Having heard that there might be humans within the woods, Glory gasped, her tail wagging as she began to smile. Grasping Evergreen with her hooves, the lithe pegasus could barely contain her excitement.
"Hoomins am wookin’ fow fwuffies?! Am wookin’ fow Gwowy?! Dat am dah bestest ting ebah Ebah’gween! Dat mean Gwowy’s hoomin mummah mite be wookin’ fow Gwowy! Hoomin mummah mite fowgib Gwowy an wan Gwowy 'gain! "
His face dour, Evergreen slowly shook his head, holding Glory as he sighed. Nuzzling her lightly, he then tilted his head, leading her gaze to the small burns along his fluff.
“Gwowy…sum hoomins nu am nicies…nu wan gib huggies an’ wuv. Ebah’gween’s owd hoomin daddeh wus…wus meanie tu Ebah’gween. Gab Ebah’gween wowstest huwties…tu mani huwties tu maek cow’nties. Ebah’gween nu be hewe wiff Gwowy if Ebah’gween nu wun way’ fwom owd hoomin daddeh. Dees hoomins mite wan gib huwties tu…”
Grimacing as her eyes lingered on the stallion’s wounds, Glory was clearly stunned, both by Evergreen’s injuries, and his warnings.
“…Ebah’gween’s hoomin daddeh weawwy du dat tu Ebah’gween…dohs huwties…dey wook su ba’…buh…buh Gwowy’s hoomin mummah nu wan gib Gwowy huwties! Onwy am maddie cuz Gwowy…cuz Gwowy am bwoken…”
Looking away from Evergreen, a slight look of shame growing on her face, Glory took a deep breath, fighting the urge to cry again. While the lithe pegasus was still sullen over her owner’s anger, desperate to know how she could fix herself, how she could be a better fluffy, all of that was lessened by the thought of the humans. While she felt the bitter sadness within her chest, the small spark of hope that her owner might be looking for her kept it at bay.
“Wascaww tink dat hoomins fowwowin’ fwuffies nu am nicies…Ebah’gween wan Wascaww be wong…buh hab tu pwan wike hoomins am ba’ Gwowy…Wascaww teww Ebah’gween tu taek fwuffies an’ wawkies on paff…dat Wascaww wead hoomins dah wong way an’ den find fwuffies 'gain…”
“Buh…Wat Wascaww du? Wascaww am fwuffy…an’ hoomins am bigah…an’ fastah…”
Nodding almost with slight reverence, Evergreen glanced back where they had last left Rascal.
“Wascaww am smawt…an’ Wascaww kno hoomins…dat wai Wascaww gu…nu wan odah fwuffies huwt. Dat wai Wascaww am weadew ob fwuffy fwends.”
“Weww…Gwowy tink dat Wascaww am siwwy an’ wong! Hoomins am gud Ebah’gween! Hoomins nu wan gib huwties tu fwuffies…an if gib huwties…den am fwuffies fawt…fwuffy du sumtin’ wong…sumtin’ ba’”
"…Den wat Ebah’gween du wong? Wai daddeh gib meanie wowds tu Ebah’gween wen sai wuv daddeh… Wat Ebah’gween du dat maek daddeh gib buwnie huwties…Ebah’gween wuv Gwowy…am Ebah’gween’s speciaw fwend nao…buh Gwowy nee’ kno dat sum hoomins am ba’…sum hoomins nu wike fwuffies… "
Deciding that a visual reminder might help the lithe pegasus understand better, Evergreen pointed slightly with his hoof, gesturing towards the blue pegasus. Once again missing Rascal, the scarred pegasus was crying as the pink unicorn tried in vain to console him.
“…Wascaww nu wan fwuffies tu tawkies bout’ dis…buh hoomins du dat tu bwu fwend…”
Glory gasped, her hooves covering her mouth as she looked to the scarred pegasus. As the blue fluffy sobbed and suckled his hoof, Glory couldn’t take her eyes off of the long blackened scar that trailed from his haunches all the way to the top of his back, where his missing wing should have been.
“…Weawwy…hoomins…hoomins gib bwu fwend dat huwtie mawk…an’ taeks wingy way’…buh…buh wai?!”
“Nu kno…Wascaww nebah teww Ebah’gween…buh wat cud fwuffies du tu hoomins tu desewb dat, Gwowy?”
There was a tangible silence between the two for a few moments, as Glory simply sat and looked at the scarred pegasus, her eyes widening as it dawned on her. Glory’s new friend had been very kind to her. He had gave her water and food, even the very first hug she could remember. The scarred pegasus couldn’t be a bad fluffy…and not even a bad fluffy deserved what had been done to him.
Walking back to the others, Glory saw how quickly the scarred pegasus had become downhearted. Sucking his hoof as he laid on the forest floor, the pink unicorn was trying her best to console him, pulling a leave with a bushel of red berries in tow.
“Bwu fwend? Fwuffy wus wookin’ fow nummies an’ fwuffy hab bewwies fow bwu fwend…am weawwy swee’ an’ gud…bwu fewnd wan nummy bewwies?”
Unresponsive, the scarred pegasus simply shivered slightly, recoiling from the pink unicorn as she came closer.
“…Hao wong tiww Wascaww?”
Giving Evergreen a desperate look, the pink unicorn trotted over to the stallion and his mate.
“Ebah’gween! Fwuffy nu kno wat tu du! Bwu fwend nu wan wawkies…nu wan gu upsies edah…fwuffy nu can hewp…wat shud fwuffies du?”
Sighing slightly, Evergreen shook his head as he made his way over to the scarred pegasus.
“Ebah’gween nu kno edah…buh Ebah’gween wiww twy…Tank yu pink fwend. Ebah’gween kno yu du bestest yu can…”
Glory and the pink unicorn watched on as Evergreen walked over and lowered himself beside the scarred pegasus, speaking softly as he tried to coax him into standing up. Without looking away from them, the pink unicorn suddenly spoke, startling Glory.
“…Fwuffy am sowwy…nu am otay tu caww yu nu nicies namsies…Gwowy p’wease fowgib fwuffy…nu du 'gain…fwuffy pwomise…”
Taken back by the sudden apology, Glory turned her attention to the pink unicorn. Although she was still watching Evergreen try and soothe the scarred pegasus, Glory could see the pink unicorn starting to tear up slightly.
“…Otay…Gwowy fowgib pink fwend…”
Getting closer, Glory put her hoof around the pink unicorn, the sullen fluffy clearly upset over their fight or her friend’s condition, possibly both. Not looking away, the pink unicorn sighed as she took a shallow breath.
“Hewpin’ bwu fwend tu hawd…nu kno hao tu hewp bwu fwend wite…”
“Nu am pink fwend’s fawt…Gwowy tink dat onwy Wascaww am gud at hewpin’ bwu fwend…”
“…Nu kno wat am su impow’tent dat Wascaww nee’ weave fwuffies…buh fwuffy kno Wascaww no wike weavin’ bwu fwend a’wone…mus be sumtin’ weawwy ba’ fow Wascaww tu du dat…”
It made her uncomfortable to keep secrets from the others, but Glory had made a promise to Evergreen. Simply leaving the pink unicorn’s utterance unanswered, Glory looked on as the scarrred pegasus began to grow worse. As Evergreen pleaded with the blue fluffy, trying desperately to calm him, Glory could see his eyes widening as they nervously glanced around, unable to find his friend.