The Redeemed

If it was said that he had a troubled life, the understatement would be massive.
Most have good lives that take a bad turn, some do things they regret.
His life started with death, which is a shame; since life ends with it as well.

Angry thunderheads smothered the night sky yet again.The light rain had fallen upon Manehatten for several days, the foggy streets packed with commuting ponies carrying umbrellas.
Lightning flashed in the clouds above as frantic weather ponies flew this way and that in an attempt to break apart the growing storm.
CRASH! thunder sounded and shortly after, the steady drizzle grew to a downpour in mere seconds.
Down below,not to the ground, but atop a building; a young pegasus stirred from his relatively short nap.
The colt shivered and sneezed, rain droplets flew from his coat of grey.
He shook his head, sending more droplets from his black and white mane.
"Damn rain..." the colt muttered and stood up, his body aching from both the cold and the hard concrete he had been laying upon. The building on which he stood was not particularly tall but it would, never the less be a nasty mess if somepony were to fall off.
The colt grunted as he stretched his wings and legs, numerous scars littering his body shifted as he loosened up.
"Oh well shade, looks like it's you versus the world.....again" he said to himself and opened his pale blue, sightless, eyes.
It was times such as this that the colt, Shadestep, strained to refrain from thoughts of lament.
He was the son of a unicorn (his mother) and a pegasus for a father.
While his mother aided research into curing natural disabilities, his father managed the weather of the area.
Long story short, shade was born blind.When his mother found out, she grew intent on casting a spell to cure his condition.
In her weakened state, his mother cast the spell.....killing herself in the process.
Something happened that night, the colt seemed no different; as if the spell had failed.
Ever since that night, his family and town resented him for "causing" the selfless mare's death.
Only many years later, after he left, did he discover his unique ability.... his "sight".
Shadestep had named himself after his silence , it was his only pride. Ponies would think he took pride in his "sight", the magic residing in his soul. Shade did appreciate it of course, but whenever he thought about it, he reminded himself that he was the reason his mother died....that he did not deserve the gift she left him.
He would stay up some nights, wishing he would have died in her stead....but then again, he had never had a choice in the matter.
But, for those curious about the "sight" of one who is blind, explaining is needed...
When his mother gave her life, she gave part of her soul...her magic, to him.
She knew what would happen, that she would give up part of herself for the spell to work.
However,
she had miscalculated.
Yes, she was willing to give up her life, but why do so when there are better options?
Either way, she had messed up and underestimated the toll the spell would take on her.
She gave him the ability to use magic as an extrasensory function....like a sixth sense.
It only allowed him to recognize the presence of objects around him,
not their shade, tint, nor color.
As for his other senses, shade trained them so as not to rely on the magic.
The same went for his physical agility and strength. And after years of work and hardship, he learned to love something that made him feel free, boundless, happy.
His ability to fly.
"Gah!" "Oh sweet celestia!" shade hissed in pain as he worked out an agonizing crick in his neck.
He twisted his head a sharp ninety degrees, resulting in several loud cracks accompanied by another hiss of pain.
His black, not to mention soaked mane draped over his left eye while he blinked and he shook himself yet again, but whatever water was freed was soon replaced with what seemed like an infinite number of raindrops.
Shade unfolded his black feathered wings and, with another shiver, shot into the air, leaving a shadowy trail behind.
A single commuter just happened to look up, oblivious to the raindrops stinging her eyes as she witnessed a dark shape shoot through the air. Her shocked gasp went unnoticed in the crowded street.
Shade felt the sting of the rain on his scarred face as he soundlessly shot above the crowded streets.
As he did his routine flight he thought of various destinations.
The cafe? no, probably crowded right now...
The park? no, not in this weather... besides, what would be the point even if the sun was out?
......Maybe I could race....
Shade stopped and hovered for a moment above a small plaza.
He laughed momentarily then regained his composure.
Me!? race!? a blind pegasus!?.....that's just too damn funny!
But then again....I haven't crashed since I was a foal....
"Yo! get outta the sky! this is a no fly zone!" shade's thoughts were interrupted by an young, staunch sounding stallion.
"Huh? who're you?" shade turned his head in the voice's direction.
"What do you think I am? look at the badge!" shade cringed at the stallion's words.
Time for an educated guess.... "um are you a guard?" shade was pretty sure that's what he was right, after all, a badge?
"Close enough; public security, now get out of the air" the guard ordered, obviously annoyed.
Shade faked a snicker, "you can't get me out of the air if you can't fly up and get me, now can you?" please don't have wings, I swear to celestia, if he has wings-
"What! you sayin my wings don't serve me right!?" the guard all but roared.
....Well shit........... shade laughed nervously, and tried to work out a plan.
"Get your sorry flank down here, you dipshit" the stallion's tone took on a calmer more venomous tone.
Shade narrowed his eyes dipshit?! screw the plan, that sorrowful fuck! "ooh, your wings huh? did I strike a nerve?-"
Shade shook his head as he continued in a mocking tone "don't worry, I understand if you can't catch me after all, your probably slower than a slug".
The guard's eye twitched in anger who'd this punk think he was? flying in like he owned the place...like he didn't need to pay anyone his attention "I will knock you out of the sky, you disrespectful foal!" the guard's voice full of rage, his breath standing out in the cold, rain filled air.
Shade just smirked and with a flap of his wings, shot towards the dark clouds above with the guard in hot pursuit.

The thrill of the chase was all the young pegasus felt, even if he wasn't the one doing the chasing.
He hardly noticed the cursing guard trailing him, all he felt was the wind under his wings and the rain chilling him to the bone.
If you asked him where he felt he belonged, he wouldn't tell you but he honestly felt like he belonged with the rain, thunder, and the lightning. He loved the storm, apparently it didn't love him back.
He felt it, all the fur in his coat stood on end and his eyes widened as a brief epiphany took place.
A split second after the odd sensation made it's way through his body, lightning flashed.
Not even the guard saw him get struck, for he was off lost in a cloud somewhere.
And so shade plummeted, unconscious, miles away from manehattan, towards the not so soft ground far below.