//------------------------------//
// Chapter IV 
// Story: The Forgotten: Reflections 
// by Jatheus 
//------------------------------//

The cold of winter gave way to the new life of spring. Trees budded new leaves and fruit, flowers bloomed, and birds returned to the forest to sing their cheerful songs. Mestra Amymone strode alongside Magister, each with saddle-bags half-laden with various fruits they had collected. The one type that really stood out to the mare most were the apricots.
The orange-red skin had the appearance of fire. The juicy sweetness was a wonder to the mare, truly remarkable of all the things she’d experienced in her short memory. The experience of falling through ice some months before had left her far more timid, and she hadn’t left Magister’s side since. Her butterflies had been scouting about nearby, attracted by the flora. The stallion coughed.
“You… is… okay?” Mestra asked.
“Yes, Mestra. The spring air is fresh, but some of the things in it irritate my old lungs. The proper way to ask that is, ‘Are you okay?’.”
“Are…”
The old unicorn stopped, something having caught his attention. He stooped down.
“Scallions. These will be useful.”
“Scal… scalleeons?”
“Scallions. They are of the onion family,” he held them up for her to see. “I wouldn’t recommend eating them plain. They are best used to flavor other things in cooking.”
“Aaah… ingredient?”
Magister smiled. It always warmed Mestra’s heart to see him pleased with her.
“That’s right, Mestra. Very good.”
She felt a smile grow on her own face as the pair continued walking. It was several hours before they completed their circuit, eventually returning to the cabin.
“Here we are,” the stallion panted. “I for one am ready to sit these old bones down for a while.”
“Home…”
“Yes, Mestra, this is home.”
She stopped, a thought growing in her mind as she cocked her head to one side as she regarded the quaint little cottage. Magister also stopped, turning back to face her. He didn’t speak, but waited for her to do so.
“Are this, my home?”
“Is this your home? Yes, Mestra. We’ll have to work on your verbs some more.”
“Why?”
“You don’t quite have subject agreement yet.”
“No… why… is? Why is… my home?”
“Because you live here.”
The mare’s brow furrowed as her butterflies returned, landing on her back. She was not satisfied with the answer, and she realized that Magister hadn’t yet understood what she was attempting to ask. He didn’t continue on, but simply stood there as if waiting for her to say more.
“Why… I live… here?”
Magister pursed his lips as he did while he was in thought. He hummed and nodded slowly, his green eyes looking away to nothing in particular. For a moment, it looked as if a pained expression crossed his face. The butterflies took flight, flittering about Magister’s head as he continued thinking. He ignored them, his eyes finding the mare again before he spoke.
“That is a story, I’m sure. However, I’m afraid there are some things of which I have little knowledge.”
Mestra almost stepped backward, shocked by the revelation that there were things that her mentor might not know. Surely he had never misled her to think such, but he had taught her so many things since they’d found each other on that cold day.
“Mestra, you came to me from the forest, do you remember?”
“Aah,” she nodded.
“Use your words, please.”
“Yes.”
Magister smiled, “I had never seen you before that day. Do you remember where you came from before?”
The mare put her brain to work, trying to remember back, but it had become foggy in her mind. The previous few minutes she seemed able to remember with great clarity, but that first day was much more difficult. She remembered finding the cabin, and Magister calling to her, though she hadn’t understood his words at the time.
Before that, she had some vague recollections, almost like dreams of other ponies and houses with thatched roof tops, and a photo. Her butterflies were also there. As for what the place had been, Mestra simply couldn’t remember.
Magister coughed again. Mestra Amymone finally shrugged and shook her head, then let it fall toward the ground in disappointment.
“It’s alright, Mestra. I didn’t expect you to know that.”
She looked back up at him.
“This is your home because you had no other. When you came, I could tell that you didn’t know anything, a curious state for an adult mare to say the least. I couldn’t let you wander off into the forest like that.”
“Danger… dangerous?”
“Oh yes. Very dangerous. Knowledge and experience can be used to protect you from danger. You are giving me companionship, and a bit more purpose than I’ve had the past few years. I’m giving you knowledge. Life gives you experience.”
“I… stay home?”
Magister smiled, “Yes, Mestra. You can stay here with me as long as you like. I expect some day you may want to see more of the world, but know that you’ll always be welcome and have a place here.”
Mestra felt warmed inside, “I… never leave Magister!”
The old stallion smiled at her, but he looked down.
“Come on, Mestra. We need to get this fruit put away. I’ll teach you some cooking tonight, but first, we are going to work on writing and numbers.”
“Aah!”
Magister chuckled as she followed him into their home. Mestra felt something for perhaps the first time: a sense of belonging. She didn’t know much about the world, but she knew that she had a place in it, a place to call home.