//------------------------------//
// Fear 
// Story: Dreamers Beware 
// by ApplauseJunkie 
//------------------------------//

The sun was dipping low in the horizon and Discord was still practicing. He had gotten good enough at Shining Armor's shield spell that he could activate it with his signature snap of the fingers, and maintain it indefinitely.

Presently, Shining Armor was assaulting the shield with various magical attacks, testing its strength. The stuffed mannequin inside the glowing orb remained unharmed. 

Shining Armor nodded approvingly. "I think you've pretty much got it down. Great job, Discord."

Cadance brought them lemonade, smiling at both of them. "Are you going to tell Fluttershy how you feel about her anytime soon?"

"No. Why would I?"

"So she knows?"

"Why would I want her to know? She would turn me away if I told her."

Cadance smiled. "I think you underestimate the bond between you two."

The draconequus huffed. Shining Armor just chuckled. "Well, whether you tell her or not, now you'll be able to keep her safe."

Discord smiled and shook the stallion's hoof eagerly. "Thank you, Shining Armor. This means so much to me. If you ever need anything, anything my magic can provide, you just let me know." He bowed before the ponies, and disappeared.

He flew back to Ponyville in his winged chariot; he was too tired from practicing the shield spell all day to even attempt a long-distance teleport. So he settled in to the cushioned seat and let the chariot do all the work.

As Discord rode south, a train left Ponyville Depot heading east, carrying Rarity, Spike, and three clothing racks full of golden lace dresses. The fabric was too delicate to be folded into a suitcase for transport, and so they had to be moved while still hanging up. Rarity could only move one rack at a time with her magic, but Spike could handle one in each claw, especially now that he had grown.

As they sat on the train, Spike noticed Rarity looking at him curiously. "What?" he asked.

"I'm still just a little confused about how you grew so quickly," Rarity admitted. "You don't seem to age the same way ponies do."

Spike shook his head. "Dragon aging isn't always chronological. We usually only get bigger if we've been practicing greed, like I did on my birthday a couple years ago, but mentally we mature at about the same rate ponies do. I guess my body just decided it needed to catch up, even though I  don't hoard things like normal dragons."

"And I'm certainly glad you aren't like normal dragons, darling," Rarity cooed, putting a hoof under his chin.

Spike blushed a little and smiled. "Maybe I'll start to just grow steadily, like a pony, since I'm basically a pony in every other respect."

"Oh, but you're much more than that, Spike!"

"Huh?"

"Well, you certainly still have some dragon about you, if you ask me. I mean, you're terribly strong for your size," Spike couldn't help but notice her dark blue eyes flicker down to his broadening shoulders, "And you do breathe fire, after all."

"But I don't have wings like most dragons."

Rarity tilted her head. "Maybe you're just a different variety of dragon. Not all dragons have wings, do they?"

Spike shrugged. "I dunno. Ponies don't know much about dragons, so it's tough to find anything out about them. Even Twilight couldn't help me figure out where I came from other than that she got me as an egg."

The unicorn thought for a moment, looking Spike over. For some reason she was having trouble taking her eyes off his rapidly developing body. "Was it Princess Celestia who gave you to her as an egg?"

"Yeah. So?" Spike was looking wistfully out the window, oblivious of the attention his physique was receiving.

"Well, she ought to know where you came from, then, yes?"

Spike's eyes widened, and he spun to face the beautiful pony sitting next to him. "Rarity, you're a genius!" he cried, wrapping her in a delighted hug. A second later, he realized that he was invading her space and released her, blushing furiously. When he looked up to apologize, he was shocked to see that she was blushing, too.

"A-anything for a friend," she replied, trying to make her smile look casual. "In fact," she added with a glance at her dresses, "Since you have been so kind in helping me get this order to Fillydelphia, why don't we just swing by Canterlot on our return trip?"

Spike's pupils dilated. "You'd go to Canterlot with me, to help me find out who I am?"

This time, Rarity's smile was completely natural. "But of course, Spikey-poo. It's the least I can do after all of the times you've been there for me when I needed you."

The dragon stared at her for a moment, trying to process the enormous generosity of her offer. A trip to Canterlot meant a lot of time out of her schedule, and he knew she was busy. And to go there just for him, it was almost unbelievable. "Thank you," he whispered finally.

She smiled warmly up at him and batted her long lashes. "Not at all."

Discord landed his chariot in front of the cottage and gracelessly disembarked. He knocked cheerfully on the door and waited for the gentle "come in," that always greeted him. Instead he heard silence. He knocked again. Nothing.

Finally, the door creaked open. Angel Bunny stood there, then beckoned for him to come inside. Discord frowned in concern. Where was Fluttershy?

He was answered by a chittering of animals, all grouped around the couch in the living room, where the timid pegasus lay asleep. Discord hurried to her side, scattering the small creatures. "Fluttershy!" he whispered, gently shaking her shoulder.

She whined and blinked, slowly looking up at him. Discord's eyes widened in alarm. Her pupils were nearly twice their normal size. Fluttershy looked at him curiously. "What?"

He blinked and shook his head to clear it. "Nothing. Have you been sleeping all day?"

Fluttershy yawned. "I guess so. Angel Bunny woke me up at one point to feed the animals. I guess I overslept. You had already left by then."

Discord nodded, trying to keep his concern from showing on his face. Why was she so sleepy? What was wrong with her eyes? Would a shield spell even be enough to keep her safe now?

The pegasus was yawning again. "Is it dinnertime already?"

"Yes. I'll take care of it tonight," Discord said, snapping his fingers. Two bowls of lettuce and one bowl of acorns appeared on the ground for the animals, and two plates appeared on the table. One held a lovely salad for Fluttershy, and the other was full of cotton candy, with a glass of chocolate milk to go with it.

The pegasus smiled. "Thank you, Discord." She got up and made her way slowly to the kitchen table. She picked at her food for a while, yawning frequently. Eventually she just put down her fork. "I think I'll go to bed early tonight."

Discord frowned, but said nothing. Even as weak as she was, Fluttershy still took the time to put all of her animals to bed before trudging upstairs herself. He followed her, waiting at her bedside to see where she wanted him to sleep tonight. But Fluttershy was so tired that she didn't even glance at him after she had gotten into her nightgown; she collapsed on her bed and was asleep in seconds.

Discord drooped. He didn't know what he had expected, but he had been looking forward to sleeping next to her again. Of course, he reasoned, he could still crawl into bed next to her. She was already asleep; she wouldn't know the difference. He shook his head. No, that would be invasion. He wouldn't join her in that bed unless she asked him to.

Somewhat reluctantly, Discord curled up on his round cushion on the floor next to her. With a snap of his fingers, he placed his shield around her. He smiled, content that she was safe for the night, and closed his eyes.

In Fillydelphia,  Rarity had arranged for a room to spend the night, since the train had arrived so late. She didn't think to ask for two separate rooms; Spike had always been allowed to sleep in the same room as the ponies. Of course, that had been before he had grown into a striking teenager. It didn't even bother her that there was only one bed.

She set about her nighttime tasks, while Spike quietly preened his scales, and curled up on the rug on the floor. When Rarity trotted out of the bathroom, he was already settled on the floor. Suddenly, Rarity bit her lip. Why had she never noticed before that they had always made Spike sleep on the floor, while they all had beds? He was almost bigger than the rug he was trying to get comfortable on. But there was only one bed, and the unicorn's ladylike sensibilities objected to any sharing. On the other hoof, her generous nature couldn't allow for him to sleep uncomfortably on the floor.

"S-Spike?"

He picked up his head from where he was coiled on the ground. "Yeah?"

"Why don't you take the bed tonight? That rug isn't big enough for you, dear."

The dragon stared at her. "What?"

Rarity gestured to the bed. "You can have the bed tonight. There's an extra pillow and blanket in the cupboard, and I'll fit on that rug much better than you do."

It took a moment for Spike to realize what Rarity was suggesting, and as soon as he did, he shook his head violently. "No way!" he insisted. "You take the bed. I'm used to sleeping on the floor, I'll be fine."

"Spike. I am not about to sleep comfortably in a bed while you sleep on the floor!" She used her magic to fetch the spare pillow and blanket from the cabinet and prepared to settle onto the floor.

But Spike shook his head again, and stood up. "No way, Rarity. You take the bed."

"Not while you're on the ground!"

Spike sighed. "I'm sorry for this," he said, then effortlessly picked her up and carried her to the bed. Rarity squealed in surprise, then struggled against his grasp. It was useless; years of carrying Twilight's books and Rarity's luggage had built an internal strength in Spike's arms that, now that he was larger, was more than enough to carry a pony.

"Spike! Put me down this instant!" she cried. Even in her indignation she couldn't help but notice the ease with which he carried her.

Spike smirked. "Okay." He shifted her to one arm and used his free claw to pull the covers back from the bed. Then he set her down gently on the sheets, and pulled the blanket over her. He tucked the covers around her and, after only a second of hesitation, he whispered, "Good night, Rarity," and kissed her on the forehead, at the base of her horn.

Rarity watched his face as he tucked her in, and blinked when he kissed her. "G-good night, Spike," she breathed, looking up at him with twinkling eyes. He smiled down at her, then turned back to his place on the floor.

He had settled himself back down again, when suddenly the spare blanket floated over him and covered him, and the pillow appeared under his head. The dragon smiled, glancing over at the bed, where Rarity smiled back at him, and closed her eyes.

As Fluttershy slept peacefully, this time Discord's dreams were invaded. He was in his old familiar world, with pink cotton candy clouds and buffalo dancing in ballet tutus. This wasn't strange; most of his dreams took place in the world as he considered "home."

What was strange was the presence of a filthy ape-like creature, sneering at him with pointed teeth. Discord growled back. "Alberich!"

He lunged for the invader, catching him by the throat. "What are you doing here?!" Discord demanded, his grip ever tightening. "If you so much as come near Fluttershy again I swear I'll--"

A squeak to one side made him pause. He glanced up to see Fluttershy there, staring at him, with something in her eyes that he had not seen in years.

Fear.

Discord dropped Alberich and ran to her, but she shrank from him in terror. He could see tears in her eyes, and she shivered visibly as his shadow loomed over her.

"No."

He sank to his knees, crawling toward her pathetically. "Fluttershy, it's me! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I wasn't going to hurt him, I just wanted--Fluttershy wait!"

She had turned tail and bolted, the sound of her crying still ringing in his ears. Discord collapsed, tears streaming down his face. Behind him, he heard a dark snicker.

Alberich was laughing at him. Discord gritted his teeth, and turned to approach his old friend. "You."

The alp kept laughing, grinning at him evilly. Discord snatched him by the neck and lifted him until his feet dangled from the ground. "She isn't here to see me now," he hissed menacingly. "I can take care of you--"

"And become the monster she already knows you are?" the alp finished for him with a wicked grin.

He froze, but only for a moment. He couldn't contain his anger any longer. With one swoop, he spun and threw the alp as far as he could, grimly watching him bounce and skid to a stop on the checkerboard ground.

"Feel better?" another voice asked behind him. He spun to face Princess Luna, who was watching him carefully, expressionless.

Instantly Discord was overcome with shame for what he had done, remembering the fear in Fluttershy's eyes and Alberich's words. "I--he--" He covered his face in his hands.

Luna smiled and approached him gently. "She doesn't fear you, my friend," she said.

He looked up at her. "How would you know?"

She gave him a knowing smile. "Yours aren't the only dreams I visit."

Discord scoffed. "What's a dream? They're lies. Um--no offense."

The Princess just laughed. "It's true, they aren't real in the same way the waking world is real. But they can reveal things that even your conscious mind may be afraid to admit. Yours tonight has shown you your greatest fear--the fear that you never really changed, and that Fluttershy still fears you."

He just looked at her; he had no words for the pain that the thought gave him.

"But dreams can also show a pony's deepest desires, as the protected Fluttershy's do tonight."

"And what would that be?"

Luna shook her head. "I cannot tell; her dreams are her own. But I can tell you one thing: if you continue to fear her, you will never know whether or not she still fears you."

"What is that supposed to mean? I'm not afraid of her, I'm in--" Discord stopped short.

Luna's image rippled. "Daylight. I must go." She spread her wings.

Discord sat bold upright on his cushion, staring blankly into space. He glanced over at the sleeping pegasus. There was no denying it anymore. He was head over heels in love with Fluttershy. And he was terrified to tell her.