//------------------------------// // Chapter 22: Luna Returns // Story: Pandemic: What you are Meant to Be // by Halira //------------------------------// "So what did the suit want with you?" Rosetta asked as Remedy walked outside. "Mainly concerned about my mom. They seem to think that she might be dangerous or something. Plus they were interested in figuring out how I think. Oh, sorry to tell you, but you're on a list too now. Different list they insist isn't bad, but still on a list," Remedy answered. She flicked her tail towards the building with annoyance. "Why am I on a list now? Association with you?" Rosetta asked "Actually no, they think it is interesting that you have an interest in something they don't consider very pony to have an interest in. They think ponies are all brainwashed and you and I might be less brainwashed or something," Remedy grumbled. Rosetta scrunched up her muzzle and looked back at the building. "Okay, not sure if that is insulting or complimentary. Any immediate impact from being on that kind of list?" "Not sure, Agent Simmons in there said she would be in touch," Remedy replied. "So we're not going to worry about it for the moment then, and get ourselves worked up about it. Only thing we need to concern ourselves with for the moment is bed. Same place as last time? It is pretty quiet there," Rosetta spread her wings as she asked. "I'm going to worry about it, but you are right; it is way too late, and we need to sleep. I won't be thinking straight while overtired. The same place sounds good," Remedy said. She gave one last look at the ponies that were up. She could see Tonya talking to several ponies who were eating, with at least a dozen other ponies seeming to be listening on. The guards seemed to be watching too. Tonya was no doubt going to be added to a list before the day was out. Remedy sighed. There was no help for the fact that the humans were going to be suspicious for the moment. Hopefully they would realize after a while that her mother was no threat and simply wanted to do good; the same with the rest of them. Remedy spread her wings and gave Rosetta a nod. Rosetta smiled back and took into the air, and Remedy followed quickly behind. Their flight path happened to pass near Remedy's old house. She looked down at it and had to resist the urge to stop the two of them and go check it out. Her father was indeed at the house. She saw him in the backyard, tending to her mother's little garden. He had never really had interest in such things before, and that was more an earth pony thing than a unicorn thing to suddenly take interest in. He glanced up and she imagined that their gazes met for a moment over the distance. "Do you want to stop and talk to him? He is family and has had a few days to process things," Rosetta asked, startling Remedy out of her focus. "Yes, but not right now. I am tired and have a lot on my mind. Better to try when I am going to be thinking clearer. Maybe tonight?" Remedy suggested. "That sounds reasonable. Do you want me to be with you when you do, or would you prefer to keep it private?" Rosetta asked. They hadn't stopped flying and the house was now behind them. "Not sure yet, I'll figure that out tonight," Remedy replied. "I know it is going to be emotional for you. If you need me standing by you while you do it I'll do that, and if you just need to cry it out after I'm here for that too. However you choose to go," Rosetta said in a loving tone. "Thank you," Remedy replied. Her father was another thing she had no idea how to deal with. For all her worries about the fear the humans might have and trying to figure out how to present ponies favorably to them, her own fears were still something she struggled with immensely. They flew down to the same spot they had slept before and found the same bit of shade. Without further word between the two they cuddled up close, with Rosetta giving a kiss and a nuzzle, before very quickly drifting off to sleep. Remedy looked around herself and saw a pleasant looking countryside, bathed in moonlight. She knew instantly that she was in a dream, and the vivid nature of it meant one of two possible things. She looked around again to find which mare was going to greet her this time. "Hello again, my little pony" came the voice of Luna from behind Remedy, despite the fact Remedy had just looked behind herself and seen nothing. It was a dream though and things like that weren't really that shocking with that context. "Hello, Princess. Is there some other urgent task that you are going to try to convince me to do?" Remedy asked. "There is no need for you to address me as princess. I have no authority over you. I am just here to talk. A close friend of mine wanted me to follow up with any ponies that caught my attention as different, and I am doing so," Luna said as she came and sat down next to Remedy. Remedy felt like a foal sitting next to a grown mare by the size difference. "Okay, so what do you want to talk to me about?" Remedy asked, still feeling a little guarded. "You are one of many I will be talking to. I just want to get a feel for who you are, how you think, how you feel about your changing world. Perhaps we should start simply; what is your name?" Luna asked. "Phobia Remedy, though you can just call me Remedy," Remedy answered. "I am not well versed in human names as of yet, but that one seems to not fit the patterns I have noticed just far. Is that a newly adopted name? I know many of you try to emulate our naming conventions," Luna asked as she looked down at Remedy. "I took it just today actually. I didn't really want my human name," Remedy answered. "I see. So you are eager to shed away all your ties to humanity as many others are?" There was a hint of disappointment to Luna's voice. "Not really that. I just didn't want to have a male name. It is just awkward and uncomfortable," Remedy said with a shrug. "Oh, you are one of those ones. I hadn't realized that before. So you have personal reasons to want to say this transformation was a boon then," Luna said. "Yeah, it let out a part of me that I had caged up so well I wasn't actively aware it was there," Remedy sighed. "I see. So I must ask about something from our last conversation that made you stand out to me; do you object still to trying to help ponies with their dreams?" Luna asked. "I don't know. I don't like the idea of taking away their nightmares," Remedy shuffled her hooves as she answered. "That seems on the surface rather cruel. Would you care to explain why?" Luna asked in a skeptical voice. "They have those nightmares for a reason. It is better for them to have the nightmares so they can care about the reason. There are a lot of legitimate things to be afraid of, and they shouldn't walk around blissfully ignorant of those things. It isn't right, it does more harm than good," Remedy stared the alicorn in the eye as she spoke. "So you are concerned about their ability to be aware of the dangers around them then?" Luna asked. There was no harshness or judgement in her voice, just seeking understanding. "Yes, exactly that. I want them to think about what their doing and why. I want them to do what is needed to keep safe," Remedy said letting her tone rise with conviction with each word. "And what kinds of things do you think they have to fear, right now?" Luna continued to question. "How the humans will react to us mainly. I was terrified that the humans would do something drastic out of fear of ponies, I am still afraid actually. We have to have ponies thinking about how the humans will react to anything we do, or we won't be safe," Remedy replied as she turned her gaze back at the peaceful countryside. "Do you really think the humans would do something to hurt you and your fellow ponies out of fear?" Luna asked in a serious tone. "People do terrible things when they are afraid and don't understand their fears. I know humans can do it, and have the means," Remedy answered harshly. "You don't think your fellow ponies would do terrible things themselves out of fear?" Luna asked. "My fellow ponies don't have access to weapons of war that can kill hundreds of thousands in a single shot. We are at the mercy of humans, and we have to care about upsetting them too much," Remedy said with a growl. Luna seemed shocked at the declaration. She sat blinking for a moment or two before continuing. "And you honestly think that they would use such terrible instruments against you out of fear?" Luna asked. "I don't doubt that if they felt threatened enough they would. Making sure that we can find some sort of peaceful coexistence with humans should be on every pony's mind right now," Remedy spoke in a sad tone. "I was not fully aware of their capabilities. Twilight had told me about some things, but I hadn't fully believed..," Luna shook her head and turned back to Remedy. "Do you fear this is a likely reaction still with the end of Sunset Shimmer's spell?" "Less likely now, but not something to disregard as a possibility yet. This planet has a long history of doing the worst to those that are different," Remedy said mournfully. "I will have to consult with Twilight and my sister on some things then, as that is extremely worrisome. To get back to the subject of dreams though. Would you be objectionable to the idea of entering another pony's nightmare to try to help them understand their nightmare, rather than simply banishing it?" Luna asked. "I suppose not, actually I might enjoy doing that. Understanding fear is kind of my thing." Remedy pointed a hoof at her flank. "I was going to ask about that. It seemed a rather..unpleasant looking cutie mark. That in mind though I may be willing to teach you some things. I myself tend to let nightmares play out with some and then help those ponies to come to understand the nature of their anxieties. It is a bit more advanced than simply banishing the dream or the spreading of the vision Sunset Shimmer taught the pony Josie to make, but it might be most worthwhile for a pony of your disposition," Luna said. "Wait, Josie made that vision? As in Josie the first night pony who lives out at ETS ground zero?" Remedy asked in disbelief. "I am unsure how much of it was her and how much of it was Sunset Shimmer. I know Josie willingly adjusted the vision to show humans as part of your world after I spoke with her. I can assure you she had no malicious intent to her actions. She seems to be very talented and I wonder if Sunset Shimmer had done some meddling to make her talents stronger. It wouldn't suprise me considering she was in close proximity to Josie for years, and seemed to have meddled in the lives of at least one family and another human extensively. What would be one more who was critical to her plans?" Luna said with a sigh at the end. Remedy just sat and considered that bit of information. She had not known Josie personally, but had spent a long time obsessing over things Josie had said and posted on the internet. It was hard to imagine her as an accomplice to a terrorist's plans, even an unknowing one. She wasn't sure how she felt about knowing that. "So, you want to teach me to do what you do? Help ponies understand their nightmares? Is that why you visited me again?" Remedy finally asked. "I am interested in teaching you to do such if you are willing. That isn't the reason I visited you though. Your government, and other governments of your world are convinced that the ponies of your world are not in their right minds, and aren't capable of thinking for themselves. I admit that there is a great deal of concern from us as well about the extent that you are all thinking differently. I was searching out those that struck me as being a break from that sort of mold that I encountered before. We want to prove you all as being able think rationally. Your fears of humans being afraid is not unfounded," Luna explained. "You aren't the first to bring that up. I had some government official questioning me today who brought that up. Put me and my marefriend in some sort of list of possible free thinkers," Remedy grumbled. "Your marefriend earned this distinction how?" Luna asked with curiosity. "She is really into ancient history, even got a cutie mark for it. She wants to go off and study at a university and earn a doctorate in it so she can teach about ancient history. I am not sure how she will do that as a pony, or if the humans will even give her a chance. But I want her to succeed in her dreams," Remedy said as she went back to looking at the countryside yet again, looking for some answer somewhere in the calm of the scene. "Hmm, I might know of a pony who would be interested in meeting her who shares similar passions. I will pass your marefriend's name along if you wish. Perhaps something can be done to help her reach those dreams," Luna said with a smile. "Her name is Rosetta Stone, but her human name is Haley Martinez. She is a night pony too. I appreciate anything you can do for her. Even if nothing works out I appreciate you trying," Remedy said with gratitude. "Rosetta Stone. An interesting name to choose. I need to learn more of your world and its history to understand the context. Your name is a little odd, but with me being able to understand the language it at least makes sense to me," Luna said. "Rosetta actually came up with it. I tried coming up with names, but think the best I came up with was Nightmare Moon, and that just sounds completely cheesy. I doubt anypony would be able to avoid laughing at me with a name like that," Remedy giggled. Luna sat extremely still, and Remedy could see her eye twitch a few times. Maybe it was more funny a name than she thought and Luna was trying not to laugh at her? "Let's..be glad you didn't choose that name. I think we might be having a very different conversation if you had. And the name is definitely not a silly name," Luna finally said in a very obviously tightly controlled voice. Remedy gulped. She wondered if she had just said something culturally insulting or something. Asking about it seemed to be a bad idea though. She simply nodded in response. "I will meet with you again sometime soon and start teaching you about helping ponies understand their nightmares. For now I must move on. As I said you are not the only pony that stood out to me, and I have many more to visit tonight. It still amazes me how many night ponies there are in this world. Proportionally you are still a minority of ponies, but the number of ponies on this world is an overwhelming number to consider," Luna said breathlessly. "Thank you for talking to me. I look forward to having lessons from you," Remedy said giving the alicorn a hug. "It is an experience for me as well. I leave you to sleep soundly now. Take care until we meet again, Phobia Remedy," Luna said before she faded away and the dream shifted to a more natural one.