//------------------------------//
// Chapter 115: See Saw of Emotions 
// Story: Marshmallow Dreams 
// by Halira 
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"About damn time," Yolanda muttered as Jonathan came into the living room. He was the last of the guests Phobia Remedy had said were coming, and the one that had the furthest to travel. 

Sunflower and I were on one couch. Phobia Remedy was on a couch by herself, as no one was eager to get close to the Warden of Fear, and she in turn wasn't eager to have anyone close to her. Yoland was standing in one corner, a cup of coffee in hand. Ashley was in another corner, levitating her own cup of coffee in front of her. There was a half-eaten chocolate cake with cream icing on the coffee table in front of me and Sunflower, along with a mostly empty glass of water. I'd offered to share, but no one had taken me up on the offer. I'd finish it later. 

Jonathan closed the door behind him. "Sorry, I was making some arrangements, and speaking to my parents about my immediate change in career path and dropping out of college. They were a little shocked."

Ashley set her coffee down on the floor. "Who is this guy and why do I care if he just dropped out of college?"

Phobia smiled and gestured at an open overstuffed chair. "Please, sit, Jonathan. Forgive Miss Santos for her rudeness. Ghadab is the one who recommended her services, and you have met my brother." She turned and looked at Ashley. "Miss Santos, this is Jonathan Dexter. You should get to know him better. If Sunflower does not end up becoming Dreamwarden, then you may have an option of alternative employment guarding Mister Dexter. The pay grade will be very high for being his bodyguard, higher than even Tempest's salary. We understand Jonathan's current bodyguard and Nightscape intend to withdraw from the bodyguard lifestyle once the selection has been made. We are offering the opportunity to guard Mister Dexter to those remaining bodyguards who might not have anyone to bodyguard anymore."

I waved both my forehooves. "Quick question that you are probably about to answer but I can't stand the suspense– why are they guarding Jonathan and why are they getting paid so much to do it?"

Sunflower's ears partially sagged. "Did you convince him not to quit and you're choosing him instead of one of us to be the heir?"

Phobia Remedy shook her head. "Jonathan, would you be so kind to inform the others of the job you were offered and accepted?"

Jonathan nodded. "I am to be the new head director of the OMMR."

We all gasped, aside from Phobia and Jonathan, and there were a few seconds of stunned silence. 

"But he's only eighteen and has no experience!" Yolanda said, gesturing at him. 

"I spent about a year on another world, even if it didn't seem to be much time at all for the rest of you. I am more technically nineteen. I also gained some skills directing forces on that other world," Jonathan replied. 

"He's still young and has never worked for the OMMR. Why are you giving him the director's seat?" Yolanda pressed.

"Because he is the first line of defense for whoever our new Dreamwarden is," Phobia Remedy explained, but not very clearly. I was still confused. 

Ashley sighed. "He's a red herring."

Sunflower gasped. "I get it. Psychic Calm is retiring, and when he retires, you suddenly appoint this person that seems like they have no business being in charge of the Dreamwardens' law enforcement division to the top seat. Everyone will assume he is the new Dreamwarden because that is the only thing that makes sense."

I raised a wing. "I was just about to say that– once I figured it out. I would have, in a second or two."

"I'm sure you would have, but Sunflower did beat you to it," Phobia Remedy said. 

"Point to me?" Sunflower said hopefully. 

"Oh, I don't do points. That is Ghadab and Yinyu's thing. Those two like to make everything a game, but it has no bearing on the final selection. I suppose it passes the time for them," Phobia said while rolling her eyes. 

"Well, there goes my understanding of how this selection process goes," I said dejectedly. 

Yolanda seemed to be considering. "So, mister serial killer here-"

"I'm not a serial killer," Jonathan said. 

She waved a hand at his face. "You look like a serial killer, and have you ever seen that old show called Dexter, Mister Dexter?"

Jonathan did a slight tilt of his head and shrugged. 

"I apologize for Yolanda's crass attitude," Phobia said.

Jonathan shrugged again. "I dealt with Blanche and Ulysses for a year. I'm used to it. I think I would feel like something was missing if I wasn't hearing insults tossed back and forth before bed. Last night was a struggle to fall asleep. I think she and I can get along, in time."

Yolanda clicked her tongue. "As I was saying, Dexter here is expected to run the OMMR despite not having any experience with the organization. Even if it is a big plan to make him look like the most poorly hidden secret Dreamwarden ever, won't it be bad for the OMMR to have some inexperienced prick who doesn't know what he's doing in charge?"

Ashley took a sip of her coffee and sat it down. "Because he won't be in charge. He'll be a figurehead. Somebody else will be in charge. The Dreamwardens aren't dumb enough to actually put him in charge."

"You are partially right," Phobia Remedy replied. "He will be a figurehead, to begin with. My brother, the Warden of Order, will be running things, as he has been. However, my brother will also be training Jonathan here on how to run things so he can eventually run them in truth. My brother has better things to do than to forever push papers. He has transformed the OMMR into an effective enforcement division that dictates how mind magic cases are handled in most nations from a ragtag group of agents who had to practically beg local law enforcement to allow them to assist with cases. Krik may have done most of the foundation, but the Warden of Order has greatly refined it. Jonathan simply needs to keep that ticking until the next Warden in that line comes along and evolves the OMMR to its next stage."

I frowned. "The next stage? That sounds kinda ominous. What's the next stage? Why does there need to be a next stage?"

Phobia climbed down from her couch and walked over to the glass case holding the old doll's dress, and she stared at it like it held all the answers in the world. 

"I tell you this not to scare you away, but to give you a grim reality. The Dreamwardens exist in a state of constant distress. It isn't active, more something that gnaws at the back of our minds, an unease we are never able to completely shake. We see into the minds of others, and we see danger. We see chaos that is always on the brink of breaking free and striking down this world or leaving it too fragmented and broken to defend itself against outside threats. We see these things, and we are powerless and helpless, for the Oaths confine us, and we can't warn of the dangers lurking in the shadows. In truth, dreams can lie, so we can never be sure of the true level of danger. We must be able to recognize the truth from fantasy. We must have a way of alerting others of the perils that are true. We need an accurate vision of the world, not merely shadows."

"You need a worldwide spy network that can put all other intelligence networks to shame," Jonathan concluded. 

Sunflower frowned, and I did too. I knew we were both thinking the same thing. Being a Drramwarden was invasive as it was. Dreamwardens watched everyone in their dreams, but at least the Oaths protected everyone from them using that information. Information learned in the physical world was not protected by those Oaths. Sure, governments did the same thing, but they were, well, governments, and people questioned the morality of that. The Dreamwardens could say, we're the good guys–  we're only doing this to help people, but didn't every government say the same thing? 

Phobia glanced at us and sighed. "I see you both have misgivings about the direction we wish to take this. You are not alone. This is something that the Dreamwardens are divided on as well, and considering the fact that it seems we are replacing one Dreamwarden with misgivings with another, we shall continue to be divided with what will assuredly be a split vote when it comes time to vote to go forward with it or not. We are not yet prepared to start looking into expanding our spy operations, and we won't be for many years yet. Jonathan's job will be to simply maintain and strengthen the OMMR's current enforcement operations and goodwill with law enforcement and military agencies. He will not be in charge of trying to advance a spy ring. All such decisions are settled by vote, and whoever gains Psychic Calm's position shall have their vote, and all six Dreamwardens will have their time to voice their opinions and arguments. We had previously employed the night ponies in a pseudo spy network, but as time goes on, their de facto allegiance to us wanes, particularly since every Dreamwarden that has been raised to replace another has come from outside the night pony tribe. They question our commitment to them, and so give less commitment to us. This has complicated what intelligence gathering we currently have. Not choosing night ponies helps build goodwill with the nations since night ponies are viewed as more likely to be authoritarian in their enforcement– a biased and unfair assessment, but every choice we make has consequences, and the slow loss of night pony devotion weakens us in our mission. You would not believe the number of severe mind magic abuses that went unreported to Princess Luna during her banishment to her moon because no one gave her any devotion."

"They aren't wrong about your habit of monologuing. I think I almost fell asleep there. So, if you're done assaulting us with words, can you tell me if guarding Dexter pays well?" Yolanda asked. 

"I prefer you just call me Jonathan," Jonathan said. 

"If I'm well paid, I'll call you whatever you want," Yolanda replied. "Except Daddy or any other innuendo. I do have some standards."

"I don't understand," Sunflower said, looking baffled by Yolanda's comment. 

I gave her my most dejected look– eyes downcast, wings dragging the ground (that takes work with my physique), tail limp between my legs. "I thought we did a better job corrupting you with college life. How did we fail so badly?"

Ashley shook her head  "It's hard to believe there can be anyone who can withstand the corrupting influence of dorm life. We should get her drunk."

"Hey! I've never been drunk," I said defensively. 

Ashley raised an eyebrow at me. "Seriously? I would have thought you could drink the way you eat. Hold on…that's your secret; you can down all that alcohol and just keep finding room for more, just like cake. But, out of honest curiosity, are you both alcohol virgins?"

"What's that mean?" Sunflower asked. "I've never had sex if you mean that. I didn't think you had either."

"I've had alcohol. I just don't care for it," I answered. 

Sunflower looks away shyly. "Um, I've been drunk, once. There was this big party back home and somebody spiked the punch. I had a lot of punch. My family thought it was hilarious. Oh no! Am I going to lose points for that?"

"Phobia said she doesn't do points," I reminded her.

"You two are about equal in the innocent department," Ashley chuckled. "One of you has never been drunk and the other doesn't have a dirty vocabulary past the elementary school level. Actually, Sunflower is much more innocent. Meadow wanted to be nice and wash both your beddings while you two were gone, and we found something special in Rebecca's pillowcase. Meadow about had a heart attack when she picked it up. Sunflower didn't have anything like that in her pillow. Rebecca is more corrupt."

Sunflower gasped. "It wasn't drugs, was it?"

Ashley gave her a flat look. "No, it was something she sticks in her marehood to imitate a hyperactive male appendage. It was big."

I turned pink. "Who all saw it?"

She gave me an evil look. "We all saw it. Nightscape was very impressed. Julie wondered how much of a workout it gave you and started looking up how many calories ponies can burn riding a-"

I sank off the couch to the floor between it and the coffee table and covered my head with my wings like I was a night pony. Well, I did briefly. I took a second to reach up and grab the remainder of the cake and began chowing down. 

I heard Phobia Remedy sigh. "On that note, Yolanda, to answer your question, it pays very well, better than what Tempest or Crystal are paid. You can discuss the exact figure with Crystal; Tempest doesn't pay attention to money. I doubt she knows exactly what she's paid. I don't know how much they're paid, only that it is considerably more than me. I believe it is a high six-figure yearly salary with full medical coverage. Unfortunately, there is no paid vacation time, no maternity leave, and no personal time. You work any leaves out with Jonathan. You also have to go through six months of training with Tempest as your instructor. The offer is the same for you, Ashley."

I heard the front door suddenly slam open and I peeked out from behind my wings. It was Tempest, and she looked distressed. She was holding a cell phone. 

"Phobia, you will want to take this call. There has been an incident with Moses, and he could be in trouble, but there are bigger issues than that."

"Close the door, put it on speaker. They may hear what is happening as long as they keep quiet," Phobia instructed as I fully lifted my head and exchanged a worried look with Sunflower. 

Tempest hit a button on the phone. "You're on speaker and she's here." I could hear What a Wonderful World playing loudly in the background over the speaker. 

"Dreamwarden, you need to get down here right now," the voice on the other line said, sounding near panic. "There's been an incident, an incident-on-top of an incident, and worse on top of that. We didn't know who else to call. This is so far beyond what any of us know how to handle."

Phobia's brow furrowed. "Has Moses's magic escalated? Has his range increased? What is going on, Falon?"

"His range is the same, I think," Falon said, highly agitated. "It is hard to tell, we know it gets worse when he is distressed. Our orderlies and a doctor got caught up in it, and one of the orderlies ended up having a fatal heart attack from what he must have seen. They knew the risks of getting too close to him, even more so when he is upset, but Ulga had fallen and injured herself, and someone had to go up to their floor to give her medical attention."

Phobia's ears sagged, as did mine and Sunflower's. Poor Moses. He didn't mean to hurt anyone.  He was just a kid who had virtually no control over his powers. It was understandable he was upset if his mother was injured. He was so young even a minor injury could freak him out. 

"That is unfortunate news. You have my condolences for your loss. I'm assuming you are calling me now to try to contain him, since he is likely even more upset than he was to begin with, knowing he may have indirectly killed someone," Phobia said calmly, but then her face hardened. "You should have called asking for my assistance before sending anyone up there. I could have helped calm him or gotten him out of there so you could safely attend to Ulga."

"THAT DOESN'T MATTER RIGHT NOW!" Falon screamed over the line. "What matters is that the rumors of his other reported magic are true! The orderly, who was dead, and still definitely dead, got back up and the body immediately requested to speak to you, in person, using a voice and accent that did not belong to that orderly. That thing is in there with Moses and Ulga now. My choices were to either call you or call the army. I'm calling you! I might still call the army!"

Phobia jumped down from the couch, flaring her wings. "I'm coming. Keep calm and attend to your other patients, and don't you dare get the military involved with this! I'm invoking my right as Dreamwarden to take care of a case where mind magic has been harmfully used and investigation of related crimes. He has also hijacked the mind of another individual. That the individual was deceased does not negate my jurisdiction. Expect me in ten minutes! Tempest, hang up."

Tempest hung up the phone. "One of these two young humans will have to give you a ride. Crystal is in no shape to drive."

Phobia looked back and forth between Jonathan and Yolanda. "Yolanda, want to make a quick thousand dollars?"

The girl pulled her keys out of her pocket, tossed them in the air, and caught them. "You speak my language. Call me Miss Uber!"

Phobia turned and looked at the rest of us. "All the rest of you are coming too. Jonathan, Ashley, and Yolanda can consider this an introduction to exotic OMMR cases, and the other two of you are still being tested. Do not make me delay getting there."

Time to go face a very sad and upset necromancer. It was probably safer than a bug monster or a shadow monster, and much more preferable to people discussing finding my toy. It was one thing if I'd been there to mitigate and laugh it off, but not being there for it somehow made it worse.

"Move it, Miss Riddle!" Tempest yelled when I hadn't already started heading to the car.