“Oh, not again!” the brown stallion said, looking at his bagel disgusted.
“But-but—” The creamy mare outstretched a pleading hoof, but he’d already left without another word. An identical customer waited in line behind him.
“Hello, Pastry. Can I have a bagel?” he said with a disarming smile.
“But…” It took her a second to switch focus. “I-I'll be back!”
Pastry left the counter, and ran to the baking table. Mixing up new dough and cooking it was such an automatic process, it practically happened in a blur. A single fresh bagel, just for that specific customer, tweaked a little from the previous one. She presented it on a trembling hooves, stress stretching her smile into a sweaty grin.
The brown pony gave it a bite, and smiled just a little. Then his smile stretched further, becoming just as stretched. He swallowed, hard, a bit too early too. “Good as always, Pas.”
“No! Please! Tell!” She outstretched a pleading hoof after the leaving customer, but his place was already taken by another.
“Hello, Pastry. Can I have a bagel?” he said with a disarming smile.
“One second, stay here,” she said, pointing a hoof at him, then left for the kitchen. Another bagel, just a little different than the last one.
He gave it a bite, chewing thrice, then turned to leave. “Thanks, see you tomorrow!” he said looking back on the move, no trace of disgust on his face.
The mare's perpetually folded ears perked up, air rushing into the gaped mouth, as another customer approached.
“Hello, Pastry. Can I have a bagel?” he said with a disarming smile.
“Yes! Yes you can!” She gestured him to wait, excited, and rushed to her tools. She was back shortly, with another bagel exactly like the previous one.
He took one bite, then hung his jaw open, letting the chunk fall out. He only said a single disgusted “Oh,” before leaving.
Her ears fell back, tears forming. “B-but— Wait! Why! Can't you tell me why?!”
Another customer took his place. “Hello, Pastry. Can I have a bagel?” he said with a disarming smile.
“Only if you tell me!” She jabbed the surprised pony with a hoof, leaving for another bagel. Presenting a new one she couldn't manage to smile anymore, not after the tenth cryptic reaction in a row.
He took a bite, and shrugged. “Did you change something? Still as good as usual, though!” He left, biting the bagel again on the move.
“But that's the same recipe you threw out few minutes ago!” She threw her forehooves after him, then buried her head into them on top of her counter, making a long, stressed groan.
A bright flash snapped her out of it. She rose, swiping the tears and her light brown bangs away from her tired face, readying for the next customer.
She stared into a dark blue chestplate for several seconds, before looking up.
“Greetings, young pony,” the princess said.
“Want a bagel, your highness?” Pastry said lifting one, her gaze and voice tired.
Luna took the bread roll, examining it shortly before biting. A thoughtful munching silence later, she swallowed it with a pleased expression. “Your baking skill is admirable.”
“So can you tell me why was it good?” The pony tapped her forehooves, then looked down confused. “No wait...”
“I am here to relieve you from your nightmare,” Luna said.
“Oh,” the creamy pony said. Then clutched her head. “Oh my goodness he'll drive me insane! I'm already having nightmares about his tastes!”
“This is somepony you know?” Luna gave a look behind, where not a line, but a single brown pony with a white mane remained, seemingly oblivious to the status of the alicorn in front of him.
“Oh, yes. One of my customers.” The pony looked better now, her voice more happy and composed. “He tried some of my food, setting upon one, and always orders only bagels. I thought he doesn't like when I add vanilla? But then he ate vanilla one and said it was one of the best I made, and I made them again next day, and then he didn't like them at all? I just can't figure him out, he gives me mixed signals!” The mare plopped on her counter and pouted.
Luna gave the waiting earth pony scrutinous look, taking the details in. Light brown coat, with a not often seen white mane, trimmed at medium length to stand up more than hang down, yet not a mohawk. Light blue eyes, staring back at the princess with polite impatience. “Does he have a name?”
“Right, that's Tuning Fork. Quite a nice company when he stays for a chat.”
Luna gave an acknowledging hum, looking at his namesake cutiemark. She tapped the pony's shoulder, trying to establish link to his dream from here, but nothing happened, like that pony was merely a nameless dream construct with no real prototype behind it. “Strange. I am certain that there is no such pony in my domain.”
“What do you— Oh!” The mare slapped herself on the forehead. “He doesn't sleep or something?”
“What?” Luna looked at the creamy pony, perplexed.
“Or so the rumor goes?” The mare shrugged. “He does stay up late sometimes. Maybe he's just not asleep right now?”
“It seems,” Luna said, looking at the brown pony.
“Wait, why do you— Are you going to find and tell me his bagel preference?” The mare covered her smile with a hoof in delight.
Luna smiled back at her. “I cannot promise such thing, but it is my duty to alleviate nightmares. I'll look into resolving yours.”
With that said, she prodded the brown dream construct to approach the happy mare, reconfiguring it to like the next bagel and stay for the chat afterwards, and left Pastry's dreams to follow their course.
“Luna? Is everything alright?”
The sister's voice made her jerk away from her thoughts and back into the royal refectory they resided in. Luna briefly met Celestia's peeking gaze, and looked back into her bowl.
“All is right, sister, just a peculiar incident that doesn't leave my mind.”
“It makes my sister seem distant and distracted. Pray tell, what steals your attention?”
Luna idly shuffled her salad with a fork as she spoke. “A week ago, one of our subjects told me there is a pony that doesn't sleep, and I am beginning to believe her.”
Celestia furrowed her brows. “That's... hard to believe.”
“I thought he could be the type to stay up all night, and then rest at day, but I still crossed paths with such ponies at the start or the end of my watch, and never once I've met that pony.”
“Is this why your watches were getting longer and longer recently?”
Luna glanced at her sister with an apologetic expression. “I didn't mean to miss our meal like that.”
“It's alright. Thank you for telling me what was on your mind.” Celestia gave her a warm smile. “What do you know about this mystery pony?”
“A young stallion by the name Tuning Fork. The pony, who's dream I saw him in, told me he's often a customer at her bakery. That is all.”
“Hmm, not a name I've heard. What about the dreamer?”
“Her name is Pastry, she's a young baker.”
“Haven't heard that name either.” Celestia sighed. “Anything I could do to ease your mind on the subject?”
Luna smiled. “Tell me about your worries instead.”
“No no no we shouldn't split!” the blue pony shouted, amber eyes full of panic.
“I'm not, we need weapons, and I saw some down there!” the white unicorn said, pushing past him.
“I'll come with you!”
“I don't want to protect you too, stay here!”
“We already lost Octavia like that!”
“I'm not Octavia!” the unicorn said, shoving the blue pony away, and descending down the staircase. He hurried after, but the door slammed shut right into his face.
“Hey, that was unnecessary, open the door,” came the unicorn's voice.
“It's not me!” He fumbled with the knob, but it didn't budge. “It's locked from the inside!”
“What do you mean it— Ahhh!” the pony behind the door screamed, with terror at first, and with pain after.
“Vinyl! Vinyl!” Blue pony tried to knock the door out, to no success. “Everypony, help me!”
Behind him, light brown stallion was frozen with terror, a turquoise mare beside him covering her mouth unable to stop tears, her whimper punctuating silence that followed the screams.
“Why were you just standing there like—” Blue pony waved his hoof, panting, cold sweat forming at his forehead. “We can't make the same mistakes! We're smarter than that!”
“Never another thriller again,” the mare said in croaked voice. “I'm going to throw up.”
“Listen up, we stay together, watch every corner, just wait this night out. In the morning we go to— Wait where are you— Stop!”
The blue pony darted after the mare, but she managed to reach the toilet first and close the door behind her.
“Lyra! Open up! Do what you need to but open up!” He already tried to knock the door out. “Fork, help me!”
“Dude, relax, she's just—”
A high pitched scream interrupted the brown pony. The blue one screamed in unison, throwing his whole body at the door.
A bright flash made him close his eyes. The pony walked back, throwing his forehooves in front of himself for defense.
“Greetings, young pony,” Luna said. “Fear not, I came to relieve you from your nightmare.”
He opened his eyes, noticing the princess. He looked around, noting both brown and turquoise ponies being alright, but stoned. He let out a nervous laugh, and then, realizing what is happening, hurried into a bow. “Princess Luna! Thank you! Thank you, your highness.”
“At ease, young pony, it is my duty.” Luna looked at the brown pony with a white mane standing aside, staring at her in dumb surprise. “Do you know this stallion?” she asked.
“Tuning Fork?” The blue pony rose. “We meet now and then. He has perfect hearing, and he helps us with instruments. Nice guy, a real soul of the company. He sings, too! And writes! And plays, he has a guitar.”
Luna tapped the pony, but she might as well tap a solid wall. She looked at the other pony, the mare, but even standing a few strides away she could see a road to her dream. A peaceful one, even relaxing.
“Why? Is there something wrong with him?” the blue pony asked.
“Nothing of concern, but I am mystified by his lack of dreams.”
“Huh? The rumors were true?” The blue pony sat on his haunches. “Fork, you don't sleep for real?”
The brown pony became animated, looking at the blue one in mock surprise. “Pshh, sleeping is for weaklings. How would you ever get anything done if you're asleep?”
“Oh come on, I do fine.”
“That's why you need a tutor, right,” Tuning Fork rolled his eyes.
“Quit it, Fork, we're not alone.” The blue pony covered his face with a hoof.
“Right.” The brown pony looked the princess in the eyes. “I was wondering, why the moon redesign?”
“Fork! Tune it down!” the blue pony said, aghast.
“It was a lovely image there, keeping me company at nights. Now the moon looks kinda lonely. The stars are better, though. Distracts from the moon, but I always thought the moon was a centerpiece on that canvas, yet devoid of attention as of—”
“Shut the fork up!” The blue pony helped him do that manually. “You're speaking to a princess!”
“It is rare to hear somepony speak of my work so openly,” Luna said, amused.
“I swear he's not so insolent in person,” the blue pony said.
“Of course I'm not, I could get smacked!” The brown one freed himself. “But who's dream is this?”
“Mine, so—”
“So it's you to blame for that?” The brown pony grinned.
The blue one paled. “No. It something you'd say! You say that because you're you!”
“Ahem, your depiction of me,” Tuning Fork said, pointing a hoof up. Then he polished it against his chest. “Thank you for thinking I'm this smart though, appreciate it.”
“I have a question for you, Tuning Fork,” Luna said. “Where do you live?”
The brown pony placed his polished hoof on the floor, as if not hearing the question, and gave his friend a flat stare. “If I'm getting in a royal troubles here, and you never confess it was your fault, I'll have a talk with your conscience.”
“Cease this banter,” Luna said, no longer amused. “No pony gets into the troubles. I only wish to meet you, either in person, or in dreams.”
“Oh, well, the problem with that is—” The brown pony gestured at the blue one for continuation.
“—I don't know. We've only met at the music club, but we aren't close. Lyra! Do you know?”
“I-I don't,” the mare said, walking into the room. She no longer had the dream trace with her. Luna looked into the window, the dream's counterpart to the real dawn taking place there.
“Shoot. Will I see you again, your highness?” the blue pony asked.
“I cannot promise such thing, but it is my duty to guard your dreams, my subject. What is your name?”
“Noteworthy! I wish we could've had a more relaxed talk than that.” He glanced at the brown pony.
Tuning Fork blew a raspberry. “You owe me the story of how I amused our princess in your own head.”
“It's my dream, I did that!”
“I didn't knew you were so insolent!”
They kept their banter as the dream dissipated.
“Good morning, sister.”
“Good evening, sister. How was your day?” Luna noted a stack of papers on her sister's side of the table.
“Was worried over nothing, meeting was shorter than I expected.”
“Then what are the papers about? Working yourself into the bed again?” Luna smiled.
“Oh, these are for you, Luna.” Celestia levitated the stack forward. Luna accepted it with one eyebrow raised. “I queued the registry for the names you've mentioned. There were over a hundred ponies with a Pastry in their name, but only two Tuning Forks!”
“Sis, you shouldn't have,” Luna said, reading the only two entries on the front page. One stallion had the blue eyes, but completely different color of his coat and bi-colored mane. The other had white mane, but was otherwise light gray with yellow eyes, and a unicorn. “These aren't like the one I met, but thank you for your concern.”
Celestia frowned. “Why would a pony be amiss from the registry? Could he be from a secluded village on the outreaches?”
“He seems to visit a music club among quite different variety of ponies. I've met him again yesterday in the Noteworthy's dream.”
“Oh? Any more new faces you could name?”
“There was a unicorn by the name of Lyra, another named Vinyl, and—”
“Vinyl Scratch, white unicorn mare?”
“That is correct, you have a lead?”
“She was a DJ at Princess Cadance's wedding, she lives in Ponyville I believe.” Celestia tapped her chin. “Yes, and there was one entry of Pastry living in Ponyville too, let me see.” She shuffled the stack bringing one paper out, and after a short examination showed it to Luna with an entry highlighted. It described a creamy mare with tan mane.
“That is the mare I met,” Luna said. “By locality I should conclude that Tuning Fork visits Ponyville often enough to be in the townsponies dreams.”
“Maybe even lives there. You should ask Pinkie Pie! She claims to know everypony there.”
“Thank you for the lead, sister.” Luna smiled.
Ever since coming back she abstained from being a dream stalker, only visiting dreams that required her attention, but curiosity now was getting better of her.
The land looked like a horror Discord was prone to cause, but that might just be the perspective speaking. The pink pony quite enjoyed the chaos, giggling atop a pink cloud, it's brown rain curling upwards and onto the pony.
“Greetings, young pony,” the princess said, approaching.
“Hi princess!” the pony waved, then sat up alert, surveying the landscape. “Is there a nightmare hiding somewhere? Or—” She blushed. “—did my dream looked like a nightmare from a distance? That probably doesn't stir the best of your memories, I'll clean that up!” Pinkie snapped her hoof, somehow, and the dream switched to something more formal. A gingerbread castle.
“That wasn't necessary, but appreciated,” Luna said, looking around. “Your dream control is admirable.”
“Ooh! You like it!” The pony jumped in place. “Technically, being in my dream, you're on ponyville grounds right now, therefore you're getting a welcoming party!” She brought a huge trumpet, blowing it down the corridor, and roof exploded with confetti from hidden hatches. A few maid-dressed Pinkies appeared to dress the princess with a party hat and a party lei on her neck. Another held a tray with cupcakes right up her face. The smell of those alleviated the surprise, and made Luna try one. She wasn't disappointed.
“How do you know my tastes so well?”
The pink pony waved a dismissive hoof. “Oh we already met before, haven't we?”
“Indeed.” Luna nodded. “Tell me, do you happen to know a pony named Tuning Fork and his tastes as well?”
“Which one?” the pony said.
Luna blinked. “The brown stallion with white mane.”
“And blue eyes and a tuning fork for a cutie mark?”
“Yes.”
“Which one?”
“How do you mean which one, if I just described him?” Luna said, frowning.
“Oh there's two of them that look like that. Ponies keep mixing them up.”
“Is that so?” Luna said, and bit her cupcake again. “How do you know there's two of them?”
“Well, you see this Tuning Fork?” Pinkie brought one from somewhere to stand to the right of her. “He always has that curl to his lip.” She gestured at corner of his mouth. “Raises hooves just a little higher when he walks, and has a harder time acquiring new friends, so he lets Tuning Fork introduce them first. Now, this Tuning Fork.” She brought another one to her left. “He's more confident, does his mane with more care, usually faster to come forth, but also faster to backpedal, slightly more emotional than the other one. So which one are you asking about?”
Luna stared with her chewing paused. Then swallowed. “Both.”
“Easy, Tuning Fork”—the pony gestured to her left—“likes soft dough with only supplements that mix into it seamlessly, especially berry syrups, while Tuning Fork”—and to the right—“likes the same, but more when the supplements could be chewed upon, like the whole berries.”
“And you always guess correctly?” Luna asked.
Pinkie gasped. “What a friend I'd be if I haven't?”
The princes hummed. “Do you know why neither of them sleeps?”
“Oh, hee-hee, it's just a story ponies came up with while keep mixing the two, that they play into because it's funny.”
“Why then can't I find their dreams?” Luna asked.
“You— What?!” The pink pony, for once, looked surprised. “Are you sure you looked super-duper hard?” She craned her neck, her face betraying how little faith she'd put into that question.
“Indeed I had. That is why I'm here, Pinkie Pie. I want to know, why he, or they, don't have any dreams.”
“No dreams at all...? But this is so saad.” The pony had sullen down.
“Do they have any close friends?”
“Oh, sure!”
Quite frankly, there were other reasons Luna had abstained from wandering other pony's dreams without needing to.
“Greetings, young pony,” Luna said.
“Oh, it is only getting better,” the sandy stallion said, smirking. He already was hugged by a trio of mares, but that did not discourage him a penny. He blinked, then twice. Smirk flew away from his face, bedroom eyes now fully awake and on the verge of bulging out.
“At ease, Caramel, I'm not here to judge your dreams, my duty is only ever to protect them from becoming nightmares.”
Unmoving, he glanced left and right at the mares surrounding him. They assumed predatory smiles, but that was now just a reflection of his aroused suspicion. Luna casted them away in a bright flash of dream magic, which was enough to startle the earth pony into a shriek. He tumbled backwards over the sofa he was laying on, and peeked from behind it. Luna patiently waited before it.
“Uh, umm, princess? I'm, sorry, I just... I don't control my dreams, they're just happening to me!”
Luna shook her head. “You don't need to explain yourself. It's me who is obliged to. I'm seeking help in figuring out a mystery residing in your town.”
“Oh? What's the mystery?” He jumped over the back and onto the sofa again, taking a seat there. “I'm at your service in solving it.” He bowed his head, with a forehoof to his chest.
“There is a pony who doesn't dream. You are friends with Tuning Fork, that is correct?”
He sat straight in surprise. “But, he does! It's just a misconception!”
“I've done both night and day watch in my attempt to locate his dreams, but did not succeed.”
“Maybe it's...” He visibly lost his thought. “I'm sure he does, he had nightmares.”
The princess felt a pang hearing that. “Did he describe them to you?”
“He did.” Caramel shifted, breaking eye contact. “I'm not sure I could remember them,” he added after a pause.
Luna watched him, and then said. “Do you know both Tuning Forks?”
Caramel gawked at her. “How— Oh, who am I kidding, trying to hide things from the princess of the night in her own domain.” He rose his hooves in a plea. “I'm sorry, princess, but they trusted me this secret under an oath not to leak it, and I cannot betray that. I'd really want to help, but not at my friends' expense.”
The princess came to him and put her hoof onto his shoulder. “I'm no less aware of the importance of friendship, my subject. But your friends suffered from nightmares I couldn't save them from. There could be something more to it. I'll do my best to help them however needed, and I swore not to use my subject's dreams against them. Dreamscape must be the place of peace for every pony.”
He put his hoof on top of the princess's, wearing a sad smile. “They still have them sometimes, even if not as much. What do you need to know to help them?”
“Tell me what they dream about.”
“Alright.” He breathed once, heavy. “They lost their family due to a changeling attack a long time ago, which also caused their condition. They said they never talked about it before because they thought nopony would believe them. They feared that changelings would one day come and take them away too, which they had nightmares about. After attack on Canterlot, they started having them again, but worse and regularly. They slept together at my home a few times, feeling safer with me watching over. One of those times they told me their story.”
“A tough experiences to be brooding in alone,” Luna said. “Had they shared it with anypony else?”
Caramel shook his head. “No, I don't think so.”
“Can you show me where they live?”
“Alright.”
Caramel knocked at the door, and just a pair of seconds later, Tuning Fork opened it.
“Hey, Fork, house a guest?” Caramel smiled, gesturing at the princess beside him.
The greeting pony didn't look amused. “I've done nothing! You can't arrest me for living here!”
“She wants to help, Fork! Tune it down!”
“I trusted you!” The brown pony tilted forward, his expression exaggerated. “And you brought authority to my house!”
“She's not going to arrest you, she wants to cure your nightmares!” Caramel pushed him forward, making a way.
“I've got no ill night mares, I only date healthy!”
The arguing pair disappeared into the kitchen to the right. Luna peeked into the room to her left. A typical solitary male living room, a coach, a table, a little mess over here, a pile of papers over there. In front of her was a closed door to the bathroom, and stairs to the second floor.
“C'mon, make a good impression, Tune,” Caramel said, walking with his friend out of the kitchen.
“Good impression? Your highness.” Tuning Fork bowed, a precise and measured motion like the Canterlot royals did. “I am but enlighted to host you in my burrow. Feel at home, if that doesn't insult your criteria for calling someplace a home.”
Caramel chuckled beside him.
“Tour me your home, young pony,” the princess said, with a slight nod to her head.
Tuning Fork mirrored the nod, and waltzed into the living room.
“These are my...” He waved a hoof in a vague manner, stretching the silence into uncomfortable pause. Then stomped with an exhale. “Nevermind. I apologize for my host's lack of vocabulary to support my charming image, I'm better than that in person.”
“Hey!” Caramel jabbed his friend's flank, smiling nevertheless.
“Also, I am not approving of dishing out my secrets.” He eyed the sandy pony, making him lower his ears.
“Don't blame your friend, he acted in your best interests,” Luna said.
“He acted in his interpretations of my interests, and if I'm any indication, while well aware he's twisting them,” the brown pony said.
“I knew you wouldn't like it, that's true. I also know, you need it anyway.” Caramel put a hoof onto his shoulder. “She could cure your nightmares.”
Tuning Fork smiled. “You don't need to persuade yourself. I'm just an image.”
Luna cleared her throat, grabbing their attention. “I notice you do not have a bed in your room, nor do I see the second pony.”
“Why would I have a bed?” The brown pony shrugged. “Also, ouch.”
“They... don't, really,” Caramel said. “They exploit their condition, sleeping in turns. But they are both awake in this drea—” Caramel froze, glancing at his friend, then back at Luna. “You said you knew!”
Luna stared at the brown pony. “Both Tuning Forks are one pony?”
The named burst laughing, hanging on Caramel for support. “She'd only guessed, and you naively sold me out!”
“The condition you've mentioned—” Luna said.
“Is split-personality.” Caramel hung his ears and head.
Luna hummed. “I've met ponies like that before. This is true, that one can be asleep while other one awake, but that doesn't relieve the body from the need to have the rest, and eventually they sleep together. This, also, doesn't prevent me from entering their dreams.”
Caramel stared at the princess. Tuning Fork peeked from behind him. “Cal? Are you thinking what I'm thinking?”
“You think?” The sandy pony glanced back askance.
“That we're keeping still more secrets from you?”
“A disconcerning development. Even now, you don't fully trust me?”
The brown pony shrugged. “I cannot know. I don't want to find out that we don't.”
“What do you have upstairs?” Luna asked.
“Nothing illegal.” Tuning Fork left Caramel's back to walk up and show. “Just my bedroom-turned-study, and my study-turned-bedroom. No, wait, study-turned-other-study.”
Luna peeked into each of those, to see one devoted to a garage-band with table and instruments, and another to writings and book keeping. Neither of those, truly, contained a sleeping place. She turned to face Caramel.
“Thank you for your openness about your friend. I'll do my best not to harm them with my help.”
“Don't go storming into our house, then,” Tuning Fork said, tilting into the view without walking in. “Make us come to you willingly, rather than hunting us down. We react badly to authority.”
“Why is that so?” Luna looked at him.
“Two fears.” The brown pony made a gesture as if fixing uncomfortable collar. “Changelings and royal guards.”
“Or any other soldiers, to be clear,” Caramel said.
“Could you talk with them about meeting me?” Luna asked.
“Umm...” The sandy pony lowered his ears.
“We won't budge.” The brown pony shook his head. “We won't come to see someone digging us. Especially ponies commanding the royal guard. You have better chances meeting us at neutral grounds, where we expect authority just to be too, while having our own business unrelated to. There you won't scare us away.”
“Thank you.” Luna nodded, and turned to Caramel. “Then don't tell them, I'll see what can be done.”
“As you wish, princess.” Caramel bowed in a farewell.
She turned to leave, when she noticed another door above the staircase. Like a big cabinet hanging under the roof.
“And what is that?” Luna asked, gesturing at the thing.
“The storage locker?” Tuning Fork asked, confused. “It's a storage locker. For storing worthless garbage I'm too sentimental to throw out. In a locker.”
Luna walked down the stairs, which brought her lower than the locker's door. She only managed to reach it with a tip of her forehoof standing on her hindlegs. “Seems a bit high for an earth pony,” she said, opening it. No inch inside could be visible, though, Caramel had no knowledge of its contents.
“We don't use it often?” Tuning Fork shrugged. “We'll bring the ladder if we'll feel like visiting. At least it doesn't lay around elsewhere.”
Luna nodded, and so had left the dream.
“Sister?”
“Yes, Luna?”
“Could you organize me a visit to Ponyville?”
Celestia made a sympathetic smile. “Luna, you're free to visit any town whenever you want, I'm not confining you to the royal castle.”
Luna gave her sister an odd look. “I know. I'm asking if you could find an occasion I could do that as mundane as possible.”
“Come on, have my teasing grew so old?” Celestia asked, her brows an angled roof.
“I'm sorry, sister, I'm not in the mood. I've located the mystery pony, and learned he suffered a great deal of nightmares, while I was not aware of them.”
Celestia placed her silverware down, giving a sorry look to her sister with her full attention.
“I'm not berating myself, sister,” Luna said.
“Good. What do you need?”
“An occasion. Something to invite musicians to, but without pressure on them.”
An art gallery tour was as discrete and prompt as possible. Hosted in Ponyvillian town hall, it already attracted enough locals to cover most of the expenses, but a continued tour in other cities would even bring a revenue out of that venture.
Luna noted a familiar mare playing a lyre on the central stage, providing the ambience. Though, some of the locals payed her more attention than the arts in question.
“Princess Luna!” She turned to see the source of the voice, a blue pony, happy to see her.
“Greetings, Noteworthy,” she said, smiling. “Are your friends from the music club are here too?”
“Sure!” He gestured at the unicorn in purple glasses beside him, which was bobbing her head with a subtle grin.
“I played at the royal wedding,” Vinyl said without ceasing her motions, or smile.
“Lyra is playing over there.” The blue pony gestured. “And I've heard Octavia would change her later.”
“Would Tuning Fork be coming?” Luna asked.
“Oh, right.” His ears folded. “I am quite sorry about what he said in my dream, he's only so upfront with his friends. I probably was too used to him acting like that.”
“At ease, Noteworthy. I am not offended.”
Noteworthy smiled with a slight bow, then glanced aside, at the entrance. “Oh, speak of the devil.”
There, across the hall, a brown pony with a white mane entered, accompanied by his close friend.
“Were you able to find his dreams?” Noteworthy asked.
“I'm afraid not, that is what I now must talk with him about.” Luna gave a curt nod to mark the end of their conversation, and started her walk toward the mystery pony.
Tuning Fork stared at her from near the entrance, ignoring Caramel's attempts to draw his attention. When the brown pony broke his stare, he moved through the round hall in the opposite direction Luna was approaching him from. She creased her brow in concern at that, but relaxed it once she noticed him moving toward the restrooms. She took her time to approach.
“Your highness!” Caramel beamed, standing guard by the male restroom door.
“Greetings, Caramel. Enjoying art installations so far?”
“We haven't seen much of them yet, to be honest, but looks promising. There was a—”
“Passing through!” He got interrupted by a bulky stallion with tiny wings moving into the restroom, who was giving too much space for princess to politely walk around, at the sandy pony's expense.
Caramel, being pushed into the wall, shook his head, staring at the floor. “Where was I? Oh, on the floor, right, he-he.” He looked at the restroom door, where the stallion just squeezed into, and back at the princess. “I think I saw your name on a painting?”
“That is correct, I used to sign my creations back then.” Luna smiled.
“These are yours!” Caramel gawked.
Restroom door opened, but an unfamiliar yellow pony emerged, freezing and locking eyes with the princess in front of him. Luna gave him an acknowledging nod to break the tension, and the pony smiled back. “Your highness,” he said, and passed by them with a curt bow.
“I didn't know you were an artist!” Caramel said. “I mean, you're still an artist, right? The talent doesn't go away.”
“Indeed. My physical art wasn't talked much about, because it was my attempt to find appreciation from ponies in times I felt rejected. Feeling wounded by how little recognition the night sky was getting, I tried other avenues to get praised by them. We know where that had led me. Now me and my sister decided to break the connotations, since with time more and more ponies were finding the pure artistical value in my works.”
Caramel pressed his foreleg to his chest in defensive manner. “I'm so sorry to hear that.”
Restroom door opened again, releasing the big white pegasus out. Caramel stepped aside to let him pass this time.
“Don't be,” Luna said. “This tour celebrates my recovery, not my obsession.”
“Does this mean you don't do art anymore?”
“Every night, young pony,” Luna said, yet melancholic at the implication. “But I've learned to appreciate it myself. Now, what does it take your friend so long?”
“I dunno. Tune!” The sandy pony peeked into the restroom. He looked around, then entered. Few seconds later he peeked out. “He's gone!”
Frowning, Luna walked into the restroom. All the cabins were empty, and there were no windows.
She walked out, surveying the hall with concerned expression. That mysterious pony was beginning to test her patience.
She landed by the house, and teleported inside. Interior true to the dream's depiction, only the mess in it differed. She checked the bathroom, not finding anything unusual there, then the kitchen.
Checking upstairs not being any different, she faced the ceiling locker. Too tight for princess to spread her wings in, stairwell forced her to a dangerous forward tilt in a high enough point, peeking inside the opened storage. A lamp, few books, an inner-side lock, and a sleeping mat.
“Of course,” Luna said, and sighed.
She then went to check the hotels, looking for rooms rented last hour. One awaited her emptied in a haste, food left on the table, window fully open. She looked outside, but haven't spotted any fleeting movement.
She paused by the food, regarding two bowls at the opposite sides of the table. She couldn't help but notice, how one looked fit for a lunch, while the other was mild like breakfast.
Townsponies watched the procession with reserved interest, speaking to each other in hushed voices.
“I've done nothing wrong! I'm innocent! You can't take me away!”
The brown pony was led by a squad of royal guards, completely impenetrable by a sand-colored pony trying to reach the prisoner. “Stop! Who gave the order? Leave my friend alone!”
“You! I trusted you!” The brown pony twisted his neck to glare at Caramel with a wolf grin. “Look what you've done! You rat!”
“Fork, I swear if I knew—”
“You knew the law cannot be trusted! And you believed that princess!” He all but spat the word.
The sandy pony lowered his ears, then spotted the night princess standing at the end of the road, watching the approaching guards with her chin held high. He darted towards her.
“Princess! What's going on? I'm sure this is not what you had in mind! Tell them to release him! Please, don't make it worse than it's alre—”
The princess were chuckling. Then descended into a full blown evil laugh. Caramel backed away, his ears almost merging with his head.
A green flash stripped the princess away from the changeling queen, a series of similar flashes revealing the royal guards to be her drones.
“Changelings!” Tuning Fork cried. “What have you done! How could you do this to me!”
“Please.” the sandy pony slowly backed away, squeezing his eyes shut. “Please no.”
Even brighter, white flash made him cover his eyes with a hoof, changelings' laughter disappearing within it.
“Greetings, young—”
It only took him one glance to interrupt. “Liar!”
Luna rose a defensive leg in surprise.
“You told me you knew the importance of friendship, yet led me to lose it! What did you do!”
“Calm!” Luna regained her presence with a stomp of the risen hoof. “What is the meaning of this? You know this was just a nightmare.”
“Then where are they?” Caramel stood straighter. “I haven't seen them since the art gallery. Three days straight!”
“They ran away,” Luna realized, and sighed, looking aside. “How long have you known Tuning Fork?”
“Eight years,” he said slowly.
“And they never told you of their true nature.”
“They've told! After a while but—”
“You misunderstood me. Tuning Fork was just an identity they've assumed, they're not even—”
“I know he's just an act!” He punctuated his words with a stomp. “Tuning Fork is the cover, the one whole to present the world a healthy person. And I met both true sides of him, so different from the said image. So hard to open, so cautious to trust. They'll never trust anypony else after my betrayal! The closest they've let someone approach! How could you be so ignorant—”
“Cal.”
They both looked at the voice. The brown pony watching his friend with a melancholic smile. “It's not the princess you're angry at, show your hide some mercy, while you can.”
“I-I'm sorry.” Caramel looked away, ears flat. “Your highness.”
She placed a hoof on his back. “I'm sorry too.”
It was a while since she'd done anything in traditional art, but it seemed the most appropriate.
The sun had just set, guided by her sister beside her, and it was Luna's turn to lit her horn now. As she rose the moon, she began filling the sky with stars to accompany it.
“Wha—” her sister said, and hung like that with her mouth still open. Luna smiled, warmed by the reaction.
A clear ring of star trace could be visible, with rays of smaller stars slicing it into three segments, and continuing outwards. One such outward space housed a constellation of two ponies, standing low to the ground, heads alert and seeking, and detailed enough to see the fear in their eyes. Adjacent to it, on the inner side of the circle, a trio of ponies were pictured, hugging and happy.
The other outer segment had a crowd of changelings, ready to attack, with a tall, long-maned changeling standing proud behind them with a grin, watching two ponies flee them. On the inside of the circle, another tall changeling with twin horns was pictured instead, welcoming the same two ponies among the other changelings.
Another scene had two changelings chased by the guards, but on the inner side they were met by an alicorn, greeting them with a head bowed.
In the center of all of it, the last image shined, replicating a pony head that once resided in the moon, which now in turn became the eye of that constellation.
Celestia turned her head, watching her sister with awe and worry.
“This is beautiful, but what is it?”
“It is many things, but mainly a message.”
“You surprise me. Are you berating yourself for the events you could not foresee?”
She didn't answer for a while, then lowered her gaze.
“Good evening, sister, how was your day?”
“Third day straight,” Celestia said, glancing over a newspaper. “You've made ponies forget I exist. I could get jealous.” She smiled.
Luna smiled too, amused. “What's their current interpretation?”
“They concluded you were not arrogating Starlight Glimmer's merits, yet still dumbfounded at your fixation with the changelings. The most cryptic part of the artpiece is considered to be a metaphor of adopting, with two ponies to be a male and female representation of ponykind as a whole.”
Luna tried to drown her smile in the tea, but she'd had to press her nose against the cup's bottom to succeed with it.
“You've got correspondence now, too,” her sister said, levitating a few letters forth.
Luna shuffled through them, noticing a familiar name on one.
Greetings, your highness. We didn't know how to contact you besides causing a nightmare, so we decided to send a simple letter.
Tuning Fork had returned, and told me what you tried to in our last talk. It makes sense in the retrospect, but I only wish they'd told me sooner, to avoid all this trouble.
I'm also happy to inform you, that you cured both their fears. Learning more about what is going on in the Changeling Kingdom, they're considering reconnecting with their family, too.
We all wish to meet you again, to thank you, and me especially to apologize. ~Caramel
I thought the sun was the biggest and warmest thing in this world, until I met your heart. ~Tune
The moon was marvelous, do that more often! ~Fork