//------------------------------// // Chapter 16 // Story: The Things He Carried // by Makerofthebuttswagger //------------------------------// When Toby woke up, his mind exploded. Figuratively. He was laying something soft within the walls of his in-progress home, except... there was a roof above his head. He frowned and sat up, instantly noticing the comforter that fell to his waist as he did so. He yelped, and scrambled to his feet. When had he ever bought himself a queen-sized bed? The roof was certainly far from done when he had fallen asleep... Looking around the room, he noticed that there were now quaint little four-paned windows placed at cozy intervals. He certainly hadn't even carved the holes for the windows in his walls, much less considered it. Where there was once a door-shaped gap stood a beautiful spruce door with a ovular window of ornate glass in the center, along with a pretty brass doorknob. Someone had clearly come and done some work while he was asleep - but how?? How could they have managed to do all of this in one night? Not only that, but how could he have slept through that? He wrapped the coat Rarity had made for him tighter to his body. The mare had seemed super apprehensive about helping him, but since Twilight considered him a friend the seemingly pampered mare did so anyway. Not that he cared; the more ponies who stayed away, the better. Still... who could have done this? This had to have been really expensive! His eyes scanned the room once more, looking for something that could give him an answer, anything - but it was empty. Sighing and rubbing his temples, he walked over to the front door. A key was in the lock, which Toby carefully placed in his pocket. He then pulled the door open and stepped outside. He forgot about the lack of a front porch, and remembered this the hard way. Picking his face out of the dirt, he scowled at the foot-tall gap between the bottom of the front door and the ground. Well, that would have been nice to know. Ponies. Getting to his feet, he noticed a basket sitting at the edge of the clearing, its contents hidden from view by a plaid picnic blanket. A small note rested on top. Toby closed the distance and snatched up the note. He paused to read, a contemplative frown forming on his face as he did so. Thought you may want to start the day with something to eat. I know you don't want charity, but sometimes the wisdom of accepting help from others completely outweighs the foolishness of roughing it alone. Inside you'll also find some bits to finish your home. I hope you enjoy what we have managed to do overnight. May your day be fruitful! ~ 🌙 P.S. - I hope you'll forgive us for the lack of a front walk - there wasn't enough time. :( Toby huffed in slight annoyance. Was it because he knew Luna was right? He didn't hate her anymore, but that didn't mean he forgave her in the slightest. She treated him like dirt, and then tried to blow it off by blaming it on false feelings for him? That was low, man. Low. Besides - what were 'bits'? She was sorry, however, and it never sat well with Toby to hold a grudge against someone who was genuinely trying to apologize to him. This came as a blessing and a burden - even though he wanted to be angry - he was more than justified to feel that way, after all - he couldn't stop thinking about the night prior. "Fear not, dear Toby... I am not going anywhere." Did that mean he was going to be pestered by the lunar mare until he was 'better'? Was she going to keep trying to help him, even if he didn't want it? "I don't need help," Toby tried to say in a strong voice, to no one in particular. "I'm lost, but I'm fine." Despite his efforts, his tone was weak, reedy, and full of doubt. Was that really true? That conversation in his dreams... was that even real? He remembered being able to genuinely feel Luna when she freed him of that nightmarish memory. Jeez, why did it have to be Marcus... Toby squatted low and stuffed a fist in his mouth as a wave of misery engulfed him. Nothing, nothing could make him forget the sight of those lifeless eyes, searching for his own lost soul as it wandered to the heavens. Why, it had been only a couple hours before that when Toby had been in merry conversation with him, along with Carter, about the wonderful blessings and follies they had as children. There were many moments when they broke out into raucous laughter, slapping one another on the back to congratulate them on the joke they had just made. Marcus had no idea he would never go home... never see his family ever again... Of course, Toby would rather have died in 'Nam if he had known what lay in store for him back home should he leave in the cowardly way - which he had, shooting himself in the foot. What was his purpose here, anyway, in this alien world of sapient horses? He felt a ball of emotion well up in his chest. A hazy vision of a beautiful pair of large, cyan eyes swam into view for a brief moment. He shook his head quickly to rid himself of the random image. He wondered if it meant anything. Sighing, he moved the blanket in the basket to the side, revealing a dozen rolls, still warm, an apple, ingredients to make himself peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and the tools to help him do so. Under all of this was an apple pie, and under that... A large amount of gold coins resided at the bottom of the basket. Sick. Upon seeing the pie, however, he made no comment, knowing who it was from. Still, a frown made its way onto his face. He accepted the gifts, however, and made his way back inside, taking care to step up into his house. Building a deck would be the first thing on his list of to-dos; he would later carve a hole in the side of the house to make room for a stone fireplace. He placed the basket on top of his new bed, figuring he'd eat later - although he made a point of. Turning back, he returned to the outdoors and collected his bag of nails and hammer. Sighing, he set off down the hill for the hardware place to get some lumber. He was sick of cutting it himself, and he had money now. It was going to be another long day... would Luna appear in his dreams again when he fell asleep, or was that just a strange coincidence? It all seemed so real and yet - if any of it was fake, he would never ever trust anything again, never. Fluttershy galloped down the street towards the Ponyville market, trying to catch a glimpse of Luna. Fortunately for her, Luna was easy to spot, being taller than most - she was scrutinizing the options that a homely fruit stand beheld. "Princess!!" Fluttershy gasped, as she was not too accustomed to running such distances. Luna looked around frantically; however, when her eyes found Fluttershy she relaxed. "Dear Fluttershy, remember that I am no longer a princess - Princess Twilight left for Canterlot only yesterday, did she not?" The breathless pegasus witnessed an excited group of ponies taking a selfie behind Luna, but chose not to bring that up. "O-Okay... sorry..." "Do not apologize," Luna consoled her. "It is understandable - although, may I ask why you have come in such a manner? It's not like you to - well..." "- Run, yes," Fluttershy finished. "I'm sorry - it's just - one of the woodland squirrels told me that Toby took the basket!!" Luna perked up. "He did? What was his reaction?" Fluttershy gave her a strange look. "Uh... I-I don't know, the squirrel didn't say..." Realizing the strangeness of the question she had just asked, Luna quickly added, "Er - what I meant was, 'did he look happy?'" Fluttershy nodded, then looked down at her saddlebag, which she had taken from home. "I should get going, your highness -" "Luna," Luna interrupted. "Just Luna is fine." "R-Right - goodbye, Luna," Fluttershy corrected with a nervous smile. Luna beamed down at her. "Farewell, Fluttershy. I hope your shopping goes well." As soon as the butter-colored pegasus trotted off, Luna looked down at the selection of fruits before her. If she was going to enter Toby's dreamscape again, she would need as much energy as she could muster. As Fluttershy arrived at her home, her mind was on Toby. She knew he was a poor, troubled soul after she had seen a reflection of his past in his eyes... not many pegasi had this ability, and it had federal restrictions, but it was very unique - not quite mind reading, but could still be invasive. She was planning on giving Toby a visit, but after hearing about his outbursts... she figured then it would be best to leave him to his own devices - she wasn't good with handling that sort of thing. She was good with animals, not personalities. As she pushed open her front door, a sharp chirp that said HEY! sounded off to her right. She looked around, expecting to see a large bird or something of that sort, but gave a start as soon as she recognized the culprit. "Pacificae??" she said in disbelief. "Why aren't you with Toby??" Because he's hurt, Pacificae replied. He's mad at something, and I need someone to help him. "If he's suffering, why did you leave?" Fluttershy asked, taking off her saddlebag. "You're his friend - doesn't he need you around?" Pacificae fixed the pegasus with a stare. He yelled at me. He needs help, and I'm trying to find some. "I don't know much about that sort of thing - besides, Luna said that he doesn't want anything to do with ponies..." Fluttershy replied sadly. "I don't think it was a good idea to leave him." But he needs help! Pacificae chattered in protest. "It's not about finding help for him - it's about being a friend," Fluttershy replied, now fixing the jackalope with a stern look. "I don't believe you abandoned him on purpose, but what how him? Did you ever consider how he might feel? Did you tell him why you left, at least?" Pacificae froze, then shook her head. She then scampered off towards the Whitetail Woods, leaving Fluttershy on her own doorstep in silence. "Oh dear... I don't think this is gonna end well," Fluttershy whispered, and gave chase. Applejack watched with a satisfaction as the apples from the tree she had just bucked fell neatly into the baskets below. She was really fine tuning her accuracy. She paused to wipe a couple beads of sweat off her muzzle. It was nearly dusk, and she and Big Mac had managed to overachieve their desired quota for that day - no mere feat. They had worked fast and diligently, taking ten-minute breaks for meals, and had accomplished harvesting roughly a third of the entire orchard. In one day. Not bad for two ponies. "Alright, Big Mac! Ah think we're fine ta call it a day," she called happily. "Let's get these over to the barn, load 'em up, and call it then." "Eeyup," her brother agreed, hoisting a couple baskets of apples into a cart that stood waiting on the orchard path. The process of loading them up and bringing them back to the barn only took ten minutes - fortunately for Applejack, that meant she would have time to stretch out her muscles, eat a snack, and relax before bed. Unfortunately, that would not be the case that night. "APPLEJACK!!" screamed a raspy voice as the country mare was locking up the barn door. A prismatic stream of color came to a screechy halt in front of her. "Rainbow Dash!! Is somethin' wrong, sugarcube?" Applejack asked the cyan pegasus in a mild shock. Rainbow's eyes flashed around nervously before meeting Applejack's. "Is it true? Is he really in town?" "What are ya blabbin' about?" Applejack pressed, raising an eyebrow. "Who are ya talkin' about??" Rainbow gulped. "Toby... is he here in town??" It dawned on the country mare in that moment, and her eyes widened. "Oh - that... er, yeah, he is..." Rainbow's body went rigid as soon as her fear was confirmed, and she began to pace back in forth in a state of panic. "Ohmanohmanohmanohman - he's gonna kill me!!!" "Simmer down there, sugarcube," Applejack said in a firm, calming tone. She placed a hoof on Rainbows back just above the tail and pushed, forcing her to sit down. "No one's gonna hurt ya; Celestia and Luna may be off duty now, but they won't let him do anything to ya." "But he's going to come looking!!" Rainbow squeaked, fidgeting. "He's gonna tear my wings off, then use my tail as a -" "Oh fer Pete's sake, Rainbow Dash!!" Applejack scoffed, shoving a hoof in her friend's mouth to keep her from her terrified monologue. "Toby wants nothin' ta do with us ponies - if ya don't engage him, ya should be fine. Besides, we all make mistakes - some worse than others, but still..." Rainbow let off a deep shudder as she recalled her interrogation of the poor human. "A.J., it was overkill!! I was out of my mind, I don't know what hap-" "Again, Rainbow, simmer down!!" Applejack interrupted sternly. "Ah'm not going ta brush off the fact ya beat the willies outta the poor guy, but you're not the only pony that would turn nasty when given that sort of power." Rainbow looked desperately at her friend. "Wh-What do you mean??" "It's a psychological thing," the farm pony explained. "Some ponies, when given the power, will start ta act in ways they usually wouldn't. Doesn't mean they are brainless when they do, but that's just the way it is sometimes - that's all Ah know, anyway." "Still," Rainbow said in a weak voice. "I-I was -" "- A monster, yeah," Applejack agreed. "That doesn't mean you're a monster, though." "He definitely hates me..." Rainbow said in a sullen voice. "Ah would agree with that," Applejack confirmed. "If you're an equine, Toby probably hates ya. Although, he probably hates ya more than the rest of us." "Thanks for the support, A.J.," Rainbow grumbled. "Now don't go blamin' me," Applejack replied with a hint of indigence in her tone. "What's been done's been done. Ya could try ta apologize, but I doubt the critter would take that well." Rainbow hung her head. Applejack, realizing she had been a bit harsh, could see that her friend was genuinely regretful; sitting on her own poo, so to speak. She trotted a bit closer and lifted the pegasus's chin, so that they could look one another in the eye. "You're still my friend, sugarcube, and Ah'm sorry fer bein' a bit harsh," Applejack said consolingly. "Ah know you're sorry, it's just that some things aren't easily forgiven." Rainbow returned this with a weak smile, and flapped a couple feet off the ground with her powerful wings. "Thanks, A.J. I'm going to go check on Tank - are you still up for working out later?" "Ah work out all day anyway, but Ah'll take ya up on that there offer," Applejack replied, and the two friends parted ways to continue going about their day - although now with a heavy topic on their minds. Luna hoped that Toby's dreamscape would be easier to enter this time - however, if she had to break that hard, black shell again, she would without a second thought. Being the well-educated pony she was on the complexities of dream orbs, she knew for an absolute fact that the shell wasn't meant to be there. There was a deeper meaning to all of this, and if she was going to help Tobias heal, she would need to get to the bottom of it. Still - some of the things Toby had shouted at her during her last excursion into his mind still echoed in her thoughts - and what bothered her most was the fact that the things he had said were accurate. She knew he wouldn't lie about such things either; despite barely knowing him, anypony who had been around his pre-breakdown self would have known that he was reserved, quiet, and incredibly strong in terms of morals and personality. That, or maybe that was only herself that knew these things - she was really good at reading ponies. Or humans, in this case. It took her much less time to locate Toby's orb - since she knew what she was looking for this time, her magical influence over the dreamscape allowed her to find it very quickly - after looking for any other nightmares that may have arisen, of course; she still had to care for her ex-subjects. She approached the depressing, pitch black orb with confidence. If she was going to hit the shell again, she would be ready to blast another hole in it. The orb gave off a small trail of smoke and a faint hiss, probably from her last forced entrance. She took a deep breath and lit up her horn, and experienced the same old sensation of being pushed through an extremely small funnel. Then she hit the shell; the solid black mass had severely knocked the wind out of her, but she was ready regardless. Another powerful blast of magic, and she was in. Once again, she found herself in a tropical rainforest - although it was now dusk, rather than the middle of the night. This time, she knew that this scene wasn't a fabrication of his mind. She knew better now. This would be another memory. The shade provided by the upper canopies of the Vietnamese rainforest did nothing to prevent the sweltering humidity that rested over the accursed place. It was like walking under a thick, heavy electric blanket turned all the way up to the highest temperature setting and through a steam room all at once. Pair this with the weight you carried in your pack, along with your camouflage attire that seemed to get heavier with each step, and you find yourself willing to do anything to stop and rest. Toby's platoon had been marching for some time now - the third day of it, to be exact - and the target was still a two day's journey away. They had walked through these miserable conditions for about twelve hours now, with breaks scattered over two-hour intervals, and everyone was more than ready to collapse with exhaustion. Fortunately, their spirits were slightly lifted as the sun sank below the horizon, signaling the waning hour of their march was upon them. It was still hot as balls during the night, but monumentally less so than the day - but the only good thing about daylight in Vietnam was that you didn't have to worry about death lurking in the shadows - whether that be in the form of enemy-set booby-traps, killer wildlife, or another ambush. The whole platoon was still shaken by the prospect of the latter, even though the ambush that took Marcus's life as well as the lives of six others occurred before the march started. Evenings in Vietnam were the second-best time of day in Vietnam - the first being dawn - and the difference between the two was only separated by the waves of anxiety that would crash over you as the insidious rainforest around you fell into shadow. Unfortunately, Vietnam is patient. Leave your guard down for one second, and it lunges for your throat - in the case of Carter McGlaggen, his best friend of all time, it went for his ankles. They were picking their way to the base of a small waterfall that fell into a small pond. Magnus gave the order to drop their things, and a faint whoop went up among the troops. They instantly dropped their burdens and began setting up camp. "O'Leary! McGlaggen! Collins! Weber! You're all on firewood duty tonight!" Magnus ordered, and the subjects of it grumbled. Toby had been pulling out his tent canvas when the order had been called out, and inwardly groaned. He felt a hand clap on his shoulder, and Carter was there, sporting his signature stupid grin. Leave it to him to try and brighten up any situation. Toby wished he sported the same optimism. "At least we're in this together, eh, Toby?" his friend said cheerily. "I can't believe you have the energy to even talk like that," Toby grunted, but felt himself grin anyway as he pushed himself to his feet. The two friends pestered one another as they left the camp, followed closely by the other two comrades that had been ordered to go. "Listen, it's only firewood," Carter said in a bright tone. "Stop being so grumpy; together, we can do this!!" "You're a frickin' child, Carter, you know that?" Toby deadpanned, squatting down to pick up a large stick. "Besides, I don't see why we can't just use leaves or something." "I thought you were the smart one?" said a voice behind them, and Toby scowled at the offender - Sedgwick Weber, a sandy-haired, pudgy-faced man with broad shoulders. "Leaves burn faster than wood, and we need something to consistently burn to cook shit. Besides, Collier won't let us waste C4 or other stuff to cook, so this is what we got." "Fire makes us way easier to see if you're going to ambush us," Toby reasoned. Weber didn't reply, meaning he probably had nothing to argue that point right now. Ambushes were a touchy subject among their platoon. "Quit bickering," Carter groaned. "You're ruining my efforts." "Shut up, you," Toby laughed in spite of himself. "Just because YOU'RE cheery doesn't mean the rest of us can be." "Amen, man," Weber put in, and they all shared a good chuckle. The group collected sticks in silence for a while, trying to beat the dusk. When they felt they had met the proper quota, they began the return journey by retracing their steps to the best of their ability. "Man..." Carter said after a while, "I don't know what I'd do if I had no friends here. You're all keeping me sane." "Glad you think so," Toby grunted in reply. "I think I can agree with you there." "Well, you also have Marietta keeping you sane," Carter pressed playfully. "Shut up. I haven't gotten a letter from her in three weeks," Toby retorted. "I hope she's okay..." He watched subconsciously as they approached a branch from a bush that stuck out into their path. "Well, she's definitely better off there than here," Carter sighed. "Can't forget what happened three days ago..." Now Toby was looking intently at the branch as it drew closer. Was it just him, or did it look abnormally... tense? "Hey Carter, watch your feet," he said quietly. His friend clearly didn't hear him, and continued his monologue. "I mean, this place is freaking terrifying, man. I don't know any other place where - AUGH!!!" "CARTER!!" Toby bellowed as his friend disappeared into the treetops. The three left standing looked wildly around, crying out the name of their lost comrade. Over the next five seconds, disgusting sounds that Toby couldn't even explain resonated thickly through the trees, which forced upon him the unbearable, horrible truth that he had tried not to consider possible for as long as he had been with his best friend in this war. Carter was gone. All those years they had been together was now more than just a memory. He heard a strangled feminine sob, and he whirled around to find a strange creature standing there - a navy blue unicorn-pegasus combination with a starry mane complete with a image of the moon on her flank. She was kind of pretty for a horse... The scene faded around him, and everything came flooding back to him; landing in an alien world, being imprisoned, mistreated, and misunderstood... He was in the familiar darkness again. The last time he had been here, he had heard echoes of his father's voice - things the wretched man had said to him during his brief stay on Earth after the war. He was not alone, however - Luna was standing ten feet from him, her face soaked with tears. She glanced at him for a second, then looked away. "Toby... I - I had no idea... was it that bad?" she asked softly in a very thick voice. Before he could register his own emotions, Toby felt as if a geyser burst behind his eyes, and stooped over with his hands on his knees. How could he answer a question like that?? "W-Who was the poor human whom you lost??" Luna asked, clearly trying to reign herself in. Toby swallowed bitterly and sat down. He wiped his eyes and nose, trying to keep some dignity with the way he held himself - he was being a child! YOU'RE SUCH A CHILD, TOBY - GET YOURSELF TOGETHER, a voice boomed out of the darkness the instant he had thought it. It sounded almost exactly similar to his own... Luna looked around wildly, then at Toby. Suddenly, she recognized what was going on. "You aren't a child, Tobias. You are strong, stronger than I ever was - the fact that you managed to swallow the emotions regarding these horrible m-memories - that takes a level of moral fiber I have never seen before..." Toby didn't reply, he just sat there in silence. "... Toby...?" "Carter McGlaggen," Toby suddenly said. "Wh-What?" Luna stammered, taken aback. "I-I'm afraid I don't understand." "His name was Carter McGlaggen," Toby repeated. "The guy who was thrown into a tree... he was my best pal. Knew him for nineteen years before he - he..." His voice faltered. "Toby - I - I never knew," Luna sighed. "Nopony should ever have to go through that..." "Tch! Humans go through it all the time; what makes me so special??" Toby retorted nastily. Luna bit her lip. "I want to tell you that I know you are special, and have a purpose, but what good can I do if you don't believe me? I don't understand the things you have see, or have been put through, or anything like that - but I don't want to see you destroy yourself, like I did once..." "You're lying," Toby muttered, but Luna could hear the slight doubt in his voice. "Things didn't just always happen in the war - I did things, Luna, DID THINGS THAT I'LL REGRET UNTIL MY DYING DAY!!" Luna winced at the outburst, but then a sudden idea stuck her. "I too have a past I wish I could change, Toby," she said softly. Toby looked at her incredulously. "Wh-What? What are you talking about?" "Allow me to show you... and then you can understand that we aren't so different in many ways," Luna replied calmly, and the scene shifted once more as she lit up her horn. They were now standing in an old, ornate bedroom with a lunar-themed color scheme. A much younger-looking Luna lay huddled in the center of the room, sobbing her eyes out. It was a pitiful sight, but Toby recognized those kinds of sobs - heavy, hopeless - the feeling of being forsaken. "How long ago was this?" Toby asked, gazing directly at Luna's past self. "Just over a thousand years ago," Luna replied, and giggled slightly at the shocked squeak that escaped Toby's lips. "My sister, Celestia, was the prized possession of Equestria - and acted the part wholeheartedly. The citizens loved her so much that I was shunted aside, forgotten." Toby watched as an evil purple glow began to form around young Luna, growing stronger with each silent cry she let out. "So... what's this purple stuff?" he asked. "I will explain in a moment," Luna replied sadly, watching her former self's shuddering form. "I soon grew jealous of my sister; what was so great about the sun? Wasn't the moon a celestial body too?" "... I don't follow," Toby said quietly. Luna smiled for some reason. "I'm getting there. I wished for ponies to see me for what I was - a Princess, not a spare in case something were to happen to dear sister." Her past self went still as the purple aura that surrounded her receded into her very skin. She suddenly got to her hooves, a new expression making its way onto her face - hatred. Anger. She made her way to the door with an intense look on her face. "Wait - what's happening?" Toby asked, completely lost. "You still haven't told me what the purple stuff was." Luna's horn lit up again, and the scene changed to what Toby guessed was a throne room. "From my room, I came here," Luna said somberly. Past-Luna did indeed show up moments later. The scene that unfolded in front of Toby's very eyes awed him - Luna confronted her sister and transformed into a pony-monster with extreme power. The two began to duel, and the scene faded into darkness. "From that day forward, I was known as Nightmare Moon, the evil pony who wanted eternal night," Luna said sadly. "Sister banished me to the moon for one thousand years, and when I returned I was fortunate enough to be restored by Twilight Sparkle and her friends. It took a long time for me to be forgiven by my subjects; even longer for me to forgive myself." Toby didn't know what to think. For some strange reason, he wanted to believe her; perhaps it was because he finally found something in common with someone since the war had ended (if what Luna had told him was indeed true). However, he found himself doubting her regardless; after all, she had lied to him before. "This is a lot to take in," he muttered, rubbing his temples. "I am not asking you to believe me, Toby," Luna said in a somber, serene tone. "I just wanted to point out that nopony's perfect, no matter how badly they messed up - if they truly regret it, that is what matters." Toby looked up at her with a lost expression. "What do you mean?" "Once I realized that my friends and subjects have forgiven me, I learned something important. Even though I created a name that ponies all over would fear for a thousand years, that didn't define who I was - the real Luna - and I believe the same applies to you." "But - but - I killed people, Luna!!" Toby protested. "You don't understand - some of them were children - imagine how their families felt!! Imagine what lives they could have had!!" "Yes, Tobias, but just think!!" Luna protested. "Are you reveling in this or regretting??" Toby gave her a reproachful look and snapped, "Well, DUH!! I'm regretting th-" As soon as he said that, he froze, finally understanding Luna's point. "Do you want to heal, Toby?" Luna asked softly. "Y-Yeah, I do," Toby replied. "Then the first step to it is to forgive yourself," Luna advised in a consoling tone. "I must go... will you be alright?" "Y-Yeah," Toby stammered, and the lunar pony smiled. Her smile didn't last long before falling off of her face. "Toby, I'm sorry... I don't mean to press this, but I hope you forgive me for... you know." Toby's expression was blank. "... We'll see, Luna... there's a lot to process right now..." Luna nodded. "I understand. Please if you have any questions, don't be afraid to -" "Just one," Toby cut in, making Luna recoil ever so slightly. She instantly relaxed and nodded for him to continue. Taking a deep breath, he asked, "Are you really in love with me?" Whatever Luna had been expecting, it was not this. Her face felt uncomfortably warm as she stammered, "O-Oh! Erm - I-I'm afraid that - I don't -" She sighed. "I don't believe I do, Toby. I confess that I was only looking for an excuse for my unexpected tyrannical attitude towards you." "Alright. Thanks for being honest," the human replied. His expression was completely unreadable. "Er - yes, of course," Luna said with a smile, and approached the human. She embraced him warmly, a gesture of which he did not return. This stung a little bit, but she decided to brush it off. She released him and lit up her horn. She felt a sensation of being pulled out of a very confined space, and she was outside Toby's dream orb once more - although this time, she noticed a small difference. On the relentless, depressing black shell, there was a small stress crack. When Toby woke up, he felt slightly less heavy than he usually felt when waking up. This was an unusual difference, but there was something else on his mind, something that made him strangely uncomfortable. So she really doesn't love me. He thought that such a thing would put him in good spirits, but he felt a bit put out. Maybe it was the prospect of knowing that someone was attracted to him, but now was informed that it was not true. That was a typical psychological thing for humans; it usually boosted one's self esteem to know that someone else was attracted to them. No - knowing that Luna doesn't actually love him in that way was a good thing, period. But still... why was it bothering him so much?