Rarity let out a yawn, stretching out. Tossing the sheets and blankets aside, she moved to sit up.

What a strange dream, she thought as she tried to take off her sleep mask. Strangely, she could not use her magic to lift it up. In fact, she could not even feel her magic at all for some reason. Also, her forehead felt rather odd. She could not quite place her hoof on it, but if felt like something was missing.

Using her hooves, Rarity removed her sleep mask from her eyes. As it slipped up over her head with ease, Rarity realized what the problem was. It slid up too easily. She had not needed to adjust for her horn or anything.

Slowly, carefully, she reached up and placed her hoof against her forehead.

Her horn was missing.

Closing her eyes, Rarity took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

"Okay," she said aloud. "I think it is obvious what is happening here. Clearly I'm still asleep." She grinned. "Yes. That's it. I am still asleep and this is all just a bad dream." She pulled the mask back down over her eyes. "I'll just go back to sleep." She laid back down. "Then I shall wake up, in my bed, at home, with my horn, and everything will be back to normal." Pulling the blankets back over her, she snuggled into her bed, closed her eyes, and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

"Oh, who am I kidding?" she sighed. "This may be a nightmare, but it most certainly is not a dream." Taking off the sleep mask, she tossed it aside and climbed out of bed -- which turned out to be smaller than she had realized. It was about the size of a cot, just large enough for one average sized pony to sleep comfortably.

Looking around, Rarity figured she most be in some sort of sleeping car. More cots similar to the one she had woken up lined both walls. There were straps at the head and foot of each frame, allowing the bed to be folded up against the wall. Most of the beds were folded up, with two exceptions. One was the bed that Rarity had just climbed out of. The other was toward the other end of the train. It was still made, and there was a package resting on it.

Curious, Rarity moved closer and studied the package. The paper was a moderate indigo color similar to her mane and tail. Attached to it was a white paper placard with three lozenge shaped diamonds on it, same as her cutie mark.

A gift? she thought as she stared at it. For me? She looked around the car. No other ponies are in sight. Her lip pressed tight as she clenched her jaw. I shouldn't. It is probably just a trap after all. One hoof reached out toward the package. Still, there could be no harm in seeing what it is, now could there?

Taking a hold of the package, she pulled it closer. Colors began to shift and spin across the surface of her eyes. She grabbed at the paper and started to tear it open, ripping it to shreds. As she pulled the cover away, she revealed a plain white box. Rarity pulled the top off, looking inside.

What was actually inside and what Rarity saw were two distinctly different things. What the box actually contained was a large roll of aluminum foil. What Rarity saw was a bolt of fabric.

Rarity ran a hoof over the material. It felt so soft, and smooth, like silk. It also seemed like a very tough material. Something that would be able to go through regular wear and tear and last a life time. Most impressive was the color, or colors, actually. The material was highly iridescent. Each time she moved the material, it would shimmer as the colors shifted: emerald green to midnight blue, to dark mulberry, to maroon and back the other way.

Rarity's jaw fell open as she stared. She had never seen anything like it before.

"Isn't it lovely?" Discord said as he wrapped his lion's leg around Rarity's neck. "And so rare. I bet nopony had ever seen a dress made out of something like this. Why, I bet a single dress made out this would be worth a fortune."

His eyes narrowed as he smirked. Leaning close, he brought his mouth close to her ear.

"That is, if you decided to make a dress out of it," he whispered. One digit of his paw traced along her skin, leaving a line of gray that started spreading out across her entire body. "Personally, I think something like this is too rare and valuable to be shared with others. None of them would ever be able to appreciate it the same way you would. Some things are meant to be kept."

"Yes," Rarity agreed. "Some things are meant to be kept." She put the fabric in the box. "This is the best material in the world. It will be my greatest dress. And nopony will get the chance to see it and take it away from me."

"I think I heard someone in here," a voice said, causing her to turn as she clutched the box to her chest. As she watched, the door pushed open, revealing two ponies.

"Rarity!" Shining Armor called out as he ran toward her. "There you are."

"Stay back!" Rarity snarled, turning to face Shining Armor. "You're not getting my precious prize."

Shining Armor's eyes went wide as he tried to stop. His hooves skidded along the floor for a second before he finally managed to come to a stop.

"Precious prize?" he repeated in confusion. "What precious prize? Did you find something?"

"Oh no," Rarity snapped. She pressed the tip of her hoof against Shining Armor's nose. "I know what you're thinking. You get me to tell you what it is, then you try to take it for yourself." She moved closer, pressing snout to snout. "Well that's not happening. It is mine. M!-I!-N!-E! And neither of you are getting any of it. Got it?"

Shining Armor's ears drooped as he took a step back.

"Yeah. Yeah, I got it."

"Good!" Rarity said before turning around and walking off, head high in the air.

"What was that about?" Shining Armor asked.

"I don't know what you mean," Applejack answered. "Seemed pretty typical of Rarity to me."

Turning to look at Applejack, Shining Armor raised an eyebrow. Face scrunching up, she shifted to look up toward one of the upper cots.

What is going on with them? he wondered.