A Tale of Two Kingdoms

"I'm from the western hive." Wihkuk answers, finishing the last of the tentacles.

As the party relaxes and chats for a while longer, a burgundy earth pony walks by, and hands out surprisingly properly sized sleeping masks for the purposes of blocking light if sleep is desired. She also leaves behind a tea set as she heads off.

Cassiopeia grabs what ever mask fits her and leans back trying to get into a more comfortable position. After a while she comments "Something big is going to happen the moment we all fall asleep is it not true?"

Note yawns and replies, "Well, that's just the way stories go." then puts on a mask and then curls up to fall asleep.

Wild Blue shrugs, just takes her sleeping mask, and has some tea before she goes to sleep herself... Not really caring what future events might happen, until they happen.

"I'm from a little farming community myself, it'd be ah...South...west of here? Uh...Well...I think south anyhow, I'm terrible with directions." Porko shrugged a bit, taking a mask as he thought for a moment, shrugging. "Well, I suppose you may be right, Cassie, but if it happens it happens...I'm sure everyone here can handle themselves if it gets ugly...Besides, who'd try something on a train? Not like they could run away or anything..." He put his mask on, finding a comfortable spot to sleep for now...He wasn't an oracle, he didn't let the future bother him so much.

Wihkuk grabs a mask for himself and slips it on, sleeping standing up.

Steam glances over the tea to see if can recognise what kind it is and if there is multiple different ingredients inside it...

(Streetwise Check: 9 (Roll) + 18 (Streetwise) = 27)

Spoiler:

There appear to be three teas on the platter:
The ever popular Karkade; Rosin Rose tea sometimes called HP tea; and dried Nepeta.

Steam decides to pass on the tea, and tries to get some shut eye without using the sleeping masks, opting to just face away from the light...

The party eventually settles down, resting and talking into the night. They eventually all drift off, and rest well for much of the trip. The last awake hears a chime of 'passing Crystal Empire official borders in one hour' before finally drifting off.


---------------------

You now stand on a train platform, the other passengers do not appear to be present; and the train backs into a mountain tunnel, leaving the group alone in the area.

Note blinked rapidly, rather confused by the situation. "Um... why did we get off the train early, why here, and why didn't anypony wake me before making that decision?"

Porko looked around, a little confused himself..."Uhm...Huh...That's odd...Aren't there supposed to be more ponies 'n the like...? I mean, maybe I was sleepwalking or somethin', but...Something seems odd..." He glanced around, trying to get his bearings...Where were they?

"Um... Anypony recall getting off the train? I just felt like I was napping, then here... Outside with nopony else around..." Blue said with a good deal of confusion as she looks around herself.

Perception check:

The station seems perfectly normal, just very barren... and the path to the main city is somewhat misty, limiting visibility.

"I do not recall leaving the train nor do I have a history of sleep walking... If none of use remember actually disembarking the train then perhaps we are still on it and this is a collective dream." Cassiopeia says trying to restrain herself from having a complex Existential crisis and while trying to remember if there was anything that could cause such a thing.

roll:

The geography in the area you appear to have just come from is not as it should be. And you are QUITE sure that if you aren't on the train, it's because you were dragged off.

"A collective dream is definitely possible." Wihkuk says, moving around slowly. "Perhaps it was something in the food."

"A collective dream...Huh, I suppose it's possible, even if I don't think I've heard of that before? ...Still, if this is a dream, probably best to see where it goes...I mean, if it's a dream, not line anythin' bad could really happen?" Porko concluded, glancing around before following the path, glancing around curiously...

Perception:

"Hey, I'm almost certain the food I conjured was mostly perfectly safe!" Note objected. She noted everypony else was looking around and looked around to see if she could see what they were looking for.

---

Perception: 10 + 1 + 17 = 28

Looking closer at the road to the empire you can see that the mist lining the path reflects things oddly; and the road itself seems to disappear a way in... You might see a figure on the road, however.

In addition, you hear the smallest of taps coming from the ticket booth.

Steam looks in the direction of the tapping...

Wild Blue, follows Steam...

Cassiopeia starts to head to the figure on the road...

Porko approached the figure, smiling a bit. "Hello! Did you come to in this dream too? No need to be shy, we're all in this together, right?" he called, trying to show them he meant no harm...