You are Sam, sitting awkwardly with Cash in his kitchen, listening to Clover and Surfew talk in the other room.
“An… dat make fwuffy safe?” Surfer asked.
Clover sighed. “Nu, it am dangewous. Meanies am gunna say meanie tings tu yu. But if guud hoomans hewe wha’ happen tu Suwfew, den dey make it su nu fwuffy hab same huwties.”
There was a long silence. Your hand gripped tighter around your coffee cup. Cash bit his lip.
“… Wiww dey huwt Suwfew’s spechow fwend? Suwfew’s babbeh?”
“Nu. Jus’ Cwobah and Suwfew. An’ Cwobah du most ob da tawkies, Suwfew jus’ nee’ teww hoomans wha’ happen.” Clover replied. “Yu nu hab tu if nu wan, Mistah Cash nu be mad if you say nu.”
“Den… if babbeh an’ spechow fwend am nu get huwties… Suwfew hewp.”
You released your held breath in a relieved sigh, Cash did a small fist pump from across the counter from you.
“Yu am du guud tingie, fow aww fwuffies. Cwobah gu teww hoomans, den Miss Tewa wiww cum tawk abou’ wha’ Suwfew nee’ say.”
“Otay. An… Cwobah be dewe?”
“Cwobah be dewe whowe tiem.” You heard his soft hooves pad across the carpet as he came into the kitchen. “Suwfew say he du it, as wong as spechow fwend an’ babbeh awe safe.”
“We can be sure of that.” Cash replied. “I’ll see if the shelter can send us a picture of them or something.”
“Mhm…” Clover put a hoof to his lip thoughtfully. “Can shewtew hoomans cum tawk to Suwfew? Wouwd be bettah.”
“I will see what I can do, would a phonecall work?”
“Maybe.” Clover trotted over to you. “Du Cwobah hab oddah tings to du?”
“Nah, that’s all. Tera says she’ll come by tomorrow to start coaching you.” You replied.
“Otay. Can gu homesies? Nu wan be away fwom Wiwac too wong wif babbehs su cwose.”
“Yeah, that’s fair.” You stood and drained the last of your coffee. “You want to grab dinner for everyone? There’s this Italian place that’s started selling spaghetti by the pound in town.”
“Hmm…” you could see the conflict in his eyes, his anxiety around Lilac at war with his base need for pasta. “Otay, if it am fast.”
“I’ll order online, we can just pick it up.” You pulled up the website as Cash opened the back door.
“Ranger! Come say bye to Clover!” He called, and a flurry of small hoofsteps came from outside.
“Cwobah!” He skidded to a stop in the middle of the kitchen, a small smear of mud on the tile where his hooves slid. “Nu wan pway?”
“No, Clover came here to do a job, remember?” Cash said, grabbing a rag off the counter and wiping up the muddy hoofprints.
“Oh, Cwobah hab jobbie wike Wangew??”
“It’s a little different from yours, but just as important. He’s helping Surfer.”
“Ohhhhhh…. Otay. Cwobah cum pway anoddah tiem?”
“If Cwobah hab tiem, Cwobah am be daddeh soon.”
Ranger’s eyes grew wide. “Oh! Dat am suu guud!”
Clover nodded silently, chewing his lip.
“Alright, food ordered. Let’s get going.” You said, following Cash into the living room.
“Thank you for coming by, bud.” He said to your fluffy. “It’s a really great thing you’re doing.”
“Cwobah du what am wite.” Clover said dismissively.
“And that’s a rare thing these days.” Said Cash, holding the door. “Drive safe you two!”
“Buh-bye!” Ranger called as you walked to your truck with Clover trotting at your heels.
“You feeling okay, bud?” You asked as you lifted him into the passenger seat.
“Mhhh…” Clover rubbed his hooves together as you got into the truck. “Am… newvous.”
“About the babies?”
“Mh-hm.” He stared out the window as Cash’s neighbhood passed by.
“It’s going to be okay, bud. You’re going to be a great dad to these babies, you’re going to love them so much.”
“…Otay.” he mumbled.
You sighed, knowing he didn’t believe you. You weren’t sure that you believed you either. Fluffy mares were programmed to be obsessed with foals, you didn’t know how the stallions were supposed to feel. And it wasn’t like you knew anything about having kids.
Clover rested his chin on the door, watching the world go by, clearly deep in thought. You turned up the radio.
You hoped that you weren’t a liar. You would support them as much as they needed but you weren’t sure if Clover would ever come around.
The two of you rode in silence until you arrived at the restaurant.
“Okay, stay in the car and I’ll be right back with our food.” You hopped out of the truck, tucking your hands into your pockets to protect them from the autumn chill. It was starting to get colder and colder at night but the barn the hugboxers had built for you was holding up to the dropping temperatures well according to Bluebell. You felt a little bad for the ferals in the area, the alleyway behind the restaurant assuredly housed at least a few fluffies. Though, with the look of the truck parked blocking the entrance to the alley, they weren’t alone.
Your footsteps slowed, halfway across the parking lot. You knew that truck. Big, glossy, black, with a tacky hula dancer on the dashboard, that was Dave’s truck. You shook your head, continuing your walk. He wasn’t your problem anymore.
“SCREEEE-” A sudden, high-pitched screech rang out into the twilight, and cut off quickly.
You gritted your teeth, turning towards the noise.
“I told you to keep fucking quiet!” Dave growled as you approached the corner. “Now you’re gonna fucking get it.”
Dave stood, holding a yellow and green fluffy mare up by the throat. You could see his grip tighten as the mare’s hooves pawed at his fist.
“Dave?” You said.
He jumped at your voice, spinning around. “Oh! Sam! How ya been, man?” He said, jovial. As if he didn’t threaten your pets and livelihood the last time you saw him. As if he didn’t currently have a struggling fluffy’s neck clenched in his fist.
“…What are you doing?” You asked, trying to keep your voice calm.
“Is that a trick question? Whatsit look like I’m doing?” He shook the mare at you, her eyes rolling back in her head. You could smell the stink of beer rolling off of him from where you stood.
“You’re hurting her.”
“Yep!” He grinned, turning the mare around to face him. “Just like you hurt that red, white, and blue fucker!”
You froze. “How… how did…”
He tossed the mare down to the pavement firmly, you heard a small crunch as she landed. “I saw the whooooole thing, man! It was awesome! I wish I recorded it!”
“I… didn’t see you…”
“Nah, I was hiding.” He tapped his forehead with a finger. “If you saw me you would have known that I brought him back!”
“You… you…” You couldn’t get the words to come out.
“I brought him!” Dave finished for you. “And you fucked him up beautifully man!” He started stumbling towards you, arms out as if asking for a hug. “You’re one of us now!”
“No. Nononono.” You held up your hands. “I’m not… like you.”
Dave paused, his smile faltering slightly. “But you-”
“I’m not like you.” You cut him off.
“Then what was that, hm?” The mare at his feet began to regain consciousness, trying to pull herself away from him.
“That… that was-”
“Because it looked like this.” He brought his foot down sharply on the fluffy’s back with a loud crunch. You flinched as the mare’s eyes flew open wide, gore shooting out of her mouth. The cracking of bones, the wet splatter, it was all very familiar. Disgustingly so.
“Dave…” you turned away from the scene, feeling queasy.
“Oh, you’re still being a fucking pussy?”
Another wet crunch, a sickening splatter of god knows what on the pavement. You couldn’t look. You knew if you did you would see blue fluff rather than yellow.
“Dave, stop.”
“Or what, faggot?” A loud crack, then another.
“Just… stop. Please.” you begged.
“Not until you look.”
You waited for another noise, but none came. Gritting your teeth, you slowly turned back to the carnage.
The mare was flattened, one of Dave’s feet through her midsection as if to wear her like a slipper. She was long dead, her expression frozen in shock and terror. Blood and grey bits of innards formed a cone shaped splatter in front of her. Dave placed his other boot on top of her skull and pushed, grinding her jaw into the pavement.
“You think you’re better than me or something?” Dave asked coldly.
Yes, you did. At least a little bit. You didn’t spend your free time hunting down creatures to mutilate. “…What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You sit there on your high horse-” he shifted his weight more on top of the mare’s head, her teeth cracking from the pressure “-and tell me I’m disgusting while you do all the same things.”
“I don’t-”
“DON’T FUCKING LIE TO ME!” Dave shouted, pointing an accusing finger at you. “I fucking saw you. You stomped that uppity shitrat to death. You splattered his-”
“I wasn’t thinking, okay?!” The volume of your retort shocked both you and Dave. You clenched your fists, taking a deep breath. “He was too far gone. Too fucked up from… whatever you did to him.”
“Oh, is that what you told your faggot friends?” Dave sneered. He pressed more of his weight onto the dead mare’s skull, her teeth cracking loudly from the pressure. “Because I’m sure they would like to know what you get up to.”
Before you could reply there was the clattering of cans, and both you and Dave looked to the end of the alley where the filthy purple tail of a fluffy disappeared around the corner.
“Oh, son of a bitch…” Dave rolled his eyes, pulling his foot off the mare’s skull and leaning down to check a cardboard box behind him. “Fucker got away…”
“Dave, go home.” You said, crossing your arms. “You’re drunk, you’re making a mess-”
“Oh, what are you, my mom?” He spat back.
“I’m sure the owner would love to know what’s going on back here.” you said. Dave scoffed but you continued. “Some crazy guy digging through the trash to bait ferals.”
His eyes narrowed. “You’re a fucking rat.”
“It’s a health hazard.” You shrugged as you looked away. “Just doing my civic duty.”
Dave ground his teeth for a moment, sighed heavily, and stomped past you. “Fuck you, man.”
You stepped back, watching the beer cans fall from the driver’s door as he yanked it open. He flipped you off one last time before revving his truck loudly and peeling out of the parking lot.
A sigh escaped you. Of course he, of all people, had to know about your… incident with that smarty. You weren’t proud of what you did, of course. How could you be? Even if that fluffy was fucked up beyond saving he deserved at least a quick death.
A small pattering of hooves distracted you, coming from down the alley.
“Hey there.” You turned to greet the unfamiliar fluffy. “You must be-”
Trotting towards you was not a purple tailed feral fluffy, but a very familiar green alicorn.
“Clover?!”
“Oddah fwuffy wun way.” He said, stopping in front of you. “Twy to get stay buh fwuffy nu wan be wound…” He frowned. “Wha’ am wowd? Fo’ fwuffy with hown an’ wingies?”
“Uh, alicorn?”
“Yus, nu wan stay wif awicown.” he finished.
“What are you doing here?!” You scooped him into your arms. “Dave could have hurt you!”
“Saw Daddeh gu oddah way, hewd huwt fwuffy. Cwobah went tu hewp.”
“I told you to stay in the car!” You tucked him under your arm and started back across the parking lot. “This could have been really bad!”
“Daddeh pwotec Cwobah, wite?” He asked.
You paused with your hand on the car door. “Well, yes, but-”
“An Cwobah sabe oddah fwuffy.”
“Clover…” you sighed, opening the door and setting him down on the passenger seat. “Part of me protecting you is keeping you in the car, out of danger. What would I tell Lilac if I came home without you?”
Clover chewed his lip for a moment. “Buh… fwuffy nee’ hewp…”
“And I was helping him. I wouldn’t have let him hurt another fluffy.” You tousled his mane. “You’re a good fluffy, but please look out for yourself. Lilac and your babies need you.”
“Otay.” Clover hung his head. “Am sowwy.”
“You’re not in trouble, big guy.” You gave him another pat. “Now stay here, for real this time.”
“Am Mistah Dave gun huwt oddah fwuffies?”
“It’s… yeah. He is.” You leaned against the car door. “Not any of the barn fluffies but yeah. He’s going to keep finding fluffies to hurt wherever he can.”
“An…” Clover continued. “Miss Tawa gu tu twiaw tu stop Mistah Dave?”
“If we win, maybe. At least it will make him get in trouble for it.”
“Hm.” Clover began to chew his lip. “Otay.”
“I’ll be right back, bud. Stay here.” He nodded, and you shut the car door, turning back towards the restaurant. You hoped to be home before dark, but the sun hung low on the horizon. Hopefully the fluffy’s dinner wouldn’t be too late.
You are Clover, nestled tightly against your special friend in her mummah bed. With her current size and immobility, you just barely fit but after such a long day you were too exhausted to care about only being halfway in the bed. Having your hooves hanging off the side was fine, they ached from running across the hard pavement earlier.
“Ugh…” Lilac made a small noise next to you. “Mhm… babbehs be nicey to mummah…”
You slowly lifted your head, forcing your exhaustion aside. “Wiwac am otay?”
“Mhm… Babbehs am kickies hawd, nu wike. Feew wike dey gunna kick poopies out, can Cwobah get pad fow guud poopies pwease?” She replied, wincing.
You slowly got to your hooves, yawning widely. Your legs felt like rubber but you stumbled over to the box of puppy pads, dragging one over to cover the space behind Lilac’s rear end. “Dewe, nu bad poopies.” It was something your Daddeh got, he had explained that no poopies Lilac made were bad when she couldn’t walk by herself, but you should try to keep her poopies on the pad.
“Tank’oo, spech- ow! Owies!” Lilac cried, front hooves splayed. “Babbehs! Nu huwt mummah!”
You blinked, the gears in your brain starting to turn. The babies were hurting her, and she felt like she had to make poopies…
You gasped, leaping straight up into the air in shock. “BABBEHS! NEE’ GET DADDEH!!”
“Wha’?” Lilac said as you sprinted down the hallway.
“DADDEH!! DADDEH DADDEH DADDEH!!!” You yelled, leaping onto the bed. “DADDEH WAKIES!! NAO!!!”
“Clover…? What…?” Your daddeh mumbled as you jumped onto his chest.
“BIGGEST POOPIES!!” Lilac’s cry came from down the hall.
Daddeh stared as you for a split second, eyes wide, before flipping the blankets off and sending you tumbling to the floor.
“Sorry!” He said, kneeling down to you.
“Am fine! Hewp Wiwac!!” You said, rolling onto your hooves.
Daddeh hurried into the living room, flipping the lights on with you hot on his heels. “Stay with her, I’ll get some cloths!”
You rushed back to Lilac, wrapping your hooves around her.
“Huwties!” She yelped, panting through the pain.
“It am otay, it am babbehs cumin’, spechow fwend!”
Lilac gasped, eyes growing wide. “Babbehs! Mummah am -owie!- sowwy! Babbehs nu mean huwties!”
“It am otay, babbehs fo’gib.” You nuzzled into her side, feeling the muscles tense with her contractions.
Daddeh returned with a bowl of water and a pile of washcloths. “Good job getting the pad under her, bud!”
“Tank’oo, am babbehs otay?!” You asked.
Daddeh pushed Lilac’s tail to the side, looking at her special place. “I think I see the first one!”
“Hnnngggg!!!” Lilac grunted, and a small wet plop came from behind her. You watched in awe as Daddeh picked up a small wet blob from the yucky pile on the mat behind your special friend.
“There we are! Look at you little thing! Absolutely perfect!” He wiped at the form with one of the washcloths, and you released a breath you didn’t know you were holding when the tiny form peeped loudly in his hand.
“Am… babbeh…?” You asked.
“That’s your baby, a perfect purple pegasus!” He held the foal out to you, and you carefully took it from his hands.
She was so much smaller than you thought possible, the size of your foreleg at most. Her tiny features were almost too small to make out, but you could see her little face screwed up as the high pitched chirps escaped her. As you inhaled her scent filled your nose and adoration filled your chest. She smelled perfect, beautiful and healthy, like a perfect mix of you and Lilac. She snuggled into your chest as you slowly turned, leaning down towards Lilac.
“Wook, spechow fwend… babbeh…” You couldn’t make your voice any louder than a whisper.
“Babbeh… su pwetty… hnnnngh!” Lilac groaned again.
“Another! An earthie!” Daddeh said, wiping off another slimy blob.
You set the purple foal between Lilac’s hooves, she began to lick the peeping foal gently. The next baby handed to you was a deep brown. A beautiful, rich color. You gave him a small kiss between his tiny ears before setting him next to his sister.
“Babbehs… mummah am… su happy…” Lilac panted, tears streaming down her cheeks. You kissed her as well, nuzzling into her.
“Yu du su guud, spechow fwend, you make pwetty babbehs!” You said, looking at the wriggling forms in front of her.
Lilac moaned again, her sides tensing and another form landed on the absorbent pad. Daddeh swapped out the wash cloth and wiped the foal before handing it to you again. “Another pegasus!”
This foal was green, a paler green than your fluff. His tiny wings twitched as you set him next to his siblings. “Hewwo, babbehs… wub yu…” You whispered, looking them over. They were so small, so perfect. Such beautiful little creatures your special friend brought into this world.
“OWWIE!!” Lilac screeched, startling the foals in front of her.
“Wha’ am wong?!” You jumped to your hooves, looking around frantically.
“It’s okay, this one is a unicorn! The horn is free now, its-” Daddeh suddenly stopped talking, staring at the wet form as it slid onto the pad.
“…Daddeh…?” You couldn’t look away from his face, terrified of what you would see if you looked at the foal.
“Sorry! Everything is fine!” Daddeh shook his head, lifting the foal and beginning to wipe it clean. “I was wrong, this one is an alicorn!”
Your breath caught in your throat. You saw a tiny wing stick out as Daddeh rolled the foal over to wipe its belly. Wings and a horn. Monstrous traits. What kind of life would this foal have? What kind of torment was it destined for, being scary like you. You felt horrible, this was exactly as you had feared.
And then you saw her. Fully, properly, as Daddeh held her out to you.
She was perfect. A flawless grey-purple foal splayed out on a dirty washcloth, tiny wings spread as her little hooves searched for comfort. She was covered in a lint-like fuzz, spiked up from the washcloth. Almost instinctively you took her and clutched her tightly to your chest, pressing your nose into her damp fluff and inhaling. Her scent filled your nostrils, seeming to spread through your body, filling you with a strange and fierce sense of love.
“She am pewfect, wittow pointy-wingie babbeh.” You said, turning to set her with her siblings.
Lilac smiled at the little foal as she snuggled in. “Mummah… wub babbehs…”
With one last groan, Lilac pushed out a lumpy, soft mass. You looked for the foal among the goo, but saw no sign of one.
“And there’s the afterbirth, so that’s all of them!” Daddeh said, setting aside his soiled washcloth. “You did amazing, both of you.”
“Babbehs nee’ miwkies.” Lilac said, slowly starting to roll herself over.
“Why don’t we help you onto your back, I can’t imagine you want to sit up right now.” Daddeh said, putting a hand on her back to support her.
“Tank’oo…” Lilac mumbled, exhausted. She reached for the brown earthie colt first, setting him against her milky place and holding him until he found his latch.
You reached out to help her maneuver the foals and paused, unsure what to do. Lilac only had two milky places, but there were four foals. Who would get to eat first? What if there wasn’t enough food for all of them, which of these foals would you let go hungry?
“Cwobah?” Lilac asked, snapping you from your thoughts.
“Sowwy.” You shook your head, clearing the anxious fog from it. “Hewe, Cwobah hewp wif babbehs.” You picked up the nearest foal to you, the little alicorn. There was no need for that sort of thought, there was plenty of food for your little family. Everyone would eat tonight.
“Four beautiful little foals.” Daddeh folded the absorbent pad up, containing the mess within it. “Let’s get them all fed and get some sleep.” He carried the soiled pad out of the room.
The brown foal released from Lilac’s nipple with a small pop and slid down her side, landing with a small peep on the bed next to her.
“Cawefuw, babbeh!” You gently righted him with a hoof, watching as he snuggled into her side fluff. He blended in with her very well, if the lighting was different he could be mistaken for a shadow on her side.
Lilac sighed as she reached for the purple foal. “C’mewe, babbeh, time fo’ nummies.”
“West, wet Cwobah take cawe ob babbehs.” You shooed her hooves away and scooped up the last two foals.
“Buh… babbehs nee’-”
“They need their mummah well rested.” Daddeh said, returning to the living room with a large bowl of kibble. “Clover and I will make sure they all eat enough.”
“…Otay…” Lilac let her head fall back with a sigh.
The alicorn foal slid off her mother’s belly to land next to her brother and you put the last two foals up to feed. The two full foals snuggled into each other as Lilac began to snore lightly.
“Congratulations, bud. You must be so happy.” Daddeh said, setting a hand on your back.
“Mh-hm.” You watched the second set of foals feed. Their tiny hooves made small kneading motions as they ate, little ears flicking with every suckle. They were the most beautiful things you’d ever seen. More beautiful than any flower, any sunbeam, more beautiful than the sunrise after you met Lilac.
“They’re such pretty babies, hm? Especially that monster baby.”
“Nu caww babbeh dat!” You hissed, teeth gritted as white hot rage built in your belly. “Babbehs nu am munstah!”
Daddeh held up his hands. “Just checking, bud. Wanted to make sure you didn’t think that way about your kids.”
“Wai wouwd Cwobah tink bad ting wike dat?!” you snorted. “Nu tink babbeh am munstah!”
“Well, you think you’re a monster, right?”
You paused, looking down on your sleeping baby. She was perfect, tiny little horn and miniature wings… and you were disgusting with your abnormal features. But… you were the same, weren’t you?
“Den… Cwobah nu am munstah.” Tears pricked the corners of your eyes and your breath caught in your chest. “Cwobah… was nebah a munstah.”
“Nope. Not once. You were a little baby, just like her.”
You set your head down on the bed next to her, watching her side rise and fall with each sleepy breath. She was perfect, absolutely flawless. How could something so innocent and small be a monster to anyone?
“Nu wet yu be munstah.” you whispered to the foal. “Yu am pwetty babbeh, guud babbeh, wike oddah babbehs. Daddeh wub yu su much.” Your voice caught in your throat, a sob threatening to form. “An’ Daddeh awways wiww.”