There is a time in every man's life when he questions reality. For Mark, that moment had come on Sol 6, when Fate had allowed him to survive the torrential dust storm and left his Equestrian friends with him in the Hab. In the time since, he had grown a deeper bond with each of them, friendships that he hoped would last for the rest of his days.

One overlooked moment during their gauntlet was a nightmare that he'd had involving Killer Potatoes. After that very disturbing phantasm, he had sworn to sleep as little as possible as a countermeasure to keep those sinister spuds of starch away from him. Back on Mars, dreams came and went depending on if he had slipped into REM sleep, but during his short stay so far on Equus, he had already noticed a vast difference.

The dreamscape had a loving lure to it, like a warm blanket during a brutally cold day in Chicago during a Polar Vortex event. Dreams had also come easier and quicker, not relying on his body to slip into REM at all. They were vivid, peaceful memories from his youth and early adult years, during his time before getting into the NASA training program, a time that he thought was long forgotten.

Yet, as he drove a brand new off-the-lot cobalt blue Nissan 350z down I94 and looking over Lake Michigan, this dream felt different. It wasn't the air, which had just a kiss of autumn to its touch, or the fact he was his current age, it was the fact his passenger was none other than Dragonfly.

"This is way cooler than the rover!" Dragonfly said, bobbing her head to the tune of AC/DC's "Hell's Bells" blasting from the radio. "I wish that these things were mass produced back in Equestria, it would be far more convenient for short term travel instead of having to fly or teleport from one town to the next. I mean, there are some, but they look like something out of those old black-and-white TV shows about that family of hillbillies."

"What?" Mark said, clearly confused. "You have jalopies? In my entire time there, I didn't see a single one!"

"In fairness, most jalopy owners live in the flat farmlands around Appleloosa, and they only drive them during harvest time when they are too tired to walk." Dragonfly said, crossing her hooves to make a point. "But yeah, we have cars, but none are as fast or advanced as this."

"In that case, I honestly hope that cars don't become mass produced on Equus," Mark said, switching to driving one-handed as he propped his left elbow against the window. He knew it was a dream, but a vague feeling deep down made him think that this was a sort of premonition. "Remember what I told you girls back in the medical wing about the air pollution? Vehicles here play a major part of that. They aren't equipped with the same magical array that are on the CSP rockets that converts carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses into water, so all that CO² here gets funneled straight into the atmosphere. Having vehicles would also mean cutting down areas of forests and paving over grasslands and fields, do you really want your beautiful homeworld to end up like Earth?"

"Well, no, I don't," Dragonfly said, hanging her head in shame as they pulled off at their exit and began to worm their way through the labyrinth of interchanges that would lead them to their destination. "Everything just feels so wrong here, and it feels as if the environment is dying."

"In a way it is," Mark said, pausing to slam on breaks and swear in Chicagoan as a Prius ran a red light and nearly clipped them. Taking a minute to gather himself, he couldn't help but notice a tall, beautiful woman with flowing navy colored hair, her crystal blue eyes giving him a look of warning. Playing it as a figment of the dream, he shrugged it off and continued onward. "Sorry about that, but I can see why you would feel that way. We need the resources to live, to continue our very way of life, but at the same time…"

"You are leading to your inevitable downfall," Dragonfly's tone turned solemn as she looked out the window, watching an endless sky of steel and glass drift away as they continued through the streets. "Kinda ironic, isn't it? The more life there is for the human population, there is actually less life overall. The more things change the more they stay the same."

"Yeah," Mark said, finally putting the car in park and undoing both their seatbelts. He had no idea how he knew of the plans that had been made, but he was just rolling with it. "Anyways, we're here, ready to begin our day?"

"Not quite," Dragonfly said, only to hold a hoof up to Mark's mouth before he had a chance to question the delay. "Seeing this city made me realize something. Remember back on Mars when I called you a well-trained ape? I wasn't that far off with that analogy."

"Oh?" Mark was intrigued, leaning back in his seat as he looked at the drone with genuine interest. "How do you figure that?"

"I've done some reading in the past few weeks about apes and their societies," Dragonfly said, motioning with a hoof to their surroundings. "I've only been to a few cities with you, yet the connection is there. Humans live in concrete jungles, with the various shops in different regions of the country being like different types of trees, but they all still serve the same basic role. Each have different functions, like how different fruit trees support different species in the food chain, but each is a key part of humanity's survival."

"Wow," Mark said, clearly surprised that this dream version of Dragonfly was so deeply philosophical. "That's a way I never thought of looking at it before."

"Just wait, there's more!" Dragonfly said, chitter chirping in glee. "Humans really aren't at the top of the food chain, in fact, they are at the bottom. Without weapons, technology, and such, they would starve to death, the species recoiling without knowing how to fend for themselves. Yet, look at creatures like lions, and tigers, and bears. They know how to hunt and survive, so they will be fine. Everything falls into the Circle of Life somehow Mark, and even long after our bodies have decayed into dust, the circle will continue. I got lucky on Mars by holding off the Pale Horse, but there will come a time when she will get her due."

"Interesting take," Mark said, casually noticing the blue-haired woman from earlier sitting on a bench across the street from the car and sipping on some coffee while reading the paper. "But there is one point I disagree with. How can you say that humanity won't survive, when many centuries ago we had to live off the land with nothing more than glorified toothpicks used as weapons?"

"Technology is the reason why," Dragonfly said, not even pausing to consider her answer. "As technology advanced, didn't that make it easier to adapt and be more productive in a given environment? In essence, humans started relying less on the land, and more on the machine; yes, you still needed the land to produce, but wouldn't broken parts delay a much-needed harvest, when you could use that downtime to harvest by hand?"

"That is a very reasonable thought," Mark said, himself finding no fault in that analogy. "Although, the same can be said for everyone back on Equus, couldn't it? Lets say you woke up to a magicless world, how would pony society react? Unicorns wouldn't be able to levitate things, pegasi wouldn't be able to fly or control the weather, and Earth Ponies wouldn't be able to accelerate floral growth. Then there is the matter of changelings, like yourself, that need magic in addition to love just to even exist."

"I-I am sure that we would find a way to manage," Dragonfly's confidence was shattered, her bottom lip holding a quiver as that scenario ran through her head. "I did go nearly two years in a magic null zone, so there must be some way that I could teach the others how to carry on."

"Dragonfly quit lying to yourself," Mark said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You know that without those field sessions the Pale Horse would have got you before being rescued. We are different species, with different circumstances, but both planets abide by the same set of rules. What we both said is fact, nothing can change that, but we both need to take the hand that has been dealt with us and play it. Before this gets any further off track, you ready to go sailing?"

"You bet Mark!" Dragonfly said, flashing into her human form to blend in better as she got out the car and stretched before the pair started heading up the sidewalk. Unfortunately, Fate was still a bit sore at the pair for their rescue off Mars. Thanks to the constant public exposure during the rescue, and the succeeding interviews once he had returned, Mark's face was unmistakable and they didn't make it a block before the duo was swarmed by a group of people. "Uh oh…"

"Dragonfly! Dragonfly!" The crowd chanted, most of whom were fishing their pockets for a pen and whatever they had that was able to be written on. Considering Dragonfly had chosen jet-black hair for disguise, it was a no brainer that it was her. "We love you!"

"I can feel that, remember?" Dragonfly said, her tone showing she was clearly annoyed at the interruption, but she wasn't going to pass up a free meal. "Mark and I were planning on enjoying a peaceful, stress-free day on the lake. If you'll have your pens ready, let me sign so-",

*BANG*

Time crawled for Mark. He knew that Chicago was a really rough neighborhood, but most of the violence was kept to the outskirts, with very few occurrences of a shooting happening in the main city itself. It often took a certified idiot, or someone with balls of steel, to commit a shooting in broad daylight; let alone at a celebrity that was in a crowd of people while in the open.

As luck would have it, the shooter had the aim of a drunk and dizzy penguin, and the bullet missed before embedding itself in the sidewalk. Realizing that they had failed, the perpetrator turned and started to run away, their green trench coat kicking in the air behind them.

"They're getting away!" Mark said, looking down at Dragonfly with concern until he saw she was uninjured, making him sigh in relief. "Dragonfly, since you can't use your magic at full force, lock yourself in the car. I'm going to go after the shooter."

"You are going to do what now?!" Dragonfly said, her tone turning defensive, and even though she had no pupils Mark knew she was glaring. "You don't have a weapon, so what makes you think that you stand a chance?! I'd rather they get away and let the cops deal with them than risk you getting hurt."

"Trust me Dragonfly," Mark said rubbing the drone's fin before leaning down to whisper in her ear. "I will be fine dear, just please listen, ok?"

"Ok hun," Dragonfly's answer was hushed, and for a few seconds, Mark wondered if her answer had been projected into his head. Standing up, he took off in a full-speed sprint in the direction he had seen the crook flee, and it didn't take long to spot the green in a sea of blue and white Cubs apparel.

"Hey, you!" Mark shouted, causing everyone to look at him like he had grown a tail as he pointed at the individual. "Stop right there!"

As per the laws of dreams, and much to Mark's dismay, the figure took off down an alley in an effort to escape. Knocking over trash cans, dodging the discarded syringes, and spooking the elusive alley cat, the figure stayed far enough ahead that Mark couldn't get a hand on him.

Until they came to the brick wall that cut off the criminal's escape route that is.

"I suggest you stop," The person said, brandishing his pistol and making Mark slide to a stop in absolute shock at seeing the person's face. It looked like his own, his voice is a near match, but clearly looked like he had been dragged under Life's rug more than once. "Can't you see I was trying to do you a favor?"

"A favor?" Mark said, looking at his gun-wielding duplicate with rage. "How is shooting my friend doing me a favor? Also, how come you look like me and are in my dream?"

"Calling that pest a friend shows just how corrupt she has made you," The duplicate said, keeping his weapon level and pointing right between Mark's eyes. "As for who I am, I am you, or to be more specific the part of you that has resisted her influence."

"Influence?" Mark scoffed, looking at the duplicate like how someone looks at an opponent who had insulted their mother. "What influence? She has done nothing to influence me. We survived together, and we still remain close friends, so where does your supposed corruption lie?"

"How about the fact you called her 'dear'?" The duplicate said, holding up a finger on his free hand to signal Mark to wait before replying. "As part of you, I know everything that goes on in your head. That parasite implanted something in your mind when she drained you dry, that implant being undying devotion to her. Are you going to deny what you experienced? That need to go to her, but her friends refusing to let you do it while breaking that obedience. Your mind is poisoned, so I was simply eliminating the weed at the root."

"How is shooting a dream version of her going to solve anything?" Mark said, crossing his arms. "When I wake up from this nightmare, I will be interacting with Dragonfly physically, so wouldn't that defeat the objective you're trying to accomplish since Starlight and the others broke me out that trance? You raise some valid points, but I know you aren't me because you keep saying 'your mind' instead of 'our mind'."

The duplicate's face contorted, its pupils darkening as an omnipotent feel of darkness started to build, making Mark take several steps back in fear.

"Very clever ape," The figure said, the voice taking on a deep echo that made Mark grab his head. "You are smarter than I anticipated, but let me tell you something. I will lurk in the deepest recesses of your mind, always watching, waiting to make my next move. I am the Chessmaster, the puppeteer, and the mastermind. I am-"

"Nothing more than a menace," Mark spun in place, confused by the new voice, only to come face-to-face with the blue-haired woman. Almost immediately, he could tell something was different about her from before; her tone was authoritative, much like a noble or a queen in court, and her eyes and form shimmered with raw power as she held a hand up towards the evil presence. "Begone Nightingale, you have no control here."

"This isn't over," The figure said, starting to fade into a deep purple-black mist. "This is just the beginning…"

"Ok, now I am confused," Mark said, turning from the empty alley towards the woman. "Who are you, and how did you do that?"

"My real name and nature will be revealed in time Mr. Watney," The woman said, giving him a comforting smile. "For now, you may call me Serenity, and I am the keeper of the Equestrian Dreamrealm."

"Ok then, Ms. Dream Keeper," Mark said, raising an eyebrow. "What was that mist doing here? If it really was that bad, shouldn't you have already expelled it?"

"Considering that is just one of my many titles, I will forgive your impertinent use of the name," Serenity's posture shifted as she put her weight on one hip, showing that she was masking her irritation. "As for that mist, it was Nightingale, my arch nemesis, who craves nothing but fear and darkness. She has all the powers I do, but instead of peaceful dreams like I create, she creates nightmares that I have to banish on a nightly basis. She must have sensed something in your subconscious, something that was like honey to her, so she latched on to it and I followed her here once I sensed her presence. I am sorry that I could not interfere sooner, but I can only banish her from a dream where she directly interacts with the dreamer."

"So you're telling me that some part of me wants Dragonfly dead?" Mark said, clenching his fists. "That's the biggest load of shit that I've ever heard, and I should know since I had to be knee-deep in it for almost two fucking years!"

"Calm thyself," Serenity said, holding up a hand to silence Mark. "There is no need to have anger towards me. I know the limits of my abilities, just as I know hers; for a time long ago I made a foolish mistake, and she was created by me in an act of petty, foalish revenge. She was very helpful at first, guiding me along with the necessary steps towards achieving my goal, but I underestimated her intelligence. One night, she took control of me, and as a result, I was banished for 1000 years."

"That is one hell of a back story," Mark said, giving Serenity a look of disbelief. "Although, is it safe to assume that your current figure is not your normal one? As it stands, I wouldn't be surprised if you stumbled upon numerous wet dreams involving you."

"Thou art correct," Serenity said, a slight blush forming before she cleared her throat. "The reason I appear human is that not only did I not want to tip Nightingale off, I wanted to blend in and observe. She played her hoof well, but I must respect the fact that you were able to tell something was off about that duplicate of you and seeing through her lies. She is often subtle with her manipulations, I know that from personal experience. In most cases I deal with, the dreamer is unable to rebuke her influence, thus succumbing to her demented idea of fun until I can rescue them. You, however, picked out the word choice like a farmer spotting a rotten apple."

"It really wasn't that hard," Mark said, folding his arms as he smirked at Serenity's blush. "And who knew a Goddess could blush? It is quite adorable, and goes well with the beautiful eyes that adorn your striking features."

"Have a care, Mr. Watney," Serenity said, her tone turning serious as her eyes narrowed. "I only appear beautiful because that is what your mind wants, an attractive female of your species. Yet, as much as I hate to admit this, Nightingale brought up a good point; you did address Dragonfly as 'dear', which shows deep down that there is a part of you that has that kind of bond to her."

"Even you agree with this bullshit marriage?" Mark snarled, making Serenity flinch. "In reality, it doesn't really matter, because once I leave Equus and return home this whole mess will be resolved.*

"No, it will not," Serenity said, her eyes taking on a slight, deep blue glow that made Mark freeze in place, all traces of anger vanishing from him. "I have heard from Twilight Sparkle about the incident that took place involving Dragonfly. Although the circumstances are not in your favor, do you really want to crush a changeling's heart, let alone one that actually loves you?"

"No, not just no, but hell to the bucking no," Mark said, fighting back a wave of anger. "I am not the kind of person who wants to be a heartbreaker, but can you put yourself in my position? What would you do if there was a marriage law all for booping your nose, and a commoner Earth Pony from the lowest rung of life accidentally booped you. What would you do?"

"I-..." Serenity started to reply, only to stop as she thought over that situation. For several minutes she said nothing, a look of thoughtful concentration crossing her face as she sorted that scenario until she finally nodded. "I can see your point. It would cause a massive uproar by a commoner having to be forcibly wed to what many view as a goddess, but over time the hoopla would die down and I would adjust to being a caring wife. Now come, we can continue this conversation as we walk, but as we do so, I want you to think of someplace that is relaxing and tranquil."

"Something like the mountains?" Mark asked, earning a silent nod from Serenity as they turned out the alley and headed down the street. Following just a few steps behind Serenity, Mark began to think about the peaceful Blue Ridge Mountains as he subtly started to hum John Denver's "Country Road".

The more he thought about the landscape, the more it changed. Buildings seemed to fade away into nothingness, the concrete and cement of the road and sidewalk crumbling into dirt and grass. The trees, once adorned with the early palette of fall fashion, brightened into shades of green as a dense forest grew around them, the flat ground becoming increasingly inclined as they continued their walk.

"I am impressed with your ability to consciously lucid dream," Serenity said, marveling the mountain landscape around them. "This scenery is so breathtakingly beautiful, do you have an idea about where this trail leads?"

"Yes, in fact I do," Mark said, smiling as the dense woodlands opened up to a field. Numerous types of wildflowers, from lavender to Carolina Jessamine, spread across the meadow. The gentle mountain breeze carried the sounds of bluebirds and wrens, and the slow flowing stream that divided the field in half was full of rainbow trout of various sizes. In the distance, some of the taller peaks of the Appalachians towered over the treeline, obscured slightly by the characteristic low-level clouds that gave the Smokies their nickname. "Whatcha think, is this peaceful enough for you dream lady?"

"This is more than enough Mr. Watney," Serenity said, sitting on the edge of the stream before taking off her shoes and dipping her toes in the cool, clear water. "Come, sit by me so we can continue our talk."

"Whatever you say," Mark said, shrugging before joining Serenity by the stream. "So, what else is there to talk about?"

"Much, Mr. Watney, much," Serenity said, softly giggling as one of the baby trout nibbled one of her toes. "I noticed how conflicted you were, so I figured that a change of scenery would help you relax. This though, this is more than I had thought possible. Use the environment to your advantage as you sort your thoughts, to help guide you on what your heart desires. Your analogy of me marrying a commoner probably parallels how Earth would view you marrying a changeling, correct?"

"No shit Sherlock," Mark said, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath as he let the breeze calm his rattled nerves."Considering that changeling has similar body styles to ponies, I'm not wanting to deal with any backlash or issues about how that would be viewed as bestiality."

"So, you are caught between doing what humanity feels is right, and not wanting to upset Dragonfly," Serenity said, pursing her lips slightly as Mark silently nodded. "Ah, that's a dilemma we all face at some point in our lives. It really is a struggle, choosing between what is the acceptable norm and doing what could be considered a taboo, but there is an easy answer. Tell me, Mr. Watney, has human society changed over the centuries, with the advancement in technology aside?"

"You mean as in cultural viewpoints?" Mark asked, raising an eyebrow at Serenity's persistent look. "In that case, big time. A few hundred years ago it was popular to have slaves, but slavery has been outlawed for a long time, yet even then feelings towards those groups have been slow to come around to."

"Seems that humans have the same problem as ponies then, they are afraid of change," Serenity said, causing Mark to look at her in a mix of confusion and shock. "I had a lot of issues beating Nightingale for a while after changelings became accepted into everyday society, all focused around the same principle that the changelings were just going to backstab them. It has gotten better recently, but every once in a while one still pops up. Change is fundamental, yet, it is also inert."

"Ok, now you lost me," Mark said, looking at Serenity like she had suddenly sprouted a third eye. "How can change be both?"

"For someone as old as myself, I realize things from a perspective most don't think about," Serenity said, making a mug appear before dipping it into the refreshing liquid running around them. "Think about it, change is inert because it is common nature for an individual to resist change because it would mean getting out of their comfort zone. Society wants things to stay as they are, so when a new concept is introduced fear comes forward to try and keep things as they are. That is how change is inert. That being said, change is required for every species to advance, whether it is through evolution or new breakthroughs in technology. Centuries, or even as soon as decades from now, principles that hold true today will fade away and be obsolete. Does that make sense?"

"Yes it does," Mark said, closing his eyes as he let the heat of the sun warm his skin, his worries seeming to melt away. "So, what do you suppose I do?"

"Take things slow," Serenity said, standing up and looking down at Mark as he opened his eyes to look back at her. "It is clear that you see her as nothing more than a close friend, for now anyway, so keep that course. Perhaps, years from now when the two worlds build a stable means of shuttling back and forth, you two will be able it take it to the level she wants it to be. Now, I must bid thee farewell for now, for I can tell that you will be waking up soon. I will leave you with one final word of wisdom, while here on Equus, whenever you feel worry or doubt think of this dreamscape to calm your nerves and you will always feel comfortable in the moonlight's embrace."

Serenity, and the dreamscape itself faded as Mark's surroundings became encased in a bright white glow that forced him to shut his eyes. For that brief moment, he felt like he was in a void, no senses or feel of his body to speak of. It reminded him of floating in space, just as he had when he neared the Concordia, and the sense of peace it offered helped as he transitioned back to the waking world. Rousing from his nap, the first thing he saw was Dragonfly sitting beside his bed, a covered tray resting on her back.

"Hey Mark," Dragonfly said, speaking in a low tone to keep from waking the others sleeping on their cots, unaware that Starlight was actually awake as she levitated the tray onto Mark's lap. "I snuck off to the kitchen and made you a light snack."

"Thanks Dragonfly," Mark said, quietly taking the top off the tray to reveal the luxurious meal of crackers and cream cheese. "But I thought you were supposed to stay in the room until tomorrow? Your mom will have a fit if she finds out about this."

"Relax," Dragonfly said, and even in the low light Mark could see a smile on her face. "The drone in charge of guarding the kitchen at night owed me a favor, I used it, so my queen won't find out."

"If you say so," Mark, shrugging off Dragonfly's explanation, said as he started to eat the light snack. "Say, what time is it anyway? That nap felt like it drug on far longer than what I had planned on snoozing for."

"It is just after 10pm," Dragonfly said, shuffling a hoof against the floor. "I didn't want to wake you, so when I saw you stir, I teleported to the kitchen and back before you fully shook off the Sandmare. I hope you don't hate me for the little stunt I pulled."

"I forgave you for nearly making me an emotional raisin didn't I?" Mark's question made Dragonfly flinch, but when she stayed silent he continued. "I am more upset than angry, but I do not hate you. The biggest question I have is why did you rope me like you did instead of waiting for me to return before expressing your feelings?"

"If I didn't, like I asked earlier, how would I know you would come back?" Dragonfly said, suppressing a sniffle as she fought back the sticky tears that wanted to flow. "After thinking it over, you were right, you have absolutely zero reason to be here. Everything you hold near and dear is on Earth, so you are probably just mentally counting down the time to the exact second to where we can strap you to a rocket blast you back to the fuckhole you came from!"

The fact Dragonfly swore, let alone one that he had never used, made Mark stare in shocked silence. Starlight, to her credit, was doing a good job playing the role of a sleeping pony, but her jaw was so slack that she could have swallowed a watermelon whole.

"Ok, I think you might need to cal-"

"I'm not done…" Dragonfly said, making Mark shut his jaw quicker than a mouse stealing cheese past a cat. "Yeah, I totally bucked up with what I did, but I have to own up to that now, don't I? My queen told me a story when we were in orbit, the details of which I will not share, but the principle was that I acted like the creature I have been trying to run from. The way we were back during the Bad Old Days. I promise, I won't do anything or cross any lines that you don't want me to, I owe you that much…"

"Indeed you do," Mark said, sitting up and placing his tray on the stand beside his bed. "Now, come here."

"Huh?" Dragonfly said, tilting her head in confusion until Mark patted his lap. "Wait, you mean it?"

"Do you shapeshift?" Mark said, shifting slightly to give Dragonfly more room as she took her spot on the bed, the drone resting her head against his chest. "Now, there is no need to feel bad, you just overreacted and jumped the shark is all, just like I did with my reaction. How about we make a deal? If you agree not to push our 'marriage' from now until the time I head back, I promise you that I will return and I will give it a good, hard try for you, does that sound good?"

"Um, yeah," Dragonfly said, confusing resurging once more. "Not to complain, but what made you have such a change of heart durin g your nap?"

"Oh, nothing much," Mark said, petting Dragonfly's mane fin. "But you know what they say, sweet dreams are made of things, and after the dream I had, I am not going to disagree."

Starlight mentally facehoofed before sleep finally claimed her to a journey to the Land of Nod.

Author's Note

56+hr weeks at work is delaying EVERYTHING I write... Please be patient for the next few months