The Castle

by Sliver Swirl

Chapter 1: Moving on

Cadance sat in the dirt. She was different, she was strange compared to every other pony in her village. Her parents were Earth ponies, everypony was a Earth pony except Cadance and travellers.

She was different before and it was even worse now. Cadance was a distant relative of the Princess, which is why she was a winged unicorn. Princess Celestia had tracked her down and had offered her the truth. She was different and she couldn't change it with a hat or a jacket like she had before.

She now knew why she was different in more ways then one. Cadance was adopted by two kind earth ponies who found her in the night. Even though they weren't her biological family, she still loved them.

Cadance knew her village was poor, many families were struggling. She wanted to help and Princess Celestia had offered her assistance if Cadance came with her to Canterlot to learn how to be a Princess.

She didn't know what to do. She was pretty sure, she didn't want to be a Princess. But she wanted to help. Cadance didn't want to walk the streets and ignore those suffering.

"Hey, Princess Cadance. Please I need bits, my foals are straving please spare something. Please Princess." Said a pony.

Cadance looked up and saw Mrs Huff Puff, she had a red coat and a brown mane. "I'm sorry, Mrs Huff Puff. I'm not a Princess and I don't have any money."

"Please, Please. If you don't it will be your fault they go hungry." Mrs Huff Puff said, pointing a hoof at Cadance. She was starting to attract attention, she didn't want this.

Cadance wanted to disapear. She heard more ponies approach. So she ran, Cadance was unable to face those who were suffering because of her.

She ran home, to avoid the crowd that was building.

"Help us Princess!"

"Please Princess!"

"Princess Cadance!" "Princess!" "Princess!"

"I'M NOT A PRINCESS." Cadnace screamed as she ran and began to cry. She had no choice, she abandoned her jacket and took to the skies.

She landed on one of the clouds and began to cry more. Cadance wasn't a Princess, she didn't want to be different. Her whole life she wanted to normal, not the one with wings or a horn. But now she never could be. She placed her head into the cloud, the softness and air always feel better.

Cadance heard wings flap, it must have been one of the birds that lived in the area. She didn't lift her head, they could wait.

"May I join you?" A familiar voice asked, it was gentle and friendly. It didn't sound at all like a bird. Cadance lifted her head to inspect the stranger and saw Princess Celestia. She knew she was suppose to be polite but Cadance was annoyed at Celestia. Without Celestia, nobody would know about Cadance being a Princess. Cadance would have just been the pony with extra bits, which they had just gotten use to.

"I will take that as a yes. I assume you a angry at me. It is understandable that you would be angry. Being a Princess is very hard and I need you to brave filly. You have a great destiny, I can tell."

Cadance was about to explode, but she used her breathing excercises to remain calm. "I don't want a great destiny. I want to be Cadance the pony with a horn and wings not Princess Mi Amore Cadenza the winged unicorn of Equestria. Thank you for your offer, but I like my life and I could not abandon my parents. I'm sorry Princess Celestia."

"I see, please call me Aunty Celestia. Even if you choose not to be a Princess, we are still family. If you change your mind, come to Canterlot Palace and show this." Celestia handed her a piece of paper, Cadance tucked it under her wing. "After showing this, ask for an audience with Princess Celestia or Aunty Celestia. Whatever you prefer."

"Thank you, but I won't be necessary."

"Of course, it was lovely meeting you Cadance."

Cadance watched the giant white alicorn leave and disapear to the ground below. She sat up here for many hours, Cadance rarely flew. She didn't want others to think of her as an outsider. This would be the last time she would be in the sky.

---

Cadance arrived home, very quickly. She was tempted to fly avoid the mob. But decided to walk. She was now a normal villager, she had no reason to hide.

She acted like a normal citizen and nobody bothered her. Since the Princess had left, she was left alone for the most part.

Cadance walked up to her house, it was one story and made of wood. It was simple, plain and had a large garden out the back. She loved where she lived, Cadance didn't need luxury.

She opened the door using her hoof and yelled, "Mum! Dad! I'm home. Is anypony there?" Cadance yelled so her voice could be heard through the entire house.

What was going on? Where were her parents? It was pitch black, Cadance was going to light her horn. But she couldn't, Cadance was normal now. Her horn and wings were......decoration. They did nothing, and were simply just there. Which exactly how she wanted it.

"Mum! Dad! Are you okay!" She yelled, they were both suppose to be home. Cadance heard rustling, were they being robbed, was somepony going to attack her.

She decided to use her magic, this was a once off. After this she would never use magic again. Cadance used her magic to light horn so she could see the area where she had heard the rustle. In the area, Cadance a green mare with a light green mane, it was her mother.

Her mother pulled her into a quick hig and then pushed her away. "Cadance, please Cadance leave. It is too dangerous."

"Mum, what happened? Please answer me."

"Your father is very sick and it is very contagious. He was escorted to the towns hospital but they don't have enough supplies and we can barely afford it. But don't worry, you are going to be fine."

Cadance was shocked her father was always so careful and hardly ever got sick. "Wait, what is going to dad? What do you mean, I will be fine. What about you?"

"I have spoken to Nurse Bouquet. She has agreed to take care of you until I can get back on my hooves."

"What about you and dad?"

"I am going to start working and I will be living at the hospital."

"Why can't you live here?"

"The disease might be here. They are blocking it off, till further notice. That is why we must leave, I don't want you to get sick. Come on, Cadance. We will be fine."

Cadance followed her mother but she could tell it wouldn't be fine. Without the house, Dads job and the vegetables they sold. They had nothing, they would not be fine. Maybe it wasn't as bad as everypony was making it.

"Mum, are we going to visit Dad?"

"Yes, and then you are going with Nurse Bouquet. You will be on your best behavior with her correct?"

"Of course, Mum." Cadance said, as she continued to follow her Mum. She looked back one last time at the house she loved. This felt like this would be the last time she would ever see it.

---

Cadance sat in the hospital room, Nurse Bouquet had told them her father had a deadly flu. Cadance couldn't trully sit next to him, his entire room was sealed off. She could only see him through the glass. She knew they were doomed. Her father was currently asleep, so she didn't speak to him. He needed his rest.

"Excuse me, Mrs Ivy. I will be leaving soon, please say your goodbyes to Cadanza."

"Oh of course, thank you for doing this Nurse Bouquet. May I have a private moment with my family."

"Of course." Nurse Bouquet then opened the door and walked out the door. She then closed the door behind her.

"I'm sorry Cadance. I am a horrible mother."

"No your not, you are the best mother."

"Thank you Cadance. I just wanted to say I love you and I will miss you. I don't know when we will next see each other, but just know I will always love you." Mum said, pulling Cadance close.

"I love you too Mum." Cadance said returning the hug. They stayed that way until her mother pulled away.

Her mother looked awful. She looked tired and she had tears running down her face. Cadance wished she had a tissue to give her.

"I have a gift for you, darling. A book that I use to read to you as a filly. When you read this, I will be in your heart and you will be in mine."

"Okay, Mum." Cadance didn't really understand but she liked the idea of feeling loved everytime she read a book.

There loving moment was interupted by knocking and a voice, "Mrs Ivy, my shift has ended. I'm leaving with Cadanza now."

Her mother quickly wiped her face and spoke, "Yes, yes come in. Cadance is ready and packed. We have said our goodbyes. Please come in."

Cadance quickly put her special book in her saddlebag. She didn't want Nurse Bouquet to know about the book.

"Thank you, Mrs Ivy. Now come on Cadanza we must go."

"Bye Mum, tell Dad I love him. If he wakes up when I'm not here."

"I will, darling. Have fun Cadance and behave."

---

Cadance felt sad as she was pulled away from her fathers hospital room.

"Don't worry, deary. Everything will be fine." Nurse Bouquet said, Cadance took a close look at the pony. She had a pink coat and a purple mane, and Cadance couldn't see her cutie mark because of her nurse uniform.

"Umm... Nurse Bouquet I was just wondering where is my mum staying in the hospital."

"Your Mum, isn't staying in the hospital. There is a motel downtown where she is renting a room."

"But we don't have that kind of money. She won't be able to stay long."

"Don't worry Cadanza. Your Mother has assured me everything will work out. Now wait here, while I go grab my coat."

Cadance wouldn't leave her family like this. She would take care of them, Cadance pulled out the piece of paper she had hidden among her feathers.

She would travel to Canterlot and then she would become a Princess. As a Princess she would have lots of money to help her family and others like hers.

Cadance walked out of the hospital and went to the marketplace. She needed somepony to show her how to get to Canterlot.

She found the perfect pony, Sir Jack. He was a merchant and claimed to have been everywhere. Sir Jack, was a dark blue Pegasus stallion with a long white mane. He had it tied close to the bottom of his ponytail and wore a jacket with wing holes.

Jack had taught everything she knew, after all Cadance was the only flier in the village. Everypony else were outsiders like Jack. Cadance liked Jack, he was the only Pegasus willing to teach her what she needed to know. Like preen and fly.

Cadance approached him and called out using his nickname, "Sir Jack!"

"Lady Dance. Have you come to show me how to dance." Jack said, moving his body in a awkward way.

"Not today Jack, I need your help. I need to get to Canterlot. Can you show me?"

"I can, but do your parents know you are doing this Lady Dance?" Jack asked, concerned.

"Please Jack, my father is sick. I want to help him."

"Fine Dance, you win as usual. You are just in luck. I am heading it that direction and I happen to have a special offer for maps."

"Really, Sir Jack. What is the special offer?"

"Completely free. But don't tell anyone, it would ruin me." He said with a wink.

"Thanks, Jack lets go."

"Fine, Lady Dance. But prehaps I should lead."

"Right." Cadance said, looking rather sheepish.

Cadance felt very grateful towards Jack. He was always helping everypony and had played with her when she was a little filly. He was the big brother she had never had.

---

They walked many miles before they rested. Cadance had never walked this far in her life. "Jack, can we please rest."

"Good call, Lady Dance. It is getting late and I am exhausted."

He pretended to fall in a heap. Which caused Cadance to laugh.

"So how do you usually set up camp? Do you make a fire? Do you have tents?"

"I don't have tents. We are going to sleep on clouds."

"Clouds, but I have never slept on a cloud."

"You should always try new things Lady Dance. Come on try it, I promise you will love it." Jack said, he then spread his wings and took flight.

"Come on, Lady Dance! You will love it."

"What if I don't" she yelled, Cadance was scared. She wasn't a very good pegasus.

"Then we can sleep on a tree together. I'm not going to leave you Lady Dance. I said I would get you there and I will."

Cadance removed her jacket and placed it in her saddlebag. It was like lying on a cloud, she told herself. She could do this, sleeping wasn't very different then lying down.

Cadance landed on the cloud, it was soft and felt lovely. Cadance strenched her wings and layed down next to Jack. But she had to stop streching her wings, as her feathers began to hurt.

"Would you like me to preen them for you?"

"No they can wait, besides preening wings are only suppose to be done by couples or family members."

"We are family though Lady Dance. Family is not just based on blood. I thought you knew that better then anypony." Jack said sadly.

"I do, its just I thought you didn't see me as anything other then a friend or a stranger. You never asked me if I wanted to come on your adventures or anything."

"You are such a silly filly Lady Dance. Sure I travel and have bever offered to bring you with me but that was because of three reasons. The first, you are a filly. The second, I thought you never wanted to leave the village. The third, I know how much you wanted to be normal. If you had left with me you would have never had that chance, the choice to be what you want to be."

"Thank you Jack."

"It is always a pleasure Lady Dance. Now Silly Fillies should go to bed or they won't be able to dance. Good Night Sister Dance."

"Good Night, Sir Brother."

Cadance felt content, she had forgotten all of her problems. She refuses to focus on the negative. Instead she focused on the positive, Cadance was no longer an only child.

Author's Note:

Thank you for reading and please leave a comment below.

Sliver Swirl.

Comments

[RainbowSparkle3]

Interesting concept, but maybe you should get an editor?

[Sliver Swirl]

8406249
Thanks, yeah I think I probably should get an Editor soon.

Thanks for reading

[Skywriter]

Seconded that it's an interesting premise! Also seconded that it probably could use a good editing pass to clean up some issues with tense, punctuation and slightly awkward phrasing. Thank you for sharing it! Celestia's making financial aid available to the village contingent on Cadance's returning to Canterlot is kind of a jerk move, and I think I prefer it a little later when it's implied that Cady naively (but quite possibly correctly?) believes that she'll have lots of discretionary income to send back home, rather than having Celly dangle it. Jack is an interesting OC and the relationship between these two could be interesting.

[Sliver Swirl]

8406566
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.

[Yosh-E-O]

This is certainly a lot more emotional and in-depth of a back story for Cadance than what is presented in "Twilight Sparkle and The Crystal Heart Spell". It's kind of refreshing to read a tale that shows how Cadance had to 'learn' to be the Princess of Love instead of always just being that way and ascending to Princess at a very young age out of the blue.

The conflict you introduce on Cadance is certainly relatable. Everyone just wants to fit in. Being an Alicorn definitely does not help her to fit in. Even if she was not known for being a relative to Celestia the citizens would've assumed she was a Princess as a result of her Alicorn appearance. She'd have still gotten the same treatment from the poor town ponies and been hit with the struggle that lead us to the next emotional blow of being separated from her adopted parents.

Sir Jack is definitely a great character, too. He is well developed and definitely one who does his best to be proper despite his traveler / outsider status.

It will be interesting to read more as you get to doing this tale. Cadance is one of my favorite characters and I know you'll do an awesome job of giving her an epic back story. :)

[Sliver Swirl]

8406920
Thanks