Fall was most grateful for the magical, heating pack that Pint and Bucky had given to her. This was because it was a full moon that night and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Being able to see the moonlit, snow-covered landscape along with the many stars in the sky made her feel very happy. The warmth provided by the heating pack just worked to further soothe the little Pegasus to the point she comfortably fell asleep as she thought on all the wonders that were beyond the confines of the orphanage.
The next morning, Fall awoke moments before the sun began to rise. As she normally woke up before everyone else in the bunk room, she took the opportunity to get up and go to the bathroom so she could discretely dispose of the depleted, magical, heating pack that Pint had given her. However, something was not going as she had come to expect.
“Hurry up!” the male caretaker barked from the other side of the bunk room door. “We’ve got a train to catch!”
CLICK-SLAM
“Fine!” boomed Ms. Powder Puff as she burst into the room. “All of you who have been here know the drill! We’re leaving and won’t be back for a few days.”
The fillies and colts rose with alarm upon the explosive entrance and statement made by the sky-blue colored Unicorn.
“What?” asked many of the children with surprise. “Huh?”
“So who will be in charge?” asked a familiar, green Pegasus
Ms. Powder Puff scowled around the room until she noticed Fall cowering near her bed.
“Rawhide!” she stated in a rushed tone. “You seem to keep every brat in here in line. You’re in charge!”
“Hurry up!” the male Unicorn growled. “Care Feather already has all the bags downstairs and we’re late as it is!”
“You got it, brats!” boomed Ms. Powder Puff. “Rawhide’s in charge while we’re gone!”
Fall felt herself go numb at the thought of Rawhide being ‘in charge’. The operators of the orphanage did always run out this time of year. However, they usually mentioned some volunteers would be by to take care of things. Was there no pony who wanted to come and help this time?
“Alright!” proclaimed Rawhide as his group of followers gathered around him. “Seems we get the whole place to ourselves this year. Let’s make the most of it.”
Rawhide and his gang left the room cheering over the victory they had achieved. Fall, and a few others in the second floor, bunk room shivered knowing that their lives would be absolutely awful until the caretakers came back. Considering how badly the caretakers took care of them it certainly was saying a lot to want them over Rawhide.
***
Fall wasn’t eager to leave the bunk room. However, when she did, she could hear the sound of fillies and colts carrying on from down on the first floor.
“Oh, no…,” she sighed while making her way down the stairs. “This doesn’t sound good at all.”
Upon reaching the bottom floor, Fall was surprised to see Rawhide, his friends, and some other fillies and colts making a mess out of the place.
“What’s going on?” she wondered.
“Hey!” announced Rawhide upon spotting the frail, brown Pegasus. “I wondered when you’d get down here.”
“What’s going on?” she asked anxiously.
“What’s going on,” grinned the green Pegasus. “Is that I’m in charge.”
“…,?” Fall gasped as she noticed the mess every pony was making. She knew Rawhide had every cruel intention for her to clean up after he, his friends, and any pony who’d join them wrecked the place.
“Buck up,” teased Rawhide. “At least we don’t have those grown-ups around to tell us what to do.”
CRASH!
“oops!” gasped a younger colt upon causing a lamp to fall and break upon the floor.
“Don’t worry about it!” proclaimed Rawhide. “All we need to do is say that fall did it.”
“But I didn’t!” shouted Fall with frustration.
“Be quiet, False Foal!” snapped rawhide. “Unless you want a face full of hoof, I’d recommend you go get a broom and dust pan and clean up the lamp you broke!”
Fall felt herself on the verge of tears. However, she didn’t dare stand up to Rawhide. He not only was bigger and stronger than her, but he also had a bunch of fillies and colts who thought of him as their leader.
“Fine…,” sighed Fall.
“Oh!” teased Rawhide. “Don’t forget you have dishes to do, too!”
***
The rest of the day was spent cleaning up after all the mischievous colts and fillies that Rawhide had encouraged to run rampant in the absence of the caretakers. Once she had everything done, she made an effort to hurry up to the fourth floor to get away from Rawhide’s cruelty. She knew no pony dared to go up to the caretakers’ floor. Especially since it was really nothing more than a landing with a triple-locked door that protected the room, or rooms, the caretakers occupied. “I don’t know what’s worse,” she said to herself. “Ms. Powder Puff, or Rawhide.”
“Hey,” came a small voice as a purple filly with a dark-blue mane came out from the shadows. “I’m really sorry for how every pony is treating you.”
“You…,” wondered Fall. “Sorry…?”
“Yes,” the filly said as she limped closer to Fall. Her back-right leg appeared a bit different than her other hooves. It was smaller in size and not capable of holding the weight of the filly like her other legs could.
“Me, too,” an orange Pegasus stated as he appeared from behind the filly. “Nobody deserves to be treated like Rawhide and his gang treat you.”
“Who are you?” asked Fall.
“I’m Gallant Gust,” stated the Pegasus who also had a dark-blue colored mane and tail. “And this is my sister, Soft Steps.”
“My name’s Fall,” the under developed, brown Pegasus stated.
“Happy to meet you, Fall,” smiled Soft Steps. “We actually wanted to talk to you sooner, but were afraid of rawhide.”
“I’m not afraid of Rawhide,” snarled Gallant Gust with a snort. “I’d take him on in a heartbeat if I didn’t know his cronies would come after you.”
“Oh, brother,” sighed Soft Steps. “I’m so sorry I’m holding you back.”
“Don’t say that, Softy,” he said. “You’re all I have since mom and dad passed away.
“Are you two new?” asked fall.
“Well,” blushed Soft Steps. “You might say that.”
“We’ve been kind of hiding in the shadows since being dropped off here about a week ago,” stated the orange Pegasus. “I heard a lot of things about orphanages and was worried about my sister. So, we kind of began finding our own places to do our own things whenever possible until I could gather how this place works.”
“And it doesn’t,” pouted Soft Steps. “The caretakers called me a ‘Lame Gimp’.”
Fall sighed.
“They call me ‘The False Foal’,” she said.
“You’re not a foal?” asked Gallant.
“No,” said Fall as she shook her head. “I’m almost eight years old.”
“So,” grinned Soft Steps. “You’re like me in being ‘Special’?”
“I don’t know if I’d call it ‘Special’ since I’m bullied all the time by Rawhide and the caretakers,” stated Fall.
“You know,” growled Gallant Gust as he clapped his front hooves together. “I think it’s time we came out of hiding and taught Rawhide a lesson on kindness.”
“Brother?” asked his wide-eyed Earth Pony sister.
“What do you say, fall?” he asked. “Let’s go make this place better for every pony by showing Rawhide and his goons that there are other ways to get things done than bullying those like you and my sister!”
Fall couldn’t believe what she was hearing. However, she wasn’t against having some ponies who appeared to genuinely want to make things better over what would obviously otherwise be an awful weekend.
“Sure,” she said. “I’m in.”