History YouAreNotAlone / Literature

** Psalm 23, a common prayer of strength is a reminder to not be afraid because no matter what comes: God will stand with you.

* ''Literature/ChrysalisRinoZ'': Sarah has lives two lives full of fear, first on Earth and then on Pangera, becoming lost in rage and violence to survive, but Anthony assures her that the Colony is her family now.

* In ''Literature/ABrothersPrice'', the Whistler family are quite fond of this trope. If you are friends with them, you will never be alone. Eldest Whistler tells Jerin to hold his head high, and fear not, for he is a Whistler, and will always have the protection of his family. (As there are more than fifty of them, all trained gunwomen, this is not an empty promise.)

* Kurt Vonnegut in Literature/{{Timequake}}: ''Many people need desperately to receive this message: "I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people don't care about them. You are not alone."''

* * This is the message that the anthropomorphic representation of philosophy brings to Creator/{{Boethius}} in ''The Consolations of Philosophy'': once you have become a philosopher, philosophy will always be with you, no matter what.

* In the ''Literature/CodexAlera'' series

* In ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles''

* In Lee Lightner's ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' Literature/SpaceWolf novel ''Sons of Fenris'', Ragnar goes to eat in the great hall and finds Haegr, a fellow member of the Wolfblade eating alone, and Berek's company, to which he used to belong. But when he goes in, Berek's company recognizes and rises up to greet him and surround him with such enthusiasm that he is deeply touched.
* In ''[[Literature/{{Temeraire}} His Majesty's Dragon]]'', Laurence forces Captain Rankin to go to his dragon Levitas as he lies dying. Rankin has been neglecting and verbally abusing Levitas throughout most of the book, so Levitas' final heartfelt "You came..." makes the scene even more of a tearjerker.
** The tail end of ''[[WhamEpisode Empire of Ivory]]'' also features this. After telling Temeraire that the Admiralty had [[TyphoidMary released a dragon infected with the plague that nearly killed Britain's air forces]], Laurence dismisses his suggestion of getting the cure over there as treason in no uncertain terms.
-->'''Laurence''': "The government is not of my party, the King is ill and mad, but I have given my word!"\\
'''Temeraire''': "Then I must go alone... I will go alone...."\\
'''Laurence''': (after a very long pause) [[ToBeLawfulOrGood "No."]]
* Creator/GordonRDickson's short story "Steel Brother". A young man is alone running a robotic outpost in space to guard against the alien enemy. He can't face the fear until [[spoiler:after he fails in battle and finally surrenders his mind to the computer memory banks where he discovers that the past (deceased) commander of the post left him a message, the same one every member of the corps leaves for his successor, "You are not alone, all along the frontier there is one of us standing guard, even if you die, another will take your place"]].

* In Matt Farrer's "After Desh'ea" (in the ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' Literature/HorusHeresy book ''Tales of Heresy''), Angron's rage stems from his current isolation, [[SoleSurvivor all his friends and comrades having died in their rebellion]]. Kharne persuades him that the War Hounds desire only to join him, and he is deeply moved by the thought of their being loyal to him, and the salute they give him when he comes to them -- he is a general again.
** The Heresy novels also provide a profoundly disturbing example of this trope. Early in ''The First Heretic'', Argel Tal looked down on the [[PraetorianGuard Adeptus Custodes]], who fought as individuals in contrast with Tal and his fellow Word Bearers. By the end of the book, Argel Tal's squadmates are either dead or twisted beyond recognition, any bonds of fellowship broken, and he muses that his brothers are dead... at which point Raum, [[DemonicPossession the creature co-habitating his body]], [[FalseReassurance assures him]] "''I am your brother.''"

* [[Franchise/StarWarsLegends Ferus Olin]], after being mortally wounded by Darth Vader, is found by Leia, who holds his hand as he dies. He doesn't know she's there - he sees Roan Lands, the man who had been "[[HoYay/StarWarsLegends his partner and friend for the best years of his life]]" and who had died twenty years before this.
--> "Did you really think I would leave you here alone?"
** That same book has Luke captured and tortured. Obi-Wan's spirit, and perhaps [[SentientCosmicForce the Force]], stay with him to keep him from giving up.
* ''Literature/GalaxyOfFear'': Tash at several points is alone and afraid, and sometimes the Force helps her.
--> ''You're not alone, Tash. You're never alone.''
* At the end of ''Literature/HaloGhostsOfOnyx'', Kurt Ambrose is mortally wounded and barely able to stay conscious when the Elite commander approaches the rapidly closing portal that Kurt had stayed to defend. As he summons the will to stand, he sees a vision of all the previously fallen Spartans, both the Spartan-[=II=]s that he had served beside and the Spartan-[=III=]s that he had trained. In unison, they silently give him the thumbs-up "can do" signal, and it steels his nerve for what he has to do.
* In the first chapter of ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour'', Winston takes a look at O'Brien and imagines him saying this. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, [[FalseFriend O'Brien is far, FAR from being on Winston's side]]]].
* In Jack Campbell's ''[[Literature/TheLostFleet Relentless]]'', when Geary faces returning to Alliance space a century since he left it, the sole survivor of that era, Desjani assures him he will not be alone.
* In Creator/JulietMarillier's ''Literature/SonOfTheShadows'', Bran is in a coma. Every man in his band tells a story of how he reached out his hand to them and gave them a place and an identity, to remind him that there are many people who love and need him.

* In Literature/TheBible, God is always sending a word of encouragement to those who choose to be on His side. Here's a few highlights (though not an extensive list):
** To Joshua, as he's facing the prospect of filling Moses' very big shoes and leading the Israelites.
---> "As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you."
** To Elijah, as he's having a HeroicBSOD.
---> "Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him."
** And Jesus to His disciples, as He's about to ascend into heaven.
---> "...surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
** Psalm 23, a common prayer of strength is a reminder to not be afraid because no matter what comes: God will stand with you.
---> "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me."
* The endings of both ''Brisingr'' and ''Inheritance'' from ''Literature/InheritanceCycle'' feature Eragon lamenting his state of being alone and then being buoyed by the knowledge of the friends and family he has to help him and realizing that he is not alone.
** A little spoiled by his self-imposed exile.
* In the second book of the ''Literature/{{Croak}}'' trilogy, Lex comes back to town expecting her friends [[spoiler: and dead sister]] to hate her. None of them do. [[spoiler: Practically everyone else in the town does, but that's beside the point.]]
* Happens pretty early on in ''Literature/TheZombieKnight''. Shortly after becoming [[GrimReaper Garovel's]] servant, [[ShrinkingViolet Hector]] [[spoiler:who has been resurrected after killing himself out of loneliness]] is terrified at the thought of Garovel leaving.
-->'''Hector:''' Um... please... um...
-->'''Garovel:''' Hmm?
-->'''Hector:''' [[PleaseDontLeaveMe Please... don't leave me alone...]]
-->'''Garovel:''' Don't you remember? When you talk to me in your head, I'll hear you no matter where I am. So don't frown like that. You understand? You're never alone, Hector. Not anymore.

* In ''Literature/StarshipTroopers'' the Mobile Infantry have an institutional loathing of leaving a comrade behind. Even in situations that are dire and require a retreat, the [=MI=] will go to great lengths to make sure that not even a single one of their soldiers gets left on the battlefield.
* This is a central theme in ''Literature/ThoseThatWake'' and its sequel, ''What We Become''.
* A variation on this is Barclay's justification for working with [[JerkAss Bruce Maddox]] on an AI project in the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' novel "Immortal Coil": if he and Maddox can create a Soong-type android, Data won't be alone any more.
* When Blake Thorburn in ''Literature/{{Pact}}'' is on his last legs, out of options to complete the ImpossibleTask given to him by the [[AnthropomorphicPersonification Incarnation of Conquest]] in order to avoid becoming Conquest's slave, he makes it back to his apartment, where his [[UnwittingMuggleFriend Unwitting Muggle Friends]] Joel and Alexis have been waiting, having become [[KeepingSecretsSucks increasingly concerned about his erratic behavior over the past few days.]] The two of them remind him that it's okay to be selfish, and he decides, instead of [[ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies keeping his friends out of the supernatural for their own safety,]] to bring them in on the secret.
* In Jeramey Kraatz's Literature/TheCloakSociety book ''Fall of Heroes'', inverted. [[spoiler:Amp]] objects to leaving [[spoiler:his parents]] alone in the Gloom. Their response is that they are not alone, with the obvious implication that they have each other.
* In ''Literature/DoraWilkSeries'', when Bogna is close to mental breakdown because of her magic and her son is attacked by supernatural, Dora tells her this and promises to introduce her to other magicals and explain everything to her.

* ''Literature/BruceCovillesBookOf Aliens II'': ''Alien Promises'' ends with this; so many people have learned about the aliens and kept their promises to meet up with them when they return. There's too many of them for the aliens to take... but the aliens point out that they're all connected now because of this experience. After that night, the humans who were all there talk and agree to do what they can to create a ship so they can go out into space one day.

* Dumbledore leans on this in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'': "I am not afraid, Harry. [[MeaningfulEcho I am with you.]]"

-->"In dark Mindolluin's sides they dimly echoed. Great horns of the North wildly blowing. Rohan had come at last."

* ''Literature/GalaxyOfFear'': Tash at several points is alone and afraid, and sometimes TheForce helps her.

** Jim Butcher also wrote a rather touching instance of this trope in the book ''Small Favor.'' [[spoiler:The Archive, a twelve-year-old girl who is also the repository of all recorded human knowledge, has been kidnapped by [[ClassicVillain Denarians]] who intend to torture her until she becomes one of them. Just before heading into a probably suicidal battle to save her, [[OccultDetective Harry]] sits down and writes: ''You are not alone... We're coming after you. Don't listen to them. Hang on... You are not alone.'' Post-rescue, the little girl cries in his arms and whispers, "I got your letter. Thank you."]]
** Also, from a conversation between Harry and his father in ''Dead Beat:

* [[Franchise/StarWarsLegends Ferus Olin]], after being mortally wounded by Darth Vader, is found by Leia, who holds his hand as he dies. He doesn't know she's there - he sees Roan Lands, the man who had been "[[HoYay/StarWarLegends his partner and friend for the best years of his life]]" and who had died twenty years before this.

* [[Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse Ferus Olin]], after being mortally wounded by Darth Vader, is found by Leia, who holds his hand as he dies. He doesn't know she's there - he sees Roan Lands, the man who had been "[[HoYay/StarWarsExpandedUniverse his partner and friend for the best years of his life]]" and who had died twenty years before this.

* TheLordOfTheRings gives us the siege of Minas Tirith, where the defenders are trapped inside the city and outnumbered roughly 1,000 to 1. Very little help has come, and [[TheCavalry Rohan]] (their neighbors to the West) failed to answer their called for help. The dawn comes, and the defenders can only watch as the enemy breaches the city gates. Suddenly:

* Early in ''Literature/HeirToTheEmpire'', Obi-Wan appears to [[StarWars Luke Skywalker]] in a dream. Luke tells him that it's been a long time, and Obi-Wan tells him that it's going to be a lot longer - he's here to say goodbye. He can't be Luke's SpiritAdvisor anymore. When he vanishes, a despairing Luke thinks that that's it - he's alone. [[LastOfHisKind The last Jedi]]. The last thing Obi-Wan tells him is ''Not the last of the old, Luke. The first of the new.''

** There are tons of examples in HP. Ron in the Shrieking Shack in ''Prisoner of Azkaban'': "If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!" Neville in the Ministry of Magic in ''Order of the Phoenix'': "[[LoserHasYourBack HE'S NOT ALONE! HE'S STILL GOT ME]]!" [=McGonagall=] during Dumbledore's arrest scene in the same: "He will ''not'' be single-handed!" Et cetera.
*** Which makes sense, since the series is about the PowerOfLove. In ''Deathly Hallows'', virtually every character in the book alive [[spoiler:and dead]] joins in to fight Voldemort's forces, all just so that Harry can be protected long enough to find the last Horcrux. Even before that, it's implied that the students of Hogwarts remain loyal to him and continue their own resistance, so that they'll be ready when Harry returns to help them.

** This is also the gist of Dumbledore's reassurance to Harry both in ''Chamber of Secrets'' and at the end of ''Deathly Hallows'':

* Kurt Vonnegut in {{Timequake}}: ''Many people need desperately to receive this message: "I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people don't care about them. You are not alone."''

* In Literature/TheBible, following God is presented as rather impossible without divine intervention, so God is always sending a word of encouragement to those who choose to be on His side. Here's a few highlights:

* In Lee Lightner's ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' SpaceWolf novel ''Sons of Fenris'', Ragnar goes to eat in the great hall and finds Haegr, a fellow member of the Wolfblade eating alone, and Berek's company, to which he used to belong. But when he goes in, Berek's company recognizes and rises up to greet him and surround him with such enthusiasm that he is deeply touched.