//------------------------------// // Chapter 10 : The Crazy Has Been Doubled // Story: My Little Marriage : Mary is a Mare // by MerlosTheMad //------------------------------// Thursday 6:09 PM It was a warm and sunny day. Outside of the kitchen window, birds that had not yet flown south for the winter hung around a bird feeder. Mary watched them placidly while stirring the crock pot of chili, thinking things over. Herbert and Agnes had not come back today, they had asked if they could. But...she wanted as many normal days to herself as she could manage. If they were here constantly, it would begin to feel to her as though she were an invalid. Not only that, but they had their store to watch. If they keep it closed up until winter, they have that much less business until spring! She shook her head and huffed while kneading her braid between two hooves, and began to pace around the kitchen tile. It was the first day she'd worn her braid since Monday, her hooves' strange ability made the task possible, if not overly simple. "MooOoom." Annalise's voice called out from somewhere in the house, indicating she had arrived home again from dance practice. Bobby had been in the house for some while now, he didn't do anything after school. Mary's son was merely up in his room with the music going... She clearly heard the back door shut behind her daughter's approach. Oh no, Anna's home, what am I in for now? Mary thought dourly. On instinct, her eyes were drawn down to her pink bow ridden tail, which her daughter had had a field day on as soon as she'd gotten home from school. Well, you let her do it, Mary. Despite the affrontingly pink thing she was staring at, her smile was big enough to crease her face. It wasn't that often her daughter took such a big interest with her. She leaned on the counter to sigh and stare out at the birds again. She's so young still too, am I really that boring? The thought was sobering, neither of her kids had ever paid her much mind. There's some time before she completely outgrows me though, like Bobby... "Mooom, where are you?" Footsteps charging through the house let Mary pick out just where her daughter was. The powers that be send that she never starts acting like him though, yeesh. Is she running through the living room again? Mary's ears swiveled behind her before the rest of her could, they faced out of the room. "I'm in the kitchen! And Anna don't you run through there, if you tripped into the antiques you'd break every single one and yourself." It was a positive of her predicament—if a small one which she only grudgingly accepted—that her ears were a great deal better at hearing things these days. At the moment, however, she was also experiencing her most disliked negative of the body's condition, aside from actually looking like a pony that is... Mary stood facing out of the kitchen standing on just two hooves, her arms—because that IS what they were—propped on her hips in usual chastising fashion. The problem was just how difficult her favorite, disapproving stance had become. Leaning on the counter behind her provided the necessary support she needed to not waver, at least. Anna charged into the kitchen, smiling and giggling, and halted immediately at the familiar sight of her mother, standing in what she had long since identified as a dangerous battle stance... Mary almost allowed herself a congratulatory smirk. Hah, still got it. Momentary stares between mother and daughter waged war amongst the kitchen's atmosphere. Then, her daughter sprang forward in a classic, and smooth counter attack. Anna feigned blatant ignorance and purposely failed to respond to Mary's warning to not run. She charged into the kitchen after that brief pause, smile replastered to her face. "Hey, easy Anna I'm cooking in here!" Mary called in warning. One of her hooves had to abandon its station and again support her from the counter top. "Momomomom!" Anna jumped up and down gleefully with double fistfuls of her apron. Begrudgingly, Mary admitted to herself that she'd lost this round already. "Yesyes! What is it Anna? Calm down you, what's the commotion for!?" Her own smile flew at full mast as she tried to calm her little girl down. Honestly, you'd think she hadn't seen me in months or something. Anna ceased her bouncing and put on a confused expression. "Oh, I dunno. Just glad to be home, I guess!" She chirped merrily. The pony rolled her eyes, unsurprised by her daughter's silliness. "Sooo," Mary began, "how was practice? Are you ready for your recital on Saturday? You're still going...?" "Oh yeah, I'm gonna finish still. I... haven't made up my mind if I'm staying in. I mean, karate just sounds so cool..." Anna scratched a hand behind her head absently, ruffling her brown hair. "Anyway, will you still be able to go Saturday? Please Mom!?" Mary frowned slightly. "That might be asking for a bit much, Anna. I know I promised to go, but we talked about this already yesterday, people can't know about-" she trailed off slowly from explaining her situation again. Her daughter's attention had noticeably shifted rather dramatically to something else... Anna's nose wrinkled as she visibly caught wind of the cooking smells in the room. Mary raised her eyebrow bemusedly and suppressed a smirk at the cuteness of it. "Oooh wow, is that chili!?" Anna asked, a smile creeping onto her face. A wave of steam curled out from under the lid of the cooking pot as Anna lifted it. "Is it ready!?" She looked over, big round eyes meeting Mary's own, even larger peepers. Hers weren't quite in the same state of shocked jubilance, though. "Yep, and yes it is," Mary confirmed, chuckling slightly. "It's yours and Dad's favorite, 'extraextra' mushrooms. It... wasn't easy to make admittedly... but..." In her head, she pushed the images of spilled tomato sauce and beans away fiercely. I'll have to see if we can get an automatic can opener, she reflected back. That whole tribulation wasn't pleasant at all. Despite the issues Mary had experienced, the chili was ready, and after being set up and cooked for much of the afternoon. "Well, never mind that, Anna. Here you are, don't eat it right away now, it's hot." She began ladling a portion out for Anna, who was obviously hungry, and who would no doubt want some immediately. "Whoa, Mom, how are you doing that?" Anna's eyes had become glued to Mary's hoof as she took the bowl from her, then set it on the counter. The nine year old's eyes were somehow wider than even before from sheer amazement. "Hm?" Mary looked down, then spotted what her daughter was talking about. "Oh, it's nothing, really." Sheepishly, she hid the offending limb behind her back, along with the spoon which seemed stuck to it solidly. The day before had shown her a couple more interesting things which she had to learn about herself and the changes she faced... The other big one from yesterday had been... Mary shuddered at the thought of it, the memory of the grass growing up around her was unsettling. At least it had stopped after she screamed, and hadn't happened since. That whole day had just been bad, but that made it downright scary. "Well I think it's cooool." Anna poked at the spoon and Mary's hoof behind her back, she'd moved quick enough that the pony was taken by surprise. The wooden spoon clattered to the floor. Mary spun around, keeping another hoof on the kitchen counter. Anna gasped and took a few steps to get out of the away. By the counter, Mary spun too quickly. She faced Anna now, who was already holding the spoon up for her to see, but behind her a waterfall of chili poured out of the bowl. Her hoof had planted right in the very middle of it trying to catch herself. The spicy food gooped its way over the kitchen tile like a small tub of gack. "Oh..." Anna began again. "Sorry, Mom, geez..." Her eyes traced the outline of the former dinner and looked up worriedly at her mother. "Nono, it's alright!" Mary looked frantically around for the paper towels, and she would need another spoon to scoop the chili back into the bowl and... She let out a defeated sigh. "Could you help me with this, Anna? I'm sorry, that was my fault; stuff's just a little harder to do because of, well you know. Just scoop that up and put it in the bowl, Anna. We'll clean this, and then I'll get you another serving." "Uhm, Mom?" Anna began, her mother was busy grabbing the paper towel roll by the kitchen sink. "Yes, Sweetie?" Mary responded, rinsing her own hoof off in the sink, first. "Eeeh, you just dragged your tail through my dinner." Anna grinned up at the ceiling innocently, trying not to giggle uncontrollably at watching her mom walk around. The pink bows were still there too, she had noticed. Mary craned her head around to see a trail of chili dragged across the floor. Her eyes and expression narrowed. Consarn it. Stan blew carefully on the spoon full of the delicious morsel his wife had cooked, it had surprised him to say the least, finding dinner all set and ready to go after getting home with Anna. It tasted delicious as always too. It would be rude to say, but he was glad her cooking finesse hadn't been effected by the change. He allowed himself the guilty thought, if only because she was so incredible at it. A fact Dan reminded him of every chance he got at work. After sharing food with him at the office, once, Stan had made sure to never do so again, or even mention Mary. To do so was an invitation for some comment or smart remark from him. It was best to keep Dan's means of making those to a minimum. I'd hate to hear what he would have to say with Mary the way she is now for that matter- "Like it?" Mary was seated across from him, one of her hooves daintily holding up her own silverware...somehow. And how she managed to appear dainty at all he couldn't rightly explain, either. That had been a strange thing to accept, the hoof thing. Whatever it was, it worked like magic...and that wasn't even taking the other magic into consideration. Stan rubbed his hand over his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in thought. He thought back to when Mary had told him about what had happened after she'd dropped Bobby off. The story with the grass, that had been hard to accept. Mary sighed and stared across the table at her husband, who was doing whatever it was he does when thinking. She tinged her spoon on his bowl, reaching across the table to do so. "Hey, Earth to Stan." The noise snapped Stan's attention back to the here. "Oh, sorry Mar. My day was great, how about yours?" "...I asked how the food was, Stan." Mary's attempt at a deadpan became a smirk when he blinked in disbelief at her. "Oh, oh! It's delicious, mmm, you've definitely still got it Mar, that is to say..." Stan coughed into his fist and eagerly took another bite of his food. Mary hummed thoughtfully, her eyes locked with the bowl in front of him. "About Bobby..." Her husband looked up at her absently. "Mm, never mind." "Yeah?" Stan watched her with a concerned look, while Mary replayed the quiet drive home which she had shared with Herbert, in her mind's eye. "No, Dad! Wow, don't even joke about that, I have enough on my plate as it is." Beside her, Herbert laughed uncontrollably. Mary had her hooves crossed and a scowl firmly set at the car's driver. "Well, crime fighting is a big decision. You should really consider being called the green thumb though, I think the irony would keep your villains from reacting right away in a fight." He laughed until the last streetlight to Mary's house turned green, at which point he merely grinned, waiting for his daughter-in-law's response. After he made the last turn, and she still hadn't answered, he looked over at her from the corner of his eye, slightly worried. She was looking pointedly out the window, her mane was still a mess from the lack of a morning routine... I wonder, should I think of it as hair or a mane? Hmm... Mary spoke while he was considering the conundrum carefully. "Look Herbert, don't tell Stan about... about what Bobby said? It's..." Mary slouched more in the car's side seat, it wasn't a very comfortable seat for her any longer. Beyond that, her son's words still stung, making the position feel appropriate. "I just don't think it will help anything, especially since he'll be away this weekend. He needs to focus on his job." Her voice was tired sounding. Beside her, Herbert merely flattened his expression and kept his eyes on the road. "I thought you might decide on that approach." The old man scrubbed a hand over his unshaven white stubble. "Bobby's a kid Mary, he won't be happy no matter what you do. Don't let him scare you off, he needs authority." "Maybe... I mean I know, I just... for now at least I'll back off a lot." She sighed, and propped her head up with a hoof to look out the car window. I miss having palms, this is way less comfortable. Her fingers would have been tapping irritably right now if she still had them. "Maybe leave him alone for just a month, I dunno, I need time to think about things." While talking she held her other leg in front of her, its orange fur and hoof a constant reminder that things were complicated. Mary looked up from the bowl of chili at Stan. "Well, Bobby didn't take... me that well, when we showed him yesterday. I told you about that." Her husband nodded, and waited for her to continue. "I guess we should..." It wasn't easy trying to come up with a way to put her worries to rest. Stan picked up from where she trailed off. "We'll do things however you want Mar, you've been close to him his whole life. I agree with what you said last week, you should know best, if you're up for it of course." He gave a brief frowning nod to her hooves indicating what he meant. "Yeah..." Mary said doubtfully. I hope I really do, she thought, once more in the present. Or this could be a mistake... How much trouble could he get in though, really. Other than school...and a few other things... He's been fine...ish. "You look deep in thought, love." Stan was frowning at her slightly, balancing a spoonful of chili over his bowl absently. "Should I be worried?" Everything will be fine... Mary thought confidently. It's like Agnes said, he'll learn the hard way, eventually. "Ooh, just thinking about how I'm going to manage to cut your hair for this weekend, is all. Today's that time of the month for you, isn't it?" She grinned maniacally at Stan and waved a hoof at him. It was his one weekend a month this weekend, and like the trial, it wasn't something he could miss. Stan choked on his food laughing, then cleared his throat. "Yeah, that's certainly one way of putting it, dear." He gave her an incredulous look while shaking his head. Mary hmmed and tilted her head innocently. "Will you be fine, by the way? For the whole weekend...? We could ask Agnes if she would stay over here, certainly..." Mary had of course kept the worry of being home alone with the kids all weekend to herself. Stan wasn't blind though, he'd picked up on it. But she'd be perfectly alright, she wasn't helpless. Maybe his folks could stay over after they closed up the store, though... "I'll call them if I need to Stan. Actually, I've figured out it's pretty hard to do that, use the phone I mean. You should probably buy me one of those speaker phones with the giant buttons..." She did her best to keep her tone chipper, but talking about making preparations to stay like this...a strange miniature pony, was never something easy. Her husband nodded weakly, giving her a consoling look as well. A strange thought occurred to Mary. I wonder if I'm the only one? For some reason, she got the feeling there should be others. But that didn't make any sense... nor did the feeling that she didn't belong inside the house for that matter. She'd been getting that one since the day before. I felt so in my element outside, it felt great. Other than being terrified by the crazy grass thing... This whole unexplained phenomena deal has me on such an edge. Her hoof began to tap on the side of the table as her mind wandered towards the strange. And then the strangest. Stan watched her intently, waiting for whatever it was she was thinking to be spoken. "Think I should talk to Marge, Stan? I haven't heard from her since I called her a few days ago..." Mary stared pensively at the empty bowl of chili in front of her, she'd made her own portion separate, without telling anyone. The steak from the other night before last...had its consequences. So her food didn't have any meat in it, if she was right, then that was what had been responsible. "I still think it's a bad idea to include her, Mar." He rolled his eyes and leaned back in the chair, making no secret of his opinion of the woman. "She's not a bad old gal, Stan! I mean, you like Mitch and they both get along great. Sure Marge is a little strange... but they're good people." Mary nabbed the bowl of chili from in front of him, and carried it away. "Hey, I wasn't done with that, thief." Stan frowned and stated in protest of the action. "Oh? My mistake..." Mary held the bowl along with hers in the crook of one front leg. Walking on three hooves was still a great deal easier than two, especially while wearing her bathrobe. "Mary, I never said they weren't good people. Marge is just a fruit, and do you really think she knows anything about this to begin with?" Stan followed his wife into the kitchen, bringing some of the other things from the table to help out and make things easier. "No, not really, but I didn't even tell her or show her what the issue is Stan, so it can't hurt. We're certainly no experts, you know? Any help I can get... I'll take it." While speaking to Stan over her shoulder, Mary stood up next to the counter with her free hoof hooked into the sink, and carefully deposited the bowls into it. The cups and silverware followed the two ceramic containers after he walked up beside her. "I know," he replied calmly. Standing up, Mary wasn't much shorter than she had been, but it was a little noticeable. One big hand rested on her shoulders in a comforting fashion. "We'll get that help, too, if it's there... You're doing alright, by the way, right Mar?" Mary huffed a sigh in response and nodded a few times. "Yeah, yeah, I'm in good spirits, I guess. Other than Anna still expecting me to go to her recital like everything is normal, or Bobby fainting at the sight of me. Perfectly peachy." Stan laughed and shook his head at the notion of six foot Bobby fainting. "Well, you could probably still go." Mary looked over at her husband like he was crazy. "No, I mean it, not in the theater maybe, but you could just use a video call on yours and Agnes' cellphone." He flourished his hands and raised his eyebrows to mock her, as if he had just arrived at the conclusion and had an epiphany. "This is 2023 you know, we live in the future." That...isn't that bad of an idea, actually. Mary thought. It isn't perfect, but Anna would be happy, I bet. Wait a sec... She tapped a hoof on her husband's chest, realizing something herself. "Hey, just where is my cell phone?" Stan looked around himself for a moment, then shrugged. "A better question is when are you taking those ribbons out of your...tail." He quirked an eyebrow at the offending topic. "Oh well, you know, I'll get around to it..." Mary hid the tail further under her robe, thinking of a better explanation wasn't easy. Time for a distraction. "I'm gonnaaaa, go look in the living room? It might be in there." She took a few stumbling steps out of the kitchen, then huffed and grudgingly dropping to all fours to canter away in hasty retreat. Wherever her cell phone was, it must be dead, because after calling it and walking around the entire house three times Mary couldn't find the darned thing. "Hold still darnit! This is a lot trickier with these big clunky things." Mary had her tongue stuck out slightly in concentration. Under her careful hooves, Stan gritted his teeth, praying that his wife wouldn't nick him with the barber's tools she now wielded. "Sorry, you make me nervous is all. I could still just go into town you know, it's not too-" A clump of his red hair fell onto the towel wrapped around himself. "late..." He watched the orange pony standing beside him wearily. Mary clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "I've got this, don't you worry." Stan grunted in response, and tried not to think about the fact that his wife could barely stand straight, let alone maneuver the clippers well. "So...you're sure that you're alright with me being gone? I dunno how, but maybe we could bribe a doctor to diagnose you with something for- gah!" "Mmm, hold still." Mary droned, busy concentrating on her usual monthly husband hair trimming task. He had already shaved his beard again. "I really can't get in the way of you and the Manticores, Stan." She said the name of his guard unit with a slight twist, hinting at mockery. It is a silly name, though. "Also, you know it wouldn't be good to lie, Stan. If this really does need to come out into the open sometime... well, we should just keep it as quiet as possible and come clea-" "Mary, I don't like that idea- ow. Darni-" Stan was only just able to resist flinching from the pinching that the clippers caused. "Hold still; well why not?" Mary asked plainly. "We haven't done anything wrong, I just... turned into a colorful pony somehow." Her expression went from exasperated to dour as she replayed her own words through her head. Cynicism aside, it wasn't a helpful statement for her case at all. When Stan said nothing, she tread forward. "Look, in the end it should be up to me right? Anyway I think we're getting ahead of ourselves. I'm still kind of banking on this actually being a glitch in the Matrix, and any day now Keanu Reeves is going to smash through our window and whisk me away!" "...What? Ow!-" Stan did flinch that time, but an orange hoof pulled his head back to its prior position. "Hold still, I'm almost done." Mary smirked to herself for successfully ruffling his feathers. "Aaaand, done. Go brush all that off and shower, you." She pulled the towel off of her husband as he stood, and smacked his bottom to usher him on. Stan craned his head around while slowly leaving the room, a look consternation set in cement on his face. He carefully watched his orange wife trying to hold back her giggling. Okay... what's gotten into her? he thought. The rest of the night wasn't very eventful. Stan at one point, yelled at Bobby to "shut off that racket", and Mary spoke with Agnes on the phone with help from Stan. It was an easy day, one that had helped the poor mare to build up some resilience, despite everything. Mary ran through the long hallway as though her life depended on it, for it may very well. The luminescent glow of the lights overhead played across her face in spurts and spans. The mix of white and black in the corridor forced her to hold her eyes shut every time she passed a new set. What now? The thoughts she could entertain in this nightmare were few, she just knew she had to run. Her footsteps made dull slapping noises on the tile floor, the walls and doorways flanking either side of her threw the noise back tenfold, echoing in her ears. Where am I? Despite the dream-wrought thought, she couldn't recognize her surroundings, nor could she stop. Something was chasing her. For a brief time, all noise ceased in the hall. Her footsteps became quiet all of a sudden, but Mary was still running. The cool white walls were gone without warning, replaced instead by a grisly metal. The thick feeling her hooves made on the brick covered ground was unmistakable. Her feet were gone, she wasn't Mary Morris any longer, she didn't know what she was, just an animal. No. Nonono! The breaths she struggled to take became labored, her sense of urgency increasing the more these oppressive surroundings were even around her. No! This isn't me, why did this happen? Why did it even happen to me? WHY ME!? More hallways and intersections and stairwells began to show up everywhere, narrow shadowed things. Where ever Mary looked, there were paths to take, but no answers to her questions. She skidded to a halt at one such crossing only to look, terror-ridden, from corridor to corridor. No one direction looked like any better a choice than the next, even the dim path she'd been on only seemed to get darker. I ca- I can't do this. Her multicolored head felt heavy, and she let it hang in defeat. The four hooves she'd been cursed with stood solemnly beneath her, a little dirty, and completely out of place. ...There were shouts behind her. Her ears and head picked themselves up, and she ran on pure instinct. The orange mare, on the run and fearful of everything, looked behind herself in horror. The corn stalks from the town's countryside rose up on high and towered over her on all sides. In the distance—shrouded in the gloomy midnight air—the flickering of torchlight crested the nearest hillside down the wagon trail. You've got to be kidding me. Everyone from town was in the mob. Mary could see Faith and her posse, Marge and Mitch... Her hooves felt heavy in the thick mud, it slowed her more and more, as if the land itself were her enemy and wanted her caught. There was Father Conrad... that jerk Deputy, Dan... Mary could even see Agnes and Herbert. "Stop! It's me!" she cried behind herself and spun around to face them, only to break back into the clumsy gallop in the other direction. "Guys, stop it! Please, I'm scared I- I know I look different, but it's me! I swear to God!" They didn't listen though, they seemed to only gain on her. Their snarls and curses were prolific and hateful, scathing and acidic. She spared another look behind herself. At the front of the mob, Mary saw her husband, walking solemnly, but staying in the lead. Beside him, was Bobby, too; grim faced and with dark rings under his eyes. That was all Mary could handle. She tripped on her unfamiliar legs. Gasping, she stumbled muzzle first into the slick ground. "Ahha, no-" She coughed and choked, sobbing. A downpour began to fall from the sky, and her fur became matted from the damp. "Please! Stop it!" She raised her head and shouted to her pursuers. There was no way for her to tell if she was actually crying, or if it was the rain that crashed around her. The dark shapes of everyone were suddenly around her; they all cast shadows from their torches. One by one the lights extinguished slowly. The tallest shape amongst them took a step forward; it was Stan. Mary looked up at her husband. "Baby... please, tell them! Tell them I'm me! I just need help." Her voice was a whimper, barely audible over the rumbling thunder. Her husband leaned down on hands and knees to bring his face down to Mary, he opened his mouth to speak and... Mary blinked, her eyes were clear suddenly, the sky was bright and sun filled mysteriously. "Huh?" Everyone was gone. As were the corn stalks, the hallways before that... suddenly her mind felt as though it were in perfect clarity. One of her hooves reached up to wipe away her tears, to fix her hair. But the tears and rain were gone, her blue and cream colored locks in a neat braid. Mary realized she had been dreaming. Still, despite that, everything, even the ground felt so real now. A light breeze swayed the grass and meadow weeds around her. "Where am I?" She asked the wind. "You're in a dream, of course. Although it had been a nightmare, of the worst kind as well from what we could tell. We apologize for not helping sooner... it is... difficult to enter your dreams." Majestic, that was one word that came to mind when Mary looked at the creature before her. "Are you well now? The atmosphere was easy enough to clear up." The horse sat gracefully and gestured up at the sky with one fore hoof. "Your mind however, was a little flustered, we did what we could." The smile she gave was warm and motherly. She... looked just like Mary—the sparkly maned myth in front of Mary sounded like a she, anyway. Although, her body was much bigger and had of all things...wings and a horn. Mary could only stare, she knew her mouth was hanging open, but she had no desire or even thought to close it. The midnight blue...unicorn's expression slowly became questioning, and then worrisome. It did seem as if she was waiting for Mary to speak. "Are you... well?" The winged unicorn leaned out and pawed one of her hooves in Mary's direction. "We don't mean to pry, my subject... but, what were those creatures chasing you? You need not worry; they're gone now, your Princess has-" "What are you? Or should I be asking who are you? Hah," Mary interjected, smiling peculiarly. She stood up quickly and walked around the tall shape, her eyes spotted the twinkling in her hair and stared. Princess? she wondered at the title briefly, then noticed the tall horse-thing was wearing some silly looking regalia and jewelry. Mary shook her head. Wow. This is the scariest... weirdest dream I've ever had. Maybe I should see a shrink... While thinking, she glanced at herself, and was happy to see she had her bathrobe on after all. The tall horse put on a very indignant look and peered down her nose at Mary, who had gone back to watching the sparkly hair. "Do you know not who we are?" the horse asked her. Meanwhile, all around the wind gusted the hypnotic creature's mane and the surrounding wheat; it was like nature itself was trying to show off. "Nuh uh, should I?" Mary curtly and sarcastically responded. She continued to stare openly, her gaze still mesmerized by the constellation filled hair. Pretty... they look like stars. The horse-thing stuttered for a moment. "How is that even...? That is no way to address-!" Her dream trailed off, then the expression she wore became sad and worried again. "We are a Princess of Equestria, to put it simply. Our name, is Luna." After turning to face Mary—who had paced around her twice by now—she smiled again and held out a hoof to her. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms...?" Mary stared at the offer in surprise, before blinking a few times and dumbly holding her own out. Luna wrapped the end of her leg around the returned gesture and shook it once. It felt very natural. The orange mare stared dumbfounded at her hoof until a cough broke her out of the dreamy trance. "Oh!" Luna was watching her calmly. "Uhm, I'm...Mary." She couldn't put her finger on it, but something made her feel a sense of awe towards this Luna person. That crazy hair, maybe? The more she was there, the more inferior Mary felt. The midnight blue apparition had to be at least a foot taller than her, perhaps that was it. "It is good to meet you Ms. Mary." Luna gave her a slight nod of her head, which Mary jerkily returned. This is so weird, everything seems so real... Mary grimaced slightly at the ground in response to the deja vu. "Is everything alright?" Luna caught Mary's attention, who had also begun to pace again. She looked up at the winged unicorn's scrutinizing expression. "Are you...really talking to me?" "We do not understand. What do you mean Ms. Mary?" One of Luna's eye brow raised up at her. "You're a dream, this is a dream. I was just being chased by a mob I- Oh geez...I just want to wake up." Her hooves pressed into her forehead in defeat. She took in a deep breath and tried to focus on feeling the sheets and the bed beside her, for Stan beside her. She felt...the comforting warmth of a blanket. "Huh? WAA!" Mary reeled towards where Luna had been. She skidded up to two hooves from the speed of her retreat. There had been...Luna had had her wing across her back. The dream named Luna gave her a sorrowful look in return to the panting Mary. "We are sorry, it is obvious you have been through a lot, we only wish to help, my little pony. Rest assured though, we are the true Princess of the Night. We are no mere apparition or night haunt, and we are here to help you with your troubles, whatever they may be." Her wings flapped once absently and ruffled themselves before settling. "Ooookay..." Mary's mind wasn't in its best form, but she did her best to try piece together what she was experiencing. My mind is coming up with some crazy stuff as a result of this pony business. Oh my gosh maybe it was all just a crazy dream!? I just need to wake up now and... She began hitting her left hoof furiously with her right. "...Mary what art thou doing? We understand this is a dream but-" Luna scratched a hoof behind her head, confused at the sight—Mary interrupted her. "Why do you talk like that?" The orange mare struck herself one last time. Drat, still stuck here... She looked up at Luna skeptically. There's no way this is real too, is there? "Hm, it is simply Royal tradition, my little pony. While we do scorn the use of the Royal Canterlot voice with our subjects and their modern ways, we do prefer to speakest Royally still. But if you would like... I could speak more normally, as a favor." Mary had deadpanned at the onset of her explanation, but the woman... or horse, whatever, was very sincere and calming. Not to mention nice. "Uhm, that'd be great, Luna...heh." She gulped uncertainly. Why am I so nervous, it's just a dream, isn't it? Mary reminded herself of how terrified she had been just a short few moments ago before her rescue. A shudder came at the memory. "Well, I appreciate the offer...your highness, heh, but I just want to wake up now. There's nothing bugging me, really. Sooo, I'm just going to try and do that now, wake up I mean." Her hoof came up again, prepared to make the attempt to wake herself once more. "I... see, I must apologize then, I had thought you were in mortal distress. Hm, I must be out of practice I suppose..." Luna winced as Mary struck herself across the face, once, then twice. "Ah! Please Ms. Mary, allow me? I shall alleviate you of the painful memory of your nightmare." The fantasy horse gave Mary a motherly smile again, and the horn atop her regal head began to glow. Mary ceased her barrage, which irritatingly inflicted no pain...and her mouth again fell open in amazement at the light show which had begun before her. Weirdest dream ever. Another thought also came to her right after the last. "Oh by the way, it's Mrs. not Ms." The weird blue horse blinked, then nodded appreciatively. "I should have guessed that, Mrs. Mary. May green fields and cool water always be yours, and congratulations!" The midnight blue pony grinned happily and waved goodbye. A cool light enveloped Mary's vision suddenly, interrupting her attempt at understanding what Luna had meant. "Hey, wait, what's going-" "-ON!?" Mary gasped and sat up out of the bed. Her crazed stare leaped across the room in every direction, her left hoof scrambling to find Stan. It plonked on his behind, causing him to growl protest in his sleep loudly. The alarm clock was blaring into the bedroom from beside her, yelling its morning ritual faithfully. It was Friday. She shuddered and the breath that she had held finally made it out of her. An orange hoof thumped the over sized button atop the alarm clock, she stared at the stump briefly, wonderingly... Yeah, if anyone ever knew about these dreams, they'd think I was on drugs for sure, alright. Uggh... Well, at least...I found something normal to be thankful for. Her gaze switched from her limb to her husband. "Hey Stan, I can still hit the alarm button without a hitch." She smiled through the fading haze of sleep at him, but, no answer came. Stan snored softly from where he lay dormant. Mary sighed, then scooted backwards on her rump to lean against the bed's headboard. Her front legs crossed in front of her and she drew one side of her face down in a thoughtful frown. It was that voice again, I just know it...I'd forgotten completely about it. Just what is that voice? She could only remember bits and pieces, but they were vivid...and terrifying. That voice had been...friendly sounding though. Why the idea that the voice had been something other than just her own conscious was even there, was surprising. Even with as real as it sounded. "H-hey, Stan? Wake up?" She nudged him softly, and heard a mumble in response. "I-I... know this is going to sound nuts... but, I think... I spoke to God in my sleep?" She said questioningly, as if testing the words for herself. They didn't sound right, it was probably just a dream, a really crazy one, crazy like everything else lately. "Anyway, wake up, I wanted to tell you since it isn't the craziest thing to consider since this all started. Speaking of which... thanks again for being there for me and-" A loud, long snore from Stan cut Mary off, and made her look up angrily; the snore had made Stan sound like he was getting ready to hock a loogie. "Eew, gross," Mary complained, and cringed back, then pushed him over the side of the bed with both hooves.