Pint is turning seven and Fall's invited to his birthday party! This event is but one of many positive firsts for the orphaned Pegasus
Pint is turning seven and can't wait to invite Fall to his birthday party! Little does Pint know how many things he and Bucky take for granted will be introduced to Fall as she is brought to this event.
This section introduces Fall to Bucky's family along with concepts she never knew existed beyond the orphanage.
This is the 5th story in the "Fallen Angel" saga. All characters and concepts belong to Ari Angelcub. You can learn more about her and her characters by visiting http://ari-angelcub.tumblr.com/.
Pint had a spring in his step as he happily hopped out of the schoolhouse.
Bucky smiled as he admired his brown-spotted, Unicorn friend as he swooshed his black tail gleefully about.
“So,” said Bucky. “It’s off to see Fall now?”
Pint’s smile widened as he raised his head and replied, “Yep!”
“And that last invitation with all the stickers on it is for Fall?” asked Bucky despite already having long known the answer.
“It sure is!” proclaimed Pint. The horn on his head began to glow a bit as his excitement grew over how he couldn’t wait to give Fall the special invitation he had made just for her.
“And you’re sure she’ll want to come?” teased Bucky.
“She’ll come,” replied Pint. “How couldn’t she?”
The much larger, yellow Pegasus nodded before stating, “We do have a way of making things happen.”
“Especially for friendship,” stated Pint. “How does that Hearth’s Warming song go? Oh! I remember! Oh, fire of friendship burns in our hearts. So long as it burns we’ll not drift apart…”
***
The mid-November temperature was quite chilly, but Bucky and Pint felt like it was the summer for how excited they were to do what they were about to do.
Pint met Fall at the very start of the school year. Since then they had shared many an adventure together with Pint’s closest pal, Bucky. With each passing day, Pint felt their friendship growing stronger-and-stronger. He even saw her in her dreams. In one, he swore he saw Princess Luna wink at him while he was in an open field filled with flowers having carefree fun with Fall as Bucky hovered overhead.
Bucky adjusted his scarf after a cold gust blew it over his back.
“Perhaps I should’ve worn my sweater?” he more stated than asked.
Pint had both a sweater and tossle cap on.
“I’d offer the extra one I have in my saddlebag,” he said. “But it’s a gift for Fall.”
Bucky laughed before stating, “Not to mention a sweater to you would be more like a hat to me.”
Pint looked back at his friend and said, “I’m turning seven this Saturday. No doubt my growth spurt will come with it and, like that, I’ll be the one calling you ‘Pee-Wee’.”
“We’ll see,” teased Bucky. “I mean, Fall is older than both of us and she is even shorter than you.”
Pint sighed.
“It’s not how big you are that matters,” he stated. “It’s the size of your heart that counts.”
Bucky hummed and nodded in agreement.
“And that’s why you’re my best friend,” he stated.
The two continued to talk about their friendship, Pint’s birthday, and how happy they were to have Fall as a friend all the way to the orphanage. It was here they found Fall waiting for them in the same spot she always did.
OOO-WOO
Fall shivered as her bare body felt the full chill of the prelude to winter.
“Hey, Fall!” called out Pint as he reached the fence. “How are you?”
Fall shivered while moving closer towards the fence.
“I’m ha-ha-happy to sa-see you ga-guys,” she said as her teeth chattered from the cold.
Pint felt very pleased that he had thought to bring the extra sweater he had. So he quickly pulled it out of his saddlebag and, with Bucky’s help, got it over the fence to her.
“Tha-tha-thank you,” she said while slipping on the heavy, wool sweater. She was still freezing, but the sweater was helping her to retain some of her body heat while keeping the cold, wind gusts from chilling her to the bone.
“They don’t have any scarves or sweaters for you?” asked Bucky.
“No,” sighed Fall.
Bucky looked about the yard to see how most of the children outside were all wearing at least more than one item to keep them warm as they played outside.
“That doesn’t make sense,” he said while gesturing towards the other fillies and colts in the yard.
“It does when you’re told you don’t deserve them and are forbidden to go outside,” stated Fall.
“What?” asked Pint.
“Why would they do that?” asked Bucky.
Fall lowered her head and said, “Moonside got adopted last week. He was Rawhide’s best friend and he was very upset when the family took his friend away from him. So he started acting out and got even meaner than he’d ever been to me and some of the other fillies and colts. He then told Ms. Powder Puff that I was the one who started all the trouble on that night you guys slept over. Of course, they believed him and, well, here I am.”
Bucky grew a very angry expression on his face as he stepped back in preparation to jump the fence.
“Rawhide is that annoying, green Pegasus?” he asked as his eyes narrowed. “I’ll show him.”
“No,” insisted Fall. “Please don’t.”
Pint put his tiny hoof in front of Bucky and said, “We don’t want Fall to get in any more trouble.”
Bucky took a deep breath through his nostrils and lowered his wings.
“So, how did you get out here, then?” he asked.
“I snuck out the window,” replied Fall as she gestured towards the first floor bunk room. “I didn’t want to miss seeing you guys. You two make my day and seeing you guys is what I look forward to the most.”
Pint felt a tear form in his eye as he said, “We feel the same way about you, Fall.”
“Hey!” exclaimed Bucky. “Don’t you have something for Fall?”
“That’s right!” cheered Pint as he reached into his saddlebag.
“Something else?” she asked. “You guys are so kind.”
“What are friends for,” stated Bucky as he helped Pint get the sticker covered envelope over the fence.
“What’s this?” she asked while admiring the shiny stickers. One of which was noticeably the Backyard Brawler, Faerequine, and the other was the Backyard Brawler that Candy Cloud gave to her, Phoenihatch.
“Open it,” Pint smiled.
Fall opened the envelope very carefully. She then pulled out a card that featured what had to be a Backyard Brawler that read ‘You’re Invited!’
Pint looked at Fall and gestured for her to open the card.
“Wow,” awed Fall as she read the invitation to Pint’s birthday party. “You’re going to be turning seven?”
“That’s right!” Pint cheered. “And then my growth spurt will begin!”
Fall giggled at her Pinto-Unicorn friend.
“I’d love to come,” she said. “It makes me so happy to be out with you guys. Especially since Rawhide has made it so things are pretty much back to the terrible way they were before.”
“I’m so sorry you have to go through what you do, Fall,” said Pint. “But Bucky and I won’t stop until we figure out a way to get you free of this horrible place permanently.”
“That’s right!” proclaimed Bucky. “And this birthday party will be just another step closer to making that happen.”
Fall smiled. The warmth of her friends, along with Pint’s sweater, causing her to no longer shiver.
“Thank you,” she said. “I’ve never heard of having a party, or doing anything special, for a birthday, but I know it has to be a fun time if you two are a part of it.”
“Oh!” exclaimed Bucky. “You’re going to love it! Pint’s folks always throw the most awesome parties!”
“In the meantime,” said Pint as he began to dig around the barren bush until his hoof came upon a burlap sack. “Would you like to play with your school saddlebag?”
“Oh, yes!” cheered Fall. She knew bringing it into the orphanage would only result in it being taken away. So the boys found a way to cleanly hide it beneath the bush they used as a marker to find and meet with Fall.
Bucky hovered and dropped the saddlebag in front of Fall.
“And tomorrow,” added Pint. “I’ll bring you a scarf.”
Fall approached the fence and Pint moved in closer to his friend.
“Thank you,” she said as she rubbed her muzzle upon Pint’s. “I can’t wait until Saturday.”
“And we can’t wait to have you there,” Pint replied happily.
The day of Pint’s birthday was partly cloudy and breezy. But, for Fall, all she could see, or feel, was sunshine.
Her morning started out as it normally did. Ms. Powder Puff barking orders, yelling insults, and the other fillies and colts, thanks to Rawhide, mockingly calling her ‘The False Foal’. But this all didn’t matter. Her bond between Pint and Bucky helped her to not let all the cruel things that were said and done to her hurt her, or make her feel as hopeless, anymore.
What made Fall laugh was how it seemed to bother Ms. Powder Puff and the other staff when their mean-spirited actions didn’t hurt her as much as they used to. By Bucky’s advice, she decided to humor them by pretending to be all upset over the awful treatment, chores, and Rawhide’s team of bullies. However, when they all ignored her, she’d allow her smile to return and would think of the fun she was going to have after finishing whatever it was she was forced into doing. Sure they took the sweater, scarf, and even boots that Pint brought her. But it didn’t matter. She was going out to a birthday party. Whatever a party for a birthday was, she knew it had to be good and with all of Bucky and Pint’s talk about it, she couldn’t wait.
***
As it was Pint’s party, he had to stay home with his parents and welcome the guests as they arrived. So it was Bucky to the rescue.
“Hang on,” he said as he prepared to jump over the fence with Fall on his back.
Fall held tightly onto Bucky’s sweater as they glided over the fence and gently fluttered to the ground.
“You’re welcome to stay on my back if you want to?” offered the yellow colored Pegasus.
“IF you don’t mind,” replied Fall.
“Not at all,” said Bucky as he raised his wings to cover Fall. “It’ll help keep you warm.”
“You’re so thoughtful,” said Fall as she started to genuinely notice how much warmer she was feeling against Bucky’s back while being shielded from the wind by his wings.
“I have some things I need to pick up at my house,” stated Bucky. “Is that okay?”
“I suppose,” she said.
Bucky looked back and said, “My mom and uncle know about you and they are both very nice.”
“Uncle?” asked Fall.
“Weird, right?” asked Bucky. “I called him dad for as long as I can remember until he told me to just call him ‘Uncle’.”
“Is uncle another name for a dad?” asked Fall.
“Actually…,” said Bucky. “My mom told me that he’s her brother.”
“Your mom’s brother is your dad?” wondered Fall.
Bucky felt confused as he replied, “I, uh, guess so.”
“Did I say something wrong?” panicked Fall.
“Oh, no,” assured Bucky. “It’s just that my mom and uncle don’t talk much about the whole ‘dad’ thing.”
Fall said nothing.
“All I know is that, when anyone refers to my uncle as my dad, my mom makes a face that makes me feel sad. So I try to let every pony know that he’s my uncle.”
“Okay,” said Fall. “I’ll make sure to call him ‘uncle’.”
Bucky laughed as he said, “And also tell them that you are the new student in the Purple Class I’ve been talking about.”
Fall giggled, nodded, and buried her face into Bucky’s amber-colored mane as she said, “You bet.”
Bucky felt like a big brother as Fall made herself all cozy on top of him. Even though Fall was older than he was, she was very small for her age and her wings were severely underdeveloped.
“I’m glad we’re friends, Fall,” said Bucky. “If I ever had a sister, I’d wish she was like you.”
Fall blushed.
“Really?” she asked.
“Most definitely!” he proclaimed. “I know other fillies and colts who fight and don’t get along with their brothers or sisters. However, I think we’d get along great if we were siblings.”
“…,” Fall sighed as she closed her eyes.
“Well,” said Bucky. “Mind if I get my gallop on?”
Fall just snuggled tighter into Bucky’s mane.
“Here we go!” he cried before heading off towards his house in a full sprint. “PARTY TIME!”
Fall made eye contact with Bucky’s mom and felt something she had never felt from a stallion, or mare before. This being a sense of warmth. It was nothing like what she had come to notice in the eyes of those grown-ups at the orphanage who’s eyes often were cold and resentful. Fall also took notice of how her mane looked a number of shades of orange, like a sunrise, and how her Cutie Mark appeared to be a bright-orange sun.
“Hi,” said the little, brown Pegasus. “I’m Fall.”
“How do you do that?” asked Bucky’s uncle.
Bright Skies laughed and said, “Because I don’t greet every pony as if they are the competition in a hoofball game.”
“Really?” he asked.
“You do,” Bucky chuckled.
“You, too, Buck?” asked Bucky’s uncle.
Bucky nodded his head and said, “It’s okay. It’s why I love you.”
Fall felt her jaw drop a little upon hearing Bucky use the word ‘love’ towards his uncle. Love was typically used to refer to toys, food, or other things back at the orphanage. Never could she remember it being used towards another pony.
“Well,” said Bucky’s uncle as he stood himself back up. “We don’t want to be late to your friend’s party.”
“Nope!” agreed Bucky. “Fall and I just need to get something out of my room and we’ll be ready to go.”
“If you can find anything in it,” remarked Bucky’s mom. “How many times have I told you to clean that mess up in there?”
Bucky blushed as he replied, “It’s clean.”
“By your uncle’s standards,” stated Bucky’s mom. “But I expect things to actually be put away instead of shoved in the closet or under your bed.”
Bucky rubbed his hoof upon the carpet as he replied, “Yes, mom.”
Bucky and Fall headed for the staircase that lead up to the house’s second floor.
“Please forgive the mess,” said Bucky’s mom. “Bucky’s going to have his room like his mother likes it after we get home from the party.”
Bucky stopped halfway up the stairs.
“But, mom,” he pouted.
“But, nothing,” she stated. “No playing outside or anything until that room is clean.”
Bucky sighed as he and Fall continued up the stairs and made their way into his room.
Fall stood in awe of Bucky’s room. She couldn’t believe just how big it was. How it only had a single bed that had multiple blankets of various sizes and designs all balled up on, and off, of it. The pillows appeared thick and very cozy, too. Even the one that was lying on the floor in which featured a colorful pillowcase that vibrantly displayed unfamiliar characters on it.
“Come on in, Fall,” stated Bucky as he moved towards what appeared to be a bookshelf.
“This…?” asked Fall. “Is all…, yours?”
“Yep!” announced Bucky as he felt around the bookshelf. “Everything you see in here belongs to me.”
Fall felt mixed emotions as she admired Bucky’s room. There was just so much stuff. Books, toys, posters, clothes that hung out of a poorly maintained dresser. It was a lot to take in.
Bucky turned from his search about the bookshelf to see Fall still standing at the entrance to his room.
“Come in, Fall,” he encouraged. “Have a look around.”
Fall slowly entered into the room and further admired all the things that distinctly made where she was at ‘Bucky’s Room’.
“This is all yours?” she asked again.
“That’s right!” replied Bucky proudly.
Fall felt at the headband upon her head. She then felt at the matching bows that made up her brown pigtails.
“…,” she sighed. “You’re so lucky.”
“I know!” he proclaimed. “My folks are the best!”
Fall felt tears well up in her bright, blue eyes.
“It must…,” she sniffled. “Be nice.”
Bucky ceased his search upon hearing the little, brown Pegasus sounding upset.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing…,” she whimpered before looking about the room. “Nothing.”
Bucky was at a loss for what to say.
“Uh…,” he thought aloud. “Want to help me find Pint’s birthday present?”
Bucky felt his excitement lower upon noticing how upset Fall had become.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked.
“Yeah,” assured Fall as convincingly as she could. “Where is this, uh, birthday present?”
Bucky looked towards the bookshelf and gestured towards it with his hoof.
“It’s in a green box,” he said. “I put it there for safe keeping, but now I can’t find it.”
Fall approached the tall bookshelf and admired it from top-to-bottom. Books, papers, and some statue-like objects were scattered about the shelves. Her eyes then noticed the green box towards the very back of one of the shelves lying behind a pile of books.
“There,” she said while pointing her hoof upward. “It’s under that pile of books.”
Bucky smiled as he said, “Oh! I almost forgot I hid it under my comic book collection!”
“…,” Fall sighed.
Bucky retrieved the green box and brought it before Fall. Her head was now facing to the floor and tears were noticeably rolling out from her closed eyes.
“Fall?” he asked. “What’s wrong?”
“I…,” she whimpered. “It’s…”
“What?” asked Bucky.
Fall snorted as her tear-filled eyes opened and looked up towards Bucky.
“This…,” she sniffled. “I don’t know what all this is.”
“My stuff…,” answered Bucky.
“I…,” sobbed Fall. “I don’t have… Why…? What did I do wrong…?”
Bucky took his muzzle and rubbed it against Fall’s cheek.
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” he assured.
“Then…?” she asked while pointing her hoof around the room. “Why do I… Why do I…”
Fall couldn’t finish her question due to being overwhelmed with emotion.
“Fall…,” said Bucky as he got down on the floor and brought her close. “What is it?”
“I don’t understand,” she sobbed. “I have nothing… Nobody gives me anything… And I don’t know what a ‘birthday present’ even is.”
“Well,” said Bucky. “Umm… a birthday present is something you give someone on their birthday.”
“No pony does anything for birthdays at the orphanage,” sniffled Fall.
“Well,” said Bucky. “This isn’t the orphanage. This is my room. And, you know what, I’m going to help you make a birthday present.”
“You…,” wondered Fall as she allowed her eyes to open. “You will?”
“Of course!” proclaimed Bucky as he walked towards a smaller dresser that had two drawers on it. “Come over here, Fall and we’ll make Pint a birthday present he’ll never forget that’s just from you.”
Bucky brought down a pillow and blanket for both he and Fall to lie on the floor.
“Ready?” he asked while opening up what looked to be a briefcase. But it was actually a giant collection of misaligned markers, paints, and crayons.
“What is all that?” asked Fall as she took in everything that was now in front of her as she lied herself down over the soft pillow and the blanket that took away from feeling the hardwood floor of Bucky’s room.
“They’re art supplies,” replied Bucky in a way that seemed as if he thought Fall was kidding with him in not knowing what everything was inside his art case.
“Oh…,” pondered Fall. “What do you do with them?”
“Well,” said Bucky as he brought over a pile of white paper and colored construction paper. “You draw with them.”
“Draw?” asked Fall. “What’s that?”
Bucky took a piece of the yellow, construction paper, drew a smiley face with a green marker, and showed it to Fall.
“That’s a drawing,” he said. “It’s when you use crayons, markers, pencils, pens, and other fun stuff to make pictures.”
“Ooh,” awed Fall. “Can I give it a try?”
Bucky rested himself on the pillow and blanket that faced across from Fall.
“Sure,” he said while sliding a piece of white paper in front of Fall.
Fall looked at the blank paper and then towards the art supplies as she asked, “What should I ‘draw’?”
“Hmm,” thought Bucky. “Maybe you could draw a picture of the three of us with the words ‘Happy Birthday’ written at the top?”
Fall thought for a moment.
“I could…, try,” she said.
Bucky tapped upon the piece of paper in front of Fall and smiled.
“Go for it!” he encouraged. “I know it will make him very happy to get such a special present from you on his birthday.”
Fall’s eyes widened as she squeaked, “You really think so?”
Bucky nodded, “I know so.”
Fall eagerly reached into the art briefcase and pulled out a brown crayon.
“So,” she asked while beginning her work. “Giving a picture is a good, uh, birthday present?”
“Of course!” proclaimed Bucky. “My uncle and mom love it when I draw them pictures.”
Fall felt a smile form across her face as she continued to draw.
“They, ‘love’ your drawings?” she asked.
“Yeah,” replied Bucky as he tapped his hoof. “They also love when I come home from school with a good grade on my homework, or a test.”
Fall swapped the brown crayon for a deeper-brown colored crayon.
“What is it like?” she asked.
“What is what like?” asked Bucky.
“To be told what you do is loved?” she asked.
Bucky put his hoof to his muzzle as he thought on the question.
“Uh…,” he said. “It feels…, good.”
Fall’s smile grew as she swapped the deep-brown colored crayon for a green one.
“Is that how Pint’s family feels about him?” she asked. “Do they, uh, ‘love’ what he does?”
“Pint’s a goody-four-hooves,” joked Bucky. “His parents are always saying how much they love him and what he’s doing.”
Fall looked up for a moment and thought on what she had just heard. She then reached in and grabbed a yellow crayon.
“Does your uncle and mother love you?” she asked.
“How couldn’t they?” Bucky more stated than asked. “I’m awesome!”
“And…,” she asked. “Do you, ‘love’ them?”
“My mom’s the best!” proclaimed Bucky. “And my uncle believes I’ll be a star hoofballer one day.”
Fall thought some more as she went for an amber colored crayon.
“Someday?” she asked.
“Yeah,” stated Bucky. “My uncle takes me out to the field sometimes and we practice bucking, throwing, running, and catching the ball.”
Fall’s tongue slid out as she felt herself really getting into the work she was doing as she learned more about Bucky and his family. She felt a sensation rush over herself. It was more than happiness and definitely more than hope. It was something that made her feel as if all the pain in her life had disappeared and nothing else mattered except what was going on in Bucky’s room at that very moment.
“You look like River Runner,” teased Bucky. “He sticks his tongue out like that when he’s really into his work.”
“River Runner?” she asked as her mind searched for where she had heard that name before. “Oh! He’s the one who wanted me to read his Backyard Brawlers cards, right?”
“That’s him!” Bucky announced. “Always trying to find other ponies to do his work for him.”
“Remind you of any pony?” asked Bucky’s mom as she walked by her son’s room.
“Mom!” protested Bucky. “I’m not that bad.”
Bucky’s mom smiled and laughed.
“My son isn’t bothering you, is he?” she asked.
“Oh, no,” said Fall as she spotted a silver bracelet upon her right, front hoof. “He’s helping me make a birthday present.”
“Oh, Bucky,” his mom said. “That’s so sweet of you.”
Bucky blushed.
“We’ll be waiting for you two downstairs,” she said. “Love you.”
Bucky’s blush got deeper as he waved and replied, “I love you, too, mom.”
Fall reached in and grabbed a red crayon.
“That’s…, so nice,” she said. “I wish someone loved me.”
“I do,” said Bucky. “Ever since we became friends things have really been a lot more fun. It’s like you’ve always been with Pint and I.”
“As I’ve told Pint,” stated Bucky. “You’re like the sister I never had.”
“Sister?” wondered Fall. “You ‘love’ me like a ‘sister’?”
“Well…,” Bucky said. “There’s lots of ways to uh, love. And, well, my mom tells my uncle she loves him and, uh, he’s her brother. So, if you can love a brother, why not a sister?”
“Brothers and sisters love each other?” asked Fall.
“Well…,” said Bucky. “I see a lot of brothers and sisters get into fights, but they always end up saying, ‘I love you’ to each other after they’re done arguing. So, I suppose that is how it works for brothers and sisters.”
“Oh..,” thought Fall. “Have we argued before?”
“Nope!” proclaimed Bucky. “And that is why I always wish that, if I had a sister, she’d be just like you.”
“So you’d love me if I were your sister?” asked Fall as her eye’s made contact with Bucky’s.
Bucky rubbed his hooves together as he tried to think of what to say. This was definitely something Pint could answer far better than he could.
“You know,” he said. “How about we just think about getting over to Pint’s birthday party?”
Fall put back the red crayon and smiled.
“Sounds good,” she said. “I finished my, ‘birthday present’, too.”
“Let me see…,” Bucky started to say until he noticed how well-drawn the image was. It was of himself, Pint, and Bucky playing in a field of flowers with a big heart above them that had the words, ‘Happy Birthday Pint’ written above it.
“Wow!” he awed. “That’s amazing!”
“Really?” asked Fall.
“Oh, definitely!” he assured. “I’ve never seen any pony in my class draw that well.”
“Well…,” said Fall as she took in the first compliment she ever got for her artwork. “Thank you.”
“Just wait until Pint sees this!” exclaimed Bucky as he stood himself up. “You’re going to make his day!”
“I am?” squeaked Fall.
Bucky nodded, “Most definitely.”
Fall couldn’t help but clap her front hooves together while letting out a giggle of excitement.
“He may even like your gift more than mine,” stated Bucky as he picked up the green box.
“You, uh, think so?” asked Fall.
“Well,” he said while heading towards the door. “There’s only one way to find out.”
Fall had a spring in her step as she followed after Bucky to meet with his uncle and mother to head over to Pint’s for the birthday party.
