Return of Amore

01 The Return (2/4)

Sombra cloaked himself in red robes when he returned to a small town. The place was mundane and uneventful, a perfect place for him and Radiant Hope to take shelter in. Their forage across Equestria for Amore's missing pieces required a base where they could safely store their collection.

Sombra favored building a cabin out in the wilderness, but Radiant urged him to stick close to society. He has one without the kindness of creatures for a long time, and Radiant wanted for him to connect to the creatures. Though Sombra cherished her enthusiasm, he did not hold confidence for others to share her perspective.

Sombra grew wary of passing residents. He did nothing to startle them, however; he was anxious for the worst if just one of them recognized him. After all, it wasn't so long ago when he reigned over the lands as the infamous Umbra king. His threat to ravage the lands in darkness had no doubt frightened the hearts of many. He couldn't imagine most ponies to look past it for the foreseeable future. It was his stigma that will forever follow him through the rest of his life.

Sombra finally entered his cabin on a street. He let out a relieved sigh when his presence was no longer in the open. However, his breathing came to an abrupt end when a violet mare pounced on him with a tight hug.

"What took you so long?" Radiant Hope asked, her face pouty. "You said it wouldn't take long."

Sombra reciprocated Radiant's warmth with his own. Having her within his grasp numbed all the pain inside him. She was his remedy who gave him peace and direction.

"I know," Sombra said with a gentle smile. "You gave me the correct location of the shard, however, you refrained to detail how deep it fell below the surface."

"You have it?" Radiant pulled her head back and gaped at him. She breathed in awe when Sombra presented the pink shard from his saddlebag.

"That's right," he confirmed. "The last one."

"Then what are we waiting for!" Radiant harnessed her magic and snatched the shard from Sombra. Before Sombra could respond, Radiant had already scurried inside a latch from the living.

He chuckled. Her eagerness never has a dull moment in his life.

Sombra followed Radiant down the latch, entering their basement. There, he came upon a stone figure. From their venture across the jungles, the canyons, the sea, the desert, and the snow lands, the pair had pieced all their discovered pink shards together in this room.

The assembled pieces displayed a glimmering aurora inside. As for the outlines, they carved into Princess Amore's figure. A pink silhouette of her majesty.

Radiant whisked the final shard into a small crevice on the figure's forehead. She beamed a smile at the figure, placing a hoof on its pectoral. "Come back to us, Princess," Radiant said before casting magic to conjoin the shard with its relatives.

Sombra walked to Radiant's side and placed a hoof on her shoulder. "She will," he promised. "I will make it so." Sombra summoned his magic and infused its purple aura into the statue. Knowing that Amore's imprisonment resulted from his magic, it only makes sense that he can dispel it.

A glittering light expounded from the statue, piercing through its solid confines and encroached on the room. The pair guarded their eyes, overwhelmed by its intensity.

But soon, that powerful light had finally dissipated. Sombra and Radiant uncovered their eyes and awed at who stood before them.

There she was.

In all her beauty and prestige, Princess Amore walked amongst the land of Equestria once again.

"Princess," Radiant breathed. She was at a loss for words. For a long time, she wondered what she would say to her when she met Princess Amore again. But when the moment came, she could only bear witness to her grandeur. She missed it so much.

Radiant, however, snapped out of her daze when Princess Amore suddenly collapsed to the floor. Radiant and Sombra rushed to her side, hoisting her head towards them.

"Princess Amore!" Sombra said. Her body felt icy in his hooves, but he could feel her body rise and fall with her breath. "I'll take her to the living room. Add some wood to the fireplace." Radiant nodded and ran out of the basement.

Sombra dropped Amore along his back. Feeling her breath behind his ears, it finally registered to him she was finally back. A mute elation sparked through his body along with rivaling anxieties for when finally woke.

Regardless, Sombra carried Amore out of the hollow basement and laid her on a carpet near the living room fireplace. Radiant joined the two with blocks of wood to dispense into the dwindling flames of the fireplace, providing it nourishment to blaze again.

Radiant disappeared into a room and returned with a red blanket to sprawl over Amore's body. She then laid next to the Princess, using her natural warmth to vanquish the cold within Amore. Sombra joined Radiant in her endeavor.

Moments passed with the pair listening to Amore's breathing. Her lungs breathed slowly, but within time it gained its natural pace.

And then her eyes fluttered open.

Her amber eyes enamored Sombra. They had always looked at him with wisdom and love that he would imagine from a mother. "Princess Amore," Sombra said, his face ecstatic.

Amore's tired eyes swiveled between Sombra and Radiant Hope. Radiant tried to jerk in her tears when met by the Princess's gaze. But she couldn't contain herself anymore and dived at the Princess for a hug. "Princess," Radiant bawled. "I've missed you so much. It's been hard since you left us."

"What?" Amore narrowed her eyes at the mare, confused. "I don't understand."

"You've been gone for a millennium, Princess," Sombra informed her. His heart quivered at Amore's confused expression, but he bottled down his anxiety. All for her sake. "We have a lot to talk about."

Amore rubbed her cheek. "A millennium? Wait, before that. Who are you two? And, where am I?"

"You don't remember our faces?" Radiant asked. "It's me, Radiant Hope. And this is Sombra. You remember us, don't you, Princess?"

"Why do you call me Princess?" Amore questioned. "Is that my name?"

"No," Sombra said, his voice cracked. "That can't be." He raised from the floor and cradled the Amore's face in his hooves. "Please tell me this isn't so. Please, you have to remember us. I have to apologize for all the wrongs I've done to you. You can't—"

"Sombra," Radiant said after surprising Sombra with a hug from behind. "It's okay. We can fix this. We've just moved a step closer to getting her back."

Amore observed the two. The grimace on Sombra's face sparked a disturbance in her heart. "I'm sorry," Amore apologized. "Did I say something to have upset you?"

Sombra assured the Princess with a smile, though it was weak. "You have nothing to apologize for. You have shown nothing but love and kindness to me. It's time that I've finally returned the favor."