//------------------------------//
// Chapter 6 
// Story: Alone 
// by Derpyx0 
//------------------------------//

	Sweetie Belle went over the plan in her head for the sixth time. She couldn't mess this up or she would lose the rebels. They were the only ones she had had for months! I can't let that go, Sweetie Belle concluded. Just like before, her fear blinded her common sense, the little common sense she had, at least. She was lucky Rarity wasn't there, or she wouldn't be able to go and prove herself. It seemed like days before it was finally time to meet at the alley. Sweetie Belle was the third one to arrive. Fireblaze, Moonwhisper, and Koly had arrived there before her. They stared at her solemnly. She knew, deep in the depths of her mind, that what they were doing was wrong, and they knew it too. "It is to prove you're loyal," Fireblaze answered as if he had read her thoughts. In reality though, he knew that frightened, yet knowing look that had flashed across her face. It happened to everypony, even Thunder. But not Koly, he thought, remembering her trial. She was small, not intimidating, and was mostly optimistic and talkative. Fireblaze would have refused her membership the minute he saw her, if not for what she did. Each rebel had shown him acts of bravery, self-confidence and slyness that he had approved of. Thunder was big, brave, and not afraid to show somepony up. He kept his mouth shut when necessary though, so that made him a prime candidate. Moonwhisper was tough, and very talented in the art of deception and cons, which Fireblaze admired. She was also a key pony in their group. Koly, on the other hand, was not good with other ponies and intimidation. No, Koly was sly and could get away from any situation unnoticed. In other words, she was the pony who led the stakeouts. She was the spy, and a very good one at that. She didn't always keep her mouth shut, and if it wasn't for her alerting them that the police ponies had arrived during her trial, then they would have been dead meat. Fireblaze, or FB as he was known by the other rebels, was in a situation like Sweetie Belle's, and look where he was at. He knew that he wasn't in a good place in life, but he had friends, ponies either feared or admired him, and he was a leader. It was all he ever wanted since Sis's death. That was why he had taken her in. No matter how tonight went, he wanted her in the group. If she wasn't good enough, then they would have to shape her up. He knew what it felt like to be in her boat, and he didn't want anypony to feel that way. 
He did know that this wasn't good for a kind mare like her. He never would have wanted to see her life like this, but who else was going to take her in? Adults sure didn't help kids with troubled pasts, or troubled lives. That's for sure. He and the other rebels agreed that they would never rely on an adult because they didn't get it. All the rebels had hit a bump in their lives at some point in time, and here, they could leave it all behind. Well, MOST of the rebels. Surprisingly, Fireblaze was the most reluctant to let his past go, and it didn't help that he carried the weight of the group. While some ponies had experienced deaths, just wound up in the wrong place, or ran away from home, FB had experienced even worse. 
He grew up with his mother, father, and sister, Raspberry. His mother never really cared for him and Raspberry, and his father was an addict. When his mother got pregnant with his would-have-been baby brother Bolt, she fled the house and never came back. Fireblaze's father took his anger out on him and his sister. Over the years, they were bruised, beaten, and starved. Their father blew most of his money on alcohol, and eventually showed up to work drunk. He was fired shortly after he dropped a box of expensive plates (he worked as a mail carrier at Heavy Lifter's Mail & Shipping Co.). With no steady income and what little money they had left being spent on alcohol, the sister and brother went hungry most days. The siblings made a little bit of money on their own by completing odd jobs for neighbors, but it was never enough. Their father became angry and even more abusive when he started losing at gambling and didn't have enough money for alcohol. 
The two finally left to live on the streets when the beating became so bad, his father picked up his sister with his magic, and slammed her into the floor. The two ran far, far away trying to escape their father. They hopped trains and went to church services for food. Some days they went hungry, but at least they had each other. When the train passed Hoover Cliff, Raspberry got very sick. Fireblaze couldn't make enough money to buy her medicine, and after three long, painful months, Raspberry died. It was a quiet death since she passed away when she was asleep. Fireblaze had felt incomplete without her. His whole life, they protected each other and now, he was alone. He wandered the train tracks until he reached a fork in them. Debating with himself, he finally decided to turn right. He walked, and walked, and eventually, found himself in a small town. He came upon a sign that said; 

Ponyville
A Place Where All Kinds of Ponies Come Together
	
Although he didn't want to get his hopes up, he thought that this might be the place where he could have a home and start over. He wandered and observed the town. He was in what he thought was the town square because it was surrounded by many little shops and houses. In the center was a large building labeled 'Town Hall'. He nervously trotted around and past the square. He was unsure if a colt his age would normally be out and about like this. Fireblaze cut through the cluster of buildings and emerged in an open area with a large, lit up tree. He didn't know what it was, but he felt something that seemed homely and warm, which pulled him in towards the tree. He suddenly found himself knocking on the door, only to look up and hit his head on a sign. He backed up and yelled, "Ow!" as he clutched his head with his hoof. He cursed, "Ponyfeathers." and looked at the sign that had hit him. It read, 'Ponyville Library'. A library, he thought. He felt so stupid! He knocked on the door of a li- His rant was interrupted by the creaking of the library's door. 
"Are you sure you heard a knock, Pinkie?" a sweet, soft voice asked. Although she sounded nice, Fireblaze wasn't taking an chances. He frantically inspected the clearing, searching for a place to hide. He spotted a clump of bushes and dived into them. He breathed quietly. If there was one thing he was good at, it was breathing almost silently. It was a lesson he had learned when he was just a little colt. Once, when he was hiding from his father, he was nervous, so he breathed too loudly. His father came into his room and opened up his closet. 
"There you are," he growled as he grabbed Fireblaze out of the closet. "Tried to hide from me, 'eh? I guess I won our little game." He smirked as he punched Fireblaze in the rib. From then on, Fireblaze learned to control his emotions and breathe quietly. He was brought back into reality by a voice that was different from the first one. "I'm sure Twily! And everypony knows this is an open library and they don't have to knock......." The mysterious pony Fireblaze thought was Pinkie paused. "Unless they're a new pony!" she yelled triumphantly. 
"Riiiight," the other pony FB thought was Twily replied with more than a hint of skepticism and sarcasm in her voice. Pinkie didn't seem to notice though.
"I'm sure, Twilight," Pinkie growled. Twily flinched. "Besides, I have a twitchy tail, my left ear is floppy, my back right hind leg feels tingly, AND my tummy just rumbled." Pinkie concluded. Twily looked fazed. She quickly shook her head. 
"And that means what exactly?" Fireblaze wasn't sure what that could mean. To him, that meant that she was probably having tail spasms and her ear was having a spasm also. Her hind leg was probably just feeling asleep, and she was hungry. 
"Well, the first three mean that there's a pony hiding within 10 feet of me, and the last one means that I'm hungry!" The pink pony grinned. "Well, I'm off Twi! I've gotta meet Spike at Sugarcube," Pinkie gasped, "in ten minutes!" She was off like a bullet. Twily, or, Twi, (Fireblaze wasn't really sure), sighed. The look on her face suggested she had faced Pinkie's antics before. She nosed around a bit, but not once did she come near the bushes. When she finally gave up and went inside, FB sighed in relief. If she found somepony like him lurking around..... who knows what would happen? Fireblaze arose shakily from the bush. His stomach growled. He had to get some food, but where? Fireblaze had taken what bits he had made that week, along with his sister's bits. He was sure she wouldn't mind. He strolled through the town, looking every which way. Unlike his home Las Pegasus, the streets were not filled with vendors. The only cart to be found was one selling daisies. Fireblaze didn't like to eat daisies without the bread though, so he didn't stop. Finally, after thirty minutes of searching, he came upon an apple cart filled to the brim with apples, apple tarts, apple pies, and apple fritters. 
"Hey there," the vendor pony greeted, causing Fireblaze to jump. "Sorry, didn't mean to get y'all riled up! Now, what'd you like?" Fireblaze stared at the assortment of fruit in front of him. He couldn't spend much here, for fear of losing all his bits. Eventually, he decided on the cheapest thing.
"I'll take a cider with an apple fritter," he ordered. The orange mare looked at him in surprise, then suspicion. 
"Are y'all sure ya wanna buy ah drink like that? Surely ah young'in like you shouldn't be 'drinkin the hard stuff like-" The mare was cut off by a large stallion. 
"Trouble at the orchard. The animals-" the stallion paused and glanced at Fireblaze. "A customer can wait at ah time like this, can't it sis?" the red stallion questioned. 
"Ah... ah guess Big Macintosh. Y'all get your apple stuff and go," she sternly ordered. "Now we should go." She and Big Macintosh galloped off. Fireblaze took his fritter and apple cider. He put the bits he owed on the table. Before he turned around, however, he questioned if the mare would notice one apple missing. Fireblaze pondered this and concluded with,'She knows my face too well.' After that, he took off into the sky. As he finished off his fritter, he felt something swoop by. He looked up to see the tail of a blue pony. He wondered who she was. When she flew to the ground, Fireblaze caught a glimpse of the most beautiful mare he had ever seen. Four ponies sat in a balloon. The first was a full grown mare. She had a white coat and a purple mane. The other three were fillies. One had beautiful purple and pink curly hair. Another had the most adorable bow. The last though,was the most stunning. She had the most determined look on her face. She put her orange hooves on the edge of the balloon, tilting it this way and that.
"Scootaloo, watch it! Y'all are gonna tip it!" The one with the bow scolded. The orange mare sighed and put her hooves back inside the balloon. Fireblaze sighed. Now, he would never see those beautiful purple ey- Fireblaze looked up to see an orange body getting closer. It was the mare! She was trying to flap her wings, it seemed, but she couldn't get herself to fly. Fireblaze's instinct told him to fly up and catch her, and he did. He slowly fluttered back onto the cloud and set her down. He sat there, expecting a hug, at least a thank you. But all he got was the face of a very angry filly. 
"I almost had it! But you... you! she growled. Her eyes stared daggers into him. She was raging. "You, you messed up my flight! Rainbow Dash said don't let anypony get in your way! And look who got in my way!" she screeched. 
"Now, Scoots! Why are you being so mean? That poor co-" The orange filly turned around and glared at the white one. She shrunk back and finally disappeared into the basket. "That was it! I felt it, and you ruined it! All I ever wanted is gone. Now I will never be able to fly. Hope your happy! You.... you monster!" The filly stormed off the cloud, and seemed to not have learned her lesson. She gave a short, curt flap of her wings and bounced off the cloud. Luckily, it wasn't much of a drop, so she fluttered safely to the ground. Fireblaze got up and put a hoof over his throbbing head. Although clouds were mostly soft, he hit his head on the pony-made rain capsule which held all the rain. It couldn't be seen through the cloud's fluffy exterior, but it was made entirely of metal. The balloon floated down to him. The older mare poked her head out.
"I'm so sorry, darling! Scootaloo, well, her idol and sister is becoming a Wonderbolt today, and Scootaloo wanted to impress her." The balloon floated closer. Out poked another two heads. The bowed one, and Sweetie Belle. Wait, Sweetie Belle?! Fireblaze thought. So that's what I recognize her from. So, the white mare must have been her sister that she told me about, and the pegasus.... must have been the one that..... died. Fireblaze finally realized. That determined little mare must have been the filly who had died that caused Sweetie Belle so much pain. After coming to this conclusion, Fireblaze stared of into space once more, until slipping back into memory lane once more.  "Her sister only had time to see one trick or else she would be late. We all thought poor Scootaloo would fall, so we prepared a cloud trampoline where she would land. It seems," the unicorn sighed, "that she was too anxious to get going. Again, I'm so sorry darling!" Th mare looked at him pitifully. One of the little mares spoke.
"Ya, sorry! Y'all just witnessed what ah like to call 'Scoot's Moody Rainbow Loving and Wants to Impress Her and Anypony Who Gets in Her Way Will Pay' side." Both unicorns and Fireblaze stared at her in confusion. "It happens, yah know," she grunted before marching to the back of the basket. After some more apologies and goodbyes, The balloon started floating down to the ground. Fireblaze was dazed. Never in his ten years of existing had he encountered something like that. Realizing it was getting dark, Fireblaze rose to his hooves and stretched his wings. He flew up and scanned around for a place to sleep for the night. He narrowed his choices down to two places. The abandoned-looking alley next to an over-sized gingerbread house, or the fluffy looking cloud to the right of him. Fireblaze chose the cloud. Using the last of his strength, he pushed two other fairly small clouds next to his chosen cloud. After much work, he finally pulled one last cloud over his structure. Before him sat a slightly tilted cloud structure that looked like it would collapse any minute. He nodded his head. Perfect, he thought. Fireblaze yawned when he reached his cloud hut. He curled into a ball and yawned once more. Then, he fell asleep. 
The next morning, he woke up hungry. That one word described most of his week, actually. After spending his last bit on dinner during day 5, he finally faced reality. He would have to start stealing. It was something he did to get by in Las Pegasus a lot, but it was different here. There, with the amount of bits he had, he couldn't even buy two meals. Here, if he could just find a job, he would be able to have two meals a day. Until he got one though, he would have to steal. He went to bed that night planning to steal an apple for breakfast from that orange mare. He would just have to find the cart again. He made his plan in his mind before allowing himself to rest.

~~~~~~

"Ugh, my head," Fireblaze groaned as he sat up in his makeshift hut. He had mistakenly placed his head on the rain carrier that night and now had a sore head. What was more painful than his head though, was his stomach. He had been eating good for a couple of days, and he had gotten used to that luxury. He bathed in a nearby pond before setting off to where he thought was the apple stand. Luckily, he was correct. Also luckily, the orange mare was arguing with another pony far away. If he was quick, he could steal the juicy apple right off the top. He crept closer, careful not to be too fast or slow. When he swiped the apple, he casually walked away. But, not before she spotted him. 
"Hey! You! Ya, you that's ah 'walkin away from mah cart! Get over here!" the orange mare ordered. Fireblaze obediently trotted up, trying to look as innocent as possible. "What do yah have behind your back?" she questioned. Sweat began to gather on Fireblaze's brow. The lying and excuses had always been his sister's thing. He wasn't an actor! 
He tried not to look suspicious. "Um, nothing..... Just, uh, walking by! See?" He giggled nervously while hiding the apple in his saddlebags. "Just walking." He demonstrated by pacing back and forth in front of the mare.
"Ah, I see," she replied sarcastically. "Now, what was that that y'all stuffed into your saddlebags not one minute ago?" Fireblaze sighed. She obviously saw right through him, and pushing his innocence on her would only make his case worse. But he was so hungry!
"Just, uh, my extra saddle strap! Just in case it breaks." His voice squeaked as he said that last word. He was planning to make a run for it, when the mare started talking again.
"Little colt, I'm the Element of Honesty, and ah can tell when a pony is lying." But Fireblaze was already off. "Get back here you little varmint!" the mare yelled, but he ignored her. Behind him, some commotion was going on, but he didn't turn around. Suddenly, he was swooped out of the air by a blue pony. It was the same one from earlier! Guess she didn't leave early, Fireblaze snorted. 
The pony looked down at him and said, "You're lucky I'm not going to drop you out of the sky for stealing my best friend's apples."
Fireblaze gulped and said weakly, "W- what makes you think I took your friend's apple?" She glared at him, then stole a glance at his saddlebag. 
"What's that bulge in there?" she questioned. Before he could reply, she had opened up his saddlebag and was snooping through it. 
"Hey, you have no right t-"
"Found it! You little thief!" The mare pulled out a bright red apple. 
"What makes you think I didn't buy that?"
"Applejack doesn't start selling for one hour! I know you stole it!" She set him down and he glared at her.
"What makes you think I didn't get it from somepony else?"
The mare placed him down and snorted. "I know you stole this because Applejack is the only pony in town with an apple farm, and the grocery store is locked." She looked at him with a look of triumph. "Now, lets get you over to the 'buckin police station. I've got work to do." She lugged him all the way down the street toward a large, navy building. When they got inside, she shouted, "Hey, Whooves? You here? I've got a case for you." 
After a little while, the pair heard a, "Wait just a minute, Rainbow Dash!" Suddenly, a brown-coated pony with a brown mane and blue eyes stumbled in front of them. "What do you have for me today, Dashie?" He glanced down at Fireblaze and sighed. "What did he do?"
"He stole an apple from Applejack!" Rainbow looked at him angrily. The policepony rolled his eyes. He glanced down at Fireblaze and seemed to wonder if he was worth his time.
He finally replied with, "I'm very busy today, Rainbow. I'm not sure if I have time fo-" The pegasus cut him off.
"You're never busy! There is never THAT much crime here in Ponyville! You can finally have some action!"
"Action," Whooves grunted, "right. Like one stolen apple will bring me action! You know what..... why don't we talk about this in my office." He pointed a hoof towards a brown, wooden door. "You stay out here," he said sternly to Fireblaze. The two trotted toward the door, arguing all the way. "I just don't think one apple matters that much! If it was a cartload of 'em, yes."
"But Whooves, he stole it! Who knows how many other things he's-" The door slammed shut behind them. Fireblaze sat on the floor awkwardly, before finally hopping onto a chair. His stomach growled. Fireblaze reached for the apple, only to realize that Rainbow Dash had put it on the desk in the front room. The desk was very high,, and he had to stand on a chair to get the apple. If this was 100 bits, he wouldn't be grabbing them. But like the policepony said, it was just one apple! Fireblaze snagged the apple off the desk and flopped onto a chair. He bit into it. It was so juicy! He took another bite, then another, then another. He took bites until only the core was left. He smiled contently. He waited, but his stomach didn't growl. He almost leaped up in triumph, but then he heard a door being opened. He quickly disposed of the apple core in a trash can next to the desk. He scrambled to a chair and sat in it just as the two ponies were upon him. He smiled innocently, knowing he was being too happy.
"You, um, what's your name?" the male asked. 
"Fireblaze," Fireblaze replied.
"Yes, um, Fireblaze, you have been accused of stealing one," he glared at Dashie, "apple. Do you admit to this 'crime'? "He heavily coated the word 'crime' in sarcasm. 
Fireblaze knew better than to lie. It was likely, if they let him go, that he would keep stealing. If he got caught again, he would have a record. Before he could 'fess up, however, the orange farm pony burst through the door shouting, "That darned colt! Ah should have him wrung out like a-" She awkwardly paused at mid-sentence when the trio came in sight. She nervously tilted her hat. "Hi, Dr. Whooves! Ah see you have this little... thief in custody?"	
Dr. Whooves looked shocked. "No, I don't have him in 'custody', Mrs. Apple. I am merely questioning him!"
"Well, hurry up and put him in jail already! Caramel is 'waitin for me back at the farm."
"Yes, yes. Now, Fireblaze, did you commit this crime?" After the confession, a few swear words, and many accusing glances later, the rest of the hour turned into a blur of questions. Fireblaze was never one for lying, or keeping secrets, and by the end of the hour he had admitted to being homeless, abused, and that he had stolen. He did not say, though, who anypony in his family was, where he used to live, or how he had gotten to Ponyville. "Probably hopped the trains,"  Dr. Whooves explained to the mares. "Lots of troubled foals do it, sadly." He looked at Fireblaze pitifully. "Here in Ponyville, we have our laws, and here in Ponyville, stealing is wrong. I have talked with Rainbow, and we agreed. You have the choice to either go to jail, or live here in Ponyville Orphanage. If you choose jail, you will spend time for one month. Then, you will be sent to juvenile delinquent hall. If you choose the orphanage, you will live there, go to school, and live a normal life. If you try to run away, we will catch you." His suspenseful pause caused Fireblaze to shiver. "It is your choice." The orange mare and the policepony both looked at him, but the rainbow one tried to speak up. 
"But I thought we agreed on-" The doctor silenced her with a wave of his hoof. She was quiet, but she scrunched up he eyes and put a frown on her face. Fireblaze contemplated his options. Go to jail, and live in a juvenile delinquent hall his whole life, or go to an orphanage. He thought, and thought,until finally, he decided.
"I want to go to the orphanage," he said quietly. He knew that he was throwing away his life by doing this, but he would be more comfortable in a bed then a metal cell. Both mares mumbled under their breath, probably complaining that he wouldn't get punished. 
Dr. Whooves whacked his hoof on his desk like a gavel. "Case closed. Sentence: Go live in Ponyville Orphanage until you turn sixteen." Both mares sighed and nodded their heads. The 'judge' looked at him. He nodded his head as well.

~~~~~~

When he first arrived, things didn't go well. The other orphans ganged up on him. He guessed that they were the bullies, but he had more power in one punch than they had in their whole bodies. They teased him, and when the biggest one threw a punch at his muzzle, he easily blocked it and punched the yellow colt right back. The trio was stunned. Nopony had ever stood up to them before. They were so surprised, that they backed away from him and never bothered him again. As much as he liked being not bullied, Fireblaze felt alone. All the other kids had little groups, and he was an outcast. All the orphans were scared of him, and would only sit near him if they had to. He lived as an outcast for a year, and every second he spent at the orphanage, at school, and out on the playground was spent wishing his sister, the only pony he had ever had, was there with him. She was his protection, the light in the lighthouse that always guided him. With that light turned off, he wasn't only thinking he was lost, he was lost. Unlike a ship, however, that morning light never came to guide his path, until one fateful day.
He had taken his tray and sat down on a bench one Saturday for lunch. As usual, everypony on the bench scattered when he neared it. He sighed and sat down. He liked school more than weekends, for it gave him something to do. On the swings, there was nopony to push him. On the seesaw, nopony was on the other side. At school, he worked alone and he didn't need anypony else. It was just him, and Raspberry. She was always good at math, which he was bad at. Whenever he did math, he imagined her right next to him, helping him. On the playground, there was no mare forcing him to go play. He was content with his books. He was never a reader, but now he felt the rustle of the pages comforting. The books took him into another world. He pulled out his book and started reading, but the big crowd of ponies interested him. If he didn't see the bullies, Yellow Wing, Icecarve, and Feather Dust enter the circle, he would have stayed put. But there they were, walking into the circle with large smirks. Fireblaze put his book down and fluttered over. Nopony noticed him. He stayed in back, but couldn't see anything. Finally, he flew up and watched the scene unfold from above.
The trio of colts circled a new pony, like they always did. They taunted the new mare, like they always did. At first, she hid behind her mane and averted her navy blue eyes, which were the same color of her mane. Fireblaze rolled his eyes. Just another new kid being picked on by the Three Stooges. But what had drawn this crowd? Fireblaze started listening to the taunting. The new mare had finally come out from under her mane. Yellow Wing tried to taunt her, but she just looked at him angrily. She talked back to him and said something Fireblaze didn't catch, but it was bold enough to make the crowd gasp and Yellow Wing step back, only to get right up in her face. "Listen, you. Don't talk back to me, alright? Or I'll do something like..... this!" He swung a hoof at her, expecting to hit her, but his hoof only swiped air. "Huh?" he yelled, confused. "You get the buck over here or I'll- oomph!" He was kicked hard in the side by the new girl. She stood over him and glared as the crowd watched in sheer shock. 
"Don't mess with me. I don't have the time to deal with somepony like you," she spat and trotted off. The crowd's eyes were wide as Yellow Wing struggled to get up. When he fell back down again, they started whispering. Fireblaze heard snips of their conversations. 
"How many new kidth are going to thtand up to thethe two, Tootsie Flute?? Jeez, they jutht keep coming!" One little filly with a red mane and candy cane cutie mark whispered urgently to her friend.
"I don't know, but it's sure getting out of hand!" her friend replied with a swish of her purple mane. Fireblaze was as surprised as these two. Even though he was in shock, his mind was reeling with thoughts about this new pony. This pony was like him. Not taking any of the crap these stupid bullies thought they dished out. He didn't have time for them, and he preferred to keep it that way, like her. Plus, he was lonely.
That night, he devised his plan to make her his friend. He went over it in his head so many times, he couldn't stop thinking about it. He didn't stop thinking about it until another colt in the same room as him yelled, "Shut up, I'm trying to sleep!" Fireblaze hadn't realized until then that he was mumbling. After one more run through of the plan, he shut his eyes, whispered, "Goodnight, Raspberry," and fell asleep.

~~~~~~

When he woke up, he yawned. Fireblaze rubbed his eyes and stumbled out of bed. Suddenly, he recalled that night. His plan! He would see her at breakfast. When he arrived at the mess hall that morning, however, she wasn't there. All day, he tried to find her, but she was nowhere to be found. Discouraged, he went to sleep, dreaming of the next day. When he woke up, he quickly got out of bed and ran to the mess hall. Sadly, she wasn't there. She didn't arrive at school that morning either. All week, she was absent from everything, and that only made Fireblaze more and more discouraged. That night at dinner, he listened to the girls that were at the other end of the table. "Yes, the new girl, Moonwhisper, she's been sick ALL week," the one Fireblaze recognized as Ditsy Doo said. 
"Ath if! I think sheth jutht too thcared after her confrontation with the trio," the pony Fireblaze now knew as Twist retorted. He stopped listening after that. He knew what he needed to know. For two more days, he anticipated the day Moonwhisper would sneeze her last sneeze. Finally, after one week, she was better. Now, he would no longer be alone. After a restless night, morning finally came. Fireblaze couldn't wait until breakfast, when he would finally have somepony to sit with. He raced down the stairs that went from his dorm to the mess hall. Finally, he arrived.
He scanned the room, looking for Moonwhisper. Finally, he spotted her sitting alone at one of the tables. After grabbing his tray, he trotted up to her. "Hey," he said as he sat down next to her. 
"What do you want?" she asked. "I thought I told you to leave me alone."
Her sharpness stunned Fireblaze for a moment, but he quickly regained his friendliness. "I... uh, I'm not one of Yellow Wing's goonies. I just thought, you might be feeling alone. I mean, you're the second pony to beat him at his own game. You've got guts."	
"Right.... alone. Who said I felt alone? I never felt alone! I'm a fre-" she stopped right there. All was silent between the two outcasts. "H- how could you know how I feel?" 
"I feel it too. I've also been an outcast here. I- I've felt alone. I didn't take any of Yellow Wing's crap, so I beat him up. I just wanted to be... alone. I realize now that that was a bad decision."
"I didn't think, anypony else understood. After Mom died, I had nopony. I imagined she was always here with me, but it wasn't the same." Fireblaze was surprised how similar her back story was to his. From that day on, the two were friends. They always looked out for new kids who felt like they did. It wasn't easy, but they spotted a few. 
About a month after the two foals became friends, they met another boy, Thunder, who was alone like them. He had no siblings, and his mother and father were addicts. They became know as the Rebels, because they were constantly doing bad things. Little did the other kids know, they were doing this to get out their anger. Together, they had a strong bond. They soon met Koly, who was taken into their group. Shortly after, they changed their name to what Sweetie Belle knew it as. Then along came Sweetie Belle. Fireblaze had heard her story, and he wanted to give her a chance. He had her do all the stealing and things so she could prove she wouldn't leave them alone. She had to prove her loyalty.
Fireblaze drifted in and out of his memories as they waited for Thunder. Now, after reliving his pain, all his doubts about making Sweetie Belle a worse mare were gone. She needed them. Just like everypony else. The memories stopped as soon as Thunder arrived. "Now we can start," Thunder said stiffly. He briefly went over the plan once more, then the hoof signals. After that, he said, "Go." All five ponies spread out to do their jobs. Thunder and Fireblaze kept watch, while Moonwhisper picked the lock. When she was done, she dived into a bush and kept watch. Sweetie and Koly entered the house. They started searching for the object Fireblaze had said to steal. He described it as a pastel yellow decoration egg that should be sitting on a coffee table. Finally, after 10 minutes of searching, Sweetie finally found the egg. She almost yelled out to Koly, but then remembered the hand signals. She perfrmed the correct signal, and Koly nodded her head. Both ponies snuck out the door, then latched it tight. After presenting the egg, Fireblaze nodded.
He took it from her, then slipped it into his saddlebag. In the middle of his move out signal, Koly's head became stiff. Everypony froze. Koly's head remained cocked to one side, until she made the signal for 'the cops are coming, spread out.' Everypony did exactly as the signal said. As they started to split up, the wailing of the police car became closer, until it sounded like it was right around the corner. Sweetie Belle froze in fear. Everypony else was running away, but she couldn't get her hooves to move. It was as if they were frozen in ice. Sweetie Belle started sweating, she didn't want to get caught! She slowly eased her way into an alley and wiped her brow with her hoof. She let out a content, "Phew." She had made it. She turned around, ready to head back to the meeting spot, but she froze. Everything was silent, It was as if the world was paused. Sweetie's breath quickened. She felt as if something was closing in on her. She heard barking. Suddenly, there was a blinding light in her face. 
"Freeze," said another pony. The last thing Sweetie Belle heard was a scream, before it all went black.