I was born, like all other ponies. I had a mother and father, like all other ponies. But I wasn't like other ponies. Oh no. I was different. Other ponies weren't chosen. I was chosen.
I am Cadence, Princess of The Crystal Empire. But more importantly, I am Cadence, the mare chosen by Love.
I remember that when I was born, Hatred controlled the area. It filled the hearts of the ponies. It made their thoughts black and dark. There wasn't an inch of Love anywhere. A colt in my neighborhood was chosen by Hatred. His name was Sombra, later to become King Sombra, enslaver of the Crystal Ponies. Of course, no one suspected that a foal was behind the misery. They all just suspected it was natural, or they just didn't notice at all.
I remember that Mamma and Papà were the most-in-love people I had ever met. My nonna would always laugh when she saw them. She would then say "Essi erano veramente fatto per l'un l'altro." Which if I were to translate it from Italian, it meant "They were made for one another." And they truly were. Every time Papà came home from work, he would plant a kiss on her muzzle, and Mamma would still blush like a little filly. That was probably why Love approached them.
I remember that Love was known by many names. Eros, Cupid, etc. Many people thought that Love was a stallion. Love wasn't a stallion or a mare. Love is an essence. A spirit. Just like Hatred, Love couldn't be controlled
I remember Mamma telling me the story. When Love found out that Hatred was taking over, stalking slowly, Love wanted it stopped. So the spirit called upon a married couple. This couple was my Papà and Mamma. "Incantare, Gioia. You will have a baby and this baby will hold my power in their hooves. Your foal will spread Love all over the land and will defeat Hatred. I am counting on you." Love told them. "Now go." Nine months later, they had me. I was dubbed Mi Amore. I added on Cadenza later on.
I remember Mamma felt it was best to leave this hold thing a secret, even leaving my nonna not knowing. My Papà disagreed, but kept the secret anyway. It wasn't until I got my cutie mark that they told my nonna and I.
I remember getting my cutie mark. My best friend, Gioso, and I were heading home from school. That day, we seemed to be the only ones immune to the Hatred. Even my parents were fighting. Sombra was watching the whole thing, while not exactly laughing, but looking back, it was clear he was enjoying it.
I remember that there were two ponies that loved each other. And they were perfect for each other, Lock and Key. It was a very big coincidence that their names fit perfectly together. Lock was a handsome, unicorn, stallion who had yellow mane like the Sun. He was sort of scruffy. He had a blood orange coat and a cutie mark of a lock, of course, and a hammer somehow "fixing" it. Lock had a Manehattan accent and always read the newspaper (the old versions of it, anyway). He was always happy. Key was a musical prodigy. She would play the harpsichord, an old instrument, with such beauty and grace. She was a rich blue and was very thoughtful, but often came off as sad. The two contrasted, but it didn't matter. They were perfect.
I remember when Gioso and I were walking that day, she pointed to Lock and Key. Unlike how they usually were, they fought. And when they fought, they fought hard.
"I am sick and tired of your optimism! You act all happy when everything is wrong! Do you even know how to be sad?!"
"Oh yeah?! Well, I'm sick and tired of your grumpiness! You have a wonderful life, yet you spend it complaining! Try living in Manehattan for a change!"
They were petty arguments, but when spoken like that, they seemed like darn good ones. I looked over at Gioso, and saw something I never saw in her before. Fear. She was always the first one up for a challenge, and the bravest out of all of us. Yet she was afraid of this stupid argument. I knew at that moment I had to stop it before it got serious and somepony got hurt. Which it looked like it was about to happen.
I remember that I channeled my emotions into a spell, a spell I had never casted before. I had felt a spirit guiding me, a spirit helping me with this spell. I searched deep inside me for Love and then I used it. I passed out almost immediately casting it. And when I woke up, Lock and Key weren't fighting and I had my cutie mark.
I went on many adventures after that. I travel all over, to remind ponies of Love. I use my spells, but they aren't mind control. All they do is take the enchantments that Hatred had casted upon the ponies, and then replace them with Love. It reminds the ponies of the better days. While the Love effect is not permanent, Hatred would never come upon them again. It is a hard job, but I was given this power, and I must help others. Soon, I realized that my work became well-known. Ponies would walk up to me and thank me. The princesses, Celestia and Luna, decided I should be immortal so I could continue this job. I became a princess on my birthday, February 14. On that same day, a holiday was created in my honor. They called it Hearts and Hooves Day. On one of my journeys, I met a handsome stallion. He was an unicorn, training to be a guard. That journey required me to take one along, for the task was very dangerous. I had to fight off a "witch" who was cursing people with her Hatred spells. I decided to bring that stallion along. We bonded over the trip and by the time we got home, we were crushing on each other. We would talk and talk for hours after that. I made sure he was my personal guard. One day, he revealed that his little sister needed a foalsitter, for their parents were very busy. I automatically said I would be her foalsitter. I had always loved little children. We talked to his parents and I had a job that paid bits. Little did I know that his sister, Twilight Sparkle, would save my life, 15 years later. She was the only one who suspected that the pony at my wedding wasn't me. Without her, I probably wouldn't be here today.
I have many stories to tell, filled with action and danger. That is one of the benefits of being the mare chosen by Love.
