It was night, and Princess Luna was flying serenely through the world of dreams. For almost a month she had been searching for something, or more specifically, someone. So far her search had borne little fruit, but tonight she hoped to find that someone. Lately she’d been witnessing an increase of dreams involving a strange being in the minds of foals all throughout Equestria’s outskirts. She believed that it might be him. She was about to move on when she sensed something, a consciousness alien to her. She wheeled around and light her horn, diving into the beings mind.
She found herself standing at the entrance of a long, tall, rectangular building. She pushed the door open and found herself in a hall with many rows of identical doors lining the sides, each with their own number. As she walked down the corridor she noticed one door was open and noises were coming from within. She pushed that door open and found the being she was searching for.
“Jack.”
The human turned from his spot on the floor and stared. His dream self wasn’t the same as his actual body. He seemed to have taken the form of a much younger Jack and was currently playing... go-fish?
“Wait... don’t I know you?”
Luna shook herself out of her reverie as Jack spoke. Before she could respond, a different voice chimed in.
“Yeah, she’s the sister of Princess Celestia! Princess Luna!”
The speaker was a pony with dark fur and bat wings... that exactly matched the pony form of Jack. Yet he was sitting across from young Jack.
“She’s the little shart that kidnapped us.”
This voice came from a fully grown human much like Jack, only his face was different. He looked much... grumpier? Kid Jack spoke up.
“Oh yeah. That’s where she’s from. Hi, Princess! Wanna play?”
“Uh... okay.”
She sat down and a hand of cards appeared before her. Pony Jack looked over his cards before addressing the grump.
“Got any... threes?”
“Go fish.”
Luna blinked a few times before speaking to who she believed to be the real Jack. The child.
“So, Jack, how have you been?”
Jack took a drink from a cup of watery juice before he replied.
“Pretty good, pretty good. Can’t really complain.”
“What have you been—“
Grump spoke to her.
“Got any sevens?”
Luna glanced down and saw she did indeed have a seven. She also noticed the cards for the first time.
“Are these... bicycle cards?”
All three nodded and child Jack chimed in.
“Yeah, they’re the only cards we have. Me and big brother found them in a box of great-grandpa’s old stuff.”
He gestured to a hand of cards lying untouched beside him. A cup of juice and a bowl of bland looking mush was with them. Luna frowned.
“Your... big brother?”
He nodded.
“Yeah, he’s the coolest! He’s gonna come home for lunch soon. I made him some. He just left a little bit ago.”
Luna nodded before levitating her seven over to the adult Jack. Child Jack looked to pony Jack and asked,
“Have any kings?”
“Go fish.”
Luna normally would have played along, but she had things to take care of and couldn’t afford to get sidetracked.
“Uh... Jack?”
“Yes?”
“I was wondering where you were. After the... incident, you disappeared. My sister and I have started to worry. And speaking of that whole incident, I wanted to apologize to you. I... I was letting my own past color my perception of you. I once turned against my sister and fell prey to a dark power. I became a monster and still am in the eyes of some of my little ponies. So when you escaped, I... I was so determined to protect them and prove I was there to keep them safe that I lost myself. Can you ever forgive me?”
The pony and child versions both nodded and gave her reassuring smiles. The surly adult Jack just huffed. She could accept two out of three. She pressed on.
“So where are you now?”
“I dunno.”
“What? How can you not know? Are you lost?”
The pony chuckled.
“Big time. Also, you’re turn.”
Luna ignored him.
“Are you hurt? Do you need help?”
The child scratched his head.
“I’m fine. I’ve had a few tricky situations, but it’s all worked out so far. My ear did get a little cut up when a bear attacked me, but it’s doing better now. I’m just waiting until I change back into my human self so I can escape.”
“Escape? Escape from where?!”
The adult Jack cleared his throat.
“Your. Turn.”
“I don’t—!”
She sighed. It was better to keep the dreamer placated than to risk waking him up. She checked her hand before addressing the real Jack.
“Do you have any... jacks?”
He giggled and showed her his hand.
“They’re all jacks, silly!”
Sure enough, every card in his hand was a jack... as well as every card in her hand.
“Riiiiiight. Well, as I was asking before, where exactly are you trying to escape from?”
Jack shrugged.
“I dunno, some small town. I’m locked in the stocks for being a vampony, as they called me. Once I’m human I can slip my arms and head out. Ponies have large heads I’ve noticed.”
Pony Jack turned to her.
“Have any aces?”
“Go fish.” She halfheartedly replied. This was worrisome. Jack probably was in some small town in the outskirts of Equestria. It would be difficult to find him so she could set things right.
“Why do I get the feeling she’s not actually interested in playing.”
Luna looked up as adult Jack grumbled. Luna huffed.
“I’m simply worried about Jack is all. My sister and I have been concerned for a while regarding his wellbeing. The evening after she returned to the castle and assuaged the fears of our citizens she voiced her concerns with me. You were all alone in the middle of the forest with little to no supplies.”
The pony shrugged.
“We knew someone nearby. We stayed with her a few days before heading out.”
“Well... that does put my heart somewhat at ease.”
Adult Jack looked up from his cards and asked her,
“Do you have any fives?”
“Go fish.”
He drew a card and they played in relative silence for a few turns. Finally, Jack spoke up.
“So... Princess Luna. You... have things you regret?”
“Pardon?”
He worked his jaw for a bit before continuing.
“I’ve... never really felt this way before, but I... I did something to some people that will change their lives forever. And I... I just don’t know if I made the right choice. What do you do to make it go away?”
Luna tapped her chin before replying.
“Well... you don’t really make it go away. Everyone has something, or somethings, they regret. Tis simply a fact of life. All I think that matters is ensuring you don’t let that regret stop you from every accomplishing anything. Does that help?”
He shrugged.
“I guess. I just don’t really have much experience with this.”
“Regret?”
“No, making my own choices. All my life I’ve been told what to do, where to go, what to eat, what to wear, and what to say. But now, I don’t really know what to do. Can you tell me what I should do? Where I should go?”
Luna mulled it over for a second before answering him.
“Well, I’m not going to tell you what to do. It’s not healthy to depend on others to command you all your life without even acting of your own volition.”
Jack sighed.
“I guess that makes sense.”
“However....”
He refocused on her.
“I do think I can offer some advice. I’d say that you should return to the place where you were the happiest. Live out your life there, and make many friends to help keep you from doing anything else you’ll regret.”
He smiled.
“Maybe I’ll do just that. Thanks, Princess.”
She smiled and nodded before looking at her hand.
“So, Jack. Doest thou have any queens?”
“I would say go fish, but I think that the game is over.”
She was about to ask what he meant when the dream abruptly shattered. She floated in the realm of dreams for a moment before setting off for Canterlot again. She might not have done what she originally intended to do, but she did feel much better about the whole situation.
“I do hope you find happiness, human. I feel that if any of your kind deserve to be allowed here to live in hiding, it is you.”