The wind howls under a starlit sky. The ground just as white as it was when the snow fell over a month ago. Not once has it been warm enough for the snow to actually melt. To the average human this was of no consequence. We have indoor heating and the ability to go to a grocery store when food starts to run low, But this story isn’t about a human. It’s about a creature who as of now is experiencing a special kind of frozen hell.
Enter the fluffy.
Her name is Jessica. A brightly colored mare with yellow fluff and a nice pink mane. She lay in her nestie. A quiet and out of the way hole in the wall (literally) that she’d been lucky enough to claim as her own. She’d seen other Fluffies making their cold time nestie in cardboard houses. They were dummies. Mainly domestics who didn’t understand that sky wawa soaks right through the cardboard housie. She’d seen many Fluffies take worstest freezy forever sleepies this way. Foals turned to nothing more than frozen multicolored spots on he pavement trying in vain to huddle under their frozen mother for warmth.
Jessica also used to be a domestic. She’d left home with baby fever and lucked out. She found a very wise special friend who showed her the feral ways of living. It took a while to adjust. Her special friend laughed at her the first time it was sketti day. She remembers it fondly.
“Buh speshew fwen. It am sketti day. Nu wan num gwassies. Jessica awways git sketti on Fwidays!”
She said with a harrumph.
Her special friend laughed.
“Teehee! Siwwy speshew fwen! Sketti days am foh fwuffys wif hooman mummahs an Daddehs. Use ou finky pwace. If nu hab hooman. Who gon gib sketties?”
This one sentence was like him revealing divine prophecy unto her pitiful unwashed soul.
She giggles to herself as she remembers the moment.
The old pipe above her rustles and creaks.
“PEEP PEEP CHIRP!”
she feels the litter of four beautiful foals snuggled against her tummy start to squirm. The noise obviously scaring them.
“Shhh. It am Otay babbehs. Am jus wawm mettah fwen. He am wakies an am gibin wawm Huggies ta mummah an babbehs!”
She says as she shuffles closer to the hot water pipe.
Speaking of warmth it should be about time for her other friend to wake up. Mr. Dryer vent.
“Soon babbehs, udda fwen gib wawm bweffies. Keep pwetty babbehs nice an wawmies. Am bestest mummah evah! Fin bestest housie foh cowd times!”
She says to herself assuredly.
She’s not wrong. Besides a mountain of fresh spaghetti she has everything a feral fluffy could ask for. Her foal’s chances of survival this winter are fairly positive as long as their father continues to bring a steady supply of nummies. Her special friend even taught her to ration her milk so that no one baby starves to death. Jessica has truly found her own little cozy paradise…
The winds of fate wait for no one.
Outside of the structure the little family calls home trouble was brewing.
…BOOM!!!..
A shockwave from above. The entire house rumbled causing the foals to peep in fear. Jessica instinctively pulled them underneath her tummy. Trying to protect them despite her own terror.
She could already smell the stink from the pile of scaredy poopies she made. Along with the liquid puddles of excrement from her children.
The house went still.
“Huuhuuhuu. Pwease nu make munstah noisies mistah housie. Jessica am gud mummah. Pwease nu scawe babbehs!”
She pleaded.
All was silent for a moment. Then she could hear something.
WEEEWOOWEEWOOWEEWOO!!!
It kept getting closer. Jessica quickly hid her foals in an old sweater her special friend had brought home and walked to the entrance of her paradise.
Vroom vroom munstags with lots of pretty flashing lights were outside.
She wanted to go say hi to the people getting out of them but knew better than to jeopardize her families hideaway.
She listened as two of the men talked.
“Fuckin methlab. Dumb shits blew it up.”
One said to his friend.
“Another one? Jeez. This whole neighborhood has gone to shit. Anyone hurt?”
His friend asks.
“All we found was a mangled crackhead. Probably didn’t even know what hit him. O’Brian is calling the owner now.”
The first mister said.
“Why bother? Meth lab means it’s gonna be condemned anyways.”
Condemned? What does that mean? Jessica wondered. She layed there watching for a moment longer before carefully pushing the piece of cardboard they’d been using as a door back over the entrance.
She went back to tend to her peeping foals. The outside was the humans domain, and she was taught to respect that.
Besides, Her housie was still nice and warm. Plus she had more important things to do.
“Otay bestest babbehs. Bestest mummah am gon gib bestest miwkies!”
Despite not knowing how to speak yet, the foals seem to recognize their mothers vocal dinner bell. Their peeping gets louder as she sits on her haunches and picks up the first two lucky babies.
She sings her normal mummah songs to her foals. Albeit slightly quieter than usual.
Then … Magic.
Smek smek smek smek smek smek… POP… burp
“M… Miwkies… Wub…”
She looks down quickly and gazes into the beautiful blue eyes of her first talky baby.
Her biggest foal with a bright yellow coat like herself.
“B…BABBEH!?! BABBEH MAK TAWKIES!?! HOOWAY! WUB TAWKY BABBEH!”
She coos excitedly. She holds her two now full foals while the other two suckle. Not long after that first, the second starts to gradually open his eyes. A handsome young Colt with purple fluff like his father.
Suddenly the cardboard door shuffles.
“GASP SPECIEW FWEN!”
Jessica says excitedly.
The large purple unicorn shuffles through the hole. Plastic grocery bag around his neck.
“Shhhh!”
He goes.
“Speciew fwen make softie tawkies. Am hooman outside nestie! Daddeh bwing Nummies. Buh nee ta wawm up hoofsies.”
He says sitting on his haunches and putting his front two hooves in front of the dryer vent.
“… Speciew fwen… Why am nu wawm bweffies?”
The stallion says.
You didn’t realize up till now but normally the vent was spewing hot air at this time of the day.
“M…maybe wawm bweffie fwen am jus sweepy… B-BUH SPECIEW FWEN! BABBEH OPEN SEE PWACES!”
She says holding up their little yellow son.
“D…da … Daddeh?..DADDEH!!!”
The colt stutters out.
The Stallion looks up on his spawn with wonder. He’s never had foals this long before. Better yet talky babbehs.
He’s had special friends in his old herd but all of his foals ended up perishing due to the elements far before they opened their eyes.
“B…HUUHUUHUU!! DADDEH WUB BABBEHS! Bwing nummies so babbehs get gud miwkies!”
He says sliding the half full plastic grocery bag off of his neck.
“YAY NUMMIES!”
Jessica squeals in delight.
She starts to get up and waddle over before realizing she still has two hungry foals latches onto her breasts
“Teehee! Nu wowwy speciew fwen. Nummies am nu gon wun way. Buh … Why am hoomans ouside?”
He asks with a head tilt.
“Nu knuu. Fwuffy heaw woud boomies. Den hoomans come.”
She says confused.
A look of worry immediately appears on the stallions face.
“Di… Did bweffie fwen stop makin bweffies aftah da boom?”
He asks frantically.
Finally the last foal detaches from Jessica’s nipple. She lets out a small burp and cheeps happily.
Jessica now free waddles over to the bag of Nummies.
“He nu maek wawm bweffies since. Am Otay. He am jus sweepies.”
She goes to open the bag with her nose before stepping back in a coughing fit.
“Nu smeww pwetty! Why ou bwing poopies sted ob nummies speciew fwen?”
She asks as tears begin welling in her eyes.
Her special friend looks at the ground in defeat.
“Nu am poopies. Sowwy speciew fwen. Am wowstest Daddeh. Onwy fin icky wotted appies an nana peews foh nummies.”
She stares at the pile of rotten produce. Her mind goes back to her days as a domestic. She remembers these fruits fondly.
~2 years ago~
“Alright Jessica. You were a good girl today so here’s a treat! Fruit salad!”
Daddeh says before sitting a heaping bowl of peeled and sliced apples, bananas, grapes, and walnuts. With nice swirl of whipped cream on top.
Jessica had only just begun eating solid food. Finally completely weened off of foal formula. What was a small bowl even to most human children was a heaping portion for a tiny foal.
“Weawy? Daddeh gib babbeh aww dese pwetty nummies!?!”
She asks. Daddy laughs.
“Oh course kiddo. After all. You’re part of the family.”
He says with a warm smile.
~ present~
Jessica sometimes wishes she could go back to those times.
“Speciew fwen… Babbehs am gon nee miwkies.”
The words of her special friend snap Jessica back to reality.
She stares downward at the mushy brown pile of what used to be pretty Nummies. Her special friend was right. After that last feeding she barely had a shot glass full of sweet milk left. That wouldn’t satisfy one of her precious foals. She really did not wanna eat this slop but her maternal drive kicked in. She leaned down and took the first bite. It was … Surprisingly not as bad as she thought. She could tell it used to be fruit. The worst part was the awful slimy texture. It may not taste like poopies but it definitely felt like poopies.
She feels herself start to gag. She Swallows the slime fast. Knowing that throwing up would just make her already bad situation worse she decides to try and get through it fast. She greedily starts to bite into the shrinking pile of mess. Trying her hardest to not let it touch her tongue. Her special friend can only sit and watch. He feels horrible about giving his beloved this well overripe produce. In truth he’d eaten nothing today. This was the first and only food he’d found.
He stares at his currently content foals. He loved them all so much. If it meant keeping them alive he’ll gladly go a day without food. This situation worried him though. Unlike Jessica, He knew the reality of cold times. He wouldn’t have even had foals yet if he hadn’t had the dryer vent and his safe rock nestie.
If he loses his source of heat… He hopes desperately that maybe his special friend was right. That it’s just sleeping. Fluffies are such hopeful creatures. Even if it is a false hope.
Jessica had finally finished her horrid meal. She knew that these icky Nummies would not make the best milkies, but any milkies that kept her foals happy and chirping were good milkies.
The day came and went. Night started to settle in.
“Huuhuu. Mummah why cowdies!”
A foal whines. Here it was. Darkie time. Still no warm breathies.
For the first time in their short lives. The babies will experience low temperatures in earnest. No warm hot water pipes… No hot dryer air.
With every passing moment the stallions dread grew stronger and stronger.
The uncomfortable whines of his prodigy disturbed him.
“Speciew fwen … Fwuffy nu fink bweffy fwen am gon make wakies.”
He says trying to contain his rising fear.
“Wah ou mean speciew fwen? Bweffy fwen awways wakeys… maybe jus nee Huggies!”
Jessica insists.
A dumb idea to a human. But to a fluffy.
“Dat am bestest idea! We aww gib bweffy fwen bestest huggies! Eben babbehs! Nuffin am bettah Dan babbeh Huggies!”
The stallion insists.
Still uneasy walking on all fours Jessica delicately places all four foals on her back and trots over to the vent.
“Otay babbehs! Bweffy fwen must hab wowstest saddies to sweepy dis wong. Dis mean we nee gib BESTEST HUGGIES EBAH!”
She says excitedly.
“Fwen!?!”
One foal says.
“Nee Huggies? Hab saddies?”
Another chirps off.
“Bestest babbeh gib bestest huggies!”
The first to open it’s eyes exclaims. While Jessica made the mental note to later correct him for Calling himself bestest. For now she had another problem. The last foal still only chirped.
Some just take more time than others.
Gentley placing the fragile babies on her back, Jessica waled over to the vent.
“Otay babbehs. Dis am sewious! Bweffy fwen hab Sickies! We need gib bestest huggies!”
She places the foals around the pipe. They instinctively start hugging.
“Huuhuu! Pwease being wawmies bweffy fwen! Babbeh hab wowstest cowdies!”
One chatters while hugging the back of the pipe.
“Huuhuu! Babbeh nu wike sickies! Gib bestest huggies eva!”
One says hugging the right side.
“Bestest babbeh nu wan be cowdies! Bweffy fwen get bettah NAO!”
Unofficial Bestest says hugging the left side.
“Mummah has speciew jobbie foh stiww chiwpy.”
She says placing the last chirpy babbeh in the pipes opening.
“Ou am stiww widdwest babbeh. Ou gib bestest, wawmest, happiest babbeh huggies inside bweffy fwen tawky pwace!”
The chirpy is confused. Going from momma’s warm fluff to this cold, hard pipe.
Maybe it was bad luck. Maybe it was horrible timing. Maybe it was just fate.
The pipe rumbled.
“GASP BABBEHS! KEEP GIBBIN HUGGIES! IT. WOWKIN!”
“Chirp chirpch…ch… W…whe…whewe am babbeh?”
The littlest foal says. His first view of the world. Eyes full of wonder…
Suddenly the rumble stops. A large cloud of black soot shoots out of the pipe. Blowing the no longer chirpy out and onto the ground.
“B…BABBEH!?!”
Jessica yells frantically. Running to her foal.
Her once beautiful purple foal was now a deep black.
the only places that were still purple were the creases of its small legs and under it’s tiny tail.
“BABBEH! PWEASE! TAWKIES!”
Jessica yells frantically. The stallion can only sit and watch. He didn’t want to say anything. He’d seen far less take the life of a foal.
The foals eye color will forever remain a mystery as they were caked with dirt and soot.
It’s mouth hangs open. Small tongue drooping out the side. The foal was dead.
“Pweeeheeheeheez! Babbeh make tawkies! Nu take fowevew sweepies!”
The stallion put his hoof on jessica’s shoulder.
“speciew fwen… Dis am wowstest saddies buh… we nee tah git wid of fowebew sweepies babbeh ow it bwing munstahs to nestie.”
The stallion says sheepishly.
Jessica turns slowly to her special friend. He’s never been wrong about this kind of thing before but… Her baby just took forever sleepies. How could he expect her to just get rid of it?
The stallion kept the fact that in his old herd mummahs are expected to eat their departed foals to himself as that might push her over the edge.
“Gib heew… Daddeh nu wike dis buh… Nee tak babbeh way. To pwotec awive babbehs.”
Before Jessica could even comprehend his words he hurridly snatched the child away in his teeth and headed towards the door.
Jessica immediately clung to his back leggie.
“NU! PWEASE! NU TAK BABEH! AM GUD BABBEH! JUS NEE MUMMAH HUGGIES AN MIWKIES!”
She screams to her special friend. He looks back at her andpulls his leg away.
“… Ou hab wot to weawn speciew fwen. Nu can be nice nu moh. Now we nee focus on not goin fowevew sweepies… Daddeh be backsies.”
He says as he trots out into the cold, dark night.
~To be continued~