> Here lies Princess Amore > by Forcalor > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > The one that was always giving > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here lies Princess Amore. When no one else could rise to the call, she was the one to come to bear the title of a ruler. With a patient smile and a gentle forehoof, she stood up for the sake of the ponies who needed guidance. She gave her heart out to them so they could be inspired by it. Not unlike her predecessors, she wanted to see them grow, learn, and thrive, and she was ready to provide them with everything that she had in possession. Commitment to the welfare of ponykind was her ideal and fate; sharing a vision of a better tomorrow among all was her mission and calling. Here lies Princess Amore. As it was given, her rule wasn't an ideal one, but good things are never perfect. Still, even when her rule was a burden and a blight on her soul, she tried her damnest to instill into others what she believed in. Everywhere she went, she projected warmth to oppose the pervasive cold of the northern reaches, and so the ponies flocked and clung to her and her fire, looking from beneath at her like at deity. She didn't mind, and she never let pride be her folly, even though love for herself came to her naturally. Love in general was as natural to her as drawing a breath. Even during days when she doubted herself, she always managed to find support and understanding in others, willing to place faith in the goodness of others' hearts. In her turn, she welcomed all and always listened to them, not distancing from their woes and pain. Here lies Princess Amore. Under the gaze of endless cold stars, as both Sun and Moon moved in an unending flow, she and her court stood at the precipice of the abyss, always holding their vigil for the sake of everyone else. At the crown of the world, surrounded by crystals and ice, her vast ancient kingdom raised uncorrupted, tall spires, built through the power of hopes and dreams of its denizens. So, when another one was drawn to her flame, seeking solace in it, his creeping, disquieting dissent passed through unnoticed at first. Like a whisper in the back of your mind, it was unrelenting and driven, and no one expected that it was concealing a purposeful and powerful roar. It called out to the darkness that nestled in the souls of the ponies, and preyed on their fears as well as desires. Their ambition led to greed and dissonance, and they all tore into the one who was like a mother to them and was only giving to them throughout all their lives. When their blood was shed for the first time, the voices of reason gurgled and went quiet. All that was left to do then was to plunge into the deepest depths, and so they did, blinded by the radiance of their great kingdom, the assurance that it could survive the fall, the arrogance which was known only to those who truly climbed high.  Their ruler tried to remain cool and patient, showing character where it was needed. Not willing to turn away from her ideals, steadfast to the end, she offered compassion and a listening ear even to the one who came to her lands and unraveled his dark vision into its motion, but all of it was completely for naught. He was too far gone, too entrenched in his own misery to see the light that she offered. To start falling is far easier than to stop; it doesn't require that much: just to let go... Here lies Princess Amore. She gave them everything that she had, and they still needed more. The world was demanding. So when the darkness boiled over, at first they all were lost and confused. The darkness came and overshadowed all, drowning it out under its grip. She believed in the future for all, so the darkness had shown her one, full of despair. Entombed and yet still alive, she never let grief overtake her, even when her heart, the one that she was entrusted with, was wrestled from her and carried away into the depths unknown. Without it, she waned just like everyone else did, ever so slowly devoured by the shadow just like she was devoured by the whole of her life. She longed to be saved and for a chance to rectify her mistakes, but a duty she held was not a privilege, but a necessity. The weight of her failure hung heavily on her shoulders, as her diminishing voice sounded weaker and weaker... The churning world didn't fail to notice the discrepancy. Retaliation was mounted, faith was ignited, and ponies took arms, learning the meaning of war. The despairful world that was promised by the darkness almost came to be, and in the last bout of defiance, two heralds of fates cast the seat of the kingdom to the places impervious for the passage of time. But those who came to her aid were met with nothing but twisted fragments of her. Those who partook in the task to try and restore her to life never succeeded in their noble endeavor. Eventually she was forgotten, and the ruins of her empire were transformed and swept under snow by an uncaring cold wind. No more but fractions of fantasy they are now, mere echoes of long-forgotten, still ringing in ponykind's memory, persisting only between a select few and hidden away in dusty old books with yellowed-out pages. Even such, the void still had engulfed her, remaining in memories far stronger and far more imposing than any selfless act born out of goodness. In time, a new idol rose for ponies to look upon, the one that was shaped in her visage. Even her kingdom kept living on, and blazing light melted its ice once again. And the darkness kept lingering still, encircling it in the howling gale. Here lies shattered hope, now forever beyond anyone's reach.