Luna was high up in the sky, flying at a steady pace towards Canterlot. Having been a pegasus before she became an alicorn, she was far more comfortable in flight than Celestia even after all those centuries, and she took advantage of it as often as she could. Flying in a carriage carried some weight, of course, showing others that she didn't have to fly on her own, that she was a princess and held power, but none of that changed the fact that flying by herself was one of her favorite activities. The way the air brushed past her felt amazing, and the noise of the wind in her ears made it feel like she was going even faster than she truly was.

However, this time she wasn't flying for the sake of it but to meet a friend of hers for a piece of advice. They had known each other for just a little under three years, which wasn’t particularly long considering Luna’s age, but that didn’t prevent her from feeling fondness for her friend.

In the first few days after Luna’s return, she had been uncertain what to do. She was glad to return to her sister, but everyone else she had ever cared about was long gone. The few friends she had among the staff and the guards of Canterlot and the Summer Palace had long since passed, forgotten by all except her and perhaps some historians. Various foals she was guiding to adulthood had grown up, grown old, and died in her absence as well.

The Royal Orphanage was still around, although now it had quite a bit fewer people, all thanks to various reforms and additions over the centuries that improved lives and made it easier for families to stay together and to resolve problems before they had spiraled out of control and the resentment had grown too far. Even now, it wasn’t solved completely, and there would always be those who wanted to escape their families for one reason or another yet who couldn’t live on their own. Luna had intended to dedicate her time to them once again, to provide them with what others could not or refused to.

She had found that many things had changed, and her attitude was not as acceptable as it once was. Celestia was quick to point it out before Luna made a mistake she couldn’t fix, and Luna decided to distance herself from the foals until she knew how to guide them properly. This, however, didn’t stop her from nearly ruining the Nightmare Night celebration in Ponyville that year. That was still an embarrassing moment for her, one she didn’t like to talk about despite how surprisingly well it ended.

Luna had learned of medical fields called psychiatry and psychology. Previously, she had known there was something about the mind that was important, that was separate from the rest of the body in some way. She had fought in battles and experienced battle fatigue - now called PTSD. She had seen others who experienced it as well, those who spiraled into deep depression and those who had retreated to safety, never to wield a weapon again. However, what was puzzling for the time was seeing very similar behaviors in some people who had never seen a battle, let alone fought in a war. There were various odd quirks some ponies had that couldn’t be reasonably explained, and some behaviors were called insanity or madness. Luna had learned since then that almost all terms she was familiar with were either extremely outdated or downright offensive, which was certainly a kick in the chest.

Her initial effort to learn more was securing a meeting with the Head of Psychology and Psychiatry Ward of the Canterlot Royal Hospital. This very building had once been a simple House of the Sick, yet it had grown and expanded in time since then, the treatment options and care provided evolving with the building. The insides of the building were spotless, feeling and smelling clean, and the nurse at the entrance didn't hesitate to firmly tell Luna that she couldn't proceed any further without properly cleaning her hooves first.

"I believe they are sufficiently clean," Luna tried to argue.

"With all due respect, your majesty, they are certainly not," the nurse retorted, and then added a bit more information, "Perhaps it wasn't necessary during your time, but we have learned since then that cleanliness is extremely important, and what is an acceptable level of cleanliness in your own palace is not acceptable amongst the sick."

Luna didn't protest much then, although she failed to see the necessity for a long time. It wasn't like anyone was licking the floor, after all, despite the floors in the hospitals actually looking like they could be safely eaten off of. Not like anyone would try it even if allowed - Luna still remembered the difficulties of dealing with diarrhea out in the field, so even to her it was clear why one should be very careful about where the food is eaten.

After Luna's hooves were sufficiently clean and the nurse found no other faults, Luna was finally led to the Head of the Psychology and Psychiatry ward. The office of that person was as clean if not even cleaner, as impossible as it sounded, than the rest of the hospital, as well as meticulously, painstakingly organized, everything labeled not using any kind of manual writing but using a proper labeling machine, a new tool Luna had learned of later.

The floor of the office was of a kind Luna didn't recognize, not being wood nor stone nor tile nor metal, and instead made of vinyl, something Luna hadn't known about until later. It was white yet not painfully so, and any spot of dirt was clearly visible on it. The material, Luna had later learned, was quite durable and easy to clean, as well as easy to replace if necessary. The walls were a kind of light gray, smooth, the angles of the rectangular room perfectly straight. The ceiling was as white as the floor, smooth enough yet not too smooth as to be reflective, with a square central fixture that emitted just the right kind of light to be both bright and easy on the eyes even if you looked directly into it.

When it came to the furniture, there were the previously noticed filing cabinets that were not only properly labeled but also color-coded in a non-obtrusive yet clear way, a desk, and a couple of seats, one of which situating behind the desk where the Head of the ward sat. On the desk itself, there was nothing personal like in the rest of the room, and only a holder for clean paper and a few multi-color pens was present. The room was certainly not personal, but then the Head rarely received visitors that weren't as professional as they came.

“We- I desire to learn the art of psy-chia-try and psy-chology,” Luna declared, stumbling over the new words unfamiliar to her tongue, her voice just a tad too loud, too demanding, “It hath come to my knowledge that these medical fields are vital to providing aid to my subjects.”

Doctor Fay, an unassuming-looking earth pony mare of a somewhat indeterminable age of between twenty and fifty, did not look impressed, and that very fact made Luna bristle. Was she not good enough? Was her desire to help others not good enough? However, she had to be patient, so she said nothing, waiting for the doctor to speak, even as the silence seemed to stretch infinitely, almost mocking Luna.

“In my professional opinion, Princess Luna,” Doctor Fay finally spoke, her cadence slow, her words carefully measured, her tone calm and, in a way Luna couldn’t describe at the time, soothing, “One can hardly help others when one hasn’t yet helped themselves.”

“I require no help,” Luna denied immediately, shoving the part of her that disagreed down below, “I am a princess of Equestria, nothing is beyond my grasp. Thou art mistaken if thou believest that I am helpless.”

There was a beat of silence as Doctor Fay looked at Luna. Something in her gaze reminded her of her own parents when she got into trouble and they had to deal with it and then with her. It didn't quite make her wilt.

“I don’t think you are helpless,” she said, and the sense of impending doom disappeared as if it was never even there. Luna blinked in silent confusion - those were not the words she expected to hear, “However, I do not need to be a doctor to know that a thousand years of being completely alone has an impact on you.”

“It is behind me now,” Luna stated firmly, not truly believing her own words.

“Is it?”

And that was the question. She knew the answer to it already, of course. It was, by no means, new to her, and yet... well, she knew she was flawed. She knew there was something broken, something that couldn’t be fixed inside her, something that happened because of all... this.

She was an alicorn. She earned it, earned the power. It was hers by right.

She was a princess. She was born into royalty, but she had proven the right to bear the crown. Equestria would not have survived without her.

She was... a person. And she was scared.

The language was different. Her friends were gone. Her sister had changed. The ponies feared her despite not knowing her. The entire world had changed. Her head was in the past, yet the world had moved on, all without her, as if she had never existed, as if she was but a speck of dust. She was, for all intents and purposes, erased, replaced by a myth, a legend, a tale - not a person.

“Princess Luna,” Doctor Fay addressed her, breaking her out of her thoughts, “Apprenticeships are, generally speaking, uncommon today.”

Yet another thing Luna hadn’t really paid attention to. Education had once been private, passing from parent to child, or perhaps from a village to their foals. Schooling was common now, and teaching was mostly done by professionals, which was a luxury few could even afford a thousand years ago, and the professionals today also studied how to teach. And wasn’t that a novel concept for Luna, studying how to teach. Wasn’t knowing a subject enough in order to teach it to others?

Her mind went back to Star Swirl, now commonly known as Star Swirl the Bearded. He was a mind unlike any other, who had learned more about magic in his relatively short lifetime than Celestia had managed to do in thrice as long. However, his skills at magic and the study of magic did not exactly translate into imparting those skills on others. He was absolutely brilliant, Luna knew, but she still remembered how he made Celestia cry because she couldn’t get a spell right. He did not shout, no, but he methodically disassembled everything she did and laid out exactly what she did wrong, and then he, just as calmly, berated her for it.

“This spell is not beyond your grasp, yet you insist on acting foolishly, allowing your casting to be half-baked. Are you half-baked, Celestia?” he had said then.

“I am trying!” she almost yelled, holding back the tears, and yet Starswirl only hummed dismissively.

“Not hard enough, it seems. Magic needs effort. You are not giving enough of it.”

Back then, Luna felt good that there was something Celestia was bad at, but she also had a sense that it was wrong, somehow. However, she couldn’t describe it nor find the origin of that feeling, so she let it be.

“However, I understand why a school or a university wouldn’t suit you,” Doctor Fay continued, once again breaking Luna out of her thoughts and memories, “They would make allowances because you are a princess. They sometimes bend even for the lesser nobles, and I certainly know they would do anything for you, and that includes things that you do not need,” she paused for a moment, looking away in thought, “I will teach you. There are terms, of course.”

“Very well,” Luna said with a nod, “Let us discuss the terms, then.”

“In exchange for my knowledge and, I suppose, my wisdom, I require but one thing,” the doctor said, “It is honesty.”

Luna wielded the Element of Honesty once, so it was easy for her to agree. However, despite it, she honestly didn’t expect she would have to be honest about herself. Not only that, but it was in ways that, frankly, she only realized afterwards.

Of all the things she learned, some were quite baffling to her old-time sensibilities. At the time, things she didn’t understand caused her to argue against them, not learn about them, not accept them. After all, she had lived for a long time, and she had forgotten more things than most ever learned... wasn't that true?

“I cannot excuse laziness,” Luna protested, “It is certainly not difficult for anyone to clean their own rooms and organize their own belongings.”

Luna didn’t talk about how her parents punished her for the ever-present clutter in her room. She said nothing about the shame she felt when her cleaning efforts didn’t stick for more than a week at best. She voiced no relief about when the pressure of her parents to keep everything nice and tidy disappeared as they grew more distant and, after some years, died. She knew she shouldn’t have felt that way, but there was little she could do about it, and so she simply never spoke of any of it.

“Why do you believe it is laziness?” Doctor Fay asked, her voice as mild and as pleasant as ever. Sometimes, Luna wanted to hate it, wanted to hate how Fay never shouted at her, never sneered at her, never berated her. And yet... she remained a demanding teacher without any of it. The slightest frown from her had more of an effect than any scathing words of disappointment Luna had ever heard from anyone else.

“Others do not have such difficulties,” Luna replied even as she knew it wasn’t the right answer, “They have their limbs, they have their magic. They are not sick. They should be able to do it easily.”

The slight downturn of Fay’s lips along with a deeper frown on her face meant that Luna was very, very wrong, and only her strength of will prevented her from wincing. She felt like she once more stood in front of her mathematics tutor and couldn't recite something from memory fast enough.

“Luna,” she said. All the honorifics and titles were dropped as was tradition between teacher and student since before Luna was born, “Can you remind me what psychiatry is?”

“Psychiatry is a branch of medicine that dealth with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental and emotional disorders,” Luna said, her voice steady, “What doth this definition have to do with laziness?”

This time, Doctor Fay didn’t correct her on her usage of older language despite her insistence that it creates unnecessary distance between Luna and everyone else, especially people she intends to help. Luna never quite voiced the fact that clinging to the old way of speech allowed her to retain something she was familiar with and something she saw no sense in changing.

“What you may call laziness can have multiple explanations,” Doctor Fay explained, “Some people are, indeed, lazy. However, labeling anyone lazy is counterproductive. Our task is to help, not to judge, not to berate others.”

Luna nodded slowly. She knew that even if she found it difficult to understand. After all, how could one improve without having their actions judged? Even as she thought this question, she remembered the feeling of utter shame at every point she was judged, and then there was resentment. Was she not good enough? What more did they want?

“People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder cannot help who they are,” the doctor continued, “The difficulties they face are not their fault. Life can be made easier for them instead of forcing them to live lives they weren’t made to live,” she pulled out a drawer in her desk, grabbed a folder, and placed it on the desk, “ADHD has been studied for centuries, and these are the most important studies that go into what it is and how to help people who have it. There are various methods, and each of them is explored to find out how effective or ineffective it is,” she paused, “Most importantly, issues people with this disorder face are not their own moral failings. They are simply different and require different things to live fulfilling lives. I invite you to read those studies thoroughly, and then come back to me. We will then see what you think about laziness.”

Luna nodded, knowing that learning was over for today. Something Doctor Fay said resonated with her, and it repeated in her head even as she walked out of her office and went on her way back to the Canterlot Castle.

“Issues people with this disorder face are not their own moral failings.”

Luna, for the longest time, was told that it was her failure when she was disorganized, when she forgot appointments, when she wasn’t ready with what her teachers asked of her. If only she studied harder, if she could only focus on what was asked of her, if only she was better...

“They are simply different and require different things to live fulfilling lives.”

Was she not happier without that pressure to meet her parents’ expectations? Was she not happier when she went back to her bedroom and saw her organized clutter where everything was where it needed to be, not just lying in places to look aesthetically pleasing?

Was she not feeling better when she was beholden only to herself?

She knew then that it would be in her best interests to read everything Doctor Fay gave her.

***

Time passed, and at one point around half a year into her apprenticeship, Luna understood.

“You are treating me,” she said to Doctor Fay, half an accusation and half a statement.

“I am doing my best to help you, yes,” the doctor nodded in confirmation, “I do have to apologize for the deception. However, I saw that you would not accept my help if I offered it to you directly.”

“I...” Luna stopped. She was about to say that she didn’t need help. And yet... was she not happier, more content? Her time with Doctor Fay had improved her, made her better, made her life better. She learned not only how to understand various conditions and everything around them, but how to help herself as well, how to see those conditions in herself, and how to understand that she did indeed need help just like anyone else facing similar issues, “That is true. I... thank you, Fay.”

“It is my pleasure,” Doctor Fay smiled, “It has been my joy to see you grow and improve. You’re not the same person who approached me half a year ago anymore.”

“I... am not,” Luna said, then sighed, “I have learned many ways in which I was wrong. I am not ready to help others. As you said, I have yet to learn how to help myself.”

“And you are learning. You are improving. I’m very proud of your progress, and I see a bright future for you in the sphere of psychology and psychiatry,” Fay assured her, “In truth, you’ve the most dedicated student I’ve seen despite, or likely thanks to our countless arguments.”

“T-thank you,” Luna blushed slightly, feeling awkward about the praise. She hadn’t known why then, but later she realized it was because praise was few and far between when she was younger.

If she were entirely honest - and not only with others but with herself - she would have realized that the pace at which she learned was far greater than anyone else’s. It usually took at least an entire year to get to where Luna was just six months in, and her studies progressed even faster afterwards. It was both tiring and exhilarating, and Luna focused all her efforts on it that weren't explicitly required elsewhere. Of course, it all came with the consequence of snubbing some nobles who wanted to ingrain themselves with her, but she honestly couldn't have cared less.

Doctor Fay privately thought that were ponies to have multiple talent marks, Luna would have a second one for psychology. There was an intuitive sort of understanding she had for both psychiatry and psychology, even if she needed to be pushed here and there to understand and accept various concepts that went against what she was taught over a thousand years ago. It was sometimes frustrating, barely better than talking to the foundation of Canterlot in the hopes that her voice would make the entire city crumble down the mountain side, yet it was also very fulfilling. Doctor Fay had taught some classes over the years, but never anything prolonged in a one on one way, and she could now see the appeal. Fortunately, despite the arguments, Luna was very willing to learn new things, aware of the fact that the world had changed massively since her times.

More time passed, and Luna gained more experience with both psychiatry and psychology by being an assistant to qualified doctors. Naturally, that required a disguise - she wore clothes enchanted to hide her wings, she had to speak a different accent, keep her mane and tail in check to prevent them from appearing more than they should be, as well as change the colors and her talent mark. Not only that, but she managed to squeeze more time into it with the help of a rather complex spell. It created a copy of her that was tangible and entirely real - up to a point. Without a doubt, ponies that specialized in magical theory would be able to tell at a glance that it was a magical construct and not a real person, but if any of them were ever present nearby, they never spoke about that. Fortunately, the copy was real enough to fool everyone else, and so she managed to get double the experience for the same amount of time, existing as both Moonlight and Starlight, two promising students: one in the field of psychiatry, the other in psychology. Moonlight was a mare with pale yellow coat and white mane while Starlight was a stallion with deep blue coat and purple-and-white mane, both of them unicorns. Luna preferred for Moonlight to be the copy - she was not entirely comfortable in a male body even if it was essentially a tangible illusion. It was a feeling she came to learn was called gender dysphoria.

Once it was time for her to rest between days of hard work, the copy merged back with her, returning with the memories and the experience she needed. Sometimes, because of pulling essentially double time, she felt like her head was crammed to the full at the end of the day, and it wasn't rare for this sensation to bloom into a rather annoying headache just a step away from being truly nasty. However, she deemed learning it all worth the pain and discomfort even if Doctor Fay didn’t entirely approve of the scheme. Fortunately, Luna was a princess, and not many things could be denied to her, which she took advantage of when the reason was good enough.

A little under ten months before Luna met Wild, Doctor Fay told her that she was ready to be around foals and provide help even if she was not allowed to diagnose them or treat them herself. Instead, she was to direct them towards licensed psychiatrists and psychologists, which was what she did until she got her license.

Luna was joyful at the news, and even the lingering fatigue from the clone spell was worth the happiness she felt as she looked over the foals, her charges, those she would guide towards betterment. She didn't believe she would ever want to be a mother as she didn't see herself dedicating her efforts to just one person, but those foals were as close to children as she could get, and she was happy with that.

Back in the present, Luna thought about the times past with fondness, and her eternal gratitude belonged to Doctor Fay for giving her the opportunity to learn psychology and psychiatry, an honor that Doctor Fay could refuse, would even be in her right to refuse despite all the possible consequences of denying a ruling princess. However, Doctor Fay put her faith in Luna, and the alicorn would not hesitate to return the favor.

Luna was now close to Canterlot, eyeing a suitable landing spot to bring her the closest to the meeting spot. It was certainly time for Luna to ask for advice - while she might be centuries old, she was still far from an expert in the field of the mind, and it was time she consulted with her mentor.

She knew Fay’s schedule quite well, so it wasn’t a stretch to make it in time for late day tea. Doctor Fay preferred the quieter outskirts of Canterlot, away from the hustle and bustle of the central streets. In fact, the little tea shop they agreed to meet at was known for catering to ponies who appreciated the quiet and the calm most of all. Instead of one big hall where all tables would be, there were a number of smaller rooms. Each room had a window, and each window had various curtains of different density and thickness to satisfy whatever level of light a customer preferred. The amount of noise that could enter the room from the outside could also be adjusted by turning a knob that regulated a spell on the windows. When it came to furniture, a customer could ask for almost anything. Fay, Luna knew, preferred a large pillow and a low table. Luna, in turn, liked a couch, raised from the floor, stiffer than regular pillows, and a bigger table where she could put more things on than just the tea. Luna didn’t visit too often, but when she did, she got more work done than almost anywhere else.

“Good afternoon, Fay,” Luna greeted her mentor when she entered the chosen room. Just like Fay’s regular office, it was very quiet, yet there was some ambient noise that prevented it from feeling uncomfortably like a tomb.

“Good afternoon, Luna,” Fay warmly greeted her student in turn. The two settled down and sipped their tea for a time, basking in the quiet and in the presence of each other. Fay, Luna had learned, wasn’t much for small talk, so she decided to go ahead with the main topic.

“I have a... very difficult case,” Luna said with a sigh, “Frankly, I feel like I fucked up big time.”

Fay’s eyebrows rose. Luna didn’t swear often, and resorting to modern concise swears meant there was something particularly distressing.

“I won’t betray their confidentiality, but I just... I can’t even begin to describe the... the situation.”

Fay’s concern continued to grow as Luna did not use contractions all that often in her speech either. However, she waited for Luna to tell her what she needed to tell.

“I can’t even say much of anything without revealing more than I agreed with them to,” Luna rubbed her forehead, “It is all so intertwined... let’s just say that this case, I feel like no one can ever be prepared for something like this. I am certainly not ready for this.”

She sighed again, picking her next words. She offered herself tiny congratulations for not revealing Wild’s gender even if it wasn’t all that important in the grand scheme of things.

“There is someone I wish to help,” she finally said after having gathered her thoughts, “I offered them help just before the Changeling Invasion, and they told me they would give me the answer in two days. The second day was when the Invasion happened, and they ended up in the center of it. There was a long recovery period afterwards as well. And I... learned more about them in all this time than before, and one thing is...” she huffed, “The more I learn about them, the more I... fuck, Fay, their life has been awful! I don’t have the words to describe it, it’s just...” she sighed somewhat shakily, blinking a few times rapidly. It was not time to cry, she had to be put together in order to be of any help, “And then there was... this day. This entire day was a complete and utter disaster.”

Luna went on to describe the Nightmare and how they had taken Wild, although she had to skip over some details.

“I cannot talk about those things,” she said, “They are not mine to tell.”

Nothing forbade doctors from consulting other doctors when it came to their patients, as long as some standards of confidentiality were followed. In fact, consulting was strongly encouraged. Luna, to her great shame, had almost entirely forgotten about it, so used to working all by herself. It was a difficult trait to shake off, and she wondered... was it her fault or was it the influence of the Nightmare? She didn’t know. Besides, she believed she was smart enough to remember such things, and yet she had failed there.

Luna selfishly wished for a vacation. She wished she could go to some distant, quiet place. Perhaps there would be a tiny water stream nearby. Maybe it would be in the mountains as well, but not too high, and certainly not with a view of Canterlot. There would be just her and the nature around her. There would be a nice and small log cabin, and the nights would be cold enough for a fireplace to be used. She would lay down in front of the fire, listen to it crackle, and simply rest.

Unfortunately, her desire to rest was far less important than her duties to her subjects, especially to the foals that needed her guidance. Deep inside, she knew it was her attempt to atone for what she had done, and that it was no way to live. She ignored it, pushing forward instead.

Luna continued her tale, voicing her worries about how her relationship with Wild would progress after the Nightmare was destroyed. They both, thankfully, came out of it alive, but Wild was hurt tremendously, and Luna didn’t say exactly what happened but she let Fay know it was extremely serious. Ponies could be quite superstitious about spirits, and Luna didn’t think it was her place to talk about Wild’s situation, especially since she didn’t even know how to properly describe it to herself, let alone to anyone else.

The biggest issue, however, was how Luna pushed to help, basically blurting out what she knew of Wild to him when he was least ready for it. She should have known it was not the right way, and yet she went ahead with it anyway, and that resulted in getting Wild hurt in ways she probably didn’t understand. She shuddered at the memory of the not-sound that was made when he was violently torn from his own body.

Fay listened patiently until Luna finished her tale. She set down her cup of tea and gathered her thoughts.

“The way you approached them about their secrets was not a good way to do it,” she said.

“I know,” Luna winced, “And I regret I didn’t wait, didn’t find a better way, and I fear I have irrevocably damaged them. And they need help, Fay. I know, I know you can’t help those who don’t want the help, but... they have suffered, tremendously, and it... it pains my heart to see that. Is there nothing I can do? They’re so young, and yet they’ve experienced more than they should ever had to. I...” she deflated, “I just don’t know...”

“I suppose I should begin with a simple statement - you should not blame yourself for the Nightmare,” Fay said, cutting straight to the heart of Luna’s current worry, “You have made a mistake in regards to the person you care about, but it is not on you that they got hurt by the Nightmare.”

“They may not see it that way,” Luna shook her head, “They do not trust easily, I know that much. And... with the circumstances being what they are, I am not sure they can trust anyone else yet. I have proven, at least until today, that I take their well-being seriously, and that I do not pry. But I did pry, didn’t I?”

“I believe it would have been better if you sat on your knowledge longer and approached them with more caution,” Fay said, “I do not know what secrets of theirs you managed to find out through simple observation, but if they are as important as you say they are, you can never be too cautious. Your patient is, from what I understand, a very private person, as many people with personal trauma tend to be. Frankly, you should have sought advice sooner.”

“I know I should have, but...” she said shamefully, “I just...”

“I understand,” Fay said softly, “You want to prove that you can handle it, that your patients can rely on you for help. However, just as they need to be sure they can rely on you, I hope you are aware that you can rely on me.”

It was perhaps not an ideal situation that Fay and Luna were friends. Fay knew Luna did need a therapist of her own, someone to help her through her issues. Fay had done what she could, but Luna could be quite stubborn and often ignored her own needs in favor of the needs of others. Ideally, someone else would be there to help Luna, but Fay knew no one else who would be able to place her title aside and treat her like any other patient. Far too many colleagues of hers were still in awe by the fact that Fay met with Luna regularly. She, naturally, regretted to tell them that they are friends. At least none of them approached her to try to get to Luna through her.

Unfortunately, in order to get her license, Luna had to reveal the ruse with her fake identities. Even if she had not, they would not help her much - many of the things Luna needed to deal with stemmed from her position in the country, a position that was like no other, and so it would have to come up in one way or the other.

Fay did not envy Luna for her position. More than ever, the saying ‘it is lonely at the top’ rang true.

“Well,” Fay sighed, “Let us come up with a plan to properly address it all, then. Together.”

Author's Note

I am being quite liberal with the timeline here, stretching the events between the first episode of the show and the ending of the second season. I've actually not watched MLP in a long time now, so I don't even remember the exact timing. I think every season is about a year of in-universe time? If anyone knows, feel free to draw up some basic canon timeline. Personally, I'm willing to stretch it for a bit so that it's not like every major event happens within a few years or that major events happen on an annual basis. That's about it when it comes to my timeline, and it's unlikely anything outside of major things and notable incidents would be mentioned. I'm not yet certain of the future of the story, but it'll likely not be centered around Ponyville and the surrounding area for too long.

The bit about ADHD comes from a place of personal experience. I am not formally diagnosed - I don't have the money for a psychologist, and the only doctor around that does this through state health insurance has very bad reviews - but finding out that I have ADHD, that the way I am is not my fault and that I deserve to be accommodated for and not just called a lazy bum who can't do shit was a great relief.

And now it's clear that Luna's experience with everything regarding mental health is quite limited even with the effort she put into it. However, studying psychology and psychiatry takes a bit less time in Equestria - at least it is that way in this story, for no particular reason - so she is relatively experienced considering Equestrian standards. This still doesn't mean that she has the experience to help every case, so she finally goes to someone else to share the burden.

And yes, Luna certainly needs a vacation. Just some time to do nothing for anyone else, everything exclusively to herself. I certainly know the importance of giving myself time to truly relax. To not worry about, say, writing something, trying to get money, everything. Thankfully, I'm privileged enough that I can afford to rest, even if it's actually difficult to rest properly. I've not really had any worry-free period of my life for quite a while now.

One last thing, ATTENTION!
I no longer accept unsolicited criticism. If I want criticism, I will ask for it. And, in short, I write this for fun and for myself first. When I post here, my intention is not to seek improvement but to allow other people to see what I've written and possibly enjoy reading it. If you don't enjoy it then it's not for you, and it's not a bad idea to leave the story. That's what I do with stories that I don't like since, well, they're not for me, and it wouldn't really help anyone for me to point out my dislike.

I still like reading your thoughts on the story, on how the characters act, and so on, so feel free to leave that kind of comments! And if there are any technical issues like misspellings, grammar errors, lack of space between things, etc, feel free to tell me that so I can fix it straight away.