There were snow flurries all around me. The landscape was difficult to determine; it was very dark and the moon and the stars were not out tonight. It seemed like this place was somewhere near a forest with hedge-bound fields and rolling hills, and rows of spidery trees. The wind was blowing but it seemed like I could hardly feel it, if much at all. I also was not nearly as cold as this wintery nighttime suggested I should be. In front me there appeared to be a nice-looking home with the light on in the window. Well this is weird. There was something so familiar about this place. I knew I'd been here before, I recognized almost everything. Excluding the home it was a dark and lonely place, that's for sure.

I turned my head in all directions looking for some sign of life, somebody to ask or seek guidance from and get some answers on where I was, if the blessed memory didn't come to me first from the tip of my brain. Why, I don't think I've been here since - ... I did almost a full 360 when I noticed a small figure some distance in front of me moving slowly through the trees. I couldn't tell what it was at first since it was so dark. It looked like it was too small to be a pony, but it was too large to be anything smaller than a coyote or a wolf. Goodness, I hope it's not a wolf...

I took several steps forward and kept a wary eye on it, waiting for some confirmation as to what it was. As I crept closer and closer, it became clearer and clearer that it was in fact a pony, just a small one. It looks like a - it looks like it's just a kid!

"Hey! You there!" I said, calling out to him. I broke into a much more comfortable walk as I was not much afraid anymore but rather confused as to what a foal was doing out here at this time, and what the heck was going on. "Excuse me!"

Whoever they were, they had stopped moving and were leaned back against a tree not far from the home in front of them. I pressed forward and they came more into view. I couldn't tell for sure, but it looked like a colt; I couldn't see the finer features in the darkness. I called out to him again, but he ignored me altogether. What is going on, can't he hear me? Maybe he's upwind of me and my voice isn't getting there.

Now that I was able to see him better, the first thing that struck me about him was how cold he looked, after which surges of pity for him shot through me as the kid was shaking and shivering something awful. At the same time I wondered why I wasn't cold at all. The wintry night and the snowflakes and the cottage, it all looked like a scene out of a fantasy book or a postcard. The moon was gleaming after all now but behind a fog of clouds. I'd seen all this before. I'd been here, and even excluding the image of the shivering colt the more I took it in the more uncomfortable I seemed to feel. Whatever they were the memories from this place weren't positive.

I saw now that this colt was a pegasus - he sat back against a tree and wrapped his wings around himself to keep warm. I glanced over to the cottage, wondering if that was his home, and if so why he was out here and not in there. Yet when I saw the cottage an inexplicably negative feeling became much less subtle. I couldn't see the colt's face yet - nor his colors - but he seemed to be around the age of twelve or thirteen or so, if I had to guess. He was still sheltered against the tree and he appeared to be holding something in his hoof but I couldn't tell what it was from where I was standing. Whatever it was, his eyes were glued to it. His mane and tail looked messy even at night and from a small distance, and he looked a little dirty with dry clumps of mud stuck on his coat.

"Excuse me... little guy?" I called, much softer and more caring this time. At this point I was certain that he could hear me. Yet once again he did not so much as look at me or give the slightest form of acknowledgment that I was there.

After what felt like almost a minute he finally lifted his head but it was the direction of the home not far ahead of him - not me. I saw his eyes for the first time and they were frightened and miserable. Yet somewhere beneath all of that there was a tiny gleam of hope as he looked longingly in the direction of the home. My hooves halted on the cold ground and I froze in place. My breathing slowed as a paralyzing darkness began to creep its way across my entire body.

The colt lifted his hoof and seemed to place whatever he was holding on top of his ear. He got up slowly from his position and started trekking towards the home. I realized that his path to the home would have him pass just a few in front of me. The wind picked up and the flurries of snow blew across his face as he moved closer and closer. His struggling expression left no doubt he could feel the wind and the cold in his face where I could not.

Even as he drew near me his gaze never left the home and his youthful eyes glowed with the longing of a hungry and desperate foal. He came and walked right in front of me. My breath stood still; there was just enough light to see the streaks of dark blue to light grey in his mane and tail and likewise his coat was a cross between light blue and light grey. When I saw what was nestled in his ear - the item that he stared so intently at for such a long moment - the darkness' hold over the rest of my body was complete. It was a small blue feather.

My gaze followed him as he made his way all the way up to the doorstep of the lighted home. The colt raised his hoof reluctantly to the door. He was so afraid. He took a deep breath and lowered his head before he somehow found the courage to knock gently on the large door in front of him.

A stallion with a solid yellow coat, well-groomed and dressed in fine purple linen appeared at the door. He peered down at the colt with an expression that had made no effort whatsoever to conceal his repulsion. His unwelcoming sneer further dashed the young colt's spirits that were already vulnerable to begin with. The kid laid himself down at the stallion's hooves as he struggled to find the right words.

"Listen to me for the last time," remarked the stallion.

"It's so cold... Any service I could-"

"Where are your parents?" interrupted the stallion, irritatedly. "Why don't they give you something? Why is it always my responsibility?"

I had been to his house once or twice before, asking to perform some type of work for some food. I wasn't sure how I ended up in this area again tonight, but I longed for the scraps from his table.

"I'm sorry sir... I-I don't know where they are."

With that afflicted declaration from his soft voice the first tear fell down my face as I looked on through darkness and the flurries of snow.

"Can't find them? What do you mean you can't - well, if that's the case then why don't you go and find them then, and I will continue on with my dinner," scoffed the stallion, and he shut the door on the young colt.

The gesture was a powerful blow to the colt's spirits. My mind signaled to my hoof to rest itself on my chest where the left side in particular was very heavy and in dire need of some relief, but my body was unresponsive and my all four hooves remained stuck to the ground. I wanted to look away but I couldn't do that either. To my astonishment the foal somehow worked up the courage to knock gently on the door once again. Why would you do that? What were you thinking? Just leave...

When the stallion appeared once again at the door it was abundantly clear that he was now bitterly annoyed with the increasingly desperate youth, whose soft pleading was now nothing short of outright begging.

"GO AWAY!"

The terrified colt darted away like a rabbit from a fox. He sprinted all the way into the hedge-bound cover and never looked back. I followed him all the way until he disappeared completely into the darkness, and then stared unresponsively at the spot he disappeared. It felt like glass shards had rained down on my insides. Just when it seemed I was doomed to stand there for all eternity while the snowflakes disappeared into the blackness in front of me, the spell that kept my body frozen in place lifted and I fell back on the ground. I sat back, covered my eyes, and was completely alone with the whispering winds.

The next thing I remember after the colt disappeared - after I was left to mull over the images alone with myself - was hearing a small rustle of soft voices somewhere behind me in the forest. I pulled my face out of my hooves and looked behind me. I stood up and walked towards the direction I thought they'd come from carried in the wind, step by step through the trees that I directly surrounded me. Now that there was no light from the cottage I had much more difficultly seeing anything beyond my immediate proximity. There was just my long breaths, my accelerating heart beat, and a black maze of trees in a light snow.

Suddenly the wind flowed through the trees in front of me and another round of voices carried through and I stopped in my tracks and positioned both my ears open in their direction. It sounded like the murmuring of children, but it wasn't the voice of the colt I'd seen before. The snippets of tones I'd heard sounded familiar somehow, like they belonged to foals I knew. I took a few more steps forward and listened again for another breeze. I closed my eyes and emptied my mind of any thoughts so to hear whatever came through. Finally, a distinctive noise made it through.

"Tis bitter cold out here."

The voice belonged to a young colt, and it seemed to have a strange accent, possibly from Trottingham. I knew I'd heard it before somewhere, if it wasn't on the tip of my tongue. I kept walking forward and looked around in the darkness for any signs of foals. Suddenly another sound passed through, this time the voice of an older filly. A voice I'd definitely heard before.

"Wicked cold is more like it, Pip."

My ears twitched. I searched every space in front of me, but there were so many trees blocking my view.

"Scootaloo?" I asked gently.

I was sure that it was her I'd heard. I stepped forward much quicker and scanned the trees for any sign of them. Even though most of my thoughts were bent on finding her, as an afterthought I couldn't understand what she was doing out here. They sounded miserable and scared. Where are you?

"I just wanna go home," said the voice of another colt, yet another one I'd heard before.

"Where are you?" I called much louder, looking around frustratedly. "It's ok! It's me, Sonic! Sonic Rain!"

I leapt through the trees and turned my head in all directions. To my distress all I could see was just the same thing in all directions, rows of trees and snow flurries disappearing into blackness not far in front of me. I didn't stop my increasingly frantic searching though as I peered around for any sign of them. Finally some more murmuring crept right around a large tree in front of me; I trotted forward and around it and found myself standing in a little opening in the forest. Immediately my eyes caught sight of what was straight in front of me on the other side of the gap of trees.

I saw directly across from me three foals sitting and huddling together with their backs against a large tree. They had no clothing, and for some reason it looked like their winter coats had never come in on their bodies. All three of were shivering even though they hugged as tightly as they could to keep each other warm. In the middle was none other than Scootaloo, and on either side of her were two colts - Pipsqueak the pinto and the little grey colt from the train platform who had recognized me as the pony that saved that foal in Canterlot from the runaway cart.

"Scootaloo!!" I shouted, taking a few steps forward. Now they must've been just fifteen yards in front of me. I waited for them to look up at me but just like before they didn't respond in the slightest. It was as if my voice wasn't real to them. This just confused me further while I studied them with narrowed eyes. "Scootaloo!" I tried again, looking directly at her and certain that she could hear me. Nothing.

Just like before with the young colt, the more I looked at them the more awful I felt, only this time it was even worse because I knew them. I noted especially the fear and uncertainty in each of their faces that were nipped at by the brutal temperatures that had no effect on me. If anything at least they had each other; something the previous colt had lacked. There's gotta be something I can do. I can't do this again.

"Are there any wolves out here?" asked the grey colt, burying his shivering head under Scootaloo's chest, who upon the hearing the question looked around worriedly, confirming that I was completely invisible to her.

"No, there aren't any wolves around here," she said dismissively, but it didn't look like she believed it. Just then, after she finished her sentence, there was howling in the distance and it jolted each with them with bolts of terror.

"I'm so scared, I just wanna go home," muttered the grey colt. As terrible as I felt I was hardly prepared for what he said next. "I wish your friends Rainbow and Sonic had come with us."

No.... I shook my head in hysterical denial. The comment hit me a brick wall and started sucking the life out of me; the distance between us seemed to get longer even though neither of us moved. The world around me seemed to swirl like the darkness inside of me.

"I know, I know. I do too," responded the filly, doing her absolute best to comfort him even though she was as bad off.

"Do you think anyone's coming for us?" asked Pip.

At hearing the question she first stared despondently into space in front of her, but then, as I looked on, her teary eyes lifted upward and her expression was no different than mine was when I stood with my feather in front of that stallion's door. The same hero that had gleamed in my younger version's eyes was just as visible in Scootaloo's behind the hope that that same hero would rescue us and bring us to a better life. I related to her on a level that I'd never related with anyone before.

"Rainbow Dash is coming for us," she assured herself.

"SCOOTALOO!" I cried. "I'M RIGHT HERE!"

I lunged forward and flapped my wings furiously at them. I flew harder and harder, wanting desperately to reach them and end their suffering, but the faster I flew and the more trees that whizzed by me the further away they got from me. Eventually their frightened faces were swallowed up by the darkness. "NOO!!"

"Sonic!" cried the voice of Princess Luna.

I had no idea where she came from but now I felt her limbs wrapping around me. I was quickly enveloped and stopped struggling. I was practically sobbing at that point, but the warmth in her embrace surprised me considering I hadn't been able to feel the wind or the cold. Suddenly it seemed we were now on top of a cloud with a dark purple twilight sky overhead rather than the dark wintry atmosphere of before, though she was completely shielding my whole body from any harm. "Sonic, you are dreaming! I put you to sleep, remember?"

It all came back - after I left Rainbow on the platform I flew down the tracks and caught up with the train upon which I entered it from the back car. When went through the door I had found Princess Luna standing in the middle surrounded on all sides by sleeping ponies. She told me how we needed to sleep for as long as we could on the ride so to build up strength for our journey. The last thing I remembered before finding myself here was her walking up and touching her hoof gently to my forehead after which I was transported to this world of dreams.

I buried myself into the Princess and hugged her tightly like a terrified foal, and I slowly felt the panic coming down in her arms.

"We've got to save them," I said out loud, shaking my head deliriously. In the last entry it was clear to me that my fate was tied entirely to Rainbow's. Right then it was clear that both of our fates were tied to the fate of the children. That horrible, horrible nightmare was going to become an unbearable reality if I didn't do something about it.

"I wish that some of these other ponies expressed the care and depth of feeling in their dreams that you are in yours," she remarked sadly. It was meant to be a genuine compliment - I understood that - but it was also a discouraging thing to hear. In response I hugged even tighter, which she completely accepted. Breathe, Sonic... Breathe slow...

We were both sitting down as she shielded me with her front legs but she's so much taller than me that to look at her I just had to turn my head upward and back slightly, whereas she would look down on me. I'm a full grown stallion but for the moment I felt a lot like a little kid again hanging onto his parent. His real parent.

Even though we had barely known each other I felt a lot safer and more relaxed in her care which she had freely given to me, but then I realized that this was all in my head if I was just dreaming, so if her love wasn't real then any relief that she had provided seemed to jump out the window.

"I have no way of knowing if that's true or not," I remarked out loud with sadness.

"What?" she replied as her head turned downward on me, looking surprised and almost hurt.

I'm dreaming, so none of this is real..."

"I am the Princess of Dreams, Sonic. It is my sacred duty to enter my subjects' dreams and guide them on their journies. I am very much here with you. "

"You are?" I asked.

"But of course!" she replied, almost pleadingly. "I have already visited the dreams of every pony in on this train. I am giving all of you my very own personal sendoff. I have saved you for last."

Personally I really liked the idea, especially since I had taken sincere comfort in her embracing me - I would be relieved to know it was actually her - but I still wasn't quite sure if I believed it. I would find out when I woke up.

"I really hope you are really are here with me," I said blushingly, and a faint but strong smile of appreciation flickered in her expression. "And uh... it's not, you know, that I don't trust you or anything, but if you don't mind... if you could just leave me with something - you know, like in the real world - right beside me when I wake up or something. That way I know you really were here. That it wasn't just in my head."

"Why yes. It's only natural for you to wonder I suppose," she said in a soft voice, and now I honestly felt bad because she seemed hurt by my desire for confirmation even if she tried to hide it. It was clear that she was as good and loving a Princess as her sister. "When you wake, look for me. Then you'll know." I nodded. "You will also find beside your head two large bags of the finest oats in Equestria."

"W-what did you say?" I muttered.

"The finest oats in Equestria for your journey, packed with nutrients for strength," she replied, eyeing me over with concern as she stood up across from me. It occurred to me then that she had to in fact actually be here with me since I have never really been able to feel anything physical before in my dreams, but I definitely had felt her both physically and interiorly. I regretted both that I had gotten up from underneath her and I had asked her for proof, but at least I knew now that it was almost certainly real. It felt more real than any other dream I'd ever had.

"Um, Princess... if you don't mind my asking, I-I was just wondering... what all did you see? Like, in my dream, I mean," I asked timidly. I really hoped that she hadn't seen the first part of the dream. Thankfully it didn't seem like she did - she would've shown it more if she had.

"I arrived just moments before you first heard my voice," she replied, looking worried.

"Oh," I said quietly, turning my head away. It also occurred to me that she probably wouldn't have stood there and watched something like that without saying anything, but to hear the bit about oats so soon after was a little surreal. I glanced back towards out of the corner of my eye and saw she was still watching me with concern. I thought to myself about what I might say now. There was plenty I could say to her but it was all pretty personal. Her eyes were so caring though. Come on Sonic... You can open up to her.

"Sonic," she said delicately, beating me to anything.

"Yes Princess?" I asked, humble and eager. Her eyes occasionally looked back or to the side, indicating the difficulty she was having saying whatever she wanted to say.

"I just wanted to say that... I'm sorry for what has befallen you, my sister told me about, about how you were... You know, I myself was locked away for a thousand years. It was not a pleasant time for me. Even now many of my subjects are still uncomfortable with me because of what I was. I have a come a long way but I have a long way to go still. I feel the reason I am drawn to you more may be that... well, you might say that we are-"

I turned my head sideways thoughtfully at her but she then she stopped there like she had embarrassed herself.

"Forgive me," she muttered embarrassingly.

"Why?" I asked, having difficulty understanding why she would feel bad for saying something like that.

"Well... I know that we have only just met, though we were never formally introduced, perhaps it is improper for me to-" she replied shyly, as if the fact that we'd never been formally introduced meant something to me.

She has this very old-time way of speaking, very formal; even more so than her sister. At times it almost seems like she's struggling to find her hooves again, like she knows her way of speaking is a little antiquated and just wants to fit in. It's very lovable though.

I knew she was just trying to be nice but this time the pity stung, even if I loved her more and more by the minute. She didn't seem to think it was any secret that Ponyville hated me since the reservoir incident or that my life before Ponyville was not always the best. Pity was quite mutual; Rainbow had mentioned something about her corruption and how they freed her but I never realized that she was locked away for a thousand years or that she was having difficulty winning back her subjects.

"Princess," I said, shaking my head. "You've been nothing but kind to me from the second we've been together. You have no idea how much you just helped me," I told her. I really hoped it would help her. "I honestly have no idea why any pony would be afraid of you. I mean at this point I just wish I'd known you before now."

"You have... no way of knowing how thankful I am to hear that," she muttered. She was fascinating to me, in a good way. From what I could see she's a loving pony, and cool and unique too. Princess of the Night, a dreamhopper. I get how someone could see her and be intimidated by her strong expressions and her dark appearance but she'd already earned my affections.

"Ugh," I sighed out loud, causing her mouth to open slightly in curiosity. "I'm sorry, it's not you, it's just... I have a lot on my mind right now," I said, looking sadly to the side.

"Of course," she replied quietly.

I had a feeling now that some of the stuff on my mind was going to come out - I figured now that I was comfortable with her, now that I finally had another pony I felt like I could talk to in my life, that they would. I'm sure you know that whenever you open up to someone else there's always a dreadful feeling at first, and given the situation was already pretty intense it was just really heavy on the soul. Her expression told me that she was waiting and hoping for me to tell her so that she could offer some advice.

"Well, you saw that dream," I remarked with another breath. Then suddenly I had second thoughts. Oh forget it. She doesn't need to hear about me. I looked back and saw her same face, practically pleading with me to share my thoughts. Just do it, I thought, fighting with myself. You need all the moral support you can get. And if there was ever a time to open up, this is it. "I feel terrible for them. And Rainbow, she... she's especially been through a lot the last couple days," I continued, and that was really hard to admit because it forced to me think about how much pain she's in. "I haven't done much to help her," I said, and I had to be careful or I might break my promise not to dwell on myself, if I hadn't gone too far already.

"Now why would you say that?" she asked, in a tone that conveyed heavily that she was hurt by it, which then I felt bad for making her feel bad.

"Yesterday she found out about... the thing that you just mentioned about me, and it wasn't easy for her to hear. I'm not helping though... I think I just make it worse," I said, hanging my head as the realization weighed on me.

"Why in the name of heaven do you say that?" she pressed, finding it hard to believe.

"I don't know - I guess I just have trouble seeing what she does... in me I mean."

Something about her made me feel better, something in her expression, her whole persona - it indicted me that I was wrong about myself. It reminded me of the fresh and sweet memory of Rainbow and I's embrace just moments before. "I'm trying, alright?"

The Princess had listened tentatively and now she seemed to be responding tenderly. Her expression was a rare mixture of compassion and firmness, it's difficult to explain in words. She calmly walked forward and lifted my chin under hoof so that I could see the full expression of her royal affections.

"I could see from the moment I first laid eyes on you that you lack confidence. Knowing your past I think that's inevitable," she remarked.

At hearing this I felt shame, which I was trying so hard to do away with... but that it was so incredibly obvious to a figure I had quickly come to look up to was pretty hard to ignore. "I suspect you've observed that I myself struggle with that... if you are familiar with my past," she continued as her eyes drifted to the side sadly. "But my dear subject, your worth is not measured by the scale of your accomplishments or the quantity of your recorded achievements. Miss Dash knows this, I saw her out there with you just moments before we left, it's quite clear to me. You must know that there are many ponies in this world who will never experience the rare level of friendship that you and Miss Dash have achieved together."

I wrapped my right front leg around hers and buried my head in her chest, which seemed to surprise her even though she readily accepted it. As with her sister back in the castle I couldn't help but wish that I'd had access to this kind of love and guidance sooner in my life, so it had a bitter-sweet to it. But it was better late than never.

"Do you think we'll make it back?" I asked her, which also surprised her, though this time she seemed less sure of how to respond. It quickly occurred to me how silly of an actual question it was. It's not like she has an answer to that. I guess I asked it because I knew so much hung on the answer. "Dumb question, don't answer that," I added with a head shake, though again she seemed to just appreciate that I was open with her. "I just hate not knowing."

"I know exactly how you feel, I did not think it was a stupid question," she said looking down at me, though it seemed like she wished she had more to give me in response. "My sister and I were appointed to watch over you, but even in this world our knowledge of a great many things is limited. Occasionally our friendship must be tested in ways that we can't always understand."

"I'm scared," I uttered with a sigh. I actually didn't mean to say it out loud, but I couldn't take it back now.

"I know," she replied with deep reluctance, and then I felt bad for putting her in that spot. My heart will always burn with a uniquely intense love for Rainbow but after my earlier dream sequences it felt like Scootaloo and even the others foals were almost tied with her. "I'm so sorry my beloved subject, but I'm afraid we must both return to the real world now. We are approaching our send off point, and I still must prepare you and your friends," she remarked sadly.

"Oh... right," I replied, and a wave of nervousness was rising in me. "So how is this going to work? What happens now?" I asked as reality of my situation started to sink in. Pretty soon I'd be out in the storm, and there was no going back.

"I will awaken you and the others. Then you will be equipped with a variety of supplies for your journey, the purpose of each I shall explain to you. Then I shall give you my final instructions and recommendations for your journey, followed by my royal farewell. In less than half an hour from now, you'll all be on your own."

I took in all of her information and glanced away, weighing it thoughtfully. It just didn't seem real that my life could have lead me to this point, that all the happenings could lay out the way they have. I knew that the answers to several deep and pressing questions about myself and beyond lingered just around the corner. Whether I wanted to know them or not, I was going to find out.

"Thank you for everything," I sighed.

"You know, Thunderlane - this young stallion sleeping next to you whose dream I visited before yours- thinks very highly of you," she said with a faint smile.

"He is a dear comrade," I replied. It really and truly did feel good to know that I had one loyal friend on this team. I didn't forget about him either.

"He has a good heart but I'm afraid his dream was a rather... awkward experience for me. I don't think he understood that I was actually present," she remarked, looking away thoughtfully to which my ears perked up curiously. "It seems he feels that I am.... very beautiful," she continued, placing her hoof on her chin as her eyes flickered with embarrassment. When I inevitably chuckled her eyes widened like she'd revealed too much, even putting her hoof to her open mouth. "Oh my... Why did I say that? I owe that poor young stallion an apology, I should not be sharing his feelings with other ponies. Please do not mention this to him... or anybody for that matter," she pleaded, but I was just shaking my head in amusement. It wasn't long until she too broke into a smile.

I couldn't laugh about it too long though because the thought of suffering children came roaring back, and my only priority in life now was alleviating that suffering. It was abundantly clear to me that whether I wanted it to be or not, my relationship with Rainbow and our future together hinged on this journey even under the assumption that I survive. I looked around at one final glance at this land of dreams and the twilight sky and took a deep breath.

"I'm ready," I whispered, even if it wasn't true.

"I will leave you with one final bit of information. Did you know, Sonic, that I have in fact met you before tonight?" she said, and her eyes gleamed with a kind of mysterious delight, like she was getting ready to tell me something she knew I would love.

"You have?" I asked, confused.

"Yes. I met you over a year ago in the dreams of your dearly beloved," she replied.

"My dearly beloved? You mean Rainbow?" I asked, and she was right - I did like where this was going.

"Why yes. I came across the two of you in her dream, though you were both much younger than you are now. I remarked to her what kind and lovely eyes you had and I asked her for your name, but she was terribly embarrassed and beseeched me not to tell any of her friends. I assured her that her secret was safe with me," she continued, gleaming with sentiment that made its way right into me.

I closed my eyes and let the images overwhelm me with a feeling that could keep me sailing for eternity if I could get through all of this somehow.

When I opened my eyes, I didn't see Princess Luna. Instead I saw the other side of a train car and a black window in front of me. I felt groggy and tired though I was quickly waking up. Any trace of happiness was gone. I realized I was laying belly down on small bench covered with padding. I leaned up and found on either side of me two large sacks connected on some kind of special harness clearly meant to go over my back. I already knew what they were but I put my nose to the tied-off opening and inhaled just to confirm. Oats...

Over the sounds of yawning and shuffling and other wake up sounds, I raised my head and looked towards the front of the car. Princess Luna stood right there in the middle where her eyes were waiting for me. She was staring at me with the exact same look of loving concern that she had just moments before in my dream, the memory of which beamed from her expression. I gave her a nod of acknowledgement and felt a small dash of relief knowing for sure now that she was really with me. Eventually I turned my sights out the window where an oil lamp illuminated a small section of space outside the train... snow flurries quickly disappearing into a black abyss.