Before I write down my day, a word of caution: What I woke up to is in no way my fault.
I felt warmer then usual when I woke today, it almost felt like there were hooves wrapped around me. I opened my eyes drowsily to see hooves wrapped around me, then closed them. Only for them to snap open again.
Aurora was on my bed, her hooves wrapped around me, and her face rubbing my neck. I froze, and several questions raced through my head. How did she get here without my noticing? Why was she snuggling me? And why did I seem to like it? My face heated up as I tried to move, only to fail as she gripped me tighter. Right before I could get lost in thought, Aurora sighed, snapping me back to the here and now. I looked down to see her eyes flutter open, and stare lazily at my fur. The next few seconds went by so slowly, until her eyes widened and she let go of me. She then fell off the bed while trying to get away from me.
"Ow." Came her mutter from the other side of the bed. Stifling a chuckle, I decided to get off the bed as well. Then I realized something. . . . Tourmaline, Second, and Slate, were gone.
"Where are they?" I asked Aurora, who was now on her hooves.
"How am I supposed to know? I was in YOUR bed!" Aurora snapped, her face still red.
I thought for a moment. "Let's try the dining hall."
Sure enough, Second and Tourmaline were chatting at the dining hall. Slate was quietly eating breakfast. Cadence was talking to Shining, her husband, and smiled at us as Aurora and I walked down the stairs.
"Slept well, I hope?" Cadence asked with a smirk.
I gave her a silent glare as Aurora walked over to Second.
"Second. . . mind explaining why I was in Swifts bed this morning?" Aurora asked her in an impatient tone.
"Well. . ." Second grimaced, "You were having a nightmare, and you kept kicking me. . . " Second paused as a few of us chuckled, "Then you said something, it startled me."
Aurora raised an eyebrow, "It startled you because I said something?"
"No. . . it was what you said that startled me." Second replied.
"What was it? What did I say?" Aurora asked in a scared tone.
Second blushed, "I don't know if I should say. . ."
"Please. . . " Aurora whispered.
"It's kind of embarrassing. . . " Second muttered.
"I'll give you 20 bits to tell us." Slate said.
"Uh. . .okay. . ." Second said, growing quieter, "She said. . . 'Swift, save me.'"
The hall grew quiet. "S-say that again?" I stuttered.
But Second could only squeak. Her face had turned as red as Aurora's had earlier.
Then the silence broke when Cadence snorted.
I turned to face her, "What?" I asked, "is so funny?"
It took Cadence a few moments to stop giggling.
"Oh nothing, just that it had happened sooner then I thought." Cadence explained, a huge grin on her face.
"What happened?" I asked, feeling my chest tighten in panic, "Y-you don't mean me a-and. . . .?"
Cadence nodded.
"I-I. . . NO!" I shouted, getting my fear back in check, "I mean, I like her, but we are just friends."
Cadence shrugged, "I'm the Princess of love, I'm never wrong on these things."
I opened my mouth to argue, but found it closed as I realized she had a point.
"Besides," Cadence smirked, "How else do you explain her words?"
Again, I couldn't say anything, because I didn't know what to say.
"But I've had nightmares for a long time!" Aurora spoke up, "I've been told by my parents and friends that I have nightmares regularly, why would I suddenly ask for a stallion I only met recently?"
Cadence tapped her chin in thought, "Perhaps it's got something to do with him. What did you dream?"
Aurora fell silent as she thought about her dreams. "It's always the same one." She spoke. "Two ponies being killed by some unicorn. Shouting my name in fear as they died. . . "
"Do you know who they are?" Cadence asked.
"I was told that they were nothing. But I think they might have been my blood parents." Aurora replied.
"Then the stallion who killed them, who was he?" I asked, now extremely curios.
Aurora put a hoof to her forehead, "It hurts to think about this, but I want to say he was their friend, they took him off the street."
I couldn't help but gasp as I remembered what my father had told me in the caves.
"A couple of unicorns, and their young daughter, took me off the street."
"Aurora, I have one last question." I said.
"Yes?"
"When were you orphaned?"
No one spoke as we headed toward the train.
My father, no, that monster had killed Aurora's parents. He had given her nightmares.
But why did he spare her?
Aurora hadn't spoke since I told her. Instead she looked at her hooves. Her mind elsewhere.
"Do you know the way to Griffonia?" Cadence asked me, snapping me out of my own thoughts.
"Yes, I could easily fly or walk there." I told her.
Cadence smiled. "Good luck."
"You too." I replied with a smile.
Then, we boarded the train.
Slate was happy about our arrangements. We had the largest room on the train, making the ride a little more comfortable for the giant of a pony. As he looked out a window, I was talking to Second.
"So you just put her in my bed and she stopped crying?"
Second nodded, "Yes, she then hugged you and said. . . well. . . 'Don't leave me.' I think she's terrified of the dream."
I shook my head, "But why me?"
Second shrugged, "Maybe because she thinks you're the one who could undo your father's damage?"
I fell silent as I considered this. "But we are talking about death, he killed them. How am I supposed to fix that?"
Second sighed, "Maybe we'll learn that on the way."
Just then, the train shuddered.
"What is going on?" Slate huffed, standing up.
"I don't know. But I don't like it." I replied.
Just then, the train exploded.
I woke to snow being blown over top of me, the rest of my friends sprawled out beside me.
I looked around for the train, but couldn't see it.
We were lost.
"Guys," I shouted.
"What?" Tourmaline replied, stepping towards me.
"We need someone who can guide us out of this blizzard." I told her.
Second tapped her eye patch. "I could use my eye to look for heat sources, but only for a few seconds."
"Do it." I said with a nod, helping Aurora out of the snow.
Second removed her patch and looked around. "That way." she pointed in a random direction. "There's a fire and a pony, we can get their help."
Just then I heard a moan as Aurora collapsed. I turned to her, but was terrified to see her screaming and thrashing.
I picked her up and slung her over my back, "Then lead the way Sunny, we need to get Aurora out of this cold."
With a nod, Second began walking in the direction of the fire. Tourmaline behind her, and Slate behind me.
But my mind was only thinking of one thing.
Hold on, Aurora.