//------------------------------// // Delusions of a Long Forgotten Dream // Story: Making Progress // by Filler //------------------------------// Princess Cadence awoke with a start. She jolted straight up in bed, her chest heaving, cold sweat running down the back of her mane. It was dark. The moon was still rising in the sky, or so she could see through her balcony window, illuminating the skyline of Canterlot’s western residential district. Her husband, Shining Armor, quietly lay in bed next to her, still fast asleep. She put a hoof to her head. What was that? she thought. It was... strange, to say the least. She looked around the room. The balcony window latch remained fastened, as did the double doors to their bedroom. Two suits of armor, fitted for royal guards, solemnly guarded the sides of the entrance. The grandfather clock standing against the wall read a quarter past three. There was no draft in the room, no movement, no sound. She looked over the side of the bed, but there was nothing under it save for errant motes of dust. Was it a dream? If it was, her memory made no note of it. Cadence was never one to remember dreams or nightmares. The land of fantasy and reverie was wondrous, to be sure, but she much preferred the tangibility of the real and material world. But even so, she had just woken up. Surely, she had to remember something had she been dreaming. She sighed outwardly and lay her head back on her pillow. Whatever it was, it didn’t come from inside the bedroom. She wouldn’t let herself lose any sleep over it. --- The next morning, Cadence found herself walking past Princess Luna in the castle’s Grand Hall. Luna had been consulting her advisors on recent domestic affairs, and now she, accompanied by two bat pony guards, was walking towards the breakfast hall that Cadance had come from. “Good morning, Luna,” said Cadence. “As to you, Cadence,” replied Luna. “You’re up early,” she added. “The sun came up no less than half an hour ago.” Cadence smiled weakly. Last night’s interruption had left her with insufficient rest, and she had pondered upon what caused it for too long before she could fall asleep again. If it wasn’t evident in her slower walking pace, it could be gathered from the bags under her eyes. “Yes,” said Cadence. “Sorry if I’m bothering you, but...” She looked around the hall, checking its doors as if somepony were eavesdropping on the two of them. “Might I request your counsel on a matter...?” Luna paused, then dismissed her guards. They gave a bow and left the same way they had came. “Now, then,” said Luna, “what might be ailing you? For you to address me so formally, I can only assume that it is important.” “Luna, can you look into the dreams somepony’s already had?” Luna hummed. “Already had, you ask?” “Yes. You see,” continued Cadence, “I had... I’m not sure if I can call it a dream.” She began to walk towards the breakfast hall, and Luna followed. “What ails you?” asked Luna. “It’s, uh, strange. You see, last night, I woke up in the middle of the night for what seemed to be no reason.” “Yes,” said Luna, walking through the doors of the breakfast hall. “It happens quite often to ponies, particularly to those experiencing pain, illness, anxiety, or hunger.” “I had none of those. I wasn’t particularly hungry before breakfast, and I’m not hungry now. Nothing’s weighing on my mind except for what happened last night, and I’m not sick.” “Did you need to use the loo?” “No.” Luna looked around, as Cadence had before. The breakfast hall was empty save for the chefs preparing meals. It was still early; the morning rush wouldn’t be for a while. “You and Shining...” whispered Luna. “Yes?” She leaned in. “You’re not pregnant, are you?” “No!” They sat down at the royal table, across from one another. Sunrise’s light beamed in from across the horizon, barely peeking over the rooftops of the city. The breakfast hall was round with a moderately tall ceiling, enough for pegasi to maneuver around comfortably, and rectangular tables--theirs included--sat in long rows, all leading the front doors to the kitchen in the back. Luna chewed on a blueberry muffin as she took out a report from her advisors. “Then, Cadence, what do you think it might be?” “I... I don’t know,” said Cadence. “And that’s what concerns me.”