It wasn't like I'd never seen a protest before. I'd never been the most politically or socially active person, but I'd had friends over the years who had their own passions, and there'd been a few times where I'd shown up to a protest to lend support.

It was an entirely different thing, though, being the subject of a protest. And while it was unlikely that the crowd outside the building could see me through the blinds of the second-story window I was peering through, I still felt a sense of being threatened. There was a lot of hostility down there, aimed at the “crime” of my existence within the borders of the city.

Shield and Sixie- well, I supposed I could call her “Twilight” now; I hadn't figured out her brother's actual name yet- were at the front doors dealing with the crowd; Sveti was in the meeting room with me, one of her claws gently pressed against my back as she looked out the window with me. “Peter, are you okay?” she asked quietly.

“I don't know.” I wanted to let this just roll off my back, say it didn't bother me, but if I was being honest with myself, it really did. These ponies didn't know me, had probably never seen me before in their lives, but something had gotten them together in order to make a very direct point about not wanting me around. “How many are there...?” I wondered.

“Thirty-four.” I heard a small growl come from Sveti's throat. “We don't need to see this,” she muttered, turning away from the window.

“Wait.” I gently put a hand on her neck. “I want to see something.”

I leaned against the edge of the window, giving the crowd of protesters as close a look as I could from my vantage point. It took me a little while to realize what it was I was picking up on- there was a weird disconnect between the various ponies arrayed outside. It looked as though each of them had come to do their own personal protest instead of joining together under a common cause; none of them looked really comfortable with each other, a strange thing for ponies, and there was no kind of coordination between them.

I pointed this out to Sveti, and she returned to the window, her sharp eyes looking down on the assembled ponies. “You're right,” she said. “Weird. We should tell Princess Twilight.”

It was a few minutes before the ponies came back inside, both of them looking annoyed. “Well, I'm not going to say I'm not disappointed in them,” Twilight was saying. “But it's their right.”

“Princess?” Sveti broke in. “Just what is this all about?”

“Unfortunately, it's just what it looks like. These ponies are protesting Peter's presence in Canterlot.” I was glad that Twilight was speaking slowly for my benefit, letting me approximate meaning and fill in holes; I'd learned she had a habit of speeding up her words when excited or upset.

“And you can't send them off?”

“Not so long as they're not on the embassy grounds. Equestrian law gives them the right to peacefully gather and demonstrate.”

Sveti nodded slowly. “Oh- Peter noticed something odd. They're behaving a little strangely for a protest group... it's like they all came separately instead of as a full group, you know?”

Shield gave me a grin. “You caught that too, huh? It is strange. I'm not sure what to make of it.”

“Neither am I, but I don't like it.” Twilight frowned. “They wouldn't even talk to us when we asked them why they were protesting. They just kept chanting and shouting.” She turned towards me. “Peter, I'd like for you to stay in the building while they're out there.”

I nodded. I didn't really have any reason to leave the grounds anyway, and it wouldn't have helped anything to provoke a response from the ponies outside. “Sveti,” I said quietly. “I'm going to go get some work done, okay? There's nothing I can do about all that.” I gestured towards the front door.

Sveti gave me a slight smile. “Okay. Lunch is soon, though.”

I nodded, and was just turning to go when I heard Shield's voice. “Peter, wait.”

“Yes?”

“I'm... sorry for all of this.” He tilted his head towards the door. “Us ponies... some of us don't react well to new things. Some of us get lost in fear. We try, though.”

After a moment, I gave him a slight smile. “You're a lot like humans that way,” I told him, before I turned and walked down the hallway.

(-)

“You're still certain about this? Especially considering what we've just learned?”

“Yes. He may be even more strange than we had thought, but this knowledge changes nothing in my obligation to him. If anything, it only strengthens it! He has seen enough of the darker side of our kind's nature to where it would take no great leap of logic to assume the worst of my actions. I must have him know the truth, Tia... what conclusions he would draw from it are his own to make, but at least he would understand the why.” Luna sighed. “And I have put this off far too long already. I rationalized the waiting to myself as a desire for his skill with our language to strengthen, but if I am being honest with myself... it has been fear holding me back.”

“A fear of being misunderstood?”

Slowly, she nodded. “I understand better than most how Peter feels. He faces the same slow, uphill climb for the understanding of ponies that I still do, years after my reformation. I....” She fell silent for a moment. “I would like a friend with whom I can relate such feelings.”

Celestia leaned over to nuzzle her gently. “Something which even I can't do, if I'm also being honest with myself,” she said quietly. “You know my misgivings, Lulu, but I can't seem to argue myself into arguing you out of this course of action. Just be careful.” She sighed. “I've learned the hard way that even the most helpful-seeming actions can be misinterpreted, terribly so.”

“I will do all that I can to not worsen the situation.” Slowly, Luna stood. “I will send word to Miss Windwhisper that I wish to speak to her ward tomorrow evening.”

(-)

“To the estimable personage Sveti Windwhisper:

I pen this missive to inform you that I wish to speak to the human known as 'Peter Collins' at the hour of seven bells after the noon, one day past the delivery of this message, within the confines of the Embassy of the Griffin Empire. As you are the duly-appointed administrator of the site, it is within your purview to grant or deny this request, and as the legal guardian of the aforementioned entity, it is your right to attend this meeting should you allow its occurrence. Please reply promptly through customary channels with your decision.

Awaiting your correspondence,
Her Royal Highness, Avatar of the Moon,
Princess Luna

Postscript- Should you accede to this request, I ask that you inform Peter only of my visitation, not of my identity or history. I wish no preconceptions to be formed within his mind before I am able to speak to him."

Sveti put the letter back in her desk drawer, closing it slowly and letting out a quiet breath. I have absolutely no idea what this is about, she thought, but there's something about it that makes me completely uncomfortable. Princess Luna hasn't had any contact with Peter yet; I suppose I can understand her wanting to meet him- but why the information lockdown beforehand? Is she worried that I might give him a bad impression of her? She looked over at the wall clock; it read 6:55. As friendly as Celestia and Twilight have been with me, I'm not nearly familiar enough with Luna to assume the same with her... so I think it'll be in Peter's best interests and mine to let the Princess set the tone of this meeting. She glanced over at the mirror to make sure her plumage was impeccable and her fur was brushed to a light sheen, then left her quarters to head to the meeting room.

Peter was waiting for her there, leaning back in the extra-large, overstuffed lounge chair- one of the few in the building large enough for him. He gave her a smile when she entered. “Almost time?” he asked.

“Almost.” She tried to return his smile, but she couldn't quite keep the worry off of her face; Peter, as perceptive as always, seemed to pick up on that, but didn't say anything.

Just as the clock struck seven, the door opened, and Quick Service showed himself. “Miss Windwhisper, Mister Collins,” he said, “it is my honor and privilege to welcome Her Royal Highness, Princess Luna.”

Both Sveti and Peter got up from their seats to greet her- but the moment the dark-furred alicorn strode into the room, the human froze in place, his eyes wide and his jaw slack. Luna noticed immediately. “Please,” she said quietly. “Do not be frightened.”

Sveti turned towards him. “Peter? Are you okay?”

“Mister Collins, is something wrong?” Quick took a step into the room. “Miss Windwhisper, should I do something?”

“Go on-station, Quick, please. I'll call if you're needed.”

“Yes ma'am.” With some reluctance- Sveti knew the young stallion was enamored with the human- Quick ducked back out of the room, closing the door behind Luna.

The alicorn's expression was unreadable. “Peter Collins, I ask that you not be afraid,” she said.

“You... not real. Not real!” He pointed at her, as if willing her to disappear. “Just a dream. Just in my dream!”

There was a rising edge of panic in Peter's voice that Sveti didn't like; she reflexively moved towards him. “Please sit,” Luna said, motioning to the chair, “and I will explain.”

It was nearly a full minute before Peter returned to his chair- during which he never took his eyes off of the Princess, and hardly blinked- after which Luna began to speak. What she learned from the entirely one-sided conversation left her stunned- when Peter had been on his own in the wild, Luna had actually entered his dreams, and even manipulated them, in order to gauge how dangerous he was to ponies.

But Luna was plainly remorseful for what she'd felt had to be done to prevent a potential tragedy. Her voice, at first flat and unemotional, began to sound strained, and her stoic expression seemed to crack a little more with every word that came from her mouth. Peter, however, stared at the alicorn with a face that could've been carved from stone for all that it moved, his eyes narrow and his jaw set.

Once Luna had finished speaking, there was a long moment of quiet, during which Sveti was certain that she could hear a feather drop. Then the alicorn lowered her head. “Peter, please know that I sincerely regret my actions-”

“You were in my head.” Peter's voice actually frightened Sveti; she'd never heard him so angry.

Even Luna cringed. “I only visited your dreams-”

“You were in my head.” He pushed himself out of the chair, fists clenched, and for half a moment Sveti actually believed he might assault the diarch. “I not... I not trust anything now! How I know you not make me think what you want?!”

A look of absolute horror crossed Luna's face. “I could do no such thing! It would be a violation of-”

“I not believe you! I not know what I believe now! Just....” His fists opened and closed as his expression went from fury to dejection. “Can't... trust anything now. Can't trust me.”

“Peter....” She reached up to put a claw on his shoulder- and felt her heart sink when he shrugged it off.

“You,” he growled, pointing a finger at Luna, “stay away from me.” He marched past her to the door, flinging it open hard enough to slam it into the wall and causing a couple of paintings to fall to the floor, then paused to glance over his shoulder at the alicorn. “Stay out of my head. Stay out of my dreams. I never want see you again.”

With that, the human stormed out into the hallway and out of sight. Sveti needed a moment to shake herself out of her shock, and started off after him- but paused to look at Luna. “Princess....” she said.

The alicorn shook her head, trying to regain her neutral demeanor- but Sveti could see tears welling in the corners of her eyes. “No, Miss Windwhisper,” she said. “See to your friend.”

“But... why didn't you want me to tell him about you? I could have explained things to him, about your abilities and responsibilities with ponies-”

“-and he could have thought you complicit in some scheme to sugarcoat my actions.” Luna shook her head. “He may wish to hate me for what I have done, but I would not see your friendship with him lost as collateral damage.” She turned away. “Now, please, go to him. There is no doubt he needs you at this moment.”

In a flash of magic as dark as a moonless night, Princess Luna vanished. Sveti stared at the spot where she'd stood for a moment before remembering herself and practically sprinting out of the room.

(-)

“Another letter of complaint from Blueblood?” Celestia held the parchment up before her, staring at it distastefully.

Timekeeper nodded. “I'm afraid so, Your Highness. He insists that somepony is 'out to get him', intent on making his life miserable.”

The solar diarch read through the list of complaints- apparently in just the last week, the sugar he used for tea had been swapped with salt, his favorite coat shampoo had been spiked with orange dye, and on no less than fifteen occasions he had been the victim of the classic “water bucket over the door” prank. So that explains his sudden insistence that a subordinate precede him through doorways at all times, she thought. Even into the bathroom. I wonder if that qualifies them for hazard pay....

There was a sudden warp of the magical energies nearby, and a recognizable one at that- Luna had returned. Celestia looked up towards her chamber door expectantly, waiting for her sister to announce her entrance and tell her how the meeting had gone... but when nothing happened for more than a minute, she realized that something had to be wrong. “Timekeeper, file this complaint with the others,” she said quietly, as she got to her hooves.

“In the trash it goes, yes, Princess,” the other mare answered.

Celestia could've simply teleported to Luna's room, but out of habit- and respect for her sister's Lunar Guard- she cantered her way to the chamber doors and announced herself to the two bat-pegasi standing guard before them; to her surprise, the guards simply allowed her in rather than asking permission from their mistress. “She is upset, Your Highness,” one of the guards whispered towards her. “She needs you.”

Inside the chambers, Celestia found her sister standing before the great fireplace, watching as magical blue flames licked up from enchanted logs. Luna's posture was ramrod-straight, and to almost anypony else, she was a picture of ethereal calm- but not to her kin. “What happened, Lulu?” she asked quietly.

Luna's head lowered just a little. “...what I should have expected to happen,” she murmured. “He was furious. Rightfully so. He bade me never appear before him again, in dreams or reality- a request I shall grant, as penitence for my actions.”

“ 'Never' is a very long time, Luna,” Celestia told her. “Peter is an intelligent creature. He could come to understand the intent behind your actions.” She approached her sister, sidling next to her and gently placing a wing over her back. “Anger is a hot emotion, one that burns itself out given enough time; logic and compassion are much cooler, and tend to soothe wounds. But the most important factor is time, to allow the healing to take place. And that is what you must give him- time.”

Luna nodded slowly. “I understand, sister. But... I can still wish that things had gone differently.”

Celestia gave her a gentle nuzzle. “As can we all.”

(-)

It's not the easiest feat to think about things when you don't feel like you can even trust your thoughts.

That was the dilemma I found myself in as I sat in my room, my back against the corner farthest from the door and my head in my hands. I didn't know how long I'd been sitting there before I heard a knock on the door. “Peter?” came Sveti's voice. “Can I come in?”

“No.” The word came out of my mouth unbidden; I was too deep in the emotional white noise flooding my mind to pay attention to anything else... until, half a minute later, I heard Sveti again.

“...please?”

The hurt in her voice carved through the static in my head- and yet it was still a few seconds before I could bring myself to speak. “It's unlocked.”

Slowly, the knob turned, and the door opened with a quiet creak of its hinges. I was too busy staring at the floor beneath me to see her come towards me, and I couldn't help but flinch when she gently laid one of her claws on my shoulder. “Peter....” she said softly.

“I don't think talking to me right now is a good idea, Sveti,” I answered.

“No. We do need to talk. I can't just leave you like this.”

“I can't trust how I'll react. I can't trust anything about myself right now.”

“Peter....” I felt her claw slide under my chin and lift my head for her to look me in the eyes. The look of anguish on her face felt like a knife made of ice had been thrust into my heart. “I... I don't even know what I can say,” she half-whispered. “I didn't know, Peter. I'm sorry. I just....”

I let out a deep sigh. “No. This isn't about you. It's what she did to me.” I lowered my head again, cradling it in my fingers. “How much of what I've done, what I've thought since she entered my mind is because of her? Did she alter my mind, bend my will towards her own ends?” I felt her trembling against me, but I was too lost in my thoughts to take any real notice of it. “It's as though... as though I can't believe anything I think or feel anymore. Not even-”

I practically slammed my mouth shut, but it was two words too late. “...not even what?” she asked.

I wanted to beg off the question, but something inside of me made the words come out. “How can I even trust my friendship with you?”

She recoiled as if I'd slapped her, and for the guilt that immediately washed over me, I might as well have. But before I could say anything to apologize, she leaned over me to put both of her claws on my shoulders. “Listen to me,” she insisted. “I don't know here-” she moved one claw to tap at her head- “what it is Luna did when she entered your dreams. But I do know here-” now she placed her claw against her chest- “that you are still the creature who gave me the keys to free myself from that cage. And I don't think you're any different now than you were then.”

“But....” I was having an increasingly hard time holding myself together, but I couldn't let myself break down in front of Sveti; she deserved better. “How... how could she? Just go in my head....”

“Peter, you have to understand. For you and I, it's unthinkable, but for ponies... entering dreams is part of Luna's job.” She laid both claws on my shoulders again. “They were afraid of you when you were out on your own, and... in some ways I can understand why. They reacted as ponies react because they didn't know how else to. It doesn't excuse what Luna did, but... it wasn't out of a want to hurt you- just fear.”

“I... I know, it's just....” I could feel tears starting to stream down my cheeks. “I feel so....” I paused for a moment, trying and failing to come up with a word in this language to explain how I felt.

“As if you can be attacked,” Sveti finished for me. “Vulnerable.”

I nodded. “If... if I'm not even safe in my own mind....”

Saying it out loud shattered the last of my defenses, and I collapsed against her, breaking down into tears. I felt the warm embrace of her forelegs around me, and her claws gently stroked my back as she laid her beak against the side of my neck. Some distant part of my mind told me I should have been worried about such a sharp object being so close to my throat- but this was Sveti. I leaned against her as I fought to get myself under control, emotionally and mentally.

One realization came to me while I sat there- I couldn't not trust Sveti. She was my rock of stability in this bizarre, overwhelming world; without her to rely on, eventually I'd just end up a paranoid mess, probably running away yet again just to get myself killed in some way or another. There were some ponies I liked, a few I even trusted, but none of them understood me like Sveti- she'd been in one of those cages too, longer than me, and she understood at least part of how I felt.

After a moment, she leaned back to look me in the eyes. “Peter,” she said quietly. “You don't have creatures like the Princesses where you're from, do you?”

I shook my head. “No.”

“No magic. No other species. No royal alicorns with grand powers. It....” She trailed off for a moment. “This world must be a nightmare to you,” she whispered, gazing at me with an expression of equal parts concern and awe. “Peter, I'm so sorry. Princess Twilight and I have been spending so much time on teaching you pony language... but neither of us thought to tell you anything else about Equus. I promise I'll talk with her as soon as possible about that, okay?” She ran her talons through my hair. “Until then... I just need you to trust me. And trust that Princess Luna was honest in what she said, and that she won't enter your dreams any longer.”

I gave her a slight nod, leaning my head against her chest again. The warmth of her fur was probably the most comforting thing I'd felt in months.

I didn't know how much later it was that the dinner chime sounded off. “Hey,” Sveti murmured. “Do you feel like eating?”

“I don't think so, no.” I lifted my head up and half-heartedly wiped at my mostly-dried tears with my hand. “Go ahead. I'm going to lie down and think for a while.”

“Okay.” She let me get up, and went to the door as I trudged towards my bed. “But let me know if you want to talk,” she said, holding my door in one claw and looking back at me. “I'm here for you.”

“I know.” I managed something resembling a smile for her. “Thank you.”

She nodded, returning my smile before gently closing the door.

(-)

“How is he?”

Ensemble's question seemed to be reflected on the faces of every last one of the staff ponies. Sveti let out a quiet sigh as she took her customary seat, sparing a glance at the empty one next to her. “I think he's going to be alright,” she answered. “He's just found something out that didn't sit well with him.”

“Did it involve Princess Luna?” Quick asked. “I mean... I've never seen Mister Collins like that before. What happened, Miss Windwhisper?”

She spent a moment considering whether to tell them or not, and decided that it might be for the better to let them know- reminding them, of course, that they were contractually bound to keep what they learned to themselves. “Princess Luna informed Peter and I that, while he was out in the wild before he was brought to Canterlot, Luna entered his dreams, and manipulated some of them.”

All of the ponies seemed confused. “Um... Miss Windwhisper,” Welder asked in his gravelly voice, “that's sort of what Princess Luna does.”

“For ponies, yes. Your society is based around the herd and Harmony, and you instinctively trust your Princesses. For those of us who aren't ponies, though... that sort of thing is a violation of the sanctity of the mind.”

She watched realization dawn across the faces of the ponies around her. “Princess Luna would never wish for that, though,” Ensemble insisted. “Doesn't Peter know that?”

“Not if he doesn't know her, Ennie,” Quick countered. “And he's already had a lot of ponies do him harm... it can't be easy for him to trust anypony he doesn't know, not even one of the Princesses.”

Neat Niche rubbed at her chin. “And Princess Luna is sort of... um, intimidating,” the young scullery maid admitted.

Ensemble let out a sigh, looking forlornly down at her plate of food. “Poor Peter,” she said quietly. “First the nobles, then the protests, now this... he could probably use a vacation from Canterlot by now.”

Sveti paused a moment, her fork held halfway towards her beak, before she gently set it down on her plate. “Hmm,” she said quietly.

(-)

“Peter wants to go to Ponyville?”

Twilight stared at Sveti incredulously. “Well, he didn't ask to go to Ponyville directly,” the griffin replied. “But one of my staff gave me the idea of giving Peter a vacation away from Canterlot for a little while. He's all for it- I think four straight days of protests in front of the Embassy have gotten to him- and when I suggested Ponyville, he was alright with the idea.”

“Oh, well, I'm not against it, really. I'm just curious as to why you picked Ponyville.”

“A couple of reasons. One, it's got a reputation of being a 'nexus of weirdness', so I figure a couple unusual creatures stopping by probably won't get too much notice. Two, your friends live there and can vouch for us to the other locals. And three, it's close, so transportation won't be too much of an issue. My staff can easily handle things while we're gone.”

Twilight's ears drooped. “Have the protests really been getting to him that much?”

“He's been putting up a brave front, but I know him too well for it to work on me.”

“Well....” She considered for a few moments. “It might take a little doing to get things worked out with Mayor Mare, and of course there'll be preparations aside from that, but maybe this can happen. I do hope, though, that you and Peter are prepared for anything strange that might occur in Ponyville.”

Sveti shrugged. “I figured we might stay there for a week at most. What could happen in a week?”

A chuckle escaped Twilight's lips. “Sveti, you'd be surprised.”