“This case has been unusual, to say the least.” Judge Fulton began, speaking to the packed courtroom. “Certainly something in my legal career that will stick with me. Between its subject matter, its members, its delays, this was not a judgment I could make lightly.”
You are Sam, sitting anxiously on the bench, having finished another court case earlier in the day. Though you were found not guilty, the murder of someone who was once your friend still hung heavily on you. You didn’t want to shoot Dave. You wanted him to get help, to talk to someone, to realize that there was more to the world than torturing fluffies. Some part of you, even now, still believed that there was good in him somewhere.
And that part of you got Lilac killed.
“In this courtroom I saw something we rarely see. An upstanding man. An honest, respectable gentleman doing his best to advocate for those of his community who could not.”
On the other side of the room, Mr. Bordeaux puffed his chest out, smiling smugly.
“It was a first, in my opinion, to see this coming from stature so small.” The judge smiled down at Clover sitting by your side. Mr. Bordeaux deflated slightly as you put a hand on Clover’s shoulder, feeling the bulky brace that held his damaged limb in place.
“This is a first, not only for me but, to my understanding, every court in the country. I do not, to my great sorrow, have the authority to declare the creature before me a full citizen of this fine nation, but I can agree with the prosecutor’s request.” The Judge turned to Nerissa. “Miss Carmine, the court finds you guilty of improper disposal of biowaste, operation of a biotoy production facility without a license, and the added charge of second degree animal cruelty.” He banged his gavel down firmly as Nerissa began to wail.
All at once the court exploded into noise. Cheers and protests, applause and jeers, shouts of both joy and rage mixing together into a cacophony of voices.
“You did it!” You said, wrapping your arm around Clover. “You changed the world, buddy!”
Clover turned to give you a tight smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. You pulled him in for a hug as Dan vaulted over the bench.
“YA DID IT BOY!” he cheered, turning your embrace into a tight group hug.
“This changes everything!” You could hear Jessie saying. “We can actually do something now!”
“Alright, move out!” The bailiffs began to push the crowd out into the hallway, you wiggled out of Dan’s arms and followed closely behind Tara.
The first stage of the trial only attracted a few close friends of Nerissa and the hugboxers that came to show support for Surfer and Clover, but the media circus that followed the incident in your home made this a nationally trending topic. Dan had been posted outside your house for the past week with a few of his more intimidating friends, chasing away paparazzi and reporters trying to get a juicy scoop. You barely had time to think, with all the talking to cops and judges and lawyers you had to do over the past few days.
“There’s probably going to be some media outside, Clover.” Tara said, hooking her arm into yours and pulling you through the crowd. You held Clover closer to your chest to block the random arms reaching out to stroke his fluff. “All you need to say is ‘No comment at this time’ and you won’t have to talk to them.”
“An’ if Cwobah wan’ tawkies?” He asked.
“Then…” Tara thought for a moment, hand on the courthouse door. “Then you talk to them.”
Clover chewed his lip for a moment, then nodded. “Cwobah wan’ tawk.”
You and Tara shared a quick look. “Alright, I’ll get them ready. Stay here.”
She cracked the door open and slipped out, pushing it shut behind them. You could hear her and another more masculine voice yelling commands as you adjusted Clover in your arms.
“You don’t have to, you know that, right?” You said, knowing what his reply would be.
“Cwobah knu.” He said, nodding slowly to himself. “Buh wan tu. Hab wowds tu say, nu wun am wisten befow.”
“Thats… fair.”
The door cracked open again, Tara’s head poked in. “Alright, we’re ready for you.”
You took a deep breath and stepped out into the afternoon sun. In front of you was a small semicircle of reporters being held at bay by Officer Freedman, their microphones stretched out as far as they could hold them. You stepped up to the center and held Clover up to them.
“Clover am happy tu see su many hoomans hewe to cewebwate!” He began, waving his uninjured hoof at the crowd.
“What lab were you made in?” One of the reporters in the back shouted.
“Cwobah am jus’ nu-home fwuffy, wucky tu find nice hooman tu take cawe of Cwobah an’ famiwy.” He said. “Cwobah am nuffin’ spechow.”
“Do you really think you should get full citizenship?” Another reporter shouted.
“Nu, nu wan aww dat. Jus’ wan’ sayf-tee, wan’ happy wife wif famiwy.” He leaned down and pulled a rather beat up polaroid from under his shirt with his teeth. “Spechow fwend Wiwac nu can be hewe tuday, she am gone. It huwt Cwobah mowe dan anyting.” He held up the picture in his hooves so the cameras could see it. “A hooman who nu tink fwuffies am ‘powtant taek her ‘way fwom Cwobah an’ babbehs. Cwobah hope nu oddah fwuffy hab to feew wha’ Cwobah du.”
“How will this affect fluffy population control?” A voice called.
“Cwobah nu knu.” He admitted, tucking the polaroid back into his shirt. “Buh hoomans an’ fwuffys spent tuu wong onwy knuing da wowstest of each oddah. Cwobah nu wan’ hab tu tink of ebwy hooman wike da wun dat taek Wiwac away, dat am nu wha’ hoomans am wike. Cwobah wan hoomans to tink da same way, dat fwuffies nu am aww wike da wowstest of us. Mabbeh if hoomans wowk wif fwuffies, den sowution can be fownd dat hewp ebwywun.”
You stood still as Clover continued to answer questions, looking across the crowd. Most of the people high up on the steps were reporters or people trying to get a look at the fluffy that changed the law, but near the back were some nasty looking folks holding signs.
FLUFFIES ARE NOT ANIMALS
GOD HATES FLUFF
ERADICATE FLUFFIES
Clearly not friendly. You could see the hate in their eyes, their lips moving but no noise managing to make it past the crowd. They had a small area designated with safety cones and a few uniformed officers keeping an eye on them nearby. It was clear Clover hadn’t changed every mind out there and this fight was far from over. Still, this chapter of it was done. You could go back to your quiet life soon, your lawn care business, your little farm. Though it would never be as quiet as the time before the fluffies, before Lilac showed up at your trash cans.
You didn’t know how you’d do it without her. Not just as the fluffy in charge of your working fluffies, but without her. It still felt like you would see her when you got home, sitting on the end of the couch, ready to catch you up on the antics of whatever cartoon she was watching in great detail. You couldn’t stop seeing her in your mind with her innards splattered across your carpet from your hesitation.
You buried her near the garden, under the low maple tree that her and Clover liked to sit by. Cash showed up that evening with a beautiful headstone carved of marble. It read:
LILAC
BELOVED MOTHER AND SPECIAL FRIEND
That couldn’t possibly sum her up. But no headstone could. How does one capture laughter in stone? The way she leaned on you while you sat on the porch? How she spoke to everyone as a friend, no matter how strange or foreign?
“Cwobah am bewwy happeh tu tawk to nice hoomans, buh Cwobah hab babbehs.” He said firmly, pulling you from your thoughts. “Spwout, Fowest, Nobah, an’ Wittow Wiwac nee’ dey daddeh, su Cwobah nee’ gu home.”
The reporters all began to talk at once, questions overlapping into senseless noise as you let Tara and Officer Freedman escort you away from the crowd.
“That was really professional, Clover.” Freedman said as you made your way down the steps. “I’ve seen politicians act with less decorum.”
“Tankoo.” He said, sounding tired.
“Shame about the folks with the signs.” Tara commented. “It’s weird to be on this side of the protest. I don’t really know what to do with myself.”
“I think I have some kerosene in the truck if you happen to have a bottle.” You quipped.
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.” Officer Freedman said, stopping at the edge of the parking lot. “Drive home safe, alright? Call me when you’re up for it and we’ll see if we can get some charges to stick for that barn of yours.”
“Thanks, sir.” You waved over your shoulder as you walked to your truck. You could see the gathered hugboxers waiting for you, chattering happily about this win.
“-absolutely changes everything!” Jessie said, bouncing in place excitedly. “We have a leg to stand on here! We can start with that mill that just opened, I’m sure there’s something we can get proof of in there. We might get it shut down! Legally!!”
“Yeah, but I liked the old way we did things.” Dan whined as you opened the passenger door. “Calling the cops isn’t really my style, you know? It’s so boring.”
“I mean, it’s not like it made smashing up a mill owners car more illegal.” One of the bikers said.
You set Clover on the seat, a faraway look in his eyes as he pulled the Polaroid back out. This was a day for celebration, yes. Fluffies had some rights. Or at least the possibility of some. A lawyer that gave a shit and a judge who was willing to hear them out could convince the legal system that fluffies were at least animals. It was huge.
You just couldn’t stop thinking about what it took to get here. A night holding a weapon at a man you once called your friend. A litter of foals who would never truly know their mother.
“Hey, Sam.”
Lilac, her entrails splattered across your carpet, reaching out to comfort her special friend one last time.
“Sam.”
The look in Dave’s eyes before you pulled the trigger, furious and-
“Sam!”
You jumped, spinning in place to see Cash standing behind you.
“Cash! Sorry!” You shook your head. “Just… lost in thought. What did you say?”
Cash smiled, resting his hand lightly on your shoulder. “Just wanted to ask if you were going to the party Jessie is throwing.”
“Oh…” You glanced down at Clover, staring intently at the polaroid of his family. “Probably not. Dust is great with the foals but they need their dad, you know?”
“Oh, totally understood. Can I ask you to watch Ranger for the night then? I’d like to do some heavy drinking, and you- he could use some company, you know?”
“Yeah, that’s fine.”
Cash patted you on the shoulder. “Thank you. I’ll drop him off in a bit then.” He turned to the gathered crowd. “Let’s let the exhausted heroes go home, hm?”
You gave him a grateful smile, getting into the truck as he shooed the crowd away. As you pulled out the hugboxers waved, Clover standing on his hind legs to wave out the window back at them. He smiled wide, watching them until you turned out of the parking lot. As he turned back to the picture you saw the smile drop off his face.
You opened your mouth to say something, anything to him. To break the silence between you.
Instead you turned off the radio, letting the two of you be alone with your thoughts on the long drive home.
Final Thoughts
This has been quite the journey. Thank you all so much for coming along with me, it’s absolutely unreal to have finished this beast. I really didn’t know where I was going with this when I started it, I just wanted to be a part of the community, you know? I went for the most contrived intro; find a herd, take in their most abused members, etc etc. I’m really happy with where it ended up after that. There are of course parts that I look back on and wish I had done differently, but with this I’ve really learned to accept imperfections and roll with what I have.
Thank you again for all the comments, praise, and follows. I couldn’t have done any of this without this community. I don’t know what all will come after this, but I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.
I didn’t like it either. The narrative needed it!