Forever Friends by Karn

Duke’s hooves ached as he trotted out from the forest’s edge, a strange and new city now before him. Breathing heavily as he took a moment to rest, the white unicorn peered off anxiously towards the large cluster of buildings in the distance. Somewhere amongst the human dwellings and their dangerous ilk, the feral born unicorn would find his stolen herd.

It had happened in the night, nearly three days ago within the grove that his herd had called home. They had come in the early hours of the morning, when most fluffies would still be sleeping. Armed with little more than flashlights and leather chord, the human intruders had quickly overwhelmed the slumbering fluffs, scaring them into a stupor and restraining them with the chord leads. Having been woken by the varied shrieks of his herd mates, Duke was only spared the same fate by random chance, as he made his way into a nearby bush, holding his hooves over his mouth as he kept his eyes firmly shut.

The unicorn had been too scared to move, not daring to leave his hiding spot until the sun began to rise. Once Duke slowly made his way out of the bushes, it dawned on him that he was alone, that the entire herd had been taken in the night. While only a modest herd of eight, it had never occurred to the unicorn that humans were capable of stealing away with so many fluffies in one night. Duke had wept, scared for his friends, but of all the fluffies that were taken, none bothered him more than the loss of his special friend, a pegasus mare named Daisy.

Regardless of how much it scared him, that was when Duke had decided that he would find his herd and save them. Now finally out of the woods he called home, the unicorn steeled himself, nervous at the thought of being caught by humans himself. But his herd needed him, not to mention that Daisy was a soon mother. They had only recently mated but the thought of being a parent and passing on the wisdom of his own father and namesake spurred the unicorn onward as he began to make his way into the small city.

Sticking to the outskirts and backroads, Duke began his search, occasionally sniffling the air for the faint scent of his lost herd. It unnerved the unicorn to be so close to where the humans dwelled but thankfully there was a fair bit of distance between each of the buildings that they lived in, due in part to the city being out in the country. After what felt like an eternity, a small breeze passed over the unicorn, carrying with it the familiar presence of his special friend. Emboldened at the thought of their reunion, Duke strode in the direction of a small wooden cabin where the scent was strongest.

Creeping as quietly as his rotund body would allow for, Duke made his way behind the cabin, the smell of his herd growing stronger all the while. Once behind the building, sniffing the air as he scoured the backyard, Duke found himself at the cabin’s rear entrance, the scent now overwhelming but intermixed with a sour smell that made the unicorn rear back from the door, shaking his head as he tried in vain to coax the noxious fumes away.

"Ba’ smeww! Aw’fuw smeww!..Nu wike…Buh dat wewe hewd am! Dat wewe Dey’zee am!"

Lightly scratching his hooves against the bottom of the door, Duke sobbed slightly to be so close and yet so far from his goal. After several moments of uselessly rapping his marshmallow pads against the wood of the door, the unicorn doubled back, trying to sort out how he could break into the human dwelling. Once Duke was several feet away from the door, he gasped as he hunkered behind a pair of garbage bins, seeing a human pass by in the home’s rear window.

Peering from behind the metal cans, Duke saw the human within, his back to the window as the man fiddled with something beyond the unicorn’s field of view. After a few moments, the man simply walked out of sight, and then Duke saw her. It was Daisy! While her back was likewise turned away from the window, the unicorn could never forget the unique pattern of her yellow and white wings.

"Dey’zee?! DEY’ZEE!!! DOOK AM HEWE!!!"

Covering his mouth with his hooves, the unicorn silently cursed his lack of self-control, now glancing back and forth, fearful that he’d been heard. Waiting a few panic filled minutes, Duke slowly crept out from behind the garbage cans, peering back towards the window. Despite how loudly he’d screamed, his special friend had clearly been unable to hear him, as the pegasus was still facing away. Quietly whimpering, Duke tried to think of a plan. Unable to yell again, lest he be caught , the unicorn would have to find a way inside. Then he could help Daisy and his herd out the way he would find in.

Circling around cautiously, Duke made his way slowly around the cabin. Scanning the outer walls, the unicorn nearly lost all hope until he saw it, a small vent connected to the side of the building. It was far more narrow than the windows, but if Duke could reach it, the unicorn might be able to push the grate loose and squirm his way inside. There was already a large, metal box directly below it, the old tool cabinet was slightly rusty and timeworn, but well built and sturdy. Rapping his hooves lightly against it, Duke smiled as he noticed the drawers shake and wobble. Forcing his hooves against the rusty shelves, the unicorn grunted and tensed as he pulled, even biting down on the handle to gain what little traction he could.

"Nu taste pwetty…buh am fow hewd…am fow Dey’zee an’ babbehs!"

He struggled with each and every drawer, the varied metal implements rattling within as the unicorn made a makeshift staircase to the vent. Wobbling slightly, Duke made the mistake of looking down as he tried to clamber up to the top of the toolbox, the dizzying height forcing him to wet himself as he tried to hold in his scream. Pulling as hard as his hooves would allow, Duke panted heavily atop the cabinet, gasping as he tried to calm himself, knowing that it wouldn’t be over until he rescued the fluffies within.

Duke thankfully had a slightly easier time with the grating on the vent, the metal shutters being loosened due to wear and tear over the years. But as he pulled it free from the opening, the unicorn had to stifle a gag as he began to cough violently. It was that awful smell from before, only far more potent on this side of the domicile. His eyes burning as they teared up, Duke was hesitant to enter, the horrible fumes assaulting his senses. But despite the pain and stinging, the unicorn gritted his teeth.

"Fow Dey’zee …"

Swallowing his fear, Duke pushed his head through the narrow opening, squeezing himself roughly before tumbling through and falling inside. It was a short trip to the table underneath the opening inside, but the unicorn’s eyes bulged as his back struck the surface, the air knocked from him as he tried to silently scream. His vision blurred from pain and the awful sour odor that permeated the room, Duke struggled to rise to his feet. His head still woozy, the unicorn wobbled as he stood, his head rapping into a glass jar.

His eyes finally focusing, Duke shook his head as it throbbed from where he had struck the glassware. Looking forward, the unicorn’s eyes went wide as he voided his bowels. Within the mason jar, floating within a light, amber colored solution, was a fluffy! Duke began to hyperventilate as he saw the foal from his herd bob ever so slightly within the jar, unable to fathom what he was seeing.

“SCREEEEEEE!!! BABBEH?! NUUUUUUU!!!”

Trying to escape the gristly sight, Duke quickly backed away, tripping and stumbling over his own hooves and falling from the table to a nearby chair, and then to the floor, knocking over several small boxes as he flailed wildly. As he impacted with the floor, Duke heard the boxes contents clatter to the floor around him. Whimpering as he opened his eyes, the unicorn found himself surrounded by the remains of his lost herd. Their bodies had an eerie, almost living look about them, despite each of the cadavers having large portions of their remains missing. A red toughie that had always given Duke advice now stared through him with glassy eyes, his legs and half his torso simply gone. An older mare who was never too busy to sing to the unicorn when he was a foal gazed silently towards the ceiling, half her head a barren void. Shrieking incomprehensively, Duke tried to flee, bumping and slamming into what was left of his herd until he finally escaped through an open door, leaving the nightmarish room behind.

Shaking as he mewled and peeped, Duke was nearly lost to the trauma of losing his herd. He had heard the rumors that humans were cruel all his life but to see it with his own eyes was far worse than he could have ever known. And the way they looked! Being born a feral fluffy, it was a sad fact that Duke had seen death before, but never like that. Trembling as he put more distance between himself and that awful room, the unicorn glanced upward and felt his heart lifted. It was the table from outside! The one he had seen Daisy on! There were a couple of chairs fairly closeby, as Duke struggled to pull one by it’s back leg until it toppled over, using it as a platform to climb onto the second.

"DEY’ZEE!!! DOOK AM HEWE TU SAB YU, DEY’ZEE!!!"

Forcing his battered and bruised flesh to scramble up the chair, Duke began to laugh as he wept, the toll of all he had been through, all he had seen catching up with him. His herd dying had nearly broken him, finding them in that awful and unnatural way threatening to tear his mind asunder, but as he drew closer and closer to the table, all he could think of was Daisy. He could soon wrap his hooves around her again, and once they escaped this terrible place, they could finally start a family, maybe even a herd of their own.

"Dook kno it am awful Dey’zee…wose’n aww ouw hewd tu munstahs…buh it am otay…Dook am hewe nao…Soon Dook an’ Dey’zee weeb ba’ pwace…Dook nu kno if Dook cud findies hewd…cud findies Dey’zee…buh dat nu mattah nu mowe…aww dat mattahs is dat Dook wuvs Dey’zee…"

Finally atop the table, Duke strode forward as his chest heaved from the effort. Placing his hooves apon his beloved special friend, the unicorn then turned to face her, his face going pale as his scream echoed throughout the small cabin.

“*SCREEEEEEE!!!”


Ichabod had left the cabin in the middle of the restorations, realizing that he hadn’t enough of the smaller stitches required for the details that he wanted to capture with his latest projects. When Earl and his boys had found the ferals a few days back, they had wanted to torture the poor things. Once Ichabod had gotten wind of it, the old man had put a stop to any of that nonsense right away. While fluffies could be a nuisance, especially ferals, there wasn’t a need to make them suffer for it. Deciding on a quick and painless death, Ichabod had taken his penknife and pressed it firmly into each of their necks, the poor creatures going limp in his hands.

Not wanting their bodies to go to waste, the older man having a fair hand at taxidermy, he decided to make a few curio to sell at the next flea market he went to. It had taken a great deal of time and work to get the remains preserved properly, with the whole house now smelling of formaldehyde before he could finish up. He had opened the vent in his hobby-room before heading out for more of the stitching he needed but upon returning, he found that a fluffy had somehow gotten in. The poor thing must of had an awful fright, seeing all those partially stuffed bodies, thought Ichabod as he scooped up the shaking unicorn. The wild fluffy hadn’t even responded to the old man entering the room, his eyes glassy and wide as he peeped and chirped, his face occasionally twitching. Sighing to himself, Ichabod took his project off the table, knowing he couldn’t finish it until he cleaned up and took care of that poor critter. She was rather striking, with her colors and pattern being subtle but beautiful. Once Ichabod decided how her face should look, he’d reattach it, and the gal would be perfect. “Sorry little guy…” Taking out his penknife, the old man sighed as he walked the unicorn into his hobby-room.


Earl stepped out of his truck, prepared for another blistering day in the heat, grabbing his wares as he made his way to the large swap meet. Unpacking his goods, he smiled as he noticed Ichabod, fanning his face with his hat as he walked over to the older man. “Hey there Ichabod! How are things?” Noticing the fluffies that he and his kin had caught not long ago, now stuffed and on display, Earl stifled a belly laugh. “So that’s what you did with em’! Not bad old timer, not bad…”

Nodding politely, Ichabod smiled as he stood up, reaching past the varied stands that held the taxidermied fluffs. “Thank ya kindly Earl, but it’s this one I’m rather proud of…” Careful not to drop his masterpiece, the older man placed the wooden base onto the table, a yellow and white pegasus smiling as she was held by a white and purple unicorn.


Had an awful Night-Terror yesterday and this story just sort of happened as a result so, yay? Hope you enjoy. :heart:

23 Likes

Not sure how to feel towards the old man. Part of me is thankful he gave them a quick death instead of torturing them. The fact he literally ent on to use their bodies to make art (even worse, a mockery of the two lovers) makes me want to deck him.

3 Likes

Real talk
I find taxidermy exceptionally creepy.
To each their own but it gives me the straight up willies.

I can’t think of Ichabod as a villain though.
To him it’s no different than stuffing or mounting a deer.

Remember, he didn’t know that though…

1 Like

I agree.

I can’t really forgive him because at the end of the day, there was no need to make a display of them. It’s not a prized memento of a hunt.

If they truly have to die (though I doubt that), at least give them the “honor” of a proper burial, instead of making them into memorabilia to put on your shelf.

Though that’s my take were I presented with such a situation.

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You do have a bit of a bias though, as you perceive fluffies far differently than Ichabod.
While he sees no need for them to suffer, they are not a thing worth the time or effort of a burial. Honor is for things that people care for or love and he simply doesn’t feel that way towards fluffies.

And 100% agree.
If it were me, I would bury the poor things.
But that’s not what the story was about.

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Exactly, hence why I don’t think he is a villain, since he at least made sure their suffering was as short as possible. His character is spot on. He gives me the “After all, why waste a resource when you can make something nice out of their bodies?” kind of vibe.

I still mildly despise him tho. :skippy1:

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Fair and very much what I was shooting for :heart:

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Heartbreaking, so much effort from Duke only to find out he never had a chance. At least he will be with Daisy forever now.

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