//------------------------------// // Dreams // Story: The ReIncarnation AU: From Space // by SweetToothTheUnicorn //------------------------------// Spike hadn’t expected to be promptly scooped up and carried from the library by a frazzled Fluttershy. He wasn’t anymore prepared to be dropped off at his room with a rushed, mumbled apology. Of course, he had been confused about what she was doing but he burped up a letter not long after that was written by Twilight. It didn’t give much away. She wrote of Fluttershy having to leave since Discord popped in with complaints of Angel’s ‘spawn’ causing problems. Added in that Fluttershy mentioned the weird info they’d found and that Twilight had gone to check in on the book some time ago, eager to see this new information he’d found. And, right at the end, there is a small blurb about getting the nap that he’d promised to take. Truly disappointing to know the yellow pegasus gave up the goat so quick but by the time he was curled up in bed and ready to sleep there was no malice or annoyance at the observation. Friends don’t want to keep secrets from each other and good ones do their best to not have to ever try. Spike’s eyes slip closed as he yawns and wonders aloud, “If Celestia’s magic did that... I wonder what else she did.” “Spike... Spike...,” a voice whispers in the darkness. No, not a voice. A chorus of voices. Spike jerks his head left and right in surprise, suddenly taking in his surroundings. He’s in a forest of crystal trees, thing and willowy as if a strong gust of wind could shatter them into pieces. They reflect the purples and greens of his scales until a eerie, muted hue takes over the space. A shiver runs up his spine as he feels something cool and delicate skate across his talons, his legs, and his tail. He looks down to see thick smoke swirling around him and obscuring the floor from the waist down; every muscle in his body tenses in terror, in surprise. The young dragon has no clue how he got there. “Spike... Spike, hurry. You must hurry...,” the voices whisper. There’s nothing but trees around him. He squints to try and get a better look at everything around him, to find the figure that keeps calling out to him in this moment. There’s no body in sight but the voice doesn’t sound too far away. Over the years he’s balanced a healthy dose of skepticism and fear when it came to the unknown as you never know what lurked in the darkness. Now, met with darkness once more, he remembers that he’s not just some baby dragon anymore. He is alone and there is something out there that is seeking him out. Some time ago it had been the instinct of his people and even later on than that was the makings of a new friend. Being brave wasn’t his strong suit, but it had never stopped Spike before so it certainly wouldn’t stop him now. He takes a steadying breathe before slowly walking in the direction of that voice. “Hello? Who’s out there? How do you know my name?” “This way... Quickly, Spike...,” the strange chorus sounds desperate. “Please, just tell me what this is about. I... I feel like I’ve been here before,” Spike finds himself admitting as he continues with more certainty each step. “You’ve read of us... You wish to know... We wish to tell you...,” the voices sing out sweetly, airily. Spike feels so aware of the cold, hard floor below him. Of the trees seeming to cluster closer and closer together as he walked further into this strange forest. He’s thankfully too small for these twisting figures to hinder him but it doesn’t stop the growing claustrophobic feeling it brings. Like he’s just a tiny mouse walking around a maze for the amusement of some distant onlooker. He keeps his eyes forward, uncertain what he’d see if he looked to the sky, and asks, “You’re the Elders?” The laughter is erratic yet slow from chuckling to full belly laughter among a sea of giggling, “No... No, we are the in-betweens... You wished to know us...” He keeps following the laughter as he consider this. What else could they be talking about? What had he been searching for? He was reading the papers because Twilight gave them to him and she only did that because they weren’t reading that old book anymore. A book about--- “You’re the Change?” The question makes them quiet down. There’s a pause before they whisper, “Almost... We’re the in-betweens...” He asks immediately, “What are in-betweens?” “The lives we’d lost... The people we were... Eaten away and swept aside...,” they explain. He widens “Wait, how is that possible? You’re saying that you’re all like Crissal and Lorna?” “Yes.” He freezes as he the voices seem to echo and surround him completely. He pauses and stands a bit straighter, the spines on the side of his head perking up. He waits and waits for a moment for them to continue, but silence drags on. When he slowly begins to keep moving forward a series of young, feminine voices speak up, “That book means to tell you Equestria’s history.” He nods, “Twilight says it’s older than most things in the library and has to be looked at magically.” “The history that she wants said,” they explain. “It's not real?" “It's twisted,” they insist Frustrated, he asks, “Then what’s the truth?” His pace picks up with a growing feeling of urgency. He goes from a jog to a run and then sprinting to try reaching these wayward voices, but they sound as if they only get further away. They keep calling out but they seem to realize his predicament and there’s a shift that his heart pounding, his ears ringing, and his breathe escaping in frantic gasps. The voices no longer whisper in this uproar of chaos and outrage, some of the voices devolve into sobbing while others are screaming in rage. Everything seems to echo and reverb off of the shifting, shimmering trees that seem to flash in an out of the world at random. He grunts each time he accidentally trips over a root or bumps into the side of one. His limbs hurt and he feels so frustrated, so overwhelmed that he finds tears beginning to build until they slip free. They call out in distorted wails, “Spike! Spike... Spike! Hurry, Spike!” “I’m trying! I’m coming!” He jolts forward as his food is suddenly caught. Looking down, a tangle of crystal roots are entangled around him in a grip that gets tighter every time he moves. He struggles against them, feeling the sharp edges of the crystal roots digging into his scales. Panic rises within him as he realizes he's trapped, the voices growing louder and more desperate around him. "Spike, help us! You're our only hope!" the voices cry out, their words distorted and echoing in the chaotic atmosphere. Spike thrashes against the crystal roots, but they only tighten their grip, constricting around him like vengeful serpents. He can feel the ground beneath him shifting, becoming soft and flimsy like a grassy field after a terrible rainstorm. His heart races as he realizes what's happening—the ground is giving way beneath him. "No, no, no!" Spike screams, his voice joining the chorus of cries that surround him. He claws desperately at the ground, trying to find purchase, but it's no use. The crystal roots continue to pull him down, dragging him deeper and deeper into the earth. The screams around him grow louder, more intense, as if the very ground itself is alive with anguish and despair. Spike's breath comes in short gasps as he struggles against the suffocating weight pressing down on him. And then, with a sickening lurch, Spike feels himself sinking into the crystal ground like fast-acting quicksand. He thrashes and kicks, but it only hastens his descent. The voices scream in his ears, a cacophony of terror and agony that threatens to overwhelm him. Just as Spike feels like he's about to be swallowed whole by the darkness, he hears a faint whisper, a voice cutting through the chaos like a beacon of hope. "Spike... wake up." “SPIKE!” He’s immediately met with pain. Hitting the floor as he topples off of the plush bed, the one that he’d claimed for himself after they’d moved into the Canterlot castle, and going head first into the carpeted floor. With a groan, he slowly sits up and cradles his face in his hands to try to ward off the mild agony that throbs through it. He pauses once he registers the warm tears that had streaked down his cheeks and are pooling into his sore palms. Guess he wasn’t just crying in his dreams. Great. “Oh Celestia, are you alright, Spike?” He reluctantly raises his head up to greet the purple alicorn that looked down at him worriedly. The tall, lean mare leaning down to gently nudge the top of his head in a comforting manner as she took in the pained and crying sight of her ward. She crouches down a bit before using her large wings to scoop him up and place him back up on the bed before joining him. A hoof rests on his shoulder as she asks again, “Are you alright, Spike? I didn’t mean to scare you awake like that.” “It wasn’t your fault.” Her expression becomes empathetic and she rubbed his shoulder in soothing circles, her voice soft as she asked, “Did you have a nightmare, then?” That’s what it had felt like, but he wasn’t sure if that’s what it really was. He remembers the running, he can almost see the crystal trees still, and can almost feel the coolness of the ground again. Those wayward voices wanted to show him something and give him answers to what he’s been looking for. Yet, he can feel that oppressive and watchful gaze still lingering above him like a dark shroud. A shiver wracks his form that was enough incentive for the woman to pull him into a hug. He wraps his arms around her instantly to squeeze her tight till his hands stop shaking and his tail stops thumping against the bed in anxiety. Ticks and twitching that he hadn’t even noticed till he had such a steady figure to hold onto. “It’s okay, Spike. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to do anything. I’m only really useful for things like this at night,” Twilight quietly apologized. It was never easy coming upon new responsibilities or learning such important skills, but the new ruler of Equestria was rushing to do both with mixed success. Raising the sun and moon had weirdly been the easiest of the tasks to do while learning to dream walk had been the very worst to do. She often complained about getting lost, about trying to understand the way dreams worked, and how she could fix things while still teaching lessons to those citizens. “No, it’s alright. I needed sleep, like you said,” Spike tries to reassure her. “As the new queen and the Princess of Friendship, it’s my duty to--,” Twilight’s speech is cut off by Spike breaking free of the hug to stare up at her. She lets out a small grunt at the sudden movement and looks down at her little brother, almost son if she allowed herself to really think about it in the most technical terms. “I was about to ramble again, wasn’t I?” “Yep.” She sheepishly smiles, “Sorry...” “It’s fine, Twilight. You know I don’t blame you for stuff like that and no one else would. Not like anyone besides little fillies nap in the daytime or anything,” Spike can’t help but say with a dry chuckle. His eyes moving towards the far wall where a window resides with a much dimmer glow than earlier. It must have been closer to late afternoon at this point and in a handful of hours it’ll be dinner time. His stomach growls in agreement at the reminder. “I should have asked them to make you something. Lunch’s already passed and everyone’s busy on prep work right now for dinner. We could either sneak in to get ourselves a snack or, maybe, the two of us could take a small trip to a friend that might have just the snack you’re looking for,” Twilight says with a bright and cheery grin. Spike rolls his eyes, “Wow, that’s really clear and totally helpful. Who could you possibly be talking about after managing to befriend creatures from all over Equestria?” “Well, hold on, not everypony. I know that I’m the Princess of Friendship, but I don’t really take the time to visit everyone---,” Twilight splutters, feeling called out. “Sure, fine. Let’s narrow it down,” Spike concedes as he leans back and crosses his arms. He playfully looks around the room as if he’s lost in thought while humming to himself as he ‘considers’ his options. “Let’s see, we can cross Fluttershy off the list because she was here earlier so it can’t be her. Unless you’re REALLY trying to throw me off and it is her, but she’s bringing Discord in so that he can bring me like a weird rainbow rock. He’s probably got super weird gems in his home dimension! Wouldn’t that be something?” “No, no. It’s just the one friend, I promise.” “Speaking of promise, the friend wouldn’t happen to be Pinkie Pie, would it? I’ve really been looking forward to seeing if she’s felt the presence of an incoming promise being made. Maybe she can even tell me if it’s already on the verge of being broken,” he gives her a knowing look. The alicorn once more tries to come up with something to say. Spike waves her off, “Rainbow’s got that big show coming up and Rarity is supposed to be out negotiating with Dragon Lord Ember if I remember correctly. Starlight still has the school in session for another two months so that just leaves one pony, right? Or am I missing someone?” “Yes, yes. You got it,” Twilight playfully nudges him as she rolls her eyes and stands from the bed. “We’re going to meet Applejack at Sweet Apple Acres for a quick snack since I was able to finish my meetings a bit early.” “Really? How’d you convince Jet Set and Upper Crust to actually finish a meeting on time,” Spike can’t help but gape at the alicorn. It wasn’t uncommon for many of the more wealthier and higher class ponies to take many liberties when it came to the new, young princess. Many were eager to see if she’d marry and have children at some point before Celestia and Luna return to the throne. It was how many others had achieved power, after all, and they were all just so excited to introduce her to their very single relatives. The preppy and snobby unicorn couple were no different. “I promised to have them and a plus one EACH a spot at a small luncheon in two weeks. Sent them running before we even reached the halfway point of our time. So we have about a half hour,” Twilight dipped her head away to hide her embarrassment. The luncheon was already going to be packed with different ambassadors bringing along their own young bachelors and bachelorettes in hopes of creating more solid bonds of peace. All of it under the guise of setting up new trade routes in the new pathways that she’d helped to create over the last few months. The worst part is that everyone knows so none of them are too concerned with pretending in any sense of the word. “Wow.” She curls in even further, hiding under her wings as she groans, “I know, I know! You don’t have to say it!” “I’m honestly impressed. You can barely stand listening to people flirt next to you, yet you added two extra that’ll be flirting AT you. I’ll be surprised if you don’t just combust on sight,” Spike snorts. “I wanted to do something nice! If you’re not interested than I can just call them back now and say I change my mind,” she threatened without a hint of bite. He hops down, chuckling in amusement as he pulls the other into another quick hug, “You’re right, you’re right! Thank you, I really appreciate it.” Twilight turns her head away with an exaggerated pout, “No, it’s fine. I get that you’d rather spend your time cooped up in here. I should have realized that you’re in that rebellious age now. All you want is to leave the nest.” “Leave the nest? Who’s going to help keep your schedule if I take off on you?” “That is true. It’s hard to find good help these days," Twilight teases, nudging Spike playfully with her hoof. Spike laughs, feeling a sense of warmth and comfort wash over him despite the lingering unease from his nightmare. "Exactly! So, are we going to this black tie event at Sweet Apple Acres or what?" Twilight chuckles, shaking her head. "Oh, Spike. You never fail to make me smile. But no, it's just a casual visit to see Applejack and grab a snack." Spike grins mischievously. "Well, you should've told me. I would've brought my fanciest scales." Twilight rolls her eyes, giving him a playful shove. "Go on, go splash a bit of water on your face and brush up your scales. We don't want to keep Applejack waiting." Spike salutes jokingly before heading to the bathroom. As he closes the door behind him and opens the crystal mirror doors of the medicine cabinet, he spots something unusual—a scroll, unsealed and lying innocuously among the potions and remedies. His curiosity piqued, Spike picks up the scroll and unrolls it carefully, scanning the contents with furrowed brows. But as he reads, his expression shifts from curiosity to unease, his heart pounding in his chest. Twilight's voice calls out from the other side of the door. "Spike, are you almost ready? Applejack's probably wondering where we are!" Spike quickly rolls up the scroll and tucks it into his pocket, pushing aside his unease for now. "Yeah, just a sec!" he calls back, his mind already racing with questions and concerns. But as he splashes water on his face and brushes up his scales, the image of the unsealed scroll remains etched in his mind, a nagging sense of foreboding lingering in the back of his thoughts. Little did he know, this seemingly innocuous scroll would set into motion events that would change the course of Equestria's history forever. Dear Princess Celestia, My name is Kiwi Bliss and I am a pegasus. My momma told me that I don’t have the right magic to be a pegasus, though. She’s worried for me and my auntie told me that to be safe I should reach out to you. It makes sense when she explained it to me, but I don’t really mind living on the group with my cousins. They’re all really funny and they promised to show me all types of fun that we can get up to as I get used to earth powers. It’s all really good, I promise. I’m mostly reaching out to you because of the dream that I had yesterday. I’ve never had one like it and I think that I saw you! My momma said that when we dream that we sometimes see our heroes and you’re the biggest hero in Equestria, but... Well, I guess I can’t agree with her on this. Cause this wasn’t like the usual dreams. You weren’t helping me fly or saving my town from or even giving my papa a medal for being the best flier ever! No, you were just kinda walking. You were looking at this floating, glowing orb that had a blue pony in it and I couldn't really hear what you were saying but it looked like you were really sad. Are you okay? My momma says eating cookies can help you feel better. You should eat some soon to feel better! I hope you feel better soon! Sincerely, Kiwi Bliss Spike carefully rolled the scroll up once more. He placed it back where he’d found it, turned, and stared at himself in the mirror. He kept his face as neutral as possible as that feeling was back again, the feeling of being watched. He still doesn’t know who or what it is and he can’t fathom just what they even want from him at this point. It felt like all he’s found recently is more clues that bring about more questions than answers. There’s no time to think more on it since there was a chance that Twilight was--- “Spike, are you ready to go?” Forcing himself to smile, Spike calls back, “Coming!”