Rainbow's body drifted up the river, surrounded by scraps of metal and paper. The green water was cold, but not unpleasantly so. Three moons shone up in the sky above her, and a myriad of stars around the them. And it all seemed natural to her, normal, needing not to be questioned.
Slowly, however, she realised something was amiss. Something she couldn't quite put her hoof on, just like how she couldn't quite remember why she was there, or where there even was. At the same time, she noticed she wasn't alone. There was another pony to her left, floating up the river atop a silver flower petal.
"Princess Luna," Rainbow said, recognising the alicorn. She then looked back at the alien sky above them. "This is a dream then."
"It would be quite the worrisome situation otherwise," Luna replied, following Rainbow's gaze up to the three moons in the sky. "And quite the added workload for me, considering those all move in different patterns. It is not a common sight to see them all together like that. I believe the added visibility they provide is part of why the attack failed." She looked down at the broken metal around them in the river. "Although that is perhaps a topic for another night. My workload, however, is not."
Rainbow Dash sat upright in the middle of the river, her hindquarters firmly placed on the water's surface, without concerning herself at the physical impossibility of the event. "Is something wrong?"
"The attack failed and you almost died, for one." Luna shook her head. "Sorry, a topic for another night, as we've said. As for the troubles of our world, yes, something is wrong. Many things, actually." She gave a little smile. "But that has always been the case, if admittedly more so since the Behemoth's arrival. Perhaps it would be better to ask what is wrong instead. What is wrong now that wasn't before, and why am I here now."
Rainbow Dash stared at her for a moment, as silence stretched on. "Uh. Yeah, pretend I did that," she said, motioning with a hoof.
Luna couldn't help but chuckle at that. "I shall put it clearly then. I am here because I require assistance. My work as guardian of ponies' dreams has grown more taxing, as of late. In no small part, this is due to the hunting sessions I have to undertake. Without the Elements and with the Behemoth's presence, the Everfree has been growing restless and more twisted, its presence in the dream world more intense, and the borders between dream and reality far thinner within it."
Luna noticed the poorly contained excitement on Rainbow's face, and her lips curved upwards just a tiny bit. "It is nothing I can't take care of, and nothing too dangerous so far. But I do fear I may not be able to properly dedicate myself to either task as things get worse. And knowing about a certain pony who expressed interest in travelling through the dreams of others, and who also happens to quite enjoy the thrill of action and danger even in her sleep, I was wondering if-"
"Yes," said Rainbow, failing to contain her excitement any longer. She'd been mouthing the word for a bit as she'd listened to Luna speak, and actually hearing herself say it out loud surprised even her. She'd not meant to, and she was aware she'd spoken just a bit too soon.
But Luna just smiled. "Very well then. Shall we begin?"
And Rainbow noticed she was suddenly wearing a silver suit of armour over her light blue coat.