Waking up in the morning is usually a good indicator for the day to come.
Let's say, for example, that you were to awaken to the smell of fresh coffee, the pleasant sound of birds chirping outside your window, and the knock of room service upon your hotel door with a delicious breakfast in hoof. From this evidence, you might imagine yourself having a pleasant morning enjoying breakfast on a veranda overlooking Canterlot, with a wonderful day ahead of you.
On the other hoof, if you were to awaken to a very big and very hungry manticore watching you closely from the foot of your bed, and he bears no resemblance to room service, nor does it appear if he has a platter of breakfast scones, then we might deduce that your morning will probably not be as pleasant.
However, if you were to wake to find yourself on a hard bus stop bench, the sun beating relentlessly upon your sweat-encrusted fur, and the sound of somepony loudly slurping through a straw, then you would probably be Bright Shine. And your day would just be getting started.
“Wake up,” the pony said, nudging Bright Shine with a sharp hoof until he rolled over with a groan. “Did you sleep here all night? Out here? Sweet Suns, you look like you've been mugged.”
Bright Shine stirred, groggily peeling himself from the bench, his coat sticky with rancid sweat. “Where am I?” he croaked, the words rolling off his heavy tongue. He squinted against the harsh rays of daylight, shielding his sleep-rimmed eyes with a wavering hoof.
Through his waking haze, Bright Shine could make out Princess Luna standing over him, surveying his decrepit state. A weighty Tiberius was perched on her back, the marsupial enthusiastically munching on a strawberry, pausing only between bites for several heavy breaths. Those beady eyes were staring right at him.
“I knew Broodly must have given you too strong a dose,” the Princess tutted, taking a sip from the Big Gulp levitating beside her. “I’m surprised you even made it this far.”
“This far? Here?” Bright Shine could hardly recall what had transpired the night before. He remembered stumbling out of Sweet Dreams L.L.P., trotting for the bus stop, and not daring to look back. But each step had gotten heavier and heavier. He couldn’t even remember sitting down. And he certainly hadn’t caught his bus.
“Well, I applaud anypony this dedicated to being on time for the first day of their job,” Luna said between sips. “Come, my newest dream assistant. We have a very busy day ahead of us. No time to waste,” Luna proclaimed heartily. "We best be off."
Bright Shine sat up, rubbing the hardened sleep from his eyes. He could already feel a migraine rearing its ugly head. “Look, your Highness-”
“No need for the formalities,” Luna interjected with a wave of her soda. “You’re part of the team now. Luna or Dr. is more than acceptable. Though if its anypony from the Ministry of Money Management, I’d rather you not mention me at all,” she quickly added. “Bean counters are still trying to come after me for back taxes,” she scoffed. “As if we had anything to pay them anyway.”
Bright Shine rubbed his temples as he squeezed his eyes tight, hoping to massage away the pounding in his head. “Ok, Doc, I appreciate the job offer, as well as you trying to help me out and all, but I don’t think it’s for me. I don’t know the first thing about dream therapy.”
Luna took a seat beside the bedraggled stallion, Tiberius sliding off her back and landing with a heavy thump between the two ponies. “Let me ask you, Bright Shine,” she began. “How do you think I got my Doctor’s license?”
“I don’t know,” he shrugged sleepily, trying to pop the crick in his stiff neck. “Hard work and study?”
“Nope,” she shook her head. “I issued it to myself.”
“You issued yourself your own license?" Bright Shine stopped adjusting his neck. "How is that legal? Or even ethical?”
“Well, my sister and I are in charge of issuing all medical practitioner licenses,” Luna said. “So I just wrote one out to myself. What do you think that tells you about myself?”
At this point, Bright Shine was more confused than lucid. “It means you have little regard for the Hippgrithic Oath?” he ventured.
“It means that what we do for ponies at Sweet Dreams L.L.P. isn’t about certificates or licenses,” Luna explained. “It's about a desire to help ponies," She proclaimed. "No matter the consequences. That is why I prescribed you a job. The first step toward your recovery is to see life through other ponies' eyes – their dreams.”
“To be frank, Princess, I think the only thing I need right now is some sleep,” he sighed. “Thank you again, but I think I’m going to wait here for the next bus with my ba-“ He froze, suddenly searching the ground around his hooves. “My bag. Where is my saddlebag?” he gulped. “My bus card!”
“I warned you about the diamond dogs,” Luna chided. “Probably made off with it while you were out cold. Pity.”
“No, NO!” Bright Shine seethed, running his hooves through his unkempt mane. “This can’t be happening. How am I going to get home now? It’s at least halfway across Canterlot,” he moaned.
“Hey now, don’t fret." She threw a comforting wing around the distraught stallion. “Tell you what – and just hear me out – why don’t you come back with me,” she offered. “You can get cleaned up, maybe help out around the dream center, and I’ll give you a lift once we’re done.”
Bright Shine didn’t respond. His head didn't leave his hooves.
“Either way, you should better hurry and decide. The Quills and Sofas spinner mare usually shows up around this time.
“Fine,” he quickly relented, throwing up his hooves.
It was a risk, he knew, following the Princess back into the dream center. But it was a risk he would take. He needed a shower and a ride. “But I am not going back in your little dream machine,” he warned. He didn’t need another full-frontal assault on his subconscious by the Princess, who by now he was halfway convinced to be psychotic. “And don’t think this means I’m going to work for you. I don’t care what my prescription is.”
“No, no, of course not. Just hang out for the morning, then I’ll take you home, I promise. You’d only have to help Gilbert and Pepper,” Luna assured him. “But not Broodly,” she added, scooping up Tiberius with a heave. “He doesn’t play well with others.”
“Sir, please, you can’t have any food or drink before the procedure,” Pepper was explaining as Bright Shine and Luna strode into the dream chamber. “I’m going to have to ask you to put the protein shake down. Maybe even consider laying off them for a while as well,” Pepper muttered under her breath.
But the alabaster mountain of a pony held on to the shake bottle tight, refusing to part with it. “But I’m on a strict regiment,” he said, his considerable size crammed into the ragged dream chair. “I still have three more to go.”
The bulky stallion was probably the most muscular pony Bright Shine had ever seen. Even his forehead seemed to have muscles, bloodshot red eyes sunken into his thick skull. Bright Shine almost hadn’t also noticed the patient was a pegasus, two puny wings, smaller than a foal’s, peeking from his muscle-rippled back.
“Woah,” Luna whistled. “You’re a big fellow.”
The pony smiled and gave a throaty laugh. “Thanks.”
“This is Mr. Biceps,” Pepper introduced the patient as he took another long chug from his protein bottle with his comparatively small hooves. “He’s our morning appointment. Mr. Biceps, this is Dr. L and – Bright shine." Peppercorn beamed with energy. "Glad to see you made it bright and early for your first day."
“I’m…not – no,” Bright stammered sleepily before trying to explain. “Whatever, just tell me what to do.” He just needed to get through a few hours with these ponies, and he would be done with them for good.
“Pepper, why don’t you help Gilbert warm up the dream core,” Luna offered. “And Bright, let's get to know–“ she levitated the patient file to her and flicked it open "–why don’t we get to know Bulk Biceps a little better.”
“Sure, fine,” Bright Shine griped. "Whatever will get this over with the fastest."
“Now, we can't rush the healing process, Bright Shine. How’s about we start off with a few simple questions for the patient,” Luna said, pulling up a chair.
“Uh, I’m not really good with questions,” Bulk Biceps tapped his hooves nervously. “Is this a test?”
“No test,” Luna assured him with a pat of one of his enormous biceps. “I just need to know a few details. What brought you here today?”
“Well,” the big pony pondered for a moment. “That would be the bus.”
Luna stopped with her notes. Bulk Bicep's face was as solid as stone.
"Uh–" Bright Shine shot Luna a sideways glance.
“I mean, why did you come in today?” she asked again, carefully enunciating each word, as if talking to a foal.
“Oh,” the muscular pony grinned sheepishly. “That’s what you meant. I’ve been having these weird dreams, Doc,” he began. “They’re really starting to get to my head. If I don’t get them to stop soon, they’re going to start cutting into my workout routine,” he said, a tinge of unease lingering on his words.
“That’ll certainly be a tragedy,” Bright Shine deadpanned.
“Bright Shine,” Luna chastised, “We need to be understanding. Tell me about these nightmares, Bulk. What is causing you to worry?”
“It's the water,” he related. “A flood – it comes every night, this deep dark water that swallows everything. And no matter what I do, I can’t move. I’m always stuck, frozen in place. And everything kinda drains away, all the happy feelings. It’s like a weight pulling me down harder than an overloaded bell bar.”
“I see,” Luna followed. “And do you have any idea this flooding you experience might represent? Anything that you can tell us?”
Bulk shook his head, his thick neck bulging beneath his head. “Nothing. I usually get so afraid I wake myself up just before my head sinks under.”
“And has anything been happening in life that could be contributing to these nightmares? Any recent instability or trouble socially or with work.”
He pondered the question for a moment before shaking his head. “I don’t think so. I just started up a second for-hire workout training session in the afternoons. Things haven’t been better,” he insisted. “So why can’t I sleep well at night?”
“Interesting,” Luna scratched her chin. “Well, we're not going to get any answers out here. It’s time you and I take a dive in your dreams my muscular friend. Just as soon as we get you sedated.” Luna scanned the dream chamber. “Speaking of which, has anypony seen Broodly?”
Gilbert shook his head behind his view window. “Haven’t seen him all morning, Doc,” his high-pitched voice crackled through the speakers around the chamber.
“Cover your neck, Bright Shine, and keep your eyes on the rafters," Luna ordered. "That bat pony could be anywhere,” she said, instinctively covering her jugular veins.
“M-My neck? Why? Bat ponies don’t actually drink blood, do they?” Bright Shine gulped, his eyes wide.
“No, just a common myth,” she educated him. “But the moon cycles do make him battier than an actual bat. Those teeth of his could rip out your windpipe faster than a coked-out pegasus could clear clouds.”
“Sweet fires of Tartarus,” he whispered softly, watching the shadowy rafters.
“We do not need a repeat of four years ago."
“What happened four years ago?” Bright Shine asked woefully. The blood was draining from his face faster with each second searching the shadows.
But Luna was too busy scanning the rafters. “He could be watching us right now, and we wouldn’t even know it.”
“What do we do?” Bright Shine asked, nervously hopping from hoof to hoof.
“What is yous guys talking abouts,” a deep voice rasped from behind Bright Shine at the nape of his neck. Bright fell to the ground with a sharp yelp, his hooves pressed tight against the pulsing veins in his neck.
“Whats is matter with hims?” Broodly asked, a half-eaten sandwich clutched in a leathery wing. His baggy eyes looked over Bright Shine’s fetal figure with mild anticipation. “Rough first day on job, that one?”
“Ah, there you are, Brood,” Luna said, ignoring Bright Shine huddling at their hooves. “We were looking for you. The patient is ready to be sedated,” she claimed, patting Bulk on his giant shoulder.
“Woahs,” Brood spoke around a biteful of sandwich, sizing up the massive stallion. “He is going to needs extra strong sedative.”
“Just try not to make this one’s heart stop,” Luna strongly recommended. “We’re trying to help ponies, not send them into cardiac arrest.”
“Three times!” Broodly hissed unappreciatively. “It only happened three times that week.”
“How is he,” Luna wondered, peering through the window of the control room. The lights of the dream chamber flickered consistently, the dream core consuming the facility’s energy greedily as it rendered the patient’s subconscious.
“Patient is standing by in calibration, Doc,” Gilbert updated, swinging around in his chair. It was a raggedy piece of furniture covered in loose feathers. It was parked before his console and was covered in panels and indicators that poked through the worn stuffing. Multi-colored wires and cables merged with the trunk of the control terminal before arriving at the banks of dusty and overheating servers crowding the rear of the dark and musty control room. It was a poor IT tech’s worst nightmares, connections unlabeled and tangled, cooling units whirring fruitlessly against the dust caked to the filters in an unyielding attempt to move heat away from the copper and silicon monstrosity that was the dream core.
“Whoa, this place is way out,” Bulk Biceps voice crackled from the console, though his body was out cold in the dream chamber. His voice wavered and popped, arriving with a deep echo from his simulated reality.
“This is calibration,” Luna replied into a headset, watching the rendered view of the dream on Gilbert’s monitor. The world was displayed through his point of view, Bulk flexing his hooves and inspecting them. He held them against the virtual night sky, watching the mesmeric starlight refract across his coat.
“It seems so real.”
“We’ve tapped directly into your mind, Bulk. We can see everything you dream, hear everything you hear. And you're doing great,” she congratulated him. “I’ll be in there with you in one second. Just hang tight until then, big guy.”
“Uh, ok then,” he grunted. “I guess I’ll just wait here. Wait, is that a sign spinner?” he paused. “I hate those guys.”
“I don’t get it, Doctor,” Peppercorn remarked, leafing through her manual of Fears and Frustrations. “This should be a simple case of representation, the patient’s fears manifesting as dark waters. What are you so unsure of?”
“What do you mean you’re having a sale?” Bulk muttered, though it wasn’t enough to draw Luna’s attention.
“I don’t know yet,” Luna admitted. “Call it a hunch. Something about how he talked of his nightmare felt off. This is a different kind of fear.”
“No, I don’t need any quills.”
“Um, Luna,” Bright Shine called from the dream chamber. “I think the big fella here is moving,” he said nervously, Bulk shifting in his chair. But his concern went unnoticed.
“Could it be redirection?” offered Pepper. “Perhaps some insecurity manifesting as a physical embodiment of a flood in his nightmares? His tiny wings? It would explain his predisposition to bodybuilding.”
“No, do not need a new sofa.” Bulk was shifting even more in his chair.
“It’s a possibility.” Luna’s eyes continued to scroll through the data from the dream. Something had to be hiding in all those numbers, the answer that she was looking for. There was more to this patient than the others would admit.
“I. Do. Not. Want. A. Couch,” Bulk Biceps spelled out. Suddenly, he was out of the chair in the dream chamber. The stallion’s eyes were still closed, his face blank as he swayed on his hooves, a network of electrodes still attached to his head. His body tensed, his great muscles bulging as he flexed, though his eyes remained closed as if in a fitful slumber.
“Woah!” Bright Shine took a leap back. “Doc, he’s out the chair! Doc?!”
“This not good,” Brood said, retreating from the pegasus.
If Luna heard either of them, it wasn’t enough concern to pull her away from her search of the data.
“What is a pony as strong as you afraid of?” she wondered, engrossed in numbers and strings pulled across the monitor. "It can't just be a little water."
“I don’t want to buy anything! Leave me alone!” Bulk Biceps screamed through the monitor. His sleepwalking form let out a terrified cry, his ripped forelegs snatching ahold of Bright Shine and lifting him above his head as if he were light as a feather.
“Oh dear, he’s attacking the advertisement in calibration,” Gilbert chirped, his beady eyes peering into the dream monitor. They watched Bulk’s dream form lift the terrified sign spinner high above his head and give the poor advertisement mare several twirls.
“Sweet Celestia, he’s going to kill me!” Bright Shine shouted from the dream chamber. He was caught in Bulk’s grasp, spun like a top above the enraged pegasus in a physical rendition of his dream state.
“Oh, stars.” Luna ducked into the viewport. “I think we should be more worried about Bright Shine, Gilbert,” she breathed, finally noticing the stallion's healthy screams. She scrambled into the chamber. “Sedation!” she cried. “Broodly, we need sedation!”
“That dose I gives him was enough to knock outs a manticore!” Broodly exclaimed, his flank pressed against the wall as the enraged bodybuilder swung Bright Shine like a ragdoll.
“Plan B,” Luna announced, strapping herself into her dream chair. “Gilbert, we’re going to bypass calibration. Push him through and I’ll go in to try and calm him down,” she instructed, tendrils of magic sprouting from her horn and melding with the connection to the dream core. “Pepper, do your thing. Sedate the big guy before he tears Bright in two,” she managed before lumping in her chair, hanging against the buckles. She was gone in an instant, her mind in the dream.
“Rodger, Doc,” the little mare acknowledged.
Pepper aimed her horn at the massive stallion, Bulk’s hooves still locked tight on Bright Shine. Bright Shine was out of breath from screaming. “Make it stop,” he gurgled dizzily.
Pepper’s sights were lined up, her horn throbbing with magic that was ready to explode. “Sorry big guy,” she apologized. “This probably won’t hurt too bad, I hope.”
Her horn exploded, the blast hitting Bulk square in the chest and knocking him back into his seat. Her aim had been perfect.
Bright Shine, however, no longer clutched in Bulk’s teeny hooves, flew in a graceful arc before colliding headfirst into the hard chamber wall. He fell to the ground with a loud crack and did not move.
“Nice shot,” Brood finally said after a moment, whistling through his fangs. Bulk’s unconscious form was practically unscathed save for the thin trail of smoke that wafted from a singed patch of coat on his chest.
“He looks ok from my end,” Gilbert chipped in from his station. “Dream is holding steady. He bypassed calibration. It up to the Doc now.” He sounded relieved, his claws clattering across his keyboard, monitors glowing in his glasses.
Peppercorn wiped the sweat from her forehead, her horn hot to the touch. “I don’t think I did any lasting damage.”
“And the new guy,” Brood wondered, peering over to Bright Shine’s still form. “Uh-ohs. Has anypony checks to sees if he’s breathings?” the bat wondered quizativly.