//------------------------------// // What Dreams // Story: Spike's Doom and/or Destiny // by terrycloth //------------------------------// The ‘Rest’ they’d purchased was a room magically sealed from the outside world, and the ‘Cleanliness’ was a lukewarm bath. “From the Obsidian Forge,” the shopkeeper explained as he poured it out into a large obsidian basin. “It’s recondensed from steam, so it should be pure.” They made sure to take a drink and fill their canteens before anypony used it as a bath, since apparently running water wasn’t one of the public services of Pandemonium. Then Bon Bon, Derpy, and Spike piled in, since none of them were all that dirty – Bon Bon’s body in particular was almost brand new, and the only filth on it was her own ashes. Once they were done, Moondancer stripped off her Battle Saddle and sunk into the water. She scrubbed at her hair, mane, and tail until the water was as filthy as she was. “Ugh,” she said, resting her head on the edge with her wet mane hanging limp. “I don’t think it worked.” “If you vish, I could lick you clean?” Moth offered. “That might have worked better if you did it first,” Moondancer said. “Also, not in a million years.” The demon-mare licked her lips. “A pity. You smell delicious.” “Yeah, I kind of like it,” Spike said. “Maybe I could lick you clean instead? I do myself all the time.” Moondancer gritted her teeth as Bon Bon and Derpy started to giggle. She clambered out of the bath and slogged her way to the door, leaving a trail of filthy puddles across the rough tiles. “I’m going to get more water,” she said, as she slipped out the door. The dragonish shopkeeper looked up as Moondancer came down the stairs. “Huh,” he said. “You don’t look rested or clean.” “The bath wasn’t enough,” she said. “Do you have any soap?” The shopkeeper thought for a while. “I’m not sure…” he said, stroking his chin. “What’s soap, again?” Moondancer sighed. “How about another basin of water?” “I don’t know, if it didn’t work the first time… I don’t have an unlimited supply, you know!” He smiled, at a sudden thought. “I know, how about I lick you clean? You smell delicious.” === The resting chamber didn’t have any soft furniture – everything was made out of obsidian or granite – which made it officially the least pleasant place they’d had to set up camp. “I can perch, I guess,” Derpy said, perching on the edge of the basin. The others curled up on the hard floor as best they could. “If any of you vish to sleep vith me, I am softer zan ze floor,” Moth offered. “Sleep with you, or sleep on top of you?” Spike asked. “Ve vould have sex vith you on top,” she clarified. “No,” Bon Bon snapped, before anypony else could open their mouths. “No sex with demons. That’s rule number one.” “Actually, it’s rule number three in the Basic Guide to Summoning,” Moondancer said. “Rule number one is ‘don’t summon demons’.” “I do not like zese rules,” Moth said. “Or ze way you make decisions for Spike. Is he not his own dragon?” “It’s not about Spike,” Bon Bon said. “It’s about what you’d charge.” “Sex is my price,” Moth said. “In return for ze softness of my body.” “He can use my body, free of charge,” Moondancer said, scowling as Derpy started giggling again. “And if he wants to have sex…” Derpy started, then trailed off. “Wait, can dragons and ponies have foals?” “No sex!” Bon Bon snapped. “Look, I get it. You’re horny. Spike’s horny. I’m not feeling too hot myself. Moondancer’s obviously repressing something major. But unless we’re going to have some massive orgy –” Moth perked up at the suggestion. “—which we’re not, it’d just cause bad feelings all around.” “My vote’s for the massive orgy,” Spike said. “You don’t get a vote,” Bon Bon said. “I’m too tired for an orgy,” Moondancer said, her eyes already closed. “How about a cuddle-pile?” Derpy suggested, pouncing off her perch to land with her forehooves draped across Moondancer’s shoulders. Moondancer grunted, but didn’t shake her off. Spike climbed onto Moondancer’s back, straddling her flanks and resting his head on Derpy’s mane. Bon Bon came over and slid up against her side. Bon Bon looked over at Moth. “Are you going to join us?” “I do not sleep, zo I haf no need to share softness,” she said quietly. “Sveet dreams.” === They awoke, hours later, feeling extremely well-rested. Derpy quickly wriggled into her armor, and started summoning muffins for breakfast while Spike helped braid the Battle Saddle back into Moondancer’s mane and tail. Bon Bon went through all the random things they had in their saddlebags, asking Moth if any of them were valuable to demons. Spike finished with Moondancer’s tail, and rested his claws on her hips to help himself stand up, only to freeze in place. Moondancer looked back at him over her shoulder. “Is everything okay?” “Sorry,” Spike said, pulling his claws back. “I just got a serious case of déjà vu. I think I dreamed about putting your armor back on just like this, except afterwards, um…” “I think I can guess where this is going,” Moondancer said. “I dreamed about something similar.” Her tail twitched. “Was it a good dream?” Spike gave a sappy smile, which was answer enough. Moondancer sighed. “Moth… did you do something to our dreams?” Moth kept her face impassive. “Vat could I haf possibly done? I vas not even asleep.” === Eventually, they were ready to get moving. Moth led them towards the center of the city, since the gate they’d need to take was on the other side of the lake of fire. “I wouldn’t mind, you know,” Derpy said, out of nowhere. “If you two hooked up.” Moondancer looked up at her. “What?” “Bon Bon said it’d be awkward and uncomfortable and cause bad feelings but I just think it would be so cute!” She clutched her hooves together against her chest and grinned. “And if it went bad, we’d still be trapped with each other for Celestia only knows how long,” Bon Bon said. “It’s a terrible idea.” “Oh, so what?” Derpy said, waving off the objection. “You guys yell at each other all the time anyway.” Moondancer and Spike – who was riding on her back, again, so as not to get lost in the crowd of demons – remained extremely silent. “Come on, come on, one of you ask!” Derpy said. Spike turned bright red, and buried his face in Moondancer’s mane. Moondancer just scowled. “Are you done embarrassing them?” Bon Bon asked. Derpy giggled, and did a little loop-the-loop in midair which turned into a possibly out-of-control swoop that nearly ended with her impaling herself on Moth’s horns. She nodded, giggled some more, and flitted over to whisper very loudly in Bon Bon’s ear, “I bet one of them asks as soon as we’re not watching.” Moondancer glared at her, then said. “What about the orgy. Is that still on the table?” “It vould haf to be a large table,” Moth noted, deadpan.