She came from the sea, and so shall return,
with blood that tinted pink the foam.
Like water, she seeped out through the cracks;
like love, ever larger grew.
With blood that tinted pink the foam,
Cadenza Diluvium broke through. The waves,
like love, ever larger grew,
the newborn goddess squalled and raged.
Cadenza Diluvium broke through the waves
that were herself as she was them.
The newborn goddess squalled and raged
at the limits of physicality and form
that were herself as she was them,
a liquid too large for her container
at the limits of physicality and form
even in a space as wide as the ocean.
A liquid too large for her container
inevitably must swell and overflow,
even in a space as wide as the ocean.
She emerged to land as life
inevitably must swell and overflow,
stumbling up onto the rocky shores.
She emerged to land as life
began to wish no longer to be alone.
Stumbling up onto the rocky shores,
diminishing to expand as she
began to wish no longer to be alone;
surrendered the vast expanses for something more intimate.
Diminishing to expand? As she
pondered what a feeling might suggest,
surrendered the vast expanses for something more intimate,
paws for fins, fur for scales, mind developing, she
pondered - what a feeling! - might suggest
in the heart and mind of a smaller creature with
paws for fins, fur for scales, mind developing, she
might too trade isolation and learn to trust.
In the heart and mind of a smaller creature with
wary eyes but lonely soul she grew, and wondered if she
might too trade isolation and learn to trust?
The pack began, and Cadenza Lupa, with her
wary eyes but lonely soul, she grew, and wondered if she
had found at last her limit.
The pack began and, Cadenza Lupa with her,
set forth to join the hunt. She
had found at last her limit:
her wolves’ jaws, wide and red, would
set forth to join the hunt,
hunger in their bellies and love in their hearts;
her wolves’ jaws wide and red would
then rip apart the prey,
hunger in their bellies and love in their hearts.
The herd loved no less dearly.
Then rip apart the prey! –
for love and hunger are no crimes.
The herd, loved no less dearly,
she graced with her gifts too.
For love and hunger are no crimes,
predator and prey in equal esteem
she graced. With her gifts too,
familiarity and loyalty arose and prospered for
predator and prey. In equal esteem,
for the Sun and Moon overhead, for Life and for Death,
familiarity and loyalty arose and prospered. For,
true to her nature, Love defied all and spread.
For the Sun and Moon overhead, for Life and for Death,
all found meaning beyond purpose; identity new and yet
true to her nature. Love defied all and spread
further and faster than ever before.
All found meaning beyond purpose. Identity? New, and yet
with the same goals as ever;
further and faster than ever before,
she watched as they flourished
with the same goals as ever.
Love spread and changed and grew;
she watched as they flourished
from pack to community to nation.
Love spread and changed and grew,
always keeping with the times.
From pack to community to nation,
Cadenza Civita would stand guard
always. Keeping with the times,
shed claw and bite for spears and arms.
Cadenza Civita would stand guard
armored with metal, stone, and law.
She’d claw and bite. For spears and arms
now served to protect, to keep the people
armored. With metal, stone, and law,
roads, houses, communities rose by her hoof-steps.
Now, served to protect, to keep the people
safe and free, she turned inward, constructing
roads, houses. Communities rose by her hoof! Steps
had to be taken to maintain the peace.
Safe and free, she turned inward, constructing
law and justice, oaths of protection that
had to be taken. To maintain the peace,
love and trust were paramount.
Law and justice. Oaths of protection that
required strength, promised blood.
Love and trust were paramount,
but her ivory smile glinted sharp.
Required strength, promised blood,
the Queen of Hearts was stern and canny,
but her ivory smile glinted. Sharp
instincts could now be tempered with mercy.
The Queen of Hearts was stern and canny,
with wit and wisdom bringing greater power than
instincts could. Now, be tempered with mercy,
for she provided well for all her subjects
with wit and wisdom. Bringing greater power than
force, she pushed for diplomacy and trade,
for she provided well for all. Her subjects
heralded her as the heart of everything. With
force, she pushed for diplomacy and trade,
and all her courtiers
heralded her. As the heart of everything, with
power and passion, she flowed through the world.
And all her courtiers
she gave duties and responsibilities and
power and passion. She flowed through the world
with burdens lightened, responsibilities shared.
She gave duties and responsibilities and
she stepped back from power.
With burdens lightened, responsibilities shared,
her cities could run without her.
She stepped back from power
and gave herself to passion.
Her cities could run without her;
she trusted, loved, found it good,
and gave herself to passion,
to beauty, romance, the arts. For the first time
she trusted – loved – found it good.
Cadenza Amore let herself free.
To beauty! Romance! The arts! For the first time
after eons of fighting to protect and survive,
Cadenza Amore let herself free
to sample the fruits of her labors
after eons of fighting. To protect and survive,
she knew, she had to constantly change,
to sample the fruits of her labors,
and allow her little ponies to stand on their own.
She knew she had to constantly change.
She retired to become a figurehead
and allow her little ponies to stand on their own,
or fall, as fate willed.
She retired to become a figurehead,
a princess watching over kings. She knew she must evolve,
or fall as fate willed,
but grew complacent in her rest.
A princess, watching over kings. She knew she must evolve;
none could predict when or how.
But grew complacent in her rest,
As shadows closed around her.
None could predict when or how
the spell shattered her crystal bones.
As shadows closed around her,
eyes peered out, glowing violet.
The spell shattered her crystal bones;
gods do not die so easily.
Eyes peered out, glowing violet;
a miracle birth to a pegasus.
Gods do not die so easily;
a fluffy pink filly with wings and horn,
a miracle birth to a pegasus,
drew the lonely eye of the Sun.
A fluffy pink filly with wings and horn;
A sole ray of hope in a world gone grey
drew the lonely eye of the Sun
away from the dark and distant Moon.
A sole ray of hope. In a world gone grey,
The Sun set forth, to see her,
away from the dark and distant Moon
to pay a visit to her sole surviving kin.
The Sun set forth to see her,
the child who was Love,
to pay a visit. To her sole surviving kin,
she whispered apologies and thanks meant for another's ear.
The child who was Love,
she was uncertain and strange.
She whispered apologies and thanks meant for another's ear,
but could not remember who or why.
She was uncertain and strange;
she recalled vast spaces, vicious battles, decadent courts,
but could not remember who or why.
She had existed for untold ages; this was her first time being alive.
She recalled vast spaces, vicious battles, decadent courts.
She knew now only peace and simple work.
She had existed for untold ages. This was her first time being alive.
Her family did not understand her.
She knew now only peace and simple work.
She played in sunny clouds and did chores around the house.
Her family did not understand her,
but loved no less dearly.
She played in sunny clouds and did chores around the house.
She learned and lived and grew
but loved no less dearly
as the child of mortals.
She learned and lived and grew,
though age would not touch her soft cheek;
as the child of mortals,
she could not follow when they left her.
Though age would not touch her soft cheek,
she wept all the same.
She could not follow when they left her,
and had never known such pain.
She wept. All the same
saltwater of the sea fell upon their graves
and had never known such pain
in all the expanse of tides and waves.
Saltwater of the sea fell upon their graves
swept away their bodies
in all the expanse of tides and waves
and the infinity of her love.
Swept away their bodies
beyond where mortals could reach,
and the infinity of her love
welcomed them home.
Beyond where mortals could reach,
she held them tight;
welcomed them home.
Not merely Love, but loved; she was Cadenza mi Amore.
She held them tight
even after the Sun took her away to her citadel.
Not merely Love, but loved she was; Cadenza mi Amore
felt more than ever before.
Even after the Sun took her away to her citadel,
the pain never left her; she
felt more than ever before
that she was too large to ever be contained.
The pain never left her. She
however, of infinite size, drowned it in her depths.
That she was too large to ever be contained
could after all be a blessing.
However of infinite size drowned it, in her depths
it stirred new longing; this too,
could after all be a blessing
to move on and love anew.
It stirred new longing. This too,
drifting aimlessly in her depths, pushed her
to move on. And love anew
she found.
Drifting aimlessly, in her depths, pushed her
into the hooves of another, and
she found
compassion, companionship, romance; things she ruled that now washed over her.
Into the hooves of another and
another and another; all different facets of
compassion, companionship, romance. Things she ruled that now washed over her,
overwhelming and delightful in equal measure.
Another! And another! All different facets of
her divinity she explored now anew with a long chain of lovers, who all were
overwhelming and delightful in equal measure
for as long as they lived.
Her divinity she explored now anew with a long chain of lovers, who all were
bound to go where she could not follow. She treasured them
for as long as they lived;
then washed them into her infinite depths.
Bound to go where she could not follow, she treasured them
for as long as she could,
then washed them into her infinite depths;
an eternal, blissful union.
For as long as she could,
she reigned in love and harmony;
an eternal, blissful union
the gods of law and chaos had.
She reigned in love and harmony;
such times cannot last forever.
The gods of law and chaos had
a rival in their power.
Such times cannot last forever;
destruction, desolation, and dismay come to all.
A rival, in their power,
emerged from the Pit to bring
destruction, desolation, and dismay. Come to all,
Entropy, the Eldest One
emerged from the Pit to bring
the end of the universe.
Entropy, the Eldest One;
immeasurably wide, uncountably old.
The end of the universe,
cracking, shrinking, shrivelling to dust.
Immeasurably wide, uncountably old;
Cadenza Memoria sat at her last temple,
cracking, shrinking, shrivelling to dust,
as it collapsed.
Cadenza Memoria sat at her last temple,
at a final grave to a long-dead love
As it collapsed,
Entropy said, “You have failed
at a final grave to a long-dead love;
I have beaten you,”
Entropy said. “You have failed,”
Cadenza replied, beneath gauzy mourning veils;
“I have beaten you
with every connection and bright moment, every new emotion, all felt without regard for the domain of nonbeing,”
Cadenza replied. Beneath gauzy mourning veils
she smiled, and
with every connection and bright moment, every new emotion, all felt without regard for the domain of nonbeing,
she was everywhere at last. And everywhere was breaking.
She smiled, and
the echo of her laugh bounced around the shrinking universe.
She was everywhere at last, and everywhere was breaking;
like water, she seeped out through the cracks.
The echo of her laugh bounced around the shrinking universe;
she came from the sea, and so shall return.
