//------------------------------//
// 5 - Total Eclipse 
// Story: What Follows Hugs 
// by David Silver 
//------------------------------//

Toby landed on hard gravel. It was dark. He could barely see but he could feel the ground beneath him was hard and lifeless. His eyes adjusted, allowing him to see surprisingly well. He decided it was a dream thing. He was in the middle of a vast field of nothing. The sky was still dark. The sun was a little ring and nothing more.

He heard a whip crack. He turned to see a procession of ponies being urged on by another wielding a whip in their magic. "The king demands it be finished!" hissed the overlord, deaf and blind to the discomfort of the others.

That was sad, but they weren't Celestia. Toby wanted Celestia, so he ignored them. Princess Sun Flank was the goal, and he knew who would draw her out. He was not himself anymore. He was Best Princess. He giggled in his new girlish voice. Being Best Princess was cool!

"Sister?!" He called out. "Wherefore art thou?" He tried to get Luna's accent right, but it was hard. "We seeketh thee."

Toby took flight on new wings. Sure, he didn't know how to do the flapflap, but it was a dream, so he didn't worry about the specifics. He just decided he was going to fly, so he did. He liked how dreams worked. "Sister?"

Magic suddenly wrapped around him, golden but dim. It tugged him down into some trees, where a haggard Celestia stood, her mane gone a pale pink, her features worn and drawn. "Sister! How are you are... I'm so glad to see you." She grabbed Toby up in a fierce hug. "I thought I lost you, again... I didn't know what to do..."

"Neigh, sister. Lu--We are fine." Toby hugged Celestia back firmly. Hugs he was good at. "Tell us what hath occurred... hither." He was so proud of his ability to talk the funny way Luna did at times.

Celestia thrust a hoof at the darkened sky. "It's him! Why did you invite him here?! He's finished what he began... All of Equestria, under his dark rule..."

"Him?" Toby did not put it together.

"I won't say his name. He'll hear." Celestia rose to her hooves, wobbling. "Your mane is still... Maybe we could... No..." She slumped, looking so defeated and sad.

Toby couldn't bear to see it. That dream was the worst. "We should go for a picnic."

"What?!"

Toby waved the darkness away, making it a bright and sunny day. "It's such a nice day."

Celestia's poor psyche heaved under the strain of the abrupt and graceless change. "W-what?" She looked around the blighted little patch of bushes and tree she stood in. "What? We must hide! He'll fi--"

"He can come too," cut in Toby with a smile. A guard appeared. It was the same guard he had helped just before. "Look, here he is. You know, he really likes you."

Celestia peered at the guard, cheeks coloring faintly. "It's... not proper to date the guards."

"It would be an honor to simply have some time in your presence, Your Majesty." The guard bowed to Celestia. Toby wasn't controlling him. It was Celestia speaking to herself.

"If..." Her eyes went unfocused. "But..."

Toby decided they were in a nice field. One with tall grass, and so many flowers. Maybe some butterflies and bees! There was a big bright red towel laid out, and a basket that had all their food. "You made such nice food," he complimented Celestia.

Celestia's mind jumped. "Oh! I don't cook often, but when I do, I try to make it worth having, sister." She patted the towel. "Let's sit and enjoy ourselves." Her mane was starting to fill with color again. She was forgetting the traumatic nightmare that had her in its foul grip. "I made carrot and spinach sandwiches. They are your favorite, are they not?" She was looking at the guard.

The guard blushed faintly. "However did you know that?!" he asked in surprise even as he accepted the culinary gift.

Toby was suddenly pulled free of the waters, but he was pinned down immediately. Staring moon beings were all around him. "Um... Toby did it?"

The female that had been barking orders before prodded him in the chest. "You did. Good job, now never do it again! You almost broke her psyche, wrenching her dream around like that. You're lucky she's a tough mare or we'd be having a very different conversation. You can't just go taking over someone's dream like that. It can seriously hurt them!"

Toby sat up, though still held by concerned people all around him. "Toby promise not to do that again."

She nodded. "Right. If you want to help Princess Luna, you have a lot to learn. Not tonight though. It's about time for you to wake up."

"Wake up?" He blinked.

"What, you didn't figure it out? Pity."

Toby got up on all fours.  The other beings were returning to their various duties. Some were busy running pool cleaners through the water. Most just looked. One slipped in like he had done, without the dramatic jumping. They were all working hard to keep the dreams of their world clean, safe, and happy.

He had to smile. It was a good place. "Toby wants to learn."

"Good." She slapped him on the flank. "You'll be coming back tomorrow, without the whole 'breaking minds' part, right?"

"Right."

The dream ended.