Fluffy Pony Grimdark Story
On The Rocks, Part 1
Quick interlude, putting down the Neckbeard and the Fluffy Armada story for a day or two for this, simply because Fluffy_Writer’s ‘Abandoned’ story made me sit back and think.
We’ve got plenty of animals that live feral in our own towns and cities…what about Feral Fluffies living in the City? How do they survive? What do they face day to day? How do they see the world?
>The sun is not up yet, but the Herd is up and moving.
>You all need to get out of Underground before sun comes up, go to the park and eat as much grass at the park before mean munstas come and chase you away.
>The Safe Place, Haven, is a long way from the Park and it’s all-important grass, but Fluffies that try to sleep in park are hurt by the Munstas.
>Most never come back, and those that do tell stories of horrible things, of the swarms of Rat-Munsta scrambling out of the Underground to eat the Herds alive, of Cat-Munstas chasing and picking off the weak and the small in a Herd, and of worse things still…
>No-Lips leads the Herd. He’s tough, mean too, but he works constantly to not let Fluffies wander away or get hurt. The Fluffies who have been a part of the Herd longer than you say that No-Lips is Mean because some Fluffies are dumb or selfish and put the whole Herd in danger.
>A Two-Legged Munsta tried to hurt No-Lips when he was a foal, used a sharp owie to cut his lips off. His lips are completely gone, exposing his teeth constantly like he is snarling, and it makes him look like No-Lips is always furious.
>No-Lips says he fought Munsta off and fled to the Underground, then found other Fluffies, and made them his Herd.
>You’re scared of No-Lips. He likes to kick other Fluffies that don’t do what he says, doesn’t let Fluffies play except in the Safe Place, and always wants the Herd to be quiet.
>Most other Fluffies call those who argue with No-Lips or make him angry Bad Fluffies, and won’t give Hugs. Sometimes the ‘Bad’ Fluffies annoy so many Fluffies in the Herd they are not allowed into the Hug-Pile when the Dark-Time gets very cold and dark.
>Fluffies need to be in the Hug-Pile when Sky goes black and the Dark-Time comes, it’s often too cold to sleep alone. You remember listening to the ‘Bad’ Fluffies whimpering, their teeth chattering as they cowered outside of the Hug-Pile, sobbing that they would be good.
>The No-Lips Herd sticks to narrow alleyways as they creep to park, being as quiet as they can so that the Munstas can’t see or hear them.
>The Herd found a pile of fresh, wet poopies that the Toughie Friends said came from a Dog-Munsta, and No-Lips bullied the Herd back the way they had come, circling around several Hoomin Safe Places, the buildings of this city, before he declared they were far enough away from the Dog-Munstas to keep going forwards towards the Park.
>A Cat-Munsta glared at them from inside a Hoomin Safe Place, behind one of the impenetrable Clear-Walls, but No-Lips and his Toughie Friends pushed the Herd onwards. So long as the Clear-Wall was unbroken, the Cat-Munsta could not harm them…or so they promised the Herd.
>More-than-you-can-count Rat Munstas chattered, skittered and squealed beneath the drain under your hooves, and your Fluff rippled in disgust. The most numerous, and horrible Munstas in the Underground, gathering in Herds of endless numbers and sweeping over Nummies and Wa-Wa’s and Fluffies alike and gnawing and clawing till whatever they attack is gone.
>None of those Munstas quite so bad as Two-Leg Munstas, also called Hoomins. They hurt Fluffies just because they can, and nothing a Fluffy can do can hurt them. No-Lips says they can be hidden from and Fluffies can sometimes run away from them, but Fluffies must never call a Two-Leg Munsta’s attention to them, or the entire Herd could be tortured to death
>”Stawp!” No-Lips barks, and the whole Herd freezes in place, just a few feet from the end of the alleyway and the broad road you have to cross to get to the grass.
>”Why stawp, tummeh haf owwies!” “Need nummies, pwease!” “No-Lips, why stawp, Baybehs need nummies, Mummas need gwasses.”
>”Need Stawwions gu fiwst, check dat nu Munstas hidin’ in bushes.” The older Fluffy growls, sniffing the air cautiously. “Wittles, Honey, Blue-Horn, Zodd, yu go.”
>No-Lips glares over his shoulder at you. You flinch as his eyes, two hard, angry orbs staring right through you.
>”Yuu gu tu, New Fwuffy. Yuu wiww eawn yuu pwace in Herd, or yuu wiww gu tu Bad Fwuffy Pit!”
>You don’t want to leave the Herd. You don’t want to end up in the Bad Fluffy Pit!
>You can’t go home, Daddy hit you with a shoe, made your leg hurt, then he said he have to get rid of you.
>You ran. You’d seen how he got rid of everything else that broke, his toys were thrown into the garbage or crushed into little boxes or thrown out the window.
>Your heart hurt more than your leg. You had loved Daddy more than anything in the world, you had just wanted him to know that, you hadn’t meant to draw all over his Special Papers, you just wanted to make him something nice …
>No-Lips and his Herd are right, you just didn’t know it at the time. Hoomins are Two-Legged Munstas, and you must keep away from them at all costs.
>”Fwuffie be guud. What No-Lips wan’ Fwuffie du if see Munsta?” You ask as you limp through the Herd, trying to keep the weight off your injured leg.
>Some are looking at you sadly. You know why. With you injured leg, if a Munsta does see you … there’s no way you can get to safety.
>Most, however, are too busy complaining in small voices that they are hungry, that their hooves are cold.
>”Yuu jus’ gu, waste nu moar time, Sun be up soon, Munstas be out.” No-Lips kicks you as you go by, just missing your sore leg. “Stawp wastin’ time and gu! Foals hungwy!”
>Crying at the pain as you force your sore leg to walk, and carry you across the road faster, you limp across the road and immediately walk into one of the bushes that scatter the Park.
>No Munstas here. But it’s dry under the branches. It doesn’t smell pretty, but nothing smell pretty anymore.
>You stick your head out from under the bush and grin back at the Herd.
>It’s safe. You open you mouth to shout this at them, and then everything goes wrong …
>The Herd is charging across the road in a panicked stream, screaming in terror.
>Rat Munstas must have followed you from Underground, a silent, black wave of sharp little teeth and whiskers and sharp, scrabbling claws.
>You see a Purple mare go under a wave of black, biting, meany Rat Munstas, squealing for help before she is completely covered in scrambling, clawing Rat Munstas.
>Fluffies get across the road, sobbing and crying, and the Rat Munstas don’t seem too interested in chasing them, content to form a bigger and bigger thrashing pile where the Purple Mare once was.
>They’ve got their food now. You can’t find the words to explain how horrified you are, so you just rush over to the Herd with tears in your eyes.
>The Herd cries and hugs each other. Some are pooping in fear. They were so careful, so quiet … how? HOW did the Munstas find them?
>There is a young pegasus foal with light-purple fluff bawling her eyes out, trying to go back across the Road, but No-Lips is hugging her, stopping her from going back across the road. There are tears in his eyes too.
>”Mumma! Mumma!” The foal is crying, flailing her legs at the pile of Rat-Munstas, her wings flapping desperately.
>”Mumma gone. Mus’ eat Grass! Two-Leg Munstas be hewe soon!” No-Lips says softly, pushing her head to the ground to graze, but the foal keeps crying and won’t eat.
>You shuffle over and nuzzle the foal. Poor, poor baby…
>”Nu cwy, yuu safe, Fwuffies wuv yuu.” You whisper, before No-Lips suddenly shoves the foal to you, his expression one of great distress and frustration.
>”Make her haf gwasses-nummies. EVWY FWUFFIE! Mus’ haf gwasses-nummies now, fiw tummehs, make miwk-nummies fo’ baybehs!” No-Lips grunts at you, gazing sadly at the sobbing, light-purple Foal, before turning to shout at the Herd.
>”B-buh, Bun-Bun haf Biggest Owies!” Somebody cries, setting off a new wave of tears and crying.
>”Eat! Eat an’ make Miwk-Nummies, or baybehs an’ Foaws wiww haf Wurst Tummeh Owies an’ sweep fo’eva!” No-Lips replies, stomping into the Herd, bumping those still hugging each other with his head until they let go. “Empty tummehs nu make miwk-nummies. Nu miwk-nummies, Foaws gu hungwy. Nu Foaws means Herd not last. Now haf gwasses nummies fo’ Munstas come!”
>Whimpering and crying, the Herd disperses to graze, and you whisper to the pale purple pegasus Foal ”Mus’ haf Gwasses-Nummies, stay stwong an’ wive.”, grazing next to the shaking foal as No-Lips walks around and through the Herd, yelling at the Fluffies to eat faster.
>”Munstas huwtin’ Mumma!” The foal whimpers, curling up into a ball, still crying. “Munstas gif Owies tu Mumma! Why No-Lips nu gif Owies tu Munstas?”
>It’s a good question, but No-Lips is looking at you with narrowed eyes, a few half-chewed leaves of grass spilling out the sides of his lip-less mouth.
>”Nu ask dat, nu make No-Lips angwy. Eat, haf Gwasses-Nummies, grow up big, be fast, so yuu nu get caught by any Munsta.” You find some of the younger blades of grass, softer and more delicious than the older ones, and place them in front of the foal. “Wive for Mumma.”
>The foal whimpers, but drags a bit of the young grass to her mouth and sucks on it.
>She has no teeth. If she has no teeth, she can’t chew up the grass, and it’s too big for her to swallow it whole …
>You remember seeing on Munsta-Daddy’s Magic Picture Box that some animals chew up food for babies.
>You grab some of the young leaves, chew them up, and try to dribble them down the young foal’s mouth.
>She cries, but she gets the idea and swallows them. It’s awkward and cumbersome and horrible, but it’s the only way you can think of giving her the Grass.
>”Yikky.” The little Lavender Foal says, forcing herself to her feet.
>”Very Yikky, but an nu Mawe. Haf nu Miwk-Nummies fo’ Foaw.” You apologise, giving her a bump with your nose. “We gu see Mawes, see if dey haf Miwk-Nummies?”
>The little lavender Pegasus whimpers but nods. You graze along the way, as she’s very slow, and feed her more chewed-up grasses.
>You know one Mare who lost her foal a few days ago. Her teats are still full of milk, and she has been giving away her Milk to any Foal who asked.
>A Bright-Peach-coloured Unicorn, very friendly, always happy to give special hugs.
>But she looks at the Lavender Foal, wrinkles her nose and says “Nu. Nu gif Miwk tu Bun-Bun’s Foaw. Bun-Bun awways tewwin’ Peach wat tu dum buh Bun-Bun was stuuupid. Bun-Bun say No-Lips wike her more than Peach, then she become Nummies fo’ Rat Munstas. Nu want get Stuuuupid fwom Foaw.”
>The foal is devastated, curling up into a ball on the ground and sobbing pitifully, and you’re horrified.
>Grab the foal by the scruff of the neck and carry her away, and Peach shouts at you that you should leave the ‘Stuupid Foaw’ in a bush to die.
>All the other Mares either have their own foals or have no milk. They tell you “Sowwy, nu can hewp, Foaws so hungwy.”
>Tell the little Lavender Foal you’re sorry.
>Chew her up some more young grass, then spit it down in front of her and graze for yourself.
>She licks it up, still crying from what Peach-Coloured Fluffy said.
>The other scouts have returned to the Herd. Most found nothing, although Zodd seems to be dragging something.
>Wittles says he found nice dry place Herd can spend day, inside Park. No-Lips says he think it over, Wittles to graze now and stay strong.
>Honey say there be another Herd on other side of Park, maybe Herds meet and play? No-Lips smacks him across the face with a hoof.
>”Stuuupid, Hewd need many gwasses fo’ tummehs. Other Fluffies dumb, they think Two-Leg Munstas friends.” No-Lips yells at Honey.
>Honey runs away, squealing about his new Owies.
>Blue-Horn, one of the few Unicorns in the Herd, says he found a new tunnel to the Underground.
>No-Lips says this is good thing, as Rat Munstas waiting for them across road.
>Blue-Horn pees and runs away. No-Lips yells at him for making grass taste bad.
>Zodd is the biggest Earth Pony you’ve ever seen. He’s also very dumb and, to you at least, as scary as any Munsta. He hurts Fluffies, even when trying to be nice. And when he’s trying to be scary … no, don’t think about that.
>He’s dragged back a big white thing, full of lumps that smells terrible.
>Says it’s full of treasure.
>No-Lips tells Zodd he is best Fluffy, and may have any Mare he likes for Special Hugs.
>Zodd grins, trundles over to a dull-green Mare with two small white foals nursing from her while she grazes, and starts to Special Hug her.
>”No wan’, no wan’, Foaws stiww hungwy!” She cries, trying to scramble away, but Zodd has her held tightly with his front legs.
>Zodd is a meanie and doesn’t listen. He’s got that ‘Stupid’ look on his face, tongue sticking out the side of his mouth, grunting ‘Eeenf eeenf eeenf’ as he thrusts back and forth with enough force to make the dull-green Mare shake and stumble.
>The Mare can’t hold both herself and the big Earth Pony up, and falls to the ground, becoming buried under Zodd’s great bulk.
>Zodd still doesn’t stop special hugs. You can see the Mare’s head pressed onto the ground under Zodd’s chest, face pressed into the grass and tears flowing down her cheeks.
>She’s crying so much, complaining she can’t breath. Her Foals are crying they are hungry, and for Meanie Fluffy to stop hurting Mumma.
>You can’t do anything, Zodd is so much bigger, and No-Lips said he could have special hugs with anyone he wanted.
>No-Lips has stuck his head in the white thing and is pulling stuff out.
>You see strange things coming out, then …
>”Ham-bug-gher!” You yell, pointing a soft hoof at one of the treasures.
>Before Munsta-Daddy hurt you, you remember he gave you a bite of a hamburger.
>No-Lips pulls his head out of the white thing and yells at you to shut up. He is sorting treasure, does not need No-Name Not-Herd Fluffy telling him what things are.
>Between feeding the little lavender Pegasus foal and yourself, you have no more time to talk. She’s eating slowly, but at least she has stopped crying.
>”Why nobody gif Owies tu Munstas?” She asks softly as you both walk towards a new patch of grass, one hopefully nobody has peed on.
>”Munstas so sharp, so huwty.” You try to explain. “Fluffies mus’ awways wun. Hooves tuu soft, teef nu shawp, Fwuffies nu can gif Owies tu Munstas.”
>”Nu faiw.” She whispers.
>”Is nu faiw, buh Fwuffies mus’ do wat No-Lips say. He haf so many Toughie Fwiends, we be kicked out of Herd if we nu du what he say, an’ haf to wive wit’ de Munstas.” You try to explain it to the little foal.
>You’re scared of being kicked out of the Herd. Almost as much as you are of going into the Bad Fluffy Pit. You remember your days before No-Lips Herd found you and let you tag along.
>You spent days on your own, eating garbage, getting chased by Dog Munstas, getting kicked and chased by Two-Legged Munstas.
>A Herd is safety, security. Fluffies give you Hugs when things are scary, show you safe places to eat, to sleep, to drink.
>Herd must be good place to be, better than Munsta-Daddy at least!
>And then …
>”Fwuffies! Sun! Sun is coming, Bwight Time is almost hewe!” No-Lips shouts, rearing on his back legs and glaring at the dawn.
>Already, a faint pink line is showing between the towers of the city.
>”Hewd nu can gw back! Rat Munstas waiting!” Peach cries.
>Zodd is grazing next to the poor Mare he was giving Special Huggies to. She’s crying, lying on her side so Foals can have milk.
>There’s blood on the grass, but nobody dares to give her Hugs to feel better with Zodd right there. If somebody made Zodd mad, he could give terrible Owies before No-Lips made him stop. If No-Lops made him stop.
>”Wah, Munstas!” “Fwuffies stay in Park? Haf Gwass-Nummies an’ pway in Bwight Time, then gu tu Underground?” “Hide in bushes!” “Hide under benches!” several Fluffies begin to babble.
>”NU!” No-Lips yells, silencing everyone. “Blue-Horn, whewe yuu be?”
>”Hewe! What No-Lips need?” The Unicorn yells back, scrambling out from under a bush, his lips stained dark brown.
>No-Lips stares at him for several seconds, then says “Take Hewd tu Tunnel. Hewd mus’ gu back tu Unner’gwound.”
>There is some crying at this. Some Fluffies are terrified of the dark, and many haven’t seen the Sun for days.
>”Nu cwying! Wan’ tu see Two-Legs stomp on Foaws? Wan’ tu see Cat Munstas gif Wurst Owies tu Fwiends?” No-Lips yells again, glaring at the loudest complaining Fluffies.
>”Nu, nu Owies, nu Saddies!” the reply comes from every throat.
>”Then Hewd gu back tu Unner’gwound! Evewy Fwuffy mus’ gu! Now!” No-Lips commands, leaping onto the white thing Zodd dragged back.
>”Zodd, grab tasty tings out of Bag. Wittles, Honey, yuu cawwy what he tell yuu tu.” No-Lips starts to bark, ordering the Herd into movement but then Wittles rushes up, an excited expression on his face.
>”Buh No-Lips, Wittles finds dwy place, safe place!” Wittles pipes up, pointing a hoof deep into the bushes around the Park’s lake. “Herd can stay on Overground aww day, haf gwasses-nummies, dwink cwean Wa-Wa’s.”
>There is silence for a few moments.
>”Is Wittles de Smawty Fwiend now?” No-Lips asks in a very gentle voice as every Fluffy Head turns to look at the two Flufflies.
>”N-nu! No-Lips Smarty Friend! Wittles jus’…” The younger Fluffy Pony whines as No-Lips stalks up to him.
>”Is Wittles sayin’ No-Lips nu can lead Herd? Is Wittles being bettah Smawty Fwiend den No-Lips?” the disfigured older Fluffies asks loudly as he circles Wittles.
>Wittles is shaking if fear now, lying down on the grass, face pressed to the ground.
>”Nunununununu…” he’s whispering to the ground.
>”Guud. Wittles guud Friend. But yuu nu Smawty Fwiend.” No-Lips says, then turns around and bucks Wittles straight in the head. “Now do wat No-Lips says, Sun here soon, Two-Leg Munstas hewe soon, all Foaws die, BECAUSE WITTLES IS STUPID FLUFFY!”
>Wittles lies there, clutching his head and whimpering.
>Every other Fluffy has gone silent and is looking at the ground.
>Nobody wants to look No-Lips in the eyes. Nobody wants to look like they are trying to be Smarter than the Smarty Friend.
>The Herd starts to shuffle off after Blue-Horn, but you notice that the Mare that Zodd was Special-Hugging is having trouble getting up.
>”Foaw, fowwow Fwuffie pwease.” You ask the little Pegasus, shuffling over to the Mare with your head down low.
>”Weggies oh-tay?” You ask softly, going behind the female to put your head under her belly and push her up.
>”Weggies haf Owies, but Cwovah can walk.” She says, going “Owies” as she stands.
>She’s limping, but she’s not too slow.
>”Need hewp wit’ pwobwem…” You ask.
>”Nu, pwease, tu Huwties, nu can gif Speshaw Huggies, No-Lips wan’ Hewd gu back to Unner’gwound now.” She starts to shake in fear, staring at you with fear in her eyes.
>”Nu, Nu Speshaw Huggies! Fwuffie need hewp wit’ Wittwe Foaw. Is Bun-Bun’s Foaw. She haf wittwe gwasses-nummies, buh she need Miwk-Nummies!” You ask as the Green Mare’s two white Foals and the little Pegasus toddle after you both.
>The two foals are crying for more ‘Miwk-Nummies’.
>The little Pegasus is whimpering and calling out for ‘Mumma’.
>”Cwovah nu can gif much, but wiww hewp.” The Girl-Fluffy agrees. “But Fwuffies mus’ gu faster, Hewd is weavin’ Fwuffies behind!”
>”But Foaws nu wawk fast nuff’! Wook, Foaws being weft behind!” You say with alarm.
>In their rush to get back to the relative safety of the Undergeround, some of the Mares have forgotten about their Foals, who are being buffeted around by the other members of the Herd and are falling behind.
>”Cwovah know twick, lie down.” The Clover demands. You’re confused, but she’s a Mumma, she must know what she’s doing.
>In moments you feel three weights on your back.
>”New Fwiend wiww cawwy yuu, Baybehs. Howd on, an’ no poopies.” She is saying to the Foals.
>You stand up, and now both of you are moving much faster. Both of you, and some of the other Mares, are going around picking up the Foals and putting them on each other’s backs.
>”Is Smawtie idea.” No-Lips says, making you flinch. How did he creep up on you?
>”Wish … wish Herd nu haf tu be so scawed.” You venture.
>Silence.
>Oh no what have you…
>”No-Lips wan dat tu. Buh Cee-Tee nu wite fo’ Fwuffies. Cee-Tee is mean an’ scary an’ hard an’ sharp.” No-Lips gives you a sad look, and you realize he’s so old, his fur is going grey at the roots. “No-Lips wish Hewd couwd stay in Wittles’ Safe Place, pway in shawwow Wa-Wa, eat grasses tiww nu can muv, sweep undah Sun an’ be wamm an’ happy an’ fat.”
>The disfigured Smarty Friend turns to look at the slowly rising Sun, and his wistful look turns into a hate-filled glare.
>”Buh No-Lips nevah fow’get. Nu fow’get Two-Leg Munstas nu can be twusted. Nu foq’get wha’ happens when Fwuffies get wazy an’ pway aww day.”
>”No-Lips nu fow’get Fiwst Hewd. Now, all Fwufies wit’ Foaws on Backs, yuu get to haf sleepies in Papers tonight. Yuu are Guud Fwuffies.” No-Lips says loud enough for the rest of the Herd to hear, and there are dismayed cries when some of the Mummas realize they have left their Foals behind.
>The Tunnel to the Underground is small, only just big enough for a single Fluffy to walk down.
>It’s very, very dark.
>Blue-Horn uses his magic to light the way, but the Fluffies at the back of the Herd have to bite each other’s tails to make sure they don’t get left behind or walk into each other.
>Zodd comes in last, dragging something behind him.
>He’s so big, his fluff is dragging on the hard, dirty walls of the tunnel.
>It’s a long walk to the Underground, and nobody recognises where they are now.
>”We wost!” Somebody yells, and the whole Herd starts to cry.
>”Who say sat! Yuu is Bad Fwuffy!” No-Lips yells back. “No-Lips knows Unner’gwound, knows where aww Tunnews gu. We gu weft, then … weft then … wight, then stwait. Hewd gu back to Haven, nu be siwwy Fwuffies!”
>Nobody wants to believe they are lost.
>Nobody wants to get bucked in the head.
>Everybody follows No-Lips as he leads them along the edge of a sewer.
>Water smells terrible, and there are many terrible things floating in it. Poop, broken Hoomin Toys, even Dead Fluffies sometimes.
>Rats swim in it, but Rats are dirty Munstas.
>Sewers open up onto big, big tunnels.
>This is scary part of the Tunnels. Well, the scary-est part.
>Big things go whooshing past on metal things on bottom of tunnel. Long Metal Snake-Munsters that make lots of noises and hold many, many Two-Leg Munstas inside them.
>Fluffies who touch metal things don’t get up and won’t play anymore. Many of them start to turn black, and if you try to pull a Fluffy off the metal rails on the ground, you often not moving as well.
>Everyone is telling Foals to hold on tightly, scrunching up and grabbing hold of each other’s tail again.
>You feel foals trembling, they are biting your fluff and clinging tightly to your back.
>You hope it’s enough. The Long Metal Snake-Munstas are terrible fast, horribly loud and can drag Fluffies away without even touching them…
>It seems like forever, but No-Lips was telling the truth.
>He does know the Underground. You recognize this place, the markings on the walls are familiar.
>You see Fluffy Markers, little piles of stones with sticks or drinking straws pointing the way to Haven.
>Then, the dreaded noise.
>The screeching, grinding noise of the Snake-Munsta’s legs as it runs so very, very fast along the Meanie Rail.
>Everybody flattens against the floor and the wall, clinging desperately to each other, and you roll onto your side to squash the Foals between your back and the wall.
>You hope it will be enough …
>Big Metal Snake-Munsta goes whooshing past.
>Your eyes are closed, but you hear somebody scream.
>”Nuuuuu, Gweeny!”
>You open your eyes to see a Grey-Green Fluffy from further up the line get sucked up by the Big Metal Thing, tumbling through the air like one of the Hoomin’s ‘Balloons’, his fluff catching all the fast air that Big Metal Snake Munsta and dragging him into the air.
>”Why Twicks wet gu of Gweeny! Save Gweeny! Hewp! Twicks! Nuuuuu!” He shrieks, flying away behind the Big Metal Snake-Munsta! ”Pwease nuuuu! An Guud Fwuffy! No-Lips, hewp Fwuffiiiiiiiie!”.
>He hits the ground, hard, and rolls away silently.
>He rolls so far, bumping into the hard grey stone of the middle of the tunnel for yards and yards.
>The Herd is crying and hugging each other.
>The foals have wet themselves on your back.
>You’ve wet yourself too.
>It’s just not fair.
>You do nothing to Big Metal Snake-Thing. You can do nothing to it.
>Why is it so mean?
>”Mus’ keep goin’!” You hear No-Lips shouting from the front. “Hewd be at Safe Pwace soon! Haven safe!”
>The Herd is sobbing with fear and relief.
>They only lost two Fluffies today. Yesterday they lost four, the day before, five.
>But their tummies are full of grass, and Haven is warm and safe and has clean Wa-Wa’s for when they get thirsty.
>Dry places to sleep, plenty of room for the Fluffies to move about.
>Safe places for Foals to play, filled with rock-balls and the shed fluff of the Herd to keep the ground soft and warm.
>Slowly, everyone gets back on their hooves and keeps on walking, following No-Lips.
>The Herd is so happy, some Fluffies start hugging each other when they finally take a smaller tunnel off the bigger ones that the Big Metal Snake Things use, and they can hear voices.
>Fluffy Pony voices.
>It’s Haven! The Safe Place is so close!
>Everyone is running now.
>Small, glowing mushrooms grow out of the old Poop that gets pushed into the tunnels.
>The Glowing Mushrooms taste very bad, smell very bad, keeps everything away, even the Rat Munstas.
>Then … Haven.
>Herd left their Old Fluffies behind. Two-Socks, One-Eye, Gnaff, All-Mumma, Some-Legs.
>The Old Fluffies found a smaller Herd in the Underground, they say as the Herd shuffles around to give hugs to the Old Fluffies and give them grass that the Herd managed to stuff into their fluff.
>The Smaller Herd’s Smarty Friend got lost and led them down a wrong tunnel, wouldn’t go back, wouldn’t accept they were lost.
>And then Two-Leg Munstas found them. Grabbed some of their Herd, pushed some of the Stallions into the Water and laughed as they drowned in the filthy Wa-Wa’s.
>The Smarty Friend of smaller Herd is sitting in corner, his Fluff is all tattered from his Herd pulling on it, his ears are bleeding around the edges where they bit him, his lips are all puffy where they kicked him in the face.
>New Friends saying they want to join No-Lips Herd. That they do not want to follow a Dumb Friend.
>No-Lips say this is good, but they must do something first.
>They babble they will do anything.
>No-Lips points a hoof at the Dumb Friend.
>”Dumb Fwiend nu can teww otha Fwuffies, otha Hewds, how tu find Haven. Too many Fluffies, and Haven be found by Munstas.” No-Lips declares loudly, but his eyes are closed. It’s hard to say without his lips, but he sounds … tired.
>But how do they stop him?
>”Dumb Friend mus’ nu tawk. Mus’ nu muv. Mus’ nu weave Haven ‘gain.” No-Lips replies, his voice sounding so tired, before he opens his eyes and stares directly at the New Fluffies.
>”Yuu mus’ push Dumb Fwiend into Bad Fwuffy Pit.”
>Everyone in your Herd flinches.
>Bad Fluffy Pit is where you go when you put whole Herd in danger.
>Nobody has ever gotten out. Nobody can. There’s only one way out of the Bad Fluffy pit, a tunnel that leads into the Deep Underground, and that place never has any light or grasses, just dark, dank tunnels and slimy, dirty water…
>”Smawty Fwiend is nu Dumb Fwiend! Youngah den scawy-wookin’ Fwuffy! Pwettiew den Owd Fwuffy!” The Dumb Friend shouts, stalking up to No-Lips and shaking with fury. “Smawty Fwiend keep Hewd safe! Find boxes tu haf sweepies in, push ovah Twash-Cans sy Hewd can haf Hoomin Nummies! Why Bad Fwuffies caww Smawty Fwiend a Dumb Friend!”
>A chorus of “Dumb Friend wead Hewd tu Two-Legs!” “Dumb Friend awways haf Guud Nummies, nevag gif Fwiend de Guud Nummies!” “Nummies awway taste yikky, wan gwasses!” greets him from his former Herd-Mates.
>”Bad Fwuffy Pit ovah dere.” No-Lips says, pointing a hoof to a darkened corner of Haven.
>Other Fluffies have built a little wall to keep curious Foals away from the Bad Fluffy Pit, but it’s only made of stones, and about an inch high, but everyone knows what is beyond that wall.
>Dumb Friend puffs out his cheeks at his Herd.
>His Herd puff out their cheeks at the Dumb Friend, and start to advance on him.
>”Nu, wait, Smawty Fwiend sorry, Smawty Fweind hewp, Smawty fwiend hewp new Hewd!” The Dumb Friend begins to babble as his former Herd begins to push him towards the Bad Fluffy Pit.
>When he starts to panic and fight back, they bite him. They kick him in the tummy and face, poke him with their horns and call him a Bad Fluffy.
>It’s only ten meters to the Bad Fluffy Pit from the entrance to Haven.
>It takes ten minutes for the New Friends to push the Dumb Friend to the edge of the Bad Fluffy Pit before they shriek and run away.
>You’ve heard about what lives in the Bad Fluffy Pit.
>A Dragon. A Human would call it an Aligator, and a wretched, stunted one at that.
>It can’t climb up the walls, but it can swim through the water, and can swallow a Fluffy in a single bite, and lives in the Deep Underground, swimming into the Bad Fluffy Pit to gobble up Bad Fluffies who put the whole Herd in danger.
>The Dumb Friend has seen the Dragon.
>He’s lying on his side, shivering, having peed himself with fright.
>No-Lips gives the New Friends a stare, and they cower on the ground.
>”Wan join Hewd, but Munsta su scary!”
>”Dwagon scawy, buh tu see Foaws an’ Baybehs haf Wongest Sweepies, to watch Hewd get Owies an’ haf Wongest Sweepies, is scawy-er.” No-Lips replies softly, nuzzling each of the New Friends. “Gu tu Hewd, yuu is Hewd-Fwiends now.”
>Crying “Tank Yuu.”, the New Friends crawl over to the Herd and are given Hugs. Everyone is watching, Old Fluffies, Herd and New Friends, as No-Lips slowly walks over to the crying, shivering Dumb Friend.
>”A Smawty Fwiend must be Smawt.” No-Lip shouts, his voice echoing in Haven. “Mus’ do Smawt Tings, even if scary or make Hewd sad. Cee-Tee is cwuel tu Fwuffies, an’ Hewd mus’ be able to twust dere Smawty Fwiend, know dat aww he do, is tu keep Hewd safe.”
>He stands right behind the Dumb Friend, looking over him into the Bad Fluffy Pit.
>”No-Lips was nu awways No-Lips, nu awways Smawty Fwiend. No-Lips fowwowed other Smawty Fwiend, when was Young Fwuffie. No-Lips watched as ‘Smawty Fwiends’ let Hewds get hurt su dey could play. No-Lips saw Smawty Fwiends weave Foaws behind fo’ Munstas tu huwt tu save Toys. No-Lips have be Smawty Fwiend, because othah Smawty Fwiends nu so Smawty aftah aww.”
>No-Lips is silent for several moments.
>”An’ Smawty Fwiend mus’ awways be wee-spon-see-bell for wong tings he do!” So saying, No-Lips turns around in a neat circle and bucks the Dumb Friend right in the middle of the back.
>Dumb Friend squeals in pain, and then fear, as he is pushed off into empty air.
>It only takes a few seconds for the Dumb Friend to hit the bottom. It seems to take forever.
>There is a splash, and a yelp of fear.
>”Wah! Smawty Fwiend nu wike! Pwease! Wet out, wet out, Fwuffie be guud, wet out wet out wet out!” The more the Smarty Friend panics, the worse his speech becomes.
>There is another splash.
>A dull, coarse hissing noise.
>”W-wat dat? Wat down hewe! Why rock mo-*”
>There is a scream of primal terror.
>Am answering, booming roar from the Dragon.
>Then, silence but for the lapping of the water in the Bad Fluffy Pool.
>No-Lips turns to face the Herd, the pale pink light of the Dawn filtering down through the holes between the Overground and Underground.
>”A Smawty Fwiend mus be weady to do even bad tings for the Herd.” No-Lips says softly in the silence, as the Dragon returns to the depths of the Bad Fluffy Pit.
Old Ponibooru Version
Quick interlude, putting down the Neckbeard and the Fluffy Armada story for a day or two for this, simply because Fluffy_Writer’s ‘Abandoned’ story made me sit back and think.
We’ve got plenty of animals that live feral in our own towns and cities…what about Feral Fluffies living in the City? How do they survive? What do they face day to day? How do they see the world?
>Sun not up yet, but herd is up and moving.
>Need to get out of dark places before sun comes up, go to park and eat grass at the park before mean munstas come and chase you away.
>Safe place to sleep is a long way from the grass, but Fluffies that try to sleep in park are hurt by the Munstas.
>Most never come back.
>No-Lips leads the Herd. He’s tough, mean, but he not let Fluffies wander away or get hurt.
>Munsta tried to hurt No-Lips when he was a foal, used a sharp owie to cut his lips off.
>No-Lips says he fought Munsta off and fled to the Underground, then found other Fluffies, and made them his Herd.
>You don’t like No-Lips. He likes to kick other Fluffies that don’t do what he says.
>Most other Fluffies call those who argue Bad Fluffies, and won’t give Hugs.
>Need Hugs when Sky goes Dark, too cold to sleep alone.
>Herd sticks to narrow alleyways as they creep to park. Hide from the Munstas.
>Some of the Herd have lost Friends to the Dog Munstas.
>Lots of them have been mauled or had Foals stolen and eaten by Cat Munstas.
>More-than-you-can-count have died to the swarms of Rat Munstas.
>None quite so bad as Two-Leg Munstas. They hurt Fluffies just because they can.
>”Stop!” No-Lips barks, and the whole herd freezes in place, just a few feet from the end of the alleyway and the broad road you have to cross to get to the grass.
>”Why stopping, belly hurts!” “Need food!” “No-Lips, why stop, foals hungry.”
>”Need few Fluffies to go first, make sure no Munstas waiting in bushes.” The older Fluffy growls, sniffing the air cautiously. “Wittles, Honey, Blue-Horn, Zodd, you go.”
>No-Lips glares over his shoulder at you.
>”You go too, New Fluffy. You earn place in Herd, or I chase you out!”
>You don’t want to leave the Herd.
>You can’t go home, Daddy hit you with a shoe, made your leg hurt, then he said he have to get rid of you.
>You ran.
>Your heart hurt more than your leg.
>”Yes. What we do if we see Munsta.” You ask as you limp through the Herd.
>Some are looking at you sadly.
>Most are too busy complaining in small voices that they are hungry.
>”You just go, waste no more time, Sun be up soon, Munstas be out.” No-Lips kicks you as you go by, just missing your sore leg. “Stop wasting time and go! Foals hungry!”
>Crying at the pain as you force your sore leg to walk, and carry you across the road faster, you limp across the road and immediately walk into one of the bushes that scatter the Park.
>No Munstas here. But it’s dry under the branches. Not smell pretty, but nothing smell pretty anymore.
>You stick your head out from under the bush and grin back at the Herd.
>It’s safe.
>Suddenly, a scream.
>The Herd is charging across the road in a panicked stream.
>Rat Munstas must have followed you from Underground.
>You see a Purple mare go under a wave of black, biting, meany Rat Munstas, squealing for help.
>Fluffies get across the road, and the Rat Munstas don’t seem too interested in chasing.
>They’ve got their food now.
>The Herd cries and hugs each other. Some are pooping in fear.
>There is a young foal bawling her eyes out.
>No-Lips is hugging her, stopping her from going back across the road.
>”Mumma! Mumma!” The foal is crying, flailing her legs at the pile of Rat-Munstas.
>”Mumma gone. Must eat Grass! Two-Leg Munstas be here soon!” No-Lips says softly, pushing her head to the ground.
>The foal keeps crying and won’t eat.
>You shuffle over and nuzzle the foal.
>”Make her eat. EVERYBODY! Must eat grass now, fill bellies, feed foals!” No-Lips grunts at you, shoving the foal to you with one hoof, before turning to shout at the Herd.
>”B-but we lost Bun-Bun!” Somebody cries, setting off a new wave of tears and crying.
>”Eat now, or we lose foals!” No-Lips replies, stomping into the Herd, bumping those still hugging each other with his head until they let go. “Empty tummies no make milk. No milk, foals go hungry. No foals means Herd not last. Now eat!”
>Whimpering and crying, the Herd disperses to graze, and you are left aone with the small Foal, a lighter shade of purple than her mother, and a Pegasus as well.
>”Must eat grass.” You whisper, grazing next to the shaking foal as No-Lips walks around and through the Herd, yelling at the Fluffies to eat faster. “Must eat grass and not be hungry.”
>”Mumma under Munstas!” The foal whimpers, curling up into a ball, still crying. “Munstas eat Mumma! Why No-Lips not fight Munstas?”
>It’s a good question, but the Stallion is looking at you with narrowed eyes.
>”No question No-Lips. Eat, eat grass, grow up big, be fast, so you not get caught by any Munsta.” You find some of the younger blades of grass, softer and more delicious than the older ones, and place them in front of the foal. “Live for Mumma.”
>The foal whimpers, but drags a bit of the young grass to her mouth and sucks on it.
>She has no teeth.
>You remember seeing on Munsta-Daddy’s Magic Picture Box that some animals chew up food for babies.
>You grab some of the young leaves, chew them up, and try to dribble them down the young foal’s mouth.
>She cries, but she gets the idea and swallows them.
>”Yikky.” She says, forcing herself to her feet.
>”Very Yikky, but I no Girl-Fluffy. I no have milk for you.” You apologise, giving her a bump with your nose. “We go see Girl-Fluffies, see if they have milk?”
>The little lavender Pegasus whimpers but nods. You graze along the way, as she’s very slow.
>You know one Girl-Fluffy who lost her foal a few days ago.
>Peach-coloured Unicorn, very friendly, always happy to give special hugs.
>She looks at foal, wrinkles her nose and says “No. No look after Bun-Bun’s foal. She fat. She stupid. She say No-Lips like her more than me. She get eaten by Rat Munstas. No want Stupid from Foal.”
>The foal is devastated.
>You’re horrified.
>Grab the foal by the scruff of the neck and carry her away.
>Most other Girl-Fluffies either have their own foals or have no milk. They say “Sorry, no can, foals so hungry.”
>Tell little foal you’re sorry.
>Chew her up some more young grass.
>She licks it up, still crying from what Peach-Coloured Fluffy said.
>The other scouts have returned to the Herd. Most found nothing, although Zodd seems to be dragging something.
>Wittles says he found nice dry place Herd can spend day, inside Park. No-Lips says he think it over, Wittles to graze now and stay strong.
>Honey say there be another Herd on other side of Park, maybe Herds meet and play? No-Lips smacks him across the face with a hoof.
>”Stupid, we need all grass to ourselves. Other Fluffies dumb, they think Two-Leg Munstas friends.” No-Lips yells at Honey.
>Honey runs away, squealing in pain.
>Blue-Horn, one of the few Unicorns in the Herd, says he found a new tunnel to the Underground.
>No-Lips says this is good thing, as Rat Munstas waiting for them across road.
>Blue-Horn pees and runs away. No-Lips yells at him for making grass taste bad.
>Zodd is the biggest Earth Pony you’ve ever seen.
>He’s dragged back a big white thing, full of lumps that smells terrible.
>Says it’s full of treasure.
>No-Lips tells Zodd he is best Fluffy, and may have any Girl-Fluffy he likes.
>Zodd grins, trundles over to a Girl-Fluffy with two small white foals, and starts to special hug her.
>”No want, no want, foals still hungry!” She cries.
>Zodd is a meanie and doesn’t listen.
>Girl-Fluffy can’t hold both herself and the big Earth Pony up, and falls to the ground.
>Zodd still doesn’t stop special hugs. You can see her head pressed onto the ground under Zodd’s chest.
>She’s crying. Foals are crying they are hungry, and for Meanie Fluffy to stop hurting Mumma.
>You can’t do anything, Zodd is so much bigger, and No-Lips said he could have special hugs with anyone he wanted.
>No-Lips has stuck his head in the white thing and is pulling stuff out.
>You see strange things coming out, then …
>”Ham-bug-gher!” You yell, pointing a soft hoof at one of the treasures.
>Before Munsta-Daddy hurt you, you remember he gave you a bite of a hamburger.
>No-Lips pulls his head out of the white thing and yells at you to shut up. He is sorting treasure, does not need No-Name Not-Herd Fluffy telling him what things are.
>Between feeding the little lavender Pegasus foal and yourself, you have no more time to talk. She’s eating slowly, but at least she has stopped crying.
>”Why nobody fight Munstas?” She asks softly as you both walk towards a new patch of grass, one hopefully nobody has peed on.
>”Munstas so sharp, so hurty.” You try to explain. “Fluffies must always run. Hooves are soft, teeth are blunt, we no can fight back.”
>”Not fair.” She whispers.
>”No, not fair, but we must be nice to No-Lips. He has so many Friends, we be kicked out of Herd if we not be his Friends too.” You try to explain it to the little foal.
>You’re scared of being kicked out of the Herd.
>You spent days on your own, eating garbage, getting chased by dogs, getting kicked by Two-Legged Munstas.
>Herd is safe. Fluffies give you Hugs when things are scary, show you safe places to eat, to sleep, to drink.
>Herd must be good place to be, better than Munsta-Daddy at least!
>And then …
>”Fluffies! Day! Day is coming!” No-Lips shouts, rearing on his back legs and glaring at the dawn.
>Already, a faint pink line is showing between the towers of the city.
>”We no can go back! Rat Munstas waiting!” Peach cries.
>Zodd is grazing next to Girl-Fluffy he was hugging. She’s crying, lying on her side so Foals can have milk.
>There’s blood on the grass.
>”Wah, Munstas!” “We stay in Park? Eat grass all day, then go to Underground?” “Hide in bushes!” “Hide under benches!” several Fluffies begin to babble.
>”NO!” No-Lips yells, silencing everyone. “Blue-Horn, where you be?”
>”Here! What No-Lips need?” The Unicorn yells back, scrambling out from under a bush, his lips stained blue.
>No-Lips stares at him for several seconds, then says “Take us to Tunnel. We must go back to Underground.”
>There is some crying at this. Some Fluffies are terrified of the dark, and many haven’t seen the Sun for days.
>”No crying! Want to see two-legs stomp on foals? Want to see Cat Munstas eat friends?” No-Lips yells.
>”No, no owies, no saddies!” the reply comes from every throat.
>”Then we go back to Underground! Every Fluffy must go! Now!” No-Lips commands, leaping onto the white thing Zodd dragged back.
>”Zodd, grab tasty things out of Bag. Wittles, Honey, you carry what he tell you to.” No-Lips starts to bark order.
>”But No-Lips, Wittles finds dry place, safe place!” Wittles pipes up, pointing a hoof deep into the bushes around the Park’s lake. “Herd can stay on Overground all day, eat grass, drink nice water.”
>There is silence for a few moments.
>”Is Wittles Smarty Friend?” No-Lips asks as every Fluffy Head turns to look at the two Flufflies.
>”N-no! No-Lips Smarty Friend! Wittles just…” The younger Fluffy Pony whines as No-Lips stalks up to him.
>”Is Wittles saying No-Lips no can lead Herd? Is Wittles being Smartier-Friend than No-Lips?” the disfigured older Fluffies asks loudly as he circles Wittles.
>Wittles is shaking if fear now, lying down on the grass, face pressed to the ground.
>”Nonononononono…” he’s whispering to the ground.
>”Good. Wittles good Friend. But you not Smarty Friend.” No-Lips says, then turns around and bucks Wittles strait in the head. “Now do wat No-Lips says, Sun here soon, Two-Leg Munstas here soon, all foals die, BECAUSE WITTLES IS STUPID FLUFFY!”
>Wittles lies there, clutching his head and whimpering.
>Every other Fluffy has gone silent and is looking at the ground.
>Nobody wants to look No-Lips in the eyes. Nobody wants to look like they are trying to be Smartier-Friend.
>The Herd starts to shuffle off after Blue-Horn, but you notice that the Girl-Fluffy Zodd was Special-Hugging is having trouble getting up.
>”Foal, follow me please.” You ask the little Pegasus, shuffling over to the female with your head down low.
>”Leggies okay?” You ask softly, going behind the female to put head under her belly and push her up.
>”Leggies hurt, but I walk.” She says, going “Owies” as she stands.
>She’s limping, but she’s not too slow.
>”Need favour.” You ask.
>”No, please too sore, we must go Underground, No-Lips says so.” She starts to shake in fear.
>”No, no, no Hugs. I need help with little foal. She Bun-Bun’s foal. She eating little bit of grass, but she need Milk.” You ask as the Girl-Fluffy’s two foals and the little Pegasus toddle after you both.
>The two foals are crying for more milk.
>The little Pegasus is crying for ‘Mumma’.
>”I not can give much, but I can help.” The Girl-Fluffy agrees. “But we must move faster, Herd is going away.”
>”But Foals not walk to fast! Look, Foals being left behind!” You say with alarm.
>It’s true.
>In their rush to get away from No-Lips, some of the Girl-Fluffies have forgotten about their foals, who are being buffeted around by the other members of the Herd and are fallin behind.
>”I know trick, lie down.” The Girl-Fluffy demands. You’re confused, but she’s a Mumma, she must know what she’s doing.
>In moments you feel three weights on your back.
>”New Friend is going to carry you. Hold on, and no poopies.” She is saying to the foals.
>You stand up, and now both of you are moving much faster. Both of you, and some of the other Girl-Fluffies, are going around picking up the Foals and putting them on each other’s backs.
>”Is Smartie idea.” No-Lips says, making you flinch. How did he creep up on you.
>”Wish … wish Herd not have to be so scared.” You venture.
>Silence
>Oh no what have you…
>”Me wish it too. But world not right for Fluffies. It mean and scary and hard and sharp.” No-Lips gives you a sad look, and you realize he’s so old, his fur is going grey at the roots. “Me wish Herd could stay in Wittles safe place, play in shallow waters, eat grass, lie in sun.”
>The Smarty Friend glares at the coming Sun.
>”But me not forget. Not forget Two-Leg Munstas no can be trusted. Not forget what happens when Fluffies get lazy and play all day.”
>”Me not forget First Herd. Now, all you with Foals on Backs, you get to sleep in Papers tonight. You Good Fluffies.” No-Lips says loud enough for the rest of the Herd to hear, and there are dismayed cries when some of the Mummas realize they have left their Foals behind.
>The Tunnel to the Underground is small, big enough for a single Fluffy to walk down.
>It’s very, very dark.
>Blue-Horn uses his magic to light the way, but the Fluffies at the back of the Herd have to bite each other’s tails to make sure they don’t get left behind or walk into each other.
>Zodd comes in last, dragging something behind him.
>He’s so big, his fluff is dragging on the hard, dirty walls of the tunnel.
>It’s a long walk to the Underground, and nobody recognises where they are now.
>”We lost!” Somebody yells, and the whole Herd starts to cry.
>”Who said that! You Bad Fluffy!” No-Lips yells back. “No-Lips knows Underground, knows where all tunnels go. We go left, then … left then … right, then strait. We get back to Haven, you see!”
>Nobody wants to believe they are lost.
>Nobody wants to get bucked in the head.
>Everybody follows No-Lips as he leads them along the edge of a sewer.
>Water no smells pretty.
>Rats swim in it, but Rats are dirty Munstas.
>Sewers open up onto big, big tunnels.
>This is scary part.
>Big things go whooshing past on metal things on bottom of tunnel.
>Fluffies who touch metal things don’t get up and won’t play anymore.
>Everyone is telling Foals to hold on tightly.
>You feel foals trembling, they are biting your fluff and clinging tightly to your back.
>You hope it’s enough.
>It seems like forever, but No-Lips was telling the truth.
>He does know the Underground. You recognize this place.
>You see Fluffy Markers, little piles of stones with sticks or drinking straws pointing the way to Haven.
>Then, the dreaded noise.
>HONK HONK HONK!
>Everybody flattens against the floor and the wall, clinging desperately to each other.
>Big Metal thing goes whooshing past.
>Your eyes are closed, but you hear somebody scream.
>You open your eyes to see a green Fluffy from further up the line get sucked up by the Big Metal Thing.
>He’s screaming for ‘Tricks’ to not let go, screaming for Big Metal Thing to stop being so mean, screaming for No-Lips to help him.
>He hits the ground, hard, and rolls away.
>He rolls so far, bumping into the hard grey stone of the middle of the tunnel for yards and yards.
>He’s stopped screaming.
>The Herd is crying and hugging each other.
>The foals have wet themselves on your back.
>You’ve wet yourself too.
>It’s just not fair.
>You do nothing to Big Metal Thing. You can do nothing to it.
>Why is it so mean?
>”Must keep going!” You hear No-Lips shouting from the front. “We home soon! Haven safe!”
>The Herd is sobbing with fear and relief.
>They only lost two Fluffies today. Yesterday they lost four, the day before, five.
>But their tummies are full of grass, and Haven has lots of clean Water.
>Dry places to sleep.
>Safe places for Foals to play.
>Slowly, everyone gets back on their hooves and keeps on walking, following No-Lips.
>The Herd is so happy, some Fluffies start hugging each other when they finally take a smaller tunnel off the bigger ones that the Big Metal Things use, and they can hear voices.
>Fluffy voices.
>It’s Haven.
>Everyone is running now.
>Small, glowing mushrooms grow out of the old Poop that gets pushed into the tunnels.
>Mushrooms taste very bad, smell very bad, keeps everything away, even the Rat Munstas.
>Then … Haven.
>Herd left some of the older Fluffies behind. Two-Socks, One-Eye, Gnaff, All-Mumma, Some-Legs.
>They found a smaller Herd in the Underground.
>Their Smarty Friend got lost and led them down a wrong tunnel.
>Two-Leg Munstas found them.
>Some of the males got pushed into water and drowned.
>Smarty Friend of smaller Herd is sitting in corner.
>His Fluff is all tattered, his ears are bleeding around the edges, his lips are all puffy.
>New Friends saying they want to join No-Lips Herd.
>They not want to follow Dumb Friend.
>No-Lips say this is good, but they must do something first.
>They babble they will do anything.
>No-Lips points a hoof at the Dumb Friend.
>”He not be allowed to tell other Fluffies where Haven is. Too many Fluffies, and Haven be found by Munstas.”
>But how do they stop him?
>”Dumb Friend must not talk. Must not move. Must not eat.” No-Lips replies, his voice sounding so small and gentle.
>”You must push Dumb Friend into Bad Fluffy Pit.”
>Everyone in your Herd flinches.
>Bad Fluffy Pit is where you go when you put whole Herd in danger.
>Nobody has ever gotten out.
>”Smarty Friend not Dumb Friend! Younger than scary-looking Fluffy! Better Smarty Friend than Old Fluffy!” The Dumb Friend shouts, stalking up to No-Lips and shaking with fury. “Smarty Friend keep Herd safe! Find boxes to sleep in, knock over cans so can eat Two-Legs food! Why you call him Dumb Friend!”
>A chorus of “Dumb Friend led us to Two-Legs!” “Dumb Friend always eating first, never give us good food!” “Food always taste bad, want grasses!”
>”Bad Fluffy Pit over there.” No-Lips says, pointing a hoof to a darkened corner of Haven.
>Other Fluffies have built a little wall to keep curious Foals away from the Bad Fluffy Pit.
>It’s only made of stones, and about an inch high, but everyone knows what is beyond that wall.
>Dumb Friend puffs out his cheeks at his Herd.
>His Herd puff out their cheeks at the Dumb Friend, and start to advance on him.
>”No, wait, Smarty Friend sorry, he help, he help new Herd!” The Dumb Friend begins to babble as his former Herd begins to push him towards the Bad Fluffy Pit.
>When he starts to panic and fight back, they bite him. They kick him in the tummy and face, poke him with their horns and call him a Bad Fluffy.
>It’s only ten meters to the Bad Fluffy Pit from the entrance to Haven.
>It takes ten minutes for the New Friends to push the Dumb Friend to the edge of the Bad Fluffy Pit before they shriek and run away.
>You’ve heard about what lives in the Bad Fluffy Pit.
>A Dragon.
>It can’t climb up the walls, but it can swim through the water, and can swallow a Fluffy in a single bite.
>Dumb Friend has seen the Dragon.
>He’s lying on his side, shivering, having peed himself with fright.
>No-Lips gives the New Friends a stare, and they cower on the ground.
>”Wan join Herd, but Munsta so scary!”
>”Dragon scary, but seeing Foals die, seeing Herd die, is scary-er.” No-Lips replies softly, nuzzling each of the New Friends. “Go to Herd, you family now.”
>Crying “Thank you.”, the New Friends crawl over to the Herd and are given Hugs. Everyone is watching, Old Fluffies, Herd and New Friends, as No-Lips slowly walks over to the crying, shivering Dumb Friend.
>”A Smarty Friend must be Smart.” No-Lip shouts, his voice echoing in Haven. “Must do Smart Things, even if it scary or make Herd sad.”
>He stands right behind the Dumb Friend, looking over him into the Bad Fluffy Pit.
>”I not always Smarty Friend. I followed others, when I younger. I watched as ‘Smarty Friends’ let Herds get hurt so they could play. I saw Smarty Friends abandon Foals to save Toys. I became Smarty Friend, because other Smarty Friends not so Smarty after all.”
>No-Lips is silent for several moments.
>”And Smarty Friend must always be responsible for mistakes.” So saying, No-Lips turns around in a neat circle and bucks the Dumb Friend right in the middle of the back.
>Dumb Friend squeals in pain, and then fear, as he is pushed off into empty air.
>It only takes a few seconds for the Dumb Friend to hit the bottom. It seems to take forever.
>There is a splash.
>”Wah! Smarty Friend no like! Pwease! Wet out, wet out, me be good, wet out wet out wet out!” The more the Smarty Friend panics, the worse his speech becomes.
>There is another splash.
>A dull, coarse hissing noise.
>”W-what dat? What down here! Why rock mo-~”
>There is a scream of primal terror.
>A booming roar from the Dragon.
>Then, silence but for the lapping of the water in the Bad Fluffy Pool.
>No-Lips turns to face the Herd, the pale pink light of the Dawn filtering down through the holes between the Overground and Underground.
>”A Smarty Friend must be ready to do even bad things for the Herd.” No-Lips says softly in the silence, as the Dragon returns to the depths of the Bad Fluffy Pit.