well, at least I know where to go, even if I’ve got to have this thing stuck to my face.” He stepped onto the path. “Don’t worry, Fluttershy, I’m coming!”

Apple Bloom scratched her head as she observed the seemingly random assortment of objects arranged on the grid she and Applejack had scratched into the surface of the table. After some consideration, she selected a metal bolt and moved it to a different square.

“King me!”

“Uh…” Applejack eyed the bolt suspiciously, as if it owed her money. “I’m pretty sure that was my piece.”

“Nuh uh, that screw was your piece.” She pointed. “The bolt was mine!”

“Alright, fine. It’s been so long since I played somepony in checkers, I must be gettin’ rusty.” Applejack wrinkled her nose at the state of the game. “Since when did you get so good at this?”

“Sweetie Belle taught me a couple of tricks,” Apple Bloom said proudly. “She’s real good at checkers. She says Rarity’s even better.” Her demeanor deflated as thoughts of her friends began to float to the surface. “I hope she’s doin’ okay.”

“I’m sure she and Sweetie Belle are doin’ perfectly fine. Luna’s been checkin’ in on them. I’m sure she’d tell us if they were in trouble.”

“Yeah, I guess.” She poked at one of her pieces. “It’s sure been awhile since she showed up, though. You think somethin’s goin’ on?”

“Hey, Luna said that time passes all weird in dreams. I bet it feel like longer than it’s really been.” She poked one of the pieces. “Your move.”

“Hmm.” Apple Bloom considered the board for a moment, picked up a chunk of wood and tapped it down several times on the table. “Your move!”

“Ugh. You captured like half my pieces. Now what am I gonna—”

The board trembled for a moment, then Luna’s face erupted out of it, scattering the pieces.

“Gah!” Apple Bloom toppled backwards off of her chair and landed with a thud, while Applejack shielded herself from the rain of makeshift game pieces.

“Greetings, Apple sisters!” Luna anounded. Then she took a moment to survey her surroundings. “Have I interrupted something?”

“You popped right outta our Checkers game!” Apple Bloom grumbled. “I was about to win!”

“My apologies.”

“It’s just as well,” Applejack said as she gathered up the pieces. “I didn’t really have much of a chance of winnin’ anyway. So why’d you show up all of a sudden, Princess? Did something happen or are you just checkin’ in?”

“Mostly the latter. I have already checked with Rarity and the other Crusaders, and they are doing perfectly well. You need not worry about them.”

“Whew, that’s a relief.” Applejack patted her sister on the head. “You see? I told you things were fine.”

“However, there is a matter that I wish to talk with you about.” Luna glanced at Apple Bloom from the corner of her eye. “Privately.”

“Really?” Applejack swallowed nervously. “Apple Bloom’s gotta leave?”

“I would rather explain the situation to you, and once you are apprised of the situation, you can decide whether or not to explain it to her. She is your sister, after all. I will be brief. No more than a few minutes.”

Applejack looked from Luna to her sister, then back again. Even made from wood, the Princess’ eyes shimmered with determination.

“You heard her, Apple Bloom. Can you just wait outside for a few minutes while we talk?”

“I guess,” Apple Bloom said sullenly. “Y’all better tell me what’s goin’ on eventually though.” She began to climb out the window of the tree-room.

Applejack watched her sister descend the makeshift ladder to the ground, then she turned to Luna.

“Okay, what’s this thing you gotta tell me that you don’t want my sister around for?”

Luna cleared her throat in a way that ponies tended to when they were about to deliver bad news.

“It is about the portals…”

For the first time since he had entered the dream, Spike felt like he was making progress. His previous exploration through the forest had only scratched the surface of the dream. With the masks, he had begun to dig. And now that he had figured them out, he could see the real dream.

It had confused him at first. The bright path he had followed had come to a sudden end, as if someone had cut it like a ribbon and rolled up the rest of it. In an effort to see where it had gone, he had peered over the side. Or at least, he had tried too. No sooner had he poked his head over the edge than the path vanished beneath him, dropping him onto a branch below it.

As he climbed back up to where he had fallen from, the path reappeared, just in time for him to hit his head on it. He stepped back to go around it, only for it to disappear again. Then, as he carefully moved towards the empty space where it had been, it popped back into existence, and something clicked in his brain.

The masks must have a limited range. Once it goes too far away from where I found it, it stops working and the path vanishes. He snatched another mask from a nearby web, a griffon face made from cardboard, and put it on. Another path appeared. It looked different, a solid slab of gray stone rather than glowing, but it picked up exactly where the previous path left off.

He followed the new path as it zigzagged between the trees. Aside from the sharp turns and the occasional set of stairs, it didn’t appear all that different. Just like the first one, this one ended abruptly. And just like the first one, there happened to be a mask on a nearby web. It must be the masks. He climbed off the path and swapped the mask he was wearing for the new one. A new path appeared, this one carved out of wood and painted with dark red and green patterns.

The path was different for each mask. Sometimes it curved, sometimes it was straight as an arrow, sometimes it zig-zagged, and once it even showed up as a series of platforms. But there was only one path, and he followed it. As he went on, he began to notice that the path wasn’t the only thing that had appeared.

At first, the new bits of scenery were few and far between: a few flowers poking out of the moss, a lantern hanging from a branch, a flag hanging beside a web. But each time he put on a new mask, more and more bits of scenery appeared.

At this rate, I’ll be in the middle of a city before long. He popped off his old mask, a plaster pony mask, and replaced it with a carved wooden zebra mask. The path took the form of a wooden rope bridge, now flanked by a fountain on one side and a partially complete brick wall on the other. Fluttershy’s got to be around here somewhere. I just have to keep following the-

Spike froze. He had heard a sound in the distance. Or at least he thought he had heard something. The forest had been silent aside from the sound of his own footsteps. Well, more and more stuff has been appearing. Maybe there’s something that could make a sound. Like… maybe a clock or something. Sure, it’s just a chunk of a clock tower somewhere. Nothing to get worried about.

He started walking faster anyway.

“Oh my. That is quite the conundrum,” Rarity said around the needles clenched in her teeth. “But Spike does have a point. If there is no reason to take such a risk, why do so? It seems quite unnecessary. And would you please stop moving around so much? You are making it difficult to complete this headpiece.”

“That is true,” Luna said. She had manifested through one of the mannequins in Rarity’s dream, and Rarity had taken advantage of the opportunity to work through some of her dress ideas. “Taking such a risk may not be necessary.”

“And?” Rarity prompted.

“And what?”

“If the situation is truly that simple, there’s no reason for you to waste your time talking to me about it.” Rarity took a step back to get a better look at the feathers she had affixed to the top of Luna’s hat. “There must be something else going on.”

“You are very astute,” Luna said. “Spike is right in that as long as we have the time to spare, our current plan is likely the best course of action.”

Rarity froze, a ribbon floating in front of her. “But we do not have time to spare. Is that it?”

“It… I am not certain. I have been monitoring the spell for activity, and while I cannot say for sure at this time, it does appear that our time may be more limited than we first thought. The amount of magic being siphoned by the spell is beginning to increase, however slightly. Along with certain other factors, it would seem to indicate that the Nightmares are preparing for the next phase of their plan. And if my theory concerning the nature of their plan is correct, it would be best to break the spell before they do so.”

“I understand that, and I understand the risk,” Rarity said as she began to hem the edge of Luna’s dress. “What I do not understand is why you came to see me about this.”

“There are two things I must ask of you. First, I must know if you are willing to take part in the plan, should we be forced to attempt it.”

“I suppose I might as well,” Rarity answered. “I assume the risks are the same whether or not I actively take part, so it would selfish and foolish not to do all I can to help.”

“Very well. I expect nothing less from one of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony.”

“But,” Rarity said sharply, “I have one condition.”

“...Is that so?”

Rarity spat out her needles and looked Luna in the eyes with a cold glare. “If you put this plan into motion, I want to see my sister before we go off to the other dreams. If things… go badly, I do not know how long it would be before I would have the chance to see her again. I have to have one last chance to talk to her.”

Luna bit her lip and looked away. Then she nodded. “I understand. You will get a chance to see her. I promise.”

“Thank you.” Rarity’s icy gaze melted. She began to pick up the needles she had scattered over the floor.

“In that case, I suppose I should ask your opinion on your sister’s involvement in this plan, once it is put into action.”

“Obviously, I would prefer that she not be involved in this at all, but that was never truly an option,” Rarity said. “If your theory is accurate, she would not be in any more danger from taking part than if she did not. So despite my worries, she ought to take part. We will need all the help we can get.”

“Very well,” Luna said. “I know this situation is difficult, but you are dealing with it admirably.”

“Now then, what was this other thing you wanted to talk about?”

Luna paused for a moment to compose her thoughts.

“It is about Spike.”

Spike had almost forgotten that the dream had originated as a forest. The masked world was so dense by now that the only reminders of the dream’s original forms were the moments when he switched masks. The trees were mostly hidden behind a row of building facades, like a bizarre compilation of Equestrian architecture. A compilation that was quite incomplete, as there wasn’t a single door to be seen anywhere. He had attempted to look through the windows, but they were either dark, opaque, or too shiny to see through.

“Maybe I could open one of these…” He selected a windowsill that looked like it might move, and pulled upwards with all the strength he could muster. It didn’t budge, solid as if the whole thing was carved from a single block of stone. “So much for that,” he muttered. “Oh, well, I guess it doesn’t matter. I must be almost there.”

He looked down the path. It had had its fair share of zigzags and turns, but for the most part it had gone in a more or less straight line. But now, it seemed to be curving, however inconsistently, a bit to the left. At first he had thought that it was all in his head, but after a while it became clear that the path was leading him in a spiral. And at the center of that spiral he would, hopefully, find Fluttershy.

He could only guess what was there. Whatever he was headed towards, he was still far enough away that it lay outside the mask’s range. There was nothing to do but keep following the path and hope that whatever he found wouldn’t give him too much trouble.

A rattle echoed through the trees. He spun around, just in time to see a dark shape in the distance dart out of view.

“What was that?” he whispered to himself. He stood as still as he could, hoping that the sound would stop along with his movement. The sound stopped, just half a second too late. Whatever it was, he hadn’t made it. “I should’ve known it wouldn’t be so easy,” he mumbled. “I must be getting closer. Ugh, I hope it’s not spiders. The webs are bad enough without the spiders.” He began to jog along the path. “Maybe I can get to Fluttershy before whatever that is catches up to” —he heard the rattle again, growing louder— “me.”

He didn’t want to look, but he knew he had to. What he saw was even worse than spiders. Giant spiders. No, not giant spiders. It was the masks. They had spawned long, chitinous legs that clicked as they skittered along the hidden path toward him. He cringed as he recognized them. It was all of the masks that he had used and discarded in his journey along the path. Something had brought them to life, and now they were bearing down on him. Spike sighed.

“Fluttershy, why?”

He turned and ran. The horde of spider-masks clattered along behind him, their legs tapping loudly on the path. As he turned to look back at the path he saw that it was coming to an end. He leaped off the end of the path, ripping the mask off of his face as he did so. He landed on a nearby web and hurled the mask as far away as he could manage. With some luck, the lack of pathways would stop the masks in their tracks. He watched carefully to see if they were still in pursuit.

His face fell as he saw the masks continue to skitter in his direction, now climbing from tree to tree. He plucked the mask from the web. The only thing he could do was try to stay ahead of them.

“If you want to get any respectable accuracy you will have to make sure the sling is the right length,” Luna said matter-of-factly. “Otherwise you will either overshoot your target or fall short. You may also want to consider modifying the placement of the fulcrum so that the beam is longer on the side of the sling. It will give you more power.”

“Yeah, that seems kinda obvious in retrospect,” Sweetie Belle said as she looked over the trebuchet, which really didn’t look much like a trebuchet unless one knew what it was supposed to be. “I’m pretty sure the counterweight isn’t supposed to drag.”

“It’s not my fault you put the main beam in backwards!” Scootaloo snapped.

“Ahem!” Luna cleared her throat loudly. It rustled the leaves of the bush she had manifested through. “Girls. We must focus.”

“Right!” Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo stood at attention.

“Now then, we do not know exactly how long it will be before I may require your help, but if it should come to that, I want you to be prepared. If I activate the spell I have been preparing, it will allow you to travel through the portal. However, there is a very good chance that doing so will attract the attention of the Nightmares. As a result, we must move swiftly, and you must know what to do.”

“So… what do we do?” Scootaloo asked.

“You wait and do not touch the portal until I tell you.” Luna’s voice was raised to a near shout. “Doing so would only cause a multitude of problems.”

“O-okay,” Sweetie Belle said as she poked her head out from behind Scootaloo. “So how do we know when you want us to jump in the portal?”

“I will let you know. Trust me, the signal will be very clear and you won’t miss it.” She blinked the flowers that served as her eyes. “When you receive the signal, you must head straight to the portal and enter it as quickly as possible.”

“How are we gonna know where we’re supposed to be going?” Scootaloo asked. “Do we each go to our own dream?”

“No, no, I would not send you out alone. I would not even have Spike working alone if it were not the only possibility. In all likelihood, I will have everypony proceed to the same dream, at least at first. If we attract the attention of the Nightmares, it would be best that we are together. In a direct conflict, it would be our only chance at mounting any sort of defense. You will not need to worry about finding your way. The spell will automatically send you where you need to go.”

“So, uh, do you know exactly how long it’s going to be before all this happens?” Sweetie Belle asked. “You know, so we can try to not be in the middle of anything?”

“Unfortunately, I cannot,” Luna said. “Aside from the fact that keeping track of time is difficult in a dream, I do not know when such a thing will become necessary. It may not happen at all. But if it does, you must be ready to drop what you are doing at a moment’s notice”

Scootaloo nodded confidently. “We can do that!”

“I certainly hope so,” Luna said. “I will let you know if anything changes, but for the time being, do not wander too far from the portal, and contact me if anything suspicious arises.”

“Got it!” Sweetie Belle saluted. “Anything else?”

“When all of this is over and done with, do not tell anyone that I had a hoof in helping you design your trebuchet. My sister would never let me hear the end of it. And should you attempt to fire it, make sure it faces away from Ponyville.”

“Will do!” Scootaloo saluted as she watched Luna fade into the bush. Then she turned to Sweetie Belle. “So, you think it’ll be long before she comes back?”

“I have no idea,” Sweetie Belle answered. “I wonder whose dream we’d end up going into?”

“Maybe we’d go into Rainbow Dash’s dream!” Scootaloo said excitedly. “How cool would that be?”

“Well, she’ll be having a nightmare, so I don’t know if it’ll be that fun. I mean, how freaky would it have to be if Rainbow Dash is afraid of it?”

“Oh,” Scootaloo bit her lip. “Okay, maybe that wouldn’t be cool. I can barely handle my own nightmares, let alone stuff scary enough to terrify her.”

Sweetie Belle thought for a moment. “Or it could be a chance to show her how brave you are.”

“Right,” Scootaloo said, stomping her hoof. “It doesn’t matter how terrible Rainbow Dash’s worst nightmares are! All of Equestria is counting on us, so I’m just gotta do it! Even if Rainbow Dash has a nightmare about the headless horse chasing her through the Everfree Forest while being followed by a pack of Timberwolves and… uh…” She swallowed hard.

Sweetie Belle patted her on the back. “Maybe we should get back to work on the catapult. We’ll worry about all that stuff later.”

Spike sprinted along the path, trying to block out the sound of dozens of spider-masks skittering behind him. The path spiraled tight enough that he was running at an angle. I’ve got to be almost there! But what am I going to run into? What if I’m just charging straight into the spiders’ nest? He felt a pang of fear at the back of his mind. No, I can’t think about that now. I’ve just got to keep going!

He glanced over his shoulder. They were still behind him. Not gaining, but keeping pace. One wrong move and they would catch up. The end of the path lay in front of him. He searched for a mask to switch to. With any luck, it would be the last one he needed. The path spiraled so tightly that it would be wholly within the mask’s range. He just needed to find one and make the switch.

He saw a mask and gasped.

Unlike every other mask he had seen, he recognized this one. It was Fluttershy’s face. For a split second he thought that it was Fluttershy herself, somehow protruding from a tree, but as he drew closer he could see that it was carved from some unidentifiable substance. He took a deep breath and leaped from the end of the path onto the web that held her face. He hurled the old mask away and snatched the new one from the web.

As he put it on, the dream seemed to change completely. The path appeared beneath him, same as always, but this time the path and the buildings stretched out as far as he could see. Fluttershy’s mask could see everything.

He could see where he needed to go.

The path spiraled tighter and tighter, finally leading to the base of a tower. It stretched unevenly and awkwardly upward as far as he could see, as if a CMC building project had gotten horribly out of hand. As he sprinted around, a smile broke out on his face. High above, a large window opened into the wall. Fluttershy’s got to be in there! I just have to outrun the- “GAHH!”

He shouted as a spindly spider leg tapped the path right beside him. The masks had cheated. Instead of following him along the lane, they had cut across and were almost on top of him. He looked ahead. A lamp post stood next to the path. He caught it as he ran by, swinging himself around with his momentum so that he was on a beeline for the tower.

Behind him, the masks skidded past, their pointed legs unable to slow them. They crashed in a heap as Spike charged forward.

“Why couldn’t Fluttershy have dreamt up an elevator?” Spike gasped as he reached his destination. At least there were stairs… about a dozen of them. After that, they were replaced by a ladder, then by a series of platforms, then a swinging rope. It reminded him of that one level in Daring Do’s Arcade Adventure that he had never been able to beat. He hoped that this wouldn’t be quite so frustrating.

He began to climb. A moment later, so did the masks. He kicked at the ladder, hoping to dislodge it before before they reached the top. It wouldn’t budge; it was embedded into the side of the tower. There was a rattling from below. He smiled as he realized that the ladder had worked in his favor. It was tough enough for a single spider to climb a ladder, let along several dozen all at once. The masks fumbled over each other as they fought to make their way up the rungs, landing in a heap at its foot.

Spike pushed the thoughts of the spiders from his head and kept moving. He couldn’t worry too much about the masks. He had to reach the top of the tower and find Fluttershy. She had to be there. And once he found her, he would be able to get rid of those things once and for all. At the moment, he had to make sure he didn’t fall. He kept moving. The path seemed to be trying to inhibit him, full of gaps, rope swings, even moving platforms.

“After this, the arcade is going to seem boring,” he muttered as he jumped over a gap. “Then again, this isn’t that tough. It would be like the first level at best.” He hopped over a spinning platform and onto a ramp that wrapped upward around the building. “You think that there would be some more—”

He heard a familiar rattle below him. He didn’t want to look but he did.

“Oh, come on!”

The spider masks had given up on the ladder and settled for simply scrambling directly up the wall, bypassing all of the obstacles that Spike had climbed through. It was only a matter of time before they would catch up.

Spike looked up. There was a window. All of the obstacles and platforms seemed to be leading right to it. But he wouldn’t have time to traverse all of them. The masks would catch him and drag him down, and he had a feeling that if he fell, they wouldn’t give him a chance to try again.

He turned his attention to the wall beneath the window. The stones of the tower were just uneven enough that they could serve as clawholds. Maybe.

“Here goes nothing!”

He dug his claws into the cracks between the stones and began to climb, trying to ignore the sounds of the spider legs getting closer and closer. He kept his eyes focused on the window. Once he hoisted himself over the windowsill he would be able to knock all the masks to the ground with ease. Either that or the tower would be full of webs and more spiders, and he tried not to think about that.

“Almost there!” he gasped. He felt something brush his foot and he kicked. One of the masks tumbled down, taking a few more with it. He didn’t look down to see how close they were. Every last bit of his energy went toward propelling him upwards to the window. Just a few… more… steps…

With a final grunt he hoisted himself into the opening, tumbling over the sill onto the floor of the room. The room was small and round, and there was only one thing in it. In the center of the room was a round cage. In the center of the cage, curled up and shivering, was Fluttershy.

Spiked sighed in relief. No spiders. Then the rattle of exoskeleton on stone reminded him that there were plenty of spiders outside. He ran to the cage and grabbed the bars.

“Fluttershy! It’s me! Spike!”

If she heard him, she didn’t show it. He tried to reach through the bars, but they were just close enough to keep him from getting through.

“Come on! Wake up!” He tried to shake the cage, but it was so solid that he only shook himself. The cage refused to budge. He felt around futilely for any kind of opening. “There has to be a door or a switch or something!” His eyes darted back to the window. They would be climbing through any second. There was nowhere to go.

“This isn’t fair!” Frustration overcame his better judgment and he slammed his head against the cage. Instead of the dull thump of scales, he heard a sharp thud. “The mask! The cage must be part of the mask stuff!” He ripped the false face from his own and hurled it as hard as he could out the window just as the spider masks peeked over the edge.

The walls of the tower suddenly became the trunk of the tree. He ran to the window, now a simple hole. The masks were popping like balloons, leaving smokey smears on the air for a split second before vanishing. He sighed in relief and wiped his forehead with a claw.

“Spike? What are you doing here?” He turned around to see Fluttershy staring groggily at him.

“Fluttershy!” He stumbled forward and gave her a hug. “You’re alright!”

“Y-yes. I am. I think?” She scratched her head. “I’m really not sure what’s going on.” She glanced around the room. “Where are we?”

Spike took a deep breath and leaned against the wall.

“Something happened in Ponyville, and we’re in your dream,” he said slowly. She stared blankly back at him. “It’s kind of a long story. You might want to sit down.”

Author's Note

We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,--
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties.
~Paul Laurence Dunbar, "We Wear the Mask"

Yeah, sorry this took so long. Take a while guess what video game I was playing while I wrote this chapter.

Thanks to
Yami Vizzini
CDRW
Meta Four
Sereg
for helping proofread and edit this chapter.

A Quicker Blood

“Oh my.”

Fluttershy stared at Luna, trying to force herself to believe everything she had been told. It wasn’t easy. Especially since Luna’s face was made out of bark.

“Yes, it is quite a large amount of information to deal with all at once,” Luna said, “and for that I apologize.”

“Oh, no.” Fluttershy shook her head. “It isn’t like any of this is your fault. I just can’t believe that all of this is happening.”

“Me either!” Spike said. He had curled up in a corner of the room on a makeshift moss bed. He couldn’t sleep, but he nonetheless enjoyed the brief respite.

“It is a rather unprecedented situation,” Luna said carefully. “Unfortunately, you will have to remain here for the time being. I have been exploring the possibility of enabling the rescued ponies to move from dream to dream, but it is quite risky. We will only use that in the case of an emergency.”

“We shouldn’t have to worry about that,” Spike added. “We’ve got everything under control.”

“I do not know if I would go that far,” Luna said, scowling at Spike. “While we have certainly done a capable job of dealing with the situation, we are hardly in control.”

Spike sat up, either oblivious to or ignoring her glare. “Well, yeah. You know what I meant. I’m just saying that I’m doing pretty well so far. We’ve already rescued half of the element bearers, so we’re well on our way to busting our way out of this spell!”

“Who else do you have to rescue?” Fluttershy asked.

“Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie are our next targets,” Luna said. “Obviously we would like to rescue Twilight as well, but she is too deeply entwined in the spell. We need to weaken it by releasing more ponies before we can attempt to free her. Unfortunately, we do not know where either of them are. We were hoping that you would be able to tell us.”

Fluttershy blinked. “You need my help?”

“Spike cannot enter anypony’s dreams unless he can find them in the waking world,” Luna explained. “Of course, if we cannot locate them, we can simply free other random ponies from around town, but my analysis indicates that the spell is stronger surrounding the element bearers, and as such freeing them will weaken the spell more quickly.”

“You mean that Spike is actually next to my body?”

“Yup!” Spike nodded. “I propped myself up on one of your pillows so I won’t be so stiff when I wake up. Hope you don’t mind.”

“No, no, it’s fine. Anything that will help you,” she said. “You said you needed to know where Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie are?”

“Yes, that would be quite helpful,” Luna said.

“Well, I don’t have any idea where Pinkie would be, but I think Rainbow Dash was going to make sure there weren’t any clouds hanging around Town Hall that would block the sunrise through the windows. I would think that she would be around there somewhere.”

“I sure hope she didn’t fall asleep on a cloud,” Spike said with a sigh. “I guess I’d have to find a ladder or something. What do I do if I can’t find her?”

Luna thought for a moment before answering. “In that case, I would recommend going to the nearest pony that you have already released and re-entering their dream so that we can discuss the best course of action. Though you should also start noting the locations of other ponies around Ponyville in case we may want to begin freeing them as well. In any case, you cannot spend too much time running around the waking world.”

“I’ll try to keep it quick.” Spike gave Luna a thumbs-up.

“Good. It is time that you got on your way.”

“Already?” Spike sighed. “I was hoping I could relax for a bit longer.”

“Our dream time is plentiful, but it is not infinite,” Luna said. “And even if it were there is no guarantee that the Nightmares will sit by indefinitely. We cannot slow down now.”

“Fine, fine,” Spike grumbled. “Unless Fluttershy wants me to stick around for a bit longer.” He glanced expectantly in her direction.

“I would like to have some company for a while longer…” Fluttershy said, “but if Luna thinks you need to go, you probably should. I know it won’t really be fun to be stuck here, but the sooner you break the spell, the sooner we’ll all get out of here.”

“Okay, I guess I’ll get going. See you later, Fluttershy.”

“Good luck, Spike.”

There was a poof, and he was gone.

Fluttershy stared silently at the spot where he had been sitting. It was like he had never been there.

“I guess that you probably have to go too?” she asked.

“Unfortunately, yes,” Luna answered. “However, there is something I must discuss with you first.”

“Leave it to Rainbow Dash to fall asleep on a cloud,” Spike grumbled. “At least she wasn’t floating out in the middle of the sky someplace.”

He grunted as he hoisted himself up the vines that covered the back wall of the Town Hall. The underside of the cloud was so dark that he had very nearly missed it completely. It was lucky that not even being under the thrall of enchanted sleep could prevent Rainbow Dash from snoring like a sawmill. Now he just had to get to her without anything noticing.

He paused as he finally rose to the same level as the cloud. It was just far enough from the wall that he wouldn’t be able to reach. Not that reaching out would’ve worked anyway; he would fall asleep as soon as he touched her and fall to the ground. Presumably that would wake him up. He couldn’t rely on the cloud either; he’d fall right through it.

Maybe I could get her off the cloud somehow. He thought. Lasso her and drag her down, maybe? But then I’d need to take the time to go find rope, and if I lassoed her wrong I might choke her or something. Maybe I could get a stick and pull her closer to the wall…

He kept climbing and reached the roof of the first floor of the building and flopped over, panting heavily. After spending so long not having to worry about fatigue, the sudden tiredness felt as if someone had dumped a mattress on top of him. He pinched himself. Now was not the time to fall asleep. Out here, time was short. Short enough that he probably didn’t have time to rig up anything fancy to drag Rainbow’s cloud closer.

She wasn’t too far away. If he aimed properly, he could land right on top of her. Her pegasus magic would keep them both on the cloud, and if he missed or rolled off, he’d wake up when he landed. It would hurt, but at least he could try again.

He lined up his jump and hoped that Rainbow Dash wouldn’t be too angry if he sprained one of her wings when he landed.

“Here goes nothing.”

He jumped.

Luna scowled as she watched her analysis spell begin to read out its results. At the very least, her theory seemed to be holding. If the spell was siphoning the same amount of energy from Pinkie and Rainbow that it was from the other element bearers, freeing them would weaken the spell enough that breaking it outright was a real possibility. Unfortunately, that was the only good news.

The spell was changing. Whether by a conscious decision on the part of the Nightmares maintaining it, or through some automated process, magic was being siphoned from the spell. And she had no idea what all of that magic would be used for. Whatever it was, it wouldn’t be long before she found out firsthand.

She gritted her teeth. If only her sister were here. The dreams themselves were her domain; she could examine them to her heart’s content. But the spell seemed to be draining magic not only out of the ponies, but out of itself. At first she had thought that the magic was being used to power the spell that kept everypony trapped. And she was right. But it was evident that that was hardly the whole story.

A large portion of the magic was being used for something else entirely, something that she could not recognize. But despite the fact that it wasn’t being used to power the spell, it didn’t seem to be going anywhere. All she knew for certain was that it wasn’t dream magic. Celestia could have doubtlessly pointed her in the right direction.

There was only one place left to go for information. The absolute last place she wanted to look. The chance of gaining any useful information was slim to none, but perhaps if she were careful, something would present itself.

She turned around.

Behind her, trapped in their magical cells, were the Nightmares.

She could’ve made the containment spells resemble nearly anything, but due to her rather analytical mood and no small amount of bitterness, each Nightmare was enclosed in an enormous specimen jar. As Spike had cracked their hiding places open, she had been waiting. Before they could reformulate themselves or call for help, she had dragged them out. The process had been distressingly easy. If not for their obvious antagonism, she would’ve been almost embarrassed by the ineptness of their escape attempts.

She wrinkled her nose, wondering how she let herself be forced into a position where this interrogation was the ideal course of action. Hopefully they would be just as incompetent at withholding information as they were at escaping.

Don’t forget, you cannot trust anything they say. You must trick them into revealing things without even realizing it. And be careful not to reveal anything yourself…

She stepped through the barrier she had set up to prevent them from seeing her at work. To someone not familiar with Nightmares, it would have been easy to mistake the makeshift prison for a set of science experiments of some sort. Each Nightmare simply appeared as indistinct smokey blurs, floating in the center of their cells. There were small differences in color and texture, but on the whole they were so similar that if not for the order it would’ve been nearly impossible to tell them apart.

As she approached, the blobs shifted, aware that she had come closer. A face formed out of the shapelessness and a hollow voice came out.

“Hey, look who finally decided to pay us a visit. It’s really pretty boring back here, you know.”

“Save me your complaining,” Luna snapped. “I am not here to discuss your accommodations.”

“They’re pretty awful,” said another Nightmare, in a voice nearly identical to the first one.

“If you had not attempted to conquer my nation, perhaps I would have been more inclined to be hospitable,” she said coldly. “Just what do you hope to accomplish, anyway?”

“Well, you just said that we were trying to conquer Equestria,” another Nightmare said. It sounded so similar that only the direction of the voice told her that it was different. “That pretty much speaks for itself, doesn’t it?”

“You’re certainly doing an excellent job of that,” Luna said. “After all, it took a dragon and an alicorn princess to begin rescuing ponies from the grasp of your spell. It is true that the dragon is a mere child, and that the Princess herself is actually trapped in the spell as well, but still. At least you were not foiled by an infant. That is something, I suppose.”

The Nightmare at the front of the line spoke up. “Are you just here to make fun of us, or did you want something?”

“She’s here for information.” The voice came from the opposite end of the line. The sound itself was indistinguishable from the others, but its tone was so sharp and confident that it sounded like a different voice altogether. “And we have no reason to offer her any.”

“You are in no position to act haughty,” Luna said, already beginning to regret her decision to deal with the Nightmares.

“And you’re in no position to act like you’ve got the advantage,” it answered. “It is true that our spell couldn’t quite catch the dragon, and you used him to interfere with a couple of ponies. But you seem to have forgotten that while they’re conscious now, they’re still trapped. And so are you.”

Luna walked slowly over to the Nightmare’s jar and tapped her hoof on the glass. “It seems I am not the only one.”

“What, you think that you’re winning just because you stuck us in these bottles?”

“No, but I’m sure you’ve realized that none of your comrades have noticed your absence.” She paused, just long enough to give the Nightmare a chance to answer. It didn’t. She began to walk down the row of jars, glaring at each Nightmare as she passed. “No one has even realized that we are picking your spell apart. At this rate it won’t be long before it collapses completely.”

One of the Nightmares snorted derisively. “You aren’t gonna have the time for that! It’s not gonna be much longer until—”

“Be quiet!” snapped the confident Nightmare at the end of the row.

“Until what?” she prompted.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” the confident Nightmare said.

“Very well.” Luna shrugged and turned her back to the Nightmares. “Perhaps I will come back later and see if you feel like being more helpful.” She flicked her mane before stepping through the barrier.

For a split second, Spike thought he had missed his mark. He exploded through a cloud and continued to fall. But he didn’t hit the ground. He looked down, searching frantically for something to grab onto, and saw that there was no ground to land on. Instead, there was an endless expanse of blue.

“GAAAHHHHHHoof.”

He found himself facedown in something soft and pillowy. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what Rainbow Dash was dreaming about.

“It’s a good thing that dream clouds are denser than the real thing,” Spike muttered as he sat up and made sure he wasn’t anywhere near the edge. “I wonder what else she dreamt up—” He froze as he finally looked at his surroundings.

If he hadn’t known better, he would’ve thought that the entire world had been ripped to shreds and scattered among the clouds. Chunks of earth hung in the air like islands. Sections of forest floated next to twisted pieces of buildings and sidewalks. Between them, he could see a wide expanse of blue that he first assumed to be sky, but the more he stared, the less sky-like it looked. Rather than a single flat blue, it was patchy and shimmered in the breeze. It gave him the feeling of being underwater, or perhaps that the sky was an enormous patchwork blanket.

In the open spaces, multicolored clouds drifted like hunks of cotton candy, forming into springy clumps before dissipating. He looked down at the cloud he was standing on. It was bright pink and glowing slightly shifting under his feet like a cloud of ink in a bucket of water. Then he realized that it was only half the size it had been a moment ago.

“Whoa!” He spun around, searching for something else to jump to before it dissolved completely. He headed towards a nearby planetoid, jumping from cloud to cloud. As he grew closer, he could see the real shape of the island he approached. Rather than a single piece of earth, it was a long ribbon of ground with a path running down the middle, as if someone had peeled up a sidewalk and surrounding grass, balled it up, and thrown it away. Now it formed a loose knot in the air.

He stepped carefully onto the piece of the path that looked the most level. As his feet touched the ground, a momentary dizziness washed over him, as if he had suddenly been spun around and immediately put back in his place. The cloud he just stepped off looked uneven, as if it had turned slightly as he left it.

The path, at least the bit of it immediately in front of him, looked surprisingly nondescript aside from the fact that it floated in an infinite void. It was cobblestone, flanked by a few feet of grass, the occasional park bench, and two rows of lampposts. Despite the dream being bright, he could see a halo of shimmering light around each one.

Oddly, the light seemed a bit too solid; he could clearly see the border of where the light reached; like each lamp was generating some sort of field. Each globe was just large enough, and the posts close enough together, that the borders touched each other. He stared for a few minutes, trying to figure out what purpose they served, but he couldn’t come up with anything.

Spike meandered slowly down the path and the old cliche about it being “...too quiet” floated to the top of his mind. For a world that supposedly existed within Rainbow Dash’s head, things were almost nonsensically serene. The only movement he could see were the gentle dissipation and reforming of the clouds and the slow rotation of the various pieces of earth.

“Great, Rainbow Dash is probably asleep or something. I’m gonna have to check every one of these things, aren’t I? It’s going to take me forever to find—”

He heard a woosh in the air behind him. He spun around just in time to see a psychedelic trail of light blast past him, followed closely by what looked to be dozens of gray streaks. The colorful smear in the air was obviously Rainbow Dash, but the other things… he could barely even tell what they were. Nightmares, probably, or monsters being controlled by one. He didn’t know how many. They were all moving so quickly that they started to blur into each other. If he squinted he could just make out the vague shapes of wings.

Rainbow Dash wove between the clouds as if she were flying an obstacle course, showing no fear of the creatures chasing her. In fact, she barely seemed to acknowledge that they were following her at all. Even as she darted around the islands and they began to cut closer to her, she barely paid attention to them.

Leave it to Rainbow Dash not to be afraid, Spike thought. I guess I should try to keep up with her until I can figure out how to get her to land.

He hopped onto a nearby cloud and followed after her.

This would be so much easier if Twilight were here. Luna thought. She has a much better head for charts.

A pattern of lights hovered in front of her, forming the shape of a graph she had generated with her analysis of the dream. Specifically, it traced the amount of energy being drained out of the dream and into whatever it was the Nightmares were planning. The amount was increasing steadily. She put a red X on the graph. That was the point where, if the energy continued to drain at the same rate, there would not be enough to maintain the spell.

Whatever was going to happen, it would almost certainly happen before that point. In dream time, it would come out to the equivalent of about four days. It was incredibly unlikely that they would wait so long. She put another mark at the halfway point. For the time being, she would assume that things would come to a head by then.

The Nightmares she had captured clearly weren’t expecting to be held indefinitely, so whatever was coming had to involve her own dream being invaded in some fashion. Perhaps that was what they were gathering the power for; the standard effects of the spell hadn’t been able to imprison her completely, so they had gathered power for a special subspell. Or perhaps they were planning to do something to Spike. He was the only one who could escape, after all.

I will have to inform him. He needs to know that time is limited. As for those… —she glanced at the Nightmare jars— I will have to try to get more out of them later.

Spike bounced from cloud to cloud as he followed the race. It hadn’t taken him long to realize that that was what it was. He had seen Rainbow Dash be chased, and he had seen her in competition. She flew differently in a race than she did in actual danger; she was more precise and more calculated. The more he watched, the more obvious it was that she didn’t seem to even realize she was in danger. Or at least, not from the race itself. The intensity with which she flew indicated that she wanted to win at all costs.

Now he just had to find a way to get her to stop.

He had no idea how to go about it. Keeping up with her was difficult enough. He had called to her, but she either didn’t hear him or didn’t feel like answering. Once or twice he had managed to get fairly close, but every time he did one of the Nightmares would veer just off course enough to blow through whatever cloud he was trying to use as a stepping stone, knocking him back down to the clouds below.

“How am I supposed to catch her?” He grumbled as he dusted himself off after a fall. :It would sure be great if I could fly—” He wobbled suddenly as the cloud under his feet suddenly shifted. “Whoa!” A lump of cloud was rising directly beneath him. He stumbled backwards, thankfully onto another cloud. Then he saw why he had fallen. “Of course,” he muttered.

“At least I did not appear behind you this time,” Luna said apologetically.

“No, but you almost made me fall!” Spike said, gesturing to the cloud-filled abyss below him. “It’s a good thing there are so many clouds.”

“Yes, it is,” Luna said. She sunk into the cloud and reappeared beside Spike. “In any case, I apologize for the inconvenience, but we do not have time for pleasantries. I have information to give you.”

“Lay it on me!” Spike said.

“I have continued my analysis. I will not bore you with the details, but suffice to say that the Nightmares are gathering up magic for a purpose unrelated to maintaining the spell. It is probable that they intend on using the additional magic to capture one of us, possibly even both of us. And I can say with a high degree of certainty that it will occur soon. We do not have a great deal of time to work with.”

“R-really?” Spike asked. “How much time do we have?”

“In dream terms,” Luna paused, deciding just how conservative of an estimate to make. “Between a day and a half and two days.”

“Oh,” Spike said quietly. “Um… exactly how long is that compared to what I’ve done so far? It’s kind of hard to keep track of time in… you know....”

“Yes, a frame of reference would be helpful,” Luna thought for a moment. “Let’s take Fluttershy’s dream as an example. You spent approximately forty hours in her dream.”

“And we barely have that much time?” The color drained out of Spike’s face. “I have to free Rainbow Dash and then find Pinkie and free her too and I only have two days to do it?” He clamped his claws together to keep them from shaking. They kept shaking anyway.

“Spike, do not get nervous. Just because Fluttershy’s dream took that long does not mean that this one will. Rarity’s dream took only twenty-seven hours. Applejack’s took only sixteen. The Cake Twins’ dream took less than twelve hours. It is entirely likely we have plenty of time.”

“And if we don’t?”

“I am currently working on a contingency plan. Rest assured that I will inform you as new information comes to light. At the moment, I just wanted to let you know not to dawdle. We are not yet desperate, but we cannot waste our time either.”

Spike nodded seriously. “I see. So, do you have any suggestions about how to get Rainbow Dash down? I’m pretty sure that if I can get her to stop flying around for a minute I could get her out, but I have no idea how to do that. It’s like she’s in the middle of a race, and it’s almost impossible to get her to stop racing.”

“Hmmm…” Luna sank into the cloud and emerged from a nearer one. “If that is the case, it seems like the best course of action would be to end the race. That would cause her to stop racing, would it not?”

“Well, yeah, but how am I supposed to do that?” Spike asked. “It’s not like there’s gonna be a finish line or anything. The Nightmares aren’t going to make the race something she can win.”

“Perhaps ending the race is not the right way to put it,” Luna said thoughtfully. “A race can be stopped without ending it.”

“That’s true, but it’s not like I can just disqualify her,” Spike grumbled as he hopped to a new cloud. “All of the rules only exist in her head, you know?”

“It does present quite a conundrum,” Luna’s head made a bobbing motion as if she were trying to shrug. “Unfortunately, aside from trying to disrupt her in some fashion, I do not know what advice to give you.”

“Great.” Spike threw up his arms. “I’m supposed to figure out a way to catch the fastest pony in Ponyville? And it’s her dream so she’s probably even faster! At least when Applejack was running all over the place she stayed on the ground.” He turned away from Luna and watched Rainbow Dash as she spiraled between the floating islands.

“Spike, I know it seems impossible, but if anyone can figure it out, it is you. You have already done so much; we cannot give up now.”

“Right…” Spike mumbled, as if he was only half paying attention.

“Spike?”

He didn’t answer, his eyes were still glued on the race. Oddly, his gaze didn’t follow Rainbow Dash, but rather the dark shapes that she competed with.

“Ahem.” Luna’s head poked out of the cloud immediately in front of him. “I hope that your silence is because you have had an idea and not because you’ve given up.”

“I think I may know how to catch her. I have no idea if it’ll work, but it’s something.”

Luna smiled. “Now that is more like it. Do you require anything else while I am here? Given our situation I should really be taking care of some other matters.”

“No, I’m good. Well, not that good, but there’s really not much else you can help me with now. You know, since you’re just a head and all. If I need anything I’ll call.”

“Very well. I wish you the best of luck.”

“Thanks. You too.”

Luna sunk into the cloud and disappeared. Spike turned his attention back to Rainbow Dash.

“I really hope this works, because I don’t have any other ideas.”

Luna tried not to look at the countdown that was running at the corner of her analysis. As much as she wanted to trust Spike, it was evident that he would not be able to do everything himself. He would probably be able to get Rainbow Dash out, but beyond that, there would be no time. She would have to bring the other ponies into play.

The portal system would make that easier; all she had to do was locate the pony whose dream she intended to send them into. Aside from manually checking every dream in the spell, the only way to find Pinkie Pie would be to get that information from the other ponies. Unfortunately, no one had the slightest clue where she might be.

Hopefully Rainbow Dash will have the clue to her location that we require, Luna thought. Using the spell to determine the general locations of everypony in relation to her own physical location in Ponyville wasn’t too difficult. But outside the spell, most of the ponies were completely indistinguishable from one another. She could make out the two massive beacons of magic that were her sister and Twilight, but aside from them, the variations in the spell were so miniscule that she could barely distinguish between them.

And those were just the nearby ponies. As they grew further and further away, they grew even more indistinct. If Pinkie happened to be on the far side of town, Luna would barely be able to see her. The only way to tell would be to poke herself into their dreams far enough to identify them, and there was no time for that. Even under normal circumstances Ponyville was home to nearly a thousand ponies. Due to the Summer Sun Celebration, there would be several times that number.

No, their time would be far better spent on something else. If nothing else, Pinkie would have to wait, and they would focus their attentions on freeing other ponies. Or, if it came to that, they could put all their eggs in one basket and attempt to free Twilight or Celestia. It was a long shot that such a thing would even be possible, but it was better than searching fruitlessly for Pinkie’s hiding place. But of course, even then, there was the backup plan to consider.

I will have to pay Rarity a visit,she thought.

“Gah!” Spike dropped like a stone for several seconds before landing facedown in a cloud with a dull flumph. He lay prone for a moment before pulling his face out of the indentation it had made and releasing a growl of frustration. “Ugh, I was so close!” He punched the cloud, but his fist barely met any resistance, rendering the gesture unsatisfying.

With every failed attempt, he became the slightest bit more certain that his plan would work… if he could only manage to actually do it. He needed to end the race. Ending it normally was out of the question. Even if he could somehow set up a finish line, it was doubtful that Rainbow Dash would acknowledge it. Fortunately, there was another way to end the race. A race had to have at least two persons racing against each other. He couldn’t catch Rainbow Dash, but the shadows she was competing with weren’t quite as swift. And more importantly, they weren’t as wary about flying close to the clouds or islands. A good jump and he’d be able to grab one and knock them right out of the race.

In theory, anyway.

In practice, every subsequent jump had gotten him closer, but he hadn’t yet managed to actually grab hold of them. He needed to get just a bit higher. Unfortunately, his options were rather limited. The clouds didn’t stay in place long enough, and most of the islands didn’t give him the height he needed. Fortunately, there was at least one that did, and he headed towards it.

It was almost perfectly spherical, like a tiny planetoid covered, oddly, with a sprinkling of lampposts that made it look like a pincushion. But he wasn’t concerned about that. He was only interested in the tower that jutted out from the surface. It looked like a clock tower and a lighthouse had been tangled up in each other, zigzagging into the air. Climbing it would be a hassle, no doubt, but it was tall. In fact, it was taller than the island itself was wide. And the angle at which it jutted out over the void made it a perfect launching point.

He took a running jump from his cloud and towards the planetoid, aiming carefully to avoid spearing himself on the lampposts. As he passed through the spheres of light that surrounded the lampposts, a curious sensation washed over him. It reminded him of the feeling of walking from a cold room into a warm one, like so much light had been drawn to the lamp that he could feel it. As he continued to fall, the sensation vanished as quickly as it came.

He half expected to topple downwards, but as he touched down, he realized that as far as the dream was concerned, “down” was toward the center of the island. If Twilight were here, that would drive her crazy, he thought. I’m pretty sure that’s not how gravity works. He shrugged and headed towards the tower.

The tinyness of the island made the short walk a surreal experience. His eyes told him that he was headed downhill; the island was so tiny that no matter where he was it was like standing on top of a hill. But as he went, it felt like he was walking across level ground. The combination was so disorienting that he was almost glad to start climbing the tower. At least then “down” stayed in one direction rather than shifting as he walked.

The back-and-forth shape of the tower slowed him, but only slightly. As he clamored to the top, he watched the race zipping back and forth through the clouds. He couldn’t predict exactly what path Rainbow Dash would take, but he knew that the Nightmares would follow her path, only without her precision.

He kept his eyes glued on Rainbow Dash as she swerved around a distant island and blasted straight towards him. He carefully stepped to the edge of the ledge and braced himself to jump.

Rainbow Dash flew forward, going so fast that Spike was almost certain that she would crash straight through the tower. But at the last possible second, swerved again, turning nearly on a dime and zooming off in the direction of another island. The shadows attempted to replicate the feat, but their momentum carried them forward, and they somehow skidded in the air like a wagon taking a turn too sharply. The group slowed as it changed direction, very nearly halting completely as they neared the tower.

Now or never, he thought.

He leaped from the top of the tower, aiming just ahead of where the group was headed. His head spun; his body couldn’t decide whether to follow the gravity of the planetoid, or the more generic gravity of the rest of the dream. Whichever it was, it took him straight towards the Nightmares.

Spike clamped his arms around a shadow as he fell through. It felt like nothing he had ever felt before. He could tell that something was in his grip, but it was indistinct and nebulous and shifted under his grip. It was like hugging a cloud or a beanbag chair. But whatever it was, he somehow managed to keep hold of it as he fell toward the ground.

Then he felt himself fall through the light of the lampposts. The Nightmare, which despite its formlessness had remained a single entity, began to dissolve like a drop of ink in a bucket of water. The thing hissed as it began to dissipate, the sound slowly dying like the sound of air pouring out of a balloon. By the time Spike hit the ground, it had nearly vanished. A few smoky wisps floated in the air for a moment before a gust of wind carried them away.

Spike stared at the empty space where the Nightmare had been seconds before, unsure whether he should consider himself lucky.

“Well…” he mumbled, “at least I don’t have to worry about trapping them anywhere after I catch them.” He smiled. “I think this is gonna work. And I’ll have time to spare!”

“So we are going to put the plan into action, then?” Rarity asked, a lump in her throat. “I had thought we would’ve had a bit more time.”

“I hoped that would be the case as well, but unfortunately it has become clear that our time is more limited than I first thought.” Luna sighed. “Do you remember what we discussed earlier?”

“Of course,” Rarity said with a nod. “I suppose you need me to talk to Spike now?”

“It is not quite that urgent,” Luna said. “Currently I believe that Spike has time to finish working through the dream he is currently in. Once he completes that dream, then will be the best time to put the plan into motion. I thought it would be best to inform you now so that you can prepare for your conversation.”

Rarity absentmindedly shoved the dress she had been working on to the side. “Yes, I will have to think over how to present the argument to him. I want him to be safe, after all.”

“Yes, not to mention that if our portion of the plan fails…”

“...he will serve as our last resort.”

“Precisely. I do not think it will be too difficult to get him to understand the situation, but I do think that you will have an easier time getting through to him.”

“Y-yes,” Rarity mumbled. “I will, of course, do my best. Even if the situation were not so desperate.”

“Good. I will return when it is time to implement our plans. Thank you for your assistance.”

“Think nothing of it, Princess. It is the least I could do.”

Luna smiled and nodded before vanishing.

“Gotcha!” Spike managed to latch onto another Nightmare and dragged it through the light of the lamps. The sensation of it dissolving under his claws was immensely satisfying. He rolled as he landed and came to a stop at the foot of one of the lampposts.

“Nine down, one to…” he paused. “Or was that ten?” The shapes were so vague and ill-defined that he couldn’t quite make them out. He was pretty sure that he had taken nine jumps, but he was also pretty sure that on a few occasions he had managed to drag down more than one Nightmare at a time. It was hard to tell. Whatever the case, there was only one left, and it was a big one. He cracked his knuckles and prepared to climb the tower for a final time. No sooner had he gotten to his feet, then he heard a sound behind him.

He turned around, and to no surprise whatsoever found Luna’s head poking out of the ground.

“We’re not out of time already, are we!?” he asked, a shiver of fear running down his spine.

“No, no, it is not that. You still have roughly half of the allotted time to work with,” she answered.

“Whew!” He sat down again, figuring that he had earned a few minutes of rest. “So what are you doing here, then? I thought you weren’t going to show up again unless I ran out of time or got Rainbow Dash free.”

“I thought I should check on your progress. Have you found a method with which to release Rainbow Dash?”

Spike nodded proudly. “I sure did! As a matter of fact, I’m almost done. I’m pretty sure that once I knock that last Nightmare out of the air, we’ll be good to go.”

“I am glad to hear that,” Luna said with a smile. “As you are so close to completing this dream, I suppose I ought to inform you of what will come after.”

“Isn’t it obvious? I find another dream and hop in.”

“Actually, no,” Luna said. “No matter how quickly you complete this dream, you will almost certainly not have time to complete another dream. No, there is something else you must do.”

Spike cocked his head to the side. “What are you talking about? What else would I do?”

“As I said, regardless of how quickly you make your way out of this dream, you will probably have no time to enter another before the Nightmares put their plan into action. When you are finished here, I will use the portal spell to bring all of the available ponies into the next dream and we will work to continue freeing others from within. We are all trapped in the spell anyway, so we do not risk as much. You, on the other hand, have the potential to get away.”

“Not this again!” Spike’s voice was harsh. “I told you before, I’m not abandoning everypony to get stuck in the spell while I run away!”

“While I admire your desire to stay and fight, from a purely strategic standpoint, doing so would not be a good course of action.” Luna’s voice was unnaturally calm; she was clearly forcing herself to keep it level. “If you are trapped here permanently as well, our chances of victory are reduced to nearly nothing. Three of the four princesses of Equestria, as well as all the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, will be trapped, with no means of informing anyone else concerning what has occurred. Cadance and Shining Armor are the only ones who have any chance of accomplishing anything, but only if they receive the news soon and know what they are up against. You are the only one who can give them that information.”

“Or I could stick around and beat this whole thing right now!” Spike snapped. “Wouldn’t that be the best thing to do?”

“It would be, if our chances of success weren’t so small.” Luna sighed. “Spike, I know you want to remain here and save everypony, but it is important that we prepare for other eventualities.”

“But—”

“I do not have time to debate this at the moment,” Luna interrupted. “At least not right now. For the time being, worry about saving Rainbow Dash. When you have done that, then we will discuss the best course of action.”

Spike opened his mouth to answer, but instead he just mumbled, “Fine.”

“Good. I will see you later.” Luna sunk back into the ground and was gone.

I should not have bothered, Luna thought as she re-emerged in her own dream. I have probably thrown off his focus. It could have waited until he was done. Then again, it is important that he be aware of the plan ahead of time; it saves us the time arguing about it later. Once he thinks it through, he will understand. I hope.

She fidgeted as she stared at the preparations she had made for the spell. She had already double and triple-checked it, then checked again just to be sure. The idea of checking it again crossed her mind, but she decided against it. If she stared at it any longer, she would likely start seeing problems where there were none. No, there were better ways to spend her time. Or at least, more useful ways. Talking to the Nightmares again would hardly be better than anything.

She approached the Nightmares as confidently as she could, given the circumstances.

“This is your last chance,” she announced. “If you feel like being helpful, I may be able to help you escape the worst of my sister’s wrath upon your eventual defeat.”

“Oh, aren’t we confident now,” one of the Nightmares snapped. “You still think that you’re going to win, don’t you?” She heard a noise that sounded a bit like a laugh. “You’re the one who should be offering to help us.”

“I think not,” Luna said. “Even if I did have any degree of confidence that you could be victorious, I would hardly consider helping you even for a moment. I am not in the habit of assisting those who wish to conquer the nation I am sworn to protect.” She snorted derisively. “Though I can understand why you would require my help. I can hardly imagine how you would even go about conquering anything.”

Another voice spoke up, the confident and authoritative Nightmare from before. “Spare us the intimidation, Princess. I know that you are fully aware of how powerful we can be.”

“I remember perfectly well how much grief you caused during the wars. However, I also remember that your powers, while impressive in a certain capacity, have some limitations.”

The Nightmare in the jar twitched, but said nothing.

“I will acknowledge that putting an entire town, including three princesses, to sleep and trapping us within our dreams is a masterful feat of magic, but you cannot reach outside those dreams.”

“We are well aware of our limitations,” the Nightmare said.

“Yet all you have managed to achieve so far is to trap us all in our dreams, and nothing else. It is an impressive feat, I admit, you really have not accomplished a great deal. So far, the extent of your machinations has resulted in” —she paused for dramatic effect— “mildly annoying a few ponies by delaying the Summer Sun Celebration. It hardly seems worth the trouble.”

The nightmares trembled in their jars, not out of fear, but out of frustration, like they were dying to answer her criticism, but refused to.

“And even if it were your aim to terrify, even then you disrupted your own plans. Back in the time of the wars, you were capable of leaping from dream to dream, riding across Equestria in a wave of fear. Yet for some reason you have created a spell that has trapped you every bit as effectively as it trapped us. You cannot even move from dream to dream yourselves, and you are the ones who created this spell!”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about!” one of the lesser Nightmares sneered.

“Hush,” snapped the confident Nightmare. “Do not tell her anything.”

“Your spell is a meaningless gesture!” Luna continued. “It takes an incredible amount of effort to maintain, yet it does nearly nothing and you can barely maintain it. I may be an expert in the magic of dreams, but at least I realize that dreams are but a reflection of waking life. Dreams can be powerful, but that power lies in their ability to change reality. And you cannot manage that. You may be able to trap us in our dreams for a while, but the real world lies outside your reach, and it always will.”

“Ha!” the lesser Nightmare crowed. “And what makes you think that we care about the real world?”

“Silence!” The lead Nightmare’s voice shouted. “Can’t you see she’s only trying to provoke you? She knows full well that she is not the one who holds the advantage and she is trying to weasel some sort of information out of you. Do not answer any more of her questions. Do not say anything.”

With that, the space was silent.

“Very well.” Luna shrugged. “In that case, I will take my leave.” She vanished behind the veil.

The Nightmares were silent for a few seconds.

“I think that went well,” said one of the lesser Nightmares. It still lacked the authority of the head Nightmare, but the stupidity seemed to have gone out of its voice.

“Yes,” the head Nightmare said quietly. “It certainly did.”

Spike crouched at the top of the tower, occasionally shaking his legs to keep them from falling asleep. He had thought that that couldn’t happen in a dream, but apparently it was possible. The final Nightmare was talking quite a while to fly near enough for him to dive at it. It had already come close, but he hadn’t wanted to risk jumping and missing. He would wait until he had a clear shot.

He braced himself. Rainbow Dash was approaching, faster than she ever had. The Nightmare was close behind her, easily twice the size any of the others had been. At the speed they were going, they couldn’t not get within range. As a matter of fact, Rainbow Dash was flying so quickly that even she wouldn’t be able to turn away from the tower in time. And she didn’t. At the last possible moment she banked to the side, just barely missing the tower as she flew.

Spike jumped. The Nightmare had to follow her. If he didn’t catch it now, who knew how long it would be before they flew past again? The world slowed down as he fell. It almost felt like he were drifting towards the Nightmare as it glided along. Then everything sped up as he landed on its back.

It dipped beneath him for a moment, but rather than dropping like all the others, it stayed airborne. Spike grabbed madly, trying to get a grip on anything that would keep him from falling. He dug his arms into the Nightmare’s body, not quite sure of what he was even holding on to. The nightmare didn’t seem to even notice him. At the very least it made no attempt to shake him off.

He glanced up. The force of the air against his face made his eyes water. Ahead of him, he could barely see Rainbow Dash as she darted between the clouds. Occasionally the dark shape of an island would fly by. He squinted against the wind. The Nightmare was obviously avoiding the islands. Or rather, the light from the lampposts that protruded from the surface of each block of land.

Now he just needed to get it into the light.

He swayed his weight from side to side. The weight was just enough to force the Nightmare to bear to the side. It was also enough for the Nightmare to respond. It began to bounce as it flew, as if it were on the surface of a rough sea. Spike clung tightly, trying to tow the Nightmare toward one of the lights. As they struggled, Rainbow Dash drew further and further ahead.

The Nightmare ignored Spike for a moment as it focused its attention on the pegasus and tried to catch up. Spike leaned to the side and felt the Nightmare begin to drift. The opening only lasted a few seconds. The Nightmare caught up to Rainbow Dash and once again it was trying to shake Spike off.

It has to keep up with her. If it gets too far away, it probably risks her breaking out of the dream. I just need to hold on long enough…

He held on tight and kept his eyes peeled. The Nightmare began to twist under him again. It would only a be a few minutes at best before his claws gave out. If he didn’t bring it down quickly, he didn’t know when he would get another chance. He looked ahead. The small planetoid with the crooked tower loomed ahead of them.

It’s now or never.

He waited, watching carefully as they charged toward the tower. On every other pass, they had come so close and so quickly that it looked like it would be impossible to avoid crashing it. He saw Rainbow Dash bear up to the side, right past. That was his cue.

Spike leaped from the Nightmare’s back, keeping a tight grip on the Nightmare with one of his claws. The Nightmare twisted beneath him, but he held on. It didn’t fall, but its flight was knocked to the side just enough that it clipped the edge of the tower. Everything spun as Spike and the Nightmare tumbled forward and down. They very nearly made a full orbit around the planetoid as they fell. He could feel them passing through the layer of thick light put out by the lampposts.

The Nightmare didn’t vanish, but as they fell through the glow he could feel it start to come apart, beginning to dissolve. Bits of darkness flew off of it as they crashed to the ground and skidded to a halt. Spike rolled clear, his breath knocked out of him. The Nightmare writhed as its edges corroded away, fading into the air.

Spike was frozen as the Nightmare turned toward him. If the light hadn’t been enough to destroy it, he didn’t know what he would do. A dark face formed out of the miasma for just long enough to glare at him. Then the Nightmare collapsed in on itself with an ugly hiss, unable to maintain its form any longer. The darkness that made up its form broke apart as if an unseen force was tearing it to shreds. A moment later it was gone.

“Whew.”

Spike sighed in relief and flopped onto his back. The world still felt like it was spinning around him. As he relaxed, he could feel the dream settling around him.

“Spike?” He opened his eyes to see Rainbow Dash’s upside-down face staring inquisitively at him. “What the hay is going on?”

Author's Note

I never hear the word 'escape'
Without a quicker blood,
A sudden expectation,
A flying attitude.
- Emily Dickinson, "I Never Hear the Word 'Escape'"

Yeah, I know that this dream isn't quite as surreal as the last one, but I have my reasons. :trollestia:
Besides, there's plenty of other stuff happening.

Thanks to
Yami Vizzini
CDRW
Meta Four
Sereg
War877
for helping me edit and proofread this chapter.

Not Till After the Party's Over

Rainbow Dash scratched her head as she listened to Spike’s explanation. He had condensed it somewhat as time was limited, and even if it hadn’t been he was sick of explaining the situation over and over. As long as he hit the high points, he could fill in the details later. Although from the look on Rainbow Dash’s face, he would need to answer quite a few questions when he was done. Or Luna would. Either way, the look on Rainbow Dash’s face didn’t indicate that she was really following most of what he was saying.

“So let me get this straight,” she said. “A bunch of Nightmares trapped us in our dreams, and the only way for you to get us out of our dreams is to beat the Nightmares?”

“I guess you could put it like that,” Spike said.

“Awesome!” Rainbow Dash leaped into the air and did a flip before landing. “That’s all I need to know! Let’s go kick some Nightmare rump!”

“It’s not that easy,” Spike said, folding his arms. “As much as I’d like some help, you’re still stuck in this dream.”

“What?” Rainbow Dash froze and stared at him. “But I thought you said that you rescued me!”

“I did!” he said indignantly. “Kind of. You’re still asleep, but you’re lucid now, and the dream can’t drain your magic anymore.”

“Oh.” Rainbow Dash snorted unhappily. “And here I thought I’d be able to do something.”

“Actually, that may not be an impossibility.”

The voice came from above both of them. They looked up to see Luna’s head gazing down on them from a cloud.

“Really?!” Rainbow Dash said excitedly.

“What are you talking about?” Spike asked. “Isn’t she stuck here?”

“At the moment, yes, but hopefully not for long. It has become evident that we will not have the time to continue our current routine. As a result, you will have another mission to complete.”

“What do you mean, another mission?” He stood up. “Wait, you’re trying to get me to run away again, aren’t you?”

Luna glared as well as she could, being made of cloud. “Your mission will be to carry news to the Crystal Empire so that in the event our plans fail, they may be able to mount some sort of—”

“I’m not going anywhere!” Spike interrupted. “I thought we went over this already. I’m not going to run off and leave all of you here!”

Luna rolled her eyes. “I thought I might have trouble convincing you that such a thing is not at all cowardly, so I thought I would let someone a bit closer to you do the convincing.”

“Huh?”

“Believe me, it was no small feat. I am going to inform Rainbow Dash of the details of the situation and her part in it. Please wait here for a just a moment. Rainbow Dash, please find a location in the dream where we can talk in private.”

“Sure thing, Princess!” Rainbow Dash saluted before launching herself into the air and flying into the distance.

“Great,” Spike grumbled as he took a seat on the cloud. “Now what am I supposed to do? I can’t just abandon everypony.”

“But you wouldn’t be abandoning anypony,” said a voice from behind him. It was familiar, but it wasn’t Luna’s.

“Huh?” He turned slowly around and found a familiar face poking out of the cloud. Or rather it was imprinted on the cloud, like a painting. “Rarity? But how are you…?”

“I’m not quite certain myself how Luna set it up, but she found a way to somehow relay my message to you. She said that you were somewhat… resistant to the idea of going elsewhere to find help, and thought that perhaps I could give you some perspective.”

“Perspective.” Spike snorted. “She just wants me to get me out of here. Probably wants me out of the way.”

“Spike, that is hardly the case and you know it.” Rarity frowned at him with the same frown she used whenever Sweetie Belle attempted to help her with something. “While I have no doubt that Princess Luna is concerned about your safety, I hardly believe that she is doing this only because she wants to get rid of you.”

“What makes you think that?” he asked.

“Because she told me,” Rarity answered. “And considering that the Princess has been doing everything in her power to free everyone, I am inclined to believe her. Exactly what reason do you have to believe that she wants you out of the way?”

“Because this is the second time that she’s tried to convince me to leave! Before she tried to get me to run away!” He sat down and hugged his knees. “I know that part of it is because she wants me out of harm’s way, but there’s no way that’s the whole reason. It’s probably because now that I rescued all of you, she doesn’t need my help now.”

“Spike, your help is the reason that she’s chosen you for that mission. She would not trust you with it if she did not have faith in your ability to carry it out.”

“I don’t know about that,” Spike muttered. “I’m pretty sure that she tried to go to just about everypony else in Ponyville before she came to me. And now as soon as I get a few more ponies out, she suddenly wants to send me someplace else?”

“That may be true. It may not be; I don’t know. But what I do know is that you have accomplished a great deal. If not for you, I would still be trapped in that horrible nightmare, as would many other ponies. Whatever Luna may have thought when she first asked you for help, she most certainly recognizes your accomplishments. Without you there would never have been a chance for any of us.”

Spike stared at Rarity’s face in the cloud for a few moments before answering. “So when she says that she needs me to go to the Crystal Empire as a backup plan in case things go bad..."

“I would take her at her word. Princess Luna has spent who knows how long considering the best course of action. I see no reason to believe that she would ask you to do this if she did not think that it offered us the best chance of success. I would think she is sending you because she believes you are the only one who could do it.”

“I guess,” Spike said reluctantly. “But I don’t want to leave all of you here.”

Rarity smiled. “I know that, Spike. And I wish you didn’t have to go. But don’t think of it as abandoning us. Think of it as ensuring our safety in the long term. You may not be here with us, but if things go wrong, you’ll still be there to help us then.”

Spike smiled slightly. “I still wish that I would be able to stay, but you’re right. If Luna says she needs me to go, I should just trust her. It’s not like she’s steered me wrong yet.” Then he smiled widely. “I hope all of you will be alright without me.”

Rarity returned the smile. “I’m sure we will manage. Just be sure to take care of yourself.”

“Don’t worry, I will.”

“Good. I suppose you should let Luna know that you’ve made your decision. She made it quite clear that we are rather pressed for time, after all.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Spike sighed. “Well, I guess I’ll see you and everypony else again after all of this is over.”

“I look forward to it.”

“A party cave?” Luna asked, the skepticism heavy in her voice.

“Well, yeah. It’s Pinkie,” Rainbow Dash answered with a shrug. “I think she was making some last minute preparations before heading to the Town Hall or something. Is that enough to connect to her dream or whatever, or do you need more info to get it figured out?”

“No, that will be quite helpful,” Luna said, nodding. “If she is, in fact, in the basement of Sugarcube Corner, connecting to her dream should not present any difficulty. I will double-check just to be sure, of course, but as soon as we confirm her location, we should be able to put the plan into action.”

“Awesome! What do I need to do?!”

“To start with, you simply need to get into position and then jump through the portal as soon as I activate my spell to bring everyone into Pinkie’s dream. I will give further instructions once everyone has reunited there. Wait for my signal. If you enter the portal too early, it could have severe repercussions.”

“Right!” Rainbow Dash saluted. “I’ll be ready!” She hopped into the air and flew away.

“Now,” Luna said. “Time to check up on Spike.”

Applejack and Apple Bloom sat beside the dream portal. Luna had shown them its location, inside a tangle of roots from three different trees. Even though they were aboveground, it felt like they were sitting in a cave.

“So what’s it like, goin’ through that portal thing?” Applejack asked. The portal barely even looked like a portal. She couldn’t imagine that going through it would be an enjoyable experience.

“It’s kinda weird,” Apple Bloom said. “I’m not really sure how to explain it. It’s sorta like goin’ through a pipe underwater, only it’s not as cold and you can actually breathe. It’s not so dark either. It’s more… sparkly? I dunno. I’ve never seen anything like it before.” She poked her sister in the flank. “You’re not worried about it, are you?”

“I’m more worried that you know what’s it’s like to get sucked through a pipe,” Applejack said.

“Well, we heard that Carrot Top’s sink got clogged, so we—”

Applejack put her hoof on Apple Bloom’s mouth. “I don’t want to know. At least not till after we get outta here.”

“At least it wasn’t our sink,” Apple Bloom said.

“That doesn’t make it much better.” Applejack glanced back at the portal. “All this waitin’ is drivin’ me nuts. I wish we could just get a move on already.”

“Yeah, I wanna go do somethin’! And see what Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle are up to.”

“I’m sure they’re fine. Luna would’ve told us if they were—GAH!”

Applejack nearly rolled over backwards as Luna’s face suddenly appeared in front of her. Unlike every other time she had manifested, the face wasn’t comprised of materials from their surroundings, and it looked somewhat blurred, like an out-of-focus picture. As it began to speak, the voice was scratchy and muffled, like it was coming out of a battered gramophone.

“This is Princess Luna speaking. The relocation spell has been activated and the destination confirmed. Please enter the portal.”

“Princess...Luna?” Apple Bloom cocked her head to the side. Luna didn’t seem to be talking to either of them. “You look a bit… different.”

“This is Princess Luna speaking,” Luna’s face repeated. “The relocation spell has been activated and the destination confirmed. Please enter the portal.”

“This must be that signal the Princess was tellin’ us about,” Applejack said. “She said it might look and sound a bit weird since she has to send it to everypony at the same time.”

“This is Princess Luna speaking.”

“Yeah, yeah, we know,” Apple Bloom said. “Come on, let’s get goin’. That’s gonna get annoyin’ real quick.”

“Right,” Applejack said nervously. “So, all we gotta do is jump in?” She looked warily at the portal.

“Nah, you just gotta touch it.” Apple Bloom grabbed her sister’s hoof with one of her forelegs and reached for the portal with the other. “It’s nothin’!”

She touched it.

There was no feeling of transition or moving through the portal. As soon as Apple Bloom’s hoof touched the glowing ball of magic, both of them found themselves tumbling through space. It was not unlike being caught in a fast-moving current, but they weren’t underwater. It didn’t feel like flying through the air, either. They were moving through something, but it was something else, entirely separate from any physical substance. Everything was rushing by so quickly that it blurred together into one colorful flurry of lights. If she squinted, Applejack could just barely make out what looked like multicolored lightning and silvery flashes.

“Whoa!” As soon as the spell had started, it ended and Applejack found herself rolling along the ground. She must’ve been moving far faster than she thought, because it took her a good few seconds to come to a stop. Half a second later, Apple Bloom landed on top of her.

“Ugh,” Applejack rubbed her head as she stood up. “That was sure a rough landing.”

“That was awesome!” Apple Bloom said excitedly as she hopped off of her sister’s back. “You think maybe Luna will let us do that again?”

“I don’t think so,” Applejack said. “Maybe after we’re through all this.” She stretched and took stock of her surroundings. They were inside a small house, but one that either had never been lived in, or hadn’t been lived in for a very long time. There were no furnishings of any kind; all that could be seen were the bare planks. There were windows, but they were all covered by shutters.

“You think we should start lookin’ around?” Apple Bloom asked. “There ain’t much in here.”

“We should probably wait a bit,” Applejack answered. “Luna said she was gonna talk to all of us once we arrived, so let’s hang around until she shows up.”

“You think she sent us to the wrong dream?” Apple Bloom poked at one of the floorboards. It creaked. “This dream doesn’t look real Pinkie Pie-ish.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Applejack admitted. “Then again, it is a nightmare, and this sort of boringness is exactly the sort of thing that would drive Pinkie Pie crazy.”

“I guess. It just seems real… normal.” Apple Bloom tapped her hoof on the wall. “I didn’t think Pinkie had anything this normal in her dream. You sure that this is the right place?”

“Well, I can’t be sure, but I’m pretty sure Luna knows what she’s doin’. If nothing else, we should wait a few minutes to see if anypony else shows up.”

As if on cue, the portal began to glow, and half a second later Rarity shot out. Unlike the Apples’ entrance, she simply skidded along the floor, coming to a halt just before she collided with the wall.

“See?” Applejack said. “Told you we were in the right place.”

“Oh my.” Rarity wobbled as she got to her hooves. “That was quite unpleasant.” She rubbed her head. Then she noticed her company and her face lit up. “Applejack! Apple Bloom! It is wonderful to see you!” She grabbed both of them in a hug. “I’m so glad that you are alright!”

“Good to see you too,” Applejack managed to grunt out in spite of Rarity’s surprisingly powerful grip. “I guess Luna’s spell worked. Everypony else should show up pretty soon.”

“Whooooo!” Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle shot out of the portal, bowling straight into everyone else. The whole pile of ponies crashed against a wall in a heap.

“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity said.

“Rarity!” Sweetie Belle said.

“Scootaloo!” Apple Bloom said.

“Rainbow Da…” Scootaloo paused. “Wait, she’s not here yet, is she?”

“Nope,” Applejack grunted from the bottom of the pile. “And we should probably move out of the way before she barrels outta that portal into all of us.”

“Yes, that might be a good idea,” Rarity said as she extricated herself from the tangle of limbs.

“Wonder how long it’s gonna take Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash to show up,” Applejack said as she cautiously moved out of the portal’s line of fire.

“I wouldn’t think it would be too long,” Rarity answered. “Luna said she intended us to all arrive here at the same time.” She looked around. “I’m not quite sure what I expected, but it wasn’t this. It’s so… dull.”

“Well for Pinkie that might be a nightmare,” Applejack said with a shrug. She turned to look at the fillies, who were busy catching up with each other. “At least they seem to be doin’ okay.”

“Yes, they’re handling the situation quite well.” Rarity shook her head. “I still can’t believe all of this is happening.”

“I know what you mean.” Applejack nodded. “Even though we went through all of this it still doesn’t feel real. Maybe it’s ’cause it’s a dream. I mean, it’s not like we haven’t been through some pretty crazy stuff before. This just feels different.”

“Yes, it’s very— Watch out!”

She ducked just in time to avoid Fluttershy, who popped out of the portal at an odd angle. The pegasus flapped her wings wildly, coming to an awkward stop in the air. She hovered for a few seconds, wobbling as if she didn’t know which way was up. As she landed she staggered a few steps and leaned against the wall.

“Oh my,” she gasped. “That was… disorienting.”

“Don’t worry, the dizziness wears off pretty quick!” Apple Bloom said.

“It’s wonderful to see you, dear!” Rarity gave Fluttershy a hug, and then without releasing her dragged her to the side. “Let’s get you to a safe spot. You just know that Rainbow Dash is going to be coming out of that portal twice as fast as everypony else.”

“Rainbow Dash isn’t here yet?”

“Nope.” Applejack watched the portal closely, readying herself to dodge. “Everypony showed up in like the last two minutes though, so she’ll probably be along real quick.”

“WHOO!” As if on cue, Rainbow Dash blasted out of the portal. She managed to do a flip before stopping in midair, hovering above Applejack’s head. “Wow, that was awesome!”

“Of course Rainbow Dash would manage to do that,” Rarity muttered under her breath.

“So what’s up?” Rainbow Dash looked around. “Are we fighting Nightmares yet?”

“I don’t know,” Fluttershy said. “I just got here.”

“We’re waitin’ for Luna is what we’re doin’,” Applejack said. “Since we’re all here now, I’d guess that she’ll show up pretty soon.”

“I hope she hurries up!” Rainbow Dash threw a few punches at the air. “I want to kick all these Nightmares out of Pinkie’s head!”

“I’m sure Luna will tell us what to do,” Fluttershy said. “She did bring all of us here, after all.”

“Yeah, hopefully before those fillies get too rambunctious.” Applejack headed over to the crusaders, who were wandering dangerously close to the door. “Y’all better not be thinkin’ of goin’ out there. We gotta stick together until the Princess shows up.”

“Relax, we weren’t plannin’ on goin’ anywhere,” Apple Bloom said indignantly. “Not yet, at least.”

“Yeah, we were just catching up,” Scootaloo said. “Not that we really got to do much fun stuff while Apple Bloom was gone.”

“Yeah, the catapult really didn’t turn out well,” Sweetie Belle added.

“Catapult?” Applejack asked. “Actually, I don’t wanna know.”

The wall rattled and groaned, as if it were being strained nearly to the breaking point. All the ponies turned to watch as Luna’s face carved itself into the boards.

“Sorry for the wait,” she said, her voice sounding hollow. “I wanted to ensure that the spell was stable before I continued. While it might not seem so, we are currently in Pinkie Pie’s dream. I have already gone over the plan with each of you individually, so I will not waste time repeating it. I will simply say that from this point on, we must hurry. The chances of the Nightmares noticing our activity is much greater now than it ever was, and so are the chances of their interference. I will do what I can to keep an eye out for them, but I must ask you be mindful that they might intervene far more directly.”

The assembled ponies nodded solemnly, except for Rainbow Dash, who rubbed her hooves together in anticipation.

“Should that happen, all of you must return to the portal as soon as possible, and I will direct all of you to Twilight’s dream. It would be our last chance to escape completely, as it appears that breaking Twilight out of the dream would disrupt the spell enough to break it entirely. It is, however, very unlikely that we would be able to do so. It is a last resort. Our other last resort is Spike. He is currently on his way to the Crystal Empire to inform Princess Cadance and Shining Armor of the current situation and advise them on possible courses of action.”

“Spike’s got to go all the way to the Crystal Empire?” Applejack said. “Ain’t that kinda far?”

“Hmmm.” Rarity thought for a moment. “It is quite far, but Spike has made it all the way to the dragon lands on his own before.”

“I’m certain Spike can make it there,” Fluttershy added. “But wouldn’t it take him quite a long time?”

“He is planning to send another message there via dragonfire before he departs,” Luna answered. “The message will arrive more or less instantaneously, though it is doubtful that Shining Armor and Princess Cadance will be awake to receive it. And in any case, he will not have to walk all of the way there on his own. The spell’s influence only covers Ponyville. He should be able to make his way to an active train station. Assuming nothing interferes with him, he should be in the Crystal Empire within the day.”

“I can’t believe Spike is doing all of this stuff,” Apple Bloom said. “I mean, he saved all of us, and now he’s going all the way to Crystal Empire. That’s crazy.”

“Yes, Spike has been instrumental in allowing our plans to get this far.” Luna cleared her throat. “When this is over I am certain we can find a way to show our appreciation. However, for the time being, it will be best to keep ourselves focused on the task at hand. You must find and free Pinkie Pie from her nightmare. Unfortunately I cannot offer much advice as to the specifics, as every dream is different. So all I can say is that you should all stay together, if at all possible, or at least in groups. If the Nightmares attack, it would be best that you are not alone. As for me, I will prepare for the possibility of a quick escape. Unless somepony has questions, I will be on my way.”

They shook their heads.

“In that case, I must be going. Do not hesitate to call if you need me for anything.” Her face faded from the wood panels.

“Alright, let’s get moving!” Rainbow Dash turned to the door and prepared to launch herself forward.

“Wait just a moment!” Rarity snapped. She nodded to Applejack, who readied herself to grab Rainbow’s tail if she tried to fly away.

“Wait for what?” Dash asked indignantly. “Don’t we need to rescue Pinkie as soon as possible?”

“Yes, but we ought to proceed with caution,” Rarity said. “We do not know what is out there. We cannot just go charging ahead without any sort of plan.”

“Yeah,” Applejack said in agreement. “Luna said to stick together, remember?”

“Fine.” Rainbow Dash crossed her forelegs and hovered impatiently. “Then let’s get a plan together and get a move on.”

Apple Bloom nodded in agreement. “Yeah, it’s really gettin’ kinda cramped in here. Can we at least get outta this room?”

“It is quite dusty,” Rarity conceded.

“Yeah, I know. I wanna get outta here too,” Applejack said. “I’m just sayin’ we gotta be careful.” She made her way to the door. “Now, let’s just go out, together, slowly, and see exactly what sort of insanity Pinkie’s dream has in store for us.”

She put a hoof on the door and slowly pushed it open.

Everypony gasped.

“Oh my,” Fluttershy whispered.

“That’s it?!” Rainbow Dash groaned.

Stretching before them was a seemingly endless flat expanse of dirt. The sky was a dreary half-light, like a sunrise on a rainy morning, only without the sun. The monotony was broken only by a scattering of lumpy shapes protruding from the ground and a few dark spots in the sky.

“This is Pinkie’s dream, right?” Scootaloo asked.

“If Luna says it’s Pinkie’s dream it’s Pinkie’s dream,” Applejack said, though not very confidently.

“Well, it is a nightmare,” Fluttershy said. “Pinkie would probably find a place like this really scary.”

“I guess,” Sweetie Belle said with a shrug. “I just thought that there’d be something, you know, Pinkie-ish.”

“Does this count?” Rainbow Dash called. Naturally, she had flown a short ways ahead of the group and was examining one of the lumps that stuck out of the dirt.

“Rainbow Dash, we were supposed to stick together,” Rarity answered sharply.

“Relax, I’m not that far away. C’mere and look at this!”

Applejack sighed. “I guess we might as well check it out. It’s not like there's anything else to look at.”

From a distance, the lump looked like a large, almost perfectly hemispherical stone. But as they got closer, they could see that it wasn’t the color of a stone. It was, or would’ve been if not for the dullness of the light, a vibrant orange. Furthermore, if they looked closely, the surface was too smooth.

“What is this thing?” Apple Bloom asked, craning her head to the side. The lump was about twice as tall as she was.

“I think it’s a giant balloon,” Rainbow Dash answered. She pressed her hoof against the surface and rubbed. It made a rubbery squeaking noise.

“Yeah, it’s definitely rubbery like one,” Applejack said as she poked at it. “I wonder if we could dig it out or something?”

“I could pop it!” Sweetie Belle said, punctuating the offer with a tweak of her horn.

“Let’s not,” Rarity said, using her magic to drag Sweetie Belle away. “At least not yet. We don’t know what it might do. As far as we know there might be a monster inside.”

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom backed away from the balloon.

“Well, there might not be,” Rainbow Dash said.

“You think maybe we could move it and see if there’s anything on the bottom?” Applejack said. “Luna said that ponies tend to go to places in their dreams that make them feel safe.”

Rarity raised an eyebrow. “So you think she’d be under a balloon?”

“It’s Pinkie,” Applejack said.

“Oh, right.”

“Well, let’s get this thing out of the way, then.” Rainbow Dash put her hooves on the balloon and pushed. It didn’t move. It barely even deformed under her efforts.

“What’s wrong, Dash?” Applejack asked with a smirk. “I would’ve thought you’d be able to move a balloon.”

“It’s not a normal balloon, okay?” Rainbow Dash grumbled. “It’s too heavy. It feels like it’s a boulder disguised as a balloon or something.”

Applejack put her rear hooves against the balloon and pushed. The balloon rocked slightly. “Yeah, it’s real heavy. But between all of us we should be able to get it out of the way. Dash, you and Fluttershy push up top. Rarity, use your magic to see if you can get under it. Between all of us we should be able to at least roll it over.”

“What about us?” Scootaloo asked.

“You three stay out of the way so you don’t get crushed by the balloon,” Rarity said. “Now then, let’s get this thing out of the way.”

Luna was confused. She had half expected the Nightmares to pour into Pinkie’s dream like a flood. She had fully expected the Nightmares to interfere with her, to interfere with the other ponies, anything other than to remain oblivious. And yet they hadn’t

This makes no sense, she thought. How could anyone capable of creating a spell so complex possibly be so incompetent that they did not notice our interference? I suppose I should not complain, but there must be an explanation for this beyond simple stupidity.

She made a mental note to examine it further after she finished putting her monitoring spell together. At the moment she had to watch all of the portals into the dream herself; once she was done her spell would alert her if anything tried to chase the ponies into the dream. Once that was active, she could focus on trying to figure out what the Nightmares were trying to do.

Behind her, she heard the Nightmares grumbling in their jars. Whatever was going on, they were almost certainly in on it. Or at least the leader of the group seemed to be. It had seemed a bit too certain that its containment was temporary. Normally she would chalk it up to bravado, but it didn’t seem quite right. True overconfidence tended to be even louder and more emphatic, almost as if they were trying to prove themselves. But the head Nightmare had been quieter, as if it were so sure of its imminent freedom that it didn’t feel the need to assert itself. It was worrying. And even more worrying, she couldn’t think of any possible reason for such confidence. Obviously, it knew something she didn’t.

She didn’t think it would tell her any time soon.

“Well, that was pointless.” Rainbow Dash grumbled.

Moving the balloon had proved unexpectedly difficult. The smooth surface was difficult to get a grip on, and was just deep enough in the ground that tipping it wasn’t easy. It had a tendency to roll in place. But after some effort, they had finally managed to get it out of the ground, only to discover that below it lay nothing but an indentation in the ground.

“Can we try popping it now?” Apple Bloom asked.

“If all that pushin’ didn’t make it pop, I doubt there’s anything we could do to it,” Applejack said. “At least we know that Pinkie wasn’t hidin’ under it.”

“She might be under a different balloon,” Fluttershy said.

“Oh, no!” Rainbow Dash shook her head vigorously. “I’m not going to waste who knows how long digging up balloons just because Pinkie might be under one.”

“Rainbow Dash does have a point,” Rarity admitted. “We don’t have any reason to believe that Pinkie is under any of these, and in any case there are far too many to check them all individually.”

“I don’t think we have to,” Sweetie Belle said. “Didn’t Luna say something about how if somepony was hiding somewhere in their nightmare there would probably be something different?”

“Yeah!” Scootaloo’s wings buzzed with excitement. “She said that we’d be more likely to find Pinkie if we look for something that’s out of place in the dream!”

“So we gotta find a balloon that looks different from all the others?” Rainbow Dash surveyed the dirt balloon field, which seemed to go on forever. “That’s gonna be like finding a needle in a haystack.”

“It beats turnin’ every one of these things over.” Applejack kicked at the balloon. “Besides, we don’t know how much time we have, so we’d best get lookin’.”

“Alright! Let’s get goin’!” Apple Bloom attempted to gallop away, but Applejack pinned her tail down with her hoof.

“Not so fast,” she said. “We can’t just have everypony runnin’ off willy nilly. We gotta make sure nopony gets lost or attacked or anything.”

Fluttershy nodded in assent. “And we wouldn’t want to waste time searching the same area over and over.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Rainbow Dash said impatiently. “Let’s get some sort of plan together so we can actually start looking for Pinkie. We don’t want her to be stuck here for any longer than she has to.”

“I believe I have an idea,” Rarity said.

“Alright, let’s hear it,” Applejack answered.

Rarity cleared her throat. “First of all, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash should obviously look from the air. They will be able to see much further that way and can point us towards any strange things they might see.”

“And keep an eye out for Nightmares,” Rainbow Dash said, punctuating the words with a kick.

“Yes, that too.” Rarity nodded. “As for the rest of us, I suggest we explore the ground in a spiral pattern starting from the house. We can leave marks in the dirt as we go to mark our progress. That way we will not have to worry about backtracking. Does that plan sound good to everypony?”

“Sounds perfectly sensible to me,” Applejack said. “Y’all good with it?”

The rest of the ponies assented with varying degrees of enthusiasm.

“Well, we’d better get goin’ then,” she said. “Pinkie Pie is countin’ on us, and so is the rest of Ponyville.”

“Yeah!” Apple Bloom reared up. “Let’s go save Pinkie!” She sprinted forward, the other two crusaders following close behind her.

“Get back here!” Applejack shouted as she took off after them.

Rarity just shook her head. “Off to a great start, I see.”

Luna chewed on her lip as she watched the glowing line indicating the levels of magic that the Nightmares were absorbing. It continued its slow, but steady upward climb. It made no sense. The Nightmares hadn’t noticed her. They hadn’t noticed Spike. They hadn’t noticed that over half a dozen ponies had been wrested from their control. And somehow, they had managed to remain oblivious to the fact that she had hijacked their portal system for her own use.

Something was going to happen. Something had to. You didn’t gather that much magic just to sit on it. But what could possibly be so important that they can afford to ignore us? I had thought that they were simply unaware, but could that really be the case? I would have thought that bringing all of the ponies into Pinkie’s dream would’ve forced them to react but—

“Oh no!”

The line fell. Not just a decrease, but a sharp drop-off. Whatever the Nightmares had been gathering up magic for, they had just done it. Magic flared up around her as she prepared to manifest into Pinkie’s dream.

“I must warn everypony! Who knows what kind of danger they may be in!?”

Applejack’s hooves left furrows in the dirt as she plodded forward, not bothering to lift her hooves very high. She didn’t know how long they had been searching, stretched out in a line as they spiralled around the house in larger and larger circles. She had lost count of how many times they had gone around. Enough that the house looked small in the distance.

“Y’all find anything?” she called.

“I got nothing,” Apple Bloom answered. “Occasionally I’ll see a balloon that’s kinda longish rather than round.”

“Yeah, I’ve seen a couple of those,” Scootaloo said.

“What did you see?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Nothing interesting,” Scootaloo answered. She kicked at a clod of dirt. “I thought these dreams were supposed to be all freaky and weird! This is so boring!”

Down at the far end of the line, Rarity nodded. “While I hardly want to complicate things, I must admit that this is quite uninteresting. We have gone around the house over a dozen times, and have not seen anything the slightest bit odd. Aside from everything, but the oddity is all so uniform.”

“Maybe Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash have seen something,” Scootaloo said. “Rainbow Dash is really good at seeing stuff from real far away.”

“Might as well ask ‘em,” Applejack said. “It’s been awhile since we checked in. You want to signal ‘em, Rarity?”

Rarity nodded. Her horn glowed for a moment before shooting a bright beam of light into the dim sky.

A moment later Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy descended out of the sky.

“Did you find something?” Dash asked excitedly as she skidded to a halt. Then she took a moment to actually look at everypony’s faces. “Or not.”

“We were actually hoping that you saw something,” Scootaloo said. “All we found is dirt and more of those weird rock balloon things. Is there anything interesting up in the sky?”

Fluttershy landed next to Rainbow Dash; she hadn’t bothered to rush. “Well, we did see a bunch of floating rocks,” she said. “They look like enormous boulders but they’re as light as balloons and you could just push them through the air like a cloud.”

“That does sound kinda interesting,” Apple Bloom admitted.

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “The first one, maybe. But after a few dozen it’s pretty boring.”

“And you’re sure you didn’t see anything out of the ordinary?” Applejack asked. “For the dream, I mean?”

“Nope,” Rainbow Dash shook her head. “Just floating rocks, floating rocks, and guess what? More floating rocks!”

“Maybe we ended up in Maud’s dream by mistake?” Fluttershy said.

“Well, she is Pinkie’s sister,” Rarity said. “Perhaps those are the memories that the dream is made out of.”

Applejack took a seat on a nearby balloon. “I guess that might be it, but it really doesn’t help us find her. There’s gotta be something that we’re missin’. We can’t just keep lookin’ at balloons forever.”

Rarity sat beside her. “Perhaps we should review what Luna told us about these dreams to make sure we haven’t forgotten anything. She says that everypony has a defence mechanism they use to protect themselves from their nightmares, yes?”

Everypony nodded.

“She also said that because those defense mechanisms are not created by the Nightmares, they tend to be at odds with the other elements of the dream.”

“We already knew that,” Rainbow Dash grumbled as she pawed at the ground.

“Um, girls?” Fluttershy mumbled.

“I know that, I was just trying to review what we know!” Rarity said tersely. “Does anypony have any idea of any other clues we could look for?”

“Well, in our dream the Nightmare was actually floating around everywhere, so it was pretty easy to figure out where we were,” Sweetie Belle said.

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. “Too bad there aren’t any of them runnin’ around here for us to catch. There’s nothin’ here.”

“I think I have an idea.” Fluttershy’s voice was a little louder, but only a little.

Applejack scratched her head. “Yeah, as far as I remember, every other pony’s dream had something actually happenin’. I don’t think Luna told us what to do if the dream didn’t have anything goin’ on.”

“Well, nopony thought that would be a problem in Pinkie’s dream.” Scootaloo trotted over to Rainbow Dash. “Maybe if you carried me up there, I could look around and see if you missed anything.”

“I said I have an idea!” Fluttershy’s voice still wasn’t very loud, but it was loud enough to get everyone’s attention. They all turned towards her.

“An idea?” Rarity’s ear twitched in expectation. “You mean you think you might know where to find Pinkie?”

“Um, maybe?” She shrunk back slightly. “I don’t want to get everypony’s hopes up.”

“Whatever you’re thinkin’ is worth a shot,” Apple Bloom said. “It’s not like what we’re doin’ is gettin’ us anywhere.”

“Okay,” Fluttershy said. “I was just thinking about what Luna said, about how we should look for something that’s different from everything else in the dream.”

“Yeah, yeah, we’ve been over that,” Rainbow Dash said impatiently. “A couple of times.”

“Well, it just sort of came to mind that we’ve spent a whole lot of time looking for something that’s out of place, but we haven’t really examined the unique thing we already know about.”

“Already know about?” Applejack raised an eyebrow. “What are you talkin’ abou… ” She blinked a few times as her gaze drifted over Fluttershy’s shoulder. Then she put a hoof to her face. “We’re a real bunch of idiots.”

Rarity cocked her head to the side. “And why, exactly, are we-” Her eyes followed Applejack’s line of sight, and then her eye twitched in frustration. “Well, don’t I feel like a fool now.”

“Uh, can somepony please fill me in?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Why exactly are we all idiots all of a sudden?”

“It’s the house!” Scootaloo said, thrusting her hoof toward it. “It’s the only thing in the dream that’s actually different and we all just ignored it.”

“Yeah, we were sittin’ right on top of it.” Apple Bloom shook her head.

“I can’t believe we didn’t think of looking around more,” Sweetie Belle squealed in frustration. “It’s like that one story about that pony who was looking for that thing, and then at the end they realized that it was right there?”

“Which story are you talking about?” Scootaloo asked. “Wasn’t it about a letter or something?”

“I thought it was a pair of glasses,” Apple Bloom said.

Rarity cleared her throat. “I’m quite certain there are numerous stories that make use of that particular theme. Now how about we get over to that house and begin to search it?”

“Yeah, we’d better get a move on,” Applejack said. “We don’t want this to take any longer than it-”

“FEAR NOT, PONIES! I HAVE COME TO YOUR AID!”

Luna’s head erupted out of the dirt in a distressingly literal sense. Unlike every other manifestation, which had managed to stay relatively in scale with the other ponies, this time it was so enormous that the horn alone was taller than an entire pony.

“I WILL NOT ALLOW ANY NIGHTMARES TO-” Luna froze as she realized that there were no Nightmares, only a group of shocked ponies who were currently all hiding behind Applejack and Rainbow Dash. “WHERE ARE THE NIGHTMARES?!” Luna bellowed.

“Uh... “ Applejack laughed nervously. “Somewhere else?”

“You mean to tell me that you have not encountered any Nightmares?!” Luna’s voice was slightly quieter, but still very loud.

“Not unless they’re pretending to be balloons,” Rainbow Dash said, punctuating her word with a kick to a nearby balloon. “We haven’t seen any.”

“Are you certain?” Luna asked.

Rarity nodded. “We have not even seen the Nightmare that is holding Pinkie captive.”

Luna’s dirt eyebrows furrowed. “And no other change has taken place in the dream?”

Applejack shook her head. “Aside from your face bustin’ out of the ground, not really.”

“I see.”

“So, uh, were you expectin’ to see a bunch of Nightmare’s runnin’ around or something?”

“There was… a distinct possibility,” Luna said. “Although it appears that my fears have been unfounded.”

“Why did you think there would be Nightmares here all of a sudden?” Rainbow Dash rubbed her front hooves together. “Did they attack you?”

“No, they did not. Not yet anyway. There was an indication that the Nightmares may have put the next stage of their plan into action, and I thought it most likely that if they didn’t target me directly, they would come for you.”

“But they didn’t,” Apple Bloom said. “That’s good news, right?”

“It is good that you are not being attacked by Nightmares, yes. But if they are not here, it means we do not know where they are, which is just as much, if not more, worrying. I must go and attempt to ascertain the true nature of their plans. And you will, of course-”

“Yeah, yeah, we’ll let you know if anything happens,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Very well.” Luna dropped back into the earth. Aside from the erasure of the marks that the ponies had left, there was no sign that she had ever been there.

“What do you think that was about?” Fluttershy asked quietly as she peered out from behind Rainbow Dash.

“I dunno, but we should probably get a move on,” Applejack said. “If Luna thinks that the Nightmares are up to something, they probably are, so we should try to find Pinkie before they show up.”

The group nodded and trotted towards the house.

Luna pored over her spells. There was absolutely no doubt that the Nightmares had used up a huge portion of the magical energy they had absorbed, but they had somehow done it in a completely invisible fashion. It shouldn’t be possible, she thought. Magical energy created ripple effects; if you dumped that much energy into one part of a spell it would make waves through the whole thing, even the parts that weren’t using it.

The only thing that made sense was if they had drawn the energy out of the dream completely. But what would they use it for? They could not use that power to manifest physically. They have absorbed much, but not enough to create physical forms for themselves. I suppose it is also possible that they intend to put some sort of shield around the town to prevent Spike’s escape, but if that was their goal, they would’ve done so earlier.

She rubbed the sides of her head with her hooves. She couldn’t help but feel like she had all the pieces, but was at a loss at how to fit them together. There was only one potential source of new information, but the last thing she wanted to do was deal with the Nightmares she held captive. And beside that, there was no way to prompt them for more information without inadvertently informing them that their plan was moving forward. She couldn’t risk that.

This would be so much easier if I could somehow contact Spike and find out what is happening in Ponyville. Or perhaps warn him of what might happen…

“Okay, we’re back in the house,” Apple Bloom said. “Now what?” All of the ponies were crowded to the side of the room that wasn’t occupied by the portal. The room itself was bare; aside from the door and a few shuttered windows there was nothing but wooden planks.

“Well, she’s not here,” Applejack said.

“No, really?” Rainbow Dash said. She hovered near the ceiling, trying to make the room feel slightly less crowded. “I never would’ve figured that out if you hadn’t told me.”

“I wasn’t finished,” Applejack said, giving Rainbow Dash a sideways glare. “I was sayin’ that since she’s not here, we gotta check the rest of the house. Y’know, up in the attic or maybe under the porch or whatnot.”

“Oh, right.”

“Why don’t you and Fluttershy check the space above, while Applejack and I search down here?” Rarity suggested. “Our sisters can keep an eye on everything from the porch. They will be able to see both in here and up to the roof.”

“That sounds like a plan!” Fluttershy said quickly, before Dash could object. “Come on, Rainbow Dash. Maybe there will be something by the roof.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Fine.”

Applejack nodded at the three fillies. “Y’all go out and keep an eye on them, okay. Don’t let ‘em out of your sight. And leave the door open so we can keep an eye on you too.”

“Sure thing, sis!” Apple Bloom saluted. “Let’s get movin’, Crusaders!”

“So,” Rarity said as she watched them go, “what are we looking for, exactly?”

Applejack shrugged. “I dunno. Anything unusual, I guess. Maybe we could try pullin’ up a floorboard or something.”

“Well, there doesn’t seem to be anything odd on the walls.” Rarity tapped on them with her hoof. “They could certainly use some wallpaper. Something bright would make the room feel a bit bigger.”

“Nothing strange about the windows either,” Applejack answered. “After the way Spike was talkin’ about the other dreams, I thought maybe they’d lead someplace else.”

“I do wonder how Spike is getting along,” Rarity said. “Do you think he’s still in Ponyville, or do you suppose he’s left for the Crystal Empire?”

“Hard to say, what with how weird dream time is. Far as I know, only a few minutes have passed in the real world.”

“Oh right, we are dreaming.” Rarity sighed. “It is blatantly obvious, yet it’s somehow easy to forget.”

“Yeah, it’s weird all right.” Applejack closed the last window. “I’m gonna go check outside. Maybe there’s something under the” —she froze mid-step— “porch. Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“The floor sounds different here. Like it’s hollow.” She tapped her hoof where she had been walking, then again a few feet away. “See? Sometimes that happens in the farmhouse where there’s a gap under the floorboards.”

“Hmmm, so you think that something is under there?” Rarity crouched down and examined the patch of floor where Applejack was pointing. It was extremely dusty. “Move out of the way for a moment.” She took a deep breath and blew. A cloud of dust engulfed Applejack.

“Thanks,” she said with a cough.

“I told you to move,” Rarity said, giving her a mildly annoyed look. “See? There appears to be some sort of trapdoor.” She pointed. The floorboards were all fairly rickety and cracked, but with the dust out of the way, a square of thin gaps were visible.

“That does look like a sort of a trapdoor I guess,” Applejack said. “There’s even a handle. You wanna pull it up, or should I?”

“Be my guest. You’re already dusty after all.”

“Alright.” Applejack slid her hoof under the handle and grunted. The trapdoor held tight for a moment, then popped free with a loud wooden squeak, revealing a dark hole.

“Well, that’s certainly suspicious.” Rarity poked her head over the edge of the hole. All she could see were a few dusty steps. “I suppose we should call the others.”

“Yeah.” Applejack turned back to the house’s door. “Apple Bloom, tell everypony to get in here! We found something!”

“Really? Hey Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy! They found somethin’!” Apple Bloom charged through the door at a dead sprint. Applejack caught her tail just in time to keep her from running right into the hole in the floor.

“Be careful,” Applejack said as she pulled her away. “We don’t know what’s down there. Could be just about anything.”

“What did you find?!” Rainbow Dash nearly bowled into both of them as she flew through the door. “Is Pinkie Pie down there?”

“We haven’t actually gone down there yet,” Rarity said, visibly annoyed by Dash’s enthusiasm. “It may be dangerous.”

“Oh, so you were waiting for me?” Rainbow Dash landed and began to go through her pre-adventure stretching ritual.

“Well, you and everypony else,” Applejack said. “Though if you want to be the first down there, be my guest.”

“You’re really going to go down there?” Fluttershy eyed the blackness with trepidation. “It looks dark. You’re not going down there alone, are you?”

“I should be able to provide a light,” Rarity said. “And of course we cannot let her go down by herself. Luna did tell us to stay together after all.”

“You mean we’ve got to go down there too?” Sweetie Belle’s voice wavered. “Are you sure we all need to go down there?”

“Come on, it can’t be that bad,” Scootaloo said, throwing a foreleg around Sweetie Belle’s shoulders.

Apple Bloom nodded. “Yeah. Besides, would you want to be waitin’ up here without knowin’ what’s goin’ on down there with everypony else?”

“Don’t worry, we’ll make sure nothing happens to you,” Applejack said. “Dash, why don’t you and Rarity head down first, then the fillies, and me and Fluttershy will come last. We all gotta stay close together anyway if we want to be able to see where we’re goin’.”

“Sounds good to me!” Rainbow Dash cracked her neck, and then began down the stairs. Half a second later there was a loud thump. Then her voice echoed out. “Watch your heads. The ceiling is kinda low.”

“Why don’t you go slowly, Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy said as she followed the others down the stairs. “We don’t want to lose you.”

“No reason to worry about that,” she answered. “There’s a dead end here anyway.”

“You have no eye for detail,” Rarity answered. The point of light at the tip of her horn intensified. “See? There’s a door.”

“How on earth did you miss that?” Applejack said.

“It was dark, okay?” Rainbow Dash snorted. “Alright, I’m gonna open it up. There’s probably a monster or something in here, so Rarity can hold it still with her magic while I kick it in the face!”

“Rainbow Dash!” Applejack snapped. “Quit tryin’ to scare the fillies! And Fluttershy.”

“I’m just saying…”

Rarity tapped her hoof impatiently. “We don’t have time to waste on this nonsense. I’m opening the door.” The handle glowed for a moment, turned, and the door swung open. She had expected to use her magic to illuminate the path, but there was no need. In fact, the reverse had happened. Light poured from the doorway, lighting up the stairway.

“What is that?” Apple Bloom asked, trying to get a good view past Rainbow Dash and Rarity into the room.

“I’m not sure,” Rarity said. “Everypony be careful. Let’s stick together.”

Rainbow Dash nodded silently and went through the door.

Applejack blinked at the sudden brightness. “What the hay is this place?”

“A dream that actually looks like Pinkie Pie’s,” Scootaloo said.

The ponies found themselves in an enormous round space, standing on a ledge overlooking an enormous gulf. The walls of the cavern were smooth and rubbery, meeting above their heads in a dome. A dim light radiated through the walls, dimmed but not blotted out completely. It almost gave the feeling of being inside a tent on a sunny day.

The massive space was filled with dozens of floating stones, from some the size of a hoof to huge boulders. Far below, the floor was just barely visible. As they stood silently, taking in the sight, they could just barely hear music. It was muffled and faint, as if it were being played several rooms away.

“Are we inside a giant balloon?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“It’s possible, I guess,” Applejack said. “It’s Pinkie. If anypony knows what the inside of a balloon looks like it would be her.” She gingerly crept to the edge of the ledge and peered over. “I guess we should find a way to get down there. Not like there’s anything up here to look at.”

“Yes, but how are we going to do that?” Rarity joined Applejack at the edge, very carefully. “We can hardly even see the bottom.”

“Maybe Rainbow Dash could fly us down!” Scootaloo suggested, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

“I don’t know about that.” Sweetie Belle took a step towards the ledge, shuddered, and backed away. “It’s really high up. And, you know, we’d have to split up. Somepony would be left alone down there while Rainbow Dash flew up to get somepony else.”

“Not if Fluttershy helps,” Rainbow Dash said. She turned to Fluttershy. “How about it? We would have to split the group up a bit, but at least nopony would be alone.”

“I...I guess that would work,” Fluttershy mumbled. “Or we could take the stairs.” She pointed. At the edge of the ledge a long, gently sloping stairway curved down along the wall of the cavern.

“Or we could take the stairs.” Rainbow Dash said, half disappointed and half relieved.

“I vote stairs,” Sweetie Belle said quickly.

“Yeah, that’s probably safest,” Applejack said. “It might take a bit longer, but we’ve got no idea what’s down there.”

Rainbow Dash hovered over next to her. “Want me to fly down there and check?”

“I think it would be best if we stayed together,” Rarity said as she started down the stairs. “We would all hate for something to happen to you.”

“Fine,” she grumbled as she reluctantly followed along.

The descent was long and almost painfully slow. The cavern seemed to get wider and wider as they descended, making the pathway seem longer and longer as they proceeded. At points it was almost hard to believe that they were moving down at all.

“I can see the bottom,” Scootaloo said, squinting downward. Whatever was down there seemed to be glowing with a glow that wasn’t only bright, but slightly blurry, like the soft lighting in supermodel photos. “I think something’s moving down there.”

“Yeah, I can see it too,” Rainbow Dash said. “It looks like there’s some sort of a hill or something, but it’s moving.”

“How odd,” Rarity said. “It looks as if the ground itself is… flowing.”

“I don’t think it’s ground exactly…” Applejack said. “It reminds me of something, but I can’t quite put my hoof on it.”

Whatever was down there, it didn’t look like anything in particular. As best they could see, it looked to be some sort of mound at the center of the floor.. It didn’t appear to be a solid object either, but a bunch of smaller objects flowing outward, like a fountain spitting out thousands of pebbles rather than water.

But that wasn’t quite right either. The things pouring down the sides of the pile didn’t seem to be coming from inside it. It looked as though they were being dropped from above, but they could see the area above it, and there was nothing but floating rocks.

“I wonder if Pinkie Pie is there some—” Fluttershy’s voice was cut off by a sharp inhale. She jumped into the air and flew to the front of the group, planting herself in the center of the stairway. “Stop!” she hissed, in the loudest whisper she could manage.

“What is it now?” Rainbow Dash crossed her forelegs.

“Shh!” Fluttershy waved for the rest of the ponies to come closer. When she spoke, her voice was so low that they could barely hear her. “There are Nightmares down there!”

“What!?” Rarity fought to keep her voice low. “Where!?”

“Around the edges of that pile,” Fluttershy answered. “I think they’re doing something to it.”

The ponies took another look at the pile. Something was scurrying rapidly around the edges of the heap. Several somethings, in fact. They zipped back and forth, occasionally pausing.

“They’re throwing stuff onto the pile!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. “I think it’s more of those rock balloon things.”

As they finally reached the bottom of the stairway, they could see that Sweetie Belle was right. A dozen or so dark shapes were hurling the balloons to the top of the pile, moving so quickly that it created a constant rain at the top of the heap. It would gradually grow upwards until it became too high, and then the pile would start to collapse under its own weight, rolling back down to the edges where the Nightmares grabbed the balloons and threw them back onto the pile. Fortunately, the Nightmares all seemed too preoccupied to pay any attention to the ponies behind them.

“What do you wanna bet that they’ve got Pinkie buried under there?” Applejack said.

“Well, let’s just go get ‘em and then dig Pinkie out,” Rainbow Dash said, kicking at the air with her hooves. “I could probably go and do it myself!”

Rarity snorted at the notion. “You could, but I hardly think that would be a good idea. We have no idea what they might do if you attack all willy-nilly.”

“Well, we’ve got to get rid of them somehow,” Scootaloo tapped her hoof on the steps impatiently. “ Unless you want to leave Pinkie under that pile of balloons.”

“They don’t look all that scary for Nightmares…” Apple Bloom said as she watched them. “They’re just sorta like little blobs.”

“But look how many there are,” Fluttershy whispered. “What if they ganged up on Rainbow Dash?”

“We don’t let ‘em, then,” Applejack said resolutely. “How many of them do you think there are, Rarity?”

“I’d say maybe around a dozen. I couldn’t say for sure. They’re moving around too much.”

“Alright, in that case, here’s what we’ll do.” Applejack’s voice changed to the one she used when she was handing out assignments for work days at the farm. “We’ll sneak around the edge and come at ‘em from all directions at once. Me, Dash, and Rarity can each take a couple. Fluttershy, you think you and the Crusaders could take on a few?”

“Of course!” Scootaloo said puffing out her chest. “It’ll be easy!”

“I wasn’t askin’ you,” Applejack said.

“If we really have to, I think we could manage,” Fluttershy answered.

“Great.” Applejack drummed her hoof on the ground. “Y’all can wait here while the rest of us go around. Just make sure you keep quiet till we’re all in position. I’ll yell when we’re ready to go.”

“But what if it” —Sweetie Belle swallowed— “doesn’t work?”

“Then run back up the stairs and call Princess Luna,” Applejack said. There was an uncomfortable moment of silence. “Alright, we better get a move on before they notice us.”

Before they could respond, she nodded for Rainbow Dash and Rarity to follow her.

“Fluttershy and the Crusaders, huh?” Rainbow Dash muttered as soon as they were out of earshot. “I thought you’d want Apple Bloom with you.”

“The Crusaders are tougher than we give them credit for,” Rarity answered. “I’m sure they will be quite capable of taking out a few of those blobs on their own.”

“I do want her with me,” Applejack said. “But I think she’ll do better if she stays with her friends.” She grinned. “Besides, she’s got Fluttershy with her. If any Nightmare so much as looks crooked at one of those fillies, Fluttershy would probably take out the whole lot of them all on her own.”

Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but giggle. “She might break the spell entirely.”

“If only it were that simple,” Rarity said with a wry grin. “I suppose this is my spot, you two go on ahead.”

“Right!” Applejack saluted, and crept onward. “You ready, Rainbow Dash?”

“I’ve been ready since I first got into this dream.” Dash’s face bore an excited grin. It was the same face she had before she flew. “It’s about time.”

“Well, at least try to be careful, alright. I know it’s just a dream, but we don’t want anything to happen.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m gonna go ahead. You can wait here. Just yell when you’re ready to go.”

She nodded silently and stopped walking. Rainbow Dash silently zipped forward.

I can’t believe we’re doin’ this, she thought as she waited for Rainbow Dash to get in position. Searchin’ through other ponies’ dreams, attackin’ Nightmares… Fightin’ changelings seems downright normal compared with all this. How on earth do I end up doin’ stuff like this? All I ever wanted to do was grow apples.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rainbow Dash waving at her. Guess she’s ready. She turned to the other side. She could just barely see Rarity, tensed up and ready to attack. Straight ahead of her, she knew Fluttershy, her sister, and the other crusaders were waiting, but the heap of balloons hid them from her sight. She closed her eyes for a moment to focus. Can’t worry about them now, no matter how much you want to. Worryin’ isn’t gonna make this any easier. I’d better get ready to go before Dash gets impatient and goes ahead on her own.

She watched the Nightmares scurry back and forth along the edge of the pile and began to formulate a plan. Okay, I’ll tackle that first one, then if I move real quick, I should be able to give the next one a good buck before it even realizes we’re here. After that… hopefully they’re as wimpy as they look.

No point in waitin’.

She charged forward. “ATTACK!”

The Nightmare was so indistinct that it barely had a face, but she could almost imagine that it turned to look at her just as she landed. For a few seconds, everything was a blur. Her legs felt like they were moving all on their own, sprinting, punching, and kicking. By the time her mind caught up, she was standing at the edge of the balloon pile, breathing heavily. The only sign of Nightmares she could see was a faint fog that lingered where they had been pummeled into oblivion.

Half a second later Rainbow Dash flew over the pile, surveying the aftermath.

“Is everypony alright?” Applejack called to her.

“Yeah, everypony looks fine from here,” Dash answered. “I’m pretty sure we got all of them.” She crossed her forelegs and snorted discontentedly. “What pushovers. I was expecting a fight.”

“Now is not the time!” Rarity shouted from across the heap. “Nightmares aside, we must get Pinkie Pie out from under this-”

The top of the balloon heap exploded, showering the ponies with balloons. Apparently eliminating the nightmares had done something; the balloons were now no heavier than if they had been made of foam. They didn’t fall so much as float vaguely downward. But none of the ponies were paying much attention to that. They were too distracted by the fact that Pinkie had erupted from the center of the pile.

“Ahhh! It feels so good to be out from under all that stuff! Worst balloons ever!” She stretched, bending much further than any pony should’ve been able to and popping joints that she wasn’t supposed to have. “It was so lumpy.”

“Pinkie! You’re alright!” Rainbow Dash flew over and hugged her.

“Oh, thank goodness!” Fluttershy appeared from the other side of the balloon pile and excitedly wrapped her hooves around both Rainbow Dash and Pinkie. “I’m so glad to see you!”

“I’m glad to see you too!” Pinkie looked around, and shrugged. “I have no idea what’s going on, but at least I’m getting a hug!”

“Did you see that!” The crusaders galloped around the edge of the pile, opting against trying to climb up. Apple Bloom was at the head of the group, running straight for her sister. “I kicked a Nightmare right in the head and it just went ‘poof’!”

“I held it down with my magic so she could do that!” Sweetie Belle added. “It was great!”

“They couldn’t see it! They were on the other side of the pile,” Scootaloo grumbled. “It was pretty cool though.”

“Good job, girls,” Applejack said as she waved them over. “Once we’re out of here, you can tell me all about it. Right now, we gotta get Luna and tell her that we’ve got Pinkie.”

“Already done.”

Applejack turned around to see Rarity trotting up beside her. Her mane was slightly disheveled, but she was otherwise none the worse for wear.

“Luna will be with us in a few minutes,” Rarity said. “She said she is taking care of something and will come to us as soon as she can.”

“Great.” Applejack turned back to Pinkie, who still had Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy locked in a bear hug. “So, which one of us is gonna get stuck tryin’ to explain everything to Pinkie.”

“I vote we wait for Luna to arrive and let her do it.”

Applejack sighed. “As appealing as that sounds, I think she’s probably been through enough already. I think between all of us, we should be able to manage.” She glanced again at Pinkie with apprehension. “Though I gotta say I ain’t exactly lookin’ forward to it.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Rarity said resignedly. “We may as well get it over with. Pinkie Pie!”

“Ooh! Rarity and Applejack are here too!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Although I’m not to sure where ‘here’ is.”

“Pinkie, can you come over here?” Applejack said, waving her over. “We’ve got some stuff to tell you.”

“I must say, I appreciate that you spared me having to explain the situation again,” said a balloon shaped like Luna’s head. “I have lost count of how many times I have had to do that. I must admit I did not relish the thought of having to explain it to her.”

“Well, it wasn’t easy,” Rainbow Dash said with an irritated sniff. “It took us like four tries to get it through her head because she wasn’t paying attention.”

“It’s not my fault there are all these balloons floating around!” Pinkie grumbled. Ever since the Nightmares had been vanquished, the balloons had begun to get lighter and brighter. At the moment, all of them were glowing, some of them to the point that they looked more like floating spotlights or disco balls than balloons. Her eyes glued themselves to one that seemed to be coated with glitter. “Shiny.”

“It’s your dream, so it kind of is,” Rarity mumbled under her breath.

Applejack ignored both comments and focused on Luna. “So, exactly what are we doin’ now that we’ve got Pinkie out?”

“Well, now that all of you have been freed, and because it is evident that the Nightmares are on the move, I believe that it is time for our final assault. If we can free Twilight from the Nightmares’ spell, they will lack the magical energy needed to keep the spell going.”

“So we’re going into another dream!?” Pinkie hopped up and down. “That sounds like fun!”

Luna silenced her with a glare. Or rather quieted her down slightly, as she still muttered to herself.

“‘Fun’ is not the word I would use, but that is beside the point. All of you must return to the room with the portal and prepare to enter it. I will prepare the spell to target Twilight’s dream. When I am ready, I will return. You can use the time to prepare yourselves.” Luna’s head made a popping noise, but rather than exploding, it simply resumed the shape of a normal balloon.

“So, I guess we should go back up then?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yeah, let’s,” Applejack said. “This place is startin’ to give me a headache.”

“Oh come on, it’s not that bad,” Pinkie said.

The portal hadn’t changed in any quantifiable way, but knowing where it led made it more ominous. The fact that Luna was floating beside it, again in the form of a balloon, was a welcome bit of levity. Her tone of voice was as stern and serious as ever.

“Are you ready to proceed?” she asked.

“Ready as we’re ever gonna be,” Applejack answered.

“Yeah!” Rainbow Dash rubbed her hooves together in anticipation. “We’re gonna knock these Nightmares out of Ponyville once and for all!”

“I only hope it will be so easy,” Luna said.

“What about the Crusaders?” Fluttershy asked. “Should they stay here or go back to their dream?”

“That is for you to decide,” Luna said. “If we fail, they will not be any safer in a different dream, and if we succeed, they will be freed along with the rest.”

“In that case, I say they come along,” Rarity said. “I would much rather have my sister with me.”

“Yeah, we can totally take them with us!” Rainbow Dash put her wing around Scootaloo. “Besides we’ll need all the help we can get.”

“I guess it’s settled, then,” Applejack said as she patted her sister on the head. “The fillies are comin’ with us.”

“Very well then.” Luna floated slightly to the side. “I recommend you all enter together. I do not know what kind of resistance you will encounter in Twilight’s dream. I would assume that it will be much more direct than that which you have already faced. I wish you the best of luck, and I will contact you as soon as I am able.”

“Alright, I guess we’d better get movin’,” Applejack took the stance she did at the start of a race. “C’mon everypony, let’s go save Equestria! Again.”

“Yeah! Let’s go!” Pinkie leaped forward, bouncing into the portal, everypony else following closely behind.

Luna’s head floated silently for a moment, watching the swirling blackness. Her thoughts drifted to Spike. He had likely already sent the message to the Crystal Empire, and hopefully would be on his way. She wished she had some way to keep tabs on him outside the dream. But unless he nodded off, that wasn’t going to happen. Perhaps if she could find somepony who sleepwalked—

“What on earth—?” She stared in horror as as the portal began to glow.

“wwwwwwwWHOA!”

Pinkie tumbled out of the portal. “That was the best ride EVER!” she squeaked.

Then the rest of the group poured out of the portal, landing in a jumbled heap.

“What happened!?” Luna asked, trying not to shout.

“I dunno,” Applejack grumbled from near the bottom of the pile. “We were sorta slidin’ along and suddenly we felt like we bounced offa something and next thing I knew we were goin’ the other way.”

“What happened?” Rarity asked, stumbling upright.

“I—I do not know.” Luna’s voice was strained. “But I will find out.”

There was a rubbery squeal, and the balloon popped.

Pinkie stared at the empty space where Luna had been a moment earlier. “So I guess that’s a bad thing, right?”

Spike looked over the letter he had written one final time. He had included a brief summary of the situation and some of the technical specifications of the spell, as well as a list of books on the nature of dream spells so that Cadance could begin to research possible workarounds. Hopefully they would never have to actually use them.

“I guess about as good as it’s ever going to be,” he mumbled to himself. “I’d better send it and get on my way.”

He inhaled deeply as he prepared to send the letter. Then he froze. His mind had been playing tricks on him all… however long it had been. The dream time made it hard to tell. But the silence was starting to weigh on him so much that he had sworn that he had heard something. He shrugged and exhaled, enveloping the letter in green flame.

“Alright, I’d better get going.” He snatched his bag off of the table and began to fill it with food. “Everypony at the Ponyville train station is probably asleep. I’d better bring some bits, too, just in case I—”

A chill ran down his spine. He could claim that it was all in his head. He wanted to believe that. Unfortunately, he couldn’t. It had been too clear and too loud to be something that he had imagined.

He had heard a knock on the door.

Author's Note

May I join you in the doghouse, Rover?
I wish to retire till the party's over.
- Ogden Nash, "Children's Party"

Yeah, I know, there isn't a whole lot of Spike this chapter (or Pinkie, for that matter), but he'll get plenty of focus in the next one. As will certain other elements. :raritywink:

Thanks to:
Yami Vizzini
Meta Four
War877

For their feedback and proofreading assistance.

Agitated by the Growing Storm

Spike’s heart pounded in his chest as the sound of the knock echoed in his head. There shouldn’t be anything to knock, he thought. Everypony is asleep, and I thought that the Nightmares didn’t even have physical bodies.

He began to creep down the stairs, going as slowly as possible. Whatever was out there, he didn’t want it to know he was there. At least the lights in the library wouldn’t be a clue. Many houses in Ponyville still had their lights on; their owners had probably still been getting ready to go when the spell hit. Maybe the spell is starting to wear off. No, in real time the spell was only cast half an hour ago. There’s no way that it would wear off that fast.

He peeked carefully down the stairs and sighed in relief as he saw that the curtains were drawn. At least nothing could see inside. Hopefully, they wouldn’t be able to hear much either. As he tiptoed down (taking care to skip over the squeaky step), he heard a voice.

“Spike, are you in there?”

His heart nearly jumped out of his mouth. The voice was Applejack’s, but it didn’t sound like her. It was like the reverse of an impersonation; instead of the voice itself being different but the mannerisms being the same, the voice was unmistakably Applejack’s, but completely devoid of the accent and characteristic twang. Something else was using her voice.

“I told you it wouldn’t work, you idiot,” said another voice. Spike thought it was Fluttershy’s, but it spoke so harshly that it barely sounded like her at all. “Even if he was in there, he’s not just going to come out because you knocked on the door.”

“I thought it was worth a shot,” a third voice said timidly.

Is that Rainbow Dash? Spike thought.

“Well, it failed, so not so much,” said a fourth voice. Presumably, it was Rarity’s, though without the accent it was barely recognizable. “Whatever the case, we gotta get into the library and check to see if that dragon is still hanging around. Bust down the door.”

“Break the door down?” said Rainbow Dash’s voice. “Is that really necessary?”

“What, you have the key?” Rarity’s voice waited for an answer.

“Um, maybe if we checked under the welcome mat-”

“Princess Celestia’s personal student wouldn’t be stupid enough to hide a spare key under the welcome mat.”

Of course not. Spike grinned grimly. We hide the spare key in the flower pot next to the door.

“Now, you, break the door down.”

“Who?” said Applejack’s voice. “Me?”

“Yes, you! You’re the one with the super strong earth pony legs,” Rarity’s voice hissed. In any other situation the sheer aggravation in her voice would’ve bordered on comical. “Use them to get this door out of our way.”

Spike swallowed and clutched the letter tightly in his claws. He didn’t know what they wanted with him, and he wasn’t about to find out. When they broke into the library, he wasn’t going to be there. He turned and headed back up the stairs tiptoeing as fast as he could. Before he had gotten halfway up, he heard the first thump. It didn’t sound anything like he had expected a buck from Applejack. If anything it sound more like a slightly louder-than-usual knock.

“That was pathetic!” said Fluttershy’s voice. “That wasn’t even a kick!”

“Give me a break!” Applejack’s voice said, whining in a way Applejack would never have dared. “I usually don’t even have legs. How am I supposed to kick something?”

Spike sighed in relief. At the very least he didn’t have to worry about getting caught. If the so-called kick was any indication, there was no way that they’d be able to use their bodies effectively enough to actually catch—

WHAM

The walls trembled and a picture next to the door fell from it’s hook.

“That was better,” Fluttershy’s voice said, “but you missed the door.”

“It was a good kick though,” said Rainbow Dash’s voice.

“It’s not really a good kick if it doesn’t hit what it’s supposed to.” It was Rarity again, and she somehow sounded even more frustrated than before.

Spike didn’t stick around to find out how much damage the next kick would do. He had to get out of the library as soon as possible. There was no way he could bring himself to fight them if it came to that, and if they were looking for him, there was no doubt that they were planning to do something to him. But if they couldn’t find him, they couldn’t catch him.

He kept going up the stairs. The only other opening on the first floor was the window in the kitchen, but inside it the sink was filled with pots and pans, and on the outside it was almost completely overgrown with ivy. There was no way he could get it open and squeeze through it without making a racket. The balcony at the back of the tree was a much safer, relatively speaking, bet. He had just oiled the door a few days ago, and he could climb down the clothesline without making any noise. If he was lucky, he would be able to make it out of town before they realized he was gone.

He wasn’t lucky.

As he slid the balcony door open, he found himself face to face with Fluttershy. Or more accurately, with Fluttershy’s body, hovering above the balcony. Whatever animated the body was most definitely not Fluttershy. She would never have had the mix of sadistic glee and hungry ferocity on her face.

“I thought I’d find another entrance,” she said, “but I didn’t think that you’d let me in.”

“WHAT DID YOU DO?!”

The glass jars rattled at the sound of Luna’s voice. The Nightmares within shivered, all except for one.

“Whatever do you mean?” it said smugly. It had no real face, but it seemed to be smiling.

“You know exactly what I am talking about!” Luna bellowed. “You have finally put to use all of the magic that you have been gathering and now you will tell me what you used it for.”

“We didn’t use it for anything. We’ve been trapped in your specimen jars this whole time, remember?”

“Do not play dumb. It is obvious that you are in on the plan.”

“Assuming I was,” it said, “why would I explain it to you when it seems to be going off without a hitch?”

Luna breathed deeply before answering. “And how exactly do you know that it went off without a hitch?”

“If it had failed, you wouldn’t be here interrogating me.”

Luna snorted. It appears that the plan was an all-or-nothing affair. If it weren’t, one would think it would at least entertain the possibility that it was only partly successful.

“If it was successful, you wouldn’t still be here,” she said through gritted teeth.

“I can be patient.”

Then the plan isn’t complete. There may still be time to stop it. If only I could figure out what they needed that energy for… I suppose I’ll have to risk volunteering some information.

“I hope you don’t think that we are helpless because you managed to close the portals into Pinkie’s dream.”

“If you’re referring to your young dragon friend,” the Nightmare said with an approximation of a grin, “I assure you that he poses no threat to our plan.”

“You are underestimating him,” said Luna.

“And you are underestimating us,” said the Nightmare. “Did you think we were unaware that he was running around?”

No, but you seemed powerless to do anything about it, Luna thought.

“You certainly seemed unaware that you had left such a gaping hole in your spell,” she said. The Nightmare had done an admirable job at resisting the urge to assert its superiority, but its resolve seemed to be slipping.

“I wouldn’t call it a hole,” it said, in the same tone of voice as a disreputable used carriage salespony. “I’ll admit it was an unfortunate… limitation that we had to leave him out of the spell, but it is hardly something that we couldn’t overcome. In fact, I would say that his interference turned out to be rather helpful.”

“Be that as it may, I fail to see how you can do anything to him now. The spell did not affect him, and you have no influence on the physical plane.”

“That is another limitation that” —the pause was nearly imperceptible, but only nearly— “was so minor as to be negligible.”

“Is that so?” A thought began to grow at the back of Luna’s mind. She smiled. “In that case, you have underestimated us even more than I thought.”

“You have no idea of the full extent of our plan,” the Nightmare said.

“That is an unfortunate limitation,” Luna answered, “and I intend to overcome it.” She spun around and vanished into her dream.

Spike tried to slam the door shut, but he wasn’t fast enough. She was already in the way. He stumbled backward, half out of instinct and half out of a vague idea that the spell might somehow still be active, and that if she so much as touched him, he’d be out like a light.

“Nice try,” the Nightmare said, grinning. “I knew it would be quicker to find another way in than to wait for those idiots to get through the door. I can’t wait to see the looks on their faces. You were the one loose end we had to take care of.”

It darted forward, so fast that Spike had no time to get out of the way. Fortunately, he didn’t have to. While the Nightmare was more than capable of propelling itself, it evidently hadn’t gotten the hang of steering. Fluttershy’s body careened over his head and into the wall behind him.

“Ow! Stupid wings!” It spun around to see that Spike was already scrambling toward the door. “Oh no you don’t!” The nightmare shot forward faster than Spike had ever seen Fluttershy move. It shot past him again, this time at a downward angle. He rolled backward just quick enough to avoid being run over.

As he got to his feet, he saw that the nightmare had skidded to a halt in front of the door. It gave Spike a smirk as it gave the door a kick. The windows on the door rattled as it slammed shut. He stood with his back to the wall and snatched up the broom that was sitting next to the desk, holding it out as if it were a spear.

“That’s not going to help you,” the Nightmare said as it stepped closer. “All it takes is a touch, and the spell will knock you right out. It might not trap you the same as it does everyone else, but it’ll keep you out of our hair.”

“You’d love that, wouldn’t you?” Spike said, trying to hold the broom as menacingly as possible.

“Oh come on, even with the broom there’s no way you’re going to be able to keep me from at least poking you or something. Besides” —it smiled evilly— “you’d never be able to hit your friend in the face.”

Spike bit his lip. Fluttershy was not the one in control, but it was still her body. He could ward her off, but if push came to shove, he didn’t know if he could attack. And it was only a matter of time before the Nightmare got the hang of having wings and managed to catch him. His only hope was to dodge it and get the patio door open before it could turn around. And he’d have to do it without injuring Fluttershy. He couldn’t imagine that she would get mad at him if she was a bit bruised up when she got her body back, but that almost made it worse.

The Nightmare lunged forward, diving straight towards him. He held the flat end of the broom out and braced himself. He couldn’t bring himself to attack, but he could deflect. He shoved to the side with the broom. The Nightmare tried to bank around it, but it was too close. The bristles caught it on the wing. He rolled away as Fluttershy tumbled past, reaching for him, but just barely missing. There was a crash as the Nightmare slammed into Twilight’s bed, hard enough to knock the mattress off of the frame.

“Sorry, Fluttershy!” Spike grabbed the loose end of the blanket, threw it over the Nightmare, and shoved with all of his might. It rolled off the mattress, tangled in the sheets. He dashed to the door, hoping he could get the latch open before the Nightmare freed itself. “Oh come on.”

The latch on the door was stuck. The Nightmare had kicked the door so hard that it had bent, jamming the door shut. He grabbed it and pulled, hoping that he could muster the strength to bend it back to where it was supposed to be. I just need a few… more… seconds-

“Real clever,” said a voice from behind him. In the glass of the door, he could see the reflection of the Nightmare emerging from the mess of blankets. He had never seen such an utterly hostile look on Fluttershy’s face. “But playtime is over. I’ve got more important things to do than mess with you. It’s time for you to go to sleep.”

The Nightmare charged. He braced himself. There was barely any room to dodge, but if he didn’t, everything would be over.

“Gerughreiugh!” Fluttershy’s body froze in the air with an odd gurgling noise. Her limbs, including her wings, began to flail randomly in every direction, as if some wires in her brain had been crossed. He stared at her face with disturbed fascination. Every part of her face seemed to be trying to express a different emotion. Her mouth alone seemed to be trying to smile, frown, and pucker all at the same time. The noises she was making sounded like someone attempting to simultaneously form words and unsuccessfully imitate the bray of a donkey.

Before he could even begin to consider an explanation, the flailing stopped.

“Spike,” Fluttershy said. Her voice was harsh in a familiar way, but it still wasn’t quite hers.

“Uh…”

“It is I, Luna!” she said.

“Oh.” Spike cocked his head to the side. “Wait, what?”

“There is no time to explain. I will not be able to maintain control of Fluttershy’s body for more than a few seconds. Pinkie Pie is in her ‘Party Cave’ under Sugarcube Corner.” Fluttershy’s face twitched. “Enter her dream, and I will explain more there.” Fluttershy’s whole body spasmed. “Hurry!”

“Got it!” Spike turned back to the door and grabbed the latch. Mustering up as much strength as he could, her pulled. For a second it held, then with a sharp ping it snapped off in his claws. The door popped open. Without a backwards glance, he ran through. He had had a notion of shimmying down the clothesline, but there was no time for that. He leaped off the balcony, aiming for a nearby bush. I really hope this thing doesn’t have any thorns…

Back in the room, Fluttershy’s body flopped onto the bed. It was still for a few moments before it stood and surveyed the room. Then it went out to the balcony and scanned the street. Spike was nowhere to be found.

“I’m never going to hear the end of this,” the Nightmare growled.

Spike’s heart pounded as he scurried from shadow to shadow, slowly but surely making his way in the general direction of Sugarcube Corner. The Nightmares didn’t seem to be around, but he wasn’t about to take chances. By now they probably had gotten the hang of puppeting their bodies, and he didn’t have much of a chance if he had to outrun them.

I should’ve known that Pinkie would be in her party cave. I don’t know why I didn’t check for her while I was there.

He peeked out from the trash can he was hiding behind. Walking through Ponyville had been bad enough when he was alone. Knowing that something might pop out at any moment made it almost unbearable. Sugarcube Corner was just across the street. If they had any idea where he was going, they would be waiting for him. He could see that the front door was open just a crack. He couldn’t quite remember if he had left it open or not.

He took one last glance up and down the street before dashing across, practically diving through the door. Sugarcube Corner was silent, at least aside from the sound of the front door squeaking as he pushed it shut. The Cake Twins were still asleep in their crib, and nothing seemed to have changed since he had been there.

It looks safe enough, he thought. Now, how did the entrance to Pinkie’s Party Cave work, again? Something with one of these bannisters. He examined the ice-cream shaped carving at the end of it. There was some sort of button or lever hidden in there somewhere. The carving turned slightly with a clicking noise. For a second, nothing happened. Then Spike realized the floor had disappeared from underneath him.

“WAAAAAaaaaaaaahhhhh!”

Pinkie Pie’s slide spat him out into a pile of streamers and confetti. Surprisingly enough, it wasn’t nearly as chaotic as he had remembered. It was a bit cluttered, and nearly everything had a bit of glitter stuck to it, but other than that things were fairly well organized. Maybe Twilight helped her sort through things, he thought. I wonder where Pinkie is…

A loud snore answered his question. Pinkie was curled up on top of a pile of stuffed animals that were probably meant to be the Cake Twins’ birthday presents for the next few years. I guess I should just hop into her dream now. Who knows what’s going on in there. He put a claw on Pinkie’s head and things went black.

“I said, we do not have time for this!”

At the sound of Luna’s voice, the group of ponies who had been competing to hug Spike dispersed.

“Oh come on!” Apple Bloom grumbled. “We just found out that Spike is safe! And it’s the first time that all of us have been together since, uh, whenever all this stuff started.”

“Be that as it may,” a balloon shaped like Luna’s head said, “we do not have time to spend on greetings. We must hurry.”

“But what about Pinkie Pie?” Apple Bloom answered. “She hasn’t even gotten to say hello to Spike yet!”

Luna frowned with a rubbery brow. “Very well. She can give Spike a very brief greeting before we continue.”

“Alright.” Pinkie nodded seriously before clearing her throat. Then she grabbed the dragon and hugged him so hard that his eyes came dangerously close to popping out of his skull. “Spike! I’m so glad you’re alright!”

“Th-thanks,” he squeaked.

“Okay, I’m good!” Pinkie released him and stepped back. “Normally I’d have gone a bit longer, but we’re kinda in a rush, right?”

“Yes, you could say that,” Luna said.

“So what’s going on, exactly?” Spike said. “I was about to send that letter, when suddenly I heard someone knocking on the library door.”

“Who was it?” Applejack asked.

“It was you, actually,” Spike answered. “Or your body, I guess.”

“What?” Everypony gasped out the word simultaneously except Pinkie, who said “Huh, didn’t see that coming.”

“Perhaps I can explain,” Luna said. “At first it was my belief that the purpose of the Nightmares’ spell was to rule over the dreamscape indefinitely and that the magic they were draining from each pony was simply meant to maintain the spell, or to prevent me from interfering. However, it appears that their true motive was to overcome their limitations entirely and take over your bodies to interact with the real world.”

“Wait, you figured all that out before I told you what happened?” Spike asked.

“Well, I did not know exactly what happened, but after… gathering more information, I was at least able to guess that they were using the magic to do something outside of the dream realm. That, combined with the fact that everypony was trapped in Pinkie’s dream, implied that their plan involved the unconscious ponies themselves. I decided to check on your dreams, and discovered that the Nightmares were somehow controlling your bodies from within the dreamscape.”

“And that’s when you started talking through Fluttershy’s body,” Spike said.

“W-what?” Fluttershy looked and Spike and Luna in confusion. “What happened?”

“The Nightmare that is currently inhabiting your body attempted to capture Spike,” Luna said matter-of-factly. “I was able to interfere for just long enough allow him to escape.”

“Well this is wonderful,” Rarity grumbled. “Not only have the Nightmares taken over Ponyville, but now they’ve taken over our bodies as well? And I spent hours getting my mane just right.”

“Your mane isn’t the problem here!” Rainbow Dash snapped. “Do you know how much trouble it could cause if the Nightmares are able to take over everypony’s bodies? They could turn Ponyville into their own little army!”

“Oh my,” Fluttershy squeaked.

“I don’t believe things are quite that bad yet,” Luna said. “Spike, when you were in the physical world, specifically which ponies did you see or hear?”

Spike thought for a moment. “Only Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash, if I remember right.”

“I thought as much,” Luna continued. “It seems that the Nightmares cannot take over the body of anypony they please. That is the good news.”

“Oh great.” Pinkie groaned. “If you say it like that, it means there’s bad news too. Besides the obvious, I mean.”

“It appears that the Nightmares are not as incompetent as we believed. As a matter of fact, we seem to have inadvertently assisted their plans.”

“What?” Applejack stomped her hoof angrily. “How did we do that?”

“Because with all of your consciousnesses here, in Pinkie’s dream, your own bodies were left… available, for lack of a better term.” Luna sighed. “As much as it pains me to admit it, I greatly underestimated them. I assumed it was their incompetence that caused them to leave the portals open for our use, but it seems that in reality, it was bait. They knew that sooner or later I would enlist your help to free more ponies, and as soon as you left your own dreams, they closed off the portals so that you could not return to your own bodies.”

“Ugh, and we fell for it, hook, line, and sinker.” Spike blew smoke from his nose in frustration.

“It is my fault,” Luna said, her voice heavy. “It was my responsibility to keep everyone safe, but I failed to consider the possibility that they were not as foolish as I assumed. My arrogance has put us all at risk.”

“You don’t have to be so hard on yourself, Princess,” Applejack said. “You’ve been doin’ everything that you could to help all of us. None of us saw this comin’.”

“That’s right,” Rarity added. “All of us were perfectly aware of the risk we were taking when you brought us into this dream. You have not put us into any more danger than… Pinkie Pie, this is no time for giggling.”

“I can’t help it!” Pinkie squeaked. “It’s just that we’re being all serious and dramatic and she’s a balloon…”

“We can worry about that later,” Rainbow Dash said. “I wanna know what we’re gonna do now. We’re all stuck in Pinkie’s dream, and I’m pretty sure that the Nightmares are going to be watching to make sure that Spike doesn’t get out of Ponyville.”

“Maybe we could try to get our bodies back?” Fluttershy suggested. “Would that help?”

“Having a body does tend to be useful,” Scootaloo muttered to herself.

“Actually, in this case, it wouldn’t help us much.” Luna’s voice was still heavily apologetic. “Even if we could force the Nightmares out of your bodies, you would all still be asleep. It might be a minor setback for them, but it wouldn’t put us any closer to breaking the spell.”

“What would put us closer to breaking the spell?” Spike asked.

“Only one thing comes to mind,” Luna answered. “We must find a way to free Twilight and Celestia.”

“And by ‘we’ you mean me, right?” Spike said with a weary sigh. “Since the rest of you are all trapped here?”

“Unfortunately, unless we can create a way for everypony else to use the portals once more, they will all remain trapped here.”

“Um, I have a question.” Fluttershy raised her hoof.

“Yes?”

“Is there any chance of the Nightmares trying to take over Spike’s body while he’s in a dream?”

“Fortunately, no,” Luna said, prompting a sigh of relief from both Fluttershy and Spike. “The form of magic that the Nightmares use is inherently incompatible with Dragon magic. Or at least, all signs appear to point in that direction. If he were vulnerable to their spell on a level beyond the purely physical, I cannot imagine a reason why they would not attempt to target him as well. The only logical explanation is that he is more or less immune to most of the effects.”

“Wait just a minute,” Applejack said, scratching her head. “If Spike is immune to the Nightmare’s magic, how’d he end up in the dreams in the first place?”

“The dreamscape is not something unique to the Nightmares,” Luna said. “It is something common to all magically inclined creatures, though most are never consciously aware of it. The Nightmares simply have a greater ability to influence it than most.”

“Is that so…” Applejack furrowed her brow the way she did when she got an idea. “Hmmm…”

“What is it, Applejack!?” Pinkie scurried over and examined Applejack’s face. “You like you just got an idea or something.”

Rainbow Dash grabbed Pinkie by the tail and dragged her away. “If she does, give her a minute to think it over. It might be important.”

“Yes, let’s be quiet.” Rarity said.

Pinkie nodded in response and pantomimed a series of actions that started with zipping her mouth shut and quickly proceeded to become too complex for any of the other ponies to comprehend. Then she sat back on her haunches and stared intently at Applejack.

“Will you knock it off?” Applejack said. “All the starin’ is almost worse than havin’ to listen to you.” She turned to Princess Luna. “You said that Spike was immune to the magic they used to take over our dreams, right?”

“Yes, it seems so.” Luna raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

“Well, I was just thinkin’ that Spike might be able to get through the barrier that’s keepin’ the rest of us stuck in here.”

“Oh, I see!” Rarity said excitedly. “He would be able to get into anypony’s dream through the portals without being caught by the Nightmares who are parading our bodies around Ponyville! Good thinking, Applejack.”

“Let’s not get too excited yet,” Applejack said. “I don’t know enough about magic to know if this is something that could even work.”

“It is possible,” Luna said, mostly to herself. “Though obviously we would not know until we try it. It all depends on how the Nightmares constructed the portal system. Spike may be able to bypass the barrier, but at the same time it is also a possibility that his magic makes him unable to use the portals entirely. But if he can, and the barriers were constructed with Nightmare magic, there may be a chance.”

“So are we gonna try it?” Apple Bloom asked, excitement in her voice.

“We might as well. There are not many other options open to us,” Luna said. “Assuming Spike is up to it, of course.”

“Of course I’m up to it!” There was a gulf between the confidence in words themselves and the tone with which Spike said them. “I mean, uh, it’s not like we have any other options, right?”

“Not really,” Rainbow Dash said. “But which pony’s dream are we gonna send him to?”

“We will send him into Twilight’s dream,” Luna said firmly. “As an alicorn, her presence in the dreamscape is instrumental to maintaining the spell. If Spike can manage to free her, the entire spell will almost certainly collapse. However, the Nightmares are certainly aware of that, and as a result, it will be much more difficult to free her. It is an all-or-nothing situation.”

“Yeah, no pressure there,” Spike muttered. “Alright, let’s get the show on the road.”

“I’m tellin’ you, it ain’t that scary,” Apple Bloom said as Spike approached the portal. The longer he looked at it, the less inclined he felt to hop in. “It’s actually pretty fun. Or I guess it would be if there weren’t so much else goin’ on.”

“Apple Bloom, this really isn’t the time,” Applejack said. “This is serious.”

“I’m just sayin’, if he’s gotta go through, he might as well enjoy the ride.”

“Believe me, I wish I could,” Spike said, his eyes glued to the swirling darkness. “So basically, I go through here and Luna will set it up so that it spits me out in Twilight’s dream.”

“Yes,” Luna answered. “Unfortunately, because of the protective spells they’ve put on it, I will likely not be able to contact you once you are there. Find Twilight as quickly as possible.”

“That’s the plan,” Spike said, his voice hollow. “But you can make sure I end up at the right dream, right?”

“Yes,” she said. Then after a pause, “In theory.”

“Oh, in theory,” Spike mumbled. “Everything always works in theory. What if it doesn’t work in practice?”

“Then you will need to get into Twilight’s dream using the same method that you have been using.”

“He’ll have to find his way back to her body?” Fluttershy said. “And he would have to avoid the Nightmares who are using our bodies?”

“Yes,” Luna answered.

“Well, at least we have a plan B!” Pinkie offered with her usual amount of optimism, which was too much.

“I suppose you could put it like that,” Rarity mused. Then she trotted over to Spike and put a hoof on his shoulder. “Spike, after everything that you’ve already done, this should be, to put in terms Pinkie would be well familiar with, a piece of cake. In fact, when you’ve rescued Twilight and kicked the Nightmares out of Ponyville, I’ll give you a whole bucket of gems to bake a cake with.”

“A whole bucket of gems, huh?” Spike licked his lips. “Are we talking rubies and emeralds, or leftover quartz dust?”

Rainbow Dash tapped Spike on the head. “Focus! You’ve got a mission to complete!”

“Rainbow is right,” Applejack said. “You’d better get a move on.”

“Well, I guess then I’ll see you all when we’re back in Ponyville.” Spike turned to face the portal. “Here goes nothing.” He sprinted forward and jumped before his nerves could stop him.

He didn’t land. As he continued to tumble forward, he realized that he had closed his eyes. He opened them, and for a moment couldn’t see anything. Then flashes of light began to zip past him as he hurdled forward. It felt like he was both flying and falling at the same time. The crazy mix of sensations would’ve made him sick, but any dizziness was smashed out of him by an entirely new sensation.

The numerous shimmers of light that had been glittering subtlely around him were blotted out by a single bright flash of light. He couldn’t say what color it was. It felt like it had gone right through him. His entire body was full of pins and needles and he was spinning. Then he heard a loud thud, and everything was still. He groaned. He had felt the thud, too; he had landed flat on his back. He opened his eyes and blinked.

Either Twilight’s dream looked suspiciously like Pinkie’s party cave, or something had gone very wrong.

“How did I end up here?” he asked himself as he gingerly got to his feet. He rubbed his forehead. It ached too much and he felt too tired for this to be a dream. Besides, Pinkie was still snoring away next to him. “Well, that didn’t work. Guess we’ll have to try that again.”

He grabbed Pinkie’s tail and waited to fall asleep. A moment later he was still standing in the basement, wide awake.

“Huh?” He gave Pinkie’s tail a shake. “I could’ve sworn grabbing her tail would’ve done it.”

He shrugged and put his claw on her shoulder. Nothing. He poked her in the flank. He didn’t go anywhere. He put his claw on her nose. She snorted in her sleep and went back to snoring. A chill ran down Spike’s spine.

“Why isn’t it working!?” He started to shake Pinkie, but all she did was roll over. “Well that’s not good,” he said, hoping that the massiveness of the understatement would take the edge off the discovery. It didn’t. He took several deep breaths and tried to think. His brain didn’t really want to think, preferring blind panic, but he forced it into a logical chain of thought.

When I ran into the Nightmare’s barrier, my dragon magic must’ve reacted with it somehow. It messed up the part of the spell that knocked me out when I touched Pinkie Pie. Now what do I do?

He chewed on his claws. Getting out of Ponyville was a definite possibility now. If the spell wouldn’t make him fall asleep anymore, evading the Nightmares would be a lot less dangerous. But what if it still worked? What if he had only been immunized to entering Pinkie’s dream because he had been touching her when he got zapped with magic? If that were true, he could still get into Twilight’s dream. But there was no way of knowing which was the case, and if he picked wrong, he’d be in trouble.

Maybe I could test it somehow. The Cake Twins are just upstairs, and I already booted the Nightmares out of their dreams. I could find out if I’d fall asleep again. But what if I do, and I can’t wake up again? I might not be able to let Luna know that I’m there, and without her I’d be stuck. And even that’s assuming that the Nightmares don’t find out and trap me in there somehow.

“Uggggh! This isn’t fair! What am I supposed to do? I can’t just sit here and do nothing.” His head had started to hurt with the effort of keeping his thoughts straight.

What choice would be the least risky if I guess wrong? If I try to get out of town and get caught, it’s over, but if I try to get into Twilight’s dream and can’t… His eyes lit up. It would mean that the Nightmares couldn’t knock me out and I’d be able to get out of town really easily! And the Nightmares are probably too busy patrolling the outskirts looking for me that they’ll never think of guarding the Town Hall. I should be able to get to Twilight without too much trouble.

He cracked his knuckles. Just having a plan, any plan, was enough to buoy his spirits, at least for the time being. He just had to hope that Luna would be able to figure out what had happened.

“So, did he get into Twilight’s dream or not?” Apple Bloom continued to stare intently at the portal, which looked exactly the same as it had before Spike had gone through it.

“And how do we know if we can follow Spike into Twilight’s dream and help him fight the Nightmares?” Sweetie Belle added. She was staring at the portal too, but didn’t quite have Apple Bloom’s dedication to it.

“We should send somepony through!” Scootaloo said. She had gotten bored of staring as soon as she realized that it probably wasn’t going to look any different. “If they got booted back here we’d know if we could get through!”

“Nopony is going through that portal until I have time to examine just how Spike’s dragon magic affected it,” Luna said sternly. “I will inform you when it is safe. Do not touch the portal before then.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure nopony goes messin’ with it,” Applejack said, saluting. “We don’t wanna cause more trouble.”

“We can only hope that the Nightmares are not watching us too closely now that our trap is sprung,” Luna said. “Our greatest chance will be if they underestimate us as much I underestimated them. Now I will go and continue attempting to determine whether Spike has successfully infiltrated Twilight’s dream. I will let you know as soon as I find anything.”

“And we will let you know if anything happens here,” Rarity said.

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash added. “If there’s anything we can do, just let us know. Especially if it involves fighting the Nightmares.” Applejack shot her a glare. “What?”

Fluttershy sighed. “I hope Spike got into Twilight’s dreams okay.”

“Don’t worry!” Pinkie Pie patted her on the head. “I’m sure Spike is booting all of those icky Nightmares right out of Twilight’s head right now!”

“And I thought it was annoying when the Crusaders stole my scrub-brush to clean the hogs…” Spike muttered under his breath.

Getting to Town Hall hadn’t been much trouble. It wasn’t that far from Sugarcube Corner, and it was trivial to make the journey without ever leaving the shadows. But now he was crouched under a decorative hedge at the edge of the Town Hall plaza. Nearly all of the wanton greenery that he had planned to use for cover had been cleared out to make room for the festivities.

Making matters worse, he had finally gotten an answer to the question of whether the Cutie Mark Crusaders had been turned into puppets in the same fashion as the other ponies he had rescued. If the fact that their bodies were patrolling the pathway that led to the Town Hall’s main doors was any indication, the answer was yes.

“I still don’t understand why we had to get stuck with the juvenile bodies,” Sweetie Belle said as she paced back and forth. “These legs are so stubby.”

“You should be happy that you have legs at all,” Scootaloo’s body answered tersely. “Longer legs would probably give you even more trouble.”

Apple Bloom’s body just snorted. “We are senior operatives. I would have assumed that would have at least merited allowing us our choice of physical form.”

“Maybe they gave us the tiny ones because they thought we’re the only ones who could use ‘em!” Sweetie Belle said.

“I doubt that,” said Scootaloo’s body. “They simply needed more of us active after the dragon eluded the original force and those were the only bodies available. I still cannot believe they managed to let him get away.”

“Supposedly, the princess interfered,” Apple Bloom’s body said. “Though considering the difficulty I would hardly be surprised if the story is a fiction made to cover up their incompetence.”

“If catching the dragon is so important, then why aren’t we patrolling with everybody else?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Apple Bloom’s eye twitched .“Because there is a chance, however small, that the dragon will attempt to approach the Princesses, all of whom are inside the Town Hall. The chances of him being able to accomplish anything are slim to none, but the higher-ups want the loose ends tied up.”

“Seriously, don’t you ever pay attention during briefings?” Scootaloo asked.

Sweetie Belle stared at her hooves, looking as if she hadn’t even been listening. “I just hope that when we finally catch the rest of them they let me switch into a bigger body. This one is too small.”

“Quit complaining about the body and just be glad you have one,” Apple Bloom snapped. “And while you’re at it, you should probably get back to patrolling. That is the reason you’re in a body at all, you know.”

Spike couldn’t help but chuckle silently to himself. Even when they aren’t in their own bodies, they’re still bickering. At least that will make it easier to get past them…

He crept along, not quite silently, but as quietly as he could manage. The Crusaders, or their bodies at least, had split up. Apple Bloom was pacing back and forth along the front of the plaza, and the other two were slowly circling the building in opposite directions. It made things more annoying, but not harder, exactly. Eventually they would come around to the front of the building again, and when they did, no one would be watching the back of the building. There weren’t any doors at the back, but there was bound to be a window he could sneak in through.

He would just have to do it quickly enough to avoid getting caught.

It would be easier said than done. There wasn’t a whole lot of cover, but there were a whole lot of windows, most of which would be locked. He knew they wouldn’t all be. Whenever one was fixed, another would break. The problem would be figuring out which one was open. If he guessed right, he’d only have a two or three minutes of freedom to look before the Nightmares rounded the building again, and he’d have to wait until they were gone.

He glanced at the clock tower. It was too dark to see exactly what time it was, but he was quite certain it had been too long. The Nightmares were out of view. Now or never, he thought. The first two windows were locked. The third, he couldn’t tell. It was either locked, rusted shut, or both. Whatever the case, it wasn’t going to open any time soon. He was halfway up the wall to the fourth window, when he heard the crunch of hooves on gravel.

Of course, he thought. There was no time to run all the way back to behind the tree where he had been hiding. There was only one piece of cover close enough to hide behind: a lone shrub growing out of the ground against the side of the building. He dropped from the wall and scrambled behind it just as the Nightmares approached.

“You really think that dragon would be stupid enough to try to get in here?” one of them said. Probably Sweetie Belle, but Spike couldn’t quite see them. “Why wouldn’t he just run away?”

“He probably has. But you can never tell what these ponies might be putting him up to, so if it turns out that he’s still hanging around it could be a huge pain. Especially since we can’t use much of our magic on him.”

“But with the amount of magic we’ve been draining out of these ponies, shouldn’t we have enough power to get him?”

“It’s not a question of power. If that were the only problem we had to overcome, we could’ve knocked him out long ago. Do you never pay attention during briefings?”

“I got that the dragon is immune to our spell; isn’t that enough?”

“He isn’t immune.”

Behind the shrub, Spike scratched his head. If he wasn’t immune to the spell, why hadn’t they knocked him out?

“Wait, what? If he isn’t immune-”

“He isn’t immune, he’s incompatible,” the Nightmare barked. It was definitely Scootaloo’s voice, but it couldn’t have sounded less like her if it had tried. “If he was simply immune, we wouldn’t have had to deliberately exclude him from most of the spell. Incompatibility is much worse.”

“It is?”

“You know so little about magic that it amazes me you were selected for this mission.”

“Oh come on, you know that I’ve never worked on meta-spell construction. That’s not my specialty.” It sniffed in a very Sweetie Belle-esque way. “I would hardly expect you to understand the finer points of actually generating terror. I mean, let’s face it, you really aren’t that scary.”

“Yes, yes,” Scootaloo said begrudgingly. “But even so, I would’ve thought you’d at least understand the basics.”

“The basics of what?”

“How the spell works, you buffoon!” Spike could hear Scootaloo’s body kicking the ground in consternation. “I don’t suppose you’ve ever had to deal with harmonizing magical wavelengths?”

“Magical what?”

“Uggggh,” Scootaloo’s voice somehow sounded more familiar. She had made similar groans on many occasions. “Let me see if I can explain this in a way you can actually comprehend. Every species has different types of magic. Pony magic is… think of it kind of like a plant. It grows slowly by processing energy from its surroundings, but it sort of… gets along with it. You know, one of those weird symbiosis things where drawing out the energy doesn’t really hurt anything.”

“Okay, I’m with you so far, I think.”

“Good. Well, in order to drain all of the magic out of the ponies, the spell has to work sort of the same way, or we won’t be able to get any power out of it.”

Sweetie Belle’s body thought for a moment. “So we’re sort of like a weed, then?”

“Sure, whatever. We’re trying to get the magic out of them by using a similar type of magic. The problem is that dragon magic is nothing like that. Dragon magic is more like… oh, I don’t know, fire. It’s very powerful and very hard to control. Fortunately, it’s also typically dormant, like an ember or a hot coal. So if we leave it alone and don’t mess with it too much, it’ll just sit there and glow a little. But if you start poking at it, it starts to send up sparks, and you know what happens then.”

“Oh.”

“What is taking you two so long back there?!” Apple Bloom’s voice echoed from around the front of the building. “Get a move on.”

The two Nightmares grumbled, but they resumed their patrol. As soon as their hoofbeats were out of earshot, Spike got up. Or he tried to, at least. He tried to lever himself up by pushing against the wall, but instead the wall moved. He fell backward into darkness.

“Ow.” Spike blinked a few times, trying to figure out where he had ended up. The first and most obvious answer to that question turned out to be “on his head”. He righted himself and waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. The only light he could see was a splotch of dim light on the wall, coming from the hole that he had tumbled through. He sniffed the air. It was dusty and dry, but oddly not unpleasant. It reminded him of the little nooks deep in the back of the Canterlot library where nopony but Twilight ever actually went.

He sneezed. It was no mystery where he was now. He had to be in one of the old file rooms in the Town Hall basement. The bush he had hidden in had grown in front of one of the windows, and nopony had ever noticed and bothered to fix it. When he leaned on it, it had given way.

He squinted. The tiny bit of light that filtered through the mostly-blocked window was just barely enough to illuminate a few blocky rows of half-open file cabinets that were nearly bursting with an assortment of ancient paperwork whose only common attribute was that they would probably disintegrate if anypony touched them. He carefully tiptoed forward and peered around the corner into the hallway.

It was pitch black, but at least that meant that the Nightmares hadn’t bothered to patrol inside the building. It also meant that he had to feel his way forward until he found the door to the stairway. He shuffled slowly down the hallway with his hands outstretched, wishing that he could turn the light on.

His shins found the bottom of the stairs and after pausing to rub some feeling back into them, he crept up the stairs to the door. There was a sliver of light at the bottom of the door. He reached for the knob. He felt almost like he was playing a video game, about to open the door into the final dungeon. The door squeaked as it opened; it probably hadn’t been oiled in years.

The inside of the Town Hall was bright. All of the lights had been turned on, and a few more spotlights had been added to illuminate the stage. He chuckled mirthlessly. It was like the universe was mocking him. In the center of the stage were Twilight and Celestia, spotlights illuminating them as if to make sure he couldn’t miss it. Most likely Twilight had talked her into doing one last runthrough before the festivities officially started. Luna was nowhere to be seen, but he didn’t have the time to spend locating her.

He stepped carefully around the scattered bodies of the ponies who had been making last-minute preparations when the spell hit. There was no way he was going to carelessly torpedo his chances now, not when the possibility of ending the spell so quickly was so close. He climbed up the stage.

Twilight looked so serene, that if he hadn’t known better he would’ve thought nothing was wrong. But he knew that no matter how peaceful she looked, the Nightmares were inside her head. He took a deep breath. If he were lucky, this would be the last time he’d have to dive into a dream, and he could end this entire incident. If not… it would be a long trek to the Crystal Empire.

He sat down next to her, took a deep breath, and put his claw on her hoof.

He fell asleep.

Author's Note

This night, agitated by the growing storm,
how it has suddenly expanded its dimensions--,
that ordinarily would have gone unnoticed,
like a cloth folded, and hidden in the folds of time
- Rainer Maria Rilke, "Night (This Night, Agitated By The Growing Storm)"

Thanks to Yami Vizzini and Meta Four for their help in editing this chapter.

An Eidolon named Night

Spike sat up with a groan. Whatever was up with Twilight’s dream, it had certainly given him a rougher landing than the others. Maybe he had just barrelled through the additional spells the Nightmares had used to keep Luna out. If so, hopefully she would try to get to him soon. If not… finding Twilight would likely be much more difficult.

He looked around and almost immediately started to get a headache. It was like he had stepped into an optical illusion. Everything was walls and pillars and staircases that stuck out in every direction and connected and interlinked in ways that couldn’t be geometrically possible. The style reminded him of Celestia’s palace in Canterlot, only if the architect had been completely insane and also eaten some bad mushrooms. And of course, there were bookshelves everywhere.

“Yeah, definitely Twilight’s dream,” he murmured. He rubbed his eyes. As he got used to the impossibility of the architecture, the details began to emerge. The first thing he noticed was that the...construction didn’t seem to really be inside or outside. It surrounded him on all sides, but it was somehow too open and disconnected from itself to feel as though he were within a building. He could feel a cool breeze flowing around him, and everything was lit by the same cold brightness the stars would provide on a clear night.

The age of the stones weren’t consistent either. Some were cracked and worn, with moss and vines pouring out of the fissures, while others were so new they looked unfinished, as if they hadn’t even been polished yet. It felt both old and new, like it was simultaneously under construction and also an ancient ruin. And also full of books.

The enormity of the dream made him feel very small.

Something was different. The shape and appearance of the dream was obviously not the same as the others, but that wasn’t it. On a fundamental level, the substance of the dream didn’t match that of the others. All the other dreams had felt like there was some sort of a fog or veil that hung over everything; the colors had been washed out like a picture that had been out in the sun for too long. This one was so bright and crisp that it almost looked more real than reality.

Obviously, something was wrong. It didn’t take him long to figure out what.

“This is just great,” said an oily voice from behind him. “I see that our physical scouts have failed to contain the dragon.”

Spike spun around. A short distance away, between the pillars, were three Nightmares.. As the blood drained from his face he realized that he had never really seen a Nightmare before. Not directly at least. There had always been something between them; they had always been wrapped in layers of dream disguises tailored to the pony they were tormenting. Now all of those had been stripped away. It felt like someone had poured a bucket of ice water over his head.

Two of the Nightmares looked like the fuzzy, foggy blobs of darkness that he had seen in the dreams. But the one in the middle was different. It was a blot of darkness on the dream. It wasn’t just smokey or oily, but black like an inkblot that had seeped through the page to stain every page beneath. The nebulous shape was so dense that it almost looked like it had embedded itself in the scenery, as if it were part of the dream rather than an entity existing within it. He wanted to scream, but swallowed his voice. The Nightmares didn’t seem to have seen him. He ducked behind a pillar. One of the small fuzzy Nightmares seemed to be talking.

“They totally lost track of him after Luna interfered. They haven’t seen him since he escaped the library.”

The other small, fuzzy Nightmare started to talk, but it sounded so similar to the first one that it made little difference. “They believe he’s fled the town. While examining the library, they found a few drafts of a letter he presumably sent to the Crystal Empire. It seems that he intended to travel there to fully inform Princess Cadance of the situation and mount a counter-attack.”

“I am not concerned about that,” the black Nightmare said. It sounded sharp and cold, like a lightning bolt made of ice. “We have already captured three alicorns; one more will hardly be a problem. Aside from Luna, none of them have the knowledge of dream magic required to pose any threat. Either she attacks immediately and accomplishes nothing, or she delays to prepare herself, at which point our plan will have proceeded too far for her to hope to stop it. No, the dragon himself must be our primary concern.”

“Right,” said one of the small Nightmares, making an odd movement that might’ve been some sort of salute. “How should I have them respond to his disappearance?”

“Tell them to forget about patrolling the edges of town,” the dark Nightmare said. “It’s too much space to cover, and honestly, if he manages to escape town, it would not be any great setback. His direct interference is more problematic. We have managed to turn his presence to our advantage thus far, and we cannot lose that control. Have all of the Nightmares in the physical world return to the Town Hall. As long as we maintain control of this dream, the success of our plan is guaranteed.”

“Do you believe he might attempt to infiltrate this dream?”

“Luna must realize that this dream is central to the spell. I would not put it past her to attempt a last-ditch attempt at breaking it by sending the dragon here. In fact, he may have already arrived.”

Spike ducked down behind the stairway he had been peeking out from. If they didn’t already know he was there, it certainly wouldn’t be long before they found his body in Town Hall. The temporal disparity between the physical world and the dream world would help, but time was still tight. I’ve got to find Twilight before they find me. If I can rescue her, everything will be fine. He scurried away from the Nightmares. No point in pressing his luck.

“And what if the dragon is here already?” asked one of the small Nightmares.

“That will not be a problem. His usual tricks will not work here.”

“Still no news from Spike?” Rarity looked up from the (losing) game of checkers that she and Pinkie Pie had scraped into the dirt outside of the tiny house in Pinkie’s dream. It hadn’t been long before the frenetic music and bright lights of Pinkie’s dream party had gotten to them. The desolation of the fields around the house felt almost calming. “Do you think he’s been captured?”

“I do not believe so, but we cannot be sure,” Luna replied, her voice rough as the result of her head manifesting out of the ground. “That is what is so worrisome. At this point there is no way to know where Spike is or what he is up to.”

“None at all?” Applejack asked.

“The only thing I can say for certain is that the Nightmares who inhabit your bodies have not captured him,” Luna answered. “I will likely not be able to wrest control from them again, but I can look over their shoulders as they move, so to speak. As far as I can tell, none of them have encountered Spike since he escaped, but it is entirely possible that they caught him while I was not watching, or that he made it into a dream, and was somehow captured there. On the other hoof, he may be on his way to the Crystal Empire. If I knew something about where he is, I would attempt to contact him.”

“Well, you’d better get back to watching the Nightmares,” Rainbow Dash said. “It would really be bad if you missed him because you were out here talking to us.”

“I am aware of the potential for irony,” Luna said flatly. “I am still monitoring the situation, though you are right, I really should give it my full attention. If I see anything I will-” she froze for a moment, then blinked. “I have just located Spike!” she announced.

“That’s great!” Fluttershy gasped. “Where is he?”

“He is in Town Hall. He appears to have made it into Twilight’s dream.”

“So things are actually goin’ according to plan?” Applejack asked. Her voice was thick with cautious optimism.

“Well, yes, but there is a… wrinkle.”

“I should’ve known it wouldn’t be that easy.” Rarity gritted her teeth and braced herself for the news. “What happened?”

“We are not the only ones who have found him.”

“What?” Rainbow Dash gasped. “The Nightmares got to him?”

“Not exactly,” Luna said.

“Well, what happened, then?!” Apple Bloom scrambled over from where she and the other crusaders had been attempting to construct a mud hut. It didn’t really look much like a hut; it was more of a mud pile than anything.

“Yeah, what’s going on with Spike?” Sweetie Belle added.

Scootaloo joined in. “Tell us!”

“I would if you would all just be quiet for a moment!” Luna snapped. “As I said before, I have been able to look through the eyes of your bodies as the Nightmares use them. All of the Nightmares in the real world seem to be converging on Town Hall. When they arrived there, they discovered Spike’s body beside Twilight’s, asleep. As such we know that he was able to elude them long enough to enter Twilight’s dream. However, I currently have no way of knowing his status inside the dream. He may be still be attempting to free Twilight, or he may have been captured by Nightmares inside Twilight’s dream.”

“So basically we don’t actually know much of anything.” Rainbow Dash crossed her forelegs and snorted. “Great.”

“We know where Spike is,” Luna said, “and that may allow us to get into contact with him.”

“But I thought you said you couldn’t see into Twilight’s dream,” Fluttershy said. “How are you going to reach him?”

“I couldn’t before, but now it may be possible.” Her face smiled wearily. “Spike’s presence in the dream may destabilize the barriers that were blocking me. As such I am going to attempt to contact him and find out his situation.”

“And then what?” Rarity asked.

“That depends on what I find, if anything,” Luna answered. Even as a pile of dirt, her expression was so serious that even Pinkie was quiet. “I must ask you to be prepared. If at all possible, I will call you to come to Spike’s aid. This dream is the core of the Nightmares’ plan. Spike will need all the help he can get. I will hopefully return soon.”

Before they could answer, Luna sunk into the ground, leaving only a vague impression of her face behind. After a silent moment, Pinkie stepped forward and poked at it.

“Guess things are getting serious, huh?”

“They’ve been serious, Pinkie,” Applejack said. “And quit pokin’ her head. Even if she ain’t in there, it’s still not polite.”

Rarity regarded what was left of Luna’s head with tired concern. “I just hope that Spike is alright.”

“Did you really think that we wouldn’t be able to find you?”

“Well, it took you long enough in all the other dreams,” Spike muttered.

A clump of half a dozen or so Nightmares dragged him along. Their bodies, if they could even be called that, were so nebulous that he couldn’t even be sure how many of them there were, or how they were managing to drag him.

There was no way to tell where they were taking him. Everything in the dream was so topsy turvy he hadn’t been able to get his bearings. He had been creeping from shadow to shadow, trying to figure out how to find his way when the Nightmares had seeped into the air around him. He made a valiant attempt to resist, but it was literally like fighting a cloud.

“We weren’t looking for you in the other dreams,” said a Nightmare. Spike couldn’t tell which one. There were subtle differences in color and texture, but he couldn’t keep track, and they pressed so closely around him that he could barely see. At best, he caught glimpses of the dream as they carried him along the walls or up the underside of the staircases.

It didn’t matter much which way they were taking him. He had no idea where Twilight was, so when (or if) he managed to get away from them, he still had no clue where to go. If anything, maybe they’d take him to someplace important. He tried to roll himself over as the Nightmares towed him along. In the distance he could see more and more Nightmares going to and fro, climbing or floating or oozing along the stairways. They looked oddly focused, as if they had places to go and things to do. Spike remembered what Luna had told him about the Nightmares using Twilight’s dream as a lynchpin for their spell. Were all of them working on the next phase of their magic?

Then things changed. The misshapen buildings that filled the dream opened into a wide space. It still wasn’t quite outside; he could see that while the walls and stairs parted, they came together again overhead, but the enormous gap that they enclosed was immense. It gave the impression of a large spherical chamber, absolutely crawling with nightmares creeping all over the edges like thousands of tiny, fuzzy bugs.

The Nightmares only held Spike’s attention for a moment.

The entire space was also filled with what he could only describe as magical work-in-progress. It reminded him of when he had seen a massive castle complex being constructed; it was a maze of scaffolding and joists and piping and rebar and all the innards that hadn’t yet been covered by walls. Except instead of wood, metal, and stone, everything seemed to be made out of solid magic. It glowed and shimmered brightly in the dimness of the dream, casting shifting unearthly shadows on the walls.

Floating in the center of the enormous cavity in the dream was something that looked like a giant model of a solar system or an atom. A brightly glowing orb of magic hovered at the center, circled slowly by several other slower masses of energy. Platforms and walkways weaved between the orbits, allowing Nightmares access to the various parts of whatever the device was.

Spike squinted. He could just barely see something inside the center globe, but couldn’t make it out. As the nightmares carried him closer, he could see that there were two separate dark shapes against the brightness. They began to get clearer as the Nightmares carried him along the walkways. In fact, they looked familiar. They were ponies.

Wait. Ponies? Why would their be more than one pony in there? I know Twilight is here, but who is—

He inhaled sharply as the Nightmares brought him close enough for the other figure to be distinct. Leaning against the inside of the globe was Celestia.

What? Why is she in there?

Spike didn’t have time to think of an answer. The Nightmares dumped him on one of the platforms. He looked up and saw the Dark Nightmare floating in front of him. It was like looking into a hole in reality. As he stared into it, he thought he could see a face leering back at him, but he couldn’t tell if his eyes were just playing a trick on him.

“Welcome, young dragon.” The voice poured into his ears like icewater.

“Well, it isn’t that much of a welcome,” Spike said, his voice trembling, as he got to his feet. “There aren’t even any hors d'oeuvres.”

The Nightmare shimmered, giving the impression of what would’ve been a wry smile if it had actually had a face. “You are quite… upbeat for someone in such a hopeless situation.”

Spike made himself smile back. He didn’t feel upbeat, but trying to fake it was really all he could do. Then he shrugged. “I’ve been through worse.”

“That won’t be true for long.”

Spike couldn’t think of a response to that.

“Take the dragon and put him in one of the cells, but make sure to disable the magic siphoning spell. It would not be compatible with dragon magic.”

The Nightmares pressed around Spike, and he felt himself being lifted again.

“Hey, wait! Aren’t you going to tell me your plan!?”

“And why would I do that? You have interfered enough already.” It shifted again. The vague sense of a smile turned from a smirk to a psychotic grin. “Besides, you’ll find out soon enough.”

Luna drifted silently through the space between the dreams. Locating the dream had posed no problem at all, and as she had hoped, it appeared that at least some of the layers of protection that Nightmares had wrapped it in had been stripped away by Spike’s entry. Even finding Spike within the dream would hardly be an issue. It would be like looking for a candle in a dark room.

She prodded at the edge of the dream. Getting into the dream would be a bit more complicated, but not impossible. She would just need to be careful. Unlike in every other case, this dream would be full of Nightmares who were keeping an eye out for her involvement, and there was little doubt that if they noticed her, they would be able to get in her way, if not bar her completely.

Whatever the case, the Nightmares’ spell had clearly distorted the dream. Bits of magic protruded from it like tubes and wires from a patient in a hospital. She selected a relatively untainted bit of the dream and slowly and carefully began to apply her spell. It wasn’t time to break into the dream yet; she couldn’t set hoof in it until she knew what was on the other side. The spell would, for lack of a better word, scrub the surface of the dream clean of the veils the Nightmares had draped over it. She proceeded with agonizing slowness, hoping that she wouldn’t need the time she was spending now.

Her heart sank as the images began to bleed through the barriers. Blurry and fuzzy as they were, she could see that the dream was utterly infested with Nightmares, like a rotten fruit buzzing with flies. It simply wasn’t possible that Spike had managed to hide himself, not if the Nightmares knew he was there. If she could locate him, so could they, and they would have a much easier time of it. The dream slipped into focus. She needed to find Spike; with any luck the Nightmares’ hadn’t yet found him, or if they had, hadn’t been able to hide him again.

She slowly pushed her spell through the hole she had made in the edge of the dream. The sluggishness with which she was forced to act was nearly painful, but if she wanted to avoid discovery, there was no other choice. Manifesting herself in the dream the way that she typically did would be a recipe for disaster. This situation called for something much more basic.

The dream was full of magic. Mostly pony magic, with a fair share of Nightmare magic mixed in. But dragon magic stood out. There was no missing it. Luna concentrated and extended a tendril of magical energy towards it, being careful not to touch any of the spells the Nightmare’s had placed.

“Spike.” She spoke through her magic, sending it along the spell, hoping Spike would be able to hear it at the other end. “Spike, are you there?”

It took a moment for the response to come back.

“Gah! What the- Where are you?”

“I am outside the dream. Are you alright?”

“Well, besides getting captured by the Nightmares, I’m doing okay, I guess.” His voice sounded tired. “They stuck me in some sort of glowing bubble thing.”

“I was afraid that might happen,” Luna said with resignation. “They found your body in the Town Hall, so they were well aware that you had entered Twilight’s dream. If not for that, you may have had a chance.”

“Well, I did get to see some things before they stuck me in here. It looked like they were building some sort of gigantic magical contraption in the middle of the dream. I think it’s probably the spell that they’ve been using.”

“Yes, that does seem to be the most likely option.”

“That’s not all,” Spike continued. “It looks like there were a bunch of these bubble things attached to it, and I’m pretty sure they’re meant to drain energy into the spell. Though I’m pretty sure they aren’t trying to drain my magic.”

“What makes you think that that is the purpose of the prison you’ve been put in?”

“I heard the Nightmares talking about it. But that’s not the important part. The important thing is that I don’t think that this is just Twilight’s dream.”

Luna paused for a long moment before answering. “Why would you think that?”

“Because there was one big bubble in the middle of it, and Twilight wasn’t the only pony in there.”

“Is that so?” Luna answered softly. “And the other?”

“I’m not sure, but I think it was Princess Celestia.”

“I thought as much,” Luna mused. “It would make sense. We saw from the Crusaders’ shared dream that they are capable of such things. It is possible that that dream was intended as practice for combining their dreams together. Not to mention that a shared dream of two alicorns would be an ideal foundation for such a spell.”

“But nopony else was stuck in one of those globe things,” Spike said. “If the spell is sucking magic out of everypony, what are all those other things for?”

“Most likely it is a more direct and therefore more efficient method than they are using for everypony else.”

“So you think maybe once they’ll start moving other ponies into the bubbles then?”

“I wouldn’t doubt it, especially if they plan on taking over other ponies’ bodies. They likely designed the initial spell to keep everypony out of the way while they constructed this more permanent version of the spell using the magic that they stole. And that is not even the worst part.”

“It’s not!” Spike gasped. “Then what is?”

“The problem is that I am not sure that I am capable of breaking this one. The initial spell, perhaps. It was powerful, but something that is designed to be cast instantaneously will always be less stable than one set up over a period of time. Unfortunately, due to the nature of dreams and Nightmares, they are capable of setting up this permanent version of the spell in far less time than I had anticipated.”

“And there’s nothing you can do about it?”

It took a few moments for Luna to answer. “No,” she said. “If the situation were different, possibly, but it appears that it is too well-established for me to destroy from within the dream world. “

“Then what are we supposed to do?”

Luna was silent.

“Hello? You still there?” She could hear Spike tapping his claws on the inside of his bubble, trying to figure out if she could hear him.

“I am here,” she said. “I am just… I don’t know. I don’t know what to do. I cannot think of any course of action I could take that could help us break the spell. This prison may prevent me from even waking you up, and if I could, the Nightmares are now aware of your physical location and you would be unable to do anything. I could also attempt to bring the other ponies into this dream in an attempt to at least free you, Twilight, and Celestia, but ultimately I fear it would only be a question of how long we would last before the Nightmares would defeat us.”

“We can’t just give up!” There was a hint of conviction in Spike’s voice, though it was obviously quite forced. “Everypony is counting on us!”

Luna sighed. “I appreciate the platitude, but I do not believe it is enough. There is simply nothing I can do. I am sorry for my failure. Perhaps if I had—”

“Hey, don’t start that again!” Spike interrupted. “I said we, not you. And I’m not giving up yet. We’re in this together, right?”

“I... I suppose.”

“When you came to me for help, you told me that you needed my help because nopony else could help, right?”

Luna thought for a moment. It seemed like that had been an eternity ago. “Well, yes. But given the situation-”

“Yeah, I know, there isn’t much I can do now either. But that doesn’t matter!”

“That… It rather does matter.”

She could hear Spike snort. “I wasn’t finished! I’m trying to give an inspirational speech here!” He cleared his throat before continuing. “Anyway, yeah, I guess it’s true that you can’t really do much now, and I can’t really do a whole lot, but that doesn’t matter because we didn’t get this far by doing stuff on our own. If it was just me, or if it was just you, we probably wouldn’t have been able to rescue anypony at all. But if we’re working together, well, you should know by now how it works. We’ve saved Equestria like half a dozen times by now.”

“I am well aware of that. Unfortunately, while manifesting a gigantic blast of pure friendship is certainly an effective measure, it isn’t exactly a method that I know how to use. Unless you have learned how to utilize it, I am afraid it will not do us much good.”

“You’re missing the point! What I mean is that even though we can’t do anything on our own, when we combine our abilities, we totally can do something!”

“You have a plan, don’t you?”

“Sort of-”

“Why did you not mention it earlier!?” Luna snapped, unsure whether to be angry or overjoyed that the dragon had been hiding a ray of hope.

“Because it would be super risky. And I don’t even know if it could work. But if it’s the only plan we’ve got we need to at least try it. We can’t just give up.”

“You are right.” Luna breathed deeply. She didn’t need to, but it helped to calm her nerves. “It is just… I thought I had the situation well in hoof, and now it seems that it was all… very much not. But still, you are right. Despite my past mistakes, we cannot lose hope yet. Not while we are still here. Now then, what was your idea?”

“The Nightmares can’t hear us, right?”

“I do not believe so. If they could, they would not let us remain in contact. Tell me your plan.”

“Okay, but you probably won’t like it,” Spike said. “First of all, I need to know if you can wake me up…”

Spike leaned against the edge of the bubble as he waited for Luna to return. It wasn’t quite opaque, but it was clouded enough that he couldn’t see much of what the Nightmares were up to. His prison seemed to be soundproof as well; if the Nightmares were right next to it he could hear them talking, but it sounded muffled, like he had a pillow stuffed in each ear.

According to Luna the plan could work. Could. Whether or not they would pull it off was an entirely different question. He chewed on his lip. The notion that the future of Equestria rested on his plan was weighing on his mind like a boulder. Was this how Luna had felt all this time? And what would everypony think? They were the ones who would be in the most danger. The mere notion that he was putting them at risk for such a narrow shot almost made him feel sick.

But what other option did they have?

He looked in the direction of the enormous sphere that enclosed Twilight and Celestia.

“Now would be a great time for one of those giant magical friendship beams,” he muttered. “It would make things way easier for everyone.” His voice echoed against the inside of the bubble.

“Yes it would, but unfortunately we do not have access to that right now.” Luna’s voice spoke, naturally, from behind him. “But there is some better news. The other ponies have agreed to assist in carrying out your plan.”

“Great,” he said, trying to muster up some enthusiasm. He was too tired to do so.

“I will make the final preparations to get everypony here and let you know when we are ready to proceed. It will hopefully not be long.”

“Alright.” He took a deep breath. “Are you ready to do your other part of the plan?”

“Not as ready as I would like to be, but there is no time for further preparations. We must go ahead as soon as we can. How are your preparations?”

“Well, there really isn’t much I can do to prepare other than trying to calm myself down. If I can’t do that, this entire plan is going to fall apart.”

“Spike, I have no doubt that you will be entirely capable of carrying out your plan. If there is any skill you have mastered, this is it.”

Spike couldn’t help but grin. “Yeah, I guess I’ve sort’ve been training for this my entire life, huh. Let me know when it’s time for the wake up call.”

“I certainly will.”

Her voice faded away. Spike curled himself up at the bottom of the bubble. He wished it would be easier to get comfortable.

The portal into the final dream didn’t look any different than any of the others, but it somehow felt much more ominous than any of the other portals. The fact that Pinkie had made an enormous dirt cake next to it reduced the ominousness a little, but it only went so far. Then Luna’s face had appeared on top of it, which simply made it hard for anypony to know how to feel about the situation. As serious as she tried to be, it was difficult not to smirk at the fact that she looked like a cake topper. On the other hand, they needed one last bit of levity before making one last effort to save Equestria.

“Now, remember what we discussed,” Luna said as she surveyed the assembled ponies from atop the cake. “The dream you will be entering is unlike any you have seen thus far. The Nightmares will make no effort to disguise themselves, and will attack immediately. Our goal is to mount an assault on the prison where Twilight and Celestia are being held. The Nightmares have made so many modifications to the dream that directly destroying it is likely the only method we have at our disposal.”

“Finally, some action,” Rainbow Dash muttered to herself. Applejack gave her a sideways glare.

“Combatting the Nightmares directly will not be easy,” Luna continued. “Their somewhat… ethereal nature means that normal combat is ineffective. Fortunately, this also works to our advantage, as it means that it will take multiple Nightmares to neutralize each one of you. To reach Twilight and Celestia, you must always stay on the move and avoid being surrounded.

“We must head directly to Twilight and Celestia and attempt to free them. If we can do that, the Nightmare’s spells will crumble, both the initial spell and the new one they are creating. Do not lose sight of that goal. It may very well be our only chance for victory.

“Also, you must remember that I will be preoccupied with my own role in the plan, and as such I may not be able to help you. Once you enter the portal, you must assume that you will be on your own. I will, of course, do what I can, but I can make no guarantees. Are all of you ready to proceed?”

None of the assembled ponies could bring themselves to speak, not even Pinkie. They just nodded in answer.

“Good. Let us go.”

Spike waited, trying not to show any sign of the nervousness that was boiling inside him. He managed to limit it to tapping his claws together. Luna would be sending everypony into the dream any moment now, and then she would be coming for him. After that, he’d be on his own, and if he failed, the plan would totally fall apart. No pressure, he thought.

“Spike.” Even though the prison was soundproofed, Luna’s voice was low. “I have just opened the portal for everypony to come through. Once the Nightmares are sufficiently distracted, I will awaken you.”

“Alright.” His mouth was so dry he could barely answer. Why did dreams have to feel so realistic?

Luna didn’t answer. She was already gone. Spike pressed his claws against the side of the globe and watched for his friends to appear. He could barely hear anything through it. He couldn’t see very well either, it was like looking through a foggy and smeared window, but it was the only way he could tell what was going on. Nothing seemed to have changed. Then suddenly something ran through the Nightmares like a wave.

Every single one of them dropped what they were doing and rushed in the same direction. For a moment he thought that they were charging at him, but they flew right past. He turned to the other side of the globe. On the top of a staircase, a portal had opened, and all of the ponies he had already released were charging down the stairs towards the Nightmares. He pressed his face against the wall, trying to see what was happening. He could see Rarity firing blasts of energy from her horn, and Rainbow Dash zooming around as she dodged. Applejack seemed to be leading the Crusaders through the twists and turns toward the center of the dream. The mass of Nightmares pouring toward them was growing. He bit his lip and hoped that he hadn’t just sent them all to their doom.

“Alright, Spike,” said Luna’s voice. “It is time to wake up.”

He closed his eyes, then opened them just enough to confirm that he was awake, and back in town hall. His claw was still on Twilight’s hoof. He closed his eyes again. According to Luna, the spell wouldn’t suck him back into her dream as long as he didn’t break contact with Twilight. And as long as he didn’t move too much, the Nightmares who were probably guarding his body wouldn’t realize that he wasn’t still in the dream. Now he just had to fall asleep again, this time on his own.

I’ve always been able to fall asleep in just about any situation. I just hope that this is one of them.

He took a deep breath and tried to think about anything but what might happen if he failed.

Luna watched out of the corner of her eye. The bulk of her attention had to go to more important things, but she couldn’t help but dedicate a sliver of her consciousness to seeing how everypony was doing.

Applejack sprinted along a stone pathway that could’ve been either a wall or floor. She had lost track of what direction was supposed to be down. She didn’t know how many Nightmares were following her, or whether it was even the same Nightmares. All she could do was dart between the various shelves and staircases of the dream and hope that she didn’t get backed into a corner. It was a bit of a stalemate. They weren’t quite quick enough to trap her, but they were so insubstantial that there wasn’t much she could do to fight them.

Rainbow Dash wasn’t faring much better. The tangled architecture of the dream was too constricted; she couldn’t reach full speed. And altitude seemed to be no obstacle to the Nightmares. They could move up and down just as easily as side to side. But that didn’t stop Rainbow Dash from flying with characteristic abandon. She flew just slowly enough to bait the Nightmares into following her, only to turn sharply and let them pancake into a wall. It hardly caused any damage, but if nothing else it kept them occupied.

Rarity had taken a stand, perching herself on the top of a stairwell and blasting any Nightmares that came near with her magic. It seemed to be at least slightly effective; the creatures that took a full blast did seem to be a bit more sluggish and dazed. Unfortunately, her magic could only reach so far, and if the Nightmares managed to sneak up on her, she wouldn’t be able to escape the way that Rainbow Dash and Applejack could. If she couldn’t keep up, she wouldn’t last long.

The only way Luna could describe what Pinkie was up to was that she was simply being Pinkie Pie. She bounced in and out of everywhere, even where there weren’t any gaps for her to do so. Even the bizarre layout of the dream couldn’t explain it adequately. The Nightmares couldn’t understand it any better; they couldn’t figure out how to catch her. Unfortunately, confusing them seemed to be all Pinkie was managing to do. She was a good distraction, but if they turned their attention elsewhere, it wouldn’t accomplish anything.

Fluttershy, on the other hand, was barely a distraction at all. She was deft enough at evading the few Nightmares that noticed her, but she was so adept at sticking to the shadows that hardly any foes were aware of her presence. Not that she wasn’t foiling them in her own way; while they weren’t chasing her in particular, she could sneak around to the various shelves and pluck books from them to throw at the Nightmares that plagued her friends. Twilight wouldn’t like that, obviously, but they had to go with whatever would work.

Luna tried to find the Crusaders. There was no doubt that they would stick together, or at least work together against the Nightmares. They were a team, and even if they hadn’t been, there was no way they’d be individually capable of fighting the Nightmares. Sure enough, they were darting around in a group, using their teamwork to pester their enemies, popping out from tiny crevices and apertures in the walls to distract them before vanishing diving back into the little passageways.

This cannot last for long, Luna thought. The Nightmares are barely even being serious. As soon as they make a real effort… I just hope that Spike can fall asleep again before they realize he is gone. Everything depends on that.

Spike stared at the Town Hall ceiling through mostly-closed eyes. He never would’ve thought that trying to stay still would make it harder to fall asleep. At first he had thought it would be easy. He just couldn’t toss and turn, since the movement would keep him awake. Then his tail started to itch. A few minutes later he got a crick in his neck. And he could just tell that the middle claw on his left foot was too long and was hooked on a knot in the floorboards.

And it was almost too quiet. In Ponyville there was almost always something going on. But now, it was nothing but silence. Silence, and the occasional hoofbeats of the Nightmares checking on him. He took a deep breath. But not too deep, or they would notice. All the things that could go wrong started to poke like splinters in his brain. It was almost worse than being tied down.

He closed his eyes again. He wasn’t lying on the floor of the Town Hall. He was at home, in bed. He could hear Twilight in the next room over scritching away at a scroll with her quill and turning the pages of books as she looked for some piece of information. He could feel the breeze from the open window and hear the leaves rustling outside. If he concentrated he could almost feel himself sinking into his mattress.

I wonder what time Twilight set the alarm clock for…

Luna tried to focus as she pieced together the spell. It was practically a miracle that the ponies hadn’t been captured yet. Surely the Nightmare’s couldn’t be so incompetent that they were unable to capture them? She tried to push the thought out of her mind. If they could keep out of the Nightmare’s grasp for this long, so much the better. The longer she had to work on her magic, the greater the chance of success. The Nightmares would be none the wiser.

But on the other hand, the last time she had thought that she had the upper hoof, it had turned out that she had been playing right into the Nightmare’s plans. She tried not to think about it. Those worries were yet another distraction, and in any case, there was nothing else that she could do. At the moment, she just had to focus on—

“Ah, Princess Luna. So this is where you’ve been hiding.”

A chill ran down Luna’s spine. Her horn flashed and the spell she had been working on vanished. She spun around and found herself staring at a tear in the dream, like a rip through a piece of paper. Through the gap, a Nightmare poured out, black as ink, so dark that it seemed to be soaking into the dream around it. Along with it, Luna could feel a magical aura appear. It was comparable to an Alicorn’s.

“I must admit that I’m impressed,” it said. “I knew that you would be formidable, but to think you’ve gotten so far even though you’re the only one capable of dream magic… I didn’t think it would take us this long to pick our way through the defenses that you put up. It was inevitable that we would, of course, but you made us work for it.”

Luna couldn’t quite make out a face, but she still got the feeling that the Nightmare was smiling. A thought crossed her mind.

“And before you get any ideas, let me tell you that trying to attack me directly would be a very bad idea on your part,” it said. “I have all of the magic of our megaspell to draw from, including that of your sister. Not to mention that your own magic will be draining away, now that we’ve gotten through your little wall.”

“What do you want?” Luna asked through gritted teeth.

“What kind of question is that? I want you out of the way so I can move on with my plan without having to worry about a spanner in the works. It has been an interesting diversion dealing with you, but it is a diversion nonetheless. It’s time to get down to business.”

Something around the Nightmare flinched, and the jars containing the Nightmares shattered. A moment later, Luna found herself mobbed. She glared daggers toward the lead Nightmare. She wanted nothing more than to draw on whatever magic she had left and blast through them, but she knew she needed to save her energy.

“Now then,” said the Nightmare. “Let’s go see how your little team of ponies is doing.”

“I wonder what’s taking Princess Luna so long,” Scootaloo said as she crept along a small passage between a bookcase and a set of stone stairs. “I thought she was supposed to be working on some sort of spell with Spike.”

“I’m sure she’s working as hard as she can!” Sweetie Belle said as she followed along behind. She looked back over her shoulder to Apple Bloom. “See any Nightmares back there?”

“Nope. We lost ‘em.”

“Great!” Scootaloo grinned. “When we get out the other end, we should be right by one of those bubble things. I bet if we start messing around with that, it’ll distract all of the Nightmares!”

“I don’t think we want all of the Nightmares coming after us,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Well, no, but we gotta keep them occupied somehow.” Apple Bloom squeezed past Sweetie Belle to try to get a look at where they were headed. “Besides, I bet it won’t be long before Luna and Spike show up and take all of those nightmares out. Look! There’s somethin’ right there!”

She pointed. In the open area in front of the of spell mechanism and its globes, a portal was beginning to form. Luna emerged. The three fillies gasped as they saw that Luna was not alone. She was surrounded by Nightmares.

“What the hay is goin’ on!?” Apple Bloom squeaked in shock.

The crusaders watched silently as the Nightmares dragged Luna to a large platform in front of the spell. They could barely tell the difference between them, except for one. It was larger, and so black that it looked like light didn’t shine on it. It spoke, its voice oily and sharp.

“Give up, ponies. Luna has been captured and your fight is hopeless. Surrender and save us both the trouble.”

“If you think that they will give up that easily, you are a fool,” Luna snapped. “They will never surrender so easily.”

“Well, obviously,” the Nightmare added. “But I’m sure it will serve as a nice distraction for them. Not to mention that they will hardly be able to resist coming to your aid, futile though it may be. It will be much easier to collect them as they come to save you than to attempt to chase each of them down.”

Luna could hear the tapping of hooves on stone drawing nearer. “Stay away!” she called. “It is a trap!”

It was too late. Applejack charged along a causeway towards the platform where the Nightmares held Luna, but she barely made it halfway across before a flood of Nightmares exploded from the shadows and condensed around her. The next thing she knew, she was pinned against the ground.

“Don’t worry Applejack! I’m coming!” Rainbow Dash dove straight at the tangle of Nightmares that was burying Applejack.

“Dash, wait!” Applejack shouted. “Don’t!”

Rainbow Dash slammed into the pile with a dull thump. A handful of Nightmares flew off the edges, but most of them barely moved. Rainbow Dash tried to back out, but she was buried halfway into the mass of darkness, with only her legs sticking out.

“Great work, Dash,” Applejack muttered.

“Release them at once, you brutes!” A flash of magic struck the pile, singing one or two of the Nightmares. Rarity stood on a nearby staircase, hurling bolts of magic at the Nightmares. She only managed a few shots before she was surrounded.

“Maybe Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy can escape,” Apple Bloom whispered.

“Escape to where?” Sweetie Belle whispered back. “We can’t get out of this dream without Luna’s help, and they’ve got her!”

“It doesn’t matter!” Scootaloo pointed. “Look!”

Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were being dragged to where the rest of the ponies were already being held down.

“They already captured everypony?” Apple Bloom gasped. “How did they manage do that so quickly? They weren’t havin’ any trouble stayin’ away before!”

Sweetie Belle swallowed. “I dunno, but we’d better get out of here before they come for us.”

“Right!” Scootaloo began to creep back down the passage. “We might be the only ones who can save them!”

“No,” said a voice from behind them. “I really doubt you could.”

“Now then,” said the Nightmare leader. “We have some business to discuss.”

Lined up neatly in front of her were the ponies, each in their own shining bubble. Luna was in the center, in a larger, thicker sphere than the rest. On her right, were the five elements on of Harmony. On her left were the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

“We have no business to discuss with you,” Luna said tersely.

“But I have business to discuss with you.” The blot on the air drifted closer to Luna. “Everything is nearly over. All of the loose ends have been cleaned up. All but one. Where is the dragon?”

“Would you not like to know?”

The Nightmare shifted in a way that implied it would have been rolling its eyes, if it had any.

“Normally, I would love to play these head games with you. I hate to resort to this so quickly, but my patience has been tried enough tonight.” The three globes containing the Cutie Mark Crusaders rolled forward until they were beside the Nightmare.

“Hey, what are you doin’ with my sister!” Applejack shouted, her voice muffled by her prison.

“Release them at once!” Rarity added.

“If I wasn’t in this bubble I’d knock your… uh…” Rainbow Dash finished by grunting and kicking the inside of her globe.

“Calm down,” The Nightmare said, it’s voice oddly tired. “If you really wish for these fillies to remain unharmed, you will listen to me. Tell me where the dragon is, and you have my word that they will come to no harm.”

“You’ll let ‘em go?” Applejack asked, her voice thick with suspicion.

“I didn’t say that,” the Nightmare answered. “But they will certainly escape the worst.”

“Yeah, like we’d sell Spike out just so you can not let them go.” Rainbow Dash sneered. “You’re crazy.”

Rarity glowered at the Nightmare. “If you think that we would just give you your victory, you are insane.”

“You wouldn’t be giving me anything but peace of mind,” the Nightmare said. “I’ve already won. I only wish to consolidate that victory a bit further. I can hardly blame you for refusing my offer so readily. But once you know exactly what you will be sparing them, perhaps you will rethink my offer.”

Luna gritted her teeth. “Just what are you planning to do with them?”

“The same thing I plan on doing with everypony else who’s part of this spell,” it said. “I suppose Luna has already told you that we feed on fear. That is where we draw our strength from. And no doubt you know that we harvest that fear from dreams, from nightmares. Unfortunately, I’ve found that doing things the traditional way is more than a little inefficient. One can only get so much power out of it, after all. That’s why we devised this.”

It gestured towards the massive tangle of magical components that hovered in the center of the dream. “See, the problem with getting fear out of bad dreams is that ponies aren’t always dreaming, and they aren’t always having dreams that we can drain fear from. But now that problem is a thing of the past. The way it works is simple, though getting it actually set up has been a bit of a pain.

“Inside each one of these globes” —it reached out to Luna’s globe and touched it— “You will experience a nightmare. A nightmare that you cannot wake up from. Imagine these three young ones…” The Nightmares drifted towards the globes holding the Crusaders. They tried to back away. “Imagine them subjected to everything that they fear most. Being eaten by manticores, roasted alive by dragons, petrified by cockatrices.”

“You wouldn’t dare.” Applejack growled.

“The feeling of starving to death. Of drowning. Of falling from a mountain peak to certain death below.” The Nightmare continued as if it hadn’t even heard her. “The fear of being lost in an unknown place. Of knowing no one. Of being alone.”

“Knock it off!” Rainbow Dash shouted.

“The delusions of fever dreams. The disorientation of sickness. The knots in the stomach. Knowing that something is watching over your shoulder. The knowledge that your mind itself is turning on you, that you can trust nothing.”

“Stop it!” Rarity shrieked.

“Imagine being abandoned by those you thought cared about you most. Being left to suffer alone, being hated, being rejected. Left to wallow in your own horror for so long that you are incapable of feeling anything but abject terror.”

“Enough!” Luna interrupted. “You have made your point.”

“Have I?” The Nightmare asked smugly. “I am simply informing them what fate they can spare their loved ones by giving me the one little piece of information I desire. Naturally, I cannot just release the fillies, but I can put them back into the dream where they were first held. Fully lucid of course. I realize it is hardly ideal for you, but at least they will have each other for company.”

“So that is your plan, then.” Luna said coldly. “To turn us all into generators for your fear.”

“More or less. There’s also the added bonus that we get some physical bodies to use, since you won’t be doing anything with them. But anyway, are you going to tell me where you sent the dragon’s consciousness, or will I be sending these fillies into their worst nightmares?”

The ponies were silent.

“That isn’t an answer, you know. I will ask you one more time, and one time only. Where is the dragon.”

“Don’t tell her anything!” Sweetie Belle squeaked.

“Yeah! She’ll probably toss us into that thing anyway!” Apple Bloom added. “Y’all can’t trust her!”

“Spike is totally gonna save us,” Scootaloo said. “We’ll be fine!”

Luna smiled, just a little. “I suppose you have your answer.”

“You’re all idiots, you know that? That dragon cannot do anything on his own.”

“Then why are you so intent on finding him?”

The Nightmare just sighed. “I think we’re done here. Alpha Team, get them all hooked up to the center of the spell. Beta and Gamma Teams, guard the spell center. All other teams, get back to searching for the dragon. I am not letting him get away after causing me so much trouble. Find him.”

“Don’t waste your time,” said a familiar voice. “I’m right here!”

“Spike!” Luna grinned widely as she saw a dramatically posed silhouette at the top of the stairs. “It is about time you arrived.”

“Yeah, sorry I took so long,” he called. “I had some trouble getting back to sleep.”

“Back to sleep!?” The Nightmare roared. “You were asleep! We saw you sleeping!”

“No, you saw me pretending to be asleep!” Spike wagged his claw mockingly. “Seriously, you know so much about dreams but you don’t know when somebody is pretending to be asleep? That’s pretty embarrassing.”

“It doesn’t matter. You may have been awake then, but you are definitely asleep now. Get him.”

The other Nightmares charged toward Spike, but he didn’t bother to move.

“Aren’t you the slightest bit curious about where he was?” Luna asked.

“I will figure that out after I capture him.” It snorted as it watched the Nightmares carry Spike toward it. “At least you were foolish enough to get yourself caught in the spell again. It saved us the trouble.”

“Actually, you didn’t catch me at all,” Spike said, smiling. “I fell asleep on my own, remember?”

“Nonsense. If you fell asleep on your own, you wouldn’t be…” If the Nightmare had had a face, it would’ve gone white. “...here. How did you get back into this dream!?”

“I dunno the details,” Spike said with a shrug. “You’d have to ask Luna.”

“I really must say that I am impressed by your spell’s design,” Luna said smugly. “You really did make it quite easy to incorporate new dreams into the structure. Pity you could never solve that compatibility issue, though.”

A sound echoed through the dream. It was like the creak of a wooden beam being pressed to its breaking point, only louder and clearer.

“You didn’t,” the Nightmare said.

“I did,” Luna said. “And I took a few pointers from your merged dreams as well. To help things along.”

“You miserable-”

The Nightmare never got a chance to finish. Spike’s dream tore into the dream they were in. Enormous stone spires stabbed through from every direction as if enormous jaws were biting through. At the edges of the tears, the dream began to burn and curl away, like the edge of burning paper. Liquid fire poured through the rips, eating away at the spell mechanism that held the dream together.

“Now then, let us get out of these things…” Luna put her horn against the inside of her bubble. It popped like a balloon. “It appears that the spell is beginning to unravel.”

“This can’t be happening!” the Nightmare screamed. “You haven’t seen the last of us! We will return!” It vanished in a puff of smoke.

“Yeah, yeah, good riddance,” Spike muttered.

“So, uh…” Applejack looked nervously at the rapid deterioration around her. It was like being trapped inside of a burning building. “What happens if this dream falls apart while we’re still in here?”

“To tell the truth, I am not quite sure,” Luna said. “Let us retrieve Celestia and Twilight and leave.”

“On it!” Rainbow Dash saluted. “Come on. Let’s get the Princesses out of their bubbles.” She zipped off, followed by Fluttershy and Applejack. A few seconds later they returned. The two pegasi were carrying Celestia, and Twilight was slumped over Applejack’s back.”

“Are they alright?” Pinkie asked as she examined the two princesses.

“They are likely in shock from being wrested out of the spell so suddenly. Once they are fully awake, they should recover quickly. When we are all awake once more, I would ask that we all meet in the Town Hall, if your bodies are not there already. The Nightmares are not the only ones with loose ends to clean up. Are you all ready to awaken?”

“You have no idea,” Rarity said.

“But I just got to sleep!” Spike said with a grin.

“Oh hush,” Luna said. “Now then, all of you should probably brace yourselves. After spending so long in a dream, being awake again may be a little disorienting.”

The ponies vanished. The dream continued to crumble for a few seconds, and then it was gone.

Spike set a pot of hot chocolate on the library table. Twilight and Celestia were slumped in chairs nearby, both looking somewhat haggard.

“So let me get this straight,” Twilight said. “The reason I was asleep and having such terrible dreams is because we were trapped in our dreams by fear-eating Nightmare monsters.”

“Yeah, pretty much,” Spike nodded.

“Ugh.” Twilight took a gulp of hot chocolate and adjusted the icebag that sat on her head. “This is just too much. My head is killing me.”

“Luna says that’ll wear off pretty quickly. It’s just shock from getting pulled out of the dream so fast.”

“I’m not sure it’s just that,” Twilight mumbled.

“More hot chocolate?” Spike asked.

“Yes, please,” Celestia said. “To think that the Nightmares’ return caught us so badly off guard… It had been so long.”

“I don’t know why you’re surprised,” Twilight grumbled. “Everything else you guys defeated years ago always pops up again.”

Celestia gave Twilight a stinkeye. “I will attribute that to the backlash from the spell.”

“Anyway,” Spike continued, “the Nightmares almost got us, but we managed to break the spell when Luna attached one of my dreams to it. That caused the whole thing to basically explode.”

“Inherent magical incompatibility, huh?” Twilight said.

“I… guess?” Spike shrugged. “I’m really not sure about the specifics. Once Luna gets back she can tell you all that technical stuff.”

“Speaking of which, where is my sister?” Celestia asked. “I have not seen her since we left town hall.”

“I’m not sure. She said she had something to go take care of with everypony else,” Spike said. He took a sip of his hot chocolate. “We managed to get them out of their dreams sooner, so they’re feeling good enough to help her out.”

“You got them out of their dreams?” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “I thought you said everypony was still asleep.”

“Everypony was,” Spike said matter-of-factly. “But I managed to break them out of the spell, even though they were still asleep.”

Twilight stared at him and blinked. “I think this can wait until we start feeling better.”

“Yes, that sounds like a good plan,” Celestia said.

“I HAVE RETURNED!” The library shook as as the front door slammed open.

“Please, not so loud,” Celestia glowered at her sister. “My head feels like it is about to fall off.”

“Apologies,” Luna said, more softly, though still not exactly quietly. “I realize that I left quite suddenly. I really am overjoyed to see that the two of you are safe. Along with everypony else in town, of course. But there was a matter that needed to be taken care of immediately.”

“Oh?” Celestia tilted her head curiously. “And what was that?”

“Ensuring that the Nightmares will not be able to torment us any more.”

“Really?” Celestia’s eyes widened. “But we searched for years for a way to find them after they escaped the last time.”

“Yes, because we were looking in the wrong place.” Luna grinned. “While I was analyzing their spell, I noticed a particular piece of information.”

“And that is?”

“The spell was cast from outside of the dreamscape. The implications of that should be obvious.”

“You mean?”

Luna nodded. “Yes. The Nightmares do, in fact, have physical bodies. Once we discovered that, it was fairly easy to determine their location.”

“And where are these Nightmare things now?” Twilight asked.

Luna turned back to the library door. “Bring them in!”

One by one, the ponies Spike had rescued filed through the door. Each one of them carried one or more glass jars or bottles.

“Place them on the table please,” Luna said.

“Uh... “ Twilight stared at the pile of glassware that was now clogging her table. “What exactly am I looking at?”

“The Nightmares of course. Look closely.”

They leaned in close to the jars. Inside each of them were several tiny things that looked like small, black lint balls. Lint balls with legs.

“Those are the things that gave us so much trouble!?” Spike shook his head. “You have got to be kidding me!”

“Well, it is a well known property of magic that physical size and magical power don’t necessarily correlate,” Twilight said. “But this is kind of an extreme example.”

“That is how they evaded detection last time we drove them off,” Luna explained. “They simply cloaked their magical output and snuck away. We had no idea that they had physical bodies to begin with, so we didn’t think to even look for them.”

“How on earth did you catch these things?” Twilight asked. “They’re so tiny.”

“They suffered even worse backlash from the spell’s destruction than you did, as they were directly drawing magic from it. In fact, I doubt they will even be capable of casting any spells for a few days.”

“So, you believe they are harmless now?” Celestia said.

“Well, I would certainly advise putting a few anti-magic fields on the jars and posting someone to guard them, just to be on the safe side. But they are almost certainly not capable of casting anything dangerous at the moment.”

“Good,” Celestia said. She stood and slowly circled the table, examining the tiny specks in the jars. “I believe that we can find a place in Tartarus for these things.”

“You haven’t seen the last of us!” said a tiny voice.

“Oh, I believe that is the mastermind behind this whole operation.” Luna lifted a small baby food jar, containing a single speck. “We certainly have not seen the last of you. Which is fine with us, as we prefer to know where you are.” She tapped on the jar, prompting a stream of squeaky shouting.

“So, uh, I hate to interrupt,” Applejack said, “but what do we do now?”

Luna thought for a moment. “Well, after placing a few precautionary spells on this jars, and making sure that everypony is recovering, I see no reason not to return to our festivities.”

“Wait, really?” Twilight stared at her. “After everything that just happened, you still want to go ahead with the Summer Sun Celebration?”

“I see no reason why not to,” Luna said. “Outside of those here now, it is doubtful anypony will have any real memories of what just happened, and all things considered, we are only about half an hour behind schedule.”

“I agree,” Rarity said. “There is no reason to waste all of our preparations.”

“Yeah! We already have all the food!” Pinkie chimed in.

“And everypony is already rested up,” Rainbow Dash added.

“And Celestia has to raise the sun anyway,” Applejack said.

“I suppose that settles it, then,” Celestia said. “Once we have checked on everypony and made sure that the Nightmares are secure, we will hold the Summer Sun Celebration.”

The Summer Sun Celebration began again. And this time, it went off mostly without a hitch. In the confusion of getting everything going, Twilight had gotten the pages of her speech out of order, and all of the ice in the punch bowls had melted. But on the whole, nopony really noticed. In fact, it struck Spike as a little odd in how quickly all the townsponies had recovered. He had always known that they could bounce back quickly, but as things were, it was like they barely noticed what had happened.

He reminded himself that most of them had quite literally slept through everything. According to Luna, most of them weren’t even experiencing bad dreams yet. The Nightmares hadn’t plugged all of them into the spell, and those that were probably wouldn’t remember much of it. Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie were doing well enough, but that was no surprise. After facing the likes of Nightmare Moon, Discord, and the Changeling Queen, this wasn’t going to phase them for long. Even Twilight had begun to perk up once her headache had gone away.

“How are you feeling?”

Spike looked up to find Luna peering over his shoulder.

“You always have to show up behind me, don’t you?” he said. “Even when I’m awake now.”

“I thought perhaps you could use this.” A cup of Summer Sun Celebration coffee descended in front of him. It was specially brewed to help everyone stay awake through the ceremony. A spoon would stand straight up in it, and it tasted like a kick in the head.

“Thanks,” he said as he took the cup. For safety purposes, the cups were quite small. “I know I slept for most of it, but I still feel wiped out.”

“Well, though your body was sleeping, your mind was wide awake.” Luna took a sip of her own cup of coffee. “Your mind must rest as well. You have certainly earned that. I really must thank you again for your help. Without your assistance—”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. You’ve thanked me like four times already. It’s great to know that I’m appreciated and all, but right now I really just want a nap.”

“Then why do you not just go?” Luna asked. “I’m sure nopony would begrudge you that after all that has happened.”

“Probably, but after going through all the trouble to save everpony, I figure I might as well at least stick around for the celebration.” He took a swig of coffee and cringed. “Wow. I can feel this stuff burning my teeth, and I’m a dragon.”

“Well, once you are feeling better, I will return to make sure that you receive a fitting reward for your efforts. A statue, perhaps.”

“Heh.” Spike chuckled awkwardly. “So I guess you heard me talking to myself?”

“It was hard not to.” Luna sat beside him. “You mentioned the statue three or four times, I believe.”

“I don’t really want a statue,” Spike said. “I mean, if you want to build one, fine, but I was just trying to keep myself occupied. So what are you doing when the celebration is over?”

“I will give Celestia a formal report of what has transpired and then I will probably sleep for quite a while. Anypony who awakens me will be put on latrine duty. Even if it is my sister.”

Spike grinned. “You’re even more tired than I am, aren’t you?”

“Probably,” she said, returning the smile. “Though this coffee makes it rather hard to tell.”

“What about the Nightmares?”

“Twilight has already placed enough spells on those jars to keep them put for the foreseeable future. I believe once the celebration is over, she will oversee their delivery and imprisonment in Tartarus. The anti-magic fields there will prevent them from entering the dreamscape again.”

“That’s good,” Spike mumbled.

“It appears things are beginning to wind down,” Luna said, nodding towards the group of ponies gathered in the Town Hall. They had been quite lively, but they were beginning to slow. “Perhaps it is time to go?”

“Nah, there’s one more thing I’ve gotta do first.”

“Oh? And what is that?”

“Good morning, everypony!” Twilight’s voice echoed through the hall. Everyone turned to the stage to see her standing at the microphone. “Our celebration is almost at an end. But before we go our separate ways, there is one more thing I would like to say. Princess Celestia already told you of how Equestria was nearly overtaken by Nightmares. However, Equestria was saved through the actions of two brave people. I want them to come forward so we can properly thank them for keeping all of us safe!”

A spotlight swung in the rafters, and Spike and Luna found themselves illuminated.

“Oh. That,” Luna said.

Spike hopped off of his chair. “We’d better get up there. We wouldn’t want to keep everypony waiting.”

Luna smiled and nodded. “You are right. Let us go.”

Author's Note

"By a route obscure and lonely,
Haunted by ill angels only,
Where an Eidolon, named NIGHT,
"On a black throne reigns upright,
I have reached these lands but newly
From an ultimate dim Thule-
From a wild clime that lieth, sublime,
Out of SPACE- out of TIME."
- Edgar Allan Poe, "Dreamland"

Whew, and that's that. I hope the ending doesn't feel too abrupt, but I couldn't think of any other way to ramp things up while still allowing them to actually be resolvable in the end.

I hope all of you guys enjoyed this one while it lasted. I had fun writing it. :twilightsmile:

Thanks to:
Yami Vizzini
Meta Four
War877
Sereg

For helping edit and proofread this chapter.

Poisoned Sleep

“Spike.”

He buried his head in his blanket. The alarm hadn’t gone off yet. If Twilight wanted to go over the checklist for the Summer Sun Celebration a fourth time, she could do it herself. After spending all day helping her, he had earned some shuteye before the ceremony started.

“Spike!”

He heard his name again. Despite the fabric balled up in his ears, the voice was even clearer.

“What do you want?” he asked, in the most ornery voice he could muster. He liked few things less than being woken up.

“Spike, I need to talk to you.” The voice echoed in his head, as if it had bypassed his ears entirely. For the first time, he actually listened. The voice wasn’t Twilight’s.

“Who’s there?” He sat up. “Hello?” The emptiness of the dark room swallowed his voice.

“Spike, you need to wake up!”

He spun around. He couldn’t tell where the words were coming from, but it certainly wasn’t in front of him.

“I am awake,” he said. He slowly climbed out of bed, his eyes carefully searching for any sign of who was talking to him. Even in the darkness, the dim glow from the window meant that he could see the room was empty. He couldn’t decide if that made it better or worse. “What do you want?”

“I need to talk to you.”

“You’re already doing that!” he snapped. Right into my head, he thought. That’s not how it’s supposed to work. It had to be magic. He’d have to find Twilight. She’d be able to explain where the voice was coming from.

“Yes, but our mental link is weak.”

“Mental link?” He opened the bedroom door and stepped into the kitchen. A pot of gemstone stew bubbled on the stove. “What are you talking about?”

“You need to wake up, Spike.”

“I told you, I am awake!” He opened the refrigerator door and glanced into the basement. Twilight was nowhere to be found; all of her magical testing paraphernalia sat still in the dust. “And I still have no idea who you are!”

“You know me, Spike,” the voice said.

“Uh, I’m pretty sure I don’t. If I did, would I be wasting time like this?” He rolled his eyes and stepped through the pantry door into the bathroom, where he was greeted by the sound of the shower. He squinted into the steam. The shower was flowing, but there was still no sign of Twilight. “Would it kill you to tell me who you are?”

“Luna.”

Spike’s claw froze halfway to the bathroom door handle. “You don’t sound like yourself,” he said. “Why don’t you just come over to the house instead of doing all this weird mind magic?”

“I cannot do that.”

“Why?” Spike asked, as he opened the bathroom door and walked into the library foyer. “It’s only a five minute walk from Town Hall to the Library. You’ve got plenty of time.”

“Yes and no,” she said.

Spike snorted as he took a seat at the table in the middle of the room. “What does that mean?” He opened a book, took out an apple and took a bite. “Why don’t you just tell me what’s going on?”

“I suppose I will have to go with my second plan.”

“Huh? What plan?” Spike tossed the apple core over his shoulder into the fireplace. This time, he didn’t get any answer.

He shrugged. “Wonder what was up with that. Oh well.” He stood and turned to the desk that sat behind him. There was a sandwich there with his name on it.

“Spike!”

He nearly jumped out of his skin. The voice was unmistakably Luna’s, and this time it came from directly behind him. He spun around. The wooden carving that had always adorned the library table was no longer a generic soldier; it was now the spitting image of Princess Luna. Spike blinked a few times to make sure that his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him. Then the carving started to speak.

“Now that I have your attention,” the carving said, “I need your help.”

He nodded dumbly.

“You are dreaming,” she said.

“What? I just woke up! You woke me.”

The carving shook from side to side. “No. You only dreamed that you awoke. You still slumber.”

“Huh?”

“Have you never dreamt of waking up, only to then wake up in reality? Take a look around you, and think. Things are not as they should be. Things are not in their proper places.”

He scratched his head. “Now that I think about it, the fridge doesn’t usually lead into the bathroom…”

“Yes, keep thinking.”

“And you’re usually just a carving of somepony’s head…”

“Good, good.”

He looked back at his sandwich. “And Twilight would never, ever let me keep food on her desk!” A shiver poured down his spine like cold water. He clamped his eyes shut and took a deep breath to stop the trembling. He opened his eyes slowly.

Everything was wrong. The bookshelves were all in the wrong places, and the room itself seemed twisted and stretched. For the first time, he heard the silence. Not just the quiet of an empty library, but the utter absence of any sound besides his own breathing. The hustle and bustle of everypony’s last minute preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration were nowhere to be heard. As a matter of fact, he couldn’t even see the moonlight coming in through the windows. He couldn’t see much of anything through the windows.

He walked cautiously to the door and stepped through. Then he blinked, making sure that his eyes were actually seeing what he thought they were seeing. They were.

The Golden Oaks Library didn’t look any different on the outside, but Ponyville was gone. The tree was now rooted on a plateau at the top of a barren mountain. A range of rocky peaks, some sharp, some cracked and oozing streams of lava, stretched to the horizon in every direction. Above his head, instead of the sky, another range of sharp crystal hills and mountains hung upside down. Rivers of what looked like liquid rainbow spiraled around the inverted formations, cascading from the peaks down into the valleys below.

It felt like standing between two sets of teeth. His eyes began to ache. The world wasn’t supposed to look like this. He stumbled backward into the library and close the door behind him.

“So, I guess I’m... dreaming.” He steadied himself on the table. The ever-so-slightly twisted shape of the room was making him dizzy.

“How very astute of you,” the carving said. He couldn’t tell if the wooden eyes were rolling, but they probably were.

“Why didn’t you just tell me that?” he asked as he rubbed his eyes. “You know, with your” —he tried to think of the correct term, but it wouldn’t come to mind— “mind-talk or whatever that was.”

Luna sighed. “I suppose some explanation is in order. Right now, you are dreaming lucidly; that is, you are aware that you are dreaming. When I attempted to contact you, your subconscious rather than conscious mind controlled your actions. I thought it would be best to attempt to bring you into lucidity before attempting to give you any meaningful information. As you were not consciously aware, your subconscious would simply have processed the information I gave you without your conscious mind understanding the content.” She paused long enough for him to stare at her. “Does that sufficiently answer your question?”

He stared at her for a moment. He recognized most of the words, but they refused to mean anything to him. “Not really."

Luna sighed. “While you were dreaming, you couldn’t understand what I was telling you, so I had to wake you up first. Is that easier to understand?”

He took a second to think it over. “Yeah, I think so.”

“Good. Now that you are awake, or at least in the process of waking, we have other things to discuss.”

“So why did you do the whole mind-talking thing instead of the… uh…” —he waved his claw at the carving— “that?”

“Projecting my voice directly into your mind is a good deal simpler and requires less magical energy,” she answered curtly. “Unfortunately, it didn’t seem effective, so I decided that projecting myself into your dreamscape would be an expedient way of prompting your conscious mind to take control. You may feel a bit disoriented for a few moments, but that is normal. Sometimes I forget how difficult it can be for those not accustomed to it.”

“Right. Of course.” Spike said absently. He took the sandwich from the desk. It might be a dream sandwich, but that just meant Twilight couldn’t chide him for eating it. “So, why did you go to the trouble of using all that dream magic stuff if you could just send a scroll? There’s no way I would’ve slept through coughing one of those up.”

“That was not a viable method in these circumstances,” Luna replied. Her mane attempted to flow, but the wood limited it to swaying stiffly back and forth in the nonexistent breeze. “I am also asleep at the moment.”

“Wait, I know it makes sense for me to be asleep, but weren’t you supposed to be helping Twilight get ready for the ceremony? She’d never let you take a nap now.” Spike took another bite of his sandwich.

Luna furrowed her wooden eyebrows. “I am not taking a nap, Spike. I am not asleep because I want to be. There is something important I must tell you.”

“You were so tired you fell asleep?” Spike cocked his head to the side. He couldn’t think of many circumstances when one wouldn’t want to be asleep. Then again, Luna was something of a night owl. “But aren’t you normally awake at this time anyway?”

The carving shot him a glare that made him glad he wasn’t talking to Luna face-to-face. If it hadn’t been muted a bit by the ethereal haze that hung in front of his eyes, he might have fallen out of his chair.

“As I said, I am not as asleep by choice,” she continued. “While I do have an affinity for dreams, I would much prefer being awake at the moment, all things considered. Because there is a—”

“So you just contacted me so that I could come wake you up? I’m pretty sure Twilight will wake you. After all the time she spent scheduling this she’s not going to let you sleep through the ceremony.”

Luna shook her wooden head. “That is not possible. Unfortunately, she is also asleep, because—”

“What?” He cocked his head to the side. “There’s no way that Twilight would fall asleep now. Not with the amount of coffee she’s been drinking.”

“Unfortunately, caffeine has little to no effect when it comes to potent sleeping spells,” Luna said. “Speaking of which—”

“Sleeping spells? Why would she cast a sleeping spell?” There was a vague feeling at the back of his mind that he was supposed to react with something other than mild confusion, but he couldn’t seem to find the appropriate emotion. “And why doesn’t Celestia wake the two of you up?”

“Because she is also sleeping.” Her eye twitched.

Spike stared at the carving while the words sunk slowly into his brain.“Why? I’m asleep because if I don’t take a nap now I’ll fall asleep during the celebration, but all of you should be awake! Is everypony in Ponyville asleep or something?”

Luna stared coldly at him for a moment before answering. “Yes. All of them. I do not intend to sit here and individually list all the ponies in Ponyville.” She snorted. “Every pony in Ponyville, as well in the immediate surrounding area, is in a deep sleep.”

“What? Why would everypony go to sleep?”

“Because Ponyville is under attack.”

Spike’s eyes widened and his claws began to shake. The feelings that had been so slow to appear began to return. The haze that had been clouding his thoughts began to evaporate. A torrent of excitement, fear, and anger washed over him.

“Under attack? Why didn’t you say so?! We have to save everypony!” He leaped from his chair and grabbed the mop that was leaning next to the fireplace. He held it in front of him like a lance and kicked the front door open. “Hold on, everypony! I’m coming!”

“Spike! Wait just a moment—” Luna’s words fell on deaf ears as he charged outside with a shout.

“GRAAHHHHHH!!” He whipped the mop back and forth as he shouted. “I’m gonna squash every last one of… uh…”

The landscape was every bit as desolate as it had been before.

“Oh right,” he muttered to himself. “I’m dreaming.”

“Are you done?” Luna asked when Spike stomped back into the library.

“Of course I’m not done! I can’t just keep dreaming if Ponyville is being attacked by something!” He threw the mop on the floor. “Why didn’t you tell me what was going on right away?” He grabbed the carving and began to shake it. “You have to wake me up! I have to go help everypony!”

“Calm down, Spike!” Luna’s voice sounded so solid that Spike froze mid-shake. “First of all, there is no rush. Time passes differently within a dreamscape than it does in the material world. Our entire conversation has taken perhaps a few seconds at most.”

“Oh.”

“Second, I decided that since time was not pressing, it would be prudent to give you time to adjust. Awakening from a dream is a confusing experience for those not used to it.” Her eyes narrowed. “Third, please put me down. It is disorienting enough projecting myself into your dream without you picking up my head and shaking it.”

“Sorry,” he mumbled sheepishly as he set Luna back on the table.

“In any case, now that you seem to have finally acclimated, I suppose it is time to inform you about what has taken place.”

“That would be nice, yeah.” Spike folded his arms and tried to look cross. It always bugged him when he got left out of the loop. “What happened, exactly?”

“A short time ago, perhaps a quarter of an hour in real time, a massive spell was cast over Ponyville, causing everypony within its range to fall into a deep sleep. Sleep spells are quite a simple construction, but this one was sufficiently powerful to overcome the latent spells that Celestia, Twilight, and myself typically use to protect ourselves from such things.”

“Wow, that must’ve been one crazy spell,” Spike said. Certainly not the craziest he had seen, but still impressive. “Even Twilight still has trouble with area of effect spells. This one must’ve been a doozy.”

“Yes, that is one way of putting it,” Luna said. “Even I am unable to physically awaken. That is why I contacted you.”

“Okay, but why me?” Spike asked. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to know the answer. “Wouldn’t it make more sense to go to Twilight? Or Princess Celestia? They’d both know more about how to break up a sleep spell than I would!”

“That’s doubtlessly true,” Luna said. “Which is why I attempted to contact them before coming to you.”

“Oh.” His voice sounded very small in his own ears. A chill ran through his veins, growing colder with each word Luna spoke.

“I was unable to enter their dreams by any method,” Luna continued. “Neither mental projection nor a more direct manifestation was possible. The secondary effects of the spell appear to be designed to prevent me from even viewing their dreamscapes, never mind entering them.”

“What about everypony else?” Spike said softly.

“As I was unable to reach the other Princesses, I naturally attempted to contact the Element Bearers. I was, with great effort, able to view their dreamscapes, but contacting them proved impossible. And I believe that their situation is by no means unique to them. It seems that their circumstances are the default for the spell.”

Spike rested his head in his claws. He was starting to get dizzy again, and he didn’t want to know what happened if you fainted when you were already asleep. “If the spell can do all that.. it must be ridiculously complicated.”

“Very. In the known history of Equestria, I can think of perhaps a dozen who were capable of designing such a spell, let alone powerful enough to actually cast it. Combining a practical effect such as forced sleep with such high level magical manipulation and anti-interference measures takes a great deal of skill. Not to mention the secondary effects of the enchantment.”

“Secondary effects?” Spike closed his eyes and breathed deeply. “Just how many effects does this spell have? It sounds like it does a whole bunch of different things.”

“The primary effect of the spell simply puts the target to sleep. But rather than inducing natural sleep, the target is trapped within their dreams and made incapable of both becoming lucid within the dream, or completely waking up at all. But the additional effects are even more insidious.”

“Like what?” he asked.

“The spell siphons magic off of those trapped within it, and uses the energy to make itself stronger. I suspect that is why I was unable to penetrate the spells surrounding my sister and Twilight Sparkle. Like myself, they possess far more magical energy than an average pony, and the spell is stronger as a result. I suppose this is also why I am incapable of waking up, and have had such difficulty projecting myself outside of my own dreamscape. So far, you are the only exception. And that is why I need your help.”

Spike pointed at himself. “Me? Why?”

“You are the only one in Ponyville who can escape your dreams.”

“Y-you mean that not even you…” His mouth felt very dry.

She shook her head. “While I am still incapable of travelling to your dreamscape due to the spell’s effects on myself, you will likely be able to do so. It appears that whoever cast the spell failed to account for you.”

“You mean it didn’t target me?” Spike bit his lip, unsure of how happy he should feel.

“Yes and no. The spell targeted you, but because you are a dragon, it could not absorb your magical energy.”

“So what you’re saying is that the spell just made me fall asleep and didn’t do anything else?” He asked. “I’m not trapped like everypony else?”

“Exactly.”

“And you want me to go get help.” Spike’s voice sounded muted in his own ears.

“No.” Luna said. “You are the help.”

As he walked toward Sugarcube Corner, Spike reminded himself that he wasn’t still dreaming. The prone forms of the unconscious ponies that littered the road made that clear enough, but the world didn’t feel real. His feet felt too light. He balled his fists hard and felt his claws digging into his palms. It stung.

Everypony had slipped into a quiet sleep right where they had been when the spell hit. He gave them a wide berth. According to Luna, touching them now would cause some difficulties, and besides, the bodies gave him the creeps. The ponies were supposed to be up and about, not lying lifeless on the streets.

The clock tower rang, and Spike nearly swallowed his own tongue in sheer terror. He put a claw over his heart and took a deep breath as he listened. The bell rang five times, the clangs echoing through the empty streets. Today was the only day the tower would ring so early in the morning. The five o’clock bells were a signal for everypony to finish up what they were doing so they’d be ready for the celebration at six. Twilight had always called it the one-hour warning. He wished he knew how much time he had.

“Once you awaken, you will have to hurry,” Luna had said. “Time will begin to flow normally once more, and we do not have much of it. There is no time to seek outside help, and precious little time to put our plan into action. We would do well not to waste it.”

He felt a gnawing sensation at the pit of his stomach. He wanted to imagine that it was a scroll coming up. Luna had allowed him a moment to send a message to Cadance and Shining Armor; they couldn’t trust anypony else to help. In the back of his mind, he knew Luna was right. Cadance and Shining Armor were almost certainly sleeping normally, and even if by some fluke they received the message, by the time they arrived it might very well be too late. It was a long shot and he knew it. Luna had been very clear about that.

“You’re sure there’s nopony else we could ask for help?” He had asked the question several times in the futile hope that the answer would change.

“Who would you go to? Discord? For all we know, he is the cause of this mess. I will not risk it. Right now, you are the only one who can do anything.”

“Yeah, no pressure there,” he muttered to himself as he scurried along. “Save Ponyville from mysterious evil forces that even the Princesses couldn’t escape. That’s all in a day’s work. No problem! When this is all over I’ll probably get a parade and a statue in the Canterlot Statue Garden. Life-size, even!” He forced himself to smile.

“Or maybe double size or on a really big pedestal or something. With a nice plaque on the bottom. And maybe I’ll get Celestia to throw in a barrel of sapphires. Can’t do anything with a statue anyway. Unless they put it in Ponyville so I’d be able to see it more often. That would be pretty cool. They could put it right there!” He pointed, and immediately realized that he had already reached the town square. As a matter of fact, he was standing right in front of his destination.

Mr. Cake was slumped on the sidewalk just outside of his home. A short ways down the road his cart, bearing a three-tiered chocolate cake, had rolled to a stop against a bench.

“Eesh, he barely even made it out of the house,” Spike whispered. Mr. Cake obviously wasn’t about to wake up, but Spike couldn’t bring himself to break the silence that the spell enforced. His voice still echoed in his ears as if he had shouted. He looked over his shoulder, just in case whoever had cast the spell happened to be behind him. If they were there, they were invisible.

“So you don’t know who’s behind the attack? How are we supposed to do anything if we don’t know who we’re fighting against?”

“I may not know,” Lunahad said, “but I have a several ideas. This plan will help me find out for certain.”

“B-but what if you’re wrong?”

She had taken a distressingly long moment to answer. “In that case, at least we will not have made our situation any worse.”

Maybe not for her, he thought. She didn’t have to creep through a ghost town, alone, with only a vague assurance to keep her moving forward. And for all he knew, whoever had cast the spell was hiding behind a nearby tree. More than anything he just wanted to turn around, run back to the library, and bury himself in his blankets. Unfortunately, chances were that as soon as he fell asleep, Luna would just give him a stern talking-to and wake him back up.

He took a step toward Sugarcube Corner.

Luna is counting on you, he thought, and forced himself to take another step. So are Twilight and Celestia.

Then his other foot moved. And Rarity.

He forced himself forward once more.

And Applejack, Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy.

The next step was easier.

Everypony in Ponyville needs your help!

He didn’t even pause between steps anymore.

I saved the Crystal Empire, didn’t I?

He was practically skipping now.

Though that was really more luck than anything.

He slowed to a walk.

And when they tried to honor me for it, I made a fool of myself.

He stopped.

“I’m not cut out for this! The Crystal Empire was a fluke and you know it! I was just in the right place at the right time!”

Luna had scoffed at him. “Does that matter? Fluke or not, you saved the Crystal Empire.”

“I saved the Crystal Empire by accident!”

“Perhaps you will save Equestria by accident.”

He’d felt like the library was shrinking around him. “But… but the chances of me being able to do anything—”

“Are better than if you sit here and do nothing.” Her voicehad been like ice. “If you have any alternate plans to suggest, I would welcome them.”

He had thought about it ever since then, and he still couldn’t think of anything.

But she was right. Sure, the chances of success were miniscule, but they existed. It might just be luck that helped him escape the spell, but it beat being trapped along with everypony else. A small step was better than standing still. He had reached the doorstep of Sugarcube Corner; all he needed to worry about now was going inside. He steeled himself and opened the door.

Sugarcube Corner had never been so silent. There was no Pinkie Pie singing as she made cupcakes. There were no babies screaming for mommy and daddy or laughing at Pinkie’s antics. There were no irate customers complaining that their misspelling on the cake customization form had been faithfully recreated in frosting. There were no dings, no whirrs, no ticking timers. There was only silence, weighing on his head like a boulder.

Mrs. Cake lay snoozing on the couch; she had likely sat down for a moment of respite after finally sending her husband out. Spike doubted that she had meant to stay there for so long. But she wasn’t the one he was looking for; Luna had been very clear about that. He strode past her, trying to ignore all the odd creaks and groans that houses typically made. Last Nightmare Night’s haunted house didn’t have anything on this, though at least Mrs. Cake had left the lights on.

He tiptoed past her into the living room. Pound and Pumpkin Cake were sprawled in their crib, snoozing soundly, unaware that they were trapped in the midst of a crisis. He put his claws on the edge of the railing. He found it hard to believe that this was where his quest to save Equestria began.

“The Cake twins? They’re the first ones that we’re going to try to save?” Luna’s plan had been a bit confusing, but nothing Spike couldn’t handle. Years of listening to Twilight’s rambling had given him an ear for needlessly complex explanations. But this just hadn’t made sense, and this time he couldn’t blame it on his dream-induced confusion. “Shouldn’t we start with somepony who might be able to help us more?”

“I know it seems odd,” Luna had said, “but we need to start small. If we alert our enemies to our presence, all is lost. You must trust me.”

“Of course I must,” Spike murmured to himself. “What choice do I have?” He took a footstool, shoved it next to the crib, and climbed up. “Well, here goes nothing.” He reached down with both arms and gently placed his claws on their foreheads. As his fingers brushed their coats, a wave of fatigue washed over him so quickly that he didn’t even have a chance to be surprised.

He closed his eyes, and the world vanished around him.

Author's Note

A dream has power to poison sleep. ~Percy Bysshe Shelley, "Mutability"

So yeah, there's the first chapter. It was a lot of fun writing something a bit more mysterious. And I really enjoyed writing Spike and Luna. They bounce off of each other surprisingly well. As always, I'm sure I missed some sort of spelling/grammar/formatting issues somewhere, so let me know if you see anything.

Thanks to the following people for their invaluable assistance in helping me edit/proofread/generally improve the chapter:

Midnight Rambler
Meta Four
SugarSwirls
Sereg
RubberLotus
Blank!

Unstable Dream

“...And you’re absolutely certain?” Rarity asked.

“Yes,” Luna answered for the fourth time. “No matter how many times you ask, the answer will not change. Ponyville was, in fact, attacked by Nightmares, and you are, in fact, currently in a dream.”

“And I totally did save you!” Spike added.

Rarity flopped back on her fainting couch. “Everypony in town was captured? And they are trapped just like I was?”

“Indeed,” Luna said. “From the youngest fillies and colts all the way up to Princess Celestia herself. The only pony who managed anything approximating an escape was myself, and even I could not escape entirely.”

“But that means… oh no!” Rarity leaped from the couch and stood in front of the carpet that Luna had manifested in her likeness. “My sister is trapped as well!” She spun around and put her hooves on Spike’s shoulders and gave him a shake. “You must save her! I cannot leave her alone like this! We have to get her out of there!”

“I-uh-what-I-” Spike sputtered as she shook the words out of him.

Luna cleared her throat. “He isn’t going to save anypony if you don’t let go of him.”

“Oh. Yes. Of course.” She released Spike, who stumbled backward and landed on Luna’s face. “I’m sorry,” Rarity continued. “I just want my sister to be safe.”

“I desire the same,” Luna said. Her eyes crossed slightly as she tried to focus them on Spike, who had landed right where her nose was. “Rest assured that we are doing our very best to break this spell and return Ponyville to normal as quickly as is possible.”

Spike stood up, still a bit wobbly. “So, uh, would rescuing Sweetie Belle help us do that?”

Luna was silent.

“Well, would it?” Rarity asked anxiously.

“It certainly would not hurt,” Luna said carefully, “but it would not be the most efficient course of action. There are other ponies to rescue who would likely put us closer to breaking the spell.”

“But I can’t leave her like this!” Rarity wailed. “Could you send me into her dream? Perhaps I could help her while you and Spike are off saving somepony else!”

“Unfortunately, at this point that is not possible,” Luna answered. “Currently, Spike is the only one who can travel from dream to dream. I myself may be able to, but I do not know if it will be possible for anypony else.” She sighed quietly. “I am sorry.”

“I see,” Rarity sat despondently at the edge of the carpet. “I cannot ask you to put your plans on hold for my sake, not if it will keep you from helping everypony else.” Her lip quivered. “At the very least, could you try to check on her? I just want to know that she is alright. Is that possible?”

“Very well,” Luna answered. “Merely checking on her will not be too difficult. I will return shortly.” Her face vanished into the carpet pattern.

“Word of warning, she’ll probably pop back in right behind you,” Spike said, keeping the carpet in the corner of his eye. “I think she likes doing that. So, uh, how are you holding up?”

Rarity delicately tapped her chin with her hoof. “I’m… about as well as I can be, considering everything that’s happening. To be honest, I’m not even sure what I should feel. Everything still feels so dreamlike.” She paused, then shook her head. “And I still somehow manage to forget that I’m dreaming.”

“Yeah, I know how that is,” Spike said with a nod. “I mean, right now, I don’t really feel like I’m dreaming at all.”

“Until you look around, at least.” Rarity surveyed the stage. The music and flashing lights had faded away, and the ensembles that had patrolled the area now rested on mannequins. If anything, the stillness and silence made the place feel that much bigger. “It really is quite odd.”

“Oh, this is nothing. You should’ve seen what it looked like before I got you out of that cage.” Spike said. “Yeah, it’s a little weird now, but it was way worse.”

“It certainly was.” Rarity shuddered and stepped forward to put a hoof gently on Spike’s shoulder. “I really must thank you again for rescuing me. I cannot recall much of that nightmare, thank heavens, but I would not wish it upon anypony.”

“Y-you’re welcome,” he mumbled. He felt like he was starting to sweat.

“And I must admit that I am flattered that you chose to rescue me first.”

“Well…” Spike bit his lip. He wanted to just accept the praise, but his dignity got the better of him. “To be honest, I was planning to rescue Twilight first, but Luna said that it probably wouldn’t be possible. You know, since she’s a princess and all and the spell on her is extra strong.”

Rarity smiled at him. “Of course. She is family after all. It is only natural that you would want to save her first.”

“Yeah,” Spike mumbled, “It is.” They were both silent for a moment. Spike could feel the emptiness of the room pressing in on him. It was unbearable. “So, I was wondering if—”

“I return!” Luna declared loudly as she popped back onto the carpet.

“Gah!” Rarity nearly fell over as she instinctively hopped back. “Does she always do it like that?”

“Yeah, pretty much,” Spike said.

Luna ignored them. “The good news is that your sister is doing as well as could be reasonably expected considering the circumstances.”

“And…?” Rarity asked, raising an eyebrow.

“And what?” Spike said.

“Nopony ever uses the phrase ‘the good news is’ unless there is some not-so-good news to go with it.” She swallowed. “Please tell me. I can take it. What is the bad news?”

“There is no bad news, per se,” Luna said. “There is, however, some unusual news.”

“Unusual…” Rarity tilted her head. “Is that good or bad?”

“Neither, which is why I simply identified it as unusual rather than good news or bad news. Specifically, the dream’s construction is not standard, as all the others are. It appears that the Nightmares have somehow modified the structure of the dream. What is so odd is that when I viewed the dreamscape itself, it did not seem to be unusual. Only those who could view the dream from without would notice the oddity.”

Rarity scratched her head. “And that means…?”

“It means that I have more good news for you,” Luna said. “The unusual spell structure surrounding your sister’s dream bears further investigation.”

“So I guess I’m headed into Sweetie Belle’s dream, then?” Spike asked.

“Indeed,” Luna said. “Rarity, do you know of your sister’s whereabouts in Ponyville at the time the spell was cast? Entering her dream will require Spike to find her.”

“Yes!” Rarity nodded vigorously. “As a matter of fact, she was upstairs at the boutique! I was going to help her get ready before taking her to the celebration.”

“Well, that makes things a whole lot easier,” Spike said. “Don’t worry, Rarity, I’ll make sure that Sweetie Belle is okay. I’ll have her free in no time.”

“Thank you for the reassurance, Spike,” Rarity answered. “I know that you’ll everything that you can.” She stepped forward and gave him a hug. “When you find my sister, you will tell her that I’m alright, won’t you?”

“Sure thing!” He gave her a thumbs up. Then he turned to Luna. “So, uh… What’s gonna happen to Rarity while I’m off helping Sweetie Belle?”

“Rarity will have to remain here, I’m afraid. At the moment there is too much risk in attempting to wake her up or otherwise bring her out of her dream.”

Spike snorted and crossed his arms. “She’s going to die of boredom if she’s stuck here! Isn’t there something you could do?”

“Do not worry, Spike.” Rarity ruffled his spines. “So long as those awful Nightmares have been put out, I am sure that I will be able to occupy myself. Though if there is anything at all I can do to assist you, I would be quite willing to do so, of course.”

“I will continue to analyze the spell, and if there is anything for which I require assistance, I will be sure to let you know.” She turned her gaze to Spike. “It is time that we put our plan into motion. Prepare to be awakened, Spike.”

Spike nodded and turned toward Rarity. “See you later!” Then the dream melted away around him.

Spike turned a corner and found himself in front of the Town Hall. Again.

“So much for making a map,” he grumbled as he crumpled up the paper in his hands. Whatever Sweetie Belle’s special talent was, it wasn’t geography. At first glance, the dream had more or less resembled Ponyville. At second glance it resembled Ponyville decidedly less and more like someone had taken Ponyville and the Everfree Forest, put them in a sack, given it a good shake, and put down the buildings and landmarks without looking.

What was worse, either there were multiple copies of everything, or stuff was moving around whenever he wasn’t looking. He had passed the Town Hall twice already, and this was the first time that Zecora’s hut was next to it. He had sworn that it had been next to a river last time he saw it, and before that it had been mostly hidden by a clump of apple trees. And Zecora’s hut had been growing in the middle of Carrot Top’s garden when he last passed it.

And to top off the whole mess, the sky looked like a patchwork quilt. Different types of weather, sun, rain, snow, day, night, all floated across the sky like clouds. If he looked closely, he could just about see the gaps between them. The emptiness glistened, and he decided not to look at at it anymore.

He had found some paper and a pencil in the schoolhouse (which had relocated next to a patch of Poison Joke, which he carefully avoided), and attempted to make a map of his surroundings, but it didn’t do any good if nothing would stay in the same place. The Nightmare had to be responsible for it. Rather than attack directly, it was hiding in the background, twisting the dream to keep any of the pieces from coming together. You couldn’t fight it if you couldn’t find it.

In the distance, the Clock Tower chimed three times. It was completely useless of course; last time the bell had rung nine times, and Spike was quite sure that it had been less than ten minutes ago. As if on cue, the patch of daylight that had been over his head drifted away, and was replaced by rain.

“Go figure,” he muttered as he kicked at the wet wad of paper that had been a map a few minutes ago. “I’ve got to get out of this rain.” He began to jog forward in the hope that he’d get out from under the shower. The rain seemed to follow him. His feet squished in the muddy path. He sighed, and ducked under a nearby tree. He needed to clear his head.

“Have you found Sweetie Belle yet?” asked a voice at his feet.

He looked down to find a head poking out of the mud. It was doing its best to look like Luna, but the assault of raindrops made the features ooze downward. Every few seconds it paused to reformulate itself, only to begin melting again.

“Not yet,” he said, more confidently than he felt. “This whole dream is kinda… big. Which wouldn’t be that bad if it wasn’t so confusing. This place is enormous and I don’t even know where to start. At least in Rarity’s dream I could find landmarks to work with.”

“It does seem rather… confused,” Luna bubbled. The mud flow made her sound like she was underwater. “What is truly odd is that so far, there does not seem to be a great deal of manipulation on the part of the Nightmare. One would expect that they would attempt to alter the dreamscape to frighten her, but there is remarkably little interference.”

Spike shrugged. “Maybe the dream was just scary on its own? You can have bad dreams without a Nightmare floating around, can’t you?”

“You can, but I have never known a Nightmare who would be content with that. They wring fear from the mind like wringing water from a towel. They will not be happy until they have squeezed out every last drop.”

Spike shrugged. “Maybe Sweetie Belle just has a fear of…uh…” The idea had sounded good in his head, but when he put it in words it just sounded dumb. “...getting lost in a familiar place?”

“Honestly, that is what puzzles me more than anything else,” Luna continued. “I have monitored Sweetie Belle’s dreams before, and I have never seen anything like this. I have helped her deal with her fears, and” —she paused to reconstitute her head, which had sunk halfway into a puddle— “this dream does not at all resemble any previous dreams I have observed. My suggestion would be to attempt to locate a landmark that would have special significance to her, such as her home, or the schoolhouse. Places that would likely figure more heavily in her memories.”

“Or the Library, or Rarity’s Boutique?”

“Yes.” Luna nodded. Or tried to; her chin stuck to the ground. “Wherever she is in the dream, she would likely be in the proximity of something that is familiar to her. That would be most in keeping with her previous dreams, at least.”

“Got it. How’s Rarity doing?”

“I just checked in with her, and she is doing well. Her dream contains more than enough materials for her to pass the time working on her designs, at least for the time being. She told me to tell you to stop worrying about her and focus on finding Sweetie Belle.”

“I guess I’d better get moving then.” Spike poked his head out from under the tree. The rainy patch had drifted off and been replaced by what felt like a warm summer night. “What about you?”

“I will continue to analyze the dream and attempt to discover the nature of its structure. And I will continue checking in with you and Rarity, of course.”

“Great,” Spike said. “I don’t suppose there’s any way for me to get in touch with you if I need help?”

“Unfortunately, no. I am currently working on it, but for now you will simply have to do your best to stay out of trouble.”

Spike snorted. No matter how hard he tried to avoid trouble, he had no doubt that it would find him. “Well, I hope you figure it out soon. Wandering around this place by myself is starting to creep me out a little.”

“Believe me, I would like nothing more than to be able to help you more directly,” Luna bubbled. “I must get back to my analysis. I wish you the best of luck.”

“Thanks.”

He watched her head sink back into the mud and disappear. The dream always seemed a bit bigger when Luna vanished. At first he had appreciated the lack of any loud noises or things trying to attack him, but the longer he wandered around, the more he began to wish that something would try to stop him. That would give him a nice clue to where he needed to go. It sure beat meandering aimlessly through a town where nothing was in the right place.

“I really need to try something else,” he muttered out loud. Hearing a voice made the place seem less desolate, even if it was his own. “I just wish I could get a better” —he paused, and noted that one of the Ponyville Clock Towers stood just across the path from the tree where he had taken shelter— “look at my surroundings. Yeah, that should work.”

He walked around to the back of the structure. Sweetie Belle had been considerate enough to imagine that the door leading to the top of the tower was unlocked. She had not been considerate enough to imagine an elevator.

“When I finally get out of this spell, I’m going to really miss not getting tired,” he said as he clamored up to the observation deck. “Hopefully I’ll be able to see something helpful from up…here...” He blinked. Then he rubbed his eyes. “It… that can’t be right!”

The jumbled up mix of Ponyville, Everfree, and other miscellaneous memories stretched into the distance as far as Spike could see. But he had expected to see that. What he didn’t expect to see was the shape of the landscape. The whole town looked like it was in the bottom of an enormous bowl. But it was more than that. On first glance, he thought that everything sat in a valley, but in the distance, the upward curve of the land grew higher and steeper. Far above where the horizon was supposed to be, the land continued to rise into the sky. Or at least where the sky would be if the sideways mess of buildings and trees hadn’t boxed it out.

He glanced upward to see if the landscape curved around to reach above his head, but he couldn’t. The quilt of different skies and weather conditions got in his way. And now that he had a closer look at it, he could see that it curved away from him, same as the ground. The longer he stared at it, the less it looked like sky, and the more it looked like the the bottom of a giant glass bowl with bits and pieces of sky floating in it.

What the hey is that thing? It’s like somepony rolled the sky up into a… oh. So that’s how it is. That’s interesting, but it really doesn’t help me much. And I thought that this was going to be helpful. Maybe there’s a- wait a minute!

For a moment he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, but no matter how long he looked, what he saw didn’t change. Off in the distance, at the edge of his vision, was a second clock tower.

“Huh, I guess things weren’t moving around. There’s just more than one of everything.” The longer he looked, the more his suspicions were confirmed. He could see two Sugarcube Corners, two Libraries, and at least three joke shops.

He tried to ignore the giant sky-ball and the concave landscape, and began to trace the path that had led him to the clock tower. A short distance away, was the Town Hall he had seen, with Zecora’s tree-hut standing beside it. As he worked his way down his route, other landmarks popped into his memories. He remembered walking through those streets. High up, so high that the ground was practically sideways, was a second Town Hall. A river coiled around it like a snake.

“I guess I should’ve held onto that map,” he muttered. He turned away and headed to the next window. “Maybe I’ll be able to pick out something from up here. Probably a bit of a longshot, but I…” He paused as he got a good look. “Okay, so maybe it’s not such a longshot.”

On the far side of the tower, there was a clear patch. That in itself was nothing special; there were little patches of grass or trees or flowers or whatever strewn throughout the mass of buildings. What caught Spike’s eye was the fact that this time, he recognized not just the building, but the surrounding area. The Cutie Mark Crusaders’ Clubhouse sat in the middle of a patch of apple orchard. Spike smiled. The area surrounding the clubhouse wasn’t random; every tree, every rock, and every bit of rubble generated by the CMC matched the area around the real clubhouse.

“There’s no way that’s a coincidence. Sweetie Belle’s gotta be down there!” He cracked his knuckles. “By the time Luna checks in again, maybe I can have her tell Rarity that her sister is okay!” He started down the stairs. “I just hope that I can get to her before the Nightmare shows up…”

Yes, that should work nicely.

Luna allowed herself a smile as she reviewed the schematic that floated before her eyes. She made a motion with her mind, and the diagram phased into three dimensions. She nodded in satisfaction, and the now-three-dimensional array of parts collapsed into the device it was a design for. One could construct such things in dreams far more easily than in reality; it was one of many benefits of her abilities.

It was not, of course, an actual object. It was a representation of a spell, the wires and connections simply symbolized the interconnected bits of magic that comprised it. She had always thought that her method of visualization was appropriate. What was a dream if not a representation of a concept? Granted, this particular spell was the magical equivalent of an engine that was held together by a mix of paperclips, gum, and optimism, but it would work, and that was all that mattered.

“So what’s that for?”

She rolled her eyes, but otherwise gave no indication that she had heard. Now was not the time to be distracted.

“Come on, I know you can hear me. You can’t ignore me forever.”

I could, if I wanted to, Luna thought. Though this would be easier if I simply didn’t have to listen.

“It’s all useless, you know.”

No, it isn’t, Luna said to herself. Now she just had to see if she could get the device to Spike…

Under normal circumstances, it would be simple. She could simply glide from dream to dream at will. It wasn’t even a question of having to move from place to place. Dreams were malleable, and the borders between them were wherever she wanted them to be. But now there were barriers that had to be overcome.

She closed her eyes and focused herself on the dream. There were no words to really describe how it worked; it wasn’t as if the dreams were different places. They all occupied the same space, so to speak, it was only a matter of sliding between them. It ought to be effortless, but she could feel the enemy’s spell in her way, trying to push her back to her own dream. To most it would be impenetrable, hard as steel.

To her it was soft. She couldn’t break it, but it could be stretched. Not physically of course, but magically. It could be stretched so far that she could make her way into the next dream without ever truly leaving her own. It was like pushing one’s face into the side of a balloon; if you pushed hard enough the rubber would cling so tightly that your face would show through. She was not fond of using such a flippant analogy, but she couldn’t find a better one. She could only hope that she could manage to force the spell she had constructed all the way through.

The borders of Sweetie Belle’s dream began to fade in around her. The dreamscape was oddly well-contained; dreams did not typically have well defined borders. The edges ebbed and flowed along with the movement of the dreamer. If they could somehow reach the the border, there would not be a wall or a barrier, the dream would simply end.

She began to search the dream for signs of dragon magic. If nothing else, Spike was easy to pick out. Pony magic was ethereal and smooth, flowing like a drop of dye in clear water. Dragon magic was sharp, like rapidly growing crystal, crackling and snapping like the embers in the heart of a fire. As a result, his aura stood out from the dream like a torch. Ponies often blended in a bit more, and whatever spell the Nightmares had put out did not help things. Searching for Sweetie Belle was like looking out into a dark night through a foggy window.

The bright, pointy blur that marked Spike’s location drew closer. Or rather, she came closer to him. Either was correct, really. Dreams were a matter of perception. Moving around was a matter of focusing in; it felt like looking through a telescope to a distant scene, only to find that it was really as close as it appeared to be.

The barrier pushed against her, but she pushed back. The abstract magical blur began to clarify as she forced her way into the dreamscape. Unfortunately, right now her consciousness protruded into the dream in the same way that a mouse caused a lump in a carpet by hiding beneath it. She could move around well enough, but she was still indistinct. The dream rolled around her as she searched for a place to clearly manifest herself. As she searched, a hazy blob of magic rolled past her. It was a pony, there was no doubt about that. She made a mental note of the location; if she found Spike quickly enough, she could inform him of Sweetie Belle’s location.

I suppose this will have to do.

She composed herself, and dove into the dream. If she had any luck at all, Spike wouldn’t ask her what it felt like to manifest in a dream. She had never come up with a comparison she liked. You became, however temporarily, something other than yourself. The manifestation might look like her, but it was only a representation, like trying to turn a taste into a sound, or a solid object into a shadow.

There was a pop, and she found herself hanging from the wall of a small, wooden room. On the wall opposite her, the view through the window told her that she was likely in a tree house. Spike stood nearby, naturally facing away from her. It was surprisingly tricky to place herself exactly where she wanted. But at the moment, it wasn’t important. She cleared her throat. Spike flinched, and turned to face her. He was smiling.

“Spike, I have news for you,” she said. “I believe you will be quite encouraged by it.”

“Great! I have good news for you too!” he answered confidently.

“Really?” Luna tried not to sound too confused. “And what would that be?”

“I found Sweetie Belle!” Spike stepped aside, and sure enough Sweetie Belle sat on the floor behind him, curled in a little fluffy ball, hugging her own tail. “She’s still, you know, dreaming,” Spike continued, “but finding her is half the battle, right? Now we just need to figure out how to… Uh, are you okay?”

Luna blinked. “Huh?”

“You looked like you just zoned out there for a few seconds.”

“How long has it been since you found her?” she asked.

“Um, five minutes or so.” He scratched his head. “Why?”

Luna was rather glad that at the moment she didn’t have a stomach, because if she had it would’ve filled with butterflies.

“Spike, things may just have gotten a bit more complicated.”

“What do you mean, there’s somepony else in the dream?!” Spike stammered. Things had been going smoothly. He had found Sweetie Belle easily enough once he had thought to search the clubhouse, and even better, she even seemed to recognize him. Sure, most of what she said to him was somewhat incoherent, but at least she was talking to him, and not just rambling.

Then Luna’s head had popped out of one of the pictures on the wall, and his vision of wrapping up the dream in a nice little bow had vanished into thin air.

“I meant just what I said,” Luna said. “As I entered the dream, I became aware of another presence in the dream that seems to be neither you nor Sweetie Belle.”

Spike swallowed and asked the obvious question. “The… the Nightmare?”

“I do not think so. The magical signature is almost certainly that of” —she paused, presumably for effect— “a pony.”

“Okay.” Spike shrugged. Clearly he was supposed to react to the revelation, but he wasn’t entirely sure how. “So, is that… good?”

“I must confess that I am not entirely sure,” Luna said. “It may either be an unexpected advantage, or it may be a sign of danger. The spell’s interference makes connections between dreams even more difficult to establish, which makes the presence of another pony to be even more unlikely. Sweetie Belle was not in contact with any other ponies, correct?”

“Nope. She was the only one there.”

“Hmph.” Luna frowned. “I will continue to analyze the spell for possible causes, while you seek out the pony or whatever it is that is appearing as one. I sensed their presence a short way from here, just out the door and straight down the street between the gate and the farmhouse.”

“Okay, but what do I do with her?” He pointed at Sweetie Belle, who was curled up in a fluffy ball underneath the desk. “I can’t leave her here; she might go and disappear on me.”

“In that case, you will have to bring her with you,” Luna said. “Carry her, if you must.”

Spike sighed. “Great. What do I do if I find somepony?”

“Ah, yes. That reminds me, I have something for you. Please wait a moment.” Luna vanished into the paper. In her place, a point of light appeared. It began to grow bigger and bigger, like a balloon protruding from the wall of the clubhouse. Spike stepped back as the ball of magic expanded. It wavered, like it was about to explode.

“Watch out!” Spike grabbed Sweetie Belle and dove behind the desk.

The ball of magic exploded. The sound was slightly more akin to that of a popping balloon, but loud enough that it still qualified as an explosion. He peeked around the edge of the desk just in time to see something small fall to the floor with a soft clunk.

“What was that?”

Luna reappeared on the paper. “My apologies. I had some difficulty getting it through.”

“Getting what through?”

“That. On the floor.” Spike looked down. Lying on the floor was a thing that looked sort of like a wristwatch, only instead of a tiny clock, there was a single faintly glowing button.

“Oh.” He picked it up. “A… bracelet?”

“A communication spell. Or at least, a representation of one. It is quite simplistic, but it will work.”

“Ooh!” Spike’s eyes lit up. “So this is like one of those gadgets from the Con Mane movies! Like the exploding mane brush, or that long distance horseshoe!” He paused for a second. “Does it shoot lasers?”

“No, it does not shoot lasers,” Luna said. “And you cannot talk into it either. As I said, it is a very simple spell. If you ever need to contact me, simply press the button, and it will alert me that you wish to communicate. It is not much, but it is the best we have.”

Spike stared at the device. If not for the distinctly magical glow, it would’ve looked like a toy. Then again, Luna certainly wouldn’t have time for worrying about the aesthetics.

“At least it’s easy to use,” he said as he strapped it around his wrist. “I’ll let you know if I find anything interesting.”

“As will I,” Luna answered. “I must return to my analysis. Best of luck.”

“Good-” She vanished before the other half of the word made it out of Spike’s mouth. “...bye.” He groaned, then turned to Sweetie Belle. “Alright, I guess we should get moving.”

Spike massaged his temples as he trudged along. According to Luna, there was no physiological reason for him to develop a headache, but he had one. Getting Sweetie Belle to move in the proper direction by any means short of grabbing her tail and dragging her along proved to be quite a feat.

At first he had thought she would make it easier for him. She had recognized him, and seemed to be aware of the fact that he was there. Unfortunately, it was becoming steadily more apparent that something was wrong. Whenever he tried to talk to her, she seemed to listen, but it didn’t quite get through. It was like everything he said was muffled, only instead of the words getting muted out, it was the meaning behind them. On the rare occasions that he was able to get her to actually listen to him, she responded to something else entirely. That didn’t surprise him; they were in her nightmare, after all.

“We should go back to the clubhouse,” Sweetie Belle squeaked, for the… Spike had lost track of how many times she had suggested it. “It’s safe there. It can’t get to us in there.”

“What can’t get to us?” Spike had asked at least half a dozen times and never gotten an answer. He still couldn’t resist the urge to try again.

“It’s going to come back! I can hear it. It’s making my ears hurt. We should go back to the clubhouse. I can’t do anything. We can’t get away. We have to hide!”

She darted into a bush by the side of the path. Spike could hear her whimpering. If he was honest with himself, it freaked him out a bit. Not the fact that Sweetie Belle was scared; of course she was. But she barely even sounded like herself. The nightmare had seemingly hollowed her out and left her a shadow of her real self. He could barely even tell that it was her…

He shuddered. Maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it was a copy that the nightmare had created, and the real Sweetie Belle was still wandering around the dream somewhere. Maybe that was who Luna had sensed on her way in.

Another whimper drifted out of the bush.

Or that’s her, and she’s just terrified out of her mind.

“Come on, Sweetie Belle,” he said wearily.

“We should go back to the clubhouse.”

“Ugh.” Spike sat next to the bush and leaned against the wall of the schoolhouse (or rather one of the schoolhouses), where the bush was growing. All he could hear was the sound of Sweetie Belle making sniffling noises. His ears perked up. There was some other sound in the distance. It sounded like voices. “Shh! Do you hear that?”

“Can I go back to the clubhouse now?” Sweetie Belle answered. “If we don’t go back, we’ll be-”

“Shhh!” Spike clamped a claw over her mouth. “Just be quiet for a few seconds! I’m trying to listen.”

She attempted to make a muffled grumble, then gave up. Spike slowly began to make his way around the schoolhouse. On the far side, a chunk of what appeared to be Ghastly Gorge cut through the middle of the town square. Though weirdly enough, the fountain that marked the center of the square was right where it should be, at least in relation to the bits and pieces of the square that hadn’t been wrecked by the Gorge. Of course, the fountain now sat on a floating island that hung in the center of the abyss.

But Spike barely even noticed the oddity of the hovering chunk of earth. There were two moving forms on the island. Atop the fountain, curled around it like a snake, was a smoky, oily shadow. Sitting at the base of the fountain was Scootaloo.

He wasn’t sure which one shocked him more.

That can’t really be her! he thought. There’s no reason that she would be in Sweetie Belle’s dream. But Luna said that it was definitely a pony. None of this makes sense. Maybe she can figure it out. He pushed the button on his wrist. The glow turned from white to blue. I really hope this thing works.

He kept a tight hold on Sweetie Belle as he slowly snuck closer to the gorge, making sure that the scenery stayed between them and the Nightmare. As he made his way closer, he could hear them speaking. Scootaloo sounded like relatively normal, but the other voice, the Nightmare… it didn’t sound like a voice that had lungs behind it. It was hollow and scratchy, like the sound of a bad record player. He crouched down behind a shrubbery near the edge of the gorge. There was a small gap at the base of the foliage, just big enough for him to see through.

Scootaloo stood at the edge of the island, looking into the abyss. The shadowy form was still wrapped around the fountain, but it had stretched itself so that the part of it that most closely approximated a head was peering over her shoulder into the pit.

“You aren’t going to make it,” the Nightmare said. “It’s too far and those tiny wings of yours won’t get you across.”

“My wings are just fine,” Scootaloo said in a voice that sounded like she didn’t believe it. “I have to get out of here. I have to get back to the clubhouse. I have to fly across.”

“Do you really think that you can?” it said. “I think you know perfectly well that you can’t. You might as well be an earth pony for all the good your wings do.”

“I’m not an earth pony,” Scootaloo said.

“That’s true. You don’t have that connection to the earth, or the magic, do you? That’s too bad.”

“But I have wings.”

“Wings that can barely get your hooves off the ground,” it said. Its tone wasn’t mocking, or harsh, or much of anything really. Spike thought that that might make it worse. “Do you really think that one of these days you’ll just wake up and your wings are suddenly going to work? It isn’t going to happen. You can’t fly, and you never will.”

“I have to get over there. I need to get back to the clubhouse,” Scootaloo said weakly. “Even if I can’t fly.”

“You’re a pegasi that can’t even fly. Even if you get back to the clubhouse, what will you do? How will you help?”

“I can… I…” She stared into the gorge. “I don’t know.”

“That’s what I thought.” It extended a vaguely hand-shaped tendril and patted her on the head. “You’re finally getting it. Just keep thinking it over. I’m sure it’ll sink in eventually.”

The shadow whipped around so fast that Spike wasn’t even sure which direction it had gone. It had vanished into the darkness, leaving no trace of its presence. Spike froze, still as a statue. He wanted to poke his head over the edge of the shrub and call out to Scootaloo, but what if the Nightmare was still around?

“Spike!”

“Gah!” Spike’s heart skipped at least half a dozen beats. The voice was literally right in his ear. “What the- what was that?”

“It’s me, Spike.”

He spun around. Luna’s face was sculpted into the shrubbery like a particularly detailed piece of topiary. Her horn was a single gigantic thorn, and her eyes were roses.

“Why are you always behind me?!”

“I was not behind you,” Luna said, her voice rustling the leaves. “I was beside you.”

“Whatever! Either way I couldn’t see you. Couldn’t you appear in front of me for once?”

Luna glowered at him, or at least as much as she could with twig eyebrows. “So why did you contact me?”

“Oh right. I found the other pony. Or at least, I think I did.” He shrugged uncertainly. “She’s on the other side of the bush thing. I thought you could check whether it’s actually her and not just something the Nightmare came up with.”

“I see.” Luna sunk into the leaves. Spike could hear rustling on the far side. A moment later she reappeared. “That is certainly not a dream construct.”

“So it is Scootaloo, then?”

“Yes. Or at least her consciousness.”

“Okay, that’s good to know.” Spike breathed a sigh of relief. “At least that means we won’t have to rescue her later. Do you have any idea how she ended up in Sweetie Belle’s dream?”

“I have a hypothesis, but it bears further examination.”

“Are you going to tell me what it is?”

“Not yet.”

Spike folded his arms and frowned. “I should’ve known. You never tell me anything.”

“A half-realized theory would not help you accomplish anything, even if it is correct,” she said matter-of-factly. “And if it is wrong, it could very well hinder you. Have you seen any sign of the Nightmare that is maintaining this dream?”

“Actually, I did. It was hanging around when I contacted you.” He peeked through the bush. “It was all snakey and smokey and shadowy and it was wrapped around that fountain, talking to Scootaloo. It was bullying her, talking about how she was never going to be able to fly or help anypony in the dream.”

Luna sighed, but it was more than a sigh. It came through what would’ve been gritted teeth, and it had a bit of a growl mixed in. “Yes, that sounds like a Nightmare. They love to play on the insecurities of the dreamers. And I have no doubt that it’s manipulating their consciousness to make them even more susceptible. What truly worries me is that they have discovered a way to place multiple ponies in a single dream.”

“Really?” Spike wasn’t quite sure exactly what he was supposed to be shocked by anymore. “I mean, I know it’s weird, but is having multiple ponies in one dream really that big of a problem?”

“It means that the scale of their plan may be larger than I first thought. As powerful as they are, the Nightmares are finite in number, and so are the ponies that they are able to capture in this fashion. But if they have devised a way to ensnare multiple ponies in a single dream…”

“-they can catch a lot more ponies,” Spike said. “Wait a minute. Why didn’t you think it was weird that both of the Cake Twins were in one dream?”

“Do you remember what I told you about you were able to enter dreams?”

Spike nodded. “Yeah. Something about how the spell could spread through contact, so it caused me to fall asleep, but I didn’t get captured because I’m a dragon. So the fact that the Cake Twins were together when they got caught by the spell had something to do with it?”

“Yes. Or at least, that was what I assumed at the time. To put it simply, the spell works by walling in the dreams of those within it. As the twins were in physical context when the spell hit them, I simply assumed that the dream put them both within the same ‘wall’, so to speak. But this situation is entirely different. Are you absolutely certain that nopony else was with Sweetie Belle when you entered her dream?”

Spike shook his head. “Unless Scootaloo somehow gained invisibility powers since I saw her, I don’t think so.”

“In that case, the Nightmares have somehow managed to travel between dreams even when they’ve filled that gap with obstacles.” Her false face furrowed its leafy brows in thought. “Then again, I have yet to completely unravel the design behind the spell. I will let you know if I find more.”

Spike nodded dumbly. His mouth felt very dry. If Luna wasn’t sure what was going on, it meant that he was even more out of his depth. But like she said, there wasn’t anyone else.

“So what should I do?”

“Continue to search the dream for a way to break Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo out of the Nightmare’s power.” Her flowery eyes narrowed. “We will not let them suffer any longer.”

Spike swallowed, stunned by the sudden harshness of her voice. “O-of course.”

“And keep an eye out for any other ponies who may be caught here. It is extremely likely that we cannot break the Nightmare’s control without finding everypony. I am counting on you.”

“Yeah. I’ll do my best.”

“Good. I wish you the best of luck in freeing them. They need your help.” Her face collapsed back into the bush before Spike had a chance to reply.

He peered nervously over the edge of the hedge. Scootaloo was alone, sitting on the edge of the island, staring into the emptiness below her. The Nightmare was nowhere to be seen. That didn’t mean it wasn’t around, but there really wasn’t much he could do about that. He tried not to think about it. He had more important things to put his brainpower toward. Like figuring out how to get Scootaloo off of that floating island.

He turned to Sweetie Belle, who was hunched over, twiddling the end of her tail.“I don’t suppose you have any ideas?”

“We should go back to the clubhouse.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Spike sighed. Then a thought struck him. “You want Scootaloo to go back to the clubhouse too, don’t you?”

Sweetie Belle nodded. “Yeah, she wants wants to go back to the clubhouse too.”

“Do you want to help her get back there?”

“We should help her. We need to go to the clubhouse.”

Spike grinned. “Well, she can’t get to your clubhouse if she’s stuck on that island over there. Could you help me get her off of there?”

“I…” Sweetie Belle clenched her eyes shut and put her hooves to her head, as if she had a headache. Then she looked up at him. “I think so…”

“That’s great!” He surveyed the area. “Do you see anything that we could use as a bridge?”

“A bridge?” she asked.

“Yeah, something long enough to reach that island and sturdy enough that we could walk across on it.” He scratched his head. “Maybe like a big tree branch, or a ladder or something.”

“A rope.”

“A rope could work too, I guess. It would be a bit risky, but that’s really all we have.”

“A rope, over there.” Sweetie Bell pointed.

She was pointing at an instance of the Golden Oaks Library. It was, quite literally, growing out of the side of a hill, nearly sideways. And hanging from the top balcony, barely off the ground, was the clothesline.

“Oh. Well, that could work, if we can’t find anything else…” He searched the area again, looking for anything that could possibly work. It wasn’t that he was afraid of heights, per se, but even so he wasn’t too keen about tightrope-walking across a chasm that might have who-knows-what at the bottom. Unfortunately, short of dismantling one of the nearby houses and building a bridge out of it, he didn’t have a lot of options. There was probably something in the dream somewhere, but nothing in the immediate vicinity.

I guess I could go look for something, but I don’t want to leave her here… He took a glance at Scootaloo. She hadn’t moved, but seeing her so close to the edge still made him uneasy. What if that Nightmare comes back? That thing could push her off the edge or take her off somewhere. I’ve got to get her out of here now.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” he muttered as he began to to unroll the clothesline. “I wish Luna would just make me a jet pack. It would be so much easier. And more awesome.”

The clothesline came free. He dragged it back to the edge of the gorge. Sweetie Belle sat at the edge, staring into the void just like Scootaloo.

“Oh no you don’t.” Spike grabbed her tail and towed her away from the chasm. “I’m not letting you fall in there.” He swallowed. “I’m the one taking that chance. I really wish I knew more about how to tie a lasso. I wish I would’ve paid more attention when I went to that rodeo.” He held up the rope. He was reasonably sure that if Applejack were around, she’d slap him upside the head for such an embarrassingly bad lasso, but as long as it held, it would have to do.

“You think you could use your magic to hook this over the fountain for me?”

Sweetie Belle stared blankly forward for a moment before closing her eyes and shaking her head.

“It was worth a shot, I guess,” Spike said with a shrug. Then he lifted the rope above his head. “Here goes nothing.”

Luna stared coldly at the the tangle of magic that floated in front of her. She hadn’t felt this degree of frustration since she had helped Celestia streamline the Equestrian Tax code. The structure of the dream simply didn’t make sense. The knowledge that multiple ponies had somehow entered Sweetie Belle’s dreamscape had given her a surge of hope that she was nearer to solving the mystery, but in the end it only confused things further.

She knew from experience what magic was supposed to look like when you used it to cross the borders of dreams. That was her affinity; perceiving the borders of dreams and the passageways between them. And there weren’t any. There weren’t any holes in the dream’s skin, no gateways that would enable a pony’s dream projection to leave their own dream and enter another’s. She could believe that the Nightmares were capable of such things, but she could not and would not believe they could do so without leaving any tracks.

“Exhilerating, isn’t it?”

“Not particularly. Why should it be?”

“How often do you truly get to test your skill against an opponent with comparable abilities?”

“If this were a game of chess or some other largely irrelevant activity, perhaps it would be. I don’t suppose you would be willing to help me?”

“Would you accept my help even if I offered it?”

“It would help if you would simply be silent and let me focus. I suppose that is too much to ask.”

“You could say that. It really is getting a bit boring watching you stare at those dreams for so long without making any progress.”

“It would go faster if you helped, you know.” She waited for an answer. As she expected, none came. She smiled slightly. “Actually, I believe you already have.”

Luna sailed through the layers spellwork that bounded the borders of the dream. Now was the time to feel exhilarated. She had spent so long picking at the knot, but she had found the end of the string and now she could begin to unravel it. She would still have to be careful, though, pulling too hard would just make the knot tighter.

She zeroed in on Spike’s location. Fortunately he hadn’t wandered too far from where she had seen him last. And as luck would have it, a suitable vessel for manifestation happened to be right next to him. Hopefully this time he would actually be facing in her general direction. His aura glowed like a hot ember; it was almost difficult to look directly at him.

“Spike! I’ve made a most important discovery!”

“Gah!” Spike spun around to face her. He had, naturally, been facing the other direction. “You did it again!” he gasped.

“I did not intentionally” —she froze as she got a good look at him— “Why is Scootaloo on your head?”

“I’m trying to get her across this chasm!” Spike snapped. “I’m just glad you didn’t show up a few seconds later or I might have fallen in.”

“Oh.” Luna took a moment to study her surroundings. They were on the floating island. It looked as though Spike had used a lasso of some sort to make a tightrope. She could see the far end of it tied tightly to a stone bench on the gorge’s edge, and the other end appeared to be tied around her own neck. It appeared that she had manifested herself in one of the statues that adorned the side of the fountain on the island. “Apologies.”

“You almost gave me a heart attack. Maybe. Can that happen while you’re dreaming?” He gently put Scootaloo down next to the fountain. “Just hold on for a second, Scootaloo. I have to talk to Luna about something.”

“I just want to get back to the clubhouse already.”

“Yeah, I know. Just sit tight.” He patted her on the head before turning to Luna. “So what’s this discovery that you just had to pop in to yell about?”

“Ah, yes, that. I’ve determined exactly how multiple ponies are present in this dream.” She paused for effect. Spike interrupted it.

“And?”

“It is not a single dream. I had been carrying out my analysis on the assumption that this dreamscape was an isolated dream in which multiple consciousnesses had been placed. But it appears that in reality it is actually multiple dreams that have been combined into a single dreamscape. The Nightmares must have manipulated the ponies involved into having dreams that are similar enough that when they were combined they appeared to be one.”

“Kind of like the Cake Twins’ dream?”

“Yes, only that was a side effect of the spell, whereas this is very obviously intentional.”

“Intentional?” Spike asked. “What would the Nightmares have to gain by combining the dreams together?”

“I am not sure, but the fact that they managed to do so and also keep it hidden from me is worrying.” She noted the change in Spike’s face. “Not that you should be worried, of course. It is just that this matter grows more and more confounding. But we will get to the bottom of this sooner or later. Hopefully sooner.”

“Listen, it’s great that you’re making progress, but what does that have to do with me?” he said wearily. “I’m already sort of busy trying to get Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle out of their whole dream stupor thing.”

“Now that I am aware that this is a shared dreamscape, I was able to properly examine the dream’s structure. And as a result I can tell you for sure how many ponies’ are within this dreamscape. You’ve already found two, but my examination indicates that there is one more somewhere in this dream.”

“One more, huh?” Spike glanced at Scootaloo, then across the gorge at Sweetie Belle. “I have a feeling I know who that is.”

“As do I. You will almost certainly need to find all of them if you wish to break the Nightmare’s power. And I hope that you can do so as quickly as possible. I am loathe to let them suffer here any longer than absolutely necessary.”

Spike put his claws on his hips. “Come on, that was my plan from the beginning. Besides, Rarity would kill me if I didn’t do my best to get Sweetie Belle and her friends to safety.”

“Good. In that case, I will leave you to your exploration. If you need my assistance do not hesitate to contact me.”

“Will do!”

“And Spike…”

“Yeah?”

“Please keep them safe.”

Spike nodded silently.

Luna smiled, then vanished.

“Steady. Steady,” Spike repeated as he made his way across the impromptu tightrope. “Don’t look down.” He had looked down once, and it had been a spectacularly bad idea. He just need to get across. Which would be a lot easier if he didn’t have to a wriggling pegasus filly over his head. He had tried a few other methods of carrying her, but the over-the-head method was the only one that didn’t completely throw off his balance.

“We have to get out of here,” she said. “We have to get back to the—”

“The clubhouse, I know,” he interrupted. It wasn’t the first time that the Cutie Mark Crusaders had bothered him; they had a tendency to show up when he and Twilight were in the middle of an important study session. But at least in those circumstances they were an interesting annoyance. The dream was weird, but it was supposed to be weird. But seeing the Crusaders become so dull…

“Almost there.” Or at least he thought he was. He couldn’t tell exactly how far he had come, and he wasn’t about to risk falling by turning around. “I’ve got to be at least halfway.”

“It’s so far down,” Scootaloo said.

“I know that!” Spike forced his eyeballs to stay pointed straight ahead. “I wish I didn’t. Just hold still. We’ll be on solid ground in a few seconds.” He took another step forward. And tumbled forward as his foot failed to land on the rope. He hurled Scootaloo forward as he fell, hoping that at least maybe she’d land on the ground. “NOOOOOOOoof!” His wail was cut short by his face smacking into the ground.

He lay prone for a moment, then groaned and lifted his head. His foot had missed the rope because he had reached the end of it. He had stepped right over the bench the rope was tied to and flopped onto the grass.

“Whew?” He rolled onto his back and took a few deep breaths. “You okay, Scootaloo?”

“I… I don’t know.”

“Huh?” Spike sat up. Scootaloo’s voice sounded different. Before, it had sounded mechanical, like she was pronouncing the words with no comprehension of what they meant. She hardly sounded normal, but she sounded a little bit like herself. She had landed right next to Sweetie Belle, who was staring at Scootaloo with what appeared to be heavily muted concern.

“Scootaloo.” she said. It sounded like she was saying the name in her sleep. Which she was, technically. Spike couldn’t say that she was talking to her, exactly. She didn’t sound like she was addressing Scootaloo, but more like she was vaguely aware of her presence, or like a baby who had finally learned a new word. “I don’t know what’s going on.”

“Sweetie Belle...”

Spike watched them carefully. They stared at each other as if they weren’t sure if they knew each other.

“I can’t,” Sweetie Belle murmured. “I can’t get back there… what can I do?”

“I have to fly,” Scootaloo answered. “I want to… but… I can’t.”

Spike continued to watch as they… it wasn’t a conversation, but they were at least sort of aware of each other and reacting to what was being said, even if they weren’t conscious of it. No wonder the Nightmare was intent on keeping Scootaloo on that island. Now that they’re together it’s like they’re starting to break free of its control. If I get all three of them together, that’ll probably break them out altogether! I just need to find her…

“Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo.”

They turned to him. They stared as if they recognized him but couldn’t remember his name.

“We’ve got to find Apple Bloom. Let’s get a move on.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll find Apple Bloom soon!” Spike said. It was as much for the sake of his own optimism as Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo’s. They didn’t seem to really pay much attention to what he was saying. They acknowledged his presence, and followed him without too much trouble, but they didn’t seem to really hear anything he was saying. They were, fittingly enough, sleepwalking.

“Apple Bloom?” Scootaloo said slugishly.

“Yeah, Scootaloo. Apple Bloom,” Spike said with a sigh. “You know who that is, right?”

“Yeah, I do…” Sweetie Belle added. “Her.” She pointed sluggishly.

Spike’s heart jumped as he saw Apple Bloom sitting against the trunk of a dead tree. Then it dropped as he saw that dirty shape of the Nightmare entwined in the dead branches above her. The area was a mishmash of the various farms that lay around Ponyville’s outskirts. Sweet Apple Acres was the most obvious influence, but Carrot Top’s carrot patch seemed to be mixed in, along with some others. The patch of sky overhead was overcast. He motioned for Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle to stay still as he crept closer, trying to keep the nearby cart of pumpkins between him and the Nightmare.

“...And that is why you really ought to give up on that silly idea of working on the farm,” it was saying. “Really, when was the last time you actually accomplished anything useful helping out. You’re only wasting everyone’s time. I would recommend that you…” he paused. “...stop listening in. It really is quite impolite.”

A chill washed over Spike as if someone had just poured a bucket of ice water on his head. He spun around, ready to run, but the Nightmare was already there. It stared at him from a pair of dull glows that weren’t quite eyes, set in a shape that wasn’t quite a face.

“Did you really think that I didn’t know you were here?” it said. It didn’t sound threatening, or angry, or much of anything really. Spike almost wished that it did. At least then he’d have some idea what he was in for.

“Uh…”

“Really, Luna must really be quite desperate if she’s resorted to you for help.”

Spike did his best to meet the Nightmare’s gaze. He couldn’t do anything else. It was too fast for him to run away, and the three fillies were all too deep in its hold to do anything. At the very least he wouldn’t give the thing the satisfaction of seeing him grovel. He racked his brain trying to think of something to say. He ended up going with the first thing that came to his head. A quote from one of his comics.

“It isn’t a good idea to underestimate a dragon.” As he spoke, he felt just the slightest bit more confident. Sure, the quote was technically from a villain, but the Nightmare didn’t need to know that. Besides, it was true. “It usually doesn’t end well.”

If the Nightmare had any reaction at all, it didn’t show.

“A baby dragon,” it said. “A baby dragon raised by ponies. Barely a dragon at all, really.”

“Hey, I might be a kid, but I saved the Crystal Empire from an evil unicorn sorcerer!” Normally he tried to keep his indignation in check, but for now it was the only thing keeping him from suffering a nervous breakdown. “I can handle a bad dream.”

“Ah, yes. The Crystal Empire. A matter of circumstance and nothing more. Anyone could’ve served your purpose had they been in that place at that time. As I recall, your unicorn friend and her cohorts did the majority of the work. You merely happened to be in a convenient location, really..”

“I did what I needed to do!” he snapped. He tried to edge away from the Nightmare, but it moved with him. “Not everypony can say that.”

“Not everypony would’ve nearly been eaten. If memory serves, you were about to land right in Sombra’s hooves. Everything would have been lost if you hadn’t been saved by the Princess at the last moment. Really, in the end your contribution to the whole enterprise was minimal, wouldn’t you say?”

“I did enough,” Spike managed. The Nightmare’s stare felt like a weight pressing down on him. “Maybe it wasn’t a lot, but I still saved the Crystal Empire.”

“And you really think that your one display of convenient happenstance qualifies you to help Luna with her plan? After all, there isn’t anyone who can bail you out now. Go ahead, press that button Luna gave you.” It didn’t have a face, but it smiled. “It really won’t do you any good.”

“Oh yeah? We’ll see about that.” He punched the button.

“What a pointless gesture. Really, what do you expect to accomplish?”

Spike didn’t have an answer. It was a long shot but he had to say something.

“What do you expect to accomplish?” he asked. “Why are you doing all of this, anyway?”

“Do you really think I’m stupid enough to explain that to you?” it said. “If you’re were really any sort of hero you would be able to figure that out yourself. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have other business to attend to.” It turned away from Spike to look back at Apple Bloom. She hadn’t moved.

“Oh no you don’t!” Spike leaped to his feet and charged forward. He kept his eyes focused on Apple Bloom, not even daring to think about whether the Nightmare was still beside him. He grabbed her and ran toward Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. The Nightmare had to be right behind him, but for some reason, it didn’t seem to be trying to stop him. He skidded to a halt in front of the two fillies. “Ha!” he shouted as he put Apple Bloom down next to them. “I finally got them together! Now your control over them is totally kaput! How do you like that?!”

The Nightmare didn’t say anything for a moment. It simply drifted lazily toward him, twisting through the air leaving a trail of oily smoke in his wake like an airborne snail. Then it spoke. It sounded almost disinterested.

“I wouldn’t like that at all. Really, it’s a good thing that your assumption is so unfounded.”

“Huh?” A sudden lump formed in Spike’s throat. He looked at the fillies. They were rubbing their eyes and blinking, like they were trying to wake up.

“If all it took to break the spell was allowing them to reunite, do you really think I would let you do that?”

“Um…” Spike smiled nervously. “Maybe?”

“Maybe not,” it said. It turned slightly, facing, if it could be called that, towards the pumpkin cart. “It seems we have a visitor.” The shadow slithered towards the cart and reared up like a cobra. One of the pumpkins on the top of of the pile now bore a jack-o-lantern-esque image of Luna’s face. “So nice of you to join us.”

“Spike, what is going on?” she asked.

He smiled sheepishly. “Well, the good news is, I found the Nightmare…”

“And that is also the bad news, really,” it said. “I suppose he wanted you to bear witness to his failure to accomplish anything useful. He hoped you would be able to rescue him, but we both know that’s not possible.”

Luna stared straight through the Nightmare at Spike. The smokey shadow that made up the creature wasn’t completely opaque. Spike winked at her.

“Is that so?” she asked. “I wouldn’t think that he would require my assistance.” She narrowed her eyes at him, watching carefully.

Now or never, Spike though. He mouthed the words Keep it distracted, and began to slowly inch himself in the direction of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Luna’s gaze did not follow him, and the Nightmare didn’t seem to notice.

“If he needed your help, he really didn’t accomplish much by summoning you,” the Nightmare said. “We both know that your ability to move from dream to dream is limited. That is why you’re a pumpkin right now.”

“Perhaps I enjoy being a pumpkin,” Luna retorted. “I don’t suppose that thought ever crossed your tiny little mind.”

“Princess Luna of Equestria, enjoying manifesting in a pumpkin? Really, that’s ludicrous.”

“It has been over a thousand years since your kind last battled me.” She smiled. “Do you think that I have learned nothing during that time? Do you think I would tip my hoof and allow you to know the limits of what I am capable of?”

“Of course, I don’t. That’s why I don’t believe a word that you’re saying.” It drifted closer. If it had had breath, Luna would’ve been able to smell it. “I think you’re bluffing. Pretending that you still have a chance at victory even though you’ve already been defeated. Don’t you think I know where you’ve spent the last thousand years?”

“It would be a great failing on your part if you did not.”

“And even then it seems that you took your cue from us. Isn’t that true, Nightmare Moon?”

Luna glowered. “I did not give myself that name.”

“Yet you happily accepted the persona, didn’t you? Really, you’re more like us than you think.”

“I would be a fool to not admit the similarities,” Luna said coldly, “but you are a fool if you think that similarities make us the same. Whatever I may have done in the past, I assure that I have no intention of sinking to your level of evil. Or your level of competence, for that matter.”

“You are in no position to comment on my competence. Last I checked, you were the one who was caught unaware by our spell, and you are the one who cannot find a way to escape despite dreams being your specialty. At least that dragon of yours has the excuse of inexperience to fall back on. Really, I don’t know why you thought that involving him would be a good idea.”

“It isn’t a good idea to underestimate a dragon.”

“That’s just what he said,” the Nightmare snapped. “Dragons are supposed to breathe fire, yet all he was capable of was blowing hot air.”

“Maybe, but sometimes that is all that is needed.” Luna smiled. “And at least he doesn’t say ‘really’ all the time.”

“No amount of talking will break the spell,” it said with a hint of frustration. “You might not know how it works, but I’d have thought you’d have at least figured that out by now.”

Luna rolled her glowing eyes. “I don’t expect to break the spell by talking.”

“Then how do you expect to- Gkk!” The spectre’s voice choked, as if the words got stuck on their way out. “W-what...are you…doing…?” It turned, twisting painfully around to look for Spike. The dragon was nowhere to be seen. Neither were the fillies. “W-where…?”

“I don’t know exactly where he went, but I assume he took your captives with him. That is something you would know better than I would, seeing as you were supposed to be preventing him from getting there.” She winked. “You’ve really done a wonderful job with that.”

The Nightmare screeched as the smokey fog that made up its body began to be sucked away into an invisible hole.

“How could you do that!?” it screamed. “How did you break my control!?”

“I didn’t,” she said. “That was all Spike’s doing.”

The Nightmare vanished with a pop. A wave of vibrant color washed across the dreamscape, blowing away the gathering clouds and replacing them with warm sunlight. Luna took a moment to survey the dreamscape. Now that the Nightmare was gone, the scenery was quite nice, if a bit surreal.

“Well done, Spike,” she said with a smile. "Now I'll just have to find him." Her face sank back into the pumpkin and vanished.

Author's Note

"Unstable dream, according to the place,
Be steadfast once, or else at least be true."
~ Thomas Wyatt, "Unstable Dream"

Sorry that this chapter took so long. Life has gotten busy lately. I thought I'd be able to make some more progress after a while, but then Splatoon came out and the rest is history. At least I finally managed to get it posted. :pinkiecrazy: