//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 - Cruel Fate // Story: A House is Not a Home // by Yosh-E-O //------------------------------// Pint and Bucky walked through the yard in search of their filly friend. As they did they noticed over twenty fillies and colts who were around their age gathered in groups of varying sizes. “Perhaps more than one family lives in that house?” Pint thought aloud. “Isn’t there that one neighbor on our street who has his mother and grandfather living with his family?” asked Pint. “Yeah,” said Bucky. “So I guess a whole bunch of families living together in one big house makes sense,” stated Bucky as he looked about for the grown-ups who would normally be observing such a grouping of children. But all he was able to see were a stallion talking with a much older mare from a covered porch. “But I don’t see many grown-ups,” he said while putting his hoof to his muzzle and giving a perplexed expression. “I don’t know,” said Pint. “I know there are lots of moms and dads at the park.” “But not here,” stated Bucky while gazing about the yard. “Perhaps Fall can tell us a little more about all the families who must live here?” suggested Pint. Bucky and Pint looked about the yard. Each kind of getting a feeling like they weren’t exactly welcome as the fillies and colts would tend to look away from them if any eye contact was made. Some of the younger ones looked like they wanted to say something but would then shy away without a word. “I think I see her!” exclaimed Pint as he pointed his hoof towards a far-off corner of the yard. “Great!” exclaimed Bucky. “It’ll be nice to see a friendly face.” *** Pint and Bucky found Fall all alone near the edge of the yard. She was staring at a lone dandelion and gently pushing upon it with her hoof. “Hey, Fall!” greeted Pint. Fall’s pigtails flopped in the air as she was startled by the greeting. “Oh!” she gasped upon recognizing the white Unicorn with black Dalmatian-like spots and his pudgy Pegasus friend. “It’s you guys.” “We told you we’d come by to visit,” stated Pint. “Why are you all alone?” asked Bucky. Fall lowered her head and sighed. “I’m always alone,” she said. “Where is your mom?” asked Bucky. “My… Mom?” asked Fall as a tear formed in her eye. “What’s wrong, Fall?” asked Pint. Fall’s underdeveloped wings drooped as she replied, “I don’t have a mom.” “Huh?” asked Bucky with a look of disbelief. Fall shook her head very slowly as tears began to well up in her blue eyes. “No,” she said sadly. Pint and Bucky looked at the various groups of gathered fillies and colts. “Are any of those ponies your brothers or sisters?” asked Pint. Fall shook her head. “No,” she whimpered. “They’re all orphans, like me, who don’t have parents who treat me like it’s my fault that they don’t.” Pint and Bucky felt nervous as things made even less sense by the minute to them. “Perhaps you could, uh, show us around your house?” asked Pint. Fall gave the dandelion another gentle nudge with her hoof before stating, “I suppose. Though you may want to keep your distance from me since nobody here is my friend and I know a few fillies and colts who’d do some very mean things if they saw me with any pony.” Pint and Bucky looked at each other. Both boys feeling they were in perhaps the most awkward situation they had ever been in. “Follow me,” Fall said softly. “But keep your distance.” The colts felt knots in their stomachs as they allowed Fall to have a three ponies distance before following her towards the giant house. *** Upon entering the building, Pint and Bucky were surprised to hear the cries of many foals coming from a nearby room. “More foals?” wondered Pint. “How many families live in this house?” Without turning to face the colts, Fall replied, “There are no families here.” “But?” asked Bucky with disbelief as he ran alongside Pint. “That just doesn’t make sense.” A stallion came from another room with a group of fillies and colts who were of school age behind him. None of the children had Cutie Marks. “Okay you little rugrats!” the stallion proclaimed. “Tomorrow’s a visitation day. So let’s make sure you’re all presentable so we can get you out of here!” “Yes, sir!” the youngsters announced in unison. “Visitation day?” asked Pint. “Is this place some sort of fancy daycare?” asked Bucky. “If so,” said Pint. “It’s not like any I’ve ever been in.” The sound of older colts came from behind them. “I hate having a Cutie Mark!” growled the white-haired and black coated colt. “No pony adopts ponies who have their Cutie Marks!” Another colt who was brown in color glared towards the foal’s room. “Why do you think they fuss over the foals and ignore us!” he exclaimed. Fall seemed to assume a guarded posture as she sped up her pace. “Huh?” wondered Bucky as he looked back to see the two upset colts. “Hey!” cried the brown colored one. “Do I know you?” “Umm…” said Bucky. “Wait!” cried the one with the black coat. “You look familiar, spots!” Pint turned to see the very ponies he had saved Fall from when he first met her. “Uh,” he gasped. “We’re just, uh, visiting?” “Visiting?” exclaimed the brown one. “You must be really stupid to think that you just ‘visit’ this place!” “Yeah!” announced his friend. “You’re a prisoner here and it is survival of the fittest!” Pint wasn’t liking how the two colts appeared interested in getting into a fight. “We’re not looking for a fight,” he said. The white haired colt stomped his hooves and snorted before stating, “Then you’re just as weak and pathetic as Fall and should make yourself scarce like her, too!” “That’s unless you want to start something,” added the brown colored colt as he glared towards Bucky and Pint. Bucky hunched down, fluttered his wings, and glared back at the colts. “What’s your problem?” he boomed. “You newbies!” the curly-haired brown colt snarled. “Hey!” shouted a young mare from within the foal’s room. “You colts will knock it off out there if you know what’s good for you!” “You’re lucky,” the curly-haired colt stated. “Just stay out of our way,” warned his friend. “And don’t expect to get out of here before us because we won’t let you.” The two colts turned, bucked their back hooves in the direction of Bucky and Pint, and headed for the door that lead outside. “What is this place?” asked Pint. “I don’t know,” said Bucky with a growl. “But if those punks want to start something I’ll definitely finish it.” Fall’s head was barely peeking out from a corner room. Her expression showing great fear. “We should go check on Fall,” said Pint. “I’ve seen those two before and they were very mean to her. We need to know she’s okay.”