The grand clock above the Central Station chimed, the alarm clock that meant passengers were getting into Dreamland.

"Right then, express to the Nebula Gardens, departing in five!" Aurora Candy Cookie announced, though a faint tremor betrayed their underlying stress. "And the Comet Diner shuttle, it's... where is that shuttle?"

A frantic puff of steam erupted from a particularly slow-moving train just pulling into Platform 3. Aurora Candy Cookie's eyes narrowed. "Oh, for starlight's sake, Licorice Clock Cookie! Can't you pick up the pace? The passengers aren't going to spontaneously teleport to their destinations!"