In a house, quaint and cozy, sat a woman on in her years. As decrepit as she may be, she posed with a smile, bordering a smirk, with a cup of hot tea in one hand and the morning paper in the other.
Her cup, emblazoned with the golden word Soleil, swirled in her grip. She found little of interest in her paper, and set it down upon the oak table after folding it neatly. With the first phase of her morning ritual complete, she headed outside onto her porch.
In the way of infrastructure, there was little to see. A long dirt driveway ran down the hill to her right, and a hill tall enough to block the view of the road in front and to her left. Beyond her small field, the area was filled with trees laden with singing birds, small squirrels, and whatever other fauna decided to greet her today.
It is this sight that the elderly woman sat before. A curious blue jay caught her attention when it landed on her porch railing just beside her teacup. It regarded her cautiously, bobbing its head, before taking flight once more.
The deep blue of its feathers reminded her of her dreams of the night ended. She did not understand their meaning, nor where she gathered the image of colorful horses, but she found it interesting to think about for however briefly she could recall it. Soleil returned her teacup to her lips, and leaned back in her rocking chair.
Twilight, I don’t think this is working.
We have to try! What other option do we have?
She doesn’t remember who we are, she can’t help us! Dream magic only goes so far, and it has been many years for her. We need to try something else.
Do you have any suggestions? We don’t have much time to just think about it.
Well...
Soleil furrowed her brow. The little horses didn’t make much sense to her. They had so much stress in something so cute. She began to stand, to make something more substantial to eat than just a cup of morning tea. Her knees creaked and ankles popped as she reached her full height, and made her way to the kitchen.
If her seeing us directly isn’t working, how are visions of the past? If she doesn’t remember us, how will she remember anything else?
We do not have enough options to not try. If anything, just one memory, just one action, just one sentence, conversation, if anything works, we might be able to lead her back. She’s interested in the dream, that has made this easier, but she is too far out of our grasp still.
What memories do we show her?
The ones that impacted her the most.
The sound of a porcelain plate ringing on contact with the countertop broke the woman out of her reverie. She looked to her side and was greeted with the smell of sizzling bacon and burning eggs. She quickly took the pan of eggs off the hot eye and set it on a cold one. She stared at it, detached and mildly confused, before recalling the bacon and put each strip on the plate, one by one.
Something felt off today, but she just couldn't put her finger on it. Soleil knew full well that she doesn't have any siblings, let alone having to mourn any.
Luna, this isn't working! We don't have enough time! One more night, and Celestia will be gone forever!
Do you not think I know that? What more can I do? Reach through her dreams and appear before her?
I–can you?
I have never tried beyond the mirror world, and that was an abject failure. I don't think I have that kind of power. Even so, by the time I can get there it will be too late and the night will have passed.
Not if you're at her time. If it's slower there…
… Then I'll have time to recharge, and bring her soul back.
The day had been long for the old schoolteacher. She painted, cooked, knit, and combed through her photo albums. The sun was setting, so as she rose with the dawn, she set with the sun. After donning her monogrammed pajamas, she sat upon the bed and reached for her heart medication. She had forgotten it for the last several days, having lost the bottle. Before she could take the pill, the sound of shattering glass rang out.
Are you ready?
I believe so. With the aid of your magic stabilizing the timeline, the trip should be less taxing. Providing this idea goes as intended, anyhow.
It's our last chance. We don't have any more time. We just have to wait till she sleeps.
Soleil rattled the dustpan against the side of the trashcan. The large blue bird from earlier had sat on her floor, lightly bleeding after flying into her porch window. It now sat on the armrest of her couch, staring at her blankly with piercing cyan eyes. Its gaze was intense, with weight to it that was surprising for a mere bird. Soleil stared at the bird, and it stared back.
She should be sleeping, what's wrong? What can we do?
Just give her a bit more time Twilight. It's all we have left.
The curious blue jay from earlier stood upon the far side of Soleil's headboard. Its gaze never faltered, but the old woman felt strangely secure. Once more she laid to rest, while her medication bottle remained ever cold and untouched.
Yes, she's sleeping! Now's our chance!
A much younger woman stood on the nexus of two worlds, without understanding the significance of either. She found solace in the familiar to her left, lanky students flowing through her classroom door, filling seats and readying notepads for her lecture. To the right, a curious pair of ponies begged and pleaded at her from afar, urging her to come closer, to join them. It was such an oddly familiar figment of her imagination, but the construct still enticed her so. But her days in the classroom were nostalgic, and she longed to relive them, even for just a little while.
A blue bird pecked at her ankle. Soleil stared into its left eye, and it stared back.
She made her decision.
Author's Note
I guess I'm combing through old story ideas as of late, because this is yet another that has more than a few years on it. I figure I might as well get this one out of my docs, and onto the site.
