//------------------------------//
// just a nightmare? 
// Story: Rebuilding the Dark BrotherHood 
// by mineturtal247 
//------------------------------//

Fluttershy watched as Spike swung the dagger into the griffin's neck. She watched Spike back away in horror from what he done, mumbling to himself and falling down on the ground. She felt bad for Spike, she really did, having him witness and commit such things at a young age.

"It is a necessity," she thought to herself.

Fluttershy arose from her chair and made her way to the griffin's corpse. She took a look at Spike, who was still crying and rocking back and forth, trying to find a better place than where he was. She look at the griffin's corpse and noticed that it had a coin purse around its neck, along with the dagger. A little pool of blood had begun to form around the griffin. She placed a hoof on the dagger's handle and pulled it out.

She held the dagger in her right hoof and turned to diamond dog. She moved closer to her contract and Placed the dagger's blade up to the dogs neck. With one quick slash to the right, the blade cut through the neck and jugular of the diamond dog.

She moved on to the last contract and readied herself to end the earth pony's life when he spoke.

"Before you finish me off, I want to ask you something. I would like you to go ki-" His words were cut short as Fluttershy shoved the dagger in his stomach.

"They paid me extra to make sure you suffered a little," Fluttershy said with a playful tone. Her tone quickly changed one full of hatred and venom. "You deserve every second of this pain." She removed the dagger from the pony's stomach and watched him bleed out before walking away.

Fluttershy walked into the armory and grabbed a cloth rag, which she used to wiped the blood from the blade. She made sure that it was clean, then placed both of the daggers in the display case.

She turned to face a table with three large bags on it. She grabbed one of the bags and opened it up look to look inside. There were at least a hundred bits in the bag and another ten in the small coin bag that she had retrieved from the griffon.

Fluttershy opened the small bag, letting the bits fall into the lager bag, which she then closed.

She walked out of the armory and made a left turn to one of the corners of the sanctuary where there was a bottle and cloth rag on a table.

Fluttershy opened the bottle and grabbed the rag. She put some of the unknown liquid on the rag and closed the bottle before placing it back on the table, then started to return to Spike.

Spike was still crying on ground, head tuck between his legs.  He was rocking back and forth and trying hard to forget where he was at, and to forget what he had done, and that crazy mare that had given him that dagger.

Fluttershy knelt down by Spike and placed one hoof on his shoulder. He flinched at her touch and started to cry a little harder. Suddenly, she placed her other hoof over his head and pulled him closer for a hug. At first, Spike did not want it, but he slowly started relaxing welcoming the comfort.

"It is all right, little dragon, no need to be sad. I am here for you," Fluttershy said in a mothering tone.

Spike was still crying, but he had calmed down enough to talk.

"Why are you doing this?" Spike asked, confused.

"To see if you were ready," Fluttershy said with a smile behind her mask.

"Ready for what?" Spike asked, still confused.

"For your new life as a member of the Dark Brotherhood," Fluttershy said happily.

"The what?" Spike ask, sniffing.

"The Dark Brotherhood. I'll tell you more in time, but for now, here is your pay." Fluttershy placed the bag of bits into Spike's left hand.

Spike had a confused look on his face. "What are you paying me for?" he asked, looking at the bag of bits. "I did not do anything."

"Oh, but you did. You completed a contract. You took out the griffin. He was my contract"

"But you told me if I did not choose, you would kill me!"

"I did not mean it. I just wanted to see if you would. Besides, you're not a contract, so your life was safe the whole time. You made the choice to kill."

"I did not mean to, it just happen! I... I don't know why i did it!" Spike started to cry again.

"Oh but you do! You wanted to end them, or a least one of them. To take them away from this world, where their evil would never harm anypony again."

Finding no words to argue with her, Spike remained silent, until he remembered the bag of bits that he was holding in his hand.

"I don't want this. I don't want to kill for money. It's not right." Spike protested.

"Are you sure, little dragon? One can buy many things with one hundred and ten bits," Fluttershy said trying to pressure him.

Hearing this made Spike think "A hundred-ten bits. I could buy all kinds of jewels for Rarity. I could do so much with this."

"No, this is wrong! I killed for this! It's blood money!" Spike thought. He placed the bag of bits on the ground. "I don't want this" Spike said to the mare.

"Suit yourself, little dragon. but you'll be back, I know it. And if you choose to come back..." Fluttershy placed the rag over spike mouth. He gave a small yelp before he began to feel tired. His eyes were getting heavy. The last thing he heard before he passed out was the mare giving directions.

"Head north of Ponyville, and then to the east to the Everfree. Go inside the forest. There will be a hidden path. Head north again 'til you come to a cave. Head inside and you will find a door. It will ask "What is the ultimate illusion?" The answer is 'Innocence, my brother.' "

As the mare spoke her last words, Spike could no longer keep his eyes open. He fell asleep.

Fluttershy placed Spike down on the ground.

"This went a bit better than I had suspected," Fluttershy thought to herself as she made her way to the armory room. She Removed her armor and placed it back on one of the manikins.

She left the armory and trotted up to Spike. She picked him up and placed him on her back, then made her way out of the sanctuary and back into her room, where she closed the bookshelf. She went down the stairs and back to the couch where Spike had first fallen asleep that evening and placed Spike back onto the couch. While she waited for Spike to awaken, Fluttershy started to clean up the broken tea cup that Spike had dropped when he had passed out from the knock out potion that she had she slipped into his tea.

While she was cleaning up the mess, she noticed Spike squirming on the couch.

"He's about to wake up," she realized.

"Spike. Spike wake up. You're having a nightmare!" She spoke softly and kindly as she gently shook him awake.

Spike woke up screaming, scaring Fluttershy and causing her to "Eep!" and back away from him.

Spike stop screaming.

He started to look around and saw that he was back in Fluttershy's house. He felt a wave of relief as he placed a hand on his head and wiped the sweat from his brow.

"It was all just a nightmare," Spike said out loud.

"What was a nightmare?" Fluttershy asked, concerned for her friend.

Spike look to see Fluttershy hiding behind her chair, still scared from when he had woke up screaming.

"Fluttershy! I'm so happy to see you! What are you hiding behind the chair for?" asked the little dragon, confused.

"You woke up screaming and it scared me," she said, coming out from behind the chair.

"Sorry. I did not mean to scare you, it was just... a very bad dream, that's all." He shuddered at the memory.

"It is all right, I don't like bad dream either. They're so scary. But Pinkie showed me a way to get rid of them. I'll go make you some warm milk." With that, she went into her kitchen and stared to warm some milk for Spike.

Spike was glad that it had just been a nightmare, but he was still bothered by something. "It just felt too real!" he thought. "Dreams can be scary. They may be fake, but they're so real at the same time! But this felt like I was really there!" he thought.

Flutteshy came out with a glass of warm milk. She handed it to Spike.

Spike took the glass from Fluttershy and said "Thank you," before taking a large drink from it. It felt so nice that he drank the whole cup in one go.

"It must have been a horrible dream if you drank all of the warm milk in one go Spike," Fluttershy said.

"It was the worst nightmare I have ever had in my whole life!"

"Well, I guess I should take you home, Spike. It is getting late out, after all."

"Yeah, let's go. And thanks for the milk, Fluttershy," Spike said, placing the empty cup on the table.

"You're welcome, Spike."

They left through the front door and into the night, heading toward Twilight's house.

Twilight was in siting on her couch reading a spell book when she heard the door open.

"Hello?" she asked.

"It's just me and Fluttershy," spike said, walking into the library.

"Welcome home, Spike! What took you so long to get back home?" Twilight asked.

"He fell asleep on my couch from all the hard work he done today," Fluttershy said, entering the house.

"Oh. Well, good job Spike! I'm proud of you."

"Thank you, Twilight. I'm going to go to bed. I'm still tired from all the work from today." Spike made his way up stairs and to his bed.

"So, was he any trouble Fluttershy?" Twilight asked, looking Fluttershy in the eyes.

"No, he was fine. He had a nightmare though, when he fell asleep."

"Poor thing," Twilight said.

"Yes. Well, I had better get going home. I'm feeling tired myself."

"Well, okay, good night Fluttershy. See you in the morning."

"Bye Twilight," Fluttershy replied.

Fluttershy went out of the front door of library and closed the door behind her.

Fluttershy did not make her way to the back to her home just yet. She waited for two hours behind the library before she lock-picked the back door open. Making sure Twilight was not still up, she slowly made her way into the library.

She took her time, making sure that she was not making any noise to wake up anypony, and headed upstairs. When she came to Spike's door, she slowly opened it, making sure that she did not wake him up. When she reached his crib, she took out the bag of bits that had given to Spike in the sanctuary and slowly placed it under his pillow, being careful not waking the young dragon.

After she had finished this, she made her way out of the room, slowly closing the door behind her.

"Goodnight, little dragon. Your time to serve the dread father is soon to come." With that said, she made her way to the back door of the library and started heading home.