Shadows of My Past

by Calligraphy Legends

~Part 9: Change~

After giving the mare a proper farewell, the two sat at their kitchen table. Mi Amore slept in a basket after being fed and changed. They didn’t look at each other or anything beyond their mahogany table. Both were alone with their thoughts.

Cora wanted to keep and raise the little foal as she had promised, but she didn’t know how Pear felt. If it came down to a choice, how could she choose? She had made a promise and she desired a family, but she also loved her husband. What should she say to him? What was he thinking?

“Well,” Pear Slice finally broke the deafening silence, “I guess we’ll go and pick up some stuff to take care of this little foal in the morning.”

“Huh?” Cora’s eyes shot up, shocked he was so on board. “You really want to raise her?”

“You made a promise and this poor baby needs somepony right now.”

Cora looked at her husband with love filled eyes. She truly was the luckiest mare alive. Then, she thought of one more thing.

“Pear, what should we call her?” Cora asked, smiling down at the pink foal. “Mi Amore Cadenza sounds so different, it’s going to raise questions. Something happened to her parents, and I think we should try to keep her identity hidden in order to keep her safe.”

“Yeah, nopony around here has any fancy name like that,” Pear agreed. “What’s her name mean?”

“My love Cadence.”

“Let’s call her Cadence, than.”

“Alright, Cadence.”

***

Time seemed to fly by for the young couple. In no time at all Cadence was talking, writing, and discovering her special talent.

Despite being a pegasus and not a unicorn, Cadence seemed to be able to spread magic wherever she went. She brought love and kindness to everyone in the small village of Reinville, often helping arguing ponies work out their differences. She was known throughout Reinville for her love and advice skills, so it was no surprise to anypony when a beautiful heart appeared on her flank.

There were so many ponies who loved her, she was such a sweet and innocent mare who believed that everyone was good and kind. Of course, we must all learn eye opening lessons some day.

It happened one day that Cadence went to visit her mom at work.

“Cadence, what are you doing here?” Cora said as her daughter trotted in.

“Well, I thought I’d bring you a special treat,” Cadence smiled. “Pear tarts, I just made them!”

“Oh, you’re such a wonderful daughter. Never stop being so loving and kind, promise?”

“Don’t worry, mother. Why would I stop when I live in such a wonderful place?”

As Cadence trotted home, she spotted a mare she had never seen before. She was tall, lean, and walked with a certain elegance. Her coat was a shimmering blue, her mane and tail a black to white ombre, and her eyes were bright pink. Her cutie mark was a pen drawing a wave.

“Hello there, I’m Cadence,” the pink pegasus smiled, introducing herself to the newcomer.

“Oh, hi!” the mare replied. “I’m Summer Penn!”

“It’s nice to meet you, are you moving here or passing by?”

“Just passing through, I’m on my way to meet up with a friend. However, I’m going to stay here and rest for a few days.”

“If you like, I could show you around. Maybe afterwards we can head back to my place, I’ve just baked some pear tarts and I’ve got plenty of extras.”

“Sure, you like pears a lot?”

“My parents own a pear orchard.”

“Oh.”

Cadence showed Summer all around Reinville, having fun with a new friend. Summer was kind and honestly had fun with Cadence. What Cadence didn’t know, is what Summer was hiding from everypony. Summer’s family had just died and, in reality, she was moving across Equestria because she couldn’t stand to stay where she lost everypony she loved. While spending time with Cadence, she had begun to grow jealous. Cadence had this wonderful, perfect life; and she had lost everything.

Cadence didn’t really notice that Summer was hiding anything from her, and she never pried into her personal life. As she had been taught not to. However, the truth always comes out.

“Hey, Summer, I know you’re supposed to leave today bu-” Cadence stopped short.

When she had knocked on the door, it opened. Cadence thought it was just because she was getting ready to head out, but the room she looked in on caused fear to echo through her.

The entire room was cloaked in darkness. Furniture was tossed and tipped over, linens were laying sporadically around the room. It looked as if a tornado had blown through the room and left it an unkempt chaos. Summer sat with her back to Cadence. Her mane and tail were unevenly sliced short, wild and matted all the same. Her coat was a mess, she shook as she breathed.

“Summer?” Cadence spoke tentatively.

“What?” the mare snapped in a dark tone.

“A-a-are you al-alright?”

“Am I ALRIGHT?!” Cadence sank into the shadows as Summer began to rant. “NO! BECAUSE NOT EVERYPONY LIVES THE PERFECT LIFE! NOT EVERYPONY HAS A FAMILY TO GO HOME TO! NOT EVERYPONY IS LOVED AND ADORED BY ALL SHE MEETS!”

“I-I-I-”

“DO YOU THINK EVERYPONY LIVES THIS PERFECT LIFE LIKE YOU?! WE DON’T! OUR LIVES ARE HARD! WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH PONIES WHO DON’T LIKE US, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH SADNESS AND SORROW!”

“Su-Summer, I-”

“GO AWAY! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!”

Cadence fled, tears rushing down her cheeks and limbs shaking. She spread her purple tipped wings and began to fly off towards the farm. Nopony took particular notice of Cadence and kept about their business. As Cadence landed silently at her beloved home, she galloped up to her room and darted under her covers. The pink mare buried her face in her pillow, hot tears began to soak the cotton.

What did I do? Cadence thought desperately. Why did she yell at me like that? She said that not everypony has a family to go to, did something happen to hers? Why wouldn’t she just talk to me? Why? What did I ever do wrong?

Though Summer did feel bad for what happened between her and Cadence, she never sought her out. Instead, she merely moved on towards her destination; wherever that would end up being. That moment, the moment Summer screamed at Cadence - who innocently took the harsh words - for things the pegasus did not understand, it changed her for the worst.

Cadence became distant and very quiet, not daring to approach anypony or even speak to them unless they spoke first. Cora and Pear tried to find out what was wrong, but she refused to talk about it and shut them out. They didn’t know what to do. They tried seeking out a professional to assist them, but they all told her that they could do nothing unless Cadence wanted the help.

She refused to leave her room. Her parents brought her meals to her and she nibbled at them. Never eating more than a third of the food her mother brought her, even if it was her favorite food. She remained in this broken, lost state for weeks.

***

“Oh, Pear Slice, what are we supposed to do?” Cora cried softly late one night.

“She’ll come around,” Pear promised, hugging her warmly.

“She’s been like this for nearly a month! I just wish I knew what was wrong…”

“Does anyone in town know?”

“No, nopony knows anything about what could have happened to make her act like this.”

“I’m sure we’ll figure it out soon enough, Cora.”

The following morning Cora headed off to work, as per usual. However, Pear didn’t head out to the orchard to work. Instead, he walk calmly up the stairs to Cadence’s bedroom door. He gently tapped his hoof against the wooden door, hearing the sound resound through halls.

“Cadence?” he said, no reply. “Cadence, please open the door.” More silence. “I’m coming in regardless.” Still nothing.

Pear Slice sighed as he slid the key into the keyhole, listening to the click as it successfully unlocked. Pear turned the handle and walked in, taking in his daughter's room for the first time in weeks (as Cora had been the one to bring her her food).

Everything was exactly where it always was. The books were organized by how much she enjoyed reading them, her various nick-nacks hadn’t moved (but had collected a fine layer of dust), her vanity had everything exactly as it had always been, and her curtains were pulled back as they always were. The only difference was that her bed remained a mess. And, well, she was a mess. Her mane and tail were knotted and frizzy, her coat had lost its shine, and even her eyes seemed dull. She laid on her bed, staring out her window. She looked so lost, so confused.

“Yes?” Cadence said.

“Cadence, this is ridiculous,” Pear said blatantly. “You’ve been in here for far too long without coming out. What is going on?”

Cadence was quiet for a moment. Her amethyst eyes seemed to be searching for something.She ruffled her ombre wings and turned her head to face her father.

“Am I a bad pony?” Cadence asked quietly.

“What?” Pear Slice replied, taken aback.

“Am I a bad pony?”

“No, what would ever make you think that?”

“I think I am…”

“Cadence, what in Equestria are you talking about?”

Cadence silently stepped down from her bed and walked over to her book shelf. She began just staring at the collection of stories. Without looking at her father, she told him of what happened between her and Summer Penn.

“Cadence, that doesn’t make you a bad pony,” Pear said, putting a hoof on her shoulder.

“But it does,” Cadence insisted, turning to face him. “Not in the sense of a criminal, but in the sense of my ignorance. I have been so caught up in my life, in my perfect little life. I have everything I could ever ask for, and what have I done for other ponies? Nothing. I’ve never even thought about how others must feel, not having what I have. Summer lost everypony she holds dear, and I just left her in her pain. I never even thought to ask her about her family, not even why she never brought them up.”

“Cadence, you are a wonderful and sweet pony,” Pear Slice insisted, hugging his daughter tightly.

“Thanks, Dad, but I want to be more than just sweet. I want to help ponies, and I’m going to. I am going to help in some way, whatever way I can.”

“Does that mean you’ll come out of your room?”

“Yes. I finally feel like I know who I am.”

Cadence kept her word. Soon she was helping ponies with anything and everything she could. Foal sitting, painting, gardening, and even resumed giving advice.

Author's Note:

So, I decided to give Cadence this little lesson on life appreciation and helping the less fortunate. Mostly because Cadence has always seemed to have a perfect life that I wanted to show that she truly does appreciate all that she has. And even though she used to help by giving advice and is generally nice, I wanted to show that Cadence wanted to do more than just the minimum. I wanted to show that she was ready to be a princess.