//------------------------------//
// Action 
// Story: Life of Cinder 
// by SandStorms 
//------------------------------//

Cinder nodded to Stone as they sat at the table for lunch. They were finally putting their plan into motion. It was two weeks after the incident involving Blitz and Cinder. They wanted to get this done quick.
Blitz had already made an attempt to get to Cinder. Cinder had woken up and gone to the bathrooms to get ready for the day. Luckily Stone had spotted Blitz following the young colt and stopped the pegasus before he tried anything. They both agreed that they needed to follow through on their plans. They knew Blitz would just be waiting until he had a chance to get at the colt.
Since the incident Dusty had been hanging out closer to Cinder during dining hours and even sat in the dorms during the day every once in a while. He always seemed to be near Cinder, Stone and Cinder noticed this and assumed the orphanage told him to hang around them.
This just made Cinder and Stone’s job so much easier. Cinder call out to Dusty, “Hey Dusty quick question!”
Dusty looked at the colt oddly as Cinder never started conversations with him. He walked over to the table and stood at the end of the table by Stone. “What do you want to know?”
“Well Stone was telling me about his cutie mark earlier and I got to wondering how you got yours,” Cinder replied, “if you don’t mind sharing.” He added sheepishly.
“Sure I guess, now when was it?” Dusty thought to himself.
“Excuse me but I need to use the little colts room.” He said standing; he bumped into Dusty as he passed him, “Sorry!” He said quickly with a weak smile and dashed off towards the bathrooms.
Dusty chuckled as he watched Stone sprint off, “I wonder why ponies are so intimidated by size so much, I bet that colt could over power me without trying.” He said.
“Well I assuming you know what my cutie mark is to start,” He said turning showing Cinder, “it’s a Shield, it appeared later then all my friends, I was maybe a year younger that Stone is now….” Dusty said. Cinder drowned out the story and nodded a few times during his speech, but his attention was focused on Stone.
The young stallion returned a few minutes later. Again he bumped Dusty returning to his seat, he flinched when Dusty looked at him, then his serious expression brightened, “Just kidding, look son you don’t have to be scared of me. I respect you, protecting this colt here.” He patted Stone on the back.
“Thanks.” Stone murmured.
Dusty returned his gaze to Cinder and said, “So that’s how I got my cutie mark, you like the story?”
“It was great thanks!” Cinder said smiling.
“You boys have fun!” Dusty said walking away.
After a moment Cinder turned to Stone and asked, “Did you get it?”
“Yea, I got it, piece of cake.” Stone said holding up a tin container filled with clay, Cinder could see an imprint of a key in the clay.
“Perfect!” Cinder said.
~~~
“Stone,” Miss Grey’s voice called out, she spotted him sitting on his bed talking with Cinder, she walked over to the pair, “time to go,” She said quietly.
Stone rose up put his saddle bags on, he turned to Cinder put his front leg around Cinder’s neck and pulled him into a headlock, then rubbed his free hoof in his mane. “I’m going to miss you bro.” Stone stopped his playful assault and pulled Cinder into a hug. “Remember what we have talked about, you have to stay strong.”
“I will,” Cinder relied returning the hug, “I’m going to miss you too.”
They broke of the hug and Stone turned to the grey mare. She looked at the two boys, smiled and said, “Stone you will always be allowed to visit Cinder here, now let’s get you out of here.”  Miss Grey walked him out of the dorms.
~~~
Cinder watched the two ponies leave the room and the door shut behind them. He laid down on his bed looking at the ceiling. He was alone once again…
Cinder turned his head and his eyes fell on his saddle bags. He rolled off his bed and retrieved an item he hadn’t looked at in while. He grabbed him family portrait and sat on the edge of his bed. He stared at the photo for a minute or so. Then he murmured to himself, “Mom, dad, if you’re out there somewhere just show me you’re watching…” Nothing, Cinder sighed he didn’t know what he was trying to accomplish by doing that. 
Cinder put the picture down on his bed. He reached into his saddle bags once again and retrieved the tin container. He opened it and inside rested and metal key. Cinder thought back to how they got it casted. A pony was brought in monthly for a sort of arts and crafts day. A few days ago the pony was a metal worker. He had all the kids making things like miniature ponies to a house all out of metal scraps. One foolish colt decided to try and make a knife. He was taken to the head administrator’s office and had to spend the day there. Cinder went up to the pony in charge of the crafts and asked him if he could cast the key, when the pony asked why, Cinder gave him a sob story on how it was the key to his old house and he wanted the key to remind him of his murdered parents. He even managed to add in a few tears to seal the deal. 
The stallion didn’t have a chance against the young colt. He soon had the key casted and returned it to the colt. He said the usual line of ‘I’m sorry to hear about your parents.’ Then Cinder said thanks and hopped away, now thinking back how that probably was a little too much. A colt who had been crying about losing his parents hopping away like he had been given a bag of candy. Cinder shook his head chuckling about his close call. 
He then turned and packed his things, he was leaving tonight after all…