Once Wild's mind was strong enough, Luna approached him about his mental powers, reminding him of her promise to help him. He explained to her the technique of 'mental noise' he developed and how it helped him. What he didn't speak of was precisely how he saw his powers in the first place - to him, this ability wasn't what he wanted to have, an ability that shouldn't exist in the first place. The mere fact that he possessed it made him feel dirty, and it was bad enough that he didn't even need to actively use it for it to work. The power it gave him over others wasn't what he wished he had, and he didn't doubt that people other than Luna would be far less charitable about him having it.

"Wild," Luna said, and he listened, the tone of her voice serious, "You don't have to beat yourself up over being able to do this."

He realized that he had let his thoughts slip. He looked away, unsure of what to say now.

"I understand how you feel," Luna continued, her voice soft and filled with empathy, "It feels like a breach of privacy, doesn't it?"

To that, Wild nodded.

"Depending on the use, it can be," she said, "However, it's not always a breach of privacy. Think about it this way - is it a breach of privacy when you overhear something with your ears? See something that you weren't supposed to see on accident? Should you not have the ability to hear things just because you may sometimes hear what you weren't supposed to, should you be blind so that you never see anything others don't want you to see?"

"But..." he said. Speaking was still hard, but he managed. He wanted to speak again, he has to remind himself. And besides, he trusted Luna, however odd that was to think about. Her promise to not reveal that he could speak again held truth to it, he could feel it with more than just his heart. There wasn't anything that could become worse if he continued to speak anyway, "It is not the same."

"It isn't," Luna nodded, "But it is similar. What you have is just another sense, another way of perceiving the world. An unusual one, yes, and uncommon. However, there are certain species that communicate mentally almost exclusively, and to them, your ability is as natural as hearing is to you. If you don't deliberately use your senses to spy on others, then why should it be an issue?"

Wild thought it was all perfectly logical, but he just couldn't agree. A mind was supposed to be unassailable, not directly. As long as he didn't speak his thoughts out loud, didn't write them, didn't draw them, didn't reveal them in any other way, they should belong only to him and him alone. Same should be with the thoughts of others. He had no right to hear them, even if a part of him told him it could be useful now and could've been very useful in the past.

He didn't know whether he would be able to reconcile his view of a mind and how things worked in this world.

"Alright, let's talk about your technique of blocking out the thoughts of others," Luna said, "It's not a bad solution, certainly not for someone who wasn't trained in any kind of mind arts."

There was more to it? Wild hoped these 'mind arts' weren't even more expansive. He had enough fears for his own mind already. Unfortunately, he expected he wouldn't be so lucky for his ability to be the end of it.

"You may not have felt it when you begun using this technique, but it would have out more and more strain on your mind the longer you used it or if you were around more people. It would have eventually put too much pressure on you mind, and the consequences would be severe."

Wild shivered at it, suspecting that breaking down was probably the least that would happen. Perhaps had he had a clearer mind, he would've been far more suspicious of Luna's claims. However, in the present, he trusted her, even if he otherwise wouldn't.

When this very conversation emerged in his memory a long while later, he would feel thankful he listened and accepted her words as truth.

"Fortunately, there is a different, if a more difficult, way of protecting your mind."

Luna guided him to settle down on a comfortable pillow. The two were in a different wing of the Royal Orphanage, one that most of the time stood empty. There wasn't any particular reason why except that the population of the orphanage wasn't big enough to warrant the use of every room. The room Luna and Wild were in was once a sitting room of some kind: warm woods with burgundy walls, and the furniture was nice and comfortable. There were shelves along the walls, but they were empty - all the books had long since been moved to the library or elsewhere. The room had two tall and wide windows, which let in plenty of light, but today wasn't a bright day - it was raining outside. Wild found the patter of raindrops soothing, as muffled as it was. Sometimes, the rustle of leaves intensified as a stronger gust of wind blew, complimenting the steady rainfall in a way that made Wild feel at peace.

"Meditation is a big part of this technique," Luna explained, her voice calm, and her cadence was just right, "It would help if you relax your body. Close your eyes - visual stimuli would make it more difficult. Settle down, allow your body to take a comfortable position."

Wild did as asked, fidgeting around until he found a position where his legs didn't feel stiff and where his neck didn't feel strained. It was already relaxing. He felt somewhat more at ease despite the fact that he wasn't alone. Perhaps it was exactly because he wasn't alone that he felt safe enough to relax. It was something to think about later, when his mind was clearer.

"Good. Now, simply breathe. A deep inhale, then count to four. Do it slowly, but not too slow - there is no need to deprive yourself of air. If you feel the burn in your lungs, you've counted for too long. Then you exhale, slowly, feeling the air exit your lungs."

Wild breathed, aware that this same exercise was useful for calming him down if he felt overwhelmed or if he had a panic attack - the latter he had, thankfully, not experienced again. In truth, he was somehow more relaxed nowadays. Perhaps it was his medicine that helped him, he didn't know.

He breathed, he counted, and he breathed. He felt himself settle somewhat, as if he stopped pacing and lay down physically but in a mental sense.

"Now, what your ability does is it catches thoughts," Luna explained, "But it's not like a magnet - thoughts don't stick to you by themselves. Instead, you unconsciously reach out for them because that's what your brain wants to do. It is a natural defense and communication mechanism. You need to exert conscious control. You need to let the thoughts flow by. They may touch you, you may want to reach for them and grab them, but you can control this. Don't block them, don't push them away - merely let them by. I will now send you a thought, try the technique."

Wild felt something brush against his consciousness, and he reached out before he remembered not to. He retracted his metaphorical hand, but the thought was already clinging to it - Luna felt the touch of the pillow against her legs, and it was nice. Wild frowned and shook his head as if to dislodge it.

"Don't worry, Wild," Luna said slowly, "It will take time for you to get it. Let's try again."

For the next while, Wild did his best not to reach out to the thoughts he felt, but it was difficult. A small part of him was curious, wanting to know what those thoughts were. A different part of it considered it like an itch - he simply needed to scratch at it.

Luna felt like the rain would help nourish the ground. Luna thought the cloud arrangement was perfect. Luna thought the empty shelves needed filling. Luna wondered what she would eat for dinner.

Wild felt another thought coming. He needed to catch it - but he didn't. This itch would have to continue on, he mustn't scratch it. He felt the thought brush against him, and oh how he wanted to reach out and take it, but he remained still. It was an infinite moment when the thought continued to brush against him, and it took all his willpower not to grab it, not to touch it, not to reach out for it. And finally, it slipped, and it simply passed by.

Wild opened his eyes and inhaled sharpy, having realized he had been holding his breath. His body felt stiff and uncomfortable, but a sense of accomplishment bloomed in his chest - he did it!

"Very good, Wild," Luna smiled at him, "Would you like to try it again?"

***

In the evening, when everyone had gone to sleep, Luna was still up, sorting through some documents in her office. A knock came from her door. Luna wondered who wanted to see her so late, so she put down the papers.

"Come in."

The door opened, and it was her sister Celestia who walked in. Luna's eyes brightened, but it was immediately replaced by worry - Celestia didn't look very well. There were bags under her eyes, and her mane was done into a bun that wobbled on the back of her head. Luna knew it was a sign that her mane wasn't being properly taken care of, as Celestia tended to let it loose whenever possible, which was almost all the time.

"Tia? Is everything alright?" Luna rose from behind her desk and walked around it to approach her sister, "You look awful."

"Yeah, I know," Celestia sighed, and the two hugged, "It's all the changelings, you know. The public isn't happy about them. But let's not talk about work - how are you doing? I hoped to visit sooner, but..."

"I understand," Luna told her gently, "Come on, sit down," she summoned two big and comfortable pillows, and Celestia gracelessly flopped on one of them immediately, "Up for some tea?"

"The day I say no, check if I was replaced by a changeling," Celestia said dryly, and Luna chuckled.

Soon enough, both Luna and Celestia had a teacup in their grasp, the tea a nice herbal blend without any caffeine in it. Celestia inhaled deeply, a smile spreading on her face that highlighted her stress yet also made her more relaxed. She took a sip, then shivered in pleasure.

"Ooh, this is exactly what I needed," she said, "Thank you."

"Of course," Luna smiled in turn, "Now, I believe everything is going quite well on my end. Almost everyone has recovered from the ordeal, and we weren't hit very hard in the first place. It's all mostly back to how it was before, which is a relief. It helps the foals move past it, and I'm glad the Invasion was as short as it was. I shudder to think what would have happened if it turned into occupation."

"That's good to know, but I didn't ask about how others are doing," Celestia looked into Luna's eyes, "How are you doing?"

"I, well..." Luna sighed, "It has been... something. I am handling everything well enough, I suppose. You know I like doing this, helping others. Despite all the hardships, it is still true."

"Well, you certainly look better than me," Celestia chuckled, "I'm glad you're doing well. That's the least you deserve."

"Tia..." Luna sighed deeply, remembering all the times when Celestia said the exact same thing.

"No, Luna, I know I messed up," Celestia said, "There's nothing I can do to ever make it up to you fully."

Both of them were very aware it wasn't about the Invasion.

"That's not true, you don't have to make it up. I made my choice back then, and I paid for it."

"But..."

"We have talked about it many times," Luna pressed, firm yet gently, "I don't blame you. You did what you had to do."

"Doesn't mean I liked doing it..." Celestia looked down.

"No, but neither of us knew better. Let it go, sister. We cannot change the past."

Silence reigned for a while as the two sipped their tea. Luna had to admit to herself - she had blamed her sister for her imprisonment. Not anymore, however - there was no way Celestia would have ever wanted a thousand years of loneliness for her own sister. The Elements of Harmony, as helpful as they were, didn't have much mercy. They wouldn't kill - they were incapable of that - but, if Luna had to be honest with herself, what they did wasn't much different, and they had no sense of measure.

Perhaps it was a mistake on Celestia's part to use them on Luna when she was Nightmare Moon. However, before then, they were only used twice, and Celestia firmly believed the Elements would simply purify her sister, not banish her for a thousand years, not rip her from Equestria as if she were something alien, some outside force. Luna knew Celestia had regretted using them ever since, and that was the reason she hadn't wielded them and didn't want to use them ever again. Having the Elements split between more ponies would, hopefully, safeguard from any potential similar mistakes in the future.

"You should come visit during the day," Luna told Celestia, changing the topic, "Some foals are eager to see you again."

"I would like to, but there's still so much work to be done," she sighed, feeling like she couldn't help but talk about work. Truthfully, as a princess, she could never truly escape it, especially now, "Quite a few legislature proposals were... problematic."

"You mean severely bigoted?"

"It would be easier if I could call them what they are, yes," Celestia's lips twitched in a smile, but then it twisted back into a frown again, "But the public... the changelings haven't made a good impression. I know a few, and they've never caused trouble for as long as I knew them, but... Well, they can't reveal themselves openly, not even to their friends. Not until the public's opinion on changelings change, and who knows how much time that will take. Even my word won't be enough to change the tides."

"What an awful mess indeed," Luna nodded. Ah, how she enjoyed hearing her sister complain about politics. Commiserating about it always made her feel better, "I suppose... it won't be a breach of trust if I tell you we have a changeling in the orphanage."

"Oh, you know Jade?" Celestia smiled, "How are they doing?"

"As well as could be expected, I suppose," Luna frowned, "They are... still not taking it very well. They have withdrawn, and it would take a lot to bring them back."

"I should talk to them, then."

"It would likely help, yes," Luna nodded, "I suspect that Jade may think you hate them now because of what happened."

"Goodness, no, I could never hate them!" Celestia denied, "I will definitely talk to them first thing tomorrow and damn anyone who would stand in my way."

"That's the spirit," Luna smiled and raised her cup.

The two spent some more time chatting and drinking tea until it was time for Celestia to depart and go to sleep. Luna bade her goodbye and then retreated herself, going to bed. However, she wouldn't dream her own dreams today - it was time for her to attend to her duties in the Dreamscape.

Entering it had been easy for her for a long time. Surrounded by the cosmos, she floated among nothingness, sensing thousands upon thousands of pony dreams. She had once resented them for sleeping during the night, but no longer. Her night was beautiful, yet now she knew this beauty wasn't for everyone. When she was young, she thought every single pony needed to see it, needed to enjoy it, needed to appreciate it. However, ponies needed their rest, and most of them weren't nocturnal. Perhaps it was a nasty twist of fate that made Luna the night's architect for those who could never fully see the whole beauty of it.

However, there were those who deeply appreciated the night, and now she didn't ignore them, didn't overlook them. It was enough to know they were out there, gazing at the stars, basking in the moonlight. As long as even one person enjoyed and appreciated the night, Luna would be content.

When it came to the dreams, she usually didn't have much to do. Nightmares were rare - save for the recent times. After the Changeling Invasion, their count spiked, and she had spent much time soothing ponies, reminding them that it was over, that it wouldn't happen again.

Other nightmares were often, from her perspective, quite silly. However, she still took them seriously, helping foals overcome their fears and anxieties, even if it was as simple as fearing a corner of the furniture would turn into a pony-eating monster when they weren't looking.

There was one pony whose dreams were odd, and that pony was Wild. She understood now that his brain worked differently, that he wasn't always a pony. Whoever and whatever he had once been, she had yet to see, however.

Usually, the entrance to other ponies' dreams took the shape of a door. Luna suspected it wasn't how Dreamscape worked but how she thought of those entrances. They had changed with time as styles and architecture changed, and each door for each pony was different, showing something of their personalities in a symbolic way.

Wild's door was tall and somewhat narrow, not shaped like a door to a pony-sized house would be. There was a handle about two fifth up the door, in a place that wouldn't fit a quadruped but would fit someone bipedal, like a minotaur. The door was made of steel, an industrial and secure sort of look, despite the peeling paint and spots of what looked like rust.

Now, the door had more of a wooden look, though it still mixed with steel in ways that weren't possible to achieve. The paint was somewhat more intact, and rust was less common, but it still overall didn't look very welcoming nor exactly healthy.

Luna had learned that Wild valued his privacy very much, and so Luna didn't venture into his dreams unless he needed help. Right now, his dream radiated unease, but it wasn't exactly a nightmare, so she simply stood outside, waiting, hoping it wouldn't turn into a nightmare.

Wild's dreams were as strange as they could be graphically horrifying. She still remembered the burned-down orphanage and an empty lake filled with disfigured, burned corpses. It was one of the most graphic nightmares she had ever seen from someone who wasn't a surgeon or any other profession that semi-regularly dealt with bodies in one way or another. What it implied when it came to Wild's experiences, Luna hoped for the best - perhaps he had seen some graphic photos or paintings or drawings. She didn't want to think of the possibility that he had experienced something that made him see such horrors in reality.

The door to his dream suddenly disappeared, meaning that he woke up. Luna frowned - it was just around past four in the morning at best, he shouldn't be awake yet. Was his dream an actual nightmare that she didn't feel out correctly? Was the unease she felt not unease at all but fear, muffled and muddled through Wild's own natural mental defenses?

To her relief, his door reappeared not long afterwards. Whatever it was, it wasn't serious enough, thankfully.

Luna moved away from his door, feeling a call to go elsewhere. As much as she cared about Wild, she couldn't neglect anyone else.

As she assured others had their dreams free of nightmares, her mind yet drifted back to Wild. Knowing what she did about him, it was hard not to seek more ways to help him. She wanted him to know that there was someone who cared about him and who wanted to help him to be the best version of him that he could, she wanted him to recover, and she wanted him to live a good life.

And yet, even now she remained stumped in her efforts, unsure of how to proceed. She thought she was doing well enough, but she had yet to discuss anything of Wild's true past with him, and she feared a misstep would be disastrous.

Luna needed help in figuring it out and yet she didn't want to betray Wild's confidence. It was true there were discoveries of her own, things that he did not share but she knew, but... it felt like a betrayal of trust. Should Wild come to learn about what she knew, what would he do? Would he run away, would he deny it all and thus stop trusting her?

She wished she knew what to do.

Author's Note

Luna's task isn't an easy one, that's for sure. I'd think dealing with regular foals is much easier than someone from another world, who knows even which species, and who carries a baggage ponies hadn't dealt with in years. Nothing can really prepare you for this kind of stuff, huh?

I had a silly fear when I was a kid. Next to my bed, there was a piece of furniture with a sharp corner that, when it was dark and when my imagination ran wild, could be seen as a part of some sort of a monster that glared at me. It wasn't a strong fear, but there was definitely some unease about it.