Princess Luna pondered her gambit. So far, everything was going off without a hitch. Her testing facility, Mustang Springs Orphanage, was an ideal place to try new methods. During the week prior to Noctilucent’s arrival, she had seeded their dreams with soothing images of blue and white, inspiring feelings of trust, safety, and security associated with all things blue and white, and a certain number of triggers. She had done similar preparation with Noctilucent while he slumbered in the hospital.
Her attention drifted slightly. Her physical body was asleep in Canterlot at the moment, sleeping the day away. Part of her manifested essence was dealing with another suicide survivor, presenting a very realistic projection of reality to them, standing watch in their hospital room, comforting them and letting them know that their life was going to change. Another part of her manifested essence was in Las Pegasus, watching and waiting for a troubled soul nearing the end of their rope. It wouldn’t be long now.
And during all of this, she was in the minds of thousands of dreamers, all of whom were sleeping during the day. In particular though, she focused on the many minds of Mustang Springs Orphanage, the minds that she was currently the most interested in. Even Princess Luna had hobbies.
She was so close to some small measure of success. It wasn’t a major victory in the war on poor mental health, but it was a powerful step in the right direction. Noctilucent and the foals were reacting better than Luna’s wildest expectations.
She shifted through his troubled mind, his body lying in his bed, taking a well deserved afternoon nap. The images of the morning were fresh, and Luna stumbled into a particularly bad situation as she peered into the memory of the foal and the poo-bomb. She was immediately filled with regret, now experiencing everything that Noctilucent had endured. Even in dreams, it was gag inducing. She pushed past all of that however, and dug deeper. She liked what she saw, and the results were highly unexpected. All of her triggers and implanted suggestions had produced a powerful bond with the foal. The foal was an anomaly. It had not been accounted for in the slightest. Sure, Luna knew that new foals would be delivered to the orphanage, but nothing had been specifically planned with this particular foal.
Noctilucent’s reaction had been almost too perfect. Quite without meaning to, Luna had triggered the powerful bonding agents of new fathers, and Noctilucent was deep within the throes of falling in love with his new charge as though it was his own flesh and blood. With every sniff, every kiss, every touch, Noctilucent was causing the chemical and emotional triggers of his brain to work overtime and create a powerful paternal bond with the foal he so loved. She would have to make sure she took long term precautions for Noctilucent’s own safety, and place spells of deterrence on the foal so potential adopters would not develop interest. She wanted this powerful sense of bonding to take place with the other orphans. While something was happening, it was not the full result she was looking for.
As she poked and prodded through the sleeping minds of Mustang Springs Orphanage, Luna began to realise that stronger measures might be needed at some point, and she began to think about various triggers and bonding agents that she could implement.
Sensing trouble, a part of her will broke free and a new portion of manifested essence took shape, now standing watch over a troubled soul in Manehatten, who had just awoken from a troubling dream about leaping from a window. If he tried anything, she would be prepared.
Fascinated with Noctilucent’s dreaming mind, Luna decided to drop in for a visit and see how Noctilucent was adjusting to his new life.
The barn was large and yellow. Of course, Noctilucent had no idea why he was in the countryside or why the barn was yellow. Neither did Princess Luna. Dreams were quirky things sometimes. She manifested next to the blue and white dappled stallion reclining on a haystack.
“Hello,” Princess Luna greeted.
Noctilucent looked at her, his eyes flashing with so many emotions. The stallion was supine on his back, and had been watching the clouds. He was also visibly aroused, a fact that he currently seemed completely oblivious to. It was going to make kissing him or showing him physical affection rather awkward.
The dreaming mind was an odd thing.
“I’ve learned my lesson. I’ve figured it out. I get it. I understand what you are trying to teach me. You can let go of me. I’m safe now. I don’t want to leave. I feel good about being here. I want to be here. I want to live now. I understand what I’ve done and how wrong it is,” Noctilucent said, his gaze now peering up at the clouds as they passed overhead.
“I am sorry Noctilucent, but I cannot let you go. As I have stated, it is no longer in my power to do so,” Princess Luna replied.
“But I get it. I don’t want to die any more. I’ll do whatever you ask, but I want to be free again. There are things I need to do. Things I need to take care of, and I need to be free to do them. I want to get better,” Noctilucent pleaded.
“I had not expected you to reach the bargaining phase quite so quickly,” Princess Luna stated with mild shock.
“Bargaining phase?” the stallion asked.
“Nothing,” Princess Luna said dismissively. “You say there are things you need to do?” she asked.
“Yes, I need to make amends to a certain pony that I have wronged,” Noctilucent confessed.
“Well, that is certainly a step in the right direction. I will help you do that,” Princess Luna promised.
Birds flew overhead. It was a troubling sign for Luna. All of them were flying backwards.
“So can we bargain?” Noctilucent asked. “If so, I have a list of requests.”
“Bargaining is a phase you are beginning to develop, the third phase. You skipped the first, dabbled briefly in anger, and now you are trying to wheedle your way free,” Princess Luna explained. “You have some requests?” she asked.
“Nothing selfish, I promise,” Noctilucent said, shifting his body, and causing his highly visible excitement to bob up and down.
“I am listening,” Princess Luna acknowledged, looking away from the overly excited stallion and looking at the bright yellow barn instead.
“First off, Sassafras needs a new guitar. Or maybe a banjo. She’s a plucker. She also needs lessons. She has raw talent and it is going to waste. If you want me to keep working for you, then I demand something in return. And this is the first of my demands,” Noctilucent said, scratching his barrel with a forehoof.
“You are in no position to make demands, but your request is reasonable,” Princess Luna replied.
It was troubling just how aroused the stallion was. First there was the dream where he had formed a hypersexual image of her in Las Pegasus, making her look more than a little bit whorsey, all the while sporting an enormous erection. And now, there was this. She was his current maternal figure and his turgid tumescence was troubling. Noctilucent had never developed a healthy sense of sexuality. It was something that was going to have to be fixed at some point.
“I want watercolours and paints. I can teach the foals about art,” Noctilucent requested and offered in the same sentence.
Princess Luna considered his words. He did have some skill as an artist. “I can do that,” she offered. It was so difficult talking to dreamers sometimes. Luna redoubled her efforts to focus on the barn.
The barn had no doors. Another potentially troubling sexual sign. No way of telling which way his barn door swung of if there were no barn doors.
All around her were troubling signs. All of the bark on the trees was pinched into hundreds upon hundreds of small faintly vaginal shapes, a nearby water pump dribbled and dripped water, and, as she was watching, a one eyed gopher emerged from its hole and peered at her. The clouds overhead began to darken.
“You know, usually, this isn’t how bargaining works,” Princess Luna said gently, keeping an eye on the troubling sights all around her. “But I am glad you are thinking of others.”
Thunder boomed in the distance, and the clouds overhead blacked and turned a dark sullen grey. Wind began to pull hay from the haystack and send it flying. The trees swayed in the whipping wind.
“I still want to be free, but if you will provide me with what I need, I will continue to do this task I have been given,” Noctilucent said, absentmindedly giving himself a slow single stroke with a bent fetlock.
The clouds burst open, flooding the area with rain. Princess Luna was instantly soaked, completely sopping wet. This was an occupational hazard of wandering the dream realm. She became all too aware how wet and inviting she must be looking right now as the stallion gave himself another stroke. He wasn’t doing it intentionally, or even aware it was happening, but the effect was unnerving all the same.
“I will look after your needs,” Princess Luna promised. Water clung to her long eyelashes and trickled down her ears. It ran down her legs in rivulets, greatly enhancing her beauty and accentuating her features. Large droplets slowly rolled over her every curve, and a steady stream of water flowed over her backside and trickled from a very delicate location, making it look like she was releasing a flow of liquid from between her hind legs. She took a deep breath, held it for a moment, and then let it out slowly.
Feeling very nervous about what she was about to say, but knowing it needed to be said anyway, Princess Luna steeled herself and screwed her courage to the sticking place.
“I love you, and I want you to be happy,” Princess Luna said, leaning on to the haystack and planting a waterlogged kiss on Noctilucent’s cheek. It was quite possibly one of the most awkward moments that Luna had experienced lately. “Be well, and look after my foals,” she added, feeling water running through her feathers.
With a flap of her wings, Princess Luna fled the dream. There were other dreamers she had to visit.