Within the cold alleyway, several fluffies were slowly waking up as the sun rose. Yawning and stretching, they made their way from their varied nests of cardboard and trash and began the day, with the older stallions preparing to venture out for food while the mares fed and doted on their young. Whilst the ferals went about their morning routine as they did everyday, a young pegasus struggled to pull an old worn wagon behind her. The off orange fluffed mare grunted with effort, the makeshift trolley filled with relatively fresh food, leftovers that she’d gone from home to home, asking for what little they could part with. Noticing the strange fluffy, the ferals slowly began to congregate towards her wagon, the scent of actual food wafting in the air. Seeing the herd approaching, the mare smiled as she greeted the fluffies.
"Hewwo nyu fwends! Fwuffy’s namsies am Gwace! Happies Tank yu Gib’ns!
“Tank yu Gibn’s?”
“Wat am dat?”
“Nyu fwend?”
“Smeww nummies!!!”
The ferals surrounding her clearly confused, Grace simply smiled as she began to take several of the wrapped plates out of her wagon, passing them along to the eager fluffies.
“Hewe yu aww gu! Nu wowwies! Pwenty fow ebwy’wan! Membah, taek pwastic off nummies fiwst otay!”
Pleased by the sudden appearance of such wonderful food, the ferals were overjoyed. As they slowly took the feast and passed it out amongst themselves, a small mass of peeping and chirping foals, clearly excited by the uproar came up to the strange pegasus’ wagon. The oldest among them, a small colt whose eyes had only recently opened, waddled over to Grace as she made sure that her remaining goods were stowed properly before heading out. Lightly tapping her against her back hoof, the pegasus looked down and smiled towards the young fluff.
“Hewwo widdew babbeh! Happies Tank yu Gib’ns!”
*chirp…*chirp…*chirp…Wai gib nummies? …*chirp…*chirp…*chirp…
Leaning over, Grace gently patted the small foal on his head, her smile beaming.
“Dat am a siwwy qest’n widdew babbeh…Gwace gib nummies cuz am Tank yu Gib’ns…nu wan shud be hungwy on Tank yu Gib’ns…”
Clearly still perplexed by what the pegasus was saying, regardless the foal hugged the pegasus’ leg.
“*chirp…*chirp…*chirp…Tank yu…*chirp…*chirp…*chirp…Ba’beh wuv Gwace! …*chirp…*chirp…*chirp…”
Nuzzling against the sweet foal, Grace then took the wagon’s handle back into her mouth as she began to pull her delicious cargo, knowing that she was far from done. There were still a great many fluffies that could use a meal, and even if it took all day, she’d make sure that each and every one ate well today.
Nearly three hours into her journey, Grace grew tired, all the pulling and walking being a great deal of exercise, especially for a fluffy. Thankfully, she knew a place nearby where she could rest. Pulling her wagon next to a stoop, Grace was careful to push it against the stone stairway, not wanting the trolley of goods to roll away. Content that it was level, the pegasus made her way up the steps and through a large doggy-door like opening at the entrance of a modest apartment.
Trotting slowly, as not to alert the home’s owner, Grace walked past the living room and entered the kitchen, where another fluffy was already enjoying his breakfast. The red and white unicorn, apon seeing Grace smiled slightly as he lifted his head away from his food dish.
"Gud bwite time Grace! Hao am yu?"
“Hewwo Candee! Gud bwite time tu yu tu! Gwace am otay…tiwed fwom Tank yu Gib’ns…”
“Wat? Buh Tank yu Gib’ns wus wast bwite time…”
“Siwwy Candee…Gwace tawk’n bout’ fwuffy Tank yu Gib’ns…Dat am dis bwite time! Hoomins gib nummies dat dey nu nee’ tu fwuffies dat hab hungwies…”
A confused look came across the unicorn’s face as he offered part of his breakfast to his friend, pushing the plastic bowl in her direction.
“Hoomins gib nummies fow fwuffies dat nu hab homes? Dat nu sown’d wike hoomins…hoomins nu wike ow’tside fwuffies…”
Lapping up a bit of water to quench her thirst, the pegasus looked up, slightly hurt by her friend’s words.
“Dat nu am nicies Candee…Sum fwuffies nu hab dadeh wike yu…”
"Candee nu twy’n tu be meanies Gwace…buh am twu…An’ ow’tside fwuffies nu am nicies edah…dey nu desewb nummies…
Gasping slightly, Grace covered her mouth with her hoof.
“Candee…Candee nu weawwy tink dat…”
"Am twu Gwace. If Fwuffies wewe gud, den dey wud hab housies wike Candee du…"
Whimpering as tears began to fall down her cheeks, Grace ran out of the kitchen, leaving as Candy tried to call out to her. Walking down the steps, the pegasus wiped away her tears as she tried not to think about before, when she had been a house fluffy like Candy.
She had been bought shortly after she was weaned, with her new mother and new little mother being so sweet and kind. Grace had loved her safe-room and the food that her human mother fed her was always warm and delicious. Even when the pegasus wasn’t her best, making accidental bad poopies or crying in the middle of the night when her nightlight broke, her new family had loved her.
But one day, Grace’s new mother hadn’t come home from work and her little mamma couldn’t stop crying. So many people had come over but no-one would tell the little pegasus what had happened. Shortly after, a strange man took Grace and put her in a sorry-bag. Not sure how long she’d been in that horrible burlap sack, when she finally freed herself, she was alone, and unsure where she was.
Since that awful day, Grace had found that the only thing that could take her mind off her own troubles was to bring joy to others. Seeing their smiling faces brought one to her own, allowing her to move past what she had lost. Traipsing down the last few stairs, Grace was aghast to see that her wagon was gone. Now galloping to where it had been, the pegasus could see a pair of large fluffies dragging it past the alleyway behind Candy’s house.
“STAHP!!! DOHS NU AM JUS’ FOW YU!!! AM FOW AWW HUNGWY FWUFFIES!!!”
Running to catch up, Grace rushed into the alley, as the fluffy pair, a blue mare and a green stallion stopped and peered down towards her.
“Fwuffies findies nummies faiw an’ squawe…Nu am dummeh fwuffy’s nu mowe…”
“Fwuffy nee’ nummies fow hewd…”
Bravely striding past the pair, Grace tried to wrap her hooves around the wagon’s handle, pulling as hard as the pegasus could muster. Annoyed by her attempt to steal away with their food, the blue mare grimaced as she struck Grace with her hoof, knocking the pegasus down to the ground.
“*SCREEEEEEE!!!”
“Dummeh fwuffy nu taek nummies! Twy 'gain an fwuffy gib sowwy hoofsies!”
Leaving the beaten pegasus on the stone pavement, the pair dragged the wagon away as Grace peeped and chirped, her hooves covering her face as she trembled. Watching as her hard earned goods slowly rolled away, Grace began to tear up, her gaze drifting away as she could no longer bear to watch. On her back, the pegasus winced as she tried to roll over, only for her notice the nearby window, with Candy peering somberly towards her.
He had been right! It was horrible and so hard for the sweet natured pegasus to admit, but Candy had warned her that outside fluffies could be mean. She wasn’t naive. Grace had met mean and even violent fluffies before, but for fluffies to steal the food that she had spent so long gathering, the food that she planned to feed countless homeless fluffies with, it was too much to take. Unable to bear her friend’s silent judgement, Grace sprung to her feet and ran away.
Making her way past the various alleyways, Grace ran until her body was worn out and her hooves ached. Laying beside a garbage bin, the pegasus wept, unable to hold in her feelings anymore. The stolen food was terrible but this was her first year without a family of her own. Desperate to keep her mind off it, Grace had remembered that her old human mother would box up her Thanksgiving leftovers and take them to people without homes or food the next day. Inspired by the wonderful idea, Grace had wanted to do the same for the alley fluffies.
As the pegasus lamented the loss of her family, Grace heard several fluffies approaching. Scared at first due to her recent scuffle, the pegasus quickly recognized the small pink foal riding atop his mother, along with several fluffies that she had visited earlier.
“*chirp…*chirp…Pwe’ nu cwy…*chirp…*chirp…”
“Wat am wong nummy fwend?”
“*huuu…huuu…huuu…Gw…Gwace wan he…hewp fwuffies…bu…buh meanie fwuffies steaw nummies…*huuu…huuu…huuu…Nao nu ha…hab nummies fow odah hungwy fwuffies…”
Distraught by her believed failure, Grace mewled. Trotting beside her, the pink foal, along with his mother, began to nuzzle her.
“It am otay nummy fwend…Fwuffies nu eat aww nummies dat nummy fwend bwing…Fwuffies shawe dohs an’ twashy nummies dat fwuffies gathew’d tu…”
Helping the pegasus to her feet, the light blue mare led her back to their alley, slowly spreading the word that the nummy friend needed help. Gathering what cardboard they could spare, the ferals placed their remaining leftovers, as well as what food they could spare from their own hoard and had two of their larger stallions help the injured pegasus drag the food to the last few alleyways that she’d yet to visit. Still, even as they passed the food along to the hungry fluffies, Grace could tell that there wouldn’t be enough to go around. Saddened by failing the remaining fluffies, the pegasus nearly lost hope until one of the ferals cried out.
“*SCREEEEEEE!!! Hoomin!!! Wun way’!!!”
Startled by the emergence of a strange human, Grace recognized the fluffy beside the human. It was Candy, the unicorn wrapped in a coat and boots for the brisk autumn afternoon. Walking into the alley alongside his daddy, Candy peered around anxiously until he saw the pegasus.
“Dis am dah wite pwace daddeh…”
“Okay little guy…Now are you absolutely sure you wanna do this?”
“Yus…Candee am suwe…am fow Tank yu Gib’ns…”
Walking out of the alley for a few minutes, the man walked back with several styrofoam containers that he slowly placed next to the nervous unicorn. Trotting up beside him slowly, Grace wiped her cheeks as she peered towards the containers.
“Wat am Candee doin’ hewe? An’ wat am in wite boxies?”
Now close enough to smell the food inside, Grace gasped as she recognized the aroma within. It was sketties! She hadn’t smelled that wondeful smell in so long. Placing the remaining containers on the ground, the man smiled down towards the pegasus.
“I give Candy spaghetti as a treat once a month. Imagine my shock when he asked me if he could give all of next year’s worth away. I normally wouldn’t do this…but it’s his to give away if he wants so I hope you appreciate it.”
Opening the boxes and then taking a step back, the man let Candy have a moment with the pegasus. Wrapping his hooves around Grace, the unicorn sniffled slightly.
"Candee am su sowwy Gwace…Candee saw meanie fwuffies taek nummes way’. An’ Grace twy an gets nummies back, eben doh fwuffies wewe biggah an’ scawy…Nu seem faiw fow Gwace tu wowk su hawd fow nuthin’…Su Candee shawe sketties…"
As the containers were divided amongst the fluffies, word quickly spread to the other ferals. Soon all came for the spaghetti feast, with plenty for all. Even the the blue mare and her herd arrived, with the remaining leftovers in tow, apologizing for what they had done, fearing the soon to arrive cold times and wanting to have plenty of food. Forgiven, even they joined in the festivities, as Grace gazed around in amazement. Hugging Candy, the pegasus couldn’t help but tear up.
“Happies Tank yu Gib’ns Candee…”
"Happies Tank yu Gib’nsGwace…"
For everyone who could use a little joy around the holiday season 
Karn