Thump. Thump.

Blaze groaned incomprehensibly in his sleep. "Errghrfrg..."

Thump.

"Whaa?" he sat up drowsily. Someone was knocking on his door. Shocked, he lurched to the door in his sleepy state.

Pinkie Pie stood at the door, looking shocked. "Did you just wake up?"

Blaze nodded. He glanced, squinting, at the clock on his wall. It was about noon.

"Sorry to wake you..." Pinkie apologized, "Should I go?"

"No." Blaze found himself saying. "Come on in."

"Okay. Thanks." she said, stepping into his house.

Blaze put a pot of milk on the stove, preparing hot chocolate.

"So..uh...Not to be rude, Pinkie, but... Why are you here?"

Pinkie sighed. "I needed to talk to someone."

Blaze noted that the milk was already heated. Physics just didn't work in this world. "What's on your mind?" he asked as the pink mare sat at his kitchen table.

He placed a cup of hot chocolate in front of her. She took a deep breath, ranting on Rainbow Dash's friend, Gilda. She paused, sipping the hot cocoa.

"So," Blaze began calmly. "What you're saying is, she's a bitch."

Pinkie let out a big gasp that sounded scarily like a balloon deflating. "Blaze! Why, I would never say that about anypony!"

Blaze tried to not roll his eyes.

"But.." Pinkie bit her lip. "She popped my balloons and told me to buzz off. I swear, I've never met a griffin so mean." She then added,

"Actually, I've never met a griffin at all, but if I had, she wouldn't have been as mean and grumpy as Gilda."

"Pinkie..." Blaze began. There were deep purple shadows under his eyes as he spoke. They disfigured his young face, making him look older. He had friends before. Never good ones, but friends, nonetheless. He knew that these types of things were often misunderstandings. "I think you're just jealous."

"JEALOUS!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Jealous? Me?!"

"Yes, Pinkie. You just want Rainbow all to yourself. Maybe you need an attitude check or something." he stated, sipping his hot drink.

"Me? Attitude check?!" She then let out a little shriek and stomped out of the house.

"Blaze?" a voice called from upstairs. "Everything okay?"

Blaze sighed. "Peachy."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Pinkie Pie?" Comet said confusedly. "What are you doing?"

Pinkie had been hiding under an umbrella, drinking a smoothie, when Rainbow Dash and Gilda were flying over.

"Shhh." she hissed.

"Pinkie Pie," said Comet, slightly amused, "They can't hear or see you."

"SHHHHHHH." she hissed more loudly, causing comet to chuckle and leave her be.

He noticed Fluttershy leading a line of ducks across the square.

"Hey," Gilda spat, "I'm walkin' here!"

"Oh, um, sorry-" Fluttershy began to apologize,

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Gilda mimicked in a high-pitched voice. "Scram!" She then roared vicously in Fluttershy's face, causing her to run away, crying.

"Ugh," Gilda complained loudly, "I'm so tired of all these lame ponies in town."

"H-hey." a shaky, yet decided voice came her way. It was Comet.

"You apologize to Fluttershy." Comet said, his orange eyes sending a glare her way behind his glasses.

Gilda scoffed. "Who are you, runt?"

"It doesn't matter." he responded firmly. "What matters is that you apologize to Fluttershy this instant."

"Why would I do that?" she drawled carelessly.

"Because you had no right to bully her."

Something clicked in Gilda's head. "Now I see it. You're Dash's cousin, aren't you?"

"I-" Comet began.

"Save it." Gilda said, waving her claw. "I'll let you off this time, Comatose."

"It's Comet." he said, raising his voice. "And you don't run this place, Gilda." his stare was icy.

Gilda merely scoffed and walked away.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Blaze didn't like staying at home. He preferred hearing things in the shadows of town. No one had noticed him yet. He had heard that Pinkie was throwing a party. Everyone in town had been invited. Except him. Of course, he hadn't expected to be thrown into the midst of their lives, partying, socializing. But no one had even bothered speaking to him about it. It had happened before; he expected it, but he still felt hurt, somehow.

He didn't like parties, anyway, he reminded himself. Partying is what his foster parents did. Along with drinking and drug doing. That was why he ran away. And, somehow, ended up here. But, he asked himself, why run away? You could've lived on your own. Moved out. He only scoffed at that. He would never be able to manage his own life. He would only end up like his foster parents. But what about before them? the voice echoed in his head. "No." Blaze found himself saying aloud. That was something he did not want to think about. It was just too painful.