A Neverending Bond

In my opinion, it's the saddest moment in The Neverending Story, when Artax dies in Atreyus arms.

...Everyone knew that if the sadness would overtake them, they'd sink into the swamp...

Come on Artax - what's wrong? Come on boy! I understand... It's to difficult for you ... ARTAX! YOU SILLY HORSE! COME OUT! YOU HAVE TO! ... Artax, please! You may not let the sadness of the swamps overcome you... You have to try! You have to care... for me. You're my friend... I love you.


The Neverending Story (German: Die unendliche Geschichte) is a German fantasy novel by Michael Ende, first published in 1979, and this is it's saddest scene.
The book begins in Fantastica, which is slowly being destroyed by the "Nothing", which is spreading over the land and which seems to have something to do with the illness of the Empress. To save herself and her land, she sends the only person that can stop the Nothing, a young boy warrior named Atreyu, to find a cure for her.
His quest leads him and his loyal horse Artax through the whole land, but they doesn't find anything. When they come to the swamps of sadness, the white pony sinks into the mud, and overtaken by the sadness and hopelessness around it, it gives up and dies in Atreyus arms.

P.S.: I hate the author for killing the horse. -.-
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References
- for the head of the horse: Venomxbaby [link]
- for Atreyu: Youtube screenshot of the movie.