Spike Quits His Job and Goes on Numerous Quests

by B_25

24 – "Fall Easily Into Your Slumber."

Spike found himself floating in an imposing black void dotted with tiny pinpricks of light, adding to the ethereal beauty of the scene before him. Every breath drawn from the strange void served as a pleasant chill on his lungs, assisting in calming down the trembles coursing through his body.

The black goo swirling within the tree had sprung forth upon his wrists, spreading across the length of his scales, until sucking back his existence to the dreamscape inside the tree. Where every once in awhile, a wisp of green, purple, and gold swirl by only to vanish into the oblivion.

“Wher…” The nerves inside the dragon, unsettling his voice, finally began to lose their tension. “...where am I?”

In the infinite distance that still felt within the dragon’s grasp, the cosmos began to swirl around the space until forming together into some comprehensive form to the dragon. “In a place designed to return to you your calm breath after so much mental exertion, as well as to steady your nerves for whatever conflict that may arise the following day.”

The ethereal beauty of the dreamscape bore resemblances to the soft blue glow of Luna’s moon, while the voice itself brought such comfort to the dragon’s soul, much like when Princess Celestial used whisper love into the dragon’s ear as he fell asleep.

Spike couldn’t help but have a small laugh in the presence of such a comparable figure. “And here I thought you’d brought me here for a job interview.”

The Cosmos lit up in a similar fashion of laughter as the dragon. “One of my agents has already sought you out for a conversation of the minds, which he tells my you’ve excelled wonderfully at, which leads me to enlist you on the spot.”

The drake began to float in the space, not quite in control of his direction, but not minding the sensation as this figure and its voice was found in every aspect of this place. “I had no clue that was my interview...we didn’t even talk that much about anything.”

“Does a much greater requirement need to exist for you to feel worthy in our companionship?”

“Well.” The may pinprick of colorful lights served as this things voice existence, to be found consuming every direction the dragon looked upon. Even though this thing had every possible aspect and perspective on the dragon, Spike felt not an ounce of anxiety towards the thing.

“Kinda. I...I lived with this unicorn named Twilight all my life. I love her, and I still kind of hope she likes me. But most of our conversation were either demands of my services to her, which I usually felt I failed in, or discussions about philosophical issues that began to hurt my brain after a while, which would always cause her to look at me in such a way that I was stupid...almost unworthy of her time.”

“I certainly wasn’t expecting to hear an answer such as yours, which would’ve brought great pains to my heart if I wasn’t cursed to have one.” Its voice began to fade at the end as the lights of the cosmos dimmed as if it were the only bodily response it was capable of. “This friend of yours seemed devoted to the realms of intelligence and pony wisdom, though it seems she hasn’t come to a conclusion partial conclusion on why those things exist.”

Even though the figure was to be seen in every direction of the dreamscape, the drake couldn’t help but continuously drift his eyes in search of the voice. “But even if that’s the case – it still feels like there’s some standard for which ponies and the like are to become friends.”

“Such futile thing for standards to existing when unintentional beauties continue to blossom.” Despite not having a clear body, it still felt like to the dragon that the thing was drawing closer to him. “But if it is for your heart alone and not the matter of logic, then allow me to clarify: I see within your soul the grit of the unrecognized fighter and the potential of a dragon capable of reason.

“Although it pains me to see such a great case being handled in the worst possible fashion by creatures known for their fundamental caring natures. That is why I created this space for you to untangle the venomous thoughts and ideas injected into your mind by these same creatures.”

Spike brought his claw before his eyes, dilated to his purple scales that bore nothing of the black goo that previously laid upon it. In space, so dark, Spike had never seen for clearly. A place so chilling, that he never felt more comforted in his life.

“I wouldn’t be opposed to you staying here for a few days, Spike.” A flower of warmth blossomed in the dragon’s heart upon remembering her sweet voice; the sensation combining perfectly with the pleasant chill of the dreamscape. Though in remembrance of her memory, the drake felt even more confused.

“But not all ponies are like that,” Spike couldn’t be sure if he were speaking to the voice, or to himself, as both almost felt the same. “I meant this beautiful mare that made a painful week for me into the best I’ve ever had. And even though I’d do anything for her, I feel as if I can’t do anything for her.”

He went to pause for a moment for his breath to catch up to the speed of his heart, but the air of the dreamscape had already put his breathing in perfect sync to his emotions. “It feels like I'm relying on her so much when it comes to money, a place to sleep, and mental comfort. I know she doesn’t mind sees it not as a problem, but I can’t keep going on like this with nothing to offer her with.”

The cosmos began to light up in a burst of little laughter. “You’ll have to forgive me, my dearest dragon, but it's been so long since I’ve heard of the wonders and hope-induced dreams of love.”

“Love?!”

“Why yes. Like a love to a sibling that you’d do anything for, and they the same towards you. Like an eternal circle of comfort and love.” The little laughter began to cease. “Unless you had some other definition of the word in mind?”

Spike huffed and averted his eyes, the only time where he felt no presence around him. “Not at all.” He eventually looked back up to the thing, who came back into the dragon’s view upon his desire for it. “But still...it feels like if I don’t improve myself as a dragon– as a being, and answer these questions for myself, that I’ll never be anything more than a burden to Miss Fluttershy.”

“Quite the noble desire that lines up perfectly with your dragon’s code. May I be so rude in presuming that the reason you joined my little agency is to serve as the means to accomplish that great desire?”

Spike went to answer with a yes but found his throat too tense to speak with. So he nodded his head at the thing.

“Then everything in my power will be invested in growing you into the dragon you wish to be, and making you the being wealthy in all its forms so that you may care for those who are close to your heart.”

At the back of the dragon’s mind, a question that could no longer be suppressed sprung to the forefront. “By why do all this?” Spike couldn’t help but ask as he struggled to understand this new caring reality now.

“I’m not someone as famous or smart as Twilight, who is a princess with infinite potential. Nor am I someone so funny or clever as to change the minds of the masses. Sure I may be a dragon, but that effect has nothing on the ponies around me.”

He drew out a long exhale as he closed his eyes, believing the world around him built and meant for the wrong being. “You could do better than me. Someone meant to do what it is you might have in mind and bring far greater results. I am fraud in both my friends and to a figure like you that resembles a god.”

Spike clenched his claw into his palm until his talons began to dig into his scales. “I’m just a useless nobody born to make the superior feel superior. Just cast me adrift in this vast space, never to be seen again!”

There was silence for the moment, as the light past his sealed eyelids began to dim. For a moment, Spike began to believe that his wish had come true until something whispered into his ear. “What you crave is not eternal emptiness, in which, you are vaguely aware of yourself like in a dream. But rather, to fall into a long and profound sleep, where all your worries and troubles are unable to trivialize your mind constantly. With daily routines and habits instilled within you, nothing can be mended while you're in this state.

“So fall asleep now, my newest agent...and child until you’re able to wake up to an indifference to yourself and the world. Where your heart-wrenching question can finally be placed to rest on the back-burner until your journey gives you the experience to answer them one at a time. For if you were to embark now, all of these miseries would merely obscure your way.”

Spike felt himself lying down in the space, comfortable despite having no material to protect him, as he continued to drift through space. “How long...will I be...asleep for?”

“For as many nights it takes to steady your nerves, for as many months it takes to clear your head, and for as many years until the problems of your world are fresh yet indifferent to you.”

“N-no!” Spike said as he attempts to spring up, but this body was too limp and tired to begin thrashing about. “I...don’t want to hibernate just yet...and never see her smile again…”

“Hush now my little agent. Time will be faster to you here than it is to them out there.” The being’s lights began to dim until there was nothing but darkness amongst the dreamscape. “Try to put these questions to rest and fall easily into your slumber.”

“But I need to know who I am!” Spike cried out from his daze. “I need to know what I mean to the girls if I ever matter, if I’m capable of my dreams are just a useless idiot who speaks too much. What of my parents? Does Celestia still love me? Will I learn to love? Please! I can’t fall aslee—”

And so, the dragon feel, quietly drifting through the dreamscape bearing no direction. The glide helped in bringing his worries from the forefront of his mind to the back of it, as his nerves were no longer forced to tense at overly-thoughtful miseries of the next day, for days no longer mattered to him.

Schedule eternally empty with only endless sleep attached. This was to be his life until he was able to re-create the aroma of this dreamscape: