It took a couple hours for Josef to get Crimson back up to fighting shape, time he knew he didn’t have but Crimson had been left in the sorry-box too long to start hunting straight away, he needed his strength back. Besides, the longer Sweetheart enjoyed freedom, the more painful it be when he took it away from her.
Finally ready, Josef followed Crimson as he sniffed the ground, following the trial left by Sweetheart and her foals, Josef recognised the route, having travelled it every day for the last year and a half, and wondered if his little prisoner could help.
As they pushed through the reeds, Josef saw Toughie, still stuck and still wailing about the ‘wowstesh poopie pwace huwties’. When Toughie saw Josef and Crimson, he shit himself in fear.
“EEK, munstah Cwimson, nu huwt Toughie, Toughie wan die, nu huwties.”
Crimson couldn’t resist and started taunting Toughie. “Hewwo Toughie, been many fowebas since Cwimson see yu. How yu wike bein enfie-mawe?”
“Am nu enfie-mawe, am…”
He froze when Crimson mounted him from behind, his no-no stick just grazing his poopie-place, he’d seen what damage that monstrosity could do, even after months of sexual degradation, Crimson enfies still scared him.
Josef however was not in the mood for games. “Crimson, get back to work.”
Crimson frowned but followed order, sniffing the ground a little more. While he was busy, Josef knelt down in front of Toughie.
“Toughie, did you see Sweetheart come through this way.”
“Fwuffy nu knyo.” Toughie was still guilt-ridden over getting Sweetheart in trouble, he tried lying to hide the truth, not realising his own programming betrayed him.
“Toughie, if you tell me the truth, I’ll give you forever sleepies.”
Toughie instantly fell for the carrot, the sweet release of death, no more pain, no more enfies, he excitedly nodded in agreement.
“Toughie did see Sweetheawt, hew an babbehs git huwties by meanie owange smawtie an fwiends, wun tu sitty.”
The city, all kinds of places she could hide, Josef would have to be careful to check every nook and cranny to make sure he found her.
Of course the gods decided to play tricks on him, and his phone rang at that exact moment, reluctantly he answered it.
“Hello?”
A nervous voice answered on the other end. “Hello, is this Dr Mongola?”
“Speaking.”
“Hi, this is Lewis Carter from, uh… from Frederick’s Farm, we need you to um, to come in, preferably tomorrow.”
Frederick’s Farm? What the hell did that place need from him now. “May I ask why?”
“We… we need you to perform a Gold Service on a bad mother, I was told you would know what that means. Oh, and we won’t be needing your assistant this time. Past that I’m not sure what to say.”
Josef thought about it for a moment, he could use the stress relief, plus the pay was always nice. And it wouldn’t hurt to check their stock, see if they’d picked up Sweetheart.
“I’ll be in tomorrow afternoon.”
And with that he hung up before they could ask any more questions. He looked at Crimson, sniffing the banks of the river.
“You find anything boy?”
“Mawe hewe. Bu cwean Fwuffies in wawa, Cwimson smeww dem, bu nu gud.”
“Can you find them?”
“Take time, bu Cwimson du it.”
“Good, I need to head home and prepare some work for tomorrow, you be ok on your own?”
“Nu wowwies, Cwimson be gud Fwuffy fow daddeh, find mawe an bwing home.”
“Good boy, now get to it.”
Crimson dashed towards the city, following the faint traces of Fluffy smell left on the ground, as Josef turned to leave he was stopped by Toughie’s cry.
“Joesep say he gib Toughie foweba sweepies if he hewp, Joesep pwomised.”
Josef turned back and gently stroked Toughie’s head. “I did say I’d kill you, didn’t I?”
As Toughie was getting use to the loving touch of a human again, Josef suddenly snatched his hand away.
“But I never said WHEN I was going to kill you.”
Josef chuckled and walked away, leaving Toughie to return to his pointless howls of ‘Wan die.”
“Spawkews?”
Sweetheart stared at Archibald, confused as to this strange name he called her. “Sowwy, hab wong Fwuffy, am Sweetheawt.”
“Yu wook jus wike Spawkews, neks-doow babbeh stowen fwom mummah many, MANY fowebas ago. Neba see nudda Fwuffy wiv spawkwy fwuff befow, Awchie fink yu Spawkews, knyo yuw mummah fwom bak home.”
Sweetheart was iffy, she knew nothing of her past life before the herd so she couldn’t say if Archibald was lying or not, then again she’d never seen another Fluffy with the same colour Fluff as hers, if she was the Fluffy that Archibald thought she was then chances are he did know her real mother.
No, her children’s lives were too important to go gallivanting on a whim. “Fank yu Awchie bu am nu Spawkews, am Sweetheawt. Mus take babbehs tu safe pwace befow dawkie-times.”
As Sweetheart turned to leave, Ozzy and Peaches looked at each other, both confused by their mother’s reaction. Ozzy trotted up to speak to Sweetheart.
“Mummah, why nu fowwow nice Fwuffy mistah, he knyo yuw mummah, take you tu see hew.”
“Mummah nu knyo dat fow twue, nu wan fowwow Awchie an find he wong.”
“Bu wha if he wight?”
The pause in Sweetheart’s thoughts as she took in what Ozzy said was all that Peaches needed to talk to Archibald.
“Mistah Awchie, yu weawwy knyo mummah’s mummah?”
“Um, Awchie fink su, yuw mummah wook vewy samesies to hew stowen babbeh.”
“Can yu tak us tu see hew?”
“Awchie couwd, it vewy wong wawk but du it. Bu nu fink Sweetheawt wan gu wiv Awchie.”
“Den nu take mummah, take Peechee an bruddas, if mummah wan tu wook afta babbehs den mummah come tuu.”
Peaches and Ozzy looked back at their mother, she was shocked at what they were doing, but she didn’t have the time to discipline them. She felt J.D. bouncing on her back, waving his arms with joy.
“Wan see gwanmummah.” He babbled innocently.
Sweetheart sighed, knowing she couldn’t argue against all three of her foals. “Ok, famiwy fowwow Awchie fow tunite, bu we AWW hab tawkies in bwight-times bout whewe tu gu. Need find safe pwace.”
“Awchie knyo pwace, it cowd but quiet, safe for babbehs. Wawk nyo, get dewe befow dawkie-times.”
Peaches and Ozzy looked at their mother, waiting for her response. She simply nodded, but gave her foals a stern look when they started hopping around happily. Archibald could sense the tension and wisely said nothing, he jerked his head in the direction they had to go and led the way, Sweetheart jogged up to walk beside him while Peaches and Ozzy followed behind, J.D. still nestled into her back fluff.
The silence as they walked made for an iffy atmosphere, Sweetheart was still annoyed at her children for trusting this strange Fluffy they’d never known before simply because he claimed to know her mother. It wasn’t that she herself didn’t trust Archibald, he hadn’t given her any reason not to yet, it was just after an entire life of only being able to trust one or two Fluffies out of everyone she’d ever known, it was hard to have faith in strangers.
After a few minutes of silence, Archibald spoke up. “Awchir sowwy, nu mean tu make twoubew, was suwpwised tu see yu… um, tu see Spawkews… wha mean is…”
“It ok, Sweetheawt undastan. An nu angwy at yu, ow at babbehs, been wong day, wots of twoubew, afwaid yu awso bad Fwuffy wike meanies in awwey.”
“Awchie knyo, wots of bad Fwuffies in sitty, nu bwame yu fow be cawefuw. Wen weach safe pwace, Awchie sweep aways fwom Sweetheawt an babbehs, su yu wewax.”
Sweetheart smiled at the thoughtfulness; if he was lying then he was very convincing.
“Wha can Awchie teww bout Spawkews mummah, if Sweetheawt am Spawkews den wan knyo bout mummah. Jus in cays”
Archibald smiled, seeing right through her attempts at disinterest. “Spawkews mummah am Muwwigan, she wondafuw Fwuffy, vewy fwiendwy, vewy smawt. Been wiv Pawka famiwy fow many fowebas, she wubs dem, dey wub hew. Awchie nu meet hew speciaw-fwiend, bu heaw he vewy nice Fwuffy, Muwwigan hab wowstesh heawt huwties wen he go foweba sweepies, git huwt by metaw munstah.”
“Wha was speciaw-fwiends name?”
“Lambewt, Awchie see picktuwes of him, he pointie wingie Fwuffy wike Sweetheawt, hab same gwey fwuff wike yuw mane as weww.”
Sweetheart smiled to herself, she potentially had her father’s name, Lambert, and he was an Alicorn like her. But slowly that smile faded as she realised she’d never had the chance to meet him, another father figure in her life and she’d lost that one without even getting the chance to meet him.
“Am Sweetheawt ok?” Archibald asked.
Sweetheart quickly shook the tears off her face. “Sweetheawt ok, jus tiwed. Wha can say bout yu Awchie, yu wive wiv hoomin mummah befow?”
“Awchie hab hoomin mummah?” Peaches was astonished to hear that the friendly and seemingly well-adjusted Archibald had a human mother.
“Dat wight, Awchie wived with mummah Hen, she owda hoomin, but Awchie wuved hew. So many heawt huwties wen she gu foweba sweepies, bu she knyo she nu wive wong, hewp Awchie pwepawe.”
Peaches sniffed. “Dat su sad, famiwy hab hoomin daddeh bu he munstah, awways giben mummah wowstesh huwties.”
Ozzy snarled at the memory of their captivity “And daddeh Cwimson, Ozee wan gib him foweba sweepies.”
“BABBEHS!” Sweetheart snapped at her foals, not wanting them to reveal too much, Ozzy and Peaches went silent. Archibald was smart enough to read between the lines and figured the family hadn’t long escaped whatever hell their human captor had them in, but he wasn’t about to push any buttons.
Sweetheart quickly tried to change the subject. “Why Awchie nu stay home afta mummah Hen gu sweepies, nu hab udda famiwy, ow own hewd?”
Archibald shook his head. “Nu udda famiwy, mummah Hen’s babbehs hab own babbehs, nu woom fow Awchie. An mummah Hen tuu owd tu wook after fwuffy famiwy, Awchie nu hab speciaw-fwiend, but Awchie ok wib dat, undastan why. Mummah Hen gib enfie-toy an wet Awchie keep speciaw-wumps in cays he wan hewd wata.”
Archibald looked up and his eyes caught with Sweethearts, both of them turned away, slightly embarrassed at the way the conversation had turned. Something Ozzy and Peaches picked up on.
Archibald coughed and looked back at the foals. “Awmos at safe-pwace, nu hab mush bu hab nummies if babbehs hungwy.”
There was a loud yawn from Sweetheart’s back as J.D. was risen from his sleep by the mention of food.
“Wan nummies.”
Sweetheart laughed, it was the first genuine laugh Archibald had heard from her all day, it was nice.
“Nu nummies yet Jay-Dee, wet babbeh knyo wen.”
“Babbeh wan nummies.” J.D. mumbled to himself as he fell back to sleep, he’d had a long day and deserved a rest, hell they all did.
It was just starting to get dark by the time they reached Archibald’s safe place, it was an abandoned schoolhouse, left to rot by a city too poor to keep it running and too poor to knock it down. While the inside had been left to rot away into dust, the outside remained a sturdy defence against the elements, if it wasn’t so easy for other Fluffies to get in then Archibald would’ve made it a permanent home, as it stood it would do for the night.
Archibald led Sweetheart and her foals to underneath a desk where he’d gathered paper and grass to make a bed for himself when he was in the area.
“Dere, mummah an babbeh can hab bedsies, nu gud but can sweep esee.”
Ozzy and Peaches investigated the bedding, after all their life inside a rough cage filled with itchy hay, they found the soft paper to be a luxury.
Peaches couldn’t help but coo. “SUUUUU COMFEE! Wub beddies, fank yu Awchie.”
“Wewcom Peechee, babbehs sweep gud nyo. Yu tuu Sweetheawt, Awchie take yu home in bwight-time.”
Archibald started walking away, given Sweetheart the distance he promised her.
“Awchie wait.”
Sweetheart called out, stopping him in his tracks. “Nu need tu sweep SU faw away.”
Archibald smiled and moved closer to the family, still far enough away to keep their comfortable, but happy that Sweetheart was starting to trust him.
He hoped he was right and she was Sparkles, but even if she wasn’t, he was happy to be with her all the same.
Elsewhere, Orange Smartie chastised his two lieutenants for losing the sparkly monster.
“Yu dummehs wose a mawe an babbehs? Dat spawkwey munstah couwd gib bestesh enfies tu hewd fow many bwight-times.”
Brown looked solemnly at the ground. “Nu Fwuffies fauwt Smawtie, dummeh stawwion hewp munstah, he stwonga dan Fwuffies fink.”
Orange scoffed. “Stawwion nu meet Smartie befow, yu find mawe gain?”
Black nodded. “Knyo whewe wose mawe, fowwow smeww fwom dewe.”
“Gud, nu Fwuffy make Smartie wook wike dummeh, gun find dat mawe an…”
Orange was cut off by the sound of something in the darkness, something moving towards them, Orange motioned for Brown to investigate since Black’s leg was still healing. Brown cautiously moved towards the sound, it was getting closer and closer, he still couldn’t see what it was that was making the noise.
Then, just in the dim light of a street lamp, a glass bottle rolled out from the darkness and stopped just in front of Brown. He breathed a sigh of relief and turned to his friends.
“Was onwy…”
There was a flash of red and Brown felt something rip from his neck, by the time he saw that his throat had been torn out he was already on the ground bleeding out, with the last of his life he looked up at his attacker.
And saw Crimson standing over him, the torn piece of his neck still between his teeth.
Crimson looked up at Black and Orange as Brown died, Orange ran away, leaving Black to deal with the monstrous red Fluffy himself.
Black instantly shits himself at the sight as Crimson inches closer towards him.
“Pwease, Fwuffy nu wan…”
Crimson cuts him off by smacking him in the head, as Black falls to the ground Crimson grabs his broken leg between his teeth and begins to pull it off.
Black shits himself again “SCREEEEE! Nu take weggie, need weggie fow…”
Crimson rips the limb from Black’s fat body, and before he even has a chance to scream in pain, Crimson buries the protruding bone into Black’s skull, killing the fat bastard instantly. Just one Fluffy left.
In his panic, Orange Smartie had ran down a dead-end alleyway, too scared to go back, too dumb to know he couldn’t go forward, Orange started pawing at the brick wall in front of him, whining as though it was deliberately keeping him from escaping.
Orange looked back and saw Crimson standing there, blood staining his bright red fur. Orange tried to stand his ground as Crimson began walking towards him.
“Di… dis Smawt… Smawtie wand. Gu away ow git… git sowwy-hoof… hoofies an…”
Crimson just kicked Orange in the face, breaking his nose and sending him flying onto his back. As Orange cried about his ‘face-huwties’, Crimson pressed a hoof down onto Orange’s neck, choking him out but not enough to kill him.
Crimson grinned at his prey and leaned in so Orange could hear him.
“Be gud Fwuffy, an teww Cwimson whewe spawkwey munstah gu.”