Dee Dee was going on location to her new ranch. Or what was going to be her new ranch. After picking up Herman Mongola and his two friends from O’Hare, they rode south together to the build site.
Nine hours on a plane to O’Hare and five hours in a car headed south left Herman, along with his friends Johnny and Gheorghe, snoring away in her car.
Dee Dee passed the time chatting with Herman’s fluffies, Hickory and Cinnamon.
“So, this is your first time in America, right guys?”, Dee Dee asked the fluffies.
“Dat wite! Hickowy an’ Cinnamon nebbah fwy befowe! Fwying am scawy, bu’ excitin’!”, Hickory said.
Dee Dee loved the soft inflection of his accent. Being a Brooklyn girl, she couldn’t help but smile at the dulcet tones of a British fluffy.
“Cinnamon wike dis pwace! Am su big! Daddeh show Cinnamon an’ Hickowy homsies twu da window from fwy-munstah. Am su smaww! Den show dis pwace. Jus’ keep goin’ an’ goin’!”, she continued.
Well, I want to welcome you to the United States of America. It’s far, far from perfect. But it’s home for me and I like it here."
“Hickowy unna’stan’ daddeh hewp wif nuw fawm. What fawm an’ fow? Miwkie munstahs? Cowm? Chikums?”
“No, this is going to be a farm for fluffies!”, Dee Dee told him. “I have a fluffy shelter not far from the airport-- the flying monster place. We help fluffies find homes with humans.”
“Am nice wady! Fin’ homesies fow fwuffies!”, Hickory said.
“Vewy nice wady!”, Cinnamon agreed.
“So, this farm, we want to grow fluffy food. And make a home for fluffies that don’t have one. And if they want to live with humans, we’ll help them find the right humans. Humans that want to give them love and hugs, and not hurt them.”, Dee Dee continues.
“Wiww nice wady wet any fwffies wib on fawm?”, Cinnamon asked.
“As long as they can be good fluffies, they can live here. If they want to be good fluffies, then we want to teach them and help them to be good.”
Cinnamon smiled at that. Daddeh had to get rid of bad fluffies some times, and it made her heart hurt. But daddy took care of the good fluffies. He’d give them food, and help them along. If it was cold, he’d let them find a warm place for the night. Daddeh was a good daddeh.
“Daddeh hab tu gib wowstest huwties to bad fwuffies. Wiww nice wady hab gib huwties?”
“Well, first, you can call me Dee Dee. You don’t have to be so formal. Second, if we can avoid it, we will. But some fluffies will always be bad fluffies. And we’ll make sure those bad fluffies can’t hurt any other fluffies. Especially babies. The worst fluffies hurt babies and we’ll never let that happen.”
Cinnamon shuddered as she remember her past experiences with Alpha’s herd. She knew all too well how callous bad Fluffies could be, and how fragile babbehs were in the wrong hands.
Hickory chimed in again, “Wen miss Deh Deh need gib huwties tu bad fwuffies, gib quick. Nu make bad fwuffies suffew. Daddeh say is wong tu make fwuffies suffew.”
Dee Dee nodded. “Your daddy is right. We don’t want to make fluffies suffer. I promise you that if we ever need to give a fluffy forever sleepies for being bad, we’ll do it and be done with it.”
“Dad gud.”, Hickory said. He nodded to himself, satisfied that Dee Dee was definitely a nice lady, like his daddeh was a nice daddeh.
A couple hours out from the work site Herman woke up in the front passenger seat. Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he glanced down to the GPS on Dee Dee’s dash. “Ah, not too long now.”, he said. “Beautiful country this is. Especially in the fall. The fields all harvested, the trees turning. Absolutely lovely. And so much of it! I love my little island, but you Yanks definitely understand how to go big here.”
Dee Dee chuckled. “Why thank you! And speaking of going big, this project is going to be a massive undertaking for all of us. I really appreciate you flying out for the winter. Your farm will keep without you?”
“Aye. I’ve got somebody back home on it. And Johnny and Gheorghe have left their fluffies with family. We’ll see this through winter and the start of spring before we need to get back and do the planting.”
“I really can’t thank you enough for agreeing to manage all of this. Little Miracles keeps me busy enough. I’ve got so much hiring to do, all the bookkeeping, all the grant applications, and all the back and forth with the government. Having somebody to do the site management and wrangle the construction companies takes so much of a load off my mind.”
“I’m happy to help. And I’m grateful for the paycheck! You made me a generous offer, and I get to bum around in the states for five months? Count me in! I know these two are excited, too.”
“Yeah. And there will be time aplenty to site see around the state. Chicago at Christmas is an amazing sight to behold. I’ll be hosting a party at Little Miracles for the holidays for sure.”
“These two will enjoy a good party. So, what’s our phase one looking like?”, Herman asked.
“Security fences, foundations for the wind turbines, and getting the farm equipment secured. I don’t have a blank check from the government, but it’s close enough that we can afford to buy things on short notice. There’s three tractor making companies in the state. Go with what you trust the most.”
“Music to my ears! So the late fall will be a whole lot of concrete. Winter, weather permitting, will be putting up the building themselves.”
“Exactly. This is all going to be pretty simple construction. We’re going with prefabricated structures. Corrugated steel on slabs for most of it. Only a few buildings will have real foundations. This close to the river, tornadoes generally don’t form, but we still need to have some basements for shelter.” Dee Dee continued.
“I saw the reports you sent me on the fields. Looks like they’ve been well maintained. And the irrigation tiling seems to be in great shape as well. This will be good growing land come spring.”, Herman said.
“I certainly hope so!”, Dee Dee replied.
Dee Dee pulled off the highway in to one of the many small midwestern towns that dotted the landscape. Herman roused Gheorghe and Johnny. “Lads. Piss break.”, he told them.
The two men made their way out of the car and in to the convenience store. Dee Dee plugged her car in to the fast charger, and walked inside with Herman.
“Johnny”, Gheorghe said to his companion, “This be robbery.”
He was holding up a small bag of beef jerky. Johnny looked at the price tag on it. “You, my friend, are right. We’re spoiled at home just making our own. But this?” Johnny held up a family size bag of potato chips. “This is a steal! Ignoring the fact that this bag is about 75% air, there’s still an unreasonable number of crisps in here. Enough to give us both heart disease should we irresponsibly finish the bag over the next few days.”
“I am also noticing the portion sizes here are generous to an unhealthy degree. No wonder the Americans bitch when they visit England. Or Romania. They must be starving the entire time!”
Johnny and Gheorghe chuckled to themselves as they loaded up on snacks.
Herman bought himself a strong coffee and picked up some fluffy-sweets for Cinnamon and Hickory. Dee Dee picked up a blue raspberry slushie.
“Frozen drink in mid November on the Great Plains? You’re a brave woman, Miss Bixby.”, Herman said.
“Grew up in New York, living in Chicago. It’s not cold until the ferals are frozen to the sidewalk. And even then, I’ll still go out for an ice cream.”
Herman smiled at her cavalier disregard for the cold. “Too much fire in your belly.”, he said.
“That’s way nicer than my mother phrased it. ‘Too much bitch in you’, Dee Dee Bixby’, she would always tell me.”, Dee Dee sighed.
“Do you not get on with your mum?”, Herman asked.
“No, I do. We’re definitely friendlier apart, though. She’s proud of what I’ve done, and she did a good job raising me. We love each other, we just, you know, clash.”, Dee Dee said.
“Ah, mothers and daughters disagreeing. Well, the world will keep spinning through that I think. Are we ready to hit the road again?”
“Yes, we’ll be on our way. Are your friends ready?”
“Oi! Boys! Buy your greasy shit and let’s get going.”, Herman called to his companions.
Johnny and Gheorghe paid for their food, and followed the others to the car.
A couple hours later and they arrived on site. It was well and truly dusk by the time they arrived at the vast open space that would be Little Miracles ranch.
“That’s a lot of property”, Herman said. “You told me 750 acres. I know what that looks like intellectually. I’ve been farming my little plot for decades. But that’s still a lot of property.”
Dee Dee stared across the vast open plain in front of her. “Yup. Just really hit me, too. I’ve seen pictures, and surveys, and satalite images. But seeing all this in person. Just… Wow.”
Herman went on. “And the way you tell it, this is just the beginning right? You run this place successfully, and you get to grow it?”
“Potentially yes. Or help open more of them. Take notes, Herman. You can sell a book on how to build a government funded fluffy ranch.”
Herman smiled at that. He was going to be a very fun winter.
“Hewwo, mummah!”
“Hewwo, mummah!”
Paprika heard the two voices in unison as she trotted to wake up her foals.
“BABBEHS! Babbehs am tawkie!”, she cried. Mustard galloped over to her.
“Hewwo daddeh!”
“Hewwo daddeh!” The said in unison again.
“Babbehs am su smawt!”, Mustard said, standing over his foals. At around three weeks old, their eyes had been open and there were fully, though awkwardly mobile. The twins had figured out how to work their six legs together, and could get around without Cloudberry’s help. All the babies had been babbling and had a few early words that were built in to the fluffy psyche, but the twins were the first to recognize and greet their parents!
“Hewwo babbehs!” Paprika said to them. “Gud bwite time!”
“Hewwo babbehs!”, Mustard said. “Daddem am gonna fin’ Deh Deh!” Mustard trotted off to find his owner in her office.
“Babbehs weady fow miwkies?”, Paprika asked her twins.
“Bestest miwkies!”, said the unicorn half.
“Tummeh wumblies!”, said the pegasus half.
Paprika lowered herself on to her rump, and sat up to the babies could drink their breakfast.
They drank quickly, leaving plenty for their siblings.
The unicorn looked at his brother. “Bwockies?”, he asked.
The pegasus looked back. “Baww?”, he replied.
The twins look at each other, unsure what they wanted to play with. Then they had the best idea.
“Dingy fing?”, asked the unicorn.
“Dingy fing.”, confirmed his brother.
The twins galloped off, their four front legs perfectly synched and their rear legs skipping along to stop their shared rear from dragging on the ground. The twins were surprisingly fast when they coordinated their front!
They settled in front of a toy xylophone and began to tap away at the metal slats. Their soft hooves made gentle ‘ding’ sounds as they attempted a melody.
Paprika encouraged the rest of her babies forward. The two earthies drank next, and finally the unicorn and pegasus. While her pegasus foal finished drinking quickly and ran off to play, her unicorn was still suckling away at her teat. Paprika coaxed the foal away. “Dat am enuff miwkies, babbeh. Nu wan’ be chunky babbeh!”, she said, setting the foal in front of her.
The little filly scooted forward and began feeding again. “Nu, babbeh! Nu mowe mikies fow now!”, she said, and set the foal aside again. The little filly began to cry!
“Meanie!”, she said. “Meanie mummah!”
Paprika first registered that her little dark blue unicorn was talking! Another talkie baby! Then her actual words registered.
“Nu babbeh, nu say mummah am meanie. Mummah wan’ babbeh gwow up big an’ stwong! Too many miwkies am nu gud fow babbehs!”
The foal continued to cry and pout in place, laying flat on her belly and flailing her hooves about.
Mustard returned, Dee Dee in tow behind him.
“I hear the twins are talking! Let me–”, then she noticed the upset foal on the floor.
“Paprika, what’s going on?”
“Pointy babbeh am tawkie! Bu’ babbeh wan’ mowe miwkies. Papwika say nu mowe miwkies, and babbeh say Papwika am meanie mummah!”
“Well, that’s not right. They will all be weaned soon, so they should be drinking less of your milk.”
Mustard went to stand over his daughter, still having a tiny tantrum.
“Babbeh! Nu say mummah am meanie! Babbeh am big babbeh soon! Mummah wub babbeh, and mummah unna’stan’ babbeh dwink wess miwkies when babbeh am big!”
The foal stopped her flailing and crying, and looked up at her daddeh.
“Daddeh! Babbeh need mowe miwkies! Am su hungwy!”, she told him. She pouted and made her eyes as big as should could, looking at him for sympathy.
Dee Dee sat down with Mustard. “Don’t fall for it, buddy. We’re going to have to watch this one.”
She turned to talk to the baby. “If you don’t don’t stop crying and demanding, then you are a bad fluffy. And bad fluffies don’t get names!”
The baby looked horrified. “Bu’… bu’… babbeh wan’ namsies!”
“Then be good. If you can be good, I’ll give you a name.”, Dee Dee said.
“Babbeh wiww be gud! Babbeh pwomise!”, she said. “Babbeh am sowwy, mummah. Mumman nu am meanie mummah.”
“Mummah wub babbeh!”, Paprika said. “Mummah jus’ wan’ do bestest for babbeh.”
“Babbeh wub mummah!”, the little filly said, and ran to hug her mother.
“Well, that’s better.”, Dee Dee said. Mustard looked up at his owner, and touched his hoof to her arm.
“What’s up, Mustard?”, Dee Dee asked.
Mustard lowered his head, and Dee Dee, recognizing his need to be secretive, moved closer to listen.
“Mustawd am wowwied 'bout dat babbeh”, she whispered.
“Why’s that?”, Dee Dee whispered back.
“When babbeh am chiwpy, twy steaw miwkies from odda babbehs. Mustawd ask Jaime if Jaime fink babbeh am bad smawty.”, he said.
This was news to Dee Dee. Mustard was looking to the good smarty for advice. That reflected well on Jaime, and on Mustard’s reasoning ability. She’d have to mention this to Nikki later.
“What did Jaime say?”, Dee Dee whispered to him.
“Jaime say if babbeh say babbeh am bestest ow am smawty, den babbeh am bad smawty!”, Mustard replied. “Bu’, Jaime say Jaime wiww make babbeh gud fwuffy an’ gud smaty if dat happen!”
Dee Dee nodded to Mustard. “Good call. We’ll watch her. If she becomes unruly, then we’ll have Jaime teach her how to be good.”
“Fank 'ou, Deh Deh”, Mustard told her.
A few days later, with no further incidents, Dee Dee decided it was time to give all the new foals names.
“OK babies! Gather round! It’s time for names!”, she announced as she walked in to the safe room.
The six (five and a half?) foals galloped to her as she sat on the floor.
“OK, since the twins were the first to talk, they’ll get their names first.”, she said.
The conjoined foals were shaking with excitement.
Dee Dee scratched the head of the unicorn half. “Your name is going to be Hyde!”, she said. He was ecstatic, but held his cheer in check. He wouldn’t celebrate until his brother had a name.
Dee Dee scratched the Pegasus head next. “Your name will be Jeckle!”, she told him.
“Hyde wub namsies!”
Jekeww wub namsies!", they said together. They hopped and danced in a little circle, happily bucking their back legs in celebration.
Dee Dee picked up the dark blue unicorn filly. “You, little miss, are going to be called Lazuli!”
The filly was overwhelmed! She began to rear up and dance in Dee Dee’s cupped hands. Catching her before she fell, Dee Dee set her back on the floor where she continued to dance about.
Dee Dee picked up the little pegasus colt. He’d grown up nicely in the past few weeks. His bright green fur was unusually contrasted by his purple mane, and deep brown eyes. “Hewwo Deh Deh!” he said, as she held him in her hands.
“Hello, cutie. Your name is… Gilbert!”, she told him.
“Giwbewt wub nuw namsies! Can Giwbewt gib Deh Deh huggies?”, he asked.
“You certainly can.”, she said, and held him to her chest to receive his biggest huggies.
Setting the pegasus back down, she waved the two earthies forward. She set one on each of her knees and stroked their backs. They coo’d at the attention.
The earthie filly’s color, while still gray, had improved as she’d grown, from a mutest dust gray to a strong steel gray. Her bright green eyes and two-tone green mane stood in strong contrast to her fluff, and Dee Dee loved the unusual combination. “Your name is Artemisia!”
“Aw-tem-mee-see-uh… Awtemeesea! Wub nuw namsies!”, the little filly said. She gave Dee Dee a fully-body-foal-hug.
“As for you little mister”, she said to the brown colt on her other knee. “Hmm… let me think.” He’d grown up with unusual colors as well. What started as a muddy brown had lightened considerably in to a walnut. Like his earthie sister, his mane provided a strong contrast growing in as a two tone blue, which contrasted nicely with his orange eyes.
“You know what? No need to overthink it. I’m naming you Walnut, for your pretty fluff!”, she told him. He shook his rump and wagged his little nub of two-tone blue tail with excitement. “Wawnut wub namsies! Fank 'ou, Deh Deh!”
The two earthies ran to join their siblings babbling their names to each other and sharing in the excitement.
“Wazuwi! Wan’ pway wif bwockies?”, Gilbert asked his sister.
“Nu, Giwbewt, Wuzuwi hab wowstest sweepies. Wiww pway some odda time.”, she said.
“Oh… sowwy Wazuwi… Giwbewt nu wan’ bodduh sissy when hab sweepies…”, he said, and dejectedly walked away.
“Dummeh bwuddah.”, Lazuli said to herself. “Why pway wif dummeh bwockies? Wazuwi habe bettah fings tu do. Wike hab mowe miwkies!”
The foals had been enjoying their new names for a week, and in that time, all but Lazuli has been weened on to softened kibble.
Nikki had formulated the shelter’s kibble herself, getting the approval of every fluffy she could. As a mix of oats, barley, soy, and sweetened powdered fluffy milk, it was both healthy and tasty to all the fluffies who had tried it. Except Lazuli.
“Nu wan’ dummeh kibbew! Onwy wan’ miwkies!”, she said to herself.
Looking towards her mummah, she noticed Paprika was enjoying a nap. And even better, she was laying on her flank, her milkie places exposed!"
“Aww da miwkies fow Wazuwi!”, she said to herself.
Lazuli waddled to Paprika, huffing and puffing the whole way. Her legs barely able to reach the ground past her girth. She latched on and began to suckle.
Nothing came out. She tried harder. Still nothing.
“Dis not wite!”, she said to herself. She continued to suckle, growing in frustration. Eventually, she got angry and bit down, furious with the teat that wouldn’t give her any milk.
“OUCHIES!”, Paprika cried.
Looking down she saw Lazuli latched to her milky place, clamped down with her teeth, and pulling hard.
“WAZUWI! STAWP! Wazuwi gib mummah huwties!”, she cried.
Lazuli released the nipple from her mouth and turned to face her mother. She puffed her cheeks before shouting at her, “DUMMEH MUMMAH! Gib Wazuwi miwkies! Wan’ miwkies now!”
Paprika was shocked! “Wazuwi am big babbeh! Nu need miwkies nuw mowe. Hab bestest kibbews! Mummah nu hab miwkies fow babbehs nu mowe!”
“DUMMEH! Nu wan’ kibbew! WAN MIWKIES!”, Lazuli screamed at her mother.
The noise had drawn the attention of her siblings and father.
Mustared looked down at Lazuli. “Wut wong Wazuwi? Why shouties?”
“Dummeh mummah nu gib Wazuwi miwkies!”, she huffed.
“WAZUWI! Nu caww mummah dummeh! Say sowwy!”, Mustard scolded her.
“NU! Wazuwi wan’ mikies! Mummah am nu-miwkies dummeh! Daddeh am dummeh. Twy take away Wazuwi miwkies!”
Mustard was stunned silent. He’d never had one of his foals back talk him before. Never had one who called him a dummy!
“Wazuwi, 'ou am being bad babbeh! Say sowwies, ow Wazuwi hab wowstest sowwies!”
“NU! Mummah am dummeh! Daddeh am dummeh! Bwuddas and sistahs am dummehs! And dose bwuddahs…”, she said, pointing at the twins, “AM DUMMEH MUNSTAHS!”
Suddenly, Lazuli was flying through the air, and landed hard.
“WAZUWI!”, Mustard shouted at her, “BAD BABBEH!”.
Lazuli was terrified at first. Her father had never shouted at her before. But then she remembered, he’s a dummy!
“Dummeh daddeh! Gib sowwie poopies!”, she said. She turned her rear towards mustard and prepared to defecate on his leg. Before she could do so, he lifted his hoof and pressed her to the floor, pinning her in place.
“Wazuwi am vewy bad babbeh!”, he said. “Cwoudy!”, he called, “Pwease fin’ Deh Deh an’ Jaime! Need hewp!”
Cloudberry nodded and galloped away to find the human and the good-smarty.
Mustard looked down at the filly under his hoof. “Bad babbehs wiww be sowwies!”, he told her. He leaned a little more of his weight on to her. Not enough to crush her, or even really hurt her. But enough to press her down further and forcer her to void herself.
She began to screech and flail!
“SCREEE! WOWSTEST DADDEH! HATECHU! HATCHUE! WAZUWI AM BESTEST BABBEH! GIB BESTEST AWW MIWKIES!”, she screamed.
“Nu, babbeh. Babbeh am bad. Babbeh am dummeh. Babbeh need wesson in hoo-miw-wi-tee.”, he told her.
Lazulie continued to flap and flail her hooves and her liquid feces and urine flowed around her prone form, soaking in to her fluff.
“NU! Nu smeww pwetty! Nu poopies fow bestest fwuff!”, she continued her raving.
Dee Dee arrived first, with Jaime coming quickly behind, Cloudberry riding on his back. Jaime’s legs had healed exceptionally well, and taking pride in his recovery, he’d been running every day to get faster and faster. He was proud that the humans had to jog in order to keep up with his run!
“Mustard, what’s going on? Why are you stomping on Lazuli?!”, Dee Dee asked, terrified that her friend was trying to murder one of his children.
“Mustawd nu gib stompies.‘, he replied, voice level. "Wazuwi say Wazuwi am bestest babbeh. Gib Papwika huwties. Twy hab mowe miwkies and gib miwkie pwaces bities. Mustawn nu wan’ Wazuwi gib any mowe huwties.”
Dee Dee calmed immediately. “OK Mustard, I’ve got it from here.” Reaching to dispenser mounted on the wall, Dee Dee pulled one of the nitrile gloves on to her right hand.
She pinched the fluff behind Lazuli’s head.
“OK, Mustard, I’ve got her.” Mustard released his grip, and Dee Dee immediately picked Lazuli up off the ground.
She held the little fluffy in front of her face. “So, you want to explain yourself, Lazuli?”
“Dummeh Deh Deh! Gib Wazuwi miwkie! Nu wan’ bad upsies! WAN MIWKIES!”, she bellowed.
"Uh huh. No. You’re not a little baby and more. You get soft kibble. And you don’t get to bite your momma. And you don’t get to call anybody dummy.
Lazuli twisted in Dee Dee’s grip, anging her bottom at her captor. “Gib wowstest sowwy poopies!”, she yelled.
But nothing much happened. A small dripped seeped from her rear, staining her fluffy further.
“Mustard, good call on emptying her out.”, Dee Dee told her stallion.
“Mustawd du Mustawd best.”, he said.
“Jaime?”, Dee Dee called the good-smarty over. “I think we’re going to need your help. How should we handle this?”
“Put babbeh in see-fwoo sowwy-bawks. Two bwite-times.”, he said. “Babbeh need unna’stan’ akshuns hab con-see-kwen-sez.”
Dee Dee raised on eyebrow. “Dang dude, you’ve been studying. Looks like those human leadership videos have been helping.”
“Jaime take job vewy seweewuswy.”, he replied.
“Well, good work. Let’s take this little pest to her punishment.”
“Cwoudy, pwease take cawe ob babbehs. Mummah an’ daddeh wiww be back soon!”, Paprika told Cloudberry.
“Babbehs be gud fow Cwoudy.”, Mustard told the rest of the foals.
Dee Dee walked to Jaime’s classroom, Mustard, Paprika, and Jaime following.
Sitting in a corner of the room was a clear acrylic box, complete with lid and air holes cut in the top. Sticking through the side was a gravity feed water dish. The whole box had small drain holes cut along it’s bottom edge, and the entire thing sate in a disposable aluminum cooking tray.
Lifted the lid of the box, unceremoniously dumped Lazuli inside, and closed the lid, sliding the deadbolt lock in to place.
Jaime stepped forward. “Wazuwi am bad babbeh!”, he declared. “Wazuwi staw in sowwy-bawks fow two bwite-times! Maybe Wazuwi wiww weawn tu be gud fwuffy afta’ dat!” He turned on his heal (as best a fluffy can) and walked away.
Mustard walked up to the box next. “Daddeh hab wowstest heawt huwties. Daddeh fink Wazuwi am gud babbeh. Wazuwi am bad babbeh. Nu am bestest babbeh. Am wowstest babbeh.” He shook his head and went to stand next to Jaime.
Paprika stepped forward next. "Wazuwi pwease unna’stan’ dis am fow own gud! Bab babbehs nu get homsies! Bad babbehs get huwties! Bad babbehs get fowebbah sweepies!, she told her daughter, and then stepped back to join the other fluffies.
Dee Dee squatted next to the clear sorry box. “I’m disappointed in you. Your parents love you, and take care of you. You’ve seen the kind of fluffies that arrive here. The hurt that has been done to them. Something you should have never had to worry about. But now? You’re just a bad fluffy. The kind of fluffy that nobody will love.”
The shaming complete, the three fluffies and the humans walked out of the room. Dee Dee hit the light switch on her way out.
Lazuli started screaming in the dark, and didn’t stop until she fell asleep from exhaustion.
The next day, Dee Dee flipped on the light switch and walked to the sorry box. Paprika, Mustard, and Jaime followed her.
“So, how we doing this morning?”, Dee Dee asked the chunky foal in the clear sorry box.
“WET WAZUWI OUTIES! NU WIKE IN HEWE!”, she demanded.
“Are you sorry for what you did?”
“Babbeh am sowwy! Babbeh wiww be gud now! Pwease wet out!”, Lazuli pleaded.
“Baby is sorry? Not Lazuli is sorry?”, Dee Dee arched an eyebrow as she asked the question.
Lazuli puffed her cheeks. “DUMMEH! WET WAZUWI OUTIES! GIB MIWKIES!”
“Nope, still being awful.”, Dee Dee said to the attending fluffies.
Mustard and Paprikia just shook their heads. Jaime stared at the mean little foal in the box.
Dee Dee stroked Mustard and Paprikia’s manes. “I check the recordings. She’s been stealing milk at night. Even before she got her name, she’s been taking way more than her fill. That explains why she got so fat. Way too much while Paprika was on the Milk Mare kibble.”
“Babbeh take miwkies? Nu wan shawe wif bwuddas an’ sissies?”, Paprika asked. “Wazuwi am vewy bad babbeh…”, she finished.
Mustard didn’t say anything. He just looked at his daugther with sadness in his eyes. “Deh Deh, can Mustawn an’ Papwika gu backsies? Odda babbehs need wub an’ huggies.”
“Sure, Mustard. You two go take care of the other babies.”, she said. Then, looking directly at Lazuli, “The babies that deserve love and hugs.”
Lazuli stopped her tantrum hearing that. That shook her.
Dee Dee looked to Jaime. “Well, the box should keep most of her noise in, so you teach your class as normal. She can watch fluffies learn to be good all day.”
“Wiww du boss-wady!”, he replied.
Dee Dee rolled her eyes. Nikki is a terrible influence on the fluffies.
The first full day in the sorry box was not a pleasant time for Lazuli. Jaime would bring other foals over and point at her with his hoof. He’d tell them she was a bad fluffy, and bad fluffies went to the sorry box. The first time, she decided that she’d give them sorry poopies for that. She learned quickly that was a mistake when she realized she was going to be wallowing in her own liquid filth until it drained out the small holes along the sides.
Dee Dee opened the box once to refill her water bottle, and drop in a pile of softened kibble. It wasn’t the good Healthy Fluff kibble, with the sweet milk flavor. It was like wet cardboard. She ate it anyways.
Though much of it had drained, there was still a sizable amount of feces pooled in the sorry box. And Lazuli, being a fluffy, didn’t poop just once a day. There was more. She tried to deposit it near a corner where it would drain faster, but it still spread all around. She pent the night soaking her own filth in to her fluff.
When she awoke the next morning, she realied immediately that something was wrong. Try as she might, she couldn’t stand. Why couldn’t she stand? Were her leggies not working? Did they get taken away?
“Pwease wowk weggies! Need dwinkies! Need nummies!”
She kept trying to push herself up.
“Pwease weggies!”, she begged.
“Pwease wowk! Pwease wowk weggies! Pwease! Pwease! Need weggies! Need weggies fow wun’ an’ pway’ an’ huggies!”
She started to panic.
“Weggies! Pwease! WEGGIES! WEGGIES!”
The room was still dark, only the glow from screens and LED button from around the room giving any sort of illumination.
“Help!”, she cried.
“HEWP! WEGGIES NU WOWKIES!”
“HEWP HEWP HEWP HEWP HEWP HUU HUU HUU HUU!”
She gave up, and began to weep.
Dee Dee entered the room and flicked the light switch. When she got to the sorry box, she saw a dark blue filly covered in dried shit. Dried shit so caked it held her fluff fast to the bottom of the sorry box.
Lazuli was so distressed she didn’t even register Dee Dee opening the lid of the sorry box.
“Not like I want you dead.”, Dee Dee sad flatly. She held up a spray bottle and began to spritz Lazuli The dried excrement began to soften and wash away. Her fluff was stil badly caked and matted with the stuff, but she was no longer trapped.
Dee Dee closed the sorry box. “You can stand up now.”
Lazuli, still crying, tried her leggies again.
She stood! She was so elated!
“WEGGIES WOWKIES!”, she cried, and immediately ran to her water bottle to drink. She’d pissed and cried herself in to near dehydration.
“Starting to learn your lesson?”, Dee Dee asked.
Lazuli looked up at her, fury on her face, and then she deflated, and looked away.
“…wan huggies…”, she said.
“No. Only good fluffies get huggies.” Dee Dee left the classroom.
Lazuli spent the rest of the second day being an example for the rest of Jaime’s class.
When she had to make poopies, she crammed her rump in to the corner, to force as much of her waste out of the sorry box as she could. She felt crusty and gross, but at least she wouldn’t have to sleep in it again.
Instead she got to sleep all by herself, shivering in the silent classroom.
The next morning, Dee Dee wiped out the slurry of shit and dried out kibble from the sorry box with wet paper towel. Lazuli tried to hug Dee Dee’s wrist, but she flicked the filly away. After that she sat in the corner and wept.
Dee Dee replaced the stale food with a fresh pile of damp kibble and closed the box again.
Paprika, Mustard, and Jaime were all vising today. The little prisoner pressed herself against the acrylic walls of her jail when she saw her mother and father.
“PEEP! MUMMAH!”, she cried.
“Hewwo Wazuwi.”, Paprika said.
DADDEH! CHIRP! HUGGIES!", she said.
“Hewwo Wazuwi”, Mustard said.
Jaime stepped up. “Am babbeh sowwy?”
“WAZUWI SOWWY! WAZUWI WAN’ MUMMAH! WAZUWI WAN DADDEH! WAZUWI WAN’ BWUDDAHS AND SISSIES!”, she sobbed.
Jaime tapped Dee Dee on the leg. “Time fow finaw step.”, he said.
Dee Dee retrieved a heavy black cloth and put it over the sorry box, completely obscuring the filly’s view outside her prison. Dee Dee then picked up the entire tray and put it on to a rolling cart.
She made a show of saying aloud, “Right, we have a long way to go, so I’ll see you three later!”.
The three flufies said their goodbyes to Dee Dee, and left the room. Dee Dee followed shortly after them and began to wheel the cart up and down the halls of little miracles.
Inside her lightless cage, Lazuli was terrified. Where was she going? She could feel the whole place moving, but had no sense of location. She was alone, terrified, disoriented, and just wanted her family back.
The nights alone without the warmth of her brothers and sisters had left her desperate for affection. She’d thought on all the terrible things she said. She’d called her brothers monsters! They weren’t monsters. They were her brothers. The brothers who would play music for her!
She’d called her mummah and daddeh dummies! Her sweet mummah who gave her the best huggies. Her wonderful daddeh who would give her rides around the safe room as she cheered!
She was… she was sorry for the things she said. She was sorry for the things she did. If she ever got to see her family again she’d make sure they knew exactly how sorry she was for everything.
While Lazui was having an existential crisis, Dee Dee was absentmindedly pushing the cart around and playing her favorite fluffy gacha game on her cell phone. When she figured enough time had passed to utterly confuse and terrify the filly in the box, she made her way to the milking room.
Only a few fluffies knew about the milking room. Mustard and Paprika knew. Jaime knew. They understood it was a place for very bad mummahs.
Dee Dee opened the door and pushed the cart inside. She parked the assemblage in the middle of the room, directly in front of the restrained milk mares. The dozen or so of them all strapped belly down in their harnesses, their teats hanging below them hooked to the milk machines. They screached and howled at Dee Dee as she stood in front of them.
“I have a surprise for all of you!”, Dee Dee told them in an exagerated and excited voice.
The mares quieted down, and looked confused. THe newest, and most angry member spoke up.
“What mustah wady hab fow mummahs?”, the fluffy asked.
“Why Georgia! It’s good to see you again!”, Dee Dee replied, keeping up the cheery facade.
Dee Dee pulled the cloth from the sorry box so all the milk mares could see the fat, filthy, filly inside.
“Look, bad mommas! I brought a baby! And not just any baby! This baby told her momma that she’s the bestest baby! What do you all think?”, Dee Dee asked.
“Nu smeww pwetty!”, said one of the mares.
“Am ugwy cowow!”, said another. Soon all the horrible mothers started telling Lazuli everything wrong with her.
She didn’t have wings.
She was covered in poopies.
She was too fat.
She was the wrong color.
She looked delicious.
She deserved sorry hoofsies.
She wasn’t the best baby! She was a liar, and should go forever sleepies!
Lazuli sat in her box, every jeer and taunt striking her heart.
Dee Dee leaned down next to the box. “Lazuli, these mommas all had bestest babies. You know what they did to their other babies? They tried to kill them. And they don’t think your a bested baby. What do you think that tells you about bestest babies?”
“Bestest babbehs am wowstest babbehs…”, she replied.
“Do you still want to be a bestest babbeh?”
“Wazuwi nu am bestest babbeh. Wazuwi am wuwstest babbeh. Huwt mummah. Twy gib daddeh sowwy poopies. Am bad babbeh. Am su sowwy… huu huu huu… HUU HUU HUU!”
Lazuli buried her muzzle between her hooves, and curled in to a little ball in her cell. Dee Dee put the cloth back over her, and pushed the cart out of the milk room, closing the door again.
“Before I go, I just wanted to remind you that none of you will ever have babies again, you are all terrible, and poopie babies get to drink all of your milk.”
The mares all began screeching at her. Dee Dee giggled, and left the room, closing the door behind her.
She returned to the act of pushing the cart around, burning up gems and grabbing more ten-pulls in her game until enough time had passed. She pushed the cart in to the medical bay and put on a fresh pair of gloves. She opened the sorry box and lifted Lazuli out, placing her on the cold steel surface next to a sink. Dee Dee turned on the water and let it get warm to the touch on her hand. She then took the sprayer nozzle and sprayed down the little foal while the sink started to fill. Once the sink was about an inch deep, and the surface filth had been washed off Lazuli, she placed the foal in the water, and began to lather her up.
Lazuli was still in a stupor from the experience with the mares, but she was starting to realize that she was wet, but warm aned comfy. And she smelled something pretty.
“Wazuwi smeww pwetty 'gain?”
“Yes, Lazuli. I’m giving you a bath. If you are going to see your family, you’ll need to be presentable. You want to see your family, right?”
The little fluffy nodded vigorously. “Miss famiwy! Wub mummah an’ daddeh! Wub bwuddas and sissies!”, she said.
“That’s good.”, Dee Dee said, continuing to lather and massage the muck out of her fluff.
Once she was free of filth, Dee Dee removed her from the sink and swaddled her in a towel to soak up most of the water. That done, she used a hair dryer to fully dry Lazuli, and help her get properly warmed up again.
Dee Dee set the sorry box in the sink to soak away the crusted filth, disposed of her gloves, and carried Lazuli back to her family.
Dee Dee sat down and placed Lazuli in front of her on the floor. Her family, every member, stood before her.
Lazuli started to speak, and then broke down in to sobs.
“Huu huu huu! Wazuwi am su sowwy! Huu huu huu!”, she wept.
“Wazuwi say meanie fings! Mummah an’ daddeh nu am dummies! Am gud mummah an’ daddeh! Gib huggies and wub!”
She faced her conjoined brothers through her tears. “Bwuddas nu am monstahs! Bwuddas amd speciaw! Bwuddahs am onwy fwuffies can gib doubew huggies!”
She looked to the rest of her siblings, including her step-sister, Cloudberry. “Wazuwi am bad babbeh. Bu’ Wazuwi wan’ be gud babbeh. Wiww famiwy help Wazuwi be gud babbeh?”, she asked. She sniffled and tried to wipe the tears from her eyes, but they wouldn’t stop.
Mustard stepped forward first. “Babbeh say vewy meanie fingies. Bu’… daddeh wub babbeh. Daddeh wan’ babbeh am be gud! Daddeh wiww hewp babbeh be gud babbeh.”, he said. He leaned down and nuzzled her.
Paprika joined him, nuzzling her other side and cooing. “Mummah wub babbeh, babbeh wub mummah. Babbeh hab miwkies, gwowed up big an’ stwong.”, she sang softly.
Lazuli let out a sad laugh. “Nu mowe miwkies. Nu mowe miwkies ebbah!”, she said.
Her parents let her siblings, through, as they each took turns to give her hugs. She apologized again to each in turn. When her twin brothers came forward to give her a hug, she held on to them the longest.
Dee Dee smiled at the scene in front of her, wiping tears from her eyes as well.
Once all the fluffies had calmed down, and Lazuli was with her family again, Dee Dee addressed them all. “So, Lazuli has learned what happens to bad fluffies. It was not a fun experience. Starting tomorrow, she, and the rest of you little babies are going to be learning how to be good fluffies with Jaime. And Cloudberry will be helping him teach all of you.”
Cloudy perked up. It was time! She got to learn how to be a teacher-fluff! She was looking forward to it. She’d watched all the videos. She even understood some of them. She was confident she could help teach her brothers and sisters how to be very good fluffies.
