{"sf1_id":715613,"sf2_id":"ve3DzxKm","title":"Twisted Purity","author":"ShingetsuMoon","words":896,"posted_at":"2014-06-08T23:48:00.000Z","tags":["Fantasy","Mytical","Poem","Poetry","Unicorn"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/715613-twisted-purity","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/ve3DzxKm","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/92/32/9232a697-ae3b-43a2-a3ae-102cf10e7594","description":"#14 of Poems\n\nThis is a follow up to the previous poem Purest Heart. While unicorns are often portrayed as graceful, pure, magnificent creatures they are far from perfect. This ended up a bit sadder then I expected it too but still overall I'm pleased with it. This poem too will be included in my poetry book. It may or may not be changed later on.","content":"* * *\n\nTales they tell of the  \ngreat guardian who has fallen.  \nA warrior not of man but  \nof beast and forest and earth.\n\nA stallion who was the   \nmightiest of unicorns brought  \nlow by the tears of a humble queen.\n\nOh listen to the pleading cries  \nof a queen who begs while her  \nchild dies.\n\nWatch as the guardian of the forest  \nrefuses to listen and averts his eyes.  \nFor the hearts of men are filled with  \nnothing but lies.\n\nHis eyes would not look upon her  \nand his ears shut themselves to her   \nvoice.\n\nFor the stallion knew her child  \nwas wicked and would grow   \nto be just as dark as his father.\n\nBut on and on the queen made  \nher plea until the unicorn's heart  \nwas sore.\n\n\"Enough! I hear you! Please  \nstop your tears! My heart can  \nbear this no more.\"\n\nBowing his head to the desperate  \nqueen the unicorn gave her a chance.\n\n\"I will you give my horn, but  \nonly half its length. Until the boy  \ncomes of age. If he is pure in heart  \nuntil then I will give him strength  \nfor the rest of his days.\"\n\n\"But if wickedness grows in his  \nheart before then he will get   \nnothing from me. Not strength.  \nNot wisdom. Not a drop of  \nmercy will he see.\"\n\nSo the unicorn vowed and   \nthe queen accepted his terms.\n\nWith that a mighty crack echoed  \nthroughout the trees as he split  \nhis great horn in two.\n\nBroken in the middle and   \na paltry stump left to remain.\n\nThe queen sobbed a thank you  \nthrough her tears grateful for  \nthe chance to end her son's pain.\n\nAway the stallion ran. Into the   \nforest with a heavy heart. For while  \nhe knew he had saved a child's life  \nthere was no telling what danger  \nit would yet impart.\n\nYears passed by and the queen  \nruled in place of the dead king  \nbringing peace from all of his strife.\n\nEvery day she taught her son   \nreminding him of the great beast  \nwho had spared his life.\n\nBut the boy's heart grew ever   \nblacker with hatred at the foul  \ncreature who left him twisted.\n\nTwisted in a body frail and weak.  \nThe mockery of everyone who speaks.  \nHis mind grew foul and his eyes grew dark.\n\nFor he wanted nothing more then to  \nrun a sword through the unicorn's heart.\n\nWhat was the point of a body that could  \nhardly bear his weight? Why had the   \nstallion saved him at all if only to leave  \nhim to this wretched fate?\n\nThe queen's urges for patience fell but  \non deaf ears. Her promise of a body  \nstrong and able meant less and less  \nacross the years.\n\nThe boy had not learned his lesson.  \nFor the unicorn sought to teach him  \npatience and kindness to those weakest  \nin life.\n\nYet as the boy came of age his  \nevil grew past all bounds. With  \nthe stroke of a sword he seized the  \nthrone and from his mother's dead   \nfingers the crown.\n\nWith a roar of anger he sent out  \nthe command to every soldier and  \nswordsman in the land.\n\nA lifetime of gold and treasure beyond  \nimagination. To the first person who   \nbrought him the remaining horn of  \nthe stallion.\n\nTrees fell beneath their relentless  \nadvance. Pure springs fouled without  \neven a glance.\n\nGreat forests burned to send beasts  \nfleeing. All of the sake of unicorn.  \nA single innocent being.\n\nGreen gave way to red as the   \ncountryside swam with fire.  \nAll for the sake of a man  \nwho had not discerned the unicorn's  \ndesire.\n\nFor what the unicorn feared had come  \ntrue and with it a terrible price.  \nFor not only had the boy lost his way  \nbut the stallion too had lost his might.\n\nA white coat that sparkled in the sun  \nis now the deepest black.\n\nProud eyes that cared for all the forest  \nnow blaze red with rage, ready to attack.\n\nThe horn that once glistened like the   \nfinest pearl, now runs through  \nwith cracks that bleed a reddish glow.\n\nFor as the boy grew wicked so too his  \nevil corrupted the stallion. For the unicorn  \ncould feel the burn of his hate and the   \nsuffering he inflicted on others and he  \nagonized at his mistake.\n\nIf only he had given up his strength  \nin its entirely and not its half. Then   \nmaybe things would have been different  \nand the boy would have ruled in the   \npeople's behalf.\n\nFor by giving up half his horn the  \nstallion did not give up his power  \nbut shared it. So both of them became  \nconnected in soul and in spirit.\n\nThe boy's darkness had infested  \nthe stallion like a disease until it  \ndrove him mad. His purity tainted   \nby the darkness that lies within man.\n\nHis eyes bring the weakest of men  \nto their knees.\n\nHis piercing scream can make the   \nstrongest of warriors beg for mercy.\n\nWhere flowers once grew beneath every  \nstep, now his hooves bring nothing more  \nthan relentless pain and death.\n\nTrees wither at his passing.  \nWater poisoned at his touch.  \nThe fairies silent in fear of being  \nnoticed by the one who once sang  \nto them with such kindness and grace.\n\nOn and on the unicorn traveled.   \nRelentless in his quest.  \nFor until the wicked boy was slain  \nhe could never have any rest.\n\n  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"Poems","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/715612-purest-heart.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/718953-gleaming-gold.json"}}