To Dream in Red

Luna sat uncomfortably on a dead cow as she studied Poppy quietly. He hadn’t said much today, beyond his normal greeting. He hadn’t done very much either. He merely sat across from her atop a mule carcass, seemingly deep in thought. They had sat like that for some time now, and Luna wasn’t sure how to break the silence. Thankfully, Poppy spoke first.

His voice was somber and barely above a whisper. “Do you know what’s wrong with me, Luna?”

The question caught her off-guard, and while she tried to think of an answer, Poppy continued. “I know something is wrong with me. I’m not normal, I never have been. Today, I saw Jade Brook again. We were walking and talking together, and she asked me what I dream about at night. I asked her, and she said she dreams of cute animals, lots of candy and fun games. I told her I dream of the same things.”

He paused, looking up at Luna. She saw the tired look in his eyes, but didn’t dare to stop him now. He rarely spoke of his waking hours, so it was undoubtedly important when he did.

“Of course, we both know that it was a lie. I dream of this place. More than that, I dream of hurting ponies. Of hurting Jade. I just wish I knew why.”

Luna had never before questioned where the mounds of corpses came from, but it only occurred to her just then that he must be making them himself. There had been a few times in the past where she could have sworn that a carcass he was playing with had been moving, but she always convinced herself it was her eyes playing tricks on her. It was easier to imagine that they merely spontaneously appeared as he slept.

Even now, after months of study, she had no answers as to the source of his innate cruelty. “I do not know either,” she finally said.

They sat in silence for a moment, both trying to think of what to say next. Finally, the colt asked, “Does this make me a bad pony?”

The alicorn frowned. “Do you wish to bring harm to others? Do you want to be a bad pony?”

Poppy Blanch hesitated. He hesitates for longer than Luna had hoped. “I like doing what I do here. Part of me wishes I could do it in real life too, but I also don’t want to be a bad pony either.” Luna narrowed her eyes at him, and he quickly added, “I know that these things are bad, and I won’t ever actually do any of it in real life, but I can’t stop myself from dreaming about it. From wanting to do it.”

Luna couldn't help but think of her Tantabus, and how she relived her own personal nightmares every night. She considered what it must feel like for Poppy Blanch, and realized that the difference between him and her is that she had already acted on those impulses. She already became Nightmare Moon, and hurt other ponies in the past. He had yet to do any of this. He could still be saved before he ever walked down that path. He could be better than her.

“I believe that regardless of why you may dream as you do, it does not define you, Poppy Blanch. Your dreams may be grim and full of bloodshed, but your heart is pure. You have done well to resist your temptations for this long.” She paused before adding, “It is not your desires that determine your goodness, but your actions. You have yet to hurt anypony; to act out these dark urges of yours. You are a good pony, as far as I am concerned.”

He listened to her words carefully, and nodded when she finished her speech. He seemed to have taken the words in, but she couldn’t tell if they made any impact. His expression was still stern, and indecisive.

“Thank you, Luna,” was the last thing he said that night.