> You Are Not Alone > by Shining Star > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Ray of Light > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The icy rain fell to the ground in torrents mixing with the tears rolling down her face. She continued to let tears fall as more sobs racked her shivering and numb body. At the slightest movement the mud around her would squelch and cover more of her pink coat. Her once tidy and well-kept mane lay flat against her skull and neck getting knotted and wet. But she didn’t care anymore; she didn’t care about anything… Cadance looked at the two grey tombstones with her beloved parents name’s carved into the front along with their date of death. Why did they have to do die?! she screamed in her head. They didn’t deserve this! More sobs shook through her aching body as more sorrow consumed her. Her parents… who stood up for her through thick and thin after it happened. The day she became abnormal, freakish, different. That was the day a horn grew on her head and she became the village freak. A pony with wings and a horn. Where she came from in her remote village, no pony had heard of a pony with both. Some people could barely look at her. All her friends left her, her grand-mother Fauna refused to let her in her house! It hurt her so much when everypony left her alone, didn’t speak to her, didn’t even look at her. She didn’t know what to do; all she had done was show up that Lady Prisima and show her what love truly meant to ponies. That it couldn’t be used as a weapon towards others. It had worked and she managed to change the witches heart to one of good and kindness but then she blanked out. The next thing she knew, she was waking up in her room with a horn a top her head and a crystal heart cutie mark on her flank. She had been delighted to finally receive her cutie mark and went to go show it off to her friends, but that’s where things all went down hill… Though in the darkness, she could just remember a bright light, flashing images and a soft musical voice talking to her, like a dream, but nothing else. Soft hooves squelched through the mud. Cadence didn’t turn to see who had come to see her, she couldn’t care any less. The rain drops stopped falling on top of her head and she finally turned to see the social worker, Miss Quill, who brought her here. The grey unicorn mare held an umbrella above her head attempting to keep the filly dry. She looked at the crying filly with pity written clearly on her face. “Cadence dear, it’s time to go.” The worker spoke softly, trying to keep the grieving filly calm. Cadence ears laided flat against her head. She glared at the mare with hatred. “No!” she stood up and moved away from the comfort of the umbrella. “I want to stay here. If I go, I’ll be all alone. I want to stay.” Her voice stayed steady as she stared at the dirt mounds on top of her parent’s coffins. Miss Quill felt so sorry for the poor filly; it was cases like this that made her really wonder why she stayed doing her job. “But Cadence, we’re going to find you a new home. A new family.” Cadence felt more tears fall from her red eyes. Cadence shook her head. “I don’t want a new family! No pony wants me. I’m too different…” Cadence’s voice drifted off in defeat as she sat back on the ground and ignored Miss Quill’s stunned silence. She would stay here with her parents until she too died and could be with them. But fate could be cruel, she knew that all too well, she knew that her wishes would never be fulfilled and her meek young body would be dragged away to another ponies house to grow up. A larger hoof fall resounded through the mud behind her. Finally decided to bring a stallion out to drag me away to the carriage… she thought miserably. But the pair of hooves to drag her away never touched her body. Instead she felt the chill of more rain fall on her body. She waited and waited finally deciding to forget the noise and again turn her mind back to grieving. A soft voice cleared her throat trying to bring the attention of the social worker to herself . “Excuse me, but may I try?” Miss Quill gasped filled the air. “Oh!” she stuttered. “Why yes, of course.” The rain around Cadence’s slowly stopped falling across her body. Instead of the slow rain she felt the warm rays of the glowing sun shine onto her coat. The sounds of hooves got closer sounding un like any hooves she had heard before. Delicate yet loud and heavy. She glanced at the hooves in question and was shocked at what she saw. A long thin white leg and hoof that looked like it went on forever, with a gold horse shoe twirling up the leg in delicate curves. Cadence gasped and looked at the rest of the pony. What she saw looked like a goddess and most likely was. A tall pure white unicorn stood in front of her. A magical mane of many colours flowed on an imaginary breeze around her head. The mare’s muzzle was flat and long with delicate pink eyes framed with long black lashes. Her long horn’s base stood in front of her majestic gold crown set with a single amethyst jewel, matching her necklace. The most shocking feature to Cadence was the set of large white wings that were folded neatly on her back. She has… she has a horn and wings… Cadence gazed upon the beautiful mare with awe. The mare’s face was set in a face of kind understanding. The goddess leaned down to the tiny filly with a small smile of kindness. “You’re not as different as you may think.” The mare’s soft voice said with kindness. Cadence continued to stare upon the goddess. She saw the golden sun cutie mark on the mares flank and realised this was the mysterious sun princess who lived in the capital of Equestria. Travellers had sometimes spoken of this princess, bringing tales of how she raised the sun and moon. The goddess kneeled down to the filly’s height and pulled her into a hug. Cadence closed her eyes and let the warmth from the mare’s body fill her soul with hope. The goddess nuzzled the little filly in her fore-legs with kindness. “And you are not alone…”