Tiger Lily snuggled against the familiar warmth that shared her bed. With her first breath, Silvermane's scent came to her. "I'm dreaming." She sighed. A foreleg reached around and pulled her closer. Tears leaked from her closed eyes as a familiar ache built in her chest. I'll be with you soon.
A hoof touched her cheek and gently turned her head. She opened her eyes only to meet a loving gaze she thought she would never see again. "Silvermane?"
He smiled softly as he leaned in and answered with a kiss. It was a nice kiss. It was not a passion-fueled thing from their youth. No, it was soft, tender, and careful. Tears fell from her eyes as she returned the impossible kiss.
With nuzzles and soft caresses, he settled comfortably with her. She had a million questions, but she dared not ask any for fear of breaking the illusion.
He yawned, almost like a food coma was claiming him. He nuzzled her neck and promptly fell asleep. She was tempted to join him and return to slumber, but a nagging fear held her awake. Would he still be there when she next opened her eyes?
The soft sound of his breath lulled her like the rolling of waves. Her own breathing matched his as she watched the moonlight shift as his chest rose and fell. Thank you, Luna. The thought was her prayer as she wished with all her heart for the dream never to end.
The dream lingered on as the too-bright moon set and the sun rose. The sounds of the village built outside as ponies started their daily chores. In the light of the sun, Silvermane was still here. Her eyes felt heavy from staying up. The leaden bands of fatigue held her limbs. The scents of toast just starting to burn floated in on the breeze.
Silvermane's breathing changed, deepening a little. With a huge yawn, he blinked the last of his sleepiness away. "Breakfast?"
The laugh that rocked her body was almost painful. She pulled him into a hug and had no intention of letting go. Unfortunately, her aged body did not give her that option. After she finished with the call of nature and freshened up a bit, he was still there. He gave her a nuzzle and then took care of his own business.
Her ears tracked all the little sounds, the running of the water and everything else. Everything was so real, so detailed, so mundane it was the sort of thing dreams simply skipped over.
His return brought another nuzzle and a walk to the kitchen. He was dead, and yet he was here. She shook her head and pushed that tangled thought away. It did not matter how, he was here.
She grabbed the bowls, and he filled them. Even with the supplies Princess Twilight had delivered, her pantry was limited. Breakfast was just simple hay and oats, but it was enough. She reached out and rested her hoof on his. This was no candle-lit dinner, but by his smile, it may as well have been.
"This is nice," Silvermane said from the other side of the table, his love hiding the fatigue in his eyes.
She nodded in return. They ate in the comfortable silence only possible after a life spent in each other's company. It was a simple moment, and she treasured it. Like all moments, it passed. The bowls were wiped clean, and he headed out to fetch today's rations.
If not for her hips, she could have pranced to the pantry, she might not have been as spry as she once was, but there was definitely a spring in her step.
Thank you, Princess. Tiger Lily bowed her head for a moment in reverence before she gathered up the ingredients. It might not be much, but it was one thing an old mare could do to bring a little happiness into the world.
The ritual was the same as her mother had taught her. The cookies she made were normal, real, and mundane. Though that wouldn't stop them from being delicious. Her dead husband brushed against her as he passed her the chocolate chips. Am I still dreaming? She leaned over and nuzzled him as she mixed the chips into the dough. That dream…am I dead? Did I pass in my sleep?
She stole another nuzzle as he popped the tray into the oven. It would not be long until the rite was complete and the scent of cookies summoned the young ones. With a warm smile, she set about making another batch.
It was a picture-perfect summer's day outside. Foals ran and played as the adults worked. The stationed guards stood vigilant and ready well, all except that one. Tiger Lily shook her head. To be young again… At least those mares had stopped fighting each other and accepted being herd mates. I wonder when they are going to tell him.
"Granny, Granny", The small army of foals called as they stampeded into the kitchen. The large space became rapidly cramped as the eighteen little cookie-seeking monsters crowded in.
Eighteen? That's not right… Tiger Lily took them all in and, one by one, tried to remember them.
There were Winter Rose's twins, Ruby Rose and Shadow Rose, who stood side by side, identical in every way except for their colouration. Little Honey Dew and her brother Cantaloupe both bounced up and down, vibrating with anticipation. Winding Trail and River Song were there giggling to each other as they whispered into each other's ears, likely for how to try to steal the mixing bowl before any of the others noticed.
Tiger Lily smiled warmly at them all as her mind tried to recall names, but no more came. I'm sure I know those three as well… but who are the others? A sinking doubt settled in her chest. None of the foals were acting odd. They were comfortable with none of the shyness or the brashness new members of a group might have. I've completely forgotten about them?
Just them, Silvermane brushed against her and reached for the mixing bowl. He was doomed. A dozen foals took that as their sign to charge.
"Daft stallion," Tiger Lily said but could not keep the warm smile from her face. So what if this was a dream, she would enjoy it as long as it lasted.
Two days later, the dream still had not ended. The moonlight played over Silvermane's sleeping form. Tiger Lily's hoof reached out to touch him but stopped. The pain in her heart told her he was dead. The joy and warmth there said he was alive and here.
She stroked his mane and trailed down one long scar. It was not one from any medical record nor one from his time of service to Princess Celestia. She watched her leg as it moved, and in the motions there was no twinge of pain, no slight grinding of her joints with the rotation of her leg.
Through the gap in the curtains, the moon peered in. With each motion, she became more and more certain this was a dream, perhaps her last. Her eyes found the moon and looked at it as if staring into another's eyes. Thank you.
Tiger Lily lay on a blanket under a blue sky. The picnic had been wonderful, but a little nap under the warm rays of Princess Celestia's sun was just what she needed right now. Through drowsy eyes, she saw Silvermane surrounded by a swarm of foals as he told one of his stories.
She let her eyes close as she listened to the sound of his voice. It teamed up with the sunlight to soothe her. Even as sleep started to encroach, she paid attention. The tale was not one of the true ones, it had too much action for that, and the moral was too clear, but it was what the foals needed to hear. They oohed and ahhhed, cheered and stomped their hooves once or twice. There was even a shriek of fear that was quickly replaced by giggles.
It was one of those perfect moments that could never last. A small part of her longed for the impossible, wished to have a little foal of her own to love and hold, but that ship had sailed a long time ago, and with so little time left, it would be unfair to the little one if she adopted one. At least I get to be honorary granny to everypony. She thought fondly as the blanket of comfort let her fatigue claim her. They would wake her if they needed her.
It was a sound that breached the serenity of her slumber. Her ears swirled. The rustling of the grass was the loudest thing that greeted them. With her aged eyes, she looked for what had disturbed her.
The sun's progression through the sky meant she had been asleep for about two hours. Everypony was still here, but the foals were not playing, and even the adults were all looking the same way. In a wave, the old ponies bowed low, and the fillies and colts followed suit.
Tiger Lily followed their collective gaze to only see a purple blur as it moved closer. "Anypony would think Princess Celestia was here?" She thought aloud as she watched the shape advance. She vaguely remembered there was another princess. A pink one? Or was it a blue one?
Slowly the blur resolved into a purple pony, and as they drew nearer, the horn and wings marked the mare as an Alicorn. As the Alicorn drew closer, step by step, that last decade came back to her. The picture in the newspaper of the little filly next to Princess Celestia, then another, years later, of the same mare's coronation.
Tiger Lily shifted and tried to rise, but her stiff and old joints protested. Sleeping on the ground had seemed like a wonderful idea under the comforting sunlight, but the ground was just not suited for a proper bed.
"Be at ease, venerable one," Twilight's soft voice said, and despite how quiet it was, it still easily carried.
"Princess Twilight." Tiger Lily bowed her head, at least, even as she abandoned her attempt to bow properly.
This close, the slight flicks of Princess Twilight's eyes could be read, could be tracked. Even though to Tiger Lily, all they were aiming at were coloured blurs, one did not live in one place for so long without knowing everypony like the back of one's hoof. The guards, the extra foals, and finally her Silvermane.
The Princess's eyes lingered on Silvermane the longest before tenderly returning to meet her own. “Tell me, are you happy here?”
The words had been so soft they could have been the softest of summer breezes. The words spilt from her unbidden. "Yes, Princess, it's a lovely dream for my winter years."
Princess Twilight nodded and gave a glance to Silvermane, and then something in the Princess's eyes warmed. Her soft smile released a tension Tiger Lily only noticed now that it was gone. As if a shield spell was broken, ponies started crowding around. First were the hyperactive foals, bounding over.
"Thank you, Princess."
"Can we have more of Granny Lily's cookies now?"
"When I grow up, I want to be just like you."
"Do you like Daring Do?"
Many more things were lost in the babble of voices, and yet Princess Twilight took the time to acknowledge and answer each foal one by one. The light hint of a smile at the edge of her mouth was a familiar one. The sort of smile that graced mothers when they saw other's foals.
The older ponies waited patiently as the Princess humoured the little ones. By the way she played along, smiled, and even made one of their shadows stand up to play with them, she was very different from Princess Celestia, more involved. Celestia cared, but her eyes were ones that knew you would fade, and she would go on. Twilight, on the other hoof, was here now, and the endless years did not weigh her down.
"Now, My Little Ponies, I need to talk to the brave guards that keep you safe."
The sounds the disappointment could pull at even the evilest of hearts, and yet, Princess Twilight did not relent.
"Now, I have a very important mission for all of you."
That immediately had all the foals paying rapt attention. Their ears were pricked. Half were bouncing on their hooves, the others frozen stiff in shock.
"I need someponies to show my daughter and her friends how to have fun? Do you think you're up for the challenge?"
"Yes, Princess."
"Little Star," Twilight said.
In a bright flash of magenta magic, five foals appeared. Twilight's daughter was easy to spot. Only the lack of wings and size marked her as different from her mother. There was a white-coated unicorn filly, an orange pegasus filly, a yellow earthpony filly, and a bat pony colt. They all had red cloaks with what looked like butterfly pendants around their necks.
Twilight's daughter vanished and reappeared, hugging her mother. The two shared an adorable nuzzle, which stirred the desire for another foal of her own in Tiger Lily's heart again. There was just something precious about the love between a filly and her mother.
"Now run along and have fun, my daughter, and I'm trusting you and your companions to keep them safe."
Little Star gave the most serious nod a filly had ever given and teleported back to her friends. The group of young ponies stampeded off with cries of Cutie Mark Crusaders, Fun Finders.
As the sounds of the little ones drew distant, another sound came to her ears, rustling. She turned her head. There, next to her, Silvermane was shivering and hyperventilating, all while frozen in place, his eyes fixed on Princess Twilight. Tiger Lily reached out a hoof and rested it on his. Immediately he stilled and looked at her. He opened his mouth to say something, but Twilight spoke first.
"You make her happy… why do you think you have anything to fear from me?" Twilight said as she stalked closer. "Keep doing so."
Silvermane dropped into a deep bow. "Yes, Princess."
Twilight nodded, then her eyes fixed on the nearest guard. "My personal guard have the area secured. Gather all your officers in the fort in half an hour."
"Umm, Princess, what fort?"
"The one we are about to create over there," Twilight said, pointing a wing.
"Yes, Princess." The guard said, fear clear in his eyes.
“Relax, Sargent. You may have been here without proper orders, but your efforts are appreciated."
"Yes, Princess." This time, the response was normal, crisp as a guard pony should be.
"Dismissed."
The guard saluted and marched off.
Twilight held Silvermane's eyes for a few seconds and then turned those intense eyes on Tiger Lily. They were deep, warm and sparkled with mischief. "Now, you two, look after each other, and with how much fun the little ones are having, you may wish to make extra cookies."
Silvermane nodded, and Twilight took flight.
"She's definitely not Princess Celestia." Tiger Lily said
"No, she definitely is not."
"Help me up, dear. There's baking to be done."