Firebrand grinned and pushed the doors open, before the two sat a long table where at least thirty young pegasus colts and fillies ate breakfast. Eve frowned and bowed her head a bit; most of the foals tossed her sidelong glares or snorted threateningly.

“Go on Eve, you should try and at least make a friend before taking on ‘the big scary dragon’ shouldn’t you?” Firebrand joked, moving off to the far side of the room where the older pony table resided. Eve took a deep breath, puffing her chest to help keep her confidence, and began trotting to her normal seat nearest the abandoned right of the table. Graffiti from crayons and markers covered her section of the table with insults and crudely drawn pictures of her falling from the clouds and to the earth.

“Ugh, children,” she groaned distastefully looking even more unsatisfied at the plate of food waiting for her. Most of it was two molded slices of bread with dead dandelions sandwiched between, plus a side of weeds, crabgrass to be specific. She leaned her muzzle in close and took a tentative sniff before immediately backpedaling, not even a griffon could make her eat this mule food.

“Not hungry are we, brat?” Eve froze and swallowed sharply. That gravely brimstone voice, Eve could almost feel her that old pony’s eyes burning into the back of her main. Then there was that hideous toothy smile with rot and pieces of something caught between those removable chompers.

“Y...yes, Ms. Wing,” She said spinning around with lightning like speed and smiling as big as she could. The old pony bore sharp yellow eyes, her Mane and tail, now a graying fiery orange to match her still crimson coat, which seemed to have life of its own.

“Are you sticking that spoiled little muzzle of yours up at my delicious cooking?” The room around them fell silent some ponies had their hooves in their mouths to stop from laughing or gasping. Others looked on in shock and fear; the oldest ponies narrowed their eyes and glared at their so called caretaker shouting at a young filly.
Eve looked from hoof to hoof trying to think up something to say, her voice caught in her throat before finally she spat back the first thing that came to mind.

“No, Scorn Wing I-“ Everypony gasped, no one was allowed to call the orphanage caretaker by her full name they were always supposed to address her as Ms. Or Ms. Wing if they wanted to try and stay within her small excuse for good graces. Scorn Wing gave a deep guttural growl and smashed her front hooves into the ground before Eve, though by some miracle the filly held her ground.

“WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME EVES STORM?! SAY IT SO EVERYPONY CAN HEAR!” Scorn Wing bared her teeth and leered at her, all Eve could do was just stare at the imposing pony seemingly frozen in place. “WELL?!”

“I said,” Eve stared in a small voice, building in confidence bit by bit. “I said Scorn Wing!” She stood tall and proud, the only every foal that had called the caretaker by her name had vanished without a trace, Eve knew she could be next. “Scorn Wing, the Terrible!” She said louder as everypony watched in horror. Firebrand stood and began to speak but Scorn Wing shot him a look of venom, silencing him instantly.

“Is that what you think of me Eves Storm? Is that what everypony thinks of me?!” The crowd of ponies shook their heads and many shouted back.

“No Ms. Wing, we love you and we adore you,” they said in a rehearsed tone smiling those awful fake smiles. Scorn Wing smiled victoriously and looked to Eve.

“Looks as though your all alone little foal, do you think me evil or do you wish to apologize and finish the wonderful meal I made for you?” Eve glanced back over her shoulder; Firebrand looked scared as he tried to convey her need to apologize. She closed her eyes and turned back to face the horrid beast.

“You’re Scorn Wing, the dragon, the terrible, and the cruelest pony ever born!” She jumped up on the table, tossing her plate to the ground and shattering it. “And I think your cooking is horrid and gross, I hate you and anypony who doesn’t have the guts to stand up to you.” Eve growled back flashing her teeth and strange fangs and for the fraction of a second, she thought she could see fear in Scorn Wings eyes. The mare spun and kicked her hard, bucking her across the room and into the main door of the dining room.

Eve felt her skull collide with its solid frame sending stars dancing before her eyes and knocking the air from her lungs. When she hit the floor all she could do was gasp and try and stand, feeling a sharp pain in her left wing, it was obvious she had landed funny on it.

“ANYPONY ELSE?” Scorn Wing shouted, her voice booming with rage throughout the entire room. Eve groaned, standing again, noticing that Firebrand was suddenly at her side. He whispered in her ear, his voice agitated and fearful.
“Eve, for your sake stay down. You’ve made your point, don’t be crazy and try and take her on again!” She chuckled in a raspy tone.

“No Firebrand, I have to stand up to her cause no pony will. If I can show that a little runt foal like me can stand up to a dragon…who’s to say it won’t inspire others that come after me? I won’t lay here! I plan to stand on my own four hooves for what I believe in until both them and my wings cannot hold me any longer!” Staggering to her hooves, she raised her head, a bloody gash on her forehead. “I’m not done with you yet, Scorn Wing ‘the terrible’!” The mare snarled and swooped onto the table, pawing roughly across its surface.

“I’m going to throw you from the clouds you insubordinate filly, and watch you fall the all the way to earth!”
“Not if you can’t catch me,” she laughed back smoothly. A couple of the foals cheered for Eve, watching her shove the main door open and gallop off into the streets of Windsoar. Pegasi stared at the foal oddly, other flying out of her way as she galloped for the Great Tower of Storms. Scorn wing was quick on her flank, flying high above to tail the foal until she grew tired.

As Eve ran she beat her wings hard against the rushing air trying to gain flight but every time she only gained a few feet of altitude before falling back to her furiously moving legs. She could hear Scorn Wing laughing from above her at her attempts to gain flight, but Eve was set on freedom. She bolted into the heavy stormed that surrounded the tower and the factories that made such wild acts of nature.

First came the rain, pelting her in the face and obscuring her view, followed by the loud roar of the thunder and the crash of lightning. Eve’s heart was pounding faster as faster, reaching the stairs and not even hesitating to gallop upward. Scorn Wing dove and landed expertly atop the towers soaked platform where only the greatest fliers of Windsoar were tested. Getting rid of a foal in this mess would be all too simple.

When Eve finally reached the top she collapsed and gasped for air, her legs shaking and wings twitching with cramps. Her head fell into a puddle, drenching her more and making her cough up water.

“Your mine now Eves Storm!” Scorn Wing cackled as she took a step closer. Eve jumped to her hooves and stood there; cold, wet, and tired; all she wanted to do was sleep.

“No…never, you can’t own me!” She shouted, jumping at the menace, Scorn Wing flew to meet her. Out of a large black cloud, lighting struck between the two sending them both over the city’s cloudy edge. Eve just screamed, the wind howling loudly around her ears. She could feel her wing feathers singed from the lightning, yet still she flapped them. “SWEET LUNA, MAY MY WINGS CATCH WIND!” She yowled, tears streaming from her face as the earth came up to meet her.

Author's Note

Constructive Criticism and comments welcome.