“And that is the fundamentals of the dreaded root canal.” A polite round of applause rang out as the film reached it’s conclusion. Carl pearlman beamed his bullshit grin at his superiors and mostly ignored the rest of the room. ‘Fuckin’ brownnose.’ Charlie thought. He was rather bitter having been turned down for an important scholarship recently. It had gone to a “better fit” in their community, which he read as “alumnus’ relative.” When a new student showed up who burned through money like water and shared a name with one of the buildings dedicated to the alumnus that donated it, he had a pretty good idea where the scholarship he was counting on had disappeared. The applause died down until only one set of leathery pads still knocked together. The oblivious fluffy Clarence kept clapping until an audible throat clearing signaled it to stop. ‘Couldn’t be more obvious if you tried.’ Charlie sulked. Clarence had been a pet project of carl’s from the beginning. He made a great deal of showmanship about how he could make dentistry so non threatening even a fluffy wouldn’t be scared. It was decent training and there was film-making knowledge to see how he doctored the footage to make tools look less sharp and dull the shrieking of the vibrodrill. None of that actually made him as good a dentist as his professors gushed about him.
“If it pleases the board I’d like to present one last film, the most important part of dentistry in my opinion, patient relations!” There was another cheer lead by Clarence.
“Daddeh am bestest daddeh! Nice tu aww fwuffies an’ widdwe humans tu!” The fluffy enunciated it’s preset and well rehearsed line. Carl set the tape playing and was leading the dean out of the room before it was finished spooling up. Charlie thought he heard him mentioning irons and the local golf club. He glowered openly with the source of his ire out of earshot. He was so busy muttering curses of pain and misfortune he nearly missed Clarence’s sudden confusion.
“Dat nu am nice Daddeh fiwm. Who dose fwuffies?” Charlie looked up at the screen and for the first time in months he smiled. ‘Maybe I have a chance at that scholarship after all.’ He thought.
Petal sobbed as she wandered on top of the walls of the maze. True to his word the planks lowered when she condemned another fluffy and made a perfect bridge over the maze. What the voice hadn’t mentioned was it lowered enough planks to connect all the walls forming a sort of maze over the maze. Worse still it did nothing to save her foal still trapped inside somewhere. “Babbeh?” She called unable to see the him anywhere.
“Am hewe mummah!” Her teal foal called out from the far end of the maze. Petal sighed having lost count of how many times she had to explain this.
“Not yu babbeh, da twapped babbeh!” She hollered.
“Sowwy mummah!” She called back. Petal stared down into the twists and turns of the lower maze and tried to think of how to get around the over maze to see around corners she couldn’t quite reach. The problem seemed impossible. She took a wrong turn and locked herself into a long spiral to a dead end in the center. She looked in the little nook and for the first time in minutes saw something promising. There prominently in the center was a little bird cage. It wasn’t a baby but it was the first thing that wasn’t more leaves and hurties. Knowing it was a bad idea she dropped into the undermaze to take a closer look. She was instantly disoriented as the walls were just a touch too tall to see over and she suddenly felt trapped.
“Nu wike sowwy mazie…” She muttered to herself. She moved in carefully trying not to touch anything sharp as she got closer to the cage. Her heart lit up as the red foal foal in the cage jumped up against the bars. He murmured something inaudible under the several layers of scotch tape keeping his muzzle shut. He sat back with his arms outstretched as fresh tears ran over the tape already stained dark from them. No words were needed to know he was pleading for a hug. Petal wrapped around the small cage but the foal continued to cry. He put his arms down understanding his mama wanted to help but unable to feel her comforting embrace. Petal grabbed at the handle on top of the cage and was thankful the mean mask was nice enough to wrap it in soft cloth so it didn’t hurt. She pulled but the cage was slow to tilt out. A thick rubber stopper attached to the bottom resisted being moved and forced her to rock one way to the other to work it up. She finally pulled it free with a pop and chaos came pouring out. It took all the will she could muster to hang onto the foal with its cage as an ocean of black chitin swarmed out of the opening. Petal didn’t know that her new friends that she would be sharing the maze with were emperor scorpions or that their venom was far from deadly. She only knew they were enormous with sharp stinging tails and biting claws. She ran half blind in a panic only remembering she was trapped in a maze when she finally got to a turn.
“Dis way mummah!” Her foal was screaming from above. She ran towards it and into a dead end. “Nu dat faw! Gu back! Obew hewe!” She tried to follow the helpful instructions but was flummoxed by how vague they were. “Gud now weft! Nu dat weft, weft den wight!” She doubled back at nearly every intersection. She saw the leaves rustling about as things moved underneath. “Gu way fwom babbeh, now weft. Uh, Yu wight. Sowwy.” The turns were beyond confusing. Petal wondered for a moment if her baby would even be able to understand how the maze was supposed to go. She pushed down the thought as it was the only thing she had to lead her out. “Now gu 'way gain. Nu not dat way. Come back. Uh… Hewe stay dewe.” Stay? How could she? She looked back the way she had come. The leaves were still moving. There were just so many of those monsters pouring out. She felt something skitter past her leg and she stamped out at it. It retaliated with a sting and pain radiated through the injury before blissfully fading. “Otay now come to babbeh!” He sounded far away. She turned towards it and ran. She ran down a long corridor and made one last turn and lit up to see a ramp with a teal baby standing at the top. She sprinted up hummed an urgent warning noise around the cage’s handle. She dropped it and screamed at the empty room.
“Mummah foun’ babbeh! Now how open cagie?” The mask appeared and gave a slow clap before responding.
“There’s a button at the end of the room. It will open the gate but since you found the cage put it on to open both.” True to his word the cage popped open the moment it hit the black button. Petal gathered up her children and ran ahead hoping the monsters wouldn’t follow.
Gruff walked into a new room and was simultaneously relieved and suspicious of how empty it was. The only notable feature of the room was a small fenced off box by the next door. He looked left and right and found himself alone. It was annoying but he was starting to get used to them disappointing him.
“Hey! Voicie! Wha’ dis woom?” He demanded. A new set of screens flickered on to respond to him.
“You’ll find nothing new here, merely more blatant than prior rooms. The way forward demands a sacrifice. One fluffy goes in the rest go free.” Gruff snorted. This human was demanding more with each door they passed.
“And what happen tu sac-wi-fice?” He sounded out the long foreign word. The voice paused before answering.
“That is a matter for the sacrifice to handle.” and with that the screens went dark. ‘Well that was a scary thing to say’ He thought. Darren and Maurice finally walked in and stood either side of him.
“Wha’ nee’ do hewe Gwuff?” Darren asked. Gruff decided the room would be passed quicker if they didn’t understand it.
“Dawwen need go in boxie.” He said pointing to the sacrificial chamber. Darren looked to Maurice who ducked away in shame. ‘That’s odd.’ Gruff thought. ‘Darren’s usually the crybaby of the two. Might have to put down maurice as worst fluffy if Darren lives through this.’ Darren walked closer but didn’t step inside.
“Dis boxie hewe?” He asked pointing to the only visible box in the room.
“Yes Dawwen” Gruff responded impatiently. Darren looked from the box to Gruff a few times then sat down next to it.
“Nu wan’ tu.” He said. Gruff was shocked. ‘That insolent whelp.’ His mind parroted from a movie he’d long since forgotten.
“Yu wan’ gu in ow yu wan’ huwties?” Gruff asked closing the distance.
“Nu.” Darren said simply.
“Whassat?” Gruff asked. He could hardly control his words as his heart pounded in fury.
“Dawwen. say. NU!” The little fluffy screamed as he stood with a wide stance and puffed cheeks. He charged at Gruff and Gruff found himself charging back. The two collided chest to chest as their noses barely missed each other. They both went up rather than let the other push them back and they grappled in an awkward approximation of a hug. Their limbs locked over each other as they both tried to find some purchase that would let them freely move their opponent. Darren figured out he could head butt and was using it to ineffectively limit Gruff’s breathing. Gruff fought dirty and nipped anywhere he could biting at ears eyes even the soft parts of the neck he knew would bleed the fastest. Despite his gumption Darren was still smaller and weaker than Gruff and he was losing ground fast. He managed to hook one of his hooves on the side of the box and used it to push just that much harder against Gruff. It was more show than effective force but it was the fact he resisted at all that drove Gruff into ever higher levels of rage. He held firm but he couldn’t let this insubordinate see that he could win, even if it was just resisting until he got tired.
“Mauwice!” He commanded. “Push Dawwen into boxie!” Maurice was slower than he usually was but he still responded.
“Yes Gwuff.” He said as he walked closer his head held low. Darren faltered as a new spike of fear flashed over his face. He held against gruff with a newfound panic but Gruff knew no fluffy was strong enough to hold back two fluffies and win. They turned slightly as Darren found a soft spot on his ribs that still felt pain but he couldn’t escape. Maurice picked up his head and his enormous shadow fell over both of them. Gruff stared in excitement wanting to see the look on his face when the door clattered shut behind him. He waited but nothing happened. Maurice hadn’t moved content to just loom over them.
“Weww dummy? Push Dawwen in!” He demanded. Maurice looked to him with an almost sick look on his face.
“Am sowwy Gwuff.” He said as he kicked him through the gate and the two of them were pushed away by the closing gate. Gruff was livid. ‘Of all the stupid mistakes that had to be the biggest. When Gruff gets out Maurice is going to lose his legs. Maurice is going to hurt badly and he is going to be kicked out of the herd. When Maurice comes back and begs to be let in Smarty will see he’s dummy and he HAS to make himself USEFUL like Kissass. Then gruff will stomp Maurice until he sleeps forever.’
“Mauwice wet ou’ now!” Gruff screamed. The two stood back as the screens lit up again.
“Have you selected your sacrifice?” It asked. Darren was confused.
“Wha’ voice mean?” He asked the room.
“A sacrifice must be chosen to open the door. Have you made your choice?” It said simply. Gruff pounded on the chain link trying to get Maurice to look at him.
“Mauwice! Teww human wet out! Put in Dawwen!” He screamed. Maurice met his eyes for a moment but looked away.
“Gwuff am sac-wi-fice” He said. Gruff’s blood turned to ice as fear filled him and was immediately drowned in searing hate. The door opened and the two walked out. Gruff looked as the chamber came to life. All up the sides brutal steel wedges poked through the side stabbing into where his ribs would go. All along two walls was tar paper both littered with wood tacks. Way down at the far end he even thought he saw the orange light of a flame thrower shooting rhythmically. It was taller than he thought and narrower too. Quickly he realized it was tight but to his benefit. If he walked standing against the wall he would tear off all his back fluff and hit every tack but he’d also be able to walk straight up. It left no space to avoid the pointy spears stabbing in the sides or the flame at the end.
“Worried about the ascent?” The voice asked him. ‘Who ever heard of a fireproof fluffy?’ He thought, but thought better than to say it.
“Wet ou’ su can gib mauwice sowwy huwties!” He replied annoyed. The voice laughed.
“If that’s your aim the way up leads back out and you can catch up with him. If you’d prefer an easier route there is another way needing more cooperation.” Gruff knew that was a bad deal but he also knew fire was rather persistent in killing and could reach farther than it appeared to.
“How co-op-ew-ate?” He asked.
“First a cost. Lets say another chance at killing a fluffy. One in two this time.” It was twice the cost of last time but Gruff didn’t see it as a cost at all. He was trying to kill one fluffy, What was one more?
“Do it.” He said and the back wall of the box fell away revealing another tunnel. It was just as tight but it was horizontal and trap free. The laughter followed him as he ran all the way to the end and found a dead end that closed behind him. “Hey! mistah said was way ou’!” He screamed feeling tricked.
“All in due time.” It replied. “Cooperation takes others and unfortunately patience. I’ve been kind enough to leave any danger disabled until you have a chance. Happy waiting.” And with that gruff was left to wait.
Russel lay still and dreamt of comforting lies. He pictured a tunnel dark and dirty but at its end light. He crawled through it inching through mud that stained and sucked him in. His legs ached and were filled with tingly hurties so bad he could hear them buzzing. He pushed through and with the light of day was back outside where the grass was always green and wet and the bushes carried blueberries. All his friends followed and one by one his herd was together again. His smarty was so kind and sad looking as he approached him. “Gosh, we’re sorry we doubted you Russel. You really saved us by finding a way out of there. We didn’t appreciate you at all. You deserve to be a toughie on nummie guarding duty. We’ll get someone else to find new nummies for a while.” He beamed with joy knowing he was finally loved. He took a bite of green grass and it was so wet and sweet. He tried to find another but there were so many bees buzzing around. The buzzing was just so loud. “Russel?” His smarty asked he turned to him but he just sat and stared. “Russel?” He repeated. “What is it?” Russel tried to respond. “Russel!” He yelled louder. It was like he couldn’t hear him.
“Russel!” The volume scared him and he awoke with a start. He hadn’t escaped. He was still in the scary room. The floor was still lit up and buzzing dangerously. He sobbed gently at the peaceful times lost.
“Huu-huu. Wha’ scawy voice wan’?” He asked.
“I thought you might want to know one of your friends made some progress.” He looked to the screen and a little symbol of two rectangles was replaced with a triangle before fading away. He saw a fluffy slam into view forcefully. It looked like it hurt and definitely wasn’t how a fluffy could move itself. He looked closer and saw a familiar tear down one ear.
“Gwuff?” He asked and moved away from the screen’s square. It took only moments for the decision to be made and the floor lit up as the buzzing got louder. “Nu faiw! Nu gib fwuffy two chancies!” He tapped nervously from hoof to hoof.
“It was chance he got both to himself. You said you trusted your friends. Is he not among them?” Russel shook his head to himself. He may not have liked Gruff but he was a part of the herd. Russel loved all the herd. As much as he wanted to blame Gruff or Petal or all the rest, this had been the deal. He was searching for excuses to comfort himself. He only saw one way out of all this.
“M-mistew nice voicie? Maybe onwy take some weggies?” He pleaded unbelieving that he would ask such a thing.
“No.” The voice responded coldly. Russel was shocked but more than that he got suddenly scared.
“O-ok take aww weggies jus’ pwease wet outies!” He begged. Tears streaked down his cheeks.
“You made your choice.” The response was short and cut through him. It wasn’t an answer, it was a statement.
“Pwease! Mistew wight. Nu wike fwuffies no mowe. Fwuffy nu wan go foweba sweepies!” He screamed with rising desperation.
“One can hardly be surprised when they are bitten when they make company in a den of vipers.” He glanced to the door but it stood still and impenetrable as ever. The voice had meant ‘no.’
“Nu undewstan’. Gib huwties jus’-Ow!” He had misstepped and touched the live part of the floor. His leg screamed in pain even after he tore it away. The voice laughed at him and faded away. He sat up and curled his tail around him as best he could. The room was much smaller than it initially felt. He couldn’t even lay down with the safe part left. He leaned against the fence trying to take weight off of the hurt leg. He could feel the burning pain still arcing up and down it. It was going to hurt so much.
Petal dragged herself to the next room. Her leg fell asleep and wasn’t listening anymore. She only vaguely felt it was hotter than it should be and it seemed to have swollen. “Jus’ a wittwe bit fawthew babbehs.” She said mostly to convince herself. Thankfully she was right. She approached the next room and found it was cut off with a thin mesh. A fluffy flap invited her to keep going and just beyond the mesh she saw her bestest foal. The voice cut in before she could try to tear through the wall or actually use the flap.
“I love happy reunions. Unfortunately I think this won’t be one. Enter the flap and you’ll have the opportunity to ‘trade up’. simply sacrifice something and your last baby is yours to keep. Your sacrifice gets to go on a much longer leg of the journey with all new perils and frights. Have fun!” and with a click it was silent. Petal pushed through the flap and immediately thought she’d made some mistake. There was a quiet twang of snapping string and something mechanical whirred away beneath them. Two lines running to opposite corners of the room began slowly reeling towards a drain in the center of the floor. At the end of one clattered a plastic box uncaring and free. At the other panicked a little foal tumbling and screaming all the way.
“Mummah! Hewp! Sabe babbeh!” He cried. He flapped his wings and jumped but only got pulled over again. Petal rushed in and grabbed at the collar around his neck but it was too tight. She bit and pulled at the foal but he only grew scared. “Ow! Babbeh sowwy! Nu wan mummah huwties. Nee’ hewp. Tuu scawy!” She bounced and weaved back and forth up the line trying to find some point where it was weaker. She slowed its reeling enough for him to get to his feet and try to walk against the pulling of the line but he was too weak. His hooves slid frictionless against the floor as the line effortlessly pulled him closer to the black maw of the grate. He noticed his dire position and sat down in a tantrum and cried. Petal stared into his fixed motionless eyes and listened to him cry. “Nu wan be fwoow nummies. Why mummah nu hewp babbeh? Mummah nu wub babbeh nu mowe?” Her heart sank. Her bestest didn’t know she loved him. She was terrified but could only think of one thing to do.
“Mummah wub babbeh.” She assured him and ran off to stomp on the box at the end of the other line. It reacted immediately as a dull, thick blade snapped onto her leg and the bone cracked. She screamed with the pain and her fourth foal ran off to join his siblings. The collar snapped at the slightest resistance and she felt a moment of victory as it fell powerless to the ground. Her panic returned as she felt her trapped limb being pulled to the grate. She ran in circles pulling this way and that trying to shake the trap. She used all her strength as a full grown fluffy to resist but still the line pulled her off balance. She ran out of floor space as the line grew too short to even keep the box away from the grate. The collar that held her baby clattered to the bottom and the box still holding her leg disappeared into the darkness. She tried to stay off it with her three useful legs but the line demanded more. She slipped as her legs went over the bars and she was thankful her chest couldn’t slip through them. The whirring of the machine changed to a grind as the line pulled harder and harder. The bars dug into her chest as she heard the resounding pop of dislocating joints. She flailed helplessly as crunching of bone and tearing of ligaments. The pain grew to unbearable levels and she screamed over the tearing sounds that grew louder and louder sickening wet sounds falling down below. There was a heavy thud and finally the pain had gone. Whatever cruel monster waited in the pit had let her go and she could leave. She struggled in pulling her legs out of the slotted grate but found a way to roll away, in time. She got to her hooves and her children gasped in concern.
“Mummah? Whewe weggie gu?” Her bestest asked. She looked to the blood soaked socket of exposed bone and tried not to think about it as a wave of psychological pain rolled over her.
“Nu mattew. Wub babbeh.” She said kissing the highest point jutting out of his head. He sobbed quietly as his bright eyes stayed open and stared blankly. Her other foals cried with him but couldn’t keep on a brave face like their brother. “Babbehs hungwy?” She asked hoping to distract from the sadness. Her foals ate quietly as she slowly learned to hug with only one leg. The only sound was the quiet smacking of lips, dripping of blood, and song. “Mummah wub babbehs babbehs wub mummah.”
Smartass sat licking the brown stain on the ground grimacing at the taste. He finally finished his burden when he glanced up to see Smarty walking down another plain corridor.
“Whewe smawty goin now?” He asked.
“He’s gone somewhere dangerous. He’ll be badly hurt but if he’s brave he should survive.”
“Smawty nee’ hab huwties? Nu wan’ if nu hab tu.” The masked man pondered before stepping out into view.
“You can take some of the pain from him. It’s no guarantee but you can make sure he isn’t the first to be struck.” Smartass gulped.
“Wha’ pain Smawtass take?” Something behind the eyes of the mask shifted. Like a smile turned up in hate.
“Perhaps a change in wardrobe is in order.” He swept out a flowing cape and Smartass gasped. It was a mess of thorns and thistles barely held together by more barbs in a loose net. He nodded unable to bring himself to ask for the horrid thing. The human laid it over him and hooked it to itself around his neck before finding a pair of bardbed hooks to ensure it wouldn’t move. It was heavier than it looked driving the painful sharp stings into his skin. More surprising was how beautiful it was. The outside was a vibrant purple and carried a wonderful sheen and the entire collar of it was lined in dark burgundy roses. The bottom trim was a faux fur speckled with white and black. He stared at it and gave it a curious nuzzle. To his nose it was heavenly soft but even that little pressure brought a new shard pain to his side. He realized in a moment how lonely this would make him. A beautiful thing that made him even better for hugging but would hurt every time. He hoped it would be worth whatever he’d saved smarty from.
Smarty walked up a short ramp and was annoyed to see another challenge set before him. the hall in front of him had several spotlights shining brightly down on it with dark shadowy corners between them. worse there was only one wall to it the other left open for who only knows what. He saw a surprised looking fluffy frozen near the back wall. He looked like he was caught in a game of hide and seek. Smarty was chuffed to finally have someone to command again.
“Yu! Dummy fwuffy! Nu am pway time. Tu much dangew, hewp smawty!” He stood still frozen and smarty got mad. “Wisten tu smawty! Yu nee’ hewp ge’ out. come on!” He gave a little shove and found the fluffy was hard as a tree. He tried to get around him to see what was wrong but found he was thin like a leaf too! The speakers crackled to life as the voice cackled over it.
“I think you’ll find your new companion rather unhelpful. In fact you’ll find everyone in this room looking out for themselves.” Smarty was chuffed. how dare they be so selfish?
“Dat nu wight! fwuffies nee hewp each oder.” The laughter returned in a sinister tone.
“Of course. ‘For the good of the herd.’ right?” The voice spoke dripping with unwarranted sarcasm. Smarty was confused. The human sounded mad but he made perfect sense like he understood. “That’s why we have toughies to hurt the ones that aren’t following the rules. This herd only has one rule at the moment. There’s too many fluffies, some need to go away and everyone’s on the chopping block.” The voice clicked off and rubber wheels spun up in the darkness. Smarty watched as his new flat friend dropped down behind some tall grass and a mess of new friends cropped up all around. New friends jumped up from behind bushes before dropping into hiding, others ran past without moving their legs, heavy dams rolled between trees and back again, pegasi swooped down from above before soaring back up into the ceiling. Smarty wondered at just how many fluffies there were. His thoughts were interrupted by a distant thump before his new friend had a white ball thump off of his face. He looked at it and frowned. He’d seen balls like it before. They were called baseballs. They weren’t very good and fluffies didn’t like them. Too small to kick, too hard if it hit you, too heavy to bounce much, and the humans that had them usually brandished sticks to get it back.
“Yu okay fwiend?” He asked the flat fluffy. He had gone into hiding after the hit but popped back out to answer. Smarty wished he hadn’t asked as he immediately heard a rapid thumpthumpthump and the flat fluffy’s face was gone as sharp splinters exploded over him and hurt his delicate eyes. Smarty stomped up to the open wall and puffed his cheeks at the darkness beyond. “Nu huwt fwuffies! Smawty take nyu fwiends!” He called out. There was another burst of thumps as a pegasus was double tapped out of the sky. The third struck him square in the nose and he felt the blood running down his face and pooling in his mouth. It more than stung, it hurt. Smarty had only been this outmatched once before. Tricksie humans had marked the building as a garden that only grew ivs. He didn’t know what an iv was but he’d seen gardens and his herd was hungry. He hadn’t expected a human house of sketti. What wonders of long wide skettis the floor must be lined with, delicious red sauce and smooth milkie sauce. He hadn’t expected the beast of an earthie that claimed it as his own either. As ashamed as he was to have been chased off from paradise it was the first time he had felt such pain, such fear. Then, with one earthy against him, he had been scared. Now, with unseen monsters that could hurt as badly kicking around balls? He was terrified. Another shower of splinters covered him as another ball thumped against his breast bone. The voice said some needed to go away. He decided in that moment there wasn’t anything he wanted more than to go away. He ran as balls ricocheted all around him. He felt a pain in his hip as his flank was hit hard enough to shove him off balance. He pushed through the pain as his lungs burned. More balls bounced off his shoulder, his ribs, his snout. His straight shot sprint was slow, predictable, and entirely exposed. He sunk into a cowardly stance as the hits came faster. His legs folded under him and his forehooves covered his eyes.
“Pwease. Nu amm smawty. Jus’ wet fwuffy gu. Nu bova’ yu 'gain.” His pleas fell to deaf ears as the machines hit new rapid fire rates with a stationary target. He felt his ribs break under the onslaught and could hardly draw breath to scream through the pain. His closest limb shot up in a universal cry for mercy. “Pwease! Nu mowe huwties! Fwuffy goin’. Am twyin’ tu du wha’ yu wan’! Jus’ stop!” His attempt to hold back his attacker and keep it from striking his face and chest was unfortunately successful. A ball hit the bottom of his outstretched hoof directly and the force jarred its way through his shoulder. It was far too much for his joints to absorb and he was roughly pushed on his side. Smarty didn’t have time to regain his bearing before another volley shot into his exposed underbelly. He vomited immediately. His body involuntarily curled into an approximation of a fetal position as his tail curled under him and his hooves wrapped around it. His eyes lolled unfocused as his body pressed his bruised diaphragm again and again forcing up little each time. The hits kept coming bouncing off the plush fur of his tail and building micro-fractures all up and down his legs, but it was preferable to another clean shot to the belly. A mix of putrid brown sludge, something black and grainy, and pale green burning fluid spread in a pool around him. The machines turned to more mobile targets deciding he was broken. He noticed a lull in the impacts and dragged himself towards some wooden scenery. He was rewarded with another half dozen hits to the rump but pulled out of sight anyway. The balls kept bouncing until every single wooden fluffy had been shattered and there were no comforting faces left. It was quiet as the rhythmic thumping and shattering came to a final rest. Smarty lay in a trail of vomit unwilling to stand and he sobbed without the words for his pain. Even with the quiet he could hear them spinning in the distance. They hadn’t stopped or shown mercy to any of the fluffies they would actually know. They were still there, watching, waiting for a shot.
Petal limped both less burdened and woozier than before. Her exposed joint was still slick and wet despite the blood drying onto her fluff. With every step she left a polka dot trail of red behind her. Her eyes were locked to the floor as she walked and didn’t notice she’d made it to a new room.
“The worst is behind you.” The voice called down. “It’s time for a victory lap. This room is just a reminder of what you have, and what you lost.” The layout was simple and clear. A gate cut the room in half. There were three buttons on their side and another four on the other. It slid open the moment she pressed all three but slid closed just as fast when she left. Petal counted off her remaining foals and hooves and realized her mistake. She sobbed and her foals took notice.
“Wha’s wong mummah?” Her little teal filly asked. Petal caught her breath to answer.
“Nee’ munstah babbeh.” She said. Her bestest grew stiff and nervous.
“H-how fin’ munstah?” He asked keeping his head down and his bright clear eyes to the tiles. Petal wasn’t sure how to answer.
“Munstah gu foweba sweepies.” Her brood responded with a fearful clamoring. None of them liked the monster but he was still their brother. Her bestest seemed the most touched of all.
“Hu-Why?” He asked. He backed away fearfully as he spoke. He kept his eyes forward but made little jerking motions as though looking for a way out. It killed petal to think he might be scared of her.
“Mummah had tu. Nu huwt munstah, nu hab miwkies fow babbehs. Am onwy munstah babbeh! Mummah nu huwt babbehs if nu munstahs. Pwomise!” She tried to get closer but her promises did nothing to make them feel better. Her bestest wouldn’t even look at her. She blinked away new harsher tears and went back to the buttons for the gate. “Stay hewe babbehs. Mummah bwing munstah so mummah can get thwough gate.” Her children sat by the quartet of buttons on the other side, waiting on a corpse to complete their family. Their mama had hardly rounded the first corner on her long journey back when her bestest turned on her.
“Babbehs nee’ gu! Mummah nu comin’ back!” He urged already moving towards the door.
“Buh mummah said bwingin’ munstah bwudda! Nee wait fow mummah!” His sister cried. She could hardly handle the news of one missing sibling. The loss of her mother as well was simply too much to bear.
“Mummah too huwties! Nu can!” He insisted. His brother puzzled over it.
“Nu wan weab mummah twapped. Nu can open fencie wif nu babbehs.” He stared down at the button not lifting his eyes. Bestest snorted.
“Mummah huwt one babbeh fow skettis! Wha’ if nee’ huwt mowe?” His brother began crying. This place was scary. He couldn’t blame her if hurting them meant getting out. Still he didn’t want hurties.
“Otay. Bwudda go too.” he muttered falling into ranks with bestest.
“Wha? Nu weave sissie behin’! Nu wan be awone!” The last sibling whined shuffling from hoof to hoof, afraid.
“Come wif. Nu am awone if aww gu.” Bestest stared expectantly. He lingered a moment before walking off his brother in tow.
“O-otay! sissie comin’. W-wait up!” She followed leaving nothing to mark they had even slowed.
Smarty walked into a dark chamber wincing with every step. His ears flattened as he heard a meaty whack. He needed to move forward and make sure he wasn’t followed. As awful as the last room had been this one seemed worse in its foreboding. The light behind him faded and only revealed thin slivers of what was to come. This and a few scant beams from above were the only light he had to guide him. The air was stale and musty and held a tinge of blood. There was a distant dripping noise, some gurgles, a hum, and as he listened another corpulent thwack.
“Hewwo?” He called. But there was no answer. For the first time since he’d arrived his progress hadn’t been punctuated by the jeers and taunts of the voice. As much as he hated him, he felt lost without it. Like he’d mistakenly stumbled into somewhere he wasn’t supposed to be. Somewhere that might not have a way out. another whack rang out in a rhythmic pattern. He followed the noise and soon found its source. In one of the brighter beams a great drum of cable turned slowly dragging along a leg pinned to a box. He watched as it was noisily dragged under, rose up on the back side, and when it started back down unceremoniously fell to the ground with another bruised whack before the slack was taken up and it was dragged under again. Until now he hadn’t considered that his herd may have been caught up as he had. Here was the first sign of one of his fluffies and it was only a leg. A torn lump of flesh still tormented long after it was dead. He felt uneasy seeing petals colors on the fluff. He couldn’t be sure it was her with so little but the idea still haunted him.
“Voice! Yu betta not huwt smawties petaw ow…” ‘or what?’ he faltered unsure. Even at his cruelest and his strongest he’d never torn the leg from a fluffy. Until now he hadn’t considered if it was possible. It was unnecessary, extreme, and that’s beside the point of how he would hurt what he couldn’t find. He hadn’t seen the source of the voice, only heard it. Even if it was the human that tricked them how could he hurt a human? “Ow ewse.” He muttered quietly finishing the thought. The steady whacking of meat on concrete was the only reply. If the voice was still listening for him it made no indication. He looked about but found little of note. Beside the great churning drum was a nest. It was fluffy sized but made of human things. It was on of the softest cushiest nests he’d ever seen. Just looking at it reminded him of how exhausting the day had been, How he wanted to sleep and wake up to find the day a bad dream. The only thing out of place was a crumpled collar on a line. The sight unnerved him. Humans didn’t make nests for ferals outside even if they were the nicer ones and this was far from a nice human. Collars were just as rare a sign of love, of ownership, a human daddy. The whole setup screamed trap. He wondered if petal had fallen to this trap. Laying down only to be torn about by the once wonderful collar until losing a leg seemed an easier way out. He found the exit and the unmarked button that opened it. It closed too quickly to run for it but he had an easy choice of what to leave. He dragged the leg to the button and dashed off to the door. “Goo’bye Pe- Pwetty fwuffy weggie.” He called as the limb was reeled in and returned to its endless whacking against the floor.
Petal reached her destination a sight paler and weaker than before. She grimaced at the uncomfortable and familiar set up she had woken to. The microwaves were no more accommodating than before and the acrid stench of partly cooked flesh hung over the room. There was still a faint smear of sauce on the sketti plate but she didn’t have time for it. Anemia had taken its toll and she found herself rambling to no-one despite leaving her babies where it was reasonably safe.
“Sowwy munstah. Should hab taken yu wif. eben if gu foweba sweepies. Mummah hewe d’ough.” There was no response from the limp corpse. She found it hard to look at though mercifully it was tamer than she had expected. His eyes seemed to melt and his fluff singed in places but otherwise it seemed one of the least gruesome deaths she’d seen. She only hoped it was as painless as it looked.
“Come on babbeh. Mummah nee’ yu hewp.” She grabbed him by the scruff and carried him all of two paces before he landed with a sickening splat. She dropped what still remained in her mouth and tried not to think about how he was coming apart. She failed with the first sight of him. He was worse than she could have feared not revealing the pink coloring of exposed flesh. Rather than his skin what had fallen away was some form of comforting lie. His soft flowing eyes had given way to dark pits of exploded gore. His singed fluff had concealed dark cracked skin coated in painful blisters and an expression of excruciating screaming pain had been baked into the leather of his cheeks persisting after death. All of this she saw but hardly noticed for what she perceived to be the worst of the exposed truth. between those exploded eyes was a smooth head lacking the tell tale horn still attached to the discarded cloth, and above that injured skin was a soft fluff of a different but familiar shade.
“Bestest?” She asked unbelieving despite seeing it with her own eyes. She fell atop her favored son in grief and curled around him. She wept until she could stay awake no longer and died in mourning.
Bestest and his two siblings found a new room and gasped at the sight. For the first time the blank walls were adorned with bright happy paintings of flowers and fluffies at play. The air was warm and inviting and they felt safe in a way they never had outdoors. There was a shallow run of water through the middle of the room with blue tarpaulin banks and a sturdy white bridge crossing it. At the far end where the near still water reached its widest there appeared to be an island jutting up safely out of the waters reach. It was small and was dominated by a checkered blanket covered in bowls and bottles. The whole spread glowed orange in the light of a heat lamp overhead and gave off a wonderful scent.
“Skettis?” The teal filly asked. She sniffed tentatively wandering closer.
“Babbehs!” A voice called down from the ceiling. It didn’t sound like the human voice. “Wet out!” It called again. Bestest saw the trapped fluffy calling down. He was all the way up at the top and he was pressed against the chain link fence. Despite the injuries he recognised him.
“Gwuff!” He called to him. “Babbehs saved! Gwuff keep safe.”
“I see you’ve noticed your companion.” The human voice cut in. “This is meant to be a place of rest. Perhaps you’ve earned as much for getting this far. This one, however, took a short cut.” Bestest couldn’t believe it. A short cut? They’d played races before, short cuts were cheating! Gruff was the kind of fluffy to remind you not to cheat not a cheater himself. “A cost must be paid for this. Either their life or your luxury. Enjoy the land of skettis and milk, the plentiful water of the shallow river, and the warmth of sunlight knowing he will be killed. Alternatively pull down this bar if you want to release him. Be warned, there is no way on or off sketti island but wading through the river, and the water in this room will kill instantly if you do.” a spotlight clicked on pointing out a bar jutting out from the wall. It was accompanied by a droning humming sound. The red foal dropped at the sound covering his eyes and muttering about “too scawey.” The teal filly was first to move running across the bridge with lightning agility.
“Huwwy sissie!” Bestest screamed fearful of how long they had until Gruff got hurt.
“Sissie kno’! Nee’ get skettis befowe gu cowd.” He was shocked.
“How dat hewp Gwuff?” He asked not understanding.
“Hewp? Bu’ nu hab skettis yet.” She couldn’t mean something so callous, she just couldn’t! She must have missed part of the explanation.
“Gwuff am be huwt if nu hewp.” He called crossing the bridge. it might be faster to pull it himself rather than sit there arguing.
“Bu’- bu’ nu hab skettis yet!” Her voice rose to a whine. It seemed she’d continue to miss the explanation as long as the temptation was in sight. Bestest hurried as fast as his short clumsy legs would allow.
“Das a gud babbeh. Wet ou’ now.” Gruff encouraged. His legs barely reached the towel gripped strut but still it was enough to drag the spark throwing copper cable closer to the ditch. Bestest looked back and saw his sister still going towards the island in the water.
“Come back sissie! Wawa gib huwties!” He called.
“Nu wowwy babbeh. Gwuff gib big huwties tu sissie. Nee’ out now!” Bestest was stunned. Gruff couldn’t have meant that.
“Gwuff huwt sissie?” He asked quietly. The trapped fluffy nodded enthusiastically.
“Yus. Gib huwties to sewfish nu hewp teaw babbeh. Nu huwt hewpfuw bestest fo’ wet out. Gonna gib huwties tu dummeh scawedy fwuff wed babbeh too, an’ bigges huwties to Dawwen.” His voice took on a darker angrier sound with the last name. Bestest stared unbelieving. Gruff must have been hurt to get here like the others. How could he go through that and still want to hurt other fluffies of the herd?
“Nu fink wan wet gwuff ou’.” He said sitting back on all four legs.
“Wha? Nu be bad babbeh ow gwuff gib yu huwties tu!” He stared in hate. Bestest nudged the bar back up with his nose.
“Nu wan mowe huwties. Sowwy gwuff.” With that he left to join his siblings on sketti island. Gruffs calls grew louder and angrier the farther he went.
“Nu huwt yu if wet out. Nu weab! Gwuff stiww twapped! Come back hewe. Nu ignowe gwuff dummy! Gwuff am going to enf you!” He pressed into the fence and even dented the wires in his bite as he screamed his ultimate threat. The three of them didn’t even turn to him. They sat in the lap of luxury looking calm even happy as he screamed at them. He seethed but resolved they would be dealt with after his masterful escape. He felt a chill on his mane as the ceiling pressed down on it. He had felt his ears flick irritated at its touch but despite keeping his head low he could feel it more and all over. It was definitely getting lower. “Nu cwush Gwuff! Gwuff nebah wose!” He planted his hips and shoulders into the metal plate and braced against it. It seemed to work as the dull droning went to a lower timbre. He pressed as hard as he could mustering more strength than he knew his muscles could give. For a moment he celebrated his imminent victory before a sickening snap marked the breaking point of his tendons. He fell instantly and screamed as a new pain he’d never witnessed took to him. The newly freed muscles contracted instinctively in a cramp. Gruff screamed in pain and confusion as he watched the movement beneath his fluff as they curled into tight balls and writhed in an unnatural manner. He pressed through it refusing to give up until he’d punished all his herd for abandoning him. He twitched and rolled his limbs as best he could but only the muscles that didn’t help him stand seemed to work. He looked all around in desperation trying to force himself to be smart enough to get out. It looked about hopeless until he saw the slightest crack in one wall. The foal with the weirdly shaped head hadn’t let him out but he had pulled the bar enough to leave it partially open. He flopped his legs pitifully against the exit wall feeling out just how high they could reach. Time was running out before long the ceiling would cover the crack so he couldn’t touch it. with another desperate reach he finally found purchase as the thin sheet metal edge cut into his hoof pad like a knife. He awkwardly pulled his leg trying to force down the door and embedding it deeper into his leg as he did so. He pulled desperately using muscles at random until finally inertia was on his side and the door slammed down with a surprisingly loud bang. He wiggled his elbows trying to drag himself forward on the diminutive bones. He’d hardly moved an inch when the ceiling was again pressing on his back, this time with no space to drop down and slip under it. It started crushing in making the same low droning it had made when he had tried to fight against it. Gruff bristled at it misconstruing meaning from it. “Nu mock gwuff! Gwuff beat yu!” He declared as though it might back off from the challenge. Many of his muscles no longer worked and of those that did none would drag him out as he’d have to tear away from what was already pinned. He decided he simply had to press harder and the only parts of him still obedient enough for the job was his neck. He twisted his nose about until it was under him and firmly on the ground so he could push off of it. In doing so he only ensured the final crushing was as painful as possible. His snout crumpled slowly. At first he thrashed trying to push the plate up as his bones broke and fell limp, his teeth fell from inflamed gums and pooled at the furthest end of his mouth with the blood. He started to realize it wasn’t helping as the last of the bone broke away and unluckily bounced from the rounded structure of his face. He felt a snap in his neck then a dull tingling from below unable to realize he was paralyzed. when the last of the cartilage bridge of his nose had rolled in fat serpentines and began pressing into the cavernous pit of where his mouth should be he began to wish for a sudden death. He wanted to drown in his blood, to let some beast chew his head off, or at least pass out from the pain. It was not to be. He stared wide eyed as the vibrant red flowed outward and he was pressed to the cold metal as the black pit of his throat was stuffed with his ruined face. His vision blurred and he tried to blink the feeling away. He found he couldn’t fully force his eyelids to shut as they stopped around the pupils stuck to the ground. What little he could see in his peripheral vision was drowned out as the blood slowly pooled away and entirely encircled him. His bones snapped in odd angles and gave the tears his brutalized organs began oozing out of. It was agony waiting as he was left hurting but not realizing how much he’d already lost. Blind, alone, and altogether not sure where he could have gone wrong he tried to scream. There was no sound as his last defiant act echoed through his mind before the walls of his skull gave out and it was pressed through the soft points of his eye sockets.
Gruff was dead but it was little comfort for the trio of babies below. They had found the promised island of sketti and its warm glow. Even the smallest who still prefered milk to the miracle food he’d been promised had found a feast to enjoy. They’d been settling in for an exhausted nap in the calming warmth when the bar had slammed into place.
“Wha’ dat?” the filly asked.
“oh, nu.” The bestest looked around the room but try as he might he couldn’t see the lever he’d left up. “Gwuff open boxie. Now wawas gib foweba sweepies!” His brother started to worry again.
“Yu mean bebbeh nu can weabe? Am stuckies?” The filly giggled brightly.
“Sketti iswand am gud pwace! Nu bad pwace be stuckies. Mabbeh babbehs wai’ fow hewp to wet off.” Bestest shook his head. He’d already noticed the island wasn’t perfect. The skettis had started to get dry and crunchy and the milk looked like it was half gone though noone had touched the skettis. Just before the bar had fallen he’d been thinking how nice it might be to go splash around in the nice cool water around the island. Things were going to get far too warm if they couldn’t leave.
“Nee’ get ‘way fwom wawmsies. Feew gud now bu’ no am aways gud fing.” His sister pondered a minute before brightly jumping up.
“Ooh, ooh, sissie know! wiww fwy obew an’ wift baw fing to make wawas safe again!” She nodded and her frightened brother cheered.
“Yay sissie! sissie sabe us!” She scratched at the blanket floor for traction and took off at a full gallop to clear the wide run of water. At the very edge of the bank she lept gracefully in the air her wings spread wide her legs tucked neatly under her. She rose in an arc and came back down right in the middle of open water. The effect was immidiately apparant. She voided her bowels as her form warped in an unnatural looking way, her stance the same but more forced and painful. Her front legs curled tight into her ribcage and did nothing to catch her weight as she collapsed onto her nose with a wet smack. Her back legs similarly trailed behind her extending longer than she’d pushed them before thoughnotably struggling and twitching to remain still. Her wings just moments ago nearly angelic in how they caught the wind were were raised at there peak and stuck there.
“Yu otay sissie?” The red fool asked. His brother knew there would be no answer.
“Sissie am foweba sweepies. Nee’ go an’ weabe behin’.” The red foal’s eyes shot open.
“Sweepies? Bu’ nu am time fo sweepies! Sissie in wawa! wawa bad fow fwuffies!” He was too foalish to understand. He had yet to know loss.
“Sissie nu can wakies. Babbeh nee’ tu weabe ow get huwties too.” fresh tears burned down his face evaporating before they could fall off. Mild as it was the heat was oppressively hard to escape.
“Otay… How do?” He asked. He tried to find comfort in a hoof to suckle.
“Sissie hewp us. fowwow bestest.” The red foal was confused.
“Yu say sissie nu can wakies? How sissie hewp?” Bestest gave no response before running at the shoreline. He leaped to his sibling and kicked off again the moment he found contact. The filly bobbed slightly unsteady from the impromptu use as a platform but otherwise showed no signs of movement. The red foal was distraught.
“Why huwt sissie?” He pleaded hiding under his hooves. He found the momentary shade comforting and hoped it would be save him until rescue came.
“Nu can feew huwties nu mowe. Jus’ jump.” The voice of bestest called from far away.
“Bu’ nu am wingie fwiend! Nu can fwy!” He complained.
“Nu nee’ fwy, Jus’ use weggies. Wike dis!” He peeked out from under his hooves to watch his brother prancing on the opposite bank. It did look like his wings were tucked tight to his back. Maybe he could do this. No, he would do this! He ran up and the moment he jumped he slammed his eyes closed. He tried not to think about how high up he was or the water below or that is was magic hurty water or that he was jumping on what used to be his sister but altogether not thinking about it made him think on it even more. He kept his eyes closed when the shock of landing on the stiff and strained body reverberated through his legs and he made another blind jump. He managed to keep them closed all the way to the second landing which fell just short of getting four legs onto dry land. He was awash in a sudden pain as he kicked himself forward involuntarily. He felt a set of teeth at his mane as he was roughly jerked onto the bank. He took a moment to understand what had even happened before he curled up to lament his pain.
“owwies…” He crooned and the understanding older foal hugged him before leading him away. They didn’t turn back to look at all they had lost and in their eagarness to escape such a wretched place they could be forgiven for missing a leg painfully and forcefully unfurled to reach out for help that would never come.
Smarty waddled up to a new trial sick of them and wondering when or even if he’d be free of this place. The floor was again split with a great chasm far more than he’d be able to jump. He looked down to find it about as shallow as it was long. He considered it but shook his head. It was not enough to kill though it may hurt. Taking stock he saw the far end of the room had a ramp up with a twin just behind him. He sighed knowing whatever was below was something he’d hate. When he found the bottom the floor felt different. It was rough, coarse, and it felt like it would get everywhere. The voice returned though he was hardly surprised.
“Running is hardly your strong suit I take it. Some in your herd find themselves run raggad. Prove your worth to the herd. Show them how much better you are.” With that the floor moved underneath him. He took off at a gallop. The sandpaper surface really wasn’t moving that fast. A human could cross the room without having to break out of a walk. For the shorter, injured, and unfortunately not very athletic fluffy it seemed hurculean. His feet burned as he slid slightly on every step. His soft pad hooves wore themselves smooth, then raw, then bloody. He slowed to ease the pain and rapidly hit the back wall and began to tumble. There were several minutes of flailing wildly as bit of fur were torn out and rug burn brought new pains on every angle he had. He finally managed to dislodge himself back onto the ramp exhausted and having gotten nowhere.
Smartass stared annoyed and frustrated. Running fast as he could his smarty hadn’t gotten more than halfway up the treadmill. He had helped as much as he could with the trials that came before but was getting impatient.
“How Smawtass nee’ hewp smawtie?” He asked not looking away.
“Does this mean you want to help him on this?” The masked man demanded.
“Nee’ to.” he replied simply.
“Heavy is the head that wears the crown.” He replied laying out a set of four fluffy slippers. Smartass got up and looked at them. They looked beautiful with their light blue shade and he was sure they’d be unimaginably soft but the insides were layered in sandpaper and more concerningly had a three inch stud nail in the center. Reconcidering, He turned to the man.
“Nu odew way hewp smawty?” He asked.
“Not without killing another fluffy.” The human responded. Smartass frowned at the idea. He closed his eyes not wanting to see how badly this would hurt.
Smarty heard a mechanical shift in the whine as the treadmill slowed to half its speed. He stood wincing at his still hurt hooves. Despite his licking they continued to weep blood.
“Wha’ yu doin’?” He asked the moving floor.
“The trial has been made easier for you.” The voice replied. The smarty finally broke down and begged.
“Why yu du dis? Pwease jus’ gib foweba sweepies. Nu mowe huwties ow meanie gamesies.” The voice was not comforting.
“That’s for you to accomplish if you desire.” It went silent and refused any further requests. Finally smarty exhausted and hurt as he was took the only path he had and ran out onto the treadmill again. His hooves began bleeding more openly almost immediately. The blood grew tacky and made the belt of sandpaper stick to his hooves requiring just that little more bit of effort that he could not give. He began picking up sand with every step grinding in and making every step hurt. When he finally noticed he was crossing over his own bloody hoofprints he reached the far ramp and tried to jump to it. He got his front hooves on solid ground but found his hips twisted out from under him and he gripped onto the wall trying to scrabble up with just his forelegs. As unpleasant as the sprint down the sandpaper strip had been, being held limp to it as his rear legs couldn’t match speed to clamber up was much closer to its original use and rapidly started a brutal tearing pain that overpowered him. His legs slipped and he hardly got his legs under him before he was upturned at the back wall falling ass over tea kettle and being grated against it. He found it much easier to get back to the ramp of failure where he’d licked his wounds last but not without several fresh ones.
“That looked painful.” The voice mocked from overhead. Smarty only sobbed.
“Pwease nu make fwuffy du dis. Nu can! Am… Am too weak.” His pride completely shot the voice offered little compassion.
“You won’t find a solution freely given out with after dinner mints.” Smarty looked up searching for someone to look to and demand answers from.
“No odew way ou’ fow fwuffy?” He asked.
“In this instance there might be. Over that gap I can lower a bridge for you. The cost of this is great. If you take this another fluffy you know will die.” Smarty was stunned. His herd was here, and he would have to kill one of them to escape. He thought on the leg he found earlier. It had to be petal’s. He hoped she would still be alive. He walked up to the chasm and looked down to it. He would probably survive falling that far. Even then he’d have to run the other half of the moving path. The pain was becoming too much. He wasn’t sure how he would survive another round.
“Huwt fwuffy. Wet smawty gu.” The voice clicked in at once.
“Your wish is my command.”
Russel stared as smarty limped back to the open ditch. He’d seen how petal had eyed an open pit just the same and he expected what would come next. He was giving up.
“Nu smawty! Nu go! Wussew knu dat yu can do dis. Gib one mowe go!” Smarty stared into the pit. He looked over at the path he’d tried running down. Despite his protests he turned back to the pit.
“Smawty nuuuu! Wussew nu wan gu foweba sweepies! PWEASE!” His hooves tapped pitifully at the glass of the monitor as he tried to get the smarty’s attention. The floor beneath him lit up and his world turned to one of pain. “S-s-s-mmma-awtyy-y” He wheezed as his last useful breath was forced out of him. His legs stiffened in a way he’d never stood before. They pushed him off balance and he tipped backwards slamming his head into another electric plate. Finding a new ground to follow the electricity surged through him arcing up and down his spine. His nerves responded in kind slowly pulling him up into a bow as only his bottom hooves and the top of his head touched and every muscle between painfully contracted. His lungs burned but every breath he tried to pull was through great resistance. The spitle in his mouth frothed at his lips as it was violently pulled this way and that with every pulse. Each moment was agony until the electricity was cut and he slowly settled back to the floor. ‘He must be sparing me.’ He thought. ‘He is a good human he must be. So why does everything hurt still?’ His lungs pulled deeper purposeful breaths to no end as his heart spasmed without rhythm. Darkness creeped to the edges of his vision as every part of him screamed for air that would no way of helping. ‘He was letting me go. I’m supposed to feel better.’ His eyes drooped closed as his jaw fell slack. ‘That’s not fair.’
The two brothers stood at a door. The voice once more tried to explain the premise to them.
“There are multiple buttons. Each is in a different box. Whichever box you walk into is your box only. Theres a switch in the first box to open the door once you’re seperated.”
“Bu’ can babbehs gu in same boxie? Be safe wif dem?”
“No the door won’t open until you’re both in different boxes.”
“Bu’ nu hab enuf babbehs tu go in aww boxies.”
“You don’t need to fill every box just go in different ones.”
“Can mistew open doow?”
“Yes but not until you’re in different boxes.”
“Pwease?”
“No.” There was a shaking sound and a sketti treat fell into the first box. The red colt licked his lips and looked to his brother. He didn’t seem to notice it yet. A short sighted plan clicked together in his little mind.
“Mabbeh it otay bwudda. Babbeh go in fiwst boxie.” His brother seemed surprised but his expression remained cool.
“Otay. if yu suwe.” He turned to his own stall.
“Finally.” the voice muttered.
“Wha?” bestest turned back.
“NOTHING. Line up.” The two took their places and the red colt gobbled up the treat. The moment he had he got suddenly worried. He wanted to turn back and join his brother. The rear doors closed behind him and a new set swung open in front. “And they’re off!” The voice called out. The two raced down their individual tracks stopping off in the final box. Another set of doors closed behind them trapping them in. Bestest was the unluckier of the two trapped in an innumerable number of stalls wrapped in six segments of fencing shoved in one corner. The red sibling had a far more spacious room one wall littered with buttons and a modified grip. The towering giant of a masked man stepped out to reveal himself.
“Welcome to the end little ones. Only one last game to play.”
“Pwease wet gu!” Cried he red colt. The man chuckled.
“When you see fit to bite that brip there. First I wanted to offer one last taste of power. See the buttons in front of you?” A light came on showing the glinting blades of a dozen sharp knives suspended in the cieling. “Each connects to one a knives overhead allowing you to kill anyone trapped in the kennels here. There’s only one that matters now but I still thought I’d give the option.” The colt stomped at him.
“Nu wan mowe huwties! Fo’ nu fwuffies!” The human laughed again.
“If you’re so certain. I think you should know this though.” He flipped up a small latch opening the kennel holding his brother. He reached inside with a knife and in a moment came away holding his face. As terrible as it was it wasn’t as scary as what he saw on bestest. That wierd part of his head he hadn’t noticed before that pointed away turned out to be a point! Bestest wasn’t a pointy fluffy and the colors were all wrong too! The only explanation he had fell out of his lips. “Munstah.” The human laughed as he faded back into darkness.
“Bwudda wait! Stiww am yu bwudda! Nu am munstah! Jus’ wan’ hewp!” His mind reeled. All that help he’d given, That he’d gotten. It was a monster? He tried to think of why anything had happened. Where was his mama? Had the moster meant to hurt them? Why would he help? He shook his head free of all these thoughts. They’d agreed on no more hurties. He ran to the grip and bit down hard. The wide door opened slowly. For the first time in hours he saw sunlight streaming in closer but it was also letting the monster free. He felt a burst of wind and spotted the first blades of grass outside. The grip was sweet. It had been modified to fit a fluffy mouth easily and filled with a homemade concoction of caramal. The sweetness was somewhat lessened by the bitter epoxy it had been mixed with. He bit down harder struggling to keep the door raising. IT reached a point high enough for the monster to come running out. He saw it makee a sharp turn run accross the front and turn again towards him. He realized he must have been wrong and struggled to let go and try to pull away. For some reason he couldn’t let go and it closed in fast bounding for the kill. It reached him and as he braced it wrapped him tight in a hug. He opened his eyes and returned it glad he had nothing to fear. A human walked in wearing the same clothes as the masked human. The red foal tried to say hello but it was drowned out in the bit he seemed to have fused to his face. He grabbed the foal by the head and with one swift pull freed him. The foal looked to the jagged spots of white left behind and screamed.
Smarty walked into a new room that seemed to get wider as he approached. He grew somewhat afraid and self conscious as he realized the beautiful thing standing opposite him was another fluffy. Despite its brown face it was wreathed in dark burgundy flowers and much of it were rich shades of purple and blue. Atop its head a cruel crown of barbs painted gold cut into him leaving thin streaks of blood. He stood atop a dias a full foot above him and stared down lips curled in disgust and eyes burning with hate. He was glad a fence seperated them.
“Yu… Yu wasted it!” It screamed. Smarty was stunned both by the anger of this new fluffy and how familiar it voice seemed. “Twy tu hewp yu an’ yu waste it! Huwt fwuffy when nu nee tu!” Smarty winced at the reminder but was determined to speak up.
“Kissass?” He asked gently.
“NU am kissass! Am Smawtass!” The brown fluffy reared up in sudden rage. “Nu wan meanie name bu’ YU take ‘way onwy name Smawtass had! Yu nebah see wha’ fwuffies du fow yu. Yu nu cawe wha happens cuz ob yu. Yu am jus’ meanie!” He turned away his robe fluttering behind him. He limped with every step but took each step as precious distance. The voice that had taunted smarty in each room so far came back this time lighting up a half dozen screens with a masked face. Smarty tried to memorize it knowing this was the only idea he had of who had done this to them.
“You’ve come to a cross roads. The two of you can get out but only together. One of you must reach the other to escape. This is the last test you will face.” Two doors slid open on either side of a hallway connecting the two. A new flicker of hope lit up in smarty. He’d started doubting there was a way out and here it was!
“Ki- um, Smawtass come on! nee’ come hewe to weabe!” He looked back not moving.
“Why Smawtass nee’ come? yu come hewe! Yu nu need Smawtass hewp wight? Jus’ huwt fwuffies fo’ easy way ou’.” Smarty stamped a hoof.
“Nu fighties! Nu can weab tiww kissass come tu smawtie!” Smartass laid down and started grooming at the cuffs of his boots.
“Can wait tiww smawty get hewe.” He said as a matter of fact. Smarty was incredulous but he knew nothing could force him to move. He needed him alive to get out so fullfilling this last task was the only way to escape. He looked to the tunnel and found it mercifully short if dangerous. The prevalent theme was death by a thousand cuts. It was littered with needles, pins, shllowly angled razor blades, some spools of barbed wire, and tight passages over under and through spun glass insulation. He set about trying to climb over it not thinking of what to do about his apparently new smarty friend.
Maurice walked in and waited on Darren to catch up. Despite being the one to create the idea of betraying gruff and moving on, he was having some doubts after already condemning a fluffy. He was a panicked mess and bounced haphazardly from moping depression to manic energy constantly.
“Wha’ if hewd come fo’ dawwen? Wha’ smawty du to dawwen if find ou’? Dawwen su scawed.” He’d gone over the same questions multiple times already. Maurice had yet to indulge them.
“Nu nee’ wowwy ‘bout dat ‘tiw ge’ ou’.” He reminded him. Darren perked up in a moment.
“Yu wight! Nu nee’ dummy hewd. Dawwen make own hewd! An’ mauwice can come too. Dawwen an mauwice on da wun.” As he imagined some grand adventure Maurice tried to lead him further along. As they walked through a new door they were surprised to see sunlight. The way out was just at the other end of the room! Maurice started forward but stopped when he noticed the edge. Darren barreled into him and it was all the two could do to keep from falling in. Most of the room was dominated by a standing pool. A single plank connected to a wide central pillar was the only way available to get across. Worse still the way out wasn’t directly on the other side of the plank appearing impossible to navigate. The familiar voice cut in to offer some assistance. “Your journey is nearing its completion. I hope your cooperation has only gotten better.” They looked to each other and knew it had. Nothing binds people together like a conspiracy. “This is a simple trust exercise. There are two levers in the room. Each can spin the board to make it into a bridge out. Don’t worry there’s no way to cut your way off entirely.” The two took across the plank one after the other and reached the lazy susan in the center. They sat somewhat puzzled until their fluffy minds started to understand and pieced together how the contraption worked.
“Dawwen unnastan’! Mauwice nee’ go push webew to wet Dawwen ou’, den Dawwen wet Mauwice ou’.” Maurice nodded but then eyed the plank suspiciously. His broad frame made it awkward to try to cross.
“Can Dawwen gu fiwst?” He asked innocently. Darrens eyes narrowed.
“Why Mauwice nu goin’? Nu mattew wight?” Maurice, too slow to understand the implication stared down the board which seemed to shivel thinner the longer he stared.
“Nu wan’ tu. Wan Dawwen gu fiwst.” Darren flared up.
“Yu jus’ nu wan’ hewd know yu push Gwuff! Yu twyin’ weab Dawwen hewe!” Maurice was jolted by the accusation.
“Nu! Mauwice would nebah! W-would Dawwen weawwy weab Mauwice su nu can teww hewd?” He snorted.
“Dawwen knu yu nu dummy. Yu get bigges’ huwties tu if teww. Now Dawwen teww yu go push webew!” Maurice suddenly felt a tinge of annoyance. He stood over him and tried to crowd him out.
“Yu nu Gwuff. Mauwice hewp yu cuz yu Mauwice fwiend. Nu take owdews fwom Dawwen.” Darren grew even angrier.
“Das cuz yu dummy! Wisten tu Dawwen ow Dawwen gib big huwties!” He shoved Maurice back only for Maurice to launch at him in a full tackle. The two went toppling into the water and continued to grapple and bite at each other. Darren was the first to fall though that fell more to the water all around than their fighting. Maurice didn’t last long after only having a few moments to look around and realize there was no way back up. From the moment they hit water they were both destined to die. He wasted his last breath on a scream lost to bubbles.
Smartass paced his tiny enclosure. It hurt his hooves but he was too panicked to think of anything else. He glanced back down the hall of a thousand cuts and saw smarty still hadn’t moved. He’d gotten stuck pushing onto a pad of insulation and appeared to have fallen asleep right there. From the nearly full width slick of blood down the slope he was slowly losing hope that he would get up again.
“Human pwease hewp!” He called again. The mask appeared on the screens once more.
“What help could you possibly need? You’re both in the same area. You simply need both of you on one side of the hall.” Smartass tapped his hooves nervously.
“Weww uh… Smawtass fink smawty stuck. Mabbeh Smawtass hewp smawty?” He asked pleading.
“Then go and help him. This is all you have left.” Smart ass was getting worried enough to cry.
“Bu’ nu can hewp! Mabbeh odew fwuffy come hewp?” The mask scoffed and shook it’s head.
“You had one charge to care for. It came to you. If you failed that’s for you to handle the consequences.” Smartass was nearing a tantrum.
“Bu’ fwuffy onwy make one mistake! onwy widdwe mistake!” The masked man broke into insults first.
“And look what that got you. What that got him. You think he wanted to bleed out on a bed of broken glass? He did what his power demanded of him. You abused yours and are facing the same right now. How does it feel to be king of shit mountain? Are you enjoying controlling others yet?” Smartass tried to keep a stern look but was failing miserably.
“Smawtass nu contwow fwuffies! Jus’ hewp smawty!” The mask chuckled darkly.
“That’s what you’ve been doing for quite a while isn’t it. Just helping smarty because you don’t have the good sense to lay down and die. You’ve been controlling someone more than long enough.” The screens switched views to a lone grey fluff sleeping in a vent.
“Mawy?” Smartass asked surprised.
“Yeah. You knew her by a different name though didn’t you?” Smartass looked down, ashamed.
“Mummah.” It had been so long since Smarty had let him call her that. He’d nearly forgotton.
“You think she wanted to follow around that rapist prick? You think she liked living in constant fear having to watch over you? She could have lived happily in luxury but you made her stay and choose you. You made her follow him just so he would bother to feed you. A whole life to be dedicated to anything and you made it about you.” Smartass was openly sobbing now. This did nothing to dissuade the voice.
“You want some help? Here’s a choice. Do the right thing. Lay down and die and I’ll let her out now free to live what’s left of her life free from you.” Smartass tried to defend himself but he felt worse about every moment he lived with each word the voice spoke.
“Smawtass nu wan’ foweba sweepies. Pwease nu huwt.” He knew it was a mistake even as he said it.
“What a surprise! Still the selfish whelp you’ve always been. Say it again to my face. Tell me you want her to die I’ll burn her and come drag you out myself. I’ll throw you to the street so you can see just how worthless you are without her to take care of you. Do it.” Smartass sobbed harder. He knew he was worthless. The rest of the herd always said it. Mary was the only one that would tell him any different. He couldn’t hurt her like he had smarty.
“Can… Can Mistew answew qwes-tun?” It seemed exhasperated.
“What is it shitrat?” Smartass hated the title but felt he deserved it.
“If Smawtass did hewp smawty. Wouwd mistew wet Mawy ou’?” The pause was somewhat longer.
“If you accepted it every other door closes forever. Noone would get out of where they are right now.” Smartass chocked back a sob and struggled to swallow it. That was it. He was a failure.
“Wet Mummah ou’.” He said. The door in front of her dropped and the image was saturated with a blinding light. The doors around him slid shut and the monitors went off. The lights clicked off to darkness one by one. Alone and wreathed in terrifying shadow he laid down and waited for hunger to take him.
Mary woke up with a crick in her neck. Her old bones didn’t like being cooped up for so long. She was surprised she was still in the box. If there had been any nastiness she hoped she would sleep through it. There was a mechanical click and the door slid open in front of her. She was blinded and took a moment to adjust to the sudden brightness. To her surprise rather than a sterile office it seemed to lead outside. She stretched and took a few tentative steps outside. There was the sounds of birds singing in the trees and a cool breeze that felt gentle against her face. She tried to find the foals and see just what had happened. There were only two chasing a small ball together. There was a human watching over them. He glanced over to her and spoke.
“Hello Mary.” Try as she might she couldn’t figure out how he knew her name. She had been away so long she could barely recognise him. He reached out and pat her gently finding just the right spot behind the ears. She sniffed at him and recognized the scent. She looked up with wide eyes unbeleiving.
“Daddeh?”