Spike climbed into his bed and closed his eyes. It didn't take long before he heard the sounds of the crickets and the river again. When he opened his eyes, he saw the familiar sight of the apple trees, the river and the bridge. But there was something different. Somehow the moon was bright than before, there was a wind that made the river ripple making the moons light dance on the water. The trees had bright red apples now. The bridge was still there, but it was broken in the middle and the trees by it had orange leaves like it was Autumn. Spike took a deep breath and looked down stream. It was still dark despite the bright moon. He couldn't see anything beyond his starting point. "Ok, I'm back. Now what?" He looked over at the bridge. "Maybe I'll start there." Slowly he turned in place as not to fall through the ground. He looked at his feet and the ground before him. The path that was there last time was now gone. He looked over his shoulder and saw the path actually now lead down downstream. "Stick to the plan Spike, figure out the bridge first." He took a step forward and immediately fell through the ground like last time, was spun upside down and back to his original spot. "That feels just as bad as last time." Spike grabbed onto his head trying to get rid of his dizziness. Once getting his bearings back he stared at the bridge. "I wonder why it's broken now." He looked to the trees in front of him.
"What if I?" Spike jumped from his point to the tree and latched on. "Haha yes!" Spike smiled, but it soon faded as the tree shook and fell through the ground. Again he found himself spun upside down and back at the start. The tree he had grabbed onto was back too. Spike then looked to the river. "Maybe I could wade the river and get to the bridge." He took a step towards the river closing his eyes tight fully expecting to be spun again, but his foot landed firmly on the ground. Opening his eyes Spike was shocked to find he was able to take a few more steps and to the river. "So far so good." he looked around cautiously and then to the river. He went to step in and as soon as his toe hit the water, it sucked him in. Spike was pulled down to the bottom and when he hit it, the water swirled around him shooting him up out of the water. He was flung up and landed hard back at the starting point. "That was at least different." he groaned and got up.
Yet again he was the beginning of the dream. He looked to the bridge. "Why are you there if I can't reach you?" Then he heard the voice again.
"Why does this river run?" Spike jumped up and whirled around trying to find the voice. He decided to answer it.
"Because it can?" He answered somewhat questioning his answer. He got no response. The dream had gone silent, no crickets and no sound of the river or wind. Confused Spike looked around yet again, tryin to find clue. He looked upstream and saw an apple floating down the river. When he spotted it the sounds returned. Spike stared at apple as is floated along, eventually losing it in the darkness downstream. He looked upstream to see where the apple came from and heard the voice again.
"Why does this river run?" Spike now even more confused and frustrated yelled,
"I don't know!" There was a bright light but unlike last time, he didn't wake up. Spike closed his eyes to the light and heard a familiar voice.
"Dear Spike," Spike opened his eyes and saw Princess of the Night, Luna, in front of him.
"Princess Luna." he gasped. Luna smiled kindly at him.
"Hello Spike, it seems you are having some trouble." Spike nodded.
"Yeah, I had this dream last night and then I spent all day trying to understand it, but that just confused me even more. Then something weird happened down at the river that confused me on a whole different front. Then I read a book that told me rivers are up to my interpretation so I wanted to dream this again to interpret the river, but I can't go anywhere so I am stuck here and-" Spike's ramblings were cut off by the voice asking again,
"Why does this river run?" Spike pointed to the sky.
"And that stupid voice isn't helping!" Luna let out a chuckle.
"Dear Spike, you are having quite the time."
"Tell me about it," the dragon grumbled. Luna looked around his dream.
"You know as much as I do, that dreams are door ways to our souls, and they all have meanings to our lives." She looked down at Spike "Have you thought to relate the dream to your confusing experience at the river." Spike looked up at the princess. "I am proud of the research you did, but have you tried looking at your dream through life's eye?" Spike's jaw dropped.
"Why didn't I think of that?" Luna laughed again.
"I think your mind has been somewhere else. Perhaps on somepony else." Luna winked at Spike causing him to blush. Luna looked down stream. "My guess is the answer is down there,” she then looked back to the bridge, "And maybe that is representing something you are having trouble getting over." Luna looked at Spike. "This is for you to figure out, hopefully I've given you your final insight."
"Thank you Luna." Spike smiled
"You're welcome Spike, goodbye." In a flash she was gone. Spike looked down the path at the darkness, and then over his shoulder looking at the bridge.
"Ok." Spike took a step and to his surprise didn't fall through the ground. A few more steps and he was walking at a steady pace down the path. Each step seemed to reveal more of the area that was once dark. The apples on the trees disappeared and were replaced with the flowers that eventually turn into apples, the trees themselves looked younger. The river also became clearer, and as Spike walked along it so did his reflection. Eventually Spike noticed his reflection was slightly different. He stopped to look at it for a second. His reflection looked younger. After staring for a moment his reflection waved and walked back upstream. Shocked Spike watched as it walked upstream and disappeared once past the bridge.
He looked back and saw another reflection, this one more like the current him. It pointed downstream and smiled at him. Spike smiled back. He looked where his reflection was pointing. There was a screen of fog with light pulsing out of it. A image soon appeared on the fog. It was hard to see but once Spike got closer he saw it was the hill that Applejack was planting the saplings on. Eventually he saw himself walk up to Applejack and they began talking. "This is from 2 days ago. When I cleared the dam." He continued watching as past Spike saluted Applejack and ran off. Rather than following Spike, the image stayed with Applejack, and to his shock saw the blush spread across her face. This made Spike’s heart flutter. "Does she?" Spike looked down at his reflection. It simply pointed back at the fog. Spike looked to the fog and saw the image swirl and change to when him and Applejack were sitting by the river. It was all the same as before, but now Spike noticed the way that Applejack looked at him. He smiled at the image. His jaw dropped when he saw her leaning towards him and then snap back when he spoke. Spike looked back and forth between the image and his reflection, "Was she? Would she? Why didn't she?" He was unable to finish any of his questions. His reflection pointed sternly at the fog. Spike looked back and saw the blush on Applejacks face as he walked away once again. Spike continued to look into the fog as it changed one last time to reveal that Applejack was currently still sitting in the same spot. It was now late at night and she had not moved. Spike stared at her, now realizing everything. He turned to his reflection. "It all makes sense now. The bridge is Rarity. The reason I can't get to it is because...because I'm not supposed to. My heart knew that after today's interaction that that bridge was gone and that's also why the trees didn't have fruit anymore. The trees were hints all along, I just couldn't see it. The apples in the beginning and them turning into flowers, representing something new. And, the voice..." he trailed off as he stared at the image of Applejack.
"Why does this river run?" Spike looked down at his reflection. "Why does this river run?" It asked again. Spike smiled down at his reflection and back to the fog.
"It runs for her." When he finished his sentence there was another flash and Spike found himself awake in his bed. He sprung up and checked the time. "1 AM, she may still be there." He ran down the stairs and out the door. Running along the trail he notice the calm night and the bright moon, just like his dream. "How does the universe know these things?" he huffed. Spike made it to the river trail and ran downstream. While running he noticed his reflection on his left. He stopped running for a second to look at it. "Thank you." Soon Spike was back to where he sat with Applejack earlier. He saw her sitting there, hat next to her her hair in a pony tail, staring at the water. Applejack heard the steps and turned to see Spike racing towards her. He came to a halt huffing for air.
"Spike? What'er you doin here so late." she jumped up.
"I...have... to. Oh sweet Celestia." he gasped "Give me a second," Spike to a few breaths and composed himself. "I have to tell you something."
"Ok, must be real important if I needs to be now." She smiled then frowned "Wait how'd you know where I was?"
"My reflection told me." Spike took one more deep breath.
"Come again?"
"Not important." Spike waved his hand. He looked up at Applejack and immediately got nervous. 'Wait what am I doing? I could never confess to Rarity and now just because of some crazy dream, I can just do it to Applejack? What do I even say?' Spike's internal panic continued the more he looked at Applejack. Her eyes sparkled in the moonlight, and the moon showed every last strand of her golden mane. 'What do I say?' One last time he heard the voice of his reflection. "Why this river runs." It echoed in his head. Spike smiled.
"Can we sit." Spike went over to the spot from earlier and sat down. Applejack soon followed. He turned to face her. "Applejack, in that dream I told you about. A voice asked me why this river runs. I didn't know at the time but it wasn't talking about this river, but the river of my heart. And after lots of thinking I figured it out." he stared into her eyes.
"Y-yes Spike?" she asked nervously.
"It runs for you."
"What? Me? Why?"
"That what I asked, why this river runs? Why this river runs to you, no matter where you are. I've realized, it's because all that I am and all that is true, is meant to be a part of you. No matter what comes.” Spike took her hove “That's why this river runs." Applejack didn't know what to say, she stared at Spike. A blush soon spread across her face as she leaned down and kissed him. The shock ran through Spike. She pulled away and stared into his eyes.
"Spike, I have liked you for a while now. Your smile is like the glow of the morning, it has such a promise behind it. Whenever I look at you, my heart gets swept away. All that I am, and all that is true, is meant to be a part of you. That's why this river runs." she was soon shocked as Spike kissed her. When he pulled away he hugged her.
"Forever, no matter what comes. My river will run for you." Together they sat on river bank, holding each other staring at the river.