Thank you PinkPeal for this awesome fan art
For as long as he could remember, Adam was left speechless only a handful of times in his life. One was when a homeless dude threw his own shit all over Adam's shirt. The second time was when he almost got run over by a speeding ambulance. And the third time was when he almost got stabbed after witnessing a robbery. And even though he thought he had seen it all, nothing has prepared him for the possibility of being discovered for what he truly is.
"You... know?" Adam mumbled. His voice was barely audible, but it reached Luna's ears.
"I do." She confirmed with a nod of her head. "When you passed out, I had to make sure that there weren't any lingering nightmares that could have left your mind in shambles. Though the things I saw… they were more than illuminating."
Adam gritted his teeth as a small growl escaped his mouth. "You… entered my mind? Without permission!?" he all but spat the last word.
Unfazed by the scorching glare sent to her, Luna nodded. "Yes. In fact, we're still in it."
As if on cue, the scenery around Adam changed drastically. Instead of lying on a bed in a darkened room, Adam found himself back in Hyde Park, on the Serpentine Bridge.
In his human form!
Confused, Adam looked around as the various sounds and smells tickled his senses. Everything felt so real. Adam leaned against the side of the bridge, looking down in confusion at the reflective surface of the lake, where a few mute swans were swimming idly without a care in the world. The air was cold and clear and the skies were partially cloudy, making Adam sign in content. The constant sunny weather of Equestria was quite bothersome and blinding at times.
Despite his previous predicament, Adam could not help but crack a small smile as he gazed upon this familiar scene. It was as if any and all the stress he had, have simply washed away.
Unfortunately, the moment was ruined when a blue figured invaded Adam's view. He turned around and scowled when he saw Luna standing next to him, looking at the Serpentine Lake.
"It is quite beautiful, is it not?" she spoke gently, as if nothing was wrong.
Adam clenched his fists. "What the hell are you doing in my dreams?! Who gave you a bloody permission?!"
Luna did not spare a glance in Adam's direction, even despite the rising of his voice. She had already anticipated this kind of response, especially after he outright denied her last offer to enter his dreams. "I merely did what I deemed necessarily at the time. You see Adam, I-"
Luna could not finish her sentence as a fist collided with the side of her face, sending her tumbling to the ground. She slowly pulled herself up, more stunned than hurt as she looked wide eyes at Adam. His outstretched fist was trembling and his face was a mix of fury and unbridled wrath.
Luna also began to notice the change in the dream. Following Adam's current state of mind, the scenery around the two changed into that of a burning inferno. The ground beneath them started to crack, and the flames around the two were so hot, as if taken from Tartarus itself.
"Adam, you must calm down!" Luna cried. "You're still too shaken from the physical trauma you endured!"
"No!" Adam roared. His voice was accentuated as more flames surrounded him. "I am sick and tired of fucking ponies telling me what to do! I thought that it was a way for me to turn a new leaf, but look where it got me! And then you pull that bloody trick on me, invading my dreams, breach my privacy, and expect me to calm down!?
"I'm so pissed off right now! No! I'm livid! Words cannot describe…"
Adam approached Luna with fire in his eyes. His hands were clutched into fists and his teeth felt like they were on the brink of breaking.
Adam suddenly closed his eyes and took a big breath. As he exhaled, some of the fires around him had died down. He repeated the gesture as the scenery changed back to the clam and quietness of the Serpentine Bridge.
Adam opened his eyes. The fires in them were gone but the anger was still present.
"Why?" he said simply.
"Because I had to," Luna replied. "You were kidnapped, Adam. That kind of thing is traumatic, no matter the age. I entered into your mind to sooth your pain."
Adam was about to argue about the effectiveness of such an act but Luna has had enough of his stubborn nature. "I am thousands of years old, Adam. Believe me when I say that I know better than you about mental health, so unless you have eons of experience in the delicate art of mind-magic than I suggest that you simply refrain from talking, lest you embarrass yourself."
…
Adam stared at Luna, mouth agape. No one has ever back talked to him before. Seeing it as a good sign, Luna pressed on.
"Believe me, Adam, if there was any other way to ensure your safety I would have taken it without question. Everything I did, everything Celestia did, was for your own well-being. You are stubborn, you accept no help, and in the end, you only hurt yourself. I must know, is this pride? Why are you trying so hard to detach yourself from everypony else?"
"You wouldn't understand," Adam finally replied, hardening his gaze and looking away from Luna.
Luna shook her head and approached Adam carefully. "You are right, Adam. I do not understand. But I am willing to try."
"You wanna know what's wrong with me?!" Adam snapped. "Since childhood I was force to take care of my own! I had no real friends to speak of! My dad was a drunken twat! My so-called mother left me! And now, I'm stuck inside a foal's body, surrounded by a bunch of nitwits who fuss over every little bloody thing that happens to me!"
Despite his harsh tone, Adam kept his emotions his check. He was frustrated. So very frustrated. He just could not stand it.
"Is this about your mother?"
Luna's question was like a lightning strike, flashing the world with blinding light before disappearing.
Adam's hands started shaking as he stared at Luna, mouth opening and closing. The scenery around the two changed. The Serpentine Bridge was replaced with a field brimming with tall, menacing trees. Right between the two there was a smooth stone jutting from the ground.
A quick look around confirmed Luna's suspicions as she returned her gaze to the tombstone before her. Adam also seemed to have noticed where he was, seeing as he turned his head away from the tombstone.
Luna did not know what to say. She stayed quiet for a while, hoping against hope that Adam would say something, anything. But Adam kept his quiet.
"Were you young?"
That seemed to grab Adam's attention.
"Pardon?"
"Were you young when your mother…" Luna trailed off.
Adam sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I was a kid, can't remember the exact age. My 'mother' was never there for us. After Evie was born she just left. I don't know why by I know that it left my dad a broken mess." Adam suddenly growled, closing his fingers into a fist as a few cracks appeared along the tombstone. "And then, she came back, on the brink of death. We came to visit her in the hospital. I asked her why she left. I cried when she said nothing. That night, she died. That night, I understood that the only one you can trust is yourself.
"Ever since that day, I took matters into my own hands. Everything that I could do by myself I did it. As I grew up I became more and more independent."
Luna folded her ears backwards, looking down at the tombstone with a faint feeling of distain and regret. "You have carried a heavy burden, Adam. One that a child should never carry."
Adam merely scoffed, crossing his arms. "That burden made me stronger."
Luna nodded to herself before sighing. "It did, Adam. Only a fool would question that. But at what cost?"
"Don’t patronize me! I do not need your help and I do not need your pity!"
"Is this the reason why you are having a hard time trusting Celestia and myself?" Luna continued.
"I don't want to talk about this…"
Luna sighed. It appears she just got her answer. "Tell me Adam, if things could unfold differently, if you could change the events of your past, what would you do?"
Adam remained silent for a few long moments, seriously pondering on Luna's question before he sighed in defeat. "I really don't know," he admitted before chuckling dryly. "Jesus I'm so messed up. Any other kid would say that he would wish for his mother back but… I don't know if that's what I want. She was never there in life. Her death made forgetting her easier."
Luna carefully approached Adam. When she saw that he did not move away she sat right next to him and rubbed his shoulder. "And what about here, in Equestria?"
"I would apologize," Adam answered immediately. "I would apologize for Celestia for acting like a dick. She cared for me, yet I acted like a complete tool to her."
Luna smiled. "Then I guess my job here is over." Luna spread her wings as her horn glowed. She was about to exit Adam's dream when a hand grabbed her horn, effectively cancelling her spell while simultaneously bringing her face to face with a scowling human.
"Don't think that this little conversation meant that I am not mad for what you did. You may have had your reasons, but invading my privacy is something I cannot so easily forgive."
Luna smirked, looking straight into Adam's eyes. "So does this mean you will forgive me eventually.
Adam responded with a smirk of his own. "Eventually. And only if you stay the fuck away from my dream! Capisce!? This is strike one!"
"I make no promises. Like I said, I am thousands of years your elder, I know better and I will use that knowledge to help you, whether you like it or not. Also-" Luna suddenly disappeared, leaving Adam alone back on the Serpentine Bridge. "You did not really think a hand on my horn was enough to ground me, did you?"
Adam growled, looking around. "Hey no fair! That's cheating!"
"Sweet dreams, Adam…" Luna's voice faded into nothingness.
"Yeah yeah, you can stick your sweet dreams into your arse you bloody horse…"
Thank you PinkPeal for this awesome fan art