Cold...
The sound of screaming filled her ears. It sounded so familiar, but she just couldn't place it. She stood still in the dark hallway, the mares fearful screaming piercing her ears. She took a step forward, the cold stone floor biting at her already freezing hooves. She took another. And another... Just a few more......
* * * * * *
Raine woke with a start. Something loud and almost feral had cut through the silence of the Manehattan Orphanage, it's walls heavy with dust and no small amount of stains from Celestia knows what. Squinting her eyes, she tried to adjust them to the dark faster. It didn't take long, her eyes were weird that way. Well, not just because they adjusted to the dark really fast. They were like a monsters eyes. At least, that’s what the other kids in the orphanage told her. Her eyes were just like everypony elses. Her sclera was white, just like a normal pony, and had a colorful iris in the middle. Hers were a deep reddish purple color, like that stuff she saw Ms. Care drink when she thought the colts and fillies weren't watching. But the thing that scared the others the most were her pupils. They were slits of inky blackness, like a cats. Sharp as knives and full of malice, a true terror to Equestria.
The true terror of Equestria was currently shaking under her blanket, trying not to wet herself from the loud growls that hung in the air like a thick fog.
Her eyes finally adjusted, Raine peeked one out from under her blanket, trying to find the monster in the room full of peacefully slumbering foals. When she didn't see any sign of a monster, she carefully looked under her bed, finding nothing there either. Suddenly, another growl exploded just feet away from her. Jumping high in the air, she looked in the direction of the sound, and almost screamed in annoyance. Heavy Set, a colt four years older that her, not to mention four times her weight, snored loudly in the bed next to hers.
Standing up and hopping out of her bed, she opened Heavy Sets bedside drawer and pulled a thin strip of fabric with a sticky side out. It looked like a band-aid, but it was stiff. Walking over to Heavy Set, she carefully stuck the sticky thing to his nose and wrapped it on both sides of his muzzle. As the sticky strip tried to weakly reform back to it's stiff originality, Heavy Set stopped snoring.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Raine hopped back onto her small bed, pulling the blanket back over her. Shortly afterwards, she drifted back to sleep.
* * * * *
Raine woke up to the sound of Ms. Care's voice. "Wake up everypony. It's a beautiful day outside and I just know you would all love to go out into the yard and play your adorable little games!" Raine groaned as the overly sweet voice cut into her brain. She could swear she lost a few necessary I.Q. points. Sitting up in her bed, Raine rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Trying not to yawn, and failing, she slid out of her bed with no small amount of protesting grumbles. Looking over at the strange filly, Ms. Care shot her a vehement glare, one she reserved for Raine every time she looked at her. "Good morning to you too, Ms. Grumpy Hooves." Raine thought to herself as she walked passed the matron.
Raine looked herself over in a nearby mirror. Running a hoof through her mane, she winced as she pulled a small knot loose. Sighing to herself, she walked back to her bed and pulled her mane brush out of her drawer. Brushing her mane and tail out thoroughly, she tied it up in a bright red ribbon. Looking at herself in the mirror again, Raine looked for small flaws and blemishes wherever she could. Her snow white mane was in perfect condition. Well, as perfect as cheap shampoo and mane conditioner goes. The light purple stripe in her mane was even and straight, just the way she liked it. Her tail was the same build of perfection she loved. Her black coat was smooth and sleek, just like silk. The patterns in her fur, just above her hind hooves were even, not a hair out of place. Her horn shiny and clean. And finally, her wings were stretched out and ready for the day. She gave her wings an awkward glance. None of the other pegasus foals had wings like hers. They all had feathered wings, but hers were like a dragons, or a bats, or some other weird creature that made her shiver.
Shaking her head and clearing her thoughts, she walked to the kitchen to get some breakfast. As she entered the kitchen, some of the other foals gave her an uneasy look. She knew that look. Everypony gave her that look. It said "We don't want you here, freak!" Bowing her head, she walked to the counter and hopped up the stool. Grabbing a box of oats and a bowl, she looked around for a spoon. Seeing one, she reached for it, accidentally brushing against Zig Zag, a unicorn not much older than herself. The colt suddenly shrieked, screaming for help. "Shes gonna eat me! Heeeeelp! I don't wanna be gobbled!" Surprised, Raine fell off the stool, hitting her head on the tile floor. Dazed, she didn't see the rush of colts and fillies descending upon her, until she felt a sharp pain enter her left forehoof. Raine screamed in pain holding her leg close to her, a fork stuck in the space above her hoof.
As quick as lightning, Ms. Care was standing in the room, surrounded by foals of all sizes and ages trying to tell her how Raine attacked Zig Zag in they're own little versions.
"She tried to bite his hooves off-"
"She was punching a kicking and saying really mean things-"
"I saw her throw an evil frying pan at his head!"
Raine sat in a corner sobbing, shivering and clutching her injured leg. Why did everypony hate her so much? She couldn't hurt a fly! It had always been like this, for as long as she could remember. But why?
Ms. Care stood over Raine with an evil look in her eyes. "Raine, what do you have to say for yourself?" Ms. Care glared daggers at her, stabbing more and more hurt into Raine's little heart.
"I j-just wanted a s-spoon... I d-didn't h-hurt Zig Zag." Raine cried even harder.
"The odds are against you Raine. Confess and it will be much easier on you." Ms. Care glared at Raine even harder.
Raine looked at Ms. Care incredulously, then at Zig Zag, who didn't have a single mark on him. "B-but he's not even hurt! I only a-accidentally touched him and h-he started t-to yell! I'm t-the one w-whos hurt!" Raine held up he leg gingerly to emphasize her point, presenting the fork that was still dug deeply into her leg just above her hoof.
Ms. Care looked at the leg with no concern. "Very well. Go see the nurse and then go to your room immediatly afterwards." Walking out of the room, Ms. Care and the other foals left Raine to cry in her corner.
* * * * *
Raine lay in her bed, clutching her haphazardly bandaged limb. She cried. And cried... And cried......
She hated it here. She hated being singled out. She hated being seen as a monster. And most of all, she hated Ms. Care. "Why does everypony think I'm a monster?" she thought to herself. "I'm not that bad, am I?"
The other foals ran about the room, playing on beds and talking to each other excitedly. Raine hid under her blanket and tried not to let them hear her crying softly to her pillow.