//------------------------------//
// Lesson 7: Love 
// Story: A Valuble Lesson 
// by th3l0stch1ld 
//------------------------------//

	“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake.  Clap your hooves and do a little shake!”  I witnessed the pink alicorn and purple unicorn singing a chant as they danced.
“Cadence, when did you get here?  How did you get in?”
“I flew in the window upstairs.  I wanted to surprise you.”
“Oh, this is Amor.  Princess Celestia sent him here to learn the magic of friendship.”  The alicorn walked circles around me, trying to find everything and everything there was to know just by looking at me.  She stopped right in front of me, still concentrating on my face.  I braced myself and prepared for the worse.
“Hello, I’m Cadence.”  I was somewhat surprised.  Greeting me with open hooves was the alicorn princess whose wedding was nearly destroyed by the changeling hive, and she seemed welcoming.
“Hi, I’m Amor.”
“Pleased to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
Twilight stepped forward.  “Cadence was my foalsitter when I was little.  She’s married to my older brother.”
She stuck a hoof out in greeting.  I reared back at first, but eventually I met the gold-covered hoof halfway before I bowed.  “Oh, no need to do that.”
“In the presence of a princess?  It feels necessary.”  She rolled her eyes at me sarcastically.  
……….
We all sat around the table, I began to feel more comfortable.  “If you don’t mind me asking, how has your marriage been?”
“Shining Armor is the most wonderful person anyone could ever hope for.”
“I’m happy for you.”
“What about you?  Who’s your special somepony?”
I did my best to stay calm.  “I don’t have one.  I have no one to love and no one loves me.”
“Now you don’t honestly think that’s true, do you?”
“Do you see who you’re talking to?  I’m a monstrosity.”
“Looks have nothing to do with love.”
“Coming from a princess.”
“Are you insisting that princesses are beautiful?”
“I can’t really deny it can I?”
“You just need to open your heart to someone.”
“Easier said than done.”
“How so?”
“Who can I trust?  Who can I talk to and expect to keep quiet?  Who can I expect to understand?  Paranoia makes you do things.”
“You have friends who you can speak to.  Friends who trust you and were willing to help you already.  I’m sure someone is willing to be a great friend and listen.”
“If you say so.  I’m a very…hateful person.”
“I can fix that.”  Her horn began to glow.  The sky blue aura formed at the tip and formed a heart, that floated lazily toward me before it burst.  Somehow, I didn’t feel hateful anymore.  I felt as if a burden had been lifted off of me, a burden I had been carrying all my life.  It just felt so hard to believe.  Sixteen years of pain and misery, and it’s just gone, as if it never was there.  I felt happy.
“I don’t know what you did, but…thank you.”
“Of course.  Spreading love and happiness is what I do.  Now, anything you want to talk about?”
I released a heavy sigh.  “Alright, if you insist.”  So I told them, everything since my sixteenth birthday until now, doing my best not to let the whole human thing slip out.
……….
“…and that’s when Celestia teleported me to her throne.  You know the rest of the story.”
“That’s…so sad.  I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be.  If there was anything that could have been done to avoid it, I would have done it.”
“Don’t worry, it’s all in the past.  Now you have friends all around you.  New friends, new home, a new life.”  They had no idea.
“Yeah.  I’ve never been happier then when Celestia brought me here.”
“I can tell.  From what you’ve told us, you’re very happy for what’s happened.”
“I guess that’s just the magic of friendship.”  Wow, even I feel like that was too cheesy.
Cadence stood, stretching her wings and legs.  “Well, I need to get going.  It was good seeing you again, Twilight.  Amor, I am happy to have made your acquaintance.”
“Likewise.”
“Bye Cadence.  I hope to see you again soon.”  She walked out the front door, where she spread her wings and took off in flight.
“She seems like a good person.”
“Of course.  She’s only the best foalsitter in the world!”