Lucid Dreaming

by WriterWings

Chapter 7

“And to finish the tour, we have the pinnacle of all our research: simulated life. Also known as Lucid Dreaming, patent pending,” Dr. Hawk added proudly, walking Night Ember through the tanks on Floor 17.

“Interesting,” Night nodded slowly, gazing at the tanks before him as he gripped a fresh chocolate chip cookie in his hooves. Part of him felt guilty for fraternising with Dr. Hawk, since he was working under Sombra and all… but, really, how could simulated life even help King Sombra in the war?.

No, this might just be an innocent project they’re working on. Perhaps Captain Skylark was mistaken. Perhaps this mission was just precautionary!

Besides, how evil could they be? Dr. Hawk seems like a pretty nice guy; he even invited me in despite the fact I’m on Princess Celestia’s side… and he even gave me cookies and hot chocolate!

“But what’s it for? I thought you guys were helping make weapons for King Sombra?”

“Ah, that’s where you’re wrong,” Dr. Hawk chuckled in reply. “Yes, I’m on Sombra’s side of things, but come on! Nopony actually wants to suffer through a war, right?”

“Uh… right?”

“Precisely. Sombran or Celestian, nopony likes the horrible side effects of having a war. Just think — all the way from what used to be Los Pegasus to Manehattan — there are little fillies and colts starving to death, their cries unheard in the snowstorms spreading all over Equestria. Their fathers, their brothers, all having to leave home to fight in the war — and some of them will never even get to return home.”

Just like Lightning Comet. Night Ember grimaced, remembering his fallen friend. If he could remember correctly, Lightning did have a little sister — perhaps one only about five years old.

And now she would never get to meet her big brother again, he realised, fighting back a lump that was forming in his throat.

“Now, this simulation… it allows an escape. An escape from the suffering, the pain, the agony.”

“But how?”

“Come with me.”

Night followed Dr. Hawk to the middle of the laboratory, where a single computer sat on a desk in the middle of piles upon piles of papers, some of them having fallen to the floor in a white cascade.

“Ah, sorry about the mess. A particularly clumsy intern came in here earlier, but don’t worry, I’ve dealt with her,” Dr. Hawk said hastily, sitting down to type away into his computer. “This is where I program the Lucid Dreams. I’ve designed the simulation to be just like living in the old, better Equestria, the one before the war.”

Before the war? Night Ember couldn’t even remember what life was like before the war.

“Ponies who opt into the Lucid Dreaming programme will have a perfect life in the simulation; they will have a loving family, wonderful childhood memories, a satisfying job… all tailored to exactly what the Dreamer truly desires in his or heart. No hunger, no sadness, no death…” Dr. Hawk stared into Night’s eyes, a small smile emerging from the corner of his lips.

Night Ember paused mid-chew of his cookie. That was awfully specific.

“I know you’ve lost your best friend, Night Ember.”

“Wait, what?”

“The loss of Private Lightning Comet. A tragic passing indeed, and I do offer my condolences.”

Night Ember narrowed his eyes and reached for his pistol again. “How do you know about Lightning?”

“That doesn’t matter; what’s passed has passed. All I’m doing is offering you an escape from the pain you must be experiencing right now.” Dr. Hawk smiled sympathetically.

“TELL ME HOW YOU KNOW, OR I’LL SHOOT!”

“Now, now, there’s no need for violence. Didn’t we just have a friendly chat over cookies and chocolate?”

Night Ember didn’t reply, his eyes boring into the doctor’s menacingly as he aimed his gun towards him.

Dr. Hawk chuckled. “Personally, I find your antics rather hilarious. As I said, I’d like to invite you to join our little experiment. Become a test subject in the simulation, Night, and it’ll make your life so much happier. You’ll completely forget about what happened to Lightning. In fact, you won’t even remember he ever existed!”

“Forget it, you lying cheat,” Night accused. “You think you can trick me with cookies and hot chocolate? I have a gun, and I’m not afraid to use it!” He assertively motioned his pistol towards Dr. Hawk again, though his hooves were in fact, trembling in fear.

Dr. Hawk sighed. “And here I thought we could work together,” he shook his head. “What a pity. I even let you into the safety of my laboratory, too! I could have left you out in the snowstorm, and this is how you repay me? Shameful, shameful.”

“I WILL NOT BE A TEST SUBJECT IN YOUR EXPERIMENT!”

The doctor shrugged. “Well, it’s a good thing I came prepared. I had a feeling you would show some resistance, my little Lucid Dreamer.”

“I’m not going to be a Lucid Dream…uh…” Night Ember’s voice trailed off as he collapsed limply to the ground.

Dr. Hawk caught Night’s cookie in mid-air with his magic and laughed, a smug smirk spreading across his face. “Sedative-infused chocolate chips. Oh, Night Ember, not such a smart cookie after all, are you?”

---

Floating.

I am floating, floating in the darkness.

I am floating in the darkness, and there is no sound. No sound at all, save for my quiet heartbeat and my steady breathing.

Inhale, exhale. Inhale again.

I am floating in the darkness, and there is nothing there.

Where am I?

Who am I?

I don’t remember anymore.

Is anypony there?

A bright light shines onto my face, and somehow, somewhere, I hear a foal crying.

…

“Congratulations! It’s a healthy baby colt!”

“Oh, he’s beautiful! And he has his father’s eyes.”

“What shall we name him, dear?”

“How about… Lucid?”

“Oh, that’s lovely.”

“Our little Dreamer.”

“Our little Lucid Dreamer.”

---

“Lucid…”

“Daddy? Please wake up…”

“Will he be alright, Doc?”

“Yes, he’ll be fine. He took quite the blow to the head, that’s all.”

“Mummy, is daddy going to die?”

“Don’t say that, Sweet! Daddy is going to be okay. He’s just… taking a long nap.”

Night Ember shifted, struggling to lift his heavy eyelids.

“Daddy! I missed you so much!” his daughter squealed, pouncing onto her father enthusiastically.

“Huh…? What happened?” Night asked, but his voice came out parched and hoarse. “Where am I?” He croaked.

“You’re in Ponyville Hospital, dear,” Honey Maple answered, wiping a tear from her eye with one hoof and using the other to grasp both of Night’s hooves. Judging by the dark circles around her eyes and her quivering voice, she hadn’t been sleeping well lately.

But… she isn’t real. And neither is my daughter. They’re all just part of a programmed simulation.

But I thought I left the tank. Why am I still in the Lucid Dream?

“Why — what happened to me?”

“You fell, daddy!” Sweet exclaimed, stepping off her father’s sore body. “You were selling candles, and you just suddenly collapsed!”

“You’ve been out for two days straight, Lu,” his wife said, her voice cracking. “We’ve been so worried.” She turned to the doctor, who was busy scribbling away on a notepad. “Doctor, do you think you could give us a moment of privacy for a —”

“No!” Night interrupted.

All eyes fell on him. “Excuse me?” Honey Maple frowned.

“Actually, I’d like to have a moment of privacy by myself, if that’s okay with everypony.”

An awkward silence filled the ward. Even the patient in the bed beside him was shocked, his goggling eyes almost bulging out of his bandaged head in disbelief.

Night Ember let out an impatient cough. “Ahem. Please? Can everypony please leave?”

Honey Maple slowly took Sweet Dreamer by the hoof and nodded. “…Sure. Come on, Sweet, daddy needs time to recuperate.” She gave Night an odd look, then followed the doctor out of the ward doors. But before the doors closed, she stopped in her tracks, took a deep breath and strode back towards Night, who simply watched wordlessly.

“Look, Lu — I don’t know what you’re playing at right now.” She blurted out sternly. “You haven’t been spending any time at all with me or Sweet lately, and it’s really getting on my nerves. It’s all work, work, work! And now you’ve foolishly gotten injured, and since then I haven’t got a single night’s sleep, I’ve been so worried about you!”

Tears pooled in Night’s eyes. She was right, even if she was just a simulation. She was still a huge part of his life.

“Honey, I’m sorry, I’ve gotten a lot of orders at the candle shop recently, and —”

“It’s not just about that, Lucid! Have you been avoiding me on purpose or something?” Honey sobbed. “And poor Sweet, she looks up to you so much — but you wouldn’t know that! You’re never there for her!”

“That’s not true, I —”

“And now when we finally have a chance to sit together as a family for a moment and have a proper conversation for once, you want to spend this moment by yourself?” Honey shrieked. “How selfish is that?”

Realising she had attracted quite the attention from the other patients in the ward, who were all fascinated at the dramatic display before them, she steadied her breathing, sighed and turned her back on her husband.

“Have fun with your ‘moment of privacy’. Sweet and I will be at home. And don’t think we won’t start having dinner without you,” she snarled. “You’ll be lucky if I leave the leftovers in the microwave for you.”

With that, Honey Maple stormed out of the ward, as onlookers hurriedly diverted their eyes back to their own business. The doors slammed shut, making Night wince.

Now what?

I know they aren’t real… but…

They’re still real to me.

Is this how I made them feel?

Did I really cause my family so much suffering?

And Sweet Dreamer. She’s still my daughter, even if she isn’t real.

I still raised her to be the pony she is now.

But — I never spent enough time with her.

And now I have to go away. To the real world.

Oh, Sweet…

I’m so sorry…