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// Born and Raised in South Detroit 
// Story: Don't Stop Believing 
// by Mitslits 
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	Born and Raised in South Detroit

A small blue colt played in a huge yard. A brown stallion galloped past him and into the mansion behind him. A young Indigo Moon followed the visitor with his eyes, then shrugged and went back to his game.

Shouting came from the inside of the mansion and a light blue mare cantered out crying. "Come on, Indigo Moon!" she called.

"Mom! Don't use my full name", he complained, but he trotted after her anyways. "Am I going to get my cutie mark?" Indy asked as they got farther and farther away from his house.

"No, darling", the light blue mare replied softly.

They spent that night miles away from the house, out in the open. In the morning, she led him deeper into Detroit. They began to get into bad parts of the town and there the mother stopped. "Wait here."

She trotted off. And she never came back.

Indigo Moon waited two days in that same alley, watching for his mother. After that, he learned to survive on the streets by stealing. One day, he stole food that would change his life.

"A whole ham sandwich!" Indy whispered to himself, eyeing the morsel sitting on a green pony's lap. He crept behind the green pony and flicked a twig to one side.

The pony looked over, but looked back in time to see a small hoof retreating behind the bench with her sandwich.

She glared down at the little figure beneath her, but stopped when she saw how absolutely terrified he was. She laughed and reached for him.

Indigo snapped into action. He spun, but he wasn't fast enough. Hooves encircled his waist and he was lifted onto the bench.

"And who are you?" she asked.

Indy lashed out, eyes squeezed shut and eyes turned away from her face. "Let go!"

The pony leaned back and laughed. "Woah, there! I just want a name. Tell you what. I'll go first. Hi there, I'm Horizon. Now it's your turn."

Indigo Moon peered curiously at her flank. A rose with a sun behind it complimented her mint green fur nicely. "Indigo Moon" he whispered cautiously.

Horizon cuddled him close to her chest. "Where are your parents? You should be getting home."

Indigo Moon pulled away from her and leaped to the ground. "I don't need a mother", he spat. He ran as quickly as he could.

Horizon was faster. She skidded in front of him and caught him. "Okay, what happened?" she asked sternly. "Every kid needs a mother." She sighed. "Trust me."

Indy finally submitted. Tears ran down his face. "I don't need a mother", he repeated.

Horizon led him to her house. "And I won't be a mother", she promised. "I'll be a best friend."