Her hooves sore and cold from traversing the forest floor, Glory had walked for countless forevers before realizing that she was lost. The lithe pegasus had tried to backtrack and even return to the others but with the poor illumination from the overcast moon and no-one to show her the way, Glory quickly found herself in a blind panic, her nervous and slow pace now a frenzied gallop as she peered around, frantic and desperate for help.
“HEWP!!! SUM’WAN P’WEASE HEWP GWOWY!!!”
Her voice fading into the vast woods, the pegasus ran until she collapsed, her breath shallow and quick. Trembling from both the cold and her deep rooted fear of the dark, Glory closed her eyes, whimpering as she tried to push both from her mind. Her thoughts drifted to Evergreen and the others, and the odd realization that despite how awful and frightening the past few days had been, they had been the happiest days of her life. It was so strange that despite only just meeting them, it felt so natural and right to be with them, to be friends with them. Even Rascal, the massive, imposing earthie seemed a bit nicer that when she’d first met him.
But if they knew how she was broken, that she wasn’t a soon mother, that she might not ever be a soon mother, they’d hate her, just like her human mother. Maybe it was for the best, even if she couldn’t find the feel better place. If they never saw her again, at least they’d miss her, at least they’d remember her as a fluffy, not a broken non-fluff.
Lost in thought, Glory nearly didn’t hear the sound of twigs snapping nearby, the noise pulling her from her stupor. Wiping her tears away with her hoof, the pegasus lifted her head, trying to peer about in the dark.
“Hewwo? Am sum’wan deww?”
With a brief moment of silence, the lithe pegasus was suddenly blinded, a potent beam of light flashing in her eyes as a gloved hand firmly grasped her by her mane. Frantic as she jerked about blind, Glory was cut off by an abrupt blow to the back of her head.
“*SCREEEEEEE!!! HEWP!!! P’WEASE NU HUWTIES GWOWY!!! *SCREeeeeee…”
Her vision slowly coming to, Glory struggled to rise to her hooves, realizing quickly that something had bound her legs, forcing her on her side within a small cage that was somehow moving. The forest was now cast in the beginnings of dawn, leaving the pegasus nervous as to how long she had been unconscious.
“…Still say we head out kid…We got what we came for…”
“You didn’t lose nearly $300 worth of gear Ralph…Gonna find that red fluffed son of a bitch and get my money’s worth out of his hide!”
“For fuck’s sake Tom, it’s just a damn fluffy…This’un here will fetch us both a damn good payday! What’s it matter that one got away?!”
There were two of them, humans. Withthe younger one pulling the wagon filled with cages and gear that Glory now found herself trapped on while the older one walked slightly ahead, occasionally slowing to take in his surroundings. While the pegasus couldn’t follow everything they were saying, it was clear that they weren’t very nice, and that they were looking for Rascal, and that the younger one wanted to hurt him. Trying to speak, Glory winced, realizing that something had been wrapped tightly around her muzzle, her pleas now muffled and indecipherable.
“Hey old timer! I think she’s awake!”
“…So?”
“So, she can tell us where the other fluffy is…Right?”
“Tom, I doubt she knows where the hell she is, let alone your red whale…”
“Still though…she might…”
“Fine…remember though, the reward for alive is nearly double so keep it short and friendly like…no need for bloodshed yet…”
Rolling slightly as the cart stopped, Glory struck the side of the cage with a muffled shriek, whimpering as her side ached and throbbed. Shaking her head as she tried to recover, she scarcely noticed as Tom opened her cage, gripping her neck firmly as he unwound the leather cord around her mouth.
“Okay fluffy…where’s your friend? The big red one?”
“Hoo…hoomin tawkies bout’ Wascaww? Gwowy nu know wewe Wascaww am…*SCREEEEEEE!!!”
Glory was cut off as Tom lifted her head by it’s mane, srtiking her face first against the cage floor. Screaming as blood fell from her busted nose, the pegasus tried to shake herself loose from the cruel man’s grasp.
“*SCREEEEEEE!!! WASCAWW AN’ EBAH’GWEEN WUS WITE!!! HOOMINS AM MEANIE!!! WAN GIB FWUFFIES HUWTIES!!!”
“Rascal and Evergreen huh? So there’s at least two more then…Which one is the red one?”
“With a name like Evergreen, which one you think? Use your head Tom…”
Walking towards the cages, Ralph leaned in and peered through the bars towards the pegasus.
“You…you said your name was Glory right?”
Hesitant to speak at first, Glory only winced in response until Ralph signaled for Tom to release her mane. Gently falling to her side, the pegasus’ breathing began to slow as she struggled feebly against her bindings. Reaching in, Glory shrieked and closed her eyes as Ralph’s hand came towards her, but calmed as surprisingly, she felt him loosen her restraints.
“Hoomin nices? N…nu huwties Gwowy?”
Leaning in closer so that the pegasus was at eye level, Ralph put on his best smile, trying to gain her confidence.
“Wouldn’t dream of it. We’re only here cause your owner is lookin’ for ya…”
It took a moment for Glory to process what the older man was saying, her heart skipping a beat as it slowly dawned on her. Her human mother was looking for her! Maybe she’d forgiven Glory and just wanted her to come home. As the pegasus began to smile, her tail wagging slightly at the thought of her warm and cozy saferoom, another thought crossed her mind. What about her friends? Would she ever see them again if she went home?
“Gwowy wuv mummah su manies nices mistuh…Wan gu home an’ nu be in woodsies nu mowe…buh Gwowy hab fwends…eben a speciaw fwend…Wat bout’ odah fwuffies?”
“That’s a good question…I suppose if we knew where they were, we could take them too…You could all live together…one big happy family…”
Tom couldn’t help but stifle a laugh at Ralph’s saccharine platitudes, covering his mouth moments too late as Glory peered past the older man, her eyes narrowing as she thought about everything her friends had told her about humans.
“Yu…yu am WIAW!!! Meanie hoomins nu wan hewp Gwowy ow odah fwuffies! Jus’ wan gib huwties! Gwowy nu teww meanie hoomins nuthin’!”
Shutting the cage before the lithe pegasus could flee, Ralph turned and struck Tom hard in the chest, knocking the wind from his young partner.
“Idiot! She ain’t gonna help us now! And you’re the one who wants the other fluffy in the first damn place!”
“Geez…take it easy old man…Besides, she told us plenty…Said that one of em’ is her mate…”
“So?”
“…So, we don’t have to go to them…we can get them to come to us…”
fluffy is fluffy and he will bite the bait hook and all unless Rascal can evaluate its a trap.