>The Herds had gathered, hiding behind trees or in bushes, waiting, watching, ready to flee or fight at a moment’s notice.
>Foals were hushed if they started to cry or ask questions. Mares nervously waited, torn between their desire to protect the Foals and the urge to save themselves. Stallions snorted and pawed at the ground, unsettled by the number of strange Fluffy Pony scents that filled the air like musky incense.
>Scouts who had entered the City returned with news the night before, almost babbling in excitement. It had taken the better part of the day to finally get them to calm down and talk rationally, and even then, few of them had made any sense.
>Hoomans had decided to Worship Fluffies.
>They were even building a Paradise for Fluffies, where no Munstas could go.
>A place called ‘Sketti Park’.
>Smarty Friends eyed each other warily as the Herds gathered for that rarest of meetings, a Fluffy-Moot, in clearing in the middle of the forest of Big Creek Park, where a patch of Honeydew Melons grew wild.
>Fluffies crouched and hif behind the Honeydew Melons, sniffing the air and looking around constantly for ambushes or double-crosses.
>Fluffies circled each other warily, looking for weakness or sickness.
>Finally … the Smarty Friends sat, glaring at each other.
>”Yuu haf heard?” A Dull Brown Pegasus grunted, his wings twitching nervously. “Hoomans haf made pwace fo’ Fwuffies.”
>”Is twick, Gommez say!” A Florescent Green Unicorn pipes up, stamping a hoof heavily on the ground. “Hoomans awways say they haf woom fo’ Fwuffies, buh they nevah do! Dey wan us come, den dey gif Biggest Owies!”
>”Buh, Sketti!” A third Smarty Friend, a Piebald Yellow-Red Unicorn, shouts loudly, his eyes wide with anticipation as he gazes at his fellows. “Sketti! How wong since we has Skettis Foals of Foals of Foals nu had skettis!”
>”Is TWICK!” Florescent Green snapped back.
>”SKETTI!” Piebald retored.
>Both their Horns started to glow, and the Smarty Friends began to shuffle back, giving the two rivals room to duel.
>”Yuu both stawp dat now!” A Fluffy Voice boomed, causing the Smarty Friends to squeak in alarm and crouch down.
>Bowser, Biggest Smarty Friend, rumbled into the circle of the small melons, glowering angrily at the two Unicorns. A dark green Fluffy with an angry-red Mane and Tail, big enough to be as tall as two Fluffies, strong enough to carry two Fluffies as well, if the rumors are true …
>”Fwuffies know, nu Huwties here.” Bowser grumbled, rising up onto his hooves and giving owies to a melon.
>It takes several tries, but eventually Bowser makes the Melon have the Biggest of Owies, and it splits open.
>The delicious scent of the fruit makes everyone drool.
>Bowser’s Herd is cracking open Melons and eating, and the other Herds are trying as well, without much success.
>Thankfully, some of Bowser’s Fluffies are shuffling over to help. The other Herds give way before the large, silent Earth Fluffies, afraid of their thick, impenetrable Fluff and their infamously strong legs.
>They are all big, strong Fluffies like Bowser. All Earth Fluffies, but only those who are born to the Bowser Herd are the biggest.
>Bowser’s Herd gives away their Unicorn and Pegasus Foals to other Herds, and takes Earth Fluffies for theirs. Only want the biggest, strongest Foals, because they value Strength above all else.
>It’s strange, but they are all so, so big … maybe only other Earth Fluffies are big enough to play with Bowser’s Herd.
>”Dis is pwace where Hewds come to tawk, nu Huwties.” Bowser grunts, pushing the shattered melon into the middle of the Smarty Friends and sitting down next to it. “We aww hungwy, dat make us angwy. Yuu aww haf nummies, den we tawk ‘gain.”
>Smarty Friends all shuffle over nervously, giving each other distrusting looks, but Bowser is there. If anyone tries to start a fight, Bowser will smush them like he did the Melon.
>Bowser is the rarest type of Smarty Friends. Never steals Mares, never hurts Foals, never chases Fluffies away from their safe places.
>But his Herd is also the most feared. If the Bowser Herd decides they want something, they surround it and tell other Fluffies to go away or yell so loudly that the Other Herds get so frightened they give up just to make the loud noises stop.
>Some Smarty Friends tried to fight.
>Bowser stomps them flat.
>Other Smarty Friends tried to trick Bowser.
>Bowser ignores them, turns his back on them. His Sorry Poopies are the stuff of legends…
>Only Fluffy who can make Bowser do something other than what Bowser wants is Peach.
>See her in the middle of Bowser’s Herd, pulling out mouthfuls of Melon to give it to the Foals of Bowser’s Herd. She’s small for a Fluffy Pony, but only comes up to the middle of a Bowser Fluffy. She’s so small she could hide under Bowser if he was standing, yet she can talk to Bowser and make him do things the way she wants him to.
>Don’t get why she’s called Peach, she’s a Yellow Fluffy with a slightly brighter-yellow Mane and Tail.
>But, Bowser get angry when Fluffies say Peach is not Peach. Yelled at a Smarty Friend who kept on arguing so loudly that the Smarty Friend had Scaredy-Poops and ran away.
>Peach is a small Fluffy, a third of the size of Bowser, a Pegasus too, the only one that ever lived with the Bowser Herd.
>She always so nice. Bowser’s Fluffies treat her well, give her gentle Hugs. You think she might also be the Foal Fluffy who takes care of the Herd’s Foals when the Mummas are asleep or eating, but you’re afraid to ask.
>Bowser does not like it when other Stallions ask too many questions about Peach. Goes very quiet, stares very angrily, makes all his Fluff stand on end and just. Stares. At. You.
>Bowser’s Special Friend, only had one Foal, though, and then never had any more. Is why other Herds shun her, but Bowser says he loves Peach.
>Finally, the Smarty Friends retreat back to their places, their faces and chests sticky with juice. Everyone is full of sweet, juicy melon flesh, and they are a little more relaxed now.
>Bowser was right, everyone feeling much better now.
>Florescent Green and Piebald even licking each other clean.
>”Nu Yellin’ in Hewd-Moot, dis say-cwed pwace.” Bowser warns a final time before shuffling back and rejoining the circle of Smarty Friends.
>”Buh … if twue … Hewds finally haf safe pwace.” A ragged-looking Dark Grey Earth Fluffy says, looking around the circle of Smarty Friends with an earnest expression. “If twue, den Fwuffies nu haf to wun an’ hide nu moar. Fwuffies can be safe, wamm, haf Foals an’ nu haf weave sick fwuffies behind!”
>”If twap … aww Hewds die, an’ Bad Hoomans win.” ‘Gomez’ warns, but he’s nodding.
>”Even if twap, Fwuffies mus’ twy! Hewds gettin’ hungwy, haf move fwom Fowest soon.” Another Smarty Friend added, looking around nervously. “Sooo many Fwuffies, haf to Raid Human gwasses aww time, eats flowers an’ otha tings, Hoomans get so mad an huwt Fwuffies.”
>It’s true. So many Fluffies now, that even the Parks, Graveyards and Golf-Courses of Ohio can’t keep them all fed, all the time. Herds fight and steal from each other all the time now, just to get enough food for their Fluffy Mummas to make milk for the Foals.
>”Maybe … some Hewds gu, and some Hewds stay?” Piebald offered. “Hewds stay get to eat gwasses, nu haf huwties wit’ otha Fwuffies, Hewds dat gu get Skettis, and if twue, teww Hewds dat stay to come an’ eat Skettis too?”
>”Is guud pwan. Buh onwy bwave Hewds gu.” Bowser rumbled, swinging his large head around to gaze at every Smarty Friend. “Next Dark Time, Smawty Fwiends come, teww wat de do. Den Fwuffies gu or stay.”
>The Smarty Friends nodded and gave their assent. It was a big thing to do. To leave was to risk everything, but to stay was to never know if the fabled Spaghetti was waiting for them, deep in the Hooman’s territory.
>As Bowser said. Only the Bravest Herds would go. There was too much at risk, otherwise.
>Be Bowser, Smarty Friend of the Herd that bears your name.
>Tonight was … interesting. The two Unicorns almost brought fighting to the Sacred Place.
>That cannot be allowed. Would have had to smush them both and drive their Herds away.
>Fluffies must have a place where they can talk and try to get along.
>So many Fluffies fighting now … if your Herd wasn’t so big and tough, both in numbers and size, you’re sure they would have tried to take over your territory by now.
>The ‘Forest’ is Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and your Herd has their Safe Place in a section of dense forest, surrounded on three sides by the river that runs through the forrest and a tributary stream, meaning that Rival Herds can only come at you one way.
>In your father’s time, a Bad Herd came to steal the Safe Place.
>Back then, you were called Koopa, and your Father was the Smarty Friend, Bowser.
>Made Fluffies hide and wait till Bad Herd went past, then come charging out of the bushes, howling and yelling at the top of their lungs.
>Bad Herd was so scared, they ran out and found themselves on the sandy banks, the river before them, the enraged Herd of Giant Fluffies behind them charging.
>The Bad Herd was pushed into the River, screaming as the Fast Deep Wa-Wa’s dragged them down and gave them Bad Hugs.
>But that was so, so long ago.
>Before you became Bowser, before your Father became old and weak, and you challenged him for the position of Smarty Friend.
>It wasn’t really a challenge, more like a tradition, a rite of passage.
>First you yelled at each other, as loud as you can, to make sure that the Smarty Friend was as loud and fierce-sounding as possible. If either of you had run away, the challenge would have been decided, but you were too brave, as was Old-Bowser.
>You put your heads together and tried to push each other out of a circle of Fluffies.
>You knew you’d win, your Father knew you’d win, but you both struggled as hard as you could.
>Was one of the proudest moments of your life to push the Old-Bowser out of the circle, and see the respect in your Herd’s, your Herd’s, eyes at this display of Strength.
>Some Toughie Friends said you should drive the Old-Bowser away, but you thought that was too Mean. Old-Bowser was instead made Old-Fluffie and asked for advice on tough decisions and spent his last few weeks playing with Foals and guarding the Safe Place.
>Quietly, you thought he was happier than he had ever been. Being a Smarty Friend means never letting your guard down, but being an Old-Fluffie meant he could just laugh and play and sleep.
>After you refused to chase the Old-Bowser away, several of the Meanest Toughie Friends tried to challenge you to become the New Bowser themselves.
>Most just pooped themselves when it came to the Shouty Challenge.
>Some made it to the Pushy Challenge, but none were as big and strong as you.
>The ones who made it to the Pushy Challenge were driven away, cast out of the Herd. They had not challenged you because they thought they were Stronger, they challenged you because they thought you were Soft.
>But Soft is not always a bad thing. Soft lets you hug and play with your Herd during safe times, makes them love you and forgive you for small mistakes you made when Old-Fluffie was no longer around to tell you how to fix problems.
>Only by being Strong had the Bowser Herd survived when all other Herds broke up and became New Herds or were absorbed into other Herds. Some Bowsers were Mean too. Old-Bowser before your Daddy-Bowser had been a Mean Bowser, made lots of trouble for the Herd by making all the other Herds hate the Bowsers.
>You and your Herd raided the other Herds only rarely, mostly to remind Herds who got too close that the Bowser Herd was too strong for them to fight, and that it was safer to stay away from the territories held by the Bowser Herd.
>Sometimes you went to the Other Herds to trade your Unicorn and Pegasus Foals for their Earth Fluffy Foals to keep the Bowser Herd from having Special Hugs with Family, but sometimes you Raided to gain access to Nummies.
>Shoot a quick glance at Peach, who is trotting beside you, humming happily, and feel equal parts love and remorse squeeze your heart.
>You remember the Raid on the Mushroom Herd all too well. It had been four months ago, and the Herd was tied down with their Foals and Special Friends.
>Many Earth Fluffy Foals, Fluffy Mares all had turned into Fluffy Mummas, every last one of them. Stallions and Toughie Friends had had to spend more time Rolling the Fluffy Mummas around than they did eating, because Fluffy Mummas ate a lot of things to feed the hungry, hungry Foals hiding in their bellies.
>The grass around your territory was running dangerously low, and it wasn’t possible to ensure the safety of the Fluffy Mummas and their Foals during the long trip at night to the Hoomin Safe Places to steal their nummies.
>But there was a Herd nearby that always boasted about how big and tasty the mushrooms were around their Safe Place.
>Made the older Fluffy Stallions remain behind to guard the Mares. Made sure your Best Toughie Friends stayed behind, the ones that would do the right thing, choose a new Bowser, keep the Herd alive in case you failed and did not come back.
>Told them you would be back with as many nummies as you could get. No matter what.
>They looked unhappy when you decided on a Raid to get Nummies, but they nodded and said to hurry back. Fluffy Mummas needed good, tasty food soon, grass alone wouldn’t let them make enough milk for all the Foals.
>Raids were bad. Made the other Fluffy Pony Herds afraid of the Bowser Herd, made it difficult to trade your Pegasus and Unicorn Foals for their Earth Fluffy Foals, and sometimes they tried to kill your Foals after the trade, which made you so, so, so angry, but if it came down to watching your Herd’s foals die, or giving Owies to other Fluffies, well … it was no contest.
>You’d already destroyed one Herd who waited till they thought you had left, then turned on the Foals you had traded them, crunching and squishing them and shouting ‘Bad baybehs!’ and ‘Munsta baybehs!’
>That Herd … makes your blood boil just thinking about them, makes your fluff stand on end and the world turns that little bit redder at the edges of your vision.
>You gave them good, strong, tough Foals so their Herds could live … and they killed them. Killed those Foals, the babies of your friends and family…
>“Nnnnnnrrrrrrrrgh…” You growl angrily at the memory, and your Toughie Friends flinch and ask what’s wrong.
>Took only an hour of stealthily creeping through the grass and brushes at night to find the other Herd, who were being far too noisy.
>“It’sa Me!” A fat, bright-red Fluffy with a Black mane and tail, screamed, jumping up and down on a smaller Pegasus, making it squeak and whimper. “Mawio is Smawty Fwiend now! Yuu show where de Sketti is!”
>Shared a look with the younger Toughie Friends. This dumb Fluffy thought the former Smarty Friend was hiding Sketti? This would be easy.
>Charged out of the bushes, roaring as loudly as you could, with the Toughie Friends close behind you, shouting and trying to be as Mean and Scary as they could.
>Predictably, the other Herd screamed, pooped and scattered into the forest.
>This ‘Mawio’, still flush from his victory, jumped towards you.
>And jumped and jumped and jumped … what? Did he think if he kept jumping he could look you in the eyes or make you run away?
>Swatted him out of the air and kept on charging over to the former Smarty Friend. Heard the Red Bouncy Fluffy squeak, and the chuckles of your Toughie Friends as they watched him go rolling past them.
>“Where mush-wooms?” You demanded, poking him with your muzzle.
>“Nuuu, nummies fo’ …” The former Smarty friend coughs, spitting boo-boo juices onto the ground. “N-nummies fo’ Smawty Fwie-”
>Kicked him in the head and ask again.
>… Nope, kicked too hard. Head’s at a strange angle now, and he’s not moving at all now except for his mouth, eyes and ears.
>“Why nu feww weggies!” The former Smarty Friend howled, eyes rolling franticly. “Why nu gewt up? What Meanie Fwuffie do to Haggis?”
>“Mmmmnnnnnnn … Bowser bwoke dis one. Get Wed Bouncy Fwuffie to tawk.” You grumbled, and your Toughie Friends pounced onto the dazed Red Fluffy Pony that had challenged you, grabbing mouthfuls of fluff, ear and tail and began yanking on their victim.
>“Naaaah! I Smawty Fwiend! Nu, yuu nuuuaaaaaaaaaagh gif H-huwties, Mawio is Smawty Fwieeeeend naow! Wet gu of Fwuffie’s taiw! Aaaaagh! taiw nu weave Mawio!” The strange, jumping Fluffy shrieks as the Toughie Friends act very mean and try to get him to say where the Mushrooms are.
>You will start looking for Nummies for the Toughie Friends, so they don’t feel tempted to eat the mushrooms you’re bringing back for the Fluffy Mummas and Guards at your Safe Place.
>Fluffies of this small, weak, cowardly Herd peer at you from behind their hooves, from under bushes and around rocks.
>None are brave enough to challenge you. None are big enough to even think of it.
>“D-d-dere nu moar mush-wooms! Dey wun away to Wa-Wa’s, go find dem dere!” You hear the Red Bouncy Fluffy yell.
>“Mush-wooms haf no weggies! Puww moar fwuff tiww he teww twuth!” You roar back as you see some of the Toughie Friends let go of the Red Fluffy’s body, looking for the ‘Wa-Wa’s’.
>Idiots … Still, they are Good Fluffies who give owies when told to, and only when told to.
>If they go on Raids, learn, then maybe they can be as smart as the Old Toughies you left behind to guard the Fluffy Mummas and the Safe Place.
>Hear something squeak in front of you …
>Oh, it’s a Foal, you almost stepped on it, so focused on looking behind the Other Herd’s Fluffies for the Mushrooms. A little bright orange Foal with the beginnings of a horn and a white mane and tail. It’s staring at you with big, wide eyes…
>Barely as big as your hoof … and it’s got the outside edge of a giant white Mushroom in it’s mouth, dragging the treat along the ground. Large, white, tasty mushroom almost as big across as the Foal is long.
>“B-b-baybeh come to Mumma!” A shivering, pale green Mare whispers, ‘hiding’ behind a clump of yikky, furry weeds, three more babies half-hidden in her belly fluff. “Weave nummies, jus’ come to Mumma!”
>“Buh Mumma! Yuu haf tummeh noises!” The Baby pipes up, dropping it’s load to speak. “Fwuffie wan hewp! Fwuffie get nummies fo’ Mumma, wuv Mumma!”
>…
>Look at the Mare, then the Foal, then close your eyes and sigh. You could take the Mushroom with ease, but the Foal is being good, getting Nummies for it’s friends. If the Other Herds die out, then the Bowser Herd will have nobody to trade their Unicorn and Pegasus Foals to, and no Earth Fluffy Foals to take as their own.
>It’s also something a Mean Bowser would do, take food from a Good Foal, even if it is a weak little Unicorn. You promised Old-Fluffie you would be a Nice Bowser before you had Last Hugs with him.
>“Take Nummies to Mumma, den show Bowser where Nummies are.” You rumble as gently as you can. The Foal chirps, picks up the mushroom and then drags it back to it’s Mumma … and is promptly hugged.
>You’re not getting that Foal to show you where the Mushrooms are anytime soon, judging by how much the Mare and the other Fluffies near her are shaking. Can see the Foal kicking, but whatever it is saying is being muffled by it’s Mumma’s fluff.
>But maybe … yes, the Foal was too little to carry the mushroom, had to drag it.
>Follow the drag marks in the dirt, under a bush, glaring at a Fluffy who tried to stand in your way.
>“D-d-dese owr nummies, yuu nu ta-” It began to complain, a dirty Blue Unicorn, before you made an angry noise at it.
>“NNNNNNRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!” You grunted at it, letting your Fluff puff up and make you look even bigger and more menacing than before.
>The Dirty Blue Unicorn peed itself and ran away … straight into the thick, leafy branches of the Bush, and promptly got stuck.
>Annoying … still … you have found the Mushrooms.
>Kind of wish you hadn’t …
>There’s a pile of Fluffy Poop twice your size, and growing all over it are big, thick, tasty white mushrooms with big broad heads.
>“TOUGHIE FWEINDS! BOWSER HAF FOUND NUMMIES!” You roared, and heard the answering cheers from your Toughie Friends, and the low crying of the Other Herd.
>Toughie Friends come trundling in, all happy … and then they see the Poop Pile.
>“Icky!” “Nu smeww pwetty!” “Waaaaaah! Who pooped on mush-wooms?” They complain, but you start plucking the heads off the mushrooms and stuffing them into the nearest Toughie Friend’s fluff.
>“Toughie Fwiends stawp dat, get nummies.” You grumble as you try to push a mushroom into a Toughie’s fluff in such a way that it won’t fall out on the journey back. “Soona Toughie Fwiends get mush-wooms, soona Toughie Fwiends can weave dis pwace an’ gif Nummies to Fwuffy Mummas!”
>Pick pick pick the ‘mush-wooms’.
>Stuff stuff stuff them into fluff.
>Somebody offers you a mushroom, you says ‘Tank yuu’ and go to stuff it into a Toughie Friend’s fluff, then stop and do a double-take.
>You are the only one picking the Mushrooms … so who just gave you one?
>Turn around and stare at a small Yellow Pegasus Mare, who is plucking the round, flat head off another Mushroom.
>“Buh … yuu not Toughie Fwiend.” You point out, unable to keep the surprise out of your voice as the Yellow Pegasus hands her prize to another Toughie Friend, who also says ‘tank yuu’ and starts to stuff it into a friend’s fluff before doing a double-take. “Why yuu hewp Bowser?”
>“Big Fwuffies wan nummies. Big Fwuffies nu huwt Hewd, just huwt Dumb Fwiend and Bouncy Fwuffy, so if Fwuffies nu fight Big Fwuffies, Big Fwuffies nu gif huwties.” The Yellow Pegasus replies, grunting as she pulls the head off a third mushroom and offers it to you.
>There’s no fear in her eyes, no trembling in her wings. She’s just … helping.
>“Peach wike to hewp. Peach hear yuu say Fwuffy Mummas need nummies.” The little Yellow Pegasus says brightly, still smiling as you take the mushroom from her and stuff it into a Toughie Friend’s fluff. “Hewd haf many mush-woom’s, shawe dem, maybe Big Fwuffies shawe otha nummies with Hewd when Mushwoom Hewd had no nummies? Fwiends shawe wit’ each otha!”
>That … is one strange Fluffy. Still, she’s nice, so you nod and smile.
>Finally, half the Mushrooms are gone from the Poop Pile, leaving behind sad little white stalks. Every one of your Toughie Friends, and yourself, has a dozen big, white mushroom heads stuffed into your fluff, enough to feed all the Fluffy Mummas and even enough to split between the Old Toughies you left behind to guard the Safe Place.
>Little yellow Pegasus helped there too, re-stuffing Mushrooms that were hanging loose or slipping slowly out of the fluff.
>Toughie Friends asked if maybe they could have Mushrooms too, drooling a little …
>You never did find any nummies for them … your stomach makes unhappy sounds at you.
>This ‘Peach’ is smiling at you, happy to have helped, after you raided her Herd …
>Gah, Nu, is nu wite. You think to yourself, battering down the urge to go back and eat the other half of the mushrooms.
>“Nu. Toughie Fwiends haf gwasses on way back.” You mumble and sigh. “Bowser haf gwasses tu. Mush-woom’s fo’ Fwuffy Mummas.”
>Look over the Other Herd, who are gathered around their Broken Smarty Friend and the now somewhat bald ‘Mawio’, babbling about who should be New Smarty Friend.
>“MAKE WEGGIES WISTEN TO FWUFFIE, DEN FWUFFIE CAN BE SMAWTY FWIEND 'GAIN!” You hear the Broken Smarty Friend yell, but he’s ignored.
>He was hoarding food for himself … a Bad Smarty Friend.
>“Yuu should be Smawty Fwiend.” You rumble to Peach, who blinks at you in surprise. “Yuu is kind. Yuu is smawty, gif mush-wooms an’ ask be owr fwiend. Yuu is guud Fwiend of Bowser, Bowser nu fuh-get.”
>Peach giggles and flutters her wings, but says nothing.
>But it is time to go. The last of the Sun is disappearing behind the horizon, and you need to reach the Safe Place of your Herd before it gets too dark to see.
>Can spend the night away from your Fluffy Mummas and Old Toughie Friends, but it makes you nervous for their safety.
>Also, don’t trust the Young Toughie Friends to remember that mushrooms after for those who stayed behind.
>Trot back the way you came, grazing as you go.
>Grass is short and a little dry, but it’s still grass, tastes sweet enough to eat, and the thought of your Herd waiting for you to return with nummies drives you to set a grueling pace.
>Some Toughie Friends cry out that they have dropped Mush-wooms, but then shout that their Friend is helping them put it back.
>Good. Can’t waste any more time. It will be Dark by the time you get back to the Safe Place at this rate. That’s going to be dangerous, no Unicorns to make Lights to guide you home like the Other Herds have.
>Toughie Friends shout challenges when they hear your group come back, but they recognise your scent, and your answering cry.
>Moon is big and full tonight. Old-Bowser say Moon is a Fluffy too, gets big, big with Foals, then releases them as Stars, then starts to get big again, slowly.
>When there’s no pieces of the Moon ‘missing’, it’s just a Fluffy Mumma.
>When it has a piece missing, it’s the Moon’s Special Friend giving it Special Hugs, and is blocking you from seeing the Moon Fluffy fully.
>So many, many, many Star-Fluffy Foals…
>Fluffy Mummas cheer happily as the Mushrooms are given out through the Herd, and the Old Toughie Friends say they missed you, glad you and the Young Toughie Friends came back as you tear some Mushrooms in half and pass them their share.
>There’s even enough Mushrooms left for the Young Toughie Friends to have a quarter of a mushroom each.
>Mmmmm, delicious nummies… as a Smarty Friend, you get a Half-Mushroom, but feel something tug on the fluff of your leg after the first bite.
>“Fwiend shawe nummies?” A tiny voice asks from the darkness at your side.
>Huh, you’re like the Moon’s Special Friend, blocking the light from reaching this Fluffy Pony. You’ve had some grass already … this must be one of the smaller Mares.
>Good Smarty Friends share food with Fluffy Mummas. Helps the Fluffy Mummas have strong, healthy foals.
>“Bowser shawe wit’ Hewd-Fwiend.” You rumble and tear the half-mushroom in two, and offer the piece without your bite-mark to the shadowed Fluffy.
>“Hooway! Peach is Hewd-Fwiend!” You hear the voice cheer, and then blink as the Yellow Pegasus steps out of your shadow and eager begins to nibble on her food.
>“Buh … wha … huh?” You manage to croak out as the Toughie Friends near you stare with surprise at the Yellow Pegasus in their midst.
>The pieces start falling together. Peach must have followed you, helping the Toughie Friends who kept on dropping their Mushrooms.
>And you just called her a Herd-Friend.
>You just broke generations of tradition in the Bowser Herd and invited a Pegasus into your Earth-Fluffy-Only Herd as a Herd-Friend.
>“Aaaaaah, Poopies.” You sigh and pick up your piece of mushroom and chew it slowly. You’ll sort this out in the morning, for now … you’re too tired, and too confused, to think it through clearly.
