//------------------------------// // Chapter 1. The Nightmare and the Purpose! // Story: Spike´s Cutie Mark // by CaioCoia //------------------------------// Luna walked in the dark, with three fillies beside her. "I still can’t believe I’m doing this for you," said Luna searching for doors amongst the darkness. "Actually, why am I even doing this?" "Because we needed to see what our friends are dreaming right now! And you told us you could help if we would have done some favors for you. And we did!" Sweetie Belle said, giggling as she walked. "I also want to see what Rainbow Dash is dreaming about. Maybe all of her dreams are awesome, like her!" Scootaloo said, walking on the other side of Luna. "Scootaloo, you know Rainbow Dash’s dreams are personal. Plus, maybe you won’t want to see some of the things she dreams about," Luna pleaded, in an attempt to convince them to change their minds. "Eeenope. Yah told us you would let us see the dreams of whomever we want! And ah want to see what Applejack was hiding from me this week. She was blushing a lot and ah won’t give up ‘till ah can see what ‘t was all about!" Apple Bloom stomped hard on the floor, making Luna sigh in resignation.. "Okay, but remember, you must not interfere in the dreams of others. If we are caught, they will eject us from their dreams until the next morning. Do you understand?” Luna asked, finally finding the door she was searching for in the darkness. All three foals nodded. As soon as Luna opened the door, she was surprised by loud, simultaneous screams. "CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS, GO!" the trio screamed, running through the doorway and scanning the different types of doors present in the corridor beyond. "Oh, there’s Applejack’s door! Let’s go!" Apple Bloom ran to her target and opened a big door bearing the emblem of the Element of Honesty. Looking at the strange scene, Apple Bloom opened her mouth in shock. Before her, Applejack, Soarin and Thunderlane sat in a fancy restaurant. Applejack was flirting with the two stallions, a blush on her face, and they were both whispering in her ears, making her giggle and lick her lips with desire. "Ah can’t believe this! Mah sister, and these two stallions?!" Apple Bloom blushed, thinking about what they were whispering to her sister. She looked for her two friends, and saw that their reaction was the same as hers. "But isn’t Soarin Rainbow Dash’s special somepony?" Scootaloo asked, confused after viewing the scene. "Yes, but this is her dream, Scoot. Maybe she likes a lot of stallions, and she doesn’t want to tell anypony," Sweetie Belle concluded their thoughts. "And we will never remember seeing this, okay?!" Apple Bloom ordered, trying to get her friends to forget. "But Apple..." "AH SAID NEVER!" Apple Bloom cried, closing the door with a slam. “How was Applejack’s dream?” Luna asked with a frown on her face. “Was it worth seeing?” "No it wasn’t," Apple Bloom grumbled, walking away. She looked for another door. "There’s Rainbow Dash’s door. Let’s go see what she’s dreaming." "Yeah let’s go, maybe it’s something awesome, like fighting monsters, winning races, or flying away to space! Let’s go!" Scootaloo was the first of the three to open the door and go inside. She wasn’t wrong. Rainbow Dash was fighting with several Changelings and racing with the Wonderbolts at the same time. "Wow, isn’t she awesome?!" Scootaloo was captivated by her hero in action. "Meh," Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle said, as if it was nothing. "Why are you so bored?!" Scootaloo protested. "She’s doing this all at the same time!" Luna passed through the doorway and saw Rainbow Dash doing what she always does in her dreams. "Meh," Luna said, making the Cutie Mark Crusaders stop to discuss. "Even you, Luna?" Scootaloo couldn’t believe Luna said the same sentence. "I saw this dream many times Scootaloo, this doesn’t surprise me. Let’s get out here. This is boring," Luna responded her argument with a fact. Scootaloo exited the door without saying anything. Sweetie Belle looked at some doors and the other two pointed at one with some diamonds on the door. "Hey Sweetie, look, it’s your sister’s door!" Apple Bloom pointed to the door and began walking there. "I don’t want to see what happens there." Sweetie gave up the idea to see her sister dreams, making the other two Crusaders and even Luna surprised with her statement. "Why not?" Luna asked with curiosity. "Because I don’t want see her, with ideas for dresses, or see her wishes of look of stallions to make her like a princess, every day is the same thing. She needs something to do in her life without those two things. It stinks." Sweetie Belle was tired of being Rarity’s sister and seeing the same thing everyday. "I want to see something different, like that door. Maybe it’s Twilight’s door. It’s a purple one and has a lot of books in the front." Everypony looked to the door and walked toward it. Luna remembered what door it was. "Sweetie, that door isn’t..." As she spoke, the Cutie Mark Crusaders entered the door. The door opened to a normal day. Twilight, Rarity, Spike, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were sitting in their thrones and talking about the day. And after this, the Cutie Map made all of their cutie marks move to one place on the table. "AWESOME! Finally, a new mission. Let’s go girls," Rainbow Dash exclaimed glad the talking part was over. She left the room with all the speed she could muster. "Yes, darlings, our conversation was good, but I think it’s time to have some adventures," Rarity agreed with Rainbow Dash and left her throne. "Don’t leave me here! I need some action too." Applejack got off her throne and ran out of the room. "It’s party time!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, holding a cupcake in her hoof and ran to the door with them. "Oh, my. Maybe this time we will do this faster. Angel will be upset with me if I will get late to his lunch again." Fluttershy flew to the the door with grace and caution. "Spike, take care of the castle while we’re gone. See ya!" Twilight looked at Spike one more time before leaving the door. "Okay..." Spike said with a weak smile. The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked at one another. They were anxious to see the friendship mission the girls were going on. "Woah! We will see the mission of friendship Twilight talked about for the first time ever! Let’s go follow them to see what will happen." Scootaloo was excited and ran for the door, but when she got near it, the door slammed shut with a powerful force. All other doors were closed with the same force. "What happened?!" Sweetie Belle was looking for an open door, but as she did, the palace was getting dark, and they heard a voice. A familiar voice. "You let them go again." "What should I do? Tell them not to go because I want to go, too? That’s ridiculous," Spike said to the voice. The voice was the same as Spike’s. The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked to Spike in surprise because of his response. "You always let them, Spike. You know they will never let you go with them" the voice said. "How do you know that?! I will go if I want to someday," Spike said with a confident tone. "Come on Spike! You know that’s a lie. Your whole life has no purpose, Spike. You are a JOKE. A JOKE, SPIKE. That's all you’ll ever be." The voice taunted Spike, making him livid. "I know my purpose! And it’s to make my friends happy, like they always are!" "That’s another lie, Spike. You don’t want to stay here and you know that isn’t how friendship works. You always help them, make breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea, food, clean, write for them. YOU ARE A SLAVE, SPIKE. A SLAVE!" The voice screamed, making the Cutie Mark Crusaders back down with fear. Apple Bloom saw Luna beside her. "Luna, stop this! The voice is givin’ Spike a nightmare!"Apple Bloom cried. Luna lowered her head in shame. "I can’t." Her answer made the three foals perplexed, uncertain of what to say. "But Luna, this is his nightmare, why can’t you stop this nightmare?!" Sweetie Belle asked, needing an answer. "Because this isn’t only a nightmare, this is his memory. He has been having the same nightmare for several weeks, and I tried everything to make this nightmare stop... But nothing worked." Luna watched in lost hope as Spike cried on the floor. "I have a purpose, I believe in my friends. I know I have a purpose," Spike was crying and saying to himself in an attempt to become positive, to no avail. Apple Bloom didn’t want to stay to see the rest of the nightmare. "Cutie Mark Crusaders. Meeting, right now," Apple Bloom said with a serious expression on her face. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle walked over to Apple Bloom. After several moments of whispering, Luna became curious to know what they were talking about. Soon, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo looked to Luna with pleasant smiles on their faces. "Luna, we will end this nightmare," Apple Bloom said with a determined grin on her face. "What?! When----I mean, how?!" Luna asked in shock. “I have tried for weeks to end it, and have failed with every attempt. How will you three foals end a nightmare the Princess of the Night cannot?” "Cutie Mark Crusaders! This might be the hardest thing we’ll ever face, but…" Apple Bloom looked to her friends with a big smile. She took a deep breath. "OPERATION SPIKE’S CUTIE MARK IS A GO!" they screamed with enthusiasm. Luna’s jaw dropped in disbelief. "Girls, Spike cannot have a Cutie Mark," Luna tried to make them think about what they were about to do. "Dragons don’t have…” She sighed before continuing her explanation. “A dragon cannot have a Cutie Mark, any dragon was capable to take one!" "Yeah, we know that," Sweetie Belle said, proud of her knowledge. "But just because we haven’t seen any dragons with Cutie Marks doesn’t mean they can’t get them! Spike is no ordinary dragon. He was raised by ponies! He could be the first ever dragon in Equestria to get a Cutie Mark because of it!” After listening closely to Sweetie Belle’s explanation, Luna didn’t know what to say. They knew the risks, but they wanted to help Spike find his purpose. "If you need something of me, anything, just call me in your dreams. I will do my best to find something to help you. This is a wonderful thing for you girls to do for Spike. Make him feel better." Luna couldn't help but smile, satisfied with this plan. "Don't worry, Princess Luna. We’ve been helping foals to find the meaning behind their Cutie Marks for a while now. That’s our purpose, to help other blank flanks!” Scootaloo said with a wide grin. "Luna, early tomorrow we will help Spike, because I never want to see him have this nightmare again," Apple Bloom said, looking at Spike, who was still crying on the floor. "I believe in you. Thank you for making this decision. Spike will be in good hooves," Luna said, opening the door of the dream and walking out. The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked at Spike one last time before they left his dream. Tomorrow was going to be a long day...