I tracked Rainbow down outside the weather station. <<You were looking for me?>>
"Oh, hey!" Rainbow smiled at me. "I was just about to come find you! You wanna go to Canterlot?"
I tilted my head. <<Why the sudden vacation? You just got back from Dodge?>>
"Yeah, a vacation, just the two of us...."
I squinted. <<If it's a vacation, why did your smile slip?>>
Rainbow dropped her smile completely. "I can't get any thing past you anymore, can I?" Rainbow leaned down to pick me up, while I balanced on my hind legs to make it easier. "That scroll I sent you to Spike with? It was a letter to Princess Luna. Spike gave me her reply just five minutes ago. She wants us to go meet her, tonight, said it couldn't wait." She flew us to the train station. I carefully climbed and placed myself just below her wings, just like we had practiced. We only slowed our mad blitz once the station was in view.
We glided around to the ticket booth. "I need a ticket for Canterlot, and I need a carry on pass for Leo here."
"Forty bits, please." Rainbow passed over a sheet of parchment. "One moment." The stallion turned, comparing the parchment to one hanging on a clip board. With a nod, he began filling out a form. Turning back to us, he pointed to a couple of lines on twin papers before handing them and a quill out to Rainbow. "Sign here and here. Don't lose your copy. If anything happens on our end, we can use that to verify things."
"Got it." Rainbow groaned. Taking the paper, I smack her upside the head. "What?!"
<<Place nice with the guy, he's just doing his job.>> I bowed as best I could to the ticket master. <<I'll keep an eye on it.>>
"Heh," he chuckled, "your pup'll need this tag. If you could, please..." Rainbow leaned forward to let the stallion to clip the tag to my collar. Once we had our ticket, it was only a grueling twenty minutes wait for the train.
The train pulled into Canterlot in the late evening. I hopped onto Rainbow's back as we left the train car. Together, we flew towards the castle. I was taking every opportunity to see the sights that I had missed during my first visit, now that the stupid snow was gone.
For once, Rainbow wasn't rocketing around. I assumed it was due to her lack of familiarity with the locale. Great for me, as I didn't need to worry about messing up her slipstream as I looked around. I gazed in awe at the clock towers we passed, the local shops closing up for the day, the flash of pink as it darted down an alleyway, the bright signs of the night clubs as the overnight crews began their shifts and the night life came alive.
Wait.... I looked back over my shoulder. That bakery's selling three donuts for ten bits?!
"That's robbery!"
I know! I shook my head, turning to watch the palace get closer. Rainbow slowed to a crawl as she approached the gates and hoofed one of the Night Guards a new slip of parchment. With a gruff command, he ordered us to follow him through the castle. I didn't pay attention to the path, I was focusing too much on the decor. I swear, many of the statues lining the halls were just an excuse away from moving.
We were left outside a pair of large doors as the sun and moon finally switched places in the sky. The antechamber we were in gained a few more ponies, nobles my cynical mind assumed were attempting to curry favor. The nobles all looked down their snouts at Rainbow and I, disgust apparent on their faces, as if our presence offended them personally. Soon enough, a new guard entered the room from the double doors. She moved and placed herself beside Rainbow and I.
"Attention, everypony!" The guardsmare firmly declared. "I regret to inform everypony that Night Court has been canceled for tonight, as an urgent matter has come to the Princess' attention. You will have to bring your grievances or proposals tomorrow."
I didn't miss the grumbling that the nobles made as they got up to leave. Rainbow sighed. "Ya heard the mare." she started to stand. "C'mon, Leo."
The guard flicked a wing out. "Sorry, ma'am." She murmured, deliberately standing in Rainbow's way. "You're the 'urgent matter'."
"Okay..." Rainbow had the presence of mind to act as if she was just waiting for the guard to move. With a yawn, I curled up between her wings.
The nobles left in that kind of huff that only three year olds could get away with. The last stallion to leave had his nose raised so high, I was surprised he wasn't walking on the tips of his hooves.
"This way, please." The guardsmare opened the courtroom doors once all the nobles had flounced out. She waited for us to pass her before she closed the door.
Luna sat on her throne at the far end of the room. She rose with a flick of her horn, cushions floating over from the hidden alcoves to join us in the carpet. "Good evening." Luna motioned to one of the cushions. "Please, sit." She waited for us to comply. "One moment, please. I need my translator."
"Translator?" Rainbow looked at me. "For who?"
I saw a black cloud with golden highlights flow in from an open window. Twin glows of red focused in on us. The fog condensed into a familiar black canine with golden rings <<For Leo.>> Abes gave a slight smirk.
<<That, was, AWESOME!!>> I started hopping around Abes as I crowed. <<I can't believe it, you learned Teleport!>>
<<No I haven't.>> Abes sighed. <<This is just a bastardization Luna created. It's called a Shadowport. Anyways, this is an important meeting, so please pay attention>>
<<That was still amazing.>> I smiled, trying to get my mirth under control. <<So, what's with the summons, Princess?>>
"Tell me, Rainbow." Luna addressed the prismic mare. "How have you been sleeping lately."
"Not well." Rainbow admitted. "I've been waking up tired, like I didn't sleep properly, and I have't been able to remember my dreams for about a week now."
<<Wait.>> I frowned. <<Isn't that roughly when...>>
<<Yup.>>
"Could you please lean forward?" Luna requested. She carefully parted Rainbow's mane, searching. With a slight grunt, she held Rainbow in her aura and lifted Abes to see. "Do you see what I do?"
<<Not quite sure. Wait....>> Abes squinted before leaning closer to Rainbow. <<Is that what I think it is?>>
"So you see it too." Luna placed Abes back on his seat as she released Rainbow, letting her sit up straight. "Interesting."
Rainbow looked between the two beings of the night. "... I'm so confused here." She pointed at the Umbreon. "You can understand him?"
Luna nodded and distractedly replied. "Only Abes. And I only have theories on that, at the moment." She focused back on us. "About a week ago, I had placed a sigil upon Leo here to seal her dreams. It seems that it has rebounded and marked itself on you as well."
"Oh, okay." Rainbow blinked, her mind latching onto the parts important to her. "So, can you remove it from me?"
I jumped to my own conclusions. I curled up on myself with a pained whimper. <<What if it goes after Rainbow....>> I felt someone pull me into a hug. I focused through misty eyes to look into Rainbow's worried magenta ones.
"I'm afraid I don't want to risk removing your sigil, Rainbow." Luna apologized. "There is a matter that needs to be resolved first." She focused on me. "And, I would know if it had been affecting her as well." Luna fluffed a cushion before sighing. "You might as well sit down, Rainbow Dash. There is much that I will need to explain."