Return of Amore

04 The Shadow (3/4)

"Amore, you simply must try this," Celestia cheered, prodding a cup of tea onto Amore. The cup gingerly passed to Amore's magic; however, she would be lying if said she didn't have difficulty circumventing through Celestia's magic. There was so much vigor in its light that Amore's nearly dissipated. "I had it brewed in your melon flavor. You used to gush so much over it."

"Melon flavor?" Amore repeated. Despite having the tea in her magic, she wouldn't bat an eye from the exhilarated Sun Princess. The regal alicorn swooned over Amore as if she was her idolized celebrity. In Amore's mind, the scenario should have been the reverse.

The earthy aroma of the warm tea drew Amore's lips. She calmly took a sip and was initially perplexed by the bitter taste that ran smoothly in her. It held a grassy flavor she surprisingly found pleasant. "Oh my," Amore gasped. "This is wonderful."

"I knew you would love it," Celestia proudly stated. "You've always had a deep fascination for the tropical life. Sometimes you would lose yourself over the thought of the beach and warm winds."

"Did I now? Well then, I should most definitely arrange a time to experience this tropical life."

"We doubt it would trigger an old memory, however," Luna interjected, placing a plate with a whole cake atop a table they shared. "Amore never had the opportunity to experience the tropical life."

"Then that is even more reason to go, yes?" Amore asked.

"All in good time," Luna assured. "Now try this." Luna whisked a knife to cut a slice of the cake to place on a smaller plate. She then floated the plate before Amore to grab with a hoof. "We had baked a banana nut cake. It is a recipe we crafted for dear sister's birthday."

"You really want to share this with me?" Amore asked, astonished. In fact, her astonishment has been constant since she has woke this morning. To be catered to by her idols is the greatest wish for a pony.

"Do not be shy," Luna chuckled. "We assure you that it is wonderful."

Amore adhered to Luna's wish and took a bite of the banana nut cake. Its soft texture moved the cadence of her taste buds. "You were right, this is wonderful," Amore commented. "I didn't know you were an exceptional baker."

"We were not," Luna revealed. "This happens to be one of many hobbies we have adopted since our retirement. My dear sister used to depend on our servants to brew tea but has now learned to do so herself."

"And it has deepened my appreciation for their hard work," Celestia added. "I always knew it required patience and precision, but nothing proved that more than to master it myself."

"It's still hard to believe that you two have retired," Amore said. "To be honest, I didn't think that was ever a possibility. This Twilight Sparkle you spoke of must have proven a great feat for the bestowal of the crown."

"She certainly has," Celestia proudly confirmed. "But it's you I'd like to talk more about. Tell me, how much do you remember about us?"

"Well," Amore started, placing her tea and plate of banana nut cake on the table. "I remember viewing the two of you as an idol to aspire to. There was a time when I was ecstatic about your arrival but was struck with an illness that left me bedridden. My father tried to sway me from leaving the bed, but I didn't want to miss the opportunity to meet you two. But in your generosity, you visited my bedroom to entertain my sullen self."

"We still remember the first time I saw you," Luna shared. "Thine father was practically skipping with joy, showing you off to the world like you were the most precious gem in the world. And a brilliant one you turned out to be."

"I don't know about that," Amore modestly responded. "I couldn't have been that different from my predecessors. My daughter and granddaughter are alicorns, after all. Now those two are true brilliance."

"Don't discredit yourself," Celestia urged. "You were among the best Crystal Princess I had met. Countless times you provided support to Equestria when chaos struck our lands. You were essential to our centuries of peace with Yakyakistan. And you managed all of this while remaining a mother for not just Cadance, but to all your subjects of the Crystal Empire."

"Everyone here views me as their mother?" Amore questioned, alarmed. "This is terrible. There must be countless birthdays I have missed since my return."

"Your subjects are aware of your condition," Luna said. "What they want now is to relax as your memories come back to you. Besides, the greatest present you could have given was your return."

"That's nice of you to say," Amore said. "I just wished I had the memories to prove it."

"They will come back in due time," Celestia assured. "I am certain the love of your friends and family will restore all that was lost.'

"Speaking of which," Luna interjected. "When we found you in bed this morning, you appeared to be having a nightmare. A loss of memory is tied to your psyche; therefore, your dreams could hint at a clue for us. We tried to assist you from your nightmare, but something strange deterred my presence. Perhaps if you allow us to look into your conscience, we may unravel a swift remedy to your predica—"

"That won't be necessary," Amore snapped. Her response surprised her, noting the urgency in her tone. The reflex didn't feel like her own, almost as if an unknown force impelled the response out of her.

"Are thou certain?" Luna asked. "Thou may garner thine memories soon if thou allow us."

"Let's not press her on this matter," Celestia advised. "We should take solace in the fact that she is here with us. The world has shown us a fortune by finally bringing back everyone dear to us."

"Fair enough," Luna complied, taking a sip of her cup of tea. "Then what shall we do now? We happened to bring a set of board games we hoped to play with Flurry."

"Oh yes," Celestia agreed, clapping her hooves. "Let's play a game of Life."

"What is your fascination with this game?" Luna sighed. "It's always the first game you wish to play."