//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 - Welcome to Oneirica! 
// Story: A Tale of Dreams and Nightmares 
// by Ivo 
//------------------------------//


A Tale of Dreams and Nightmares

Chapter 3 - Welcome to Oneirica!



“Okay, Sweetie! Pack your bags! We´re going to visit grandma and grandpa this weekend!” the mother of the small filly announced and got a high-pitched ‘YAY!’ in response.

It was a peaceful Friday morning and the parents of the small Canterlot-family had decided to visit their parental part which was living back in Ponyville, well, at least for her, it was the parental part. For her husband, they were only his parents-in-law, but they always had accepted him since she had met him first back in school.
Anyway, when both of the mare´s parents had reached their retirement a few months ago, they´d decided to move to the peaceful town and to spend their remaining years there instead of Canterlot.

Her daughter galloped into her chamber in an instant, grabbed her bag and packed the things she would need for the imminent visit. There was her favorite cuddle pillow, her favorite game chess, several other toys like a small toy train, a purple-white-striped ball, a few dolls and a small CD player with her favorite CD inside, both presents from her last birthday.
The last thing missing was her favorite dragon-plushie, but it didn´t fit in her now twice as big saddlebags, so she simply took it into her muzzle and went back downstairs.

“I´m readyyyy!” she muffled excited.
Her parents, actually packing their things for the weekend off, looked up and had to giggle when they saw her daughter, her saddlebags round as balls, bigger than the filly for herself, and nearly bursting with the large amount of playthings. The ridiculous look was perfected by the blue dragon in her muzzle.
“Wow! Do you have your whole chamber inside them? We aren´t moving, you know?” her father smiled warm.
“Well…”
“And…” her mother added with a mischievous grin, putting her hoof to her chin and scrutinizing her daughter “…did you remember to pack your toothbrush and toothpaste?”
“Uhm…well…”
“And your mane-and-tail-shampoo? Not to mention your coat-shower gel?” she cooked an eyebrow.
“But…but then there is no place left for my toys!” the filly complained, her head sinking and her eyes big and pleading.

“Let´s see…” her mother trotted over to her and inspected her saddlebags.
“Well, the chess game you don´t need to take with you. Your grandma has one of them as well. And do you really need that much dolls? What about leaving a few of them here?” her mother suggested.
“But they´ll be lonely and get bored!” the daughter argued.
“Oh, I think they´ll be okay with it. After all, even your dolls maybe need a rest from our little blighter.” she teased.
“Hey! I am no blighter!” the young foal meant miffy.
The elder mare giggled. “Oh, don´t be bad with me! I´m just messing around.”
The filly snorted.
“Anyway, I think the ball you can also leave at home. Grandma also has one, even bigger than yours!”

“Okay…” the young filly sighed and went back into her chamber to sort out the things her mother mentioned. Just when she wanted to climb the stairs, she turned around and faced her mother again with pleading eyes. “But can at least Spike come with me?”
Confused, the mare cooked an eyebrow. “Spike?”
It was when she noticed her daughter pointing with the plushie in her muzzle into her direction. Seems she decided to call the stuffed dragon ‘Spike’. Regarding the amount of stories I told her about him, it´s hardly surprising…
“Oh, you mean…Of course he can come with you.”

Smiling satisfied with the answer; the filly climbed the stairs and went into her chamber…


______________________________________________________________________


A few hours later, the small family was on its way to Ponyville. By train, of course. Their young daughter after all loved travelling by train! Only flying in a carriage pulled by pegasi was even cooler for her since she wasn´t able to fly as a unicorn.
Peaceful, the train chugged along the cliffs of the Canterlot Mountains, giving them a good view over the green canopy of Whitetail Wood and the Hackney Plains in the south. 

In their compartment, the young filly snickered and, along with the steam whistle of the train´s locomotive, she let out a loud ‘Choo-choo!’ and continued giggling and playing with her toy train on the ground. Her parents, sitting on one of the three beds of the cabin, only smiled at their daughter and looked back through the window.
It was until something poked one hoof of the family´s father.

Turning around, he faced his toothy grinning daughter who was poking her wooden toy train repeatedly against her father´s hoof. Giggling, she announced:
“Choo-choo! Next station: Daddy! You wanna get on?”
“Well, where is your train going to?” he asked beaming, playing along.
“Far far away!” the filly answered. “To the world´s other end!”
“Oh, that´s really very far away! Won´t it be a very dangerous journey? I heard there are terrible monsters waiting for small fillies like you to eat them up! Isn´t that very risky?”
“Ha! Risky is my second name!” she meant proudly. “Stardust Risky, at your service!”
Her father giggled. “And how much is the ticket?”
Grinning prankish, she stretched out her hoof. “Five hundred thousand bits!” she announced.
“Without breakfast, of course! That would make hundred thousand bits extra!”

“Oh…that´s an…interesting quotation.” her father chuckled. 
“So?”
“I think it´s a teeny-weeny bit too expensive for me…”
The young Stardust only shrugged. “Well, then you have to walk.” she said and turned back playing with her train. “The train to the world´s other end is leaving now! Choo-choo!”
And so, she continued driving her small wooden loc through their compartment

“Seems like there lays a long way ahead of you!” the stallion´s wife giggled.
He smiled and turned around to face the mare of his dreams and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “Sassy, today, aren´t we?” he asked her whispering and placed his fore hoofs on her chest.
“And what are you going to do against it?” she whispered back suggestively.
“Well, I thought about some…” he instantly pressed his hoofs against her chest and shoved her with her back on the bed´s mattress “…tickling!” he announced and did so, provoking loud laughter from her and making her squirm on the bed with his permanent belly-assaulting hoofs.
“H-h-h-h-he-he-hey! S-s-s-stop i-hi-hi-hit!”

Their daughter only raised an eyebrow about her parent´s behavior.
Sometimes, parents are just totally crazy…


______________________________________________________________________


After another hour, the young filly´s parents had calmed down and acted normal again, occasionally looking out of the window or watching their daughter playing with her train.

And with time, her yawns grew longer and longer. Finally, she stopped playing and put the train back in her saddlebag, lying down on her bed.
“Mommy? Daddy?” she asked for her parents´ attention and continued after she noticed them turning around and looking at her. “Why are Morning Dew and his parents not coming with us? Didn´t you say grandma and grandpa are also his grandparents?”
“They are joining us tomorrow. Morning´s parents have some important appointments today, so they can´t come with us. But it´s still right, it were also his grandma and grandpa.”
“But why?” Stardust wanted to know.
“Because he is your cousin, the son of your aunt and your uncle. And because your grandparents are also the parents of your uncle, Morning is their grandchild as well as you are. Do you follow me?”
“I…think so.” she meant and took another yawn.

“Oh my, seems somepony needs its midday nap!” her mother meant.
“I´m not tired, just bored because Morning isn´t here to play with me!” Stardust replied stubborn and, just to prove otherwise, she yawned again. Her mother chuckled.
“Of course! But let me suggest you something: If you take your siesta, I will tell you the next part of my story. What do you think of that?”
“Okay…” she just said with another yawn, took Spike out of her saddlebags to cuddle with him and covered up in the blankets of one of the beds, waiting for her mother to begin. Her father also rested his head on his forelegs and closed his eyes a little bit. It still was a long journey to Ponyville and they would need the rest of the afternoon to get there…

Clearing her throat, the young Stardust´s mother began to continue the bedtime-story…

”Squinting, our hero walked through the door of light, curiousness and excitement, but also confusion filling her heart. What was this all about? What did the disguised mare Somnala mean when she said she wasn´t dreaming anymore?

With time, the light dimmed and reluctant Twilight removed the hoof that protected her eyes, slowly opening them. The first she felt was the slight breeze that stroke through her mane and tail, wafting a strange but pleasant aroma to her nostrils that she couldn´t classify.
When finally her eyes were open, she took in the sight in front of her.
She was standing on a high hill, descending in a consistent curve into a wide valley, surrounded by high cliffs. The wide meadows were cluttered with thousands of unknown flowers in every color of the rainbow. The sky above her head was hued in a slight pinkish touch and studded with shining white stars, a bright crescent moon in its center. Though it seemed to be nighttime, it was as bright as the brightest summer day.

But the most stunning was the city in the valley´s middle. Hundreds of small neat houses with white walls and baby-blue roofs clustered around a huge white palace, looking like a citadel with a shining white defensive wall and slender high white watchtowers. Behind the palace along the whole backside of the valley, there was a big lake, shimmering in rainbow colors and fed by a gigantic waterfall which also had every one of the seven colors of the rainbow, starting left with red and ending on the right side with violet.
From the town, where a long yellow path winded itself along the hill to her stand, a colorful river wiggled along the valley between the hills deeper into the mysterious land.

Mouth agape, Twilight stood there, unable to form any words. There was no word to describe this land. None of the words her books had told her would fit this sight. Beautiful, nice, wonderful, gorgeous, pretty, stunning, magnificent, overwhelming…none of these words would do justice to what she saw.
But one thing was for sure: This was the most wonderfully beautiful place our hero had seen in her entire lifetime!

“Oh brother! I was already worrying you went lost on your way here...Why do you Dreamers always take up that much time?”
Twilight startled when she suddenly heard the foreign voice behind her and yelped, turning around to face the stranger.
“Hi there, Dreamer!” he greeted her with a friendly smile.
Twilight went wide-eyed and rubbed her eyes in disbelief. But there was no mistake: purple scales, green eyes and spikes, the small claws and tail - undoubtedly, in front of her stood…
“…Spike? Wha…What are you doing here? How do you come here? And whe-“
“Stop, stop, stop!” the small dragon interrupted her, but was caught in a tight breathtaking hug in the next second.
“Oh, I´m so glad to see you, Spike! There was this strange light and then that strange place with these uncountable gears and-“
“I really dislike to interrupt you one more time and even more to disappoint you, Dreamer, but I am not that ‘Spike’ you mention all the time!” he meant and pulled out of her embrace, leaving a very confused look on her face.

“But…how can´t you be Spike? You look exactly like him!”
He sighed slightly annoyed. “Jeez, didn´t Somnala explain it to you?”
“Don´t believe your eye, this shape is a lie. Our true faces are bizarre, we aren´t what for you we are. Destroy your mind it would, if seeing our real guise you could…” she mumbled, repeating the words of the mare.
“So she did explain it to you!”
“Yeah, but…I don´t understand…where am I? And, if you aren´t Spike, who are you instead.” Twilight wanted to know.
In response, he cleared his throat and announced proudly: “I am Nambul, counselor and the most faithful and responsible servant of Lady Stardream! And, at her discretion, your personal escort!”

The scholar could only chuckle about this. “Yeah, sure! You are only missing your plume hat and counselor garment! That would be hil-lil-lil-lil…”
And one more time, Twilight´s mouth went agape in disbelief when suddenly the small dragon in front of her got a black-red-striped plume hat with a long eagle´s feather, an elegant black robe and a crimson embroidered bespoke shirt.
Cooking an eyebrow, he looked himself over and whistled appreciative. “Wow! That´s great! You have a good taste, Dreamer! Thank you! I never had a better shape!”
“You mean…I did that?”
“Of course! You are a Dreamer after all.”
“Why do you call me ‘Dreamer’ anyway? Because I´m still dreaming?” Twilight thought, her head would explode, so many questions she had. Everything she saw and experienced was absolutely ridiculous and against every natural and physical law!

Luckily, Nambul answered:
“Well, seems like you need someone to explain the things you see to you…”
“Pleeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaase!” the mare begged desperately and the phantasm giggled.
“Okay, I´ll explain as much as I can to you on our way. If you´d like to follow me, Miss…”
“Twilight Sparkle.”
“Alright, Miss Sparkle, let´s go!”
And off they went, walking along the yellow path that led to the city in the distance.

“So…what do you want to know first?” the dragon then asked, ready to answer every of her questions with the best of his knowledge.
Our hero took a deep breath, choosing her first question: “Where am I?”
Instantly, Nambul answered with an expansive gesture: “This is Lady Stardream´s realm, the first and brightest part of the dream world Oneirica. Oneirica is the third and pivotal sphere of the Dreamuniverse. You are originally coming from the City of Souls, the first sphere and the only connection to your ‘real’ world. It is the place where, during you´re sleeping, your souls travel to their very own cottages to rest and dream. We opened you the door to the second sphere, the Veil, Somnala´s realm. It is the connection between our two spheres. And it´s a protection wall to keep the souls save from the monsters and threats of our world.”
“So that´s what Somnala meant when she said I´m no longer dreaming!” the mare concluded. “Since I left my ‘Soulcottage’, to say so, my soul is no longer dreaming but travelling! So this…” she pointed at her own body “…is just my soul. My body is still in Equestria. That´s why I feel not hungry nor have any other biological needs like pass water or else. It also explains why I´m feeling a little bit…light, to coin a phrase.”
Nambul nodded, smiling satisfied. “You are learning quickly! Affirmative! Now I understand why Lady Stardream had chosen you.”

“Chosen? For what?”
“That, she should explain to you for herself.” the dragon meant.
“Has it something to do with the nightmares my friends and I had?”
He only nodded. “It´s closely linked with it, yes.” And for a short moment, there was a black look on his face. But in the next second, he shook his head and it was gone. “Anyway, do you want to know something else?”
She nodded. “You called me a ‘Dreamer’. Considering what you just told me I understand, why. But what are you?”
“I´m a phantasm.” he began to explain. “A creature consisting of Dreamdust, born in Oneirica with its very special task. Every phantasm has its task here. There are common tasks like producing or conveying Dreamessence or organizational tasks like mine, a few keeper tasks like Lady Stardream´s or producing new phantasms with Dreamdust.”
“What are this Dreamdust and Dreamessence you are talking about? And what are their differences?”

This time, the dragon had to think a short while before he answered.
“Well, let´s start with Dreamessence. It is what is needed for you to dream. We produce it here in Oneirica and send it through the Veil to the City of Souls. Next time you dream and are able to realize that you´re dreaming, you may notice a strange liquid on the floor of your cottage if you empty your dream. According to where the Dreamessence was formed it decides the kind of dream you have. You see that giant waterfall?” he pointed at the colorful cascade.
Twilight only nodded, begging him to continue.
“This is pure Dreamessence.” Nambul declared. “It is the only essence that can be used for every sort of dream. But it isn´t very strong and the created dreams are blurry and not very explicit. That´s why we here in Lady Stardream´s realm only condition the basic-Dreamessence from the waterfall and lead it to the other realms where it gets refined.”
“Aha…” Twilight only commented interested, the scholar inside her now fully awoken and looked around.

They finally had reached the first district of the city. Everywhere, Twilight noticed ponies she had already seen in her life. They were pulling carriages with pots, filled with the colorful liquid, from the lake to open cottages which looked like big soup kitchens. Fires underneath the big pots let the essence boil and other pony-guised phantasms pulled the conditioned liquid to the colorful river in the town´s center. Everything and everypony looked very busy.
Twilight noticed a wall-eyed pegasus who accidentally crashed into one of the carriages and spilled the Dreamessence all over the street. The ponies that had pulled the wagon only looked angrily at the mare which just smiled awkwardly and flew shortly after.

The Spike-guised phantasm chuckled.
“Every Dreamer who comes here has the same look on his face!”
“Well, it is very fascinating. I wish I could learn more about your world…”
“Anyway…where we were? Ah, yes: Dreamdust!”
And within one second, her small companion had her full attention again.
“Dreamdust you can imagine like your atoms. It is what everything you see is made of. Every phantasm, every house, every culm, all Dreamdust. Even your soul is made of Dreamdust.
The difference between Dreamdust and Dreamessence is: The dreams and phantasms made of Dreamessence are less material than things made of Dreamdust. That is why you can survive nightmares, even if you dream about your own death. Because we are only sending Dreamessence to your cottages to let your souls dream. So, the things you dream aren´t material enough to hurt your souls. Another protective mechanism is your awakening.”
“And what is if one of your phantasms would break through the Veil and attack a soul? Or what if you would ram a dagger into my heart?” she asked out of curiosity.
“Your soul would die.” he answered straightforward. “And your body would stay without a soul forever…or at least until it dies too because it can´t wake up from its sleep anymore and starves. Dreamdust is our blood, flesh and steel, can you follow me?”
And Twilight nodded one more time.

And with that, all her questions were answered for the moment. She now knew how this world basically worked, knew where she was and what was going on. Only the ‘why’ had to be cleared now…

After a few minutes of walking, at least Twilight guessed it were only a few minutes, she and her small companion reached the white protection wall she had seen in the distance. And it was huge, nearly ten times Twilight´s own height.
They approached the front gate, guarded by two soldiers which looked like the two stallions that once had pulled her carriage to Ponyville shortly before the Nightmare Moon-incident.
When the duo passed by the two guards only smiled, recognizing Nambul and bowed their heads respectful. He did the same in response and led her through the gate into a wonderful castle garden that left the unicorn speechless.

A colorful tessellated way led to a beautiful marbled fountain, which of course didn´t spout water but pure Dreamessence. Between the jets, Twilight thought she could see small pictures of what seemed to be parts of her life!
From the fountain, the way led in every direction to different smaller or bigger buildings, richly ornamented with symbols and signs of a foreign language our hero didn´t know but would love to learn.
Between the paths were wonderful wide meadows with exotic and unique flowers Twilight had never seen before! 

The young dragon chose a way that led directly to the big palatial main building and a cloister which led all around the building. Soon, the purple dragon stopped in front of a big wooden door and faced Twilight.

“Well, here we have to separate.” he announced. “It was really a big pleasure to meet you, but there are several…things…I have to do before we meet again at your audience with Lady Stardream.”
Twilight frowned unsure. But Nambul recognized this and added quickly: “Don´t worry. You can wait over there…” he pointed at a small pavilion a few meters away on the meadow, surrounded by a small pond of Dreamessence, a white bridge leading to it. “…and I will inform Captain Moonlight to pick you up when the Lady is ready for your audience.”
Twilight only nodded and smiled. “May I ask what these important things are you have to do?”
“Well, informing the Lady about you, some errands and, most important, lunch.” he grinned and got a chuckle in response.

Saying their goodbyes, the duo finally parted and Twilight was left alone.

Twilight soon found herself sitting at the pavilion and watching the pond. This place was so strange but also so fascinating! She could learn so much about this place! Maybe it also had a library! Maybe she could learn some new spells there! Only imagining the possibilities sent jolts of joy and anticipation through her body. She could see it all straight in front of her!

And then, she really saw it in front of her!
All the small pictures in her head, every detail she could see in the Dreamessence below! Fascinated, she studied the changing pictures of her own in the pond.

“Twilight Sparkle?”
Startling about the sudden male voice, she turned around to face the newcomer.
“Oh, I´m sorry if I made you jump. I am Captain Moonlight and here to tell you that Lady Stardream is now ready for your audience. And to escort you there, of course.”
Twilight´s expression turned into a wide beam when she noticed the shape of the phantasm in front of her.
“Okay Shining…uhm…I mean…Captain Moonlight. Sorry.”
The phantasm, guised as Twilight´s white-coated and blue-maned brother Shining Armor, only shook its head and smiled warm. “It´s okay. Every Dreamer has these problems the first time they see us. We are used to it, though, there aren´t many Dreamers visiting us. Even if I think ‘visit’ isn´t quite the right word for your case…” he cleared his throat. “Anyhow, better to not let the Lady wait…If you want to follow me…” he grinned with a bow.

And so, side by side, Twilight trotted together with Shini…uhm…the brother-shaped phantasm along the wide halls and long aisles of the palace, stunning about every ornament, every marbled statue. Everything she saw was just…unique!”

Finally, they reached the last door.

“Alright…” the Captain spoke up “…please behave you inside there. Please try to neither imagine anything nor dream of anything! You are a Dreamer! You saw the effect you had on the Dreamessence in the pond! The Essence inside there is even more powerful! It won´t be very pleasant for us to witness your private thoughts! Also you should realize Lady Stardream is a phantasm to be respected! An authority! Treat her as one, okay?”
Twilight´s gaze fixated on the closed door in front of her and she nodded, ready to face that strange powerful Lady everypony was talking about.

And then, the big double door opened…

…and the sight it revealed was simply breathtaking!

Twilight found herself on a big half-moon-shaped flower field. On the edges of the meadow, there was the huge lake of Dreamessence she had seen from afar. And in the background, on the other side of the meadow, she could see the giant rainbow-colored cascade. Near the edge of the meadow´s backside, right in front of the waterfall, there was a marbled dais. And on the dais, beneath a bright archway, there was the ruler of the realm, regal and in all her glory!

Lady Stardream!

And of course, it came as no surprise that she appeared in the shape of no other pony than Princess Celestia to Twilight. Slowly and graceful, she looked up and straight into the Dreamer´s eyes.

“Welcome, Twilight Sparkle, to the world of dreams!
Welcome to Oneirica!”

Two loud snores finally ended her storytelling. Her mouth felt dry, but the sight made that up to her. Tightly hugging the small blue dragon, her daughter had fallen asleep and now was on her way to her very own Soulcottage.
And also her husband next to her was sleeping deep and sound.

Deciding that she also could need some sleep, the family´s mother also rested her head on her forehoofs and joined her loved ones in their peaceful midday sleep…


______________________________________________________________________


With a short white flash, he appeared suddenly on the flower field Lady Stardream called her throne room. He didn´t pay very much attention for the beautiful surrounding, the colorful flowers or the lake with the rainbow-cataract. Sure, the stallion always had been a dreamer; a pony which´s head was always musing and fantasizing.
But this was serious matter!
And if he wouldn´t act and do something, there may was no way for the ponies on earth to dream anymore!

He looked up to Lady Stardream, standing like always beneath the huge white archway.
“You know I hold you in high regard, Dreamwalker! But I also always hate your way to simply appear in the middle of my throne room without having an audience! I hope your rude behavior has good reasons!” the familiar voice of the Realmkeeper spoke up annoyed.
With an impish grin, the unicorn faced the light grayish magenta eyes of the phantasm, guised for his mind as no other pony than the princess of the sun - Celestia.
“I am sorry. But I assure you, I have very good reasons for my behavior.” he excused himself with a bow.
She snorted. “Well then: Speak! There are more phantasms waiting to talk to me, which in addition have an audience!”

He nodded and his expression became serious.
“Lady Stardream…” he began “…I unfortunately have to report a very big danger I discovered last night! I was walking through the City´s streets like always when I suddenly saw a nightmare walking out of one of the Soulcottages.”
“That´s it?” she questioned, cooking an eyebrow. “Escaping dreams are rare, sure, but no dangers. They vanish with time and can´t wreak pain. They are only made of Dreamessence.”
“And there´s the problem: This nightmare was made of Dreamdust! It was a phantasm from Oneirica! I luckily destroyed it before it could wreak more damage. It attacked a soul, but also luckily, she remained unharmed.”

Hearing this report, Stardream narrowed her eyes.
“The soul escaped? I know I should be happy about that, but out of curiousness: How did she manage that? It´s impossible to escape a phantasm from Oneirica, even in a Soulcottage!”
“I guess she somehow managed to wake up in the last second. Anyway, I managed to heal the damage the nightmare wreaked. I immediately reported this incident to the nightmare´s respective Realmkeeper Mistress Macabra and she confirmed that she was missing one of her nightmares - the nightmare I destroyed. She meant there would be a hole in the Veil, the bridge between our worlds.”

There was a short silence between the two. Lady Stardream finally broke it.
“I thank you for this report, Dreamwalker. Though, I am fully aware that there is a weakness in the Veil since a while. But I trust its Realmkeeper Lady Somnala. I´m sure she already repaired the hole.”
“But if there really is a weakness in the Veil, why don´t you send someone to inspect and analyze the situation?” the stallion asked.
“Because no phantasm is allowed to intervene in the affairs of Somnala and the Veil. The Veil is a very sensitive part of our universe and no one is allowed to touch it, except Somnala.”

“But don´t you know what happens when the Veil´s fading away?” the Dreamwalker argued and his horn enlightened, forming the Dreamessence all around them.
“The nightmares and every other phantasm will break through the Veil and invade the City of dreams!”
Similar with his explanations, he created the scenario with the Dreamessence in front of him, using the place between him and the lady as his stage. He executed a city with little houses on the right side and some dragons and spiders on the other side, shimmering semitransparent in the air. He also created a huge brick wall between them, symbolizing the Veil.
With his words, the wall formed cracks and finally broke down under the pressure of the nightmares, which now invaded the small houses.
“The nightmares, now completely out of control, will attack and destroy the souls! And of course, because the souls can´t get back to their bodies, they´ll die to!”
He now created a picture where the dragons and spiders attacked panicked and hysterical crying ponies, burning them with their fire breath or catching them in their nets. Similar to this, he executed an earth next to this scenario, which showed sleeping ponies, slowly turning to bones.
“Soon, there are no souls anymore and the nightmares will begin to destroy the City of Souls!”
With that, he zoomed out of the scene and showed a planet with many little cottages and shattered it into small pieces.
“And in the end, there is no world anymore where you can lead the Dreamessence to and it will deluge all Oneirica and drown every of its phantasms, including you, Stardream!”
His show ended with a picture of Stardream´s drowned palace, only the high towers are above the water surface.
Finally, he finished his scenario and led the Dreamessence he had used back into the lake. Firm he looked into the phantasm´s eyes.

“That´s a very nice scenario for a soul which doesn´t know very much about the Veil and its acting. Though, I can´t deny your words.”
To that, he could only smile satisfied.
Stardream cleared her throat and then announced:
“So be it! Dreamwalker, I assure you that I´ll initiate an investigation of the Veil at once! A scene like you showed us must not happen! I thank you very much for opening my eyes…”

The stallion only nodded and bowed. “I just did what I had to do, Milady.”

The phantasm also nodded and narrowed her eyes. “Though, I am still expecting some more phantasms for an audience, so please believe my words and leave now. Captain Moonlight?”
A stallion with a white coat and a long black mane and tail near the big double door behind him nodded.
“Would you please walk our guest out?”
“Of course, Milady!” the stallion saluted and walked over to the Dreamwalker, but he only waved his hoof.

“It´s alright. I´m leaving at once…”
And so, in a bright flash he teleported himself out of the throne room.

Lady Stardream frowned and thought for a while, unsure what to do next. Finally, she came to a point.
“Nambul?”
“Yes, Milady?” her counselor answered and bowed.

“Bring me Twilight Sparkle…”