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

Everypony started talking at once.

"No way are we sending him!"

"We're not even sure we can trust him!"

"I think I should go."

"Nothing doing, Twi. You're needed here."

"I'll go."

"Rarity, no!" Spike clutched her tightly.

"STOP!" Discord bellowed, silencing all of them. "None of you can go. Even without the Elements of Harmony, you six are important to the protection of Equestria. You need to stay together. If I get lost in the dream world, Equestria will hardly notice."

"Might even be better off--OW!" Rainbow Dash glared at Twilight, who had kicked her.

The draconequus hung his head. "You're right. This world doesn't need me like it needs you. I'm willing to make that sacrifice to bring Fluttershy back safely."

Applejack looked at him curiously. "Why?"

Discord blushed and cleared his throat awkwardly. Before he could say anything, Rarity stepped forward. "It doesn't matter why. If he can bring our friend back, then I think we owe him our gratitude for his bravery." She looked up at Discord and smiled. She had recognized the look on his face as the same one Spike had given her so often. As the one she had felt on her own face when Spike had kissed her forehead last night. Discord smiled back at her, silently thanking her for saving him the embarrassment.

Twilight nodded. "Rarity's right. Thank you, Discord, for being willing to do this for us."

"I'm doing it for Fluttershy."

"Whatever the reason," said Luna, "You are very brave, and we commend you."

Discord looked over at the princesses. "Any idea what I should expect when I get there? How do I bring her back?"

Celestia shook her head. "The land of dreams is a mystery."

"Even I can only visit dreams temporarily. And I cannot wake the dreamers. I will be able to speak to you and assist you every night, but not for very long." Princess Luna looked down at the sleeping Fluttershy sadly. "We depend solely on you. When the time comes, you will know what to do."

"Well, how do I begin?" Discord didn't like the idea of wasting time while Fluttershy slept on.

Celestia used her magic to bring forward a small couch. "You had best make yourself comfortable. You may be asleep for several days. We will make sure both of you are nourished, but even then you may have a week at most."

Discord looked from Celestia to the empty couch to the lounge where Fluttershy lay unconscious. He went to Fluttershy and coiled his body around hers, like a dragon guarding its hoard. If this was the last time he would see the waking world, he wanted to make sure he was holding her.

Luna brought him the potion, and he swallowed all of it with no hesitation. Then he laid his head down on Fluttershy's mane and closed his eyes.

The ponies stared at the two of them for a long time.

Finally, Rainbow Dash asked, "Now what?"

"Now we wait," answered Luna.

"Do you expect us to just go home?" Applejack asked.

Rainbow Dash scoffed. "I'm not leaving her side!"

"I will arrange for all of you to stay here in the castle, so you can be near them," Celestia said. "It may be days before there is any change; we will post guards to watch them, and they will inform all of you if anything happens."

Everypony reluctantly trudged out of the room, except Rainbow Dash, who refused to leave. The guards gave each pony their own room, except for Cheese Sandwich, who said he would stay with Pinkie Pie. Spike, of course, was expected to stay in Twilight's room.

Tonight, however, nopony could sleep. Twilight paced her room nervously, alternating between staring at the floor and the ceiling. Applejack had decided to join Rainbow Dash in watching the sleeping couple. Spike, agitated by Twilight's pacing, shuffled out of the bedroom and down the stained-glass corridor. 

It always amazed him how many stories were contained on the stained-glass windows in the Canterlot throne room. Every momentous occasion in Equestria's history from the original defeats of Discord and King Sombra before Nightmare Moon's rampage, to the return of Princess Luna at the fall of Nightmare Moon, and everything since. The return of Discord to stone, Shining Armor and Cadance's victory over the Changelings, Twilight's coronation, even his own success in saving the Crystal Empire by bringing the Crystal Heart to Princess Cadance. He smiled at little at his stained-glass self, his babyish figure and short limbs.

"Couldn't sleep?" a familiar voice asked behind him.

He spun. "Rarity, I--" He let his sentence trail off; he didn't need to explain. He had more to think about than even the other ponies. Receiving the news of his mother and Fluttershy in one day was unnerving.

The unicorn smiled at him, approaching him softly in her pink fuzzy house slippers. "You've had a big day, Spike."

He nodded sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. "Yeah, it's...it's a lot to take in."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Spike glanced over at her, then smiled softly. "How about over a cup of hot cocoa?"

Rarity grinned. "Sounds lovely."

The two of them went downstairs to the castle's kitchen, where Rarity lit the room with her horn as Spike mixed up two cups of steaming hot chocolate. Both of them sat down at the little wooden table.

"Now then, what's troubling you, Spikey-Poo?"

He smirked a little at the nickname, then sighed. "I guess I just wasn't really prepared for finding out about my mom, you know?" He shook his head, then rested it in one clawed hand. "I didn't dare to hope that Celestia would actually know anything, and I really didn't expect...well, what we got."

Tilting her head to try and see his face, Rarity asked, "Is that good or bad, dear?"

"I think it's good, it's just...too much. After seeing the way those teenage dragons acted that one time, I really didn't think I came from a mom who cared enough about me to give me to a pony to raise."

"Well, those dragons last time certainly were a bunch of ruffians. The brutes, wanting to smash an innocent phoenix egg... But your mother obviously loved you very much. And Twilight loves you, too. And I--" she cut off suddenly, biting her lip.

Spike looked up at her. "What?"

Rarity recovered quickly from her slip-up and replied, "And I for one am certainly glad that you are a part of our little family, Spike."

He watched her face for a while, which smiled at him warmly, affectionately. Finally, Spike smiled, too. "Me, too, Rarity. If Twilight hadn't hatched me, I never would have met you."

Rarity blushed.

Their cocoa finished, the two of them walked back upstairs together.

"Do you think you'll be able to sleep a little better now, Spikey-Poo?" Rarity asked when they arrived at the door to her room.

"Actually, can I ask you one thing?" Spike mumbled, holding his arms awkwardly behind his back.

"Of course, dear."

"Why do you always call me Spikey-Poo?"

Rarity laughed and blushed at the same time. "Well, for two reasons, in fact. The first is that I absolutely love giving you nicknames because it lets you know how special you are to me."

"And the second reason?"

She blushed again. "W-well, it's very simple. Just watch my mouth," she stepped forward until they were inches apart, "And repeat it after me."

Spike flushed at her closeness. "Uh...okay."

"Spikey..." Rarity began.

"Spikey..." Spike stared at her lips.

"Poo." Her mouth ended in a perfect pucker.

He understood, and his voice caught in his throat. She was so close.

"Go on," Rarity coaxed, imperceptibly moving closer.

"Poo--mm!" 

Rarity had closed the gap between them. For the sweetest of instants, his lips touched hers. Then it was over, she was smiling coyly at him, and disappearing behind her bedroom door.

"Goodnight, Spikey-Poo." And she was gone.

Two doors down, Cheese Sandwich was sitting on the bed watching Pinkie Pie pace the room.

"What if she doesn't wake up? What if when she wakes up, the dream has erased her memory and she doesn't remember any of us? What if she wakes up but she switches brains with Discord and thinks she's the Lord of Chaos? Why did Discord want to go in after her, anyway? What if he just went in to steal all her memories so he could rule Equestria again?! What if--"

"Pinkie."

She looked over at him, and took a deep breath. "Sorry."

Cheese smiled. "It's all right, my little filly. Why don't you come to bed?"

After a moment's deliberation, the pink pony sighed and crawled into bed next to him. He pulled her closer and snuggled his head into her wildly curly mane. She smiled and leaned against him. "Thanks for coming with me, Cheese. I can't tell you what a mess I'd be if you weren't here."

He smiled against her shoulder. "What else could I do? I love you, Pinkie Pie."

Pinkie froze, then squeezed him a little tighter. "I love you, too, Cheese."

Neither of them spoke, curling up on the bed. Pinkie laid still until she felt Cheese Sandwich's breathing slow down. Then she sighed and looked up at the ceiling with big, worried eyes. How could she tell him?

Twilight was about to put herself to bed when Spike stumbled in with an idiotic grin on his face. "Spike!"

He didn't respond, but walked to his bed and collapsed.

"Spike, what's gotten into you? What's with the dopey grin? Don't you realize the gravity of this?!"

"Rarity kissed me," he whispered, to himself.

"What?"

"Rarity kissed me!" It was shouted this time, and he leapt from his bed, thrusting a triumphant fist into the air. "Twilight, she kissed me! She kissed me!" He picked her up and spun her around and tossed her into the air. It took all of Twilight's wing skill to keep from crashing into the wall.

"Spike, calm down!" she ordered, landing gracefully on the ground and giving him a stern look.

"Calm? Ha ha!" Spike was bouncing all over the room. "How can you tell me to be calm at a time like this?"

"How can you celebrate at a time like this, Spike?! Fluttershy might die!"

That sobered him up. He stopped jumping and looked down at his claws. "Oh, yeah."

Twilight sighed. "Look, I'm happy for you. Both of you. But we have other things to worry about right now. Rarity will always be there for you. But right now we need to make sure Fluttershy is always there for all of us, too."

Spike nodded. "Yeah, you're right." He went to his bed and sat down.

The alicorn watched him, her expression softening. "By the way, why were you two in Canterlot?"

The dragon looked up. He had forgotten that he hadn't told Twilight about their trip. "Oh, we came to Canterlot to ask Princess Celestia if she knew where I came from, since she's the one who gave me to you as an egg."

"And?" Twilight walked over and sat down next to his bed. "What did you find out?" 

He took a deep breath. "Well, my mom didn't have wings." 

Twilight nodded. "That explains why you don't. Did Celestia know your mother?"

Spike looked at his claws. "Not really. But my mom gave me to the princess as an egg, cuz she...well, she..." The tears had started again. Twilight understood, and put a hoof around his shoulders. Spike smiled and leaned against her. "The princess said that my egg could only be hatched by someone with the love and magic to be able to raise me."

The alicorn looked up, then smiled down at him. "Lucky me, huh?"

Spike grinned. "Nah, no way, Twilight. I'm the lucky one."

They hugged tightly, tears pouring from both of their eyes.

"I hope I've been everything you needed, Spike," Twilight whispered.

"More than that. Thank you for everything."