Spike descended down the stairs still thinking about his dream. "I've had dreams before, but this one was different. It felt like I was suppose understand something." He continued into the kitchen and began making two slices of toast with apple jelly. While the bread was in the toaster he thought about the surroundings of the dream. The tall trees, the river, the bridge, was there something else? "It was dark downstream, was it a warning?" He then remembered when he fell through the ground trying to go towards the bridge. "Or was that a warning?" The toast popped startling Spike out of his thoughts. He took them out and started spreading the jelly on. "And what was with those huge trees? " Twilight had often talked about dreams with Spike, and when she did, it was often so she could analyze it out loud.
Spike took his plate of toast out into the library. "Who could I talk to about this? Twilight is out of town. Rarity and Applejack were probably working. His heart began to race at the thought of the two mares. But he chalked it up to the thought of Rarity. "I'm sure everyone else is busy too." He took a bite of toast and looked at the bookshelves. "Guess I'm on my own for this one." Spike finished his toast and began combing the library for any books about dreams or sleep.
He found a few that delved a small amount into the aspects of his dream. A passage in one explained that large objects, in his case trees, could mean several things, a feeling of power, insecurity, or a big problem. Sitting with the book on his lap he looked up at the ceiling. "Power? No I don't think so. Insecure? Maybe, but the big problem one sound more like me," he looked back down at the book that showed a giant chess piece, "but what is the big problem?" he put the book aside and grabbed one that talked about rivers in dreams. In this book he read the rivers in dreams can be a representation of emotions and confusion. "Confused emotions...I don't know about it." The book continued to say that following the river up will lead to the root of the confusion, and following the river down will lead to the object causing the emotions. "Maybe if I have the dream again I will follow the river."
After several hours, Spike was no closer to understanding his dream. All he had was vague concepts and theories to think about. He closed his current book. "I think I need to go for a walk." Spike left the library and made his way to the trails out side of town. "Maybe I should walk the river trail, just kinda follow the dream." While walking to the starting point of the trail he couldn't get his mind off the dream. "The end of the dream was super confusing. That bright light and voice, what was it that it asked-" his thinking was interrupted when he bumped into someone. "Oh sorry I was in my head." Spike looked up and noticed he bumped into Rarity who was leaving the river trail.
"No my fault entirely dear Spike, I suppose I was in my head too." Rarity smiled down at Spike. "I was thinking about a special order." Spike chuckled
"Guess walking and thinking is something neither of us are good at." Rarity gave a little laugh.
"What were you thinking about about?"
"This wacky dream I had last night. I spent all morning trying to research and didn't get far. There was a river in it so I thought coming here might help." Rarity nodded and looked back at the river.
"From what I've been told, rivers in dreams mean something good is coming to you."
"That would be cool! I'm currently working with the theory that my confusion is rooted upstream and emotions are downstream."
"Well what ever it may be, I hope you find your answers Spike. I must be along now." Rarity looked Spike up and down. Something about this interaction that was different. Spike was more casual than she was use to.
"Alright, see ya around Rarity." Spike walked past her and waved goodbye. That was really weird. Usually she was first to leave and Spike would watch her until she was out of sight.
"Uh yes, goodbye Spike." she called as he disappeared down the trail. "Must of been some dream." she smiled.
Spike walked down the trail until he came to where it split into a T. Left went upstream and right went downstream. He looked both ways. "So I could see why I am confused or where my emotions are." He looked at the river and thought for a little bit. "Well I'm already confused, might as well see where the emotions play into this." He looked downstream. "The voice in the dream asked 'Why does this river run?' lets find out. Spike turned right and followed the trail while staring at the river. He was able to pick out similarities between some spots and some in his dream. "What kind of question is that? 'Why does this river run? It runs because it can? Because physics? Because science I don't know." Spike grumbled. He looked at the trees to his right. "Not apple trees." That stopped him. "I forgot that they were apple trees. Does the dream have to do with apples? Was it influence by working yesterday?" Spike was now even more confused than before. He looked straight ahead and saw Applejack sitting on the edge of the river. Keeping his current pace her walked up to her.
"Hey there Applejack." his voice startled Applejack causing her to look all around her eventually seeing the purple dragon approaching her.
"Woo, you startled me there sugarcube," she breathed out, "Hello Spike." she gave a smile while looking down. Yet another uncharacteristic thing that she did that confused Spike.
"What are you doing here? he asked sitting down next to her.
"I'ma just takin a break. Big Mac and I finished our planting and we won't have more saplings until next week."
"Ah very cool." Spike nodded and looked out at the river. They sat in silence for a little until Applejack spoke up.
"What'er you doin here Spike? With Twilight gone I thought you would've created a little den of ice cream and comic books." Spike laughed a little and kept watching the water.
"I had this crazy dream last night. There was a river, and a bridge, a bright light at the end umm, and..." he trailed off upon making a realization. He slowly looked towards Applejack.
"Yes?" she asked waiting for his next words.
"Apple trees..." he stared at her a little bit longer before slowly looking back at the river. "I came here to try and make sense of it...but I think..." he trailed off again. The orange mare stared at the purple dragon, hanging on the words that came out of his mouth. "I don't know." Spike sighed. Applejack continued looking at Spike, unaware of what she was doing her heart began to race. Slowly she leaned towards him. Spike sat unaware of what Applejack was doing. "Guess sitting here isn't going to do much." he jumped up causing Applejack to snap back to her original position. "Thanks for listening to me Applejack. I think I figured somethings out, but now I'm even more confused." He looked over to her. Something seemed different about her. Her eyes sparkled more, maybe it was the water. Despite having just been working on the farm, her coat was flawless and her mane shined in the sunlight. Spike heart began to race as the two continued to stare at each other. Eventually Applejack broke the stare and looked back to the river.
"Think nothing of it Spike, what are friends for?" Spike nodded and pondered her words. Friend, that work felt different than it had before. He waved and left. Little did he know, that Applejack broke the stare, to hide her blush.
Spike returned to the library when the sun was setting. His experience confusing him even more than before he left. "What was that feeling? When I looked at her." Unlike many times before, the her in this situation was not Rarity but Applejack. He then thought back to his interaction with Rarity. It dawned on him that he was very casual with her. His heart didn't even race when seeing her. "Something is changing." Spike sighed and walked inside. He had left all the books out. "Oh yeah." Spike rolled his eyes and began picking up the books. "Even with Twilight gone I still need to pick up books. I thought I'd avoid that with her gone." He placed them back in the book shelf. Upon looking at the shelves to admire his work, he saw a small blue book in the nature section. He pulled it out and read the cover. "Why This River Runs: An analysis of rivers and what they mean to us. By Brushy Bill." Spike looked around him frantically. "Ok universe this is just creepy now!" He yelled. Spike looked down at the book and opened to look at the table of contents. "A history of rivers, uses of rivers, city and rivers, farms and rivers..." Spike read the chapters until he came to one that caught his eye. "What do rivers mean." Spike took the book to his reading chair and began to read.
"What do rivers mean? To be honest I have no idea..." Spike rolled his eyes. "Thanks a lot Brushy Bill." he continued reading. "What I mean by that is that rivers have different meanings to different beings. For a farmer it is part of their lively hood. For a office working pony, it's how they stay hydrated while working. Some ponies believe that rivers are signs of good luck, or bad luck. All things on this earth have their own interpretations and who am I to deem one as superior to the other. What matters is how you interpret the river. What does the river mean to you. I have many fond memories of rivers, watching ducks with my special somepony, but they are also cold as I fell in one during my colt days. To me the river is life and love. Why does your river run?" Spike closed the book and looked up at the stairs to his bed.
"Alright dream, game on."