Well, there's something here about a dragon, the kingdom falling, chaos reigning... Okay, apparently it was all because the prince and princess were so lost in each other's eyes that they couldn't perform their royal duties.

And with that, Sweetie Belle raised the stakes in the Hearts and Hooves Day episode. This story is that story, telling the tale of that lovestruck prince and the princess he fell for so hard. Even better, it tells the story from the eyes of those around the couple, including the captain of the guard, the steward of the castle, even some of the common ponies in the middle of it all.

It does this by using the epistolary format, with each chapter being an excerpt from a character's letters or journal. The story runs with this style. The characters writing in their journals are just as confused as the Cutie Mark Crusaders when they see the prince and princess act the way they do, and they don't have a history book to explain things to them.

Note the tags this story has before reading it. In spite of it being inspired by a comedic episode, Sweetie Belle told the truth. A gripping read from beginning to end as the prince's decision reverberates throughout the kingdom, and easily the best tragedy I've read on this site.

Different people joined this group for different reasons. My reason was two-fold - firstly, the freedom to recommend something simply because I liked it, rather than always having to justify that (as with many other review groups), and secondly as an opportunity to put forward stories that really deserved it.

This definitely fits in the latter category.

There isn't a huge amount here yet. All that has happened so far is the establishment of a danger that the Elements have been sent to deal with - minus a badly injured Rainbow Dash. The first chapter sees her visit Twilight's old school in Canterlot, looking for Moondancer. She finds her, with a request we never get to hear, as Moondancers rather more pressing issue (which I will leave for you to discover) interrupts. That's it - a prologue and the first chapter. But that's all you actually need here.
Because while the story certainly has a good start to it, what sets it apart is it's prose. The way this story is written may be slightly off-putting when you start reading, but I really can't recommend it enough. It's not a style I can place - although it reminds me of many older novels I have read, it is not identical to any, and may well be the authors personal style - it's absolutely gorgeous. Some people won't like it. I know that the modern fashion in writing is short sentences and snappy, easily understood prose, but the way that people, scenes and thoughts are described in this is wonderful to read. If you hate "purple prose" with a burning passion, this may not be for you, but otherwise I truly urge you to give it a try. It will be well worth your time.
Oh, and if you liked this, but felt it was a little short - maybe go check out this one as well...

So there we have it. Enjoy!