Eclair slowly opened her eyes. She had the worst tummy hurties she’d ever had and she’s had a lot in her short life. These tummy hurties were different than normal, a little lower and felt more like booboos than hungries. She tried to turn herself around but her hoof didn’t listen. She tried to turn her head but it was stuck in place. She tried to call for help but nothing came out. She wanted to scream and couldn’t.
(QwertyTF)
Eclair’s eyes were watering. Mummah told her that Eclair would get to save all the babies but how could she do that if she couldn’t move? She’d weep if only her body would let her. A tiny pink ball of fluff entered Eclair’s view. It was her sister! Help had arrived!
Cherry trotted over to her favorite sister ever. “H-hew-ohs!” she cheeped. She bounced around trying to get eclair to play but her sister didn’t move at all! Eclair’s eyes were following Cherry around, so she was definitely not sleeping. Cherry crouched down in front of Eclair, “P-way?” she asked. She got no response.
Eclair could move her nose now and wiggle her ears. Sensation was slowly coming back to her body, but not at all fast enough for the little foal. She saw her favoritest mummah walk past with a big human stallion that she never saw before. Eclair desperately tried to get mummah’s attention but nothing happened. She cried internally, wanting someone to help her.
“Miss Strawberry Cream, have I got a surprise for you!” Maxing said cheerfully, “I bet you were wondering why I bought so much meat the other day, right?”
Strawberry didn’t even bother looking up as they turned down the volume on the TV with his large print remote. He sighed. She had been trying to make his life liveable, might as well humor the nutcase. “Nuh. Buh speakies ohn.”
Maxine placed her hands on her hips dramatically and tsked. “I do something nice for you and all I get is indifference. Geoff, introduce yourself to the fluffy.”
“Yesssshhh Miissssshtressssh”
“…Geoff?” Strawberry thought to himself. He didn’t have time to think about the name. He was plucked from his cushion and turned to face one of the most horrifying things he’s seen in at least half a day. Maxine showed him her other “Project Pony.” and this was just about as scary. “Wha ams dis fwuffin’ fing. Wha dids uwe dooooh!?”
A shambling and twisted reflection of his old body was holding him in its arms. It was as if somebody took a picture of the old him, wrinkled it, covered it in meat and then left it out to bake. The thing towered over him, Maxine, and the rest of the fluffies combined.
“Hell-ohhhh fluff-eeeee” the shambling mockery named Geoff said, “Eye ammmm Geee-offff.”
The fluffy wordlessly mouthed “What.” to Maxine.
“Well somebody is busy watching my little Cherry to work so I thought I’d help them out.” Maxine said as she smugly looked at her nails, “That and we need a source of income, somebody’s been spending like kuh-raaaazy.” She made grabby hands at the hommunculus, “Geoff, hand me the fluffy.”
The shambling giant complied as it slowly lowered the fluffy down to its mistress. Maxine held Strawberry under her arm and scratched his chin.
“Dis ams nevah wowk. Strawbewwy knoses uwe ams cwazy buh smahtah dan dis.” Strawberry said in disbelief as he looked Maxine straight in the eye. "Nuh won thinkies dat ams Strawbewwy. "
Maxine wiggled the fingers on her free hand at Strawberry. “Maaaaagic. There’s enough of you in that thing that anyone who looks at it will just see a regular guy. We unfortunately get to see it as it really is, which… isn’t great I’ll admit. Making things into other things is more my thing, new things not so much.”
The fake Geoff stood impossibly still, waiting for its next command.
Strawberry grimaced. Nobody was ever going to buy that this thing was him. It reeked of shit and rotting meat. Worst of all, it pronounced Geoff wrong. He knew Maxine did that on purpose.
“Right now I’m just testing to make sure Geoff here doesn’t fall apart on me. If everything goes well I’ll take him to work tomorrow. I kept having to call in sick for you. Can you believe everyone at your office thinks we’re dating?” Maxine giggled madly and snuggled her face against Strawberry’s fluff. “So very silly isn’t it my little Strawberry?”
Strawberry knew she was taunting him and wasn’t going to dignify it. “Nuh ams type.” Maxine stroked behind his ear and he cooed reflexively. He muttered under his breath.
“Uwe ams munstah.”
“Have to get my kicks in while the kids aren’t around. Playing responsible mommy is rewarding but not nearly as fun as tormenting my pretty pink princess.”
Eclair was now sitting in a puddle of her own urine. She felt disgusting, her tummy hurted, she couldn’t move and Cherry had been staring at her for what felt like 5 forevers.
“Baah pee -chirp- pees!” Cherry said with shock.
“Huuuuuuuuhuuuuuuu” Eclair sobbed. “Wai Ecwair no talkies? Huuuuuu… nuh wan be bad fwuffy buh nuh cans movies… wan talkies…”
Cherry looked at her sister like she was the dumbest thing she had ever seen. A blank expression came over her face as she chirped out, " ah-ams… tawkies?"
Strawberry and Maxine heard the faint sound of crying… Unceremoniously dropping the mare to the floor Maxine bolted to the source.
“What’s the matter?” Maxine skidded as she tried to stop, her leggings slipping on the floorboard.
Eclair wailed out a mournful cry “Huuuuuhuuu Mu-mummah Ecwair no movesies! Aww hurties huuuhuhuu pwease pwease hewp.”
“Ah-ans bah peeps!” Cherry added, trying to be helpful.
Maxine crouched down and poked Eclair in the side, “You feel that?”
“Nuh…”
“Might be the sleepy magic the doctor used to keep you from feeling the hurties.” Maxine said thoughtfully, “Was it worse when you woke up?”
“Huuu… yuh so scawwie! Ecwar no movesies see places oh moufie oh nuthin huuuuu…”
Eclair’s fluff was ruffled as she was picked up, “You had a lot of… hard places from old owies. Your visit was a lot more difficult than anyone expected. You’re safe, just more hurties than either of us would like.”
“Tummie haves suh many hurties, no nummies hurties ans owie hurties ans wowstest tinglies nuh wan huuuu”
Carefully lifting the foal from her sides Maxine began to undo her dressings. “Before I clean you up, wanna make poopies too?”
“Nuh… buh Ecwaire be good fwuffy…”
Maxine held the fluffy over the litter box and let it do its business. Afterwards she was carried off to the kitchen sink. “I’m so sorry you had to deal with that scariness alone. I didn’t expect you to wake up for another couple of hours. Or uh, at least two forevers.”
Eclair nodded weakly. She felt terrible but at least mummah was here. Soft whimpers left her mouth as she was rinsed off. It was a bizarre sensation, she could feel the pressure of the water but not the water itself. She felt pretty again but saw that her belly fluff was missing. She sobbed again. Today was not her day.
With Maxine busy with Eclair and Strawberry dealing with the shambling mockery of life that Maxine had created, Strawberry found herself alone and unsupervised. She stretched her little legs and decided now was the perfect time to explore.
The living room was gargantuan to the barely talkie baby but Strawberry was undeterred. She’d make a few steps, stumble, then try again. She had places to see. Things to sniff. So many smells! She had managed to stumble her way underneath the sofa and found all sorts of treasures.
Shiny lost coins, discarded food. She gnawed on cookie crumbs with her gums. It took only a few moments for her to give up and move on. She found a sock that smelled sort of like her fluffy mummah, but more different. Muskier? She wasn’t sure what the smell meant but she liked it. She snuggled into the sock and took a nap. Her little leggies were so tired!
Eclair was on her back looking up at mummah Maxine. She was starting to hurt more and more as feeling returned to her body. Her eyes welled up with tears, “Mummaaaaaah havses hurties huuuuu”. The pain was unbearable. “Pwease mummah nuh wan…”
“I’m going to give you a special no hurties drink, it’ll taste bad but I promise it’ll help.”
A syringe loaded up with a cocktail of painkillers and antibiotics was placed on Eclair’s tongue. She gagged as the foul tasting liquid hit her tongue but dutifully forced it down. “Nuh taste pwetty…” she said, “Wen feww bettews?”
“Just a couple of minutes. Let me get you wrapped back up.”
Strawberry was pacing around his replacement. It smelled and looked horrible but it did have a passable resemblance. If you squinted. From like a few hundred feet away. It still wasn’t moving. “Stwawwbeww, tuwn awoundies.” Right. Can’t say his own name. It was worth a try at least. Strawberry kicked his double in the shin and went back to the living room.
The foals weren’t in their basket. Good. Eclair might have been asleep but Cherry kept talking and talking. Or at least what Cherry passes for talking. The little idiot stutters and stumbles over almost every word. But she was trying very hard. A tiny sliver of appreciation grew in his heart. He immediately stomped it out. He had to be wary about positive feelings towards the foals. His body desperately wanted to hug and cuddle them and he refused to give in.
He turned the TV on and clicked through the channels. Cherry’s absence was making him more and more nervous. He tried to ignore it. “Dis ams guddeh tee vee” he said trying to affirm that he did not care he did not. His haunches tensed involuntarily. His baby was missing. It wasn’t his baby! His baby was missing. He wanted to kill the damn thing! His baby was missing.
His baby was missing.
He dashed over to the foal’s basket and sniffed. He could smell her. His baby. He followed the scent trail. She had gotten far for someone who could barely walk. Good baby. He followed the trail further, Cherry’s scent was getting stronger. Babies need milkies.
Strawberry bonked his head on the edge of the couch. Babies need milkies. Babies need love. He looked under the couch and tried to squeeze himself in. He was too big. Babies need milkies. He was getting desperate. The mare in him was getting louder the longer that Cherry was missing. Babies need love. She was under the couch, he was sure of it but he needed to hold her. Babies need milkies! Babies need mummah!
“Mummah wubs babbehs.” He immediately covered his mouth with a hoof. None of that. Babies need milkies. “Maxeeeeeen!” he screamed. “Hewp!”
Maxine was still doing Eclair’s bandages. She heard a Strawberry cry for help but she was busy.
Strawberry paced back and forth. Baby was right there. Baby needs mummah. Mummah needs baby. Mummah’s wastest baby! He sobbed, “Huuu… babbeh…” He felt like he was losing his mind. “Chewwy!” he cried, “Mummah needs babbeh! Babbeh needs wub and huggies and miwkies!” He sat on his haunches and found himself singing, “Mummah wubs babbeh, babbeh wubs mummah.” Mummah wubs babbeh. Mummah wan mo’ babbies.
Cherry yawned. She was very cozy in her sock. But she heard mummah crying! Mummahs shouldn’t have heart hurties! Cherry cheeped and chirped, forgetting that she could mostly talk. “Mums-ah!” Cherry squeaked out. “Ams hewe!” The foal waddled out from the sock and from under the couch. “Was splorin!”
Strawberry gripped her baby fondly. “Mummah wubs babbeh. Hadses mostest scawdies.” She licked the foal clean and placed it on her milkie place. “Drinkies foh babbeh!” She smiled. She had her babbeh.
Strawberry snapped back to reality. Holy hell he lost complete control of himself. He looked down at Cherry and grimaced. The power this thing had over him was terrifying.
Slow day today. Eclair’s thing happened to my cat. She wet herself too 
