Jay was without form. He was floating in an endless sea of white. He couldn’t feel his body at all, but he didn’t seem to mind. It was a relief to not have to think about anything else. He had no responsibilities, no worries, not a care in the world…
The whiteness was shifting. He saw ripples, waves, crests, and splashes of white on white. Looking harder, Jay couldn’t see anything out of place, but he knew something was happening. He watched as the sections of the white darkened, shapes beginning to form. Tall pillars rose above his vision, and a dark hallway stretched out into the distance. Windows began coalescing on the walls on either side of him, the glass panels shifting in color as he moved forward.
Each window was a masterpiece of stained glass; each one telling a story. One depicted six mares of different colors casting a beam of light at an alicorn of black with a dark indigo mane. Another showed the same six conquering some serpentine amalgamation made up of various body parts of different creatures.
Jay continued on for an indeterminate amount of time, the sun beaming in on his left, the soothing darkness of night coming from his right. The moon shined in with a gentle glow.
“Greetings, young one. We bid you welcome.”
A voice as sweet as honey sang out to him. Reaching the very end of the hall, Jay found the source of the voice. On the left was the sun, the right, the moon. The images shifted and twisted until they took on the forms of two majestic alicorns, their celestial manes billowing in some unearthly breeze. Warm smiles graced their lips as they regarded Jay.
“You come before us, Jay, son of Adam. Do you wish to be released of your bonds as a human being and join our Herd?” the moon princess asked. Her voice was as beautiful as her sister’s, but more solemn. Sadder.
“I do, your majesties,” Jay said aloud. He wasn’t aware he was capable of speaking, but didn’t dwell on it.
“You do so willingly?” the sun princess asked.
“Of course. My entire life as a human has been filled with sadness and loneliness. I wish to be happy, to be a part of something.”
“Remember this: you must be open to others if they are to let you in, as they will let you in.” The darker sister nodded to the brighter one. “We welcome you, Jay, to our kingdom and our herd.”
“Wait, dearest sister. This one is hurt. Healing him may bring him more pain.”
Jay looked at the brighter sister as she regarded his shapeless form. What did she mean he was hurt?
“Ah, yes. I sense it too. Scars are aplenty on this one, and none of them are visible. What would you have be our course of action, dearest sister?”
“I do not know, sister. This is a most unforeseen complication. By healing what ails him now, he will be hurt even more later when he discovers the truth.”
“Your Majesties,” Jay began. “What is it you speak of? What scars do I bear?”
The white princess turned to him. “I will be frank, young Jay. Your nightmares, the ones that leave you breathless and sleepless at night, they are no nightmares. They are but memories attempting to resurface. By healing you, these memories and the circumstances will be remembered by you, and I fear they may do more damage to you than ignorance would.” Her head dipped. “We want what is best for you, young one. You are now our beloved subject, and your wellbeing is close to our hearts.”
“Would you like to remember what happened to you?”
Jay thought for a minute. Did it have to do with why he didn’t care too much about his parents getting killed? And the nightmares… they had been happening sporadically for as long as he could remember. What unsettled him is that these two princesses truly dreaded how he would feel should he learn the truth. It was the last thing he wanted to have to face on the eve of his new life.
But…
If he didn’t overcome it, it might haunt him for the rest of his life. Jay needed to overcome this obstacle, and only then could he truly move on and leave his old life behind.
“I want you to heal me. I want to remember.”
The two sisters nodded to each other. “Of course.”
Bright lights of yellow and indigo shined from their horns, and the room faded from Jay’s vision.