//------------------------------//
// Dreams are Private 
// Story: Spike's angst (and some other stuff, maybe) 
// by Crystarium 
//------------------------------//

Starts with Luna exploring the dreamscape, taking the form of the endless doors that appeared in Season 5. She peeks into rooms that seem to be colder or shaking, since this indicates a nightmare, and intervenes if necessary. As she does this, she eventually comes across a peculiar door: it is ancient, with carvings (no shape described yet) and chained shut. It also shakes violently, indicating a terrible nightmare.

This is entirely new to Luna. While there do exist techniques to protect one's mind from others, she has never seen them so strong, nor has she seen them maintained while the pony's mind is under such duress. She attempts to force entry, or at least peek, but the chains do not budge.

For the next few nights she continues to study the new door, to no avail (it should be noted that the door stops shaking after the first night, indicating the nightmare has stopped). She does research from her personal library, but no book mentions anything like this. Eventually, in the dreamscape, she loses patience and launches a blast at the door, which only blasts back and exhausts her. While she is lying on the (metaphorical) ground, she looks at the carvings on the door and realises it's in the shape of a dragon's head. It's here that she realises this could be Spike's dreams.

The more she thinks about it, the more it makes sense. Throughout the years since she has returned, she has never entered the whelp's dreams. And as he is the first dragon to be made an official citizen of Equestria, she had no idea what a dragon's dream door should look like. Knowing what she's looking for now, she resolves to summon Spike to the castle when she next awakens. Hopefully having him here, and aware of her intentions, will weaken the door enough for her to enter.

Time-skip to just before Spike and Twilight arrive. Luna has just finished telling Celestia why it is they are meeting with him. Celestia, for her part, is eager to begin the meeting. Both out of joy of speaking with her son and Twilight, and out of anxiety for what Spike could be dreaming of. Spike and Twilight arrive. Pleasantries are exchanged (after assuring Twilight there is no impending disaster). Then Luna tells them of what she's seen. This causes Twilight to become concerned, and ask Spike what he dreamed about.

Spike brushes it off as nothing, but it's clearly a lie. Luna expresses her intention to enter Spike's dreams and assist him, which he immediately says "NO!" to. The three try several methods of convincing Spike (from support to blackmail via Rarity), none of which works. Eventually Spike snaps, telling them all that his answer is no, and to leave him alone. This causes Luna, using the Royal Canterlot Voice, to order Spike to comply. He still refuses, adding that being a princess does not give her the right to invade his dreams, and comparing her to Nightmare Moon.

This comment causes Luna to stop short. She looks at her own behaviour, and wonders what in Tartarus she's doing. She has always respected other ponies' rights to privacy: if the CMC, or any pony, didn't want her in their dreams, then she would leave even if they continued having nightmares. Why was Spike so different? Was she so curious about what a dragon's dreams looked like that she was willing to break the trust of a friend? No, that's not it...

As this happens, Twilight is admonishing Spike for being so rude, and ordering him to apologise, while he argues that they all owe him an apology, As things start to escalate into shouting, Celestia silences them both. After an awkward silence, Luna apologises. She says that Spike is right: she forget that while her duty is to help ponies, she cannot force them to accept her help. Spike accepts, and apologises for what he said. When Celestia/Twilight asks if they can know why he doesn't want their help, he explains that he doesn't want to lose his dreams.

He elaborates that he lives with Twilight, and they sleep in the same room. He's surrounded by mares, none of whom seem to respect any kind of privacy (Pinkie and Applejack, mainly). When they go off on adventures, they give him so many chores to do that he doesn't have time for himself. He loves them, but sometimes, he just wants to be alone, doing his own thing. His dreams are the only place he gets to do that. Even if he has nightmares sometimes, he's not giving that up.

After hearing this, Twilight apologises for not realising he needed independence, and offers to give him his own room. Spike accepts, and thanks her, as well as accepting Celestia's (unnecessary, she didn't do anything) apology as well. The end is them talking about miscellaneous things, while Luna pulls Spike aside and mentions that if he ever does need help, she promises never to reveal what she sees to anyone. He thanks her.