//------------------------------//
// New Home 
// Story: Life of Cinder 
// by SandStorms 
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Cinder and Miss Grey had basically walked across the entire length of Canterlot when they arrived on the edge of the slums. It was early night when they had arrived. I guess time flies without parents, Cinder thought glumly.
Cinder gathered his surroundings the orphanage was a large (compared to the surrounding homes) brick building. The homes, or better to be described as shacks, were old and sagging under the weight of their own roofs. He spotted a couple of homeless ponies lying under tattered blankets next to the road. Cinder sighed, I imagine that’s what I’m going to become when I’m older. After all there wasn’t much left for him, as they only brought in enough income to put food on the table and a roof over their head.
“Let’s get inside so you can settle in,” Miss Grey urged. Cinder and the mare started towards the door.
In the next twenty minutes felt like hours, getting Cinder checked in consisted of a stack of papers, and issuing simple toiletries like a tooth brush. After the papers where completed, much to Cinder’s horror, they had to search through his bags. Cinder handed his bag to the rather large stallion that was called from the back. He was a light brown Pegasus pony with a dark brown mane. Cinder glanced at his cutie mark and saw it was some sort of shield. Must be some sort of guard, Cinder thought. Cinder pushed his urge to panic down as the stallion looked into his bag. He pushed a few things to the side as he looked at the bottom. Cinder almost jumped out of his skin when the stallion hovered his hoof over the towel containing the dagger. He reached down and grabbed the family picture. He held it for a moment studying the picture.
Miss Grey whispered into the stallions ear, no doubt telling him the current condition of my parents. The stallion looked up with sympathy apparent in his eyes. “I’m so sorry about your parents, Cinder is it?” The stallion said. His voice was nothing Cinder expected, it wasn’t deep and unwelcoming as Cinder had suspected, it was so sincere and comforting. The stallion’s voice reminded him of his father’s voice, always there to comfort him.
Cinder nodded, tears slowly forming in his eyes. The stallion could see that Cinder would not last long holding back his tears. He quickly buckled the bags shut and slid them towards Cinder. “If you need anything, don’t think twice before asking me, my name is Shifting Sands, but everypony just calls me Dusty.”
Cinder nodded feeling better that there was a least somepony that he could trust. He didn’t know why he trusted the stallion so much but he couldn’t help himself.
Cinder and Miss Grey then walked down the hall. They stopped at a door at the end of the hall.
Miss Grey looked down at him and said, “Welcome to your new home.”
~~~
“I want you all to make Cinder here feel welcome.” Miss Grey said looking down at the ponies in the room. They ranged in age from Cinder’s age to being close to being called young adults. Cinder tried to read the faces of the ponies around him. But the only thing he saw in their faces was uncertainty.
Cinder looked to the floor avoiding eye contact with everyone, he felt their eyes boring into him as they summed up the newcomer.
Time stretched on as everyone stared at him, after what seemed like an hour, Miss Grey showed him to his bed. It was a simple bed with a thin sheet and a wool blanket. Under his bed there was a small foot locker were he could put his things.
Cinder unpacked his things and laid down on his bed. Cinder lost track of time, because he snapped back into reality when Miss Grey was announcing lights out. Cinder crawled under the covers of his new bed. He was exhausted, due to the fact that he hadn’t been sleeping well, whenever sleep did come to him, he was always awakened by a dream of his parents on their last night together. Cinder sighed wishing he didn’t have to go to bed, scared about reliving that night all over again, but he knew that he need sleep.
Whispers around the room finally quieted down around him as the rest of the children fell into a deep sleep. All alone, was the last thought that went through Cinder’s mind before he fell asleep. Cinder sighed and his eyes fluttered shut as sleep came over him.