Sorry if the last chapter made you sad. It was where I was thinking of what would happen if Christopher Robin was gone and how would Pooh and friends handle grief. One of the things that make me appreciate cartoons of now is that they help us understand grief and loss since it can be difficult to explain in context.

Pooh reached Owl's house by the time the sun completely vanished from the sky and the stars were starting to appear. He began to notice General Echowing and his friends clustered in front of treehouse talking amongst themselves. He walked a little faster, eager to meet his friends and to see to what happened to the egg. Even though he was separated from it, he felt as if it were only a lifetime ago. He wanted to see the baby and share all the wonderful things that he does in the Hundred Acer Wood. He knew his friends might be a little open to it but were still uncertain of how things will turn out once they reach the Starlit Kingdom. He understood that feeling since he would be meeting a king very soon.

Gypsy the griffin turned and waved him over while her other talon was cradling the egg. The egg was no longer wrapped in a cloth but had its usual fire-like glow despite having now stars out yet. Pooh smiled back and ran as fast he could with a backpack and a picnic basket. As he got closer, he notice a new friend in the group. This one seemed to be a strange horse with a horn on its head. He breathed heavily once he reached Gypsy. "Good evening, Gypsy!" He gasped under his breath. His heart leaped with joy as the egg wiggled and made several noises that even made the griffin twitch in surprise.

"This is a first," Gypsy remarked. "It hadn't done anything when Ester looked it over." As if she could sense Pooh's question in his head, she pointed a wing at the horned horse that seemed to have laid down to have Rabbit climb on her back. "She said the egg is close to hatching in about a week or two."

Pooh lowered his head and sighed. "That sounds like forever though." Then a thought quickly came to him regarding to what happened earlier that day. "Did Ester say why the color changed and started to get cold?"

"Defense mechanism," Gypsy explained. "Dragon hatchlings are sensitive to evil or bad intentions of others. They're known to carry certain amounts of magic. It is believed that eggs that were laid under a full moon while there were shooting stars in the sky, like this one…" She tapped one claw gently on the egg. "Have the largest amounts of magic. Because of this knowledge that got the enemy somehow…" She glared hard for a moment. "We tried to guard the best as we could because once the color is drained from the egg, it would resemble a rock and trick enemies into thinking they're worthless. However, gray dragons do exist in back home which can also make our work a little stressful."

Echowing approached them, his smile as bright as the stars that were beginning to appear in the sky. "Good to see you, Pooh bear. It's almost time for departure." He laid himself flat on his stomach and spread out his wings. "Ready to go?"

Pooh looked to Gypsy. "May I hold Honey M-the egg again?"

Gypsy smiled. "Sure. I'll take care of the picnic basket and backpack for you so you would have to loose balance while holding the egg." She handed the egg to Pooh as they traded. Pooh slid the straps of the backpack off and placed it down. As the griffin took the items from Pooh, she was face-to-beak with an angry pegasus.

"Gypsy!" Frost scolded. On his back, Kanga and Roo looked on with concern in their eyes. "Why in the world did you give it back to the bear?"

The griffin's green eyes turned icy. "I just simply thought he should have the honor of giving the egg to the Dragon King since he found it. Besides," Turning her head she cooed. "AWW! Look how cute they are together."

Pooh hugged the egg. He could hear the faint peeps and chirps as his ear pressed against the shell. The heat moved the night's autumn chill off his body. A heartbeat and subtle movements were felt in every part of the egg. Tears were pooling in Pooh's eyes and he began sniffling. It felt as if he had lost the egg in forever than in one day.

Frost snorted. "Let's just get this done and over with." He ignored the disappointed looks from his passengers and walked away. His white wings tight against his body.

A few moments later, a unicorn with Rabbit sitting quietly on her back began walking up to Pooh. Tigger bounced beside them, no longer covered in bandages. The unicorn's horn appeared as if it was made of the same emerald that Lumpy was holding. Her body a whitish green with golden flecks on her flank. "Forgive my husband," She said with a hint of a sigh in her voice. "When work needs to be done, he doesn't fool around." She gently nudged Pooh's face with her muzzle. "Rest assured, he'll be fine once the queen has her egg back and recovering." She smiled. "All negativity aside, it is a pleasure to meet you. The name is Ester by the way."

"Heya Pooh!" Tigger greeted. "Ester came to my house today and use her super-duper healing powers on me." He spread out his arms wide and began bouncing. His tail curling as it hit the ground before launching him higher and higher in the air. "Now I can bounce the night away."

"Not until you settle down, you won't." Rabbit warned, his face twisted in a scowl. His arms folded against his chest and looking down at Tigger like he already misbehaved.

Tiger's face soured in return. He glared back and immediately stopped his bouncing. He walked over to Ester and climbed onto her back. He let out a huff of frustration. "You better not be a buzz kill at the party either." Tigger stuck out his tongue, ending the conversation.

Ester turned to them with a stern look on her face. "You should thank your lucky stars that the rest of you only had a few scratches and bruises. I've seen many creatures in conditions far worse by those chimeras."

Pooh tilted his head. "Chimeras?"

"She means creatures that look like Hurricane and Whirlwind," Rabbit answered.

"They're one of the many subjects to the Dark Dream King." Ester explained. She then looked at Echowing who had a somewhat urgent expression on his face. "Oh! I best get ready for take-off. My husband would go crazy if I'm not prepared. Can't delay any longer." She turned around to leave, but then said over her shoulder, "The hatchling is all right by the way. It takes a whole day for the egg to be cold and reach a critical condition, but wrapping it up slowed the process down a bit. It only turned gray because it was spooked, but I guess Gypsy had already told you that. See you later." She soon galloped up to General Frost. Head held high in the twilight.

Pooh began climbing up Echowing's outstretch wing, when he noticed Gopher, Piglet and Lumpy were already settled on the large dragon's back. Lumpy the young heffalump no longer having bandages on his trunk which held the emerald and yellow rose. Piglet waved to Pooh with one arm while cradling his ruby and daisy in the other. Gopher was transfixed with his topaz, but he still had his orange rose with him. They all smiled as Pooh settled into the crook of the green dragon's neck. "Good evening, Piglet, Lumpy, Gopher. I hope you're excited as I am!"

"O-oh yes," Piglet stuttered. He looked nervously at Echowing. Then, whispering to Pooh, "I just hope the residence of the kingdom have an interest in eating small and fearful animals like me."

"Alright everyone," Echowing spoke. "We're about to take off. Does everyone have what they need?" He began looking over each nodding head. "Good. Now, the others and I got to the Hundred Acer Wood through a spell. More specifically, a seasonal wind spell. All spell must have a rhyme in order to work properly and some spells have certain rules that make them special. For instance, since autumn is here, we must use an autumn wind spell to activate travel. Here how it goes:

Autumn winds that bring winter chill.

Please grant us your good will.

Get us where we need to be.

Fly us over the trees and the mighty sea.

Then, you must picture the location in your mind or, in this case, simply say the name of the particular location. Shout 'Rainbow Forest and we'll be there in no time." Echowing spread out his wings. "Ready?"

Pooh and friends adjusted their suitcases and backpacks while the generals positioned themselves for flight. On Echowing's cue, they began running forward. Pooh and his friends began reciting the spell with great excitement and fear as they felt the vibration of the earth beneath them. The wind chilled their skin as it roared in the air. The incantation repeating several times as loud as their throats could allow. A burning glow radiated from the egg like a large campfire.

Echowing spread his massive wings wider as he leaped above the ground. "Now!" He roared. His voice echoing in the wind. One flap of his wings put him high in the air, hovering above the trees.

"Rainbow Forest!" Everyone yelled. The wind soon sent everyone up in the air. Howling above the treetops, the leaves twirling and twisting like butterflies.

Pooh looked down and saw the trees and hills begin to vanish into the darkness of the night. He felt Piglet cling to his arm and trying to keep from scream. Piglet had overcome some of his fear of heights, but he still can get a little uncomfortable when up higher than most trees. Pooh quickly adjusted the egg so it wouldn't fall out of his grasp. He glanced over to his right and saw Ester running in the air as if there was a platform beneath her hooves. Tigger howled with glee while Rabbit hugged Ester's neck for dear life. "Come on long ears," Tigger chuckled. "Think of this as a carousel ride."

"Oh yes, a carousel ride…But that is done with regular horses, spins in a circle and done on the grrooouuunnnddd!"Rabbit yelled, practically shaking in fright.

Frost was close beside Ester with Roo cheering in delight and Kanga smiling brightly. Pooh then looked to his left. Owl, who was also healed by Ester, was beaming with joy. "Whoo!" He cried. "I've never felt so invigorated before! Uncle Hooford would've been so pleased!"

Kessy and Tobias flew close by Owl, performing loop-de-loops. Rubella glides close to Gypsy as the griffin was carrying Pooh's picnic basket in her claws and Eeyore on her back. Eeyore was a little glum as usual, but he had a small spark of anxiety in his eyes. "Oh boy," the donkey spoke as he looked down. "We've got the ocean below us. If this is where they're dumping us, at least it won't be painful."

"Oh come on. Don't be such a downer," Gypsy snipped. "We wouldn't do that to you. Have a little more faith, friend."

Pooh adjusted slightly to peer over Echowing's shoulder. He gasped in delight. A perfect vision of sapphire blue water glittering under the light of the moon. Suddenly, mysterious silver creatures dived in and out of the waves followed by a series of click and whistles. Pooh narrowed his eyes and realized what they were. "Dolphins!" He cried. "Look everyone! There are dolphins in the waves!" It wasn't long until he heard the gasps and chuckled at the awed look on their faces. Both he and Piglet nearly jumped as they saw a large, blue whale with sea green markings emerge out of the water and almost reaching for Echowing before falling back down to salty waters of its home.

Echowing chuckled. "Don't worry. That was King Oceanus saying hello. No doubt he would be alerting the other kingdoms with his gulls. The Dragon King rules all of them, but the kingdom is run by several other kings and queens to maintain his rule." Before long, they soon saw a thin, golden line of sand appearing before them followed by a deep green jungle.

"Rainbow Forest up ahead," Tobias cried out. "Get ready for impact."

A startling view of maple, oak and pine trees began to peak over the horizon. Faint colorful lights were dotting the trees changing from reds to blues to violet. As they lowered into the canopy, a river of pure light that also changed colors. Several tree houses were planted on the larger branches. Other houses dotted the ground, some brick homes with wooden roof and modified mushrooms.

As the wind began to die down, voices were heard in the distance. Echowing began to fold his wings and held out his claws to land. "Look ahead Pooh bear," he spoke over the hum. "This is the home of the dragon child."

Pooh looked up and felt his jaw drop open. Eyes growing wide at the sight before him. A tall castle stood before them. Its stone walls appear pure white but some of the colorful orbs of light make it difficult to be sure. Several towers were green as Lumpy's emerald. The tiles of the roof purple and red while the windows had an icy blue light. He then noticed the egg stopped glowing once they landed and lurching slightly. "Poor Hon-friend. You used up all your strength to help us didn't you?" Pooh patted the egg gently before sliding down Echowing's wing. Piglet followed right behind him. Gopher and Lumpy followed suit.

Once Pooh's friends were able to dismount and gather their things, they stared awestruck at the various flowers that dotted the forest floor. Some were in colors of purple, blue and red. Some were pure white while others appeared in teal or bright green. The residences of the forest formed a semicircle around them. Various firebirds of red, orange, yellow, green and blue became visible against the trees. Several hawks, eagles and songbirds hovered to have a look. Unicorn, Pegasus, raccoons, opossum and deer gazed at them with curiosity. Wolves of mud brown and night black observed them silently. Dragons of green, gold, blue, red and white were included in the colorful mix of creatures.

"Who are they?" One canary chirped.

"Never seen them before." A deep blue dragon rumbled.

"Is that bear holding King Moonsoul's child?" A black wolf raised his head.

"I hope Queen Flamesong pulls through." Mumbled a silver unicorn.

"Don't say that!" A red dragon growled. "The king is already worried sick as it is."

Everyone grew silent as they heard a loud kertuck as a large wooden door opened to reveal several creatures wearing silver charms approaching them. A pea green firebird led the way with four wolves and a gray dragon behind him. He landed in front of Pooh. "Greetings," he said, bowing his head. His eyes focused on the awestruck bear. One eye bright orange and the other violet. "My name is Icarus. It is a pleasure to meet the saviors of the precious child soon to come into the world. I hope-" Icarus was suddenly knocked over by a flash of dark brown fur.

Pooh flinched in surprise to see a young wolf pup with violet eyes jumping around him. Her tail wagging excitedly. "Hi! Hi! What's your name? I hope you like the food our chef made. It's sooo yummy!" She continued greeting the others in an energetic manner from Piglet to Tigger. Before she could reach Lumpy, she yelped as Icarus' talons snatched her by the scruff of her neck.

"Lacy!" Icarus yelled, his feathers ruffling. "Get back in your position this instant!"

"Lighten up, Icarus!" The little wolf growled. "I was only being friendly!" She turned her head fiercely to bite, only to fall onto the ground as the firebird let go of her. "Besides, you're not the boss of me." She stuck out her tongue before she joined the rest of the wolves.

"I like this kid already," Tigger whispered as he neared Pooh. He chuckled under his breath as Rabbit rolled his eyes.

"Anyway," Icarus said, preening his feathers. "The Dragon King would like to meet you all in the throne room before we begin the festivities." He turned, tail feathers fluttered as he faced the castle's entrance. "Follow me." He soon took flight with one flap of her wings. Everyone soon followed behind him.

As they walked past the doorway, their eyes were immediately attached to every tapestry and statue that lined the hallways. Some were of dragons being heroic and some had animals such as storks and wolves. They stopped at one tapestry that hung close by a large door that had a mighty rainbow color dragon standing on its hind legs, wings outspread and roaring at the stars. On the tapestry was a white, shapeless being that cradled a small red heart in its center. In a circle, a small creature of flame circled around it. In each corner of the tapestry, all the monsters and shadows seemed to be pulling away in fright of that light. "What's that?" Roo asked.

"A prophecy." Icarus explained. "To speed things along: It is believed that one day a powerful creature that controls light magic will bond with the future heir of our kingdom and destroy our enemies, the Hollow Kingdom, forever."

Before anyone could ask, Echowing spoke first. "We'll talk about it for another time. That door next to it leads to the throne room." He lowered his head. "Listen carefully. The Dragon King has been having a lot on his mind and hadn't slept or eaten for days."

"Oh d-d-d-d-dear! Is he an angry king?" Piglet squeaked.

"No. He's not quick to anger but his mind is not in the right place and he might say or do something hurtful without knowing it."

"Well," Kanga said. She fished into her messenger bag and pulled out two boxes. "I've brought cookies and cupcakes if it might help him feel better."

Pooh also began to take out the two pillows that he had stored in his backpack. "I had some gifts ready when I meet the queen and when the baby comes." He shrugged. "They look ordinary, but since they might have been stuck in one spot the entire time, I thought it would help." His eyes lit up as he suddenly remembered on more present he had set up for the queen and her child. "Before I forget, I'm willing to share my honey with them if they want."

"Oh my!" Rabbit gasped. "I'm so sorry. I was so caught up with everything that I didn't even considered a gift."

Echowing just smiled. "You all have such wonderful hearts. Don't worry about the presents. You being here is generous as it is." He lowered his head to Pooh. "I may not be king, but you are welcome to the kingdom anytime."

Suddenly, the door opened to reveal what was to be the throne room. The throne was actually a large tree that resembled a seat with flowers of various color reside. Sitting atop of the structure was a strange looking shadow curling in the dark. Curtains billowed around the frame, which proved to be far larger than Echowing. The wings were folded but the tips were an inch closer to the ceiling. The faint outline of the tail wrapped around the body twice. "Let the bear approach, Echowing," said the Dragon King. His voice was smooth like a river, but had some weariness to it.

Pooh gulped and looked at his friends. They all silently gestured to assure him that they would be right behind them. His heart hammered in his chest as he began walking. He felt like reliving one of Christopher Robin's fairy tales where a knight would confront a dragon to save a princess, but this situation provide to be a lot different. His feet dragged against the plush light blue carpet that was laid out before him. It felt as if he had been walking across the ocean's surface for a long time. Before long he found himself only three feet from the king's throne.

"Ahem," he cleared his throat despite how dry his mouth was. "Your majesty, I have brought Honey-the egg back to you and your queen." He held up the egg as best as he could without shaking. The egg glowed once again in the moonlight that was leaking out of a nearby window. "I…hope your wife is doing well. I have some gifts for her if you wish to see them." No response from the shadow. He gulped down on the lump stuck on his throat. "I'm terribly sorry she's sick and I was thinking that a present might make her feel a little better." His body began shivering as the silence continued.

Without warning, the shadow began to move. The Dragon King leaped from his throne and landed with cat-like grace. Now standing, Pooh was certain that he was much bigger than Echowing. The king took two mighty steps from his legs that were as big as the oak trees back home. As the king did so, the moonlight touched his pure white scales. Silver claws curved in a small arch and were no bigger than an average man. Silver also glittered on his belly and the webbing of his wings and frilled ears. Four silver horns curved back slightly in a slight arc. The face was slightly broad with an under bite. The mighty dragon lowered his head, neck arching with great control to lower his enormous head.

Looking up, Pooh's heart was racing and his mouth formed a small "o". The dragon's nostrils flared as he sniffed the egg while making sure Pooh didn't get sucked in. Despite being a bear of very little brain, Pooh notice the bags under the King's eyes. The blue eyes glowed but seemed listless. His reflection soon appeared in the blank orbs of sapphire. Pooh's heart froze in place. Was it anything he said that upset him? Did he make the King angry?

The corners of the white dragon's mouth turned upward in a warm, if not relieved, smile. "Thank you. Pooh, is it?" He lowered his body down in order to avoid frightening the bear. "I appreciate that you came here. You and your friends have done so much for me, my wife and child. I apologize for frightening you. I haven't been able to eat and sleep since so much has happened. Worst of all I think there might be…never mind." He shifted his gaze to his friends. "I am King Moonsoul. Thank you for coming everyone. I do wish that my wife would join us in this momentous celebration. But, again, she is still ill."

"That's ok, your highness," Rabbit spoke. "Your friends have been mentioned this several time. If you don't want to talk about it, we won't force you." He elbowed Tigger in the ribs. "Right, Tigger?"

"Oh…Right." Tigger made a gesture that looked as if he was zipping his mouth closed.

"If any of you wish to see her. You could wait until morning to see. Bear in mind that it might be noisy tonight. The chimeras sneaked in here without our notice." His eyes temporarily darkened at those words. He shook his mind of the dark thoughts that were leaking into his mind. "Enough of that for now. Let's begin the feast before it gets too cold to enjoy." He gestured to Echowing who nodded and helped everyone move from the doorway.

Pooh turned to walk after them, shifting the egg in his now aching arms. Suddenly, he felt his sweater tugged upward by the collar and lifted of the floor. He clung onto the egg before finding himself seated between the king's wings. Even though King Moonsoul had his wings tucked, Pooh could barely see over the wall of silver. He decided to simply sit on the King's back with the egg nestled against his tummy. It would be rude not to take that kind of a gesture, even if Pooh had been on a dragon's back the majority of time.

Before long, they came across a chestnut door with what seemed to be large cranes feeding their chicks in a nest. The aroma of food drifted through the cracks and whispers were heard as the door slowly began to open through the wings of Icarus. There was a long wooden table presented before them. Chairs carved into various woodland animals. All the generals and some of the wolves were seated in. Above was a large chandelier that had strange orbs of light changing into various colors. Plates of turkey, chicken, pasta, honey posts, and steamed vegetables. Spices tickled the nostrils. Further back was a cart carrying a rainbow of desserts from strange cookies to marvelous cakes.

"Wow!" Roo breathed. His eyes glittered with delight. He bounced into one of the chairs with his mother seating next to him. "We get to eat all of that?"

"As long as you don't get stomach aches." Ester warned, but a warm smile was planted across her face. She sat across Roo with Frost beside her. The pegasus wasn't as amused. Blue eyes icily glancing from chair to chair. Pooh thought for a moment he saw suspicion in his eyes.

"Well," Icarus spoke. "Since we're all here, shall we begin the festivities?" He perched himself on a branch that had grown into the wall.

"Soon Icarus." King Moonsoul replied. "First I would like to say a few things before we start." He walked over to the head of the table where his chair was carved into a strange looking bird with antlers on its head. Using his wing, he allowed Pooh to slide down and land in a nearby chair. "Sit by me Pooh. You're the guest of honor after all."

"Oh. That's extremely kind of you, your majesty." Pooh placed the egg on a pillow that was set in a strange high chair. As the egg left his arms, he soon missed the warmth of the shell and his tummy growled in excitement.

"May I have everyone's attention please," King Moonsoul announced. His voice was firm, but slightly warm. He straightened as eyes began to focus on him. "I would like to thank the brave efforts of Pooh, his friends and the generals for returning my child back to me. As you all know, things have been … hard for us."

Everyone went silent at those words. Frost bowed his head in sorrow, a single tear sliding down his cheek. Ester nudged his neck in order to comfort him. Gypsy's feathers bristling with rage. Rubella frowned deeply.

"The moment my child was gone, I had never felt so alone. My beloved Flamesong was too weak to chase after the thieves. I only left them in order to find a Prism Blossom to make her feel better." Moonsoul's eyes glittered with tears. "By the time I came back, the nest was empty and Flamesong was crying her heart out. The nurse and Icarus were tied up and tossed into an acorn pit. I had never seen so much sorrow and chaos." He sighed and wiped the tears away. "By a great miracle," He continued. "My child landed in a new forest. No doubt the two thieves decided to fly in a different direction in order to escape the generals. How strange the events have turned by this kind-hearted bear and his courageous friends." He smiled at Pooh. "Winnie-the-Pooh, let this be known that you and your friends have received my eternal gratitude."

Pooh blushed and looked away. "Thank you, King Moonsoul. I'm glad I was of help." He looked at the egg beside him. "I hope your baby hatches soon. It would mean so much if we could see H- I mean...your child again."

King Moonsoul tilted his head. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Uh oh," Roo whispered.

"Oh boy," Eeyore muttered. "Now everyone is about to cry."

Pooh swallowed hard. "You see...Last year, our friend Christopher Robin passed away and his daughter, Madilyn, moved to New York with her family. We've tried to keep going with our lives, but we still miss having company visit us." His throat tightened at each sentence. "When I held the egg, it felt as if Christopher Robin came back. So, when your queen gets better maybe…" He sniffled slightly. Tears are now streaming down his face. "I-we get to see it again."

The king smiled warmly. "Of course. If you would like, I have some guest chambers that are close to mine. You and your friends can stay there for the night."

Frost looked up in shock. "Your majesty! You can't be serious! We haven't even-"

"They are a lot safer in my company and that of the other generals, Frost." Moonsoul looked at the Pegasus. "I know that your heart is in much pain as mine on what had happened that night. However, don't forget that since they've helped, they are now in serious danger as much as my child is."

"What!?" Rabbit yelled.

"What in tarnation?!" Gopher gasped.

"I knew it," Eeyore sighed. "More bad news coming out of our situation."

"What do you mean, your majesty?" Kanga asked.

"I guess I should start to tell you all about our kingdom and our enemies." King Moonsoul replied. He stiffened at the word 'enemies'. "The Hollow and the Dark Dream King."