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Bear Witness

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Bear witness, o ye lowblooded, to the lives of the rich and powerful, whose glory you will never attain, whose power is unmatched in all of the cosmos! For those who may swim the seas as easily as they may walk the lands are the mightiest of trolls, and in their shadow you must always live.

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You live in the brightest of seas, and the currents smell of change and joy, and you swim in them as the first Empress to ever belong in such a beautiful sea, because you will be the one who will bring Alternia to its true glory, a glory for all of its people. A reel one, you promise, not the one that only existed because the Condense said it would exist. Something that they can believe in, something beautiful.

But there's a shadow there. There always was a shadow, and at first you had tried to love it into nothing, hoping that you could make it disappear by shining your own light on it. But it seemed that everything you did, every bit of pity you showed it, made it darker and deeper. You were naive back then; of course it was impossible to shine so brightly without casting shadows. But you'd tried anyway, convinced that you could fill every nook and cranny in his jagged soul, and you tried and tried until you'd used yourself up.

You couldn't shine for him anymore. All you could do now was knock over the rocks and coral that stood in the way of your light.

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For even in their rivalry and their anger, the noble seadwellers are united in their purpose - to rule. Even their black passions are far more powerful than any amongst landdwellers - take ye care to avoid their attentions, for even standing at the edge of their dark waves will destroy you.

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You loved her for as long as you'd lived, or so it sometimes felt. For as long as you had two legs, as long as you'd truly been aware of her, a constant light in your life. She is the ocean you would dive into, the reef that dazzled you with her beauty, and you were but a mere fish that would have been happy to swim inside of her love.

If only she had loved you in return! But it seemed that her concern for you grew thinner, and thinner, and you couldn't figure out why. You hadn't done anything wrong, had you? You'd only taken what she had to offer, what she freely gave to you. Was it so bad that you'd wanted more?

And now... well. Now you can't look at her without feeling that burn of anger in your chest, can't think of the time you spent trying to help her without wanting to make her pay.

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For the loves of the masters of Alternia stir the seas...

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"I loved you. I wanted you to be happy. I was a beautiful city, built of coral and sea-flowers, with beams of light shining down from above. You could've lived in my love for you. We could've been partners forever and ever."

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"No. I loved you. I wanted you to be strong. I was your fortress, strong and powerful, blocking out all of those who would use you to further their own selfish gains. We could've started a dynasty with our love, could've made this our world and done whatever we wanted, with my protection."

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...and their hatred sets terrible storms in motion on the shores.

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"It was never enough for you! You charged into me and broke the spires, muddied the waters, chased the others from my heart and destroyed what I most held dear, and I'll never forgive you for that. I hate you, and now there are soldiers in the beautiful city, and I won't stop hating you and fighting you until you're dead and gone and can't destroy any more of me!"

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"But I was never enough for you, princess. You sneered at my walls and my guards, let them starve, let the bricks crumble and collapse from disuse. And I let you do it, because I thought that you'd eventually realize how important I was to you... but you turned on me, and that was enough. I'm a fortress now, a proper one, and I won't stop until I have enough soldiers to invade you and destroy you. I hate you, and soon you'll have to face what I'm becoming, and you'll be sorry!"

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And so, lowbloods, beware! Walk not too close to the ocean, for you will be consumed by their storms. Worry yourself not in their affairs, and obey them when they call for you, for they are strong, and their passions run deep. Your short landbound lives are nothing to them and their long hatreds. They are masters of this land. Never, ever, stand in their way, for their cities and castles are not meant to be looked upon by your insignificance.

Flee them, for they are power itself.