Blue Moon

Luna decided to take the long route back to the bedrooms, her face still practically glowing red. "Oh, Tia! Why must you be so... you!" Her starry tail twitched with agitation. But now that her sister had brought it up... Just how do I feel towards this human? Pat. He seems quite kind. I have watched him sleep dreamlessly for so long, trying to imagine if he would be like... him. Of course not. The resemblance is only in my imagination. Starswirl had never looked that young. From the time he was a boy he had the look of age. What an old soul he was... This Pat is a young soul. He feels as though he once loved life, but that love was taken. A troubled soul.

She had slowed her pace from an indignant storming to a contemplative stride as she continued to think. If I did not know any better though, I would say that he bears love for me! I cannot imagine one who did not know the object of their affections even existed still managed to hold love for them. At least not love of that sort... The way he looks at me is almost as he did. No... Starswirl looked upon me more likened unto my sister's gaze. A sibling's affection for his sister. It mattered not that I looked upon him as Pat looks upon me now. He could not control what kind of love he held for me, so I had to curb mine for him. 'Tis better to keep a brother than to lose one you would wish a lover.

She sighed as her pace slowed, passing her own bedroom door, then stopping outside Pat's room. This Pat... I should get to know him better before I think harder on this. Mayhaps I am mistaken in discerning the way he looks at me?

She opened the door, finding Pat asleep once more. As she approached his bed, she saw the look on his face. Love. As she sat down on the bedside cushion, she heard him mumble, "Hmm... moona..." She couldn't help smiling at this, shaking her head. His sleep was contagious, it seemed, as she yawned and looked out the window at the mid-afternoon sun. She rested her head against his thigh as she had before he had awakened, quickly falling asleep once more.

...months... ma'am, we're doing the best we can... in a coma for three weeks, we don't know why he hasn't... have to remind you he doesn't have a living will... hospital policy... feels no pain, I assure you... always hope he'll come to...

The voices faded as pat blearily opened his eyes. He was floating, weightless in a void. Also bodyless, it seemed. He saw no one... and then she was there. The first thing that caught his attention were the twin teal pools that were her eyes. Quickly her deep blue face and muzzle faded in from the darkness, and then her nebulous mane surrounding her regal features. Her nude body was slowly revealed, then her forelegs. Her wings came out of the darkness, spread wide and majestically. Ever so slowly her rump became visible, which was complimented by the mark of the moon, and finally her ethereal tail appeared behind her. "H-hello?" she voiced as a question.

"Uh... Hi?" Pat replied, suddenly having a voice, and a body to go with it. "Um... where am I? Where are we?"

Luna blinked a few times, before widening her eyes and grinning in realization. "We are in a dream!"

Pat looked around the void, before settling his eyes back on Luna. "Huh?"

"Your dream. I must have fallen asleep whilst you slumbered. But this time you dreamed, and so I accidentally fell in," she explained. "I suppose that sounds odd... you see, I am princess of the night, and dreams are within my domain. My dreams oft consist of visiting other ponies' dreams, and you happened to be nearest me when I fell asleep." She looked around, seeing the nothingness. "This is abnormal... what were you dreaming of before my arrival?"

Pat thought for a moment. "Well, I was having this awesome dream about-" he stopped, eyes growing wider and going red in the face. "I was having a completely respectful and appropriate dream about you."

Luna's brow creased before she glanced slightly downwards. She quickly blushed, looking away. "Indeed," she said shortly.

Pat was wondering what had surprised her, when he noticed he had a body, but no clothes. And his recollection of his previous dream had caused quite a stirring in certain parts. "Ah, geeze, can I get some pants?!" he embarrassedly shouted to no one. And suddenly pants. "Huh. Right, a dream." He quickly thought on a t-shirt, socks, and his old construction boots to match the jeans he had conjured. With a little more thought, he had his oversized lumpy brown coat and cowboy hat with the circle cut out of the brim (like Applejack's). "How do I look?" he asked the night alicorn who was still averting her eyes.

She cautiously looked back, and gave a nod of approval. "This is how you looked previous your... death?"

He shrugged, "Nah. I haven't worn this stuff in years. I mean, it's my favorite coat and hat. I guess I just put the hat on the shelf and the coat in the closet and never pulled 'em out again."

Luna thought for a moment. "I still no not why your dream is blank... rarely do dreams do that. But this gives us an opportunity. For now that you are aware of your dream, you have far more control. Perhaps you can take me on a tour of your world? Introduce me to other humans you knew, tell me about where you lived?"

Pat too took a moment to think. "Yeah, I guess. I'd rather be exploring Equestria though. The real one, not the one in my head."

"There will be time for that later," Luna smiled. "Why not show me your home first?"

He nodded, closing his eyes as he brought back memories. The void faded into the light gray of overcast skies all around them, and a snow-covered yard solidified underfoot and hoof. Luna watched thoughtfully as a house began to build itself in front of her, a foundation pouring followed by concrete block outer walls. Pine framing nailed itself together inside the concrete box, and roof trusses sprung up and snapped into place. Plywood, tar paper, and shingles were affixed to the trusses, completing the roof. Inside, drywall had leaped onto the walls and ceiling, as doors crawled into their frames. Windows had already slid into place on the outside wall, and as a front and back door closed, through the windows could be seen paint creeping up the freshly puttied and smoothed drywall.

Pat stepped forward, opening the front door as tan tile laid itself out down the hall before him. The doors that lined the hall shut as carpet unrolled in some, more tile in others. Lightbulbs, switches, and sockets grew from the walls, and as Luna stepped in after Pat he removed his boots to place by the door. Another two pairs of shoes appeared near his, one a women's size and the other a man's.

Pat sighed before looking away from the footwear to remove his coat and hat. He then opened the first door on the right, entering the living room. "Well, this is home," he said softly. A brown leather couch and loveseat melted up through the floor, and a set of shelves covered in books, movies, and a TV slid out of the wall. Two humans faded into being, one on the couch and the other on the loveseat. They were watching the blank TV. Further into the room, a kitchen/dining room assembled itself, and four more figures appeared around the kitchen table. All were happily but mutely chatting to a pale copy of Pat. All were faceless. None acknowledged Pat or Luna.

"These are your family and friends, I take it?" she asked.

"Yeah..." Pat replied hoarsely.

"Why are they without faces?" she asked, wary of the answer.

Pat swallowed hard. "Because I don't want to remember them right now... I don't want to remember here." With that, the house flew apart around the pony and man, the figures around the room disappearing. "I don't want to remember this world." The sky returned to darkness, only the snowy ground left. "I miss them all too much to have to see it..." He began to tear up as he fell to his knees.

Luna instinctively rushed to his side, putting a hoof around him. "I am sorry. I thought you were reluctant to converse about your world due to a disdain for it. I didn't stop to think that you missed it so instead." Pat held onto her, crying into her shoulder. The loss he was feeling was more than he had ever felt. Everything and everyone he had cared for were forever gone to him. The good, the bad, the mediocre, all gone. Or rather, he was gone from it. And that hurt even worse.

After a few minutes, the tears stopped. He sniffled a few times, letting go of the concerned and slightly tear-stained mare. "I'm sorry... that was horribly ungentlemanly of me to do, much less to a princess. You are a guest here, after all," he tried to make light of it.

"Twas I that initiated the contact, though. And twas I that caused you such pain," she said sadly.

Pat shrugged and wiped his nose. "Don't worry about it, my death was going to catch up with me sooner or later... thanks for the hug. I needed that."

"Any time," she smiled.

Pat smiled back and looked at her with that look. Absolute adoration. Tender affection. Love.

Pat spent hours after that moment showing Luna around the rest of the human world he had been to over his lifetime. They enjoyed laying in the grass looking at clouds, driving across the country, visiting a few big (but empty) cities, exploring various stores and such, running through woods, and much more. They were relaxing in Pat's last bedroom, playing a few video games, when it was time to wake from this perfect dream.

"Oh, this 'video game' is harder than one would think it to be!" Luna said frustratedly. They had been playing some classic titles on the Super Nintendo, like Mario World, Megaman, and at the moment Mario Kart.

"You know, the funny thing is that a lot of your fans picture you as an expert gamer," Pat snickered.

She huffed, "Well perhaps with more practice I could be as such, but as for now I think I shall forfeit the match."

As she laid the controller down and released it from her magic, everything began to get brighter. "What's going on?" Pat asked.

"It seems you are waking up," she answered.

He was about to say something about how it was a shame this dream had to end, when all before him turned to white.

Pat groggily opened his eyes. It was dark. Long past sunset. Luna stirred beside him, stretching her legs over pat's thighs again. Suddenly she sat bolt upright. "Oh no! I'm late!" She quickly stood and pulled a brush from the dresser nearby. She looked into a full-length mirror near it, making herself look as presentable as possible.

"What's the hurry?" he asked, still sleepy.

"Even though I cut back on a few things to care for you, I still have royal duties to attend. I missed raising the moon!" she exclaimed. What will Celestia say? What might she assume?! What if she thinks-

Pat interrupted her worries. "Thank you, Princess. Thanks for taking care of me. And thanks for sharing that dream with me. It was amazing."

Luna paused as she was adjusting her crown. And she smiled again. Not a word of this shall ever get to Tia. Not. A. Word.