On The Rocks, Part 3
>The sunlight that was filtering down through the grate in the roof of Haven is starting to come in at an angle again. It’s early afternoon, and everyone is full of nervous energy.
>Soon, you, No-Name the Grey Earth Fluffy, will be sent out with the other young stallions to raid.
>Hate Raids, the very thought of them makes you feel terrible and sick inside, but No-Lips says that the Herd must Raid once again.
>The Stallions must bring back Mares from other Herds back to No-Lips Herd, make No-Lips Herd strong again.
>Your Herd has lost so many Fluffies this past week. Cat Munstas, Rat Munstas, Train Munstas, all have taken their toll.
>Herd is now only thirty strong, where last week, it was over forty.
>Mares of the No-Lips Herd cry. They don’t like the Raids either, it’s never good to leave your Herd behind, whether you go willingly, are driven out or stolen away. Some of them are Mares who were taken during Raids and get scared as they remember.
>But they also know that No-Lips does not let his Herd suffer needlessly. He’s scary and tough, but not wantonly cruel or selfish like some of the other Smarty Friends.
>Clover is crying and leaning her head into your chest, sobbing and whispering for you to take care, to not be mean to the Mares.
>”Pwease, Clowver nu haf sad Wa-Wa’s, No-Name nu gif Owies, pwomise. Pwomise tu find Mawes dat nu happeh wit’ dere Hewds, an’ bwing dem back.” You promise her, nuzzling her mane to try and cheer her up.
>”Clover miss hew Mumma, miss hew Brudda, Waid was soooo scawy, Fwuffies yewwin’ an’ kickin’ an’ dwaggin’ otha Fwuffies away!. No-Lips say No-Lips Herd only haf room fo’ Fiwwies an’ Young Mawes now.” She whispers, staring at her foals. “Pwease nu be Meanie Fwuffie! Pwease, Clover haf so many Chest-Owies if Mawes awe scawedy an’ huwty.”
>You give Clover the best not-Special Hug you can. She’s a friend, a good friend who is helping you keep Little Foal alive. You wish you could make Clover happier, but No-Lips’s orders are absolute.
>No-Lips is waiting for all the young stallions at the entrance to Haven. You, Wittles and Honey are the last three to arrive.
>”Young Mawes!” No-Lips shouts, glaring at you all. “No-Lips Herd need onwy Young Mawes. Nu Foaws, Nu Cowts, Nu Owd Fwuffies, onwy Mawes!”
>”No-Lips know dat Raids is scawy. Know dat Guud Fwuffies feew Biggest Saddies when dey gif otha Fwuffies Scawies an’ Huwties.” He continues, marching up and down the line of stallions, all of whom are totally focused on him. “Most Smawty Fwiends awe Dumb Fwiends! Wun away an’ weave Hewd behind tu swave own Fluff! Wet Foals haf Saddies so dat Dumb Fwiends can haf toys an’ nummies! Nu shawe de Guud Nummies wit’ Fwuffy Mummas!”
>”Yuu wiww bwing back Young Mawes tu No-Lips Herd! Owr Hewd wiww cawe fo’ Mawes, make dem happeh, gif guud nummies, shawe wit dem safe pwace to haf Foals!” No-Lips turns and stares you right in the eyes. “Nu gif huwties tu Mawes is nu haf tu! Dumb Friends wiww nu cawe if Mare go wit’ No-Lips’s Stawwions. Smarty Friends wiww be angwy wit’ Fluffies if Mares go wit’ yuu, dose awe Fwuffies yuu can gif Huwties tu.”
>”We weady, No-Lips!” Honey boasts, puffing his chest out with pride. “Honey bwing back Mares, keep No-Lips Herd stwong!”
>”Zodd weady. Fight Smawty Friend, take aww Mawes fo’ owr Hewd.” Zodd rumbles, baring his teeth in what could be a smile or a snarl.
>”No-Name weady!” You pipe up. “No-Name find Mawes who haf saddies, an’ bwing back tu No-Lips!”
>The other stallions start making promises as well, and Haven echoes with their boasts. It’s scary, but there’s a part of you that’s excited too.
>No-Lips Herd is the strongest Herd in Underground, mostly because of Haven, which is hidden from the other Herds and is protected against anything short of a Two-Legged Munsta.
>Some Herds try to find Haven, but never get past the Munstas that swarm through the tunnels.
>Rat Munstas eat them, a seething, chittering, scrambling tide of wet, black fur and sharp, gnawing teeth that devours Fluffies whole.
>Big Metal Munstas drag them down the tunnels and crush them, sometimes dragging whole Herds to their death …
>And in the bigger tunnels, Two-Leg Munstas snatch up the Fluffy Ponies and take them away to places unknown. Mostly everyone agrees, it’s to be eaten, for what else could a Two-Leg Munsta want with a Fluffy Pony, that they hate above all else?
>”Den Waid stawts!” No-Lips yells, trotting to the side and waving a hoof towards the twisting passageway between the piles of old Poop and Papers, and the glowing Mushrooms. “Yuu wiww bwing back at weast one Young Mawe, or yuu nu come back at aww!”
>Zodd gives an excited cry and charges, and you find yourself giving chase.
>Something deep inside you enjoys this, a rush, a thrill of excitement surging through your body, even as you mind clings to the sorrow ahead of you.
>More excited than when you first got to play with the shiny Rock-Balls. More excited than when you were first allowed to give Special Hugs to Peach. This feeling inside you …
>You feel indestructible.
>Everyone follows the way the Red Straws are pointing on the Fluffy Markers as the Stallions charge through the sewers, sticking to the ledges and walkways and keeping a wide berth from the edge, and the filthy, sludge-like waters of the Sewers.
>The Red Straws point in the direction of Stinky Waters, a run-down garbage dump, where most of the Fluffy Herds go at the end of the day to hide from the predators.
>What little water that can be found there is dirty or has a film of oil or grease on top of it, and the many empty car and truck tyres creates a breeding ground of mosquitoes, but it’s relatively safe from the Two-Leg Munstas, and the twisting and turning ‘canyons’ of garbage keep the Rat Munstas from easily finding the Herds that sleep there.
>It’s a very long way, several hundred meters from Haven, the abandoned storage room where the No-Lips Herd has built their ‘Haven’, but the Stallions need only run. There are no rails this way, no trains to drag them away, no maintenance workers to capture them or drown them in the filthy water.
>The Fluffies glance at the daylight drifting down to them from the grates and drains of the roads above. The sun-beams are moving faster now, drifting to the side. The Sun is setting. Soon, it will be the Cold Dark time, when the world becomes black and scary and even more dangerous.
>For No-Name, he thinks that the Sun must get very angry in the morning and the afternoon. He think’s that it must, because it makes light turn an angry red colour.
>And the smells in the Underground are getting worse. While the Underground never smell’s good on it’s best day, but closer Raiders get to ‘Stinky Waters’, the worse the smells gets.
>Worse than Fluffy Poop. It smells of rancid water and rotting food and a hundred other things that not good for Fluffies.
>Finally, after one last turn, the Tunnel opens up and the grimy, rubbish-canyons and valley of the ‘Stinky Wa-Wa’s’ are before them.
>The Sun is hiding behind the big tall things that the Two-Leg Munstas call ‘buildings’, glaring angrily at Raiders as it slowly sinks down past the horizon.
>You are No-Name once again, lifting your head and swiveling your ears eagerly. It’s very faint, but you can hear the babble of Fluffy Ponies in the distance. There must be a sizeable Herd nearby, but with all the high walls of garbage and refuse around, they could be a few twists and turns away or on the other side of the garbage dump.
>Zodd stops and sniffs the air, and you only just swerve aside in time to avoid running flat into his broad rear.
>Several Fluffies who could not stop in time run into the back of him and bounce off, saying “Owies!” and “Why Zodd stawp!”
>Wittles bounces off Zodd, clutching his muzzle and whining about “Nose haf Boo-Boo Juices!”
>”Zodd smell Munsta?” You ask as you peer around nervously, coming up to stand at Zodd’s side. If there is a Munsta, Zodd might be the only one who could stop it.
>”Nuuuuu, Zodd smell Mawes.” He rumbles, grinning evily as his No-No’s start to stop hiding and come out.
>Zodd’s No-No’s scare you. No-no’s aren’t supposed to be that big, no wonder poor Clover had such bad Owies.
>But now that Zodd mentions it, you can smell it too, now that you’re out of the Underground, a faint, delightfully musky fragrance…
>Peach and a few other Mares were making that scent when you first joined No-Lip’s Herd. Made your No-no’s be naughty, and you were so desperate to be good so No-Lips would let you stay, but Peach waved her rear in your face till you couldn’t take it anymore and gave her Special Hugs.
>Now that you think about it, Peach let a lot of Stallions have Good Feels that day, so many that even No-Lips couldn’t say who the father of her Foals were.
>Most of the other Stallions are sniffing the air, grinning and babbling to each other about “Mawes!” and “Be bawk at Haven soon!”.
>”We haf Speshaw Huggies, den take Mawes back tu Haven?” Wittles asks hopefully, looking around to the other Stallions for support.
>”Maybe.” Zodd grunts, looking back to the tunnel with a strange expression on his face. “No-Lips say dat Hewd need Mawes … Nu say dat Fwuffies nu couwd haf Speshaw Huggies.”
>”Aww Fwuffies!” Honey shouts, drawing attention to him. “Is Waid! Fwuffies wemembah wat dey is do?”
>A few shake their heads, confused. You’re grateful you remembered this time, it would be so embarrasing to have forgotten already!
>”Fwuffies mus’ bwing back one Mawe tu Hewd, or nu an gu back to Haven!” Honey says, Fluff puffed out. “Two Mawes is Bestest, buh One Mawe be oh’tay. Nu pwayin’ wit’ Otha’ Hewds. Nu tawk ‘bout Haven tu Otha Fwuffies! Yuu get Biggest Owies if yuu …!”
>”No-Lips say nu Foaws, nu Stawwions!” Zodd rumbles, pushing Honey aside with a hoof. “Zodd nu wan heaw Honey haf tawkies nu moar, Zodd gu get Mawes an’ haf Speshaw Huggies!”
>And so saying, Zodd trundles away, his large No-No’s swaying under him as he walks, shouting for ‘Mawes!’
>In ones and twos, the Raiders drift away, following their noses as they seek out the source of that wonderful scent.
>Honey and Wittles trot off together, babbling about having Special Friends all their own and not having to share with Zodd.
>Blue-Horn gives you a withering look and runs off on his own as well.
>You’re on your own. It makes you feel decidedly less confident, but perhaps that’s for the best. Clover begging you to be nice to the Mares fills you vision for a moment.
>Yes, perhaps it’s for the best. You can find Mares who are unhappy and ask them to come with you, but you doubt the other Stallions would care about that.
>After some deliberation, involing rushing up one path, then back down and into another, you finally settle on following a small, barely wide-enough-for-you path through the Stinky Waters.
>The water is very bad here, covered in a multi-coloured, oily film that makes you sneeze repeatedly and makes your eyes water up like you were crying.
>Lots of piles of strange things, almost as big as Tall Things surrounding the Park. Fridges, Toasters, wrecked furniture of all kinds, piled one ontop of the other and left to rot and rust away.
>You wander amongst the canyons of garbage, leaving special hoof-marks to mark the way you came by dragging your hoof through the dirt and make a ‘V’ shape to point way back to Underground.
>You are making another special hoof-mark when hear voices. Loud, angry, Fluffy Pony voices.
>You shuffle forwards nervously towards where you think they are coming from, following a branching path in the maze of garbage, and crouch down behind a rusty pipe, peering under it to stare at the source of the shouting.
>It’s a small Herd of your kind. You can only see ten Fluffies, and there’s no Foals at all. Eight of the Fluffies are sleeping or watching the other two Fluffies, the source of the angry shouting.
>Two male Unicorns are arguing bitterly, one with a Pale Green coat of ragged fluff, the other has a Bright Yellow coat of fluff slicked down with sweat and grime.
>”Wime is Smawty Fwiend!” Pale Green says angrily, puffing up his cheeks at the other Unicorn. “Yuu is siwwy Fwuffy, nu wisten to Wime!”.
>”Yuu is Dumb Fwiend! Swun is Twue Smawty Fwiend! Dumb Fwiend nu wet Hewd haf sweep in Pawk!” Bright Yellow replies, just as angry, and responds by puffing up his cheeks as well. “Haf guud nummies, nu haf Bitin’ Tings keep Fwuffies up aww Cowd Dawk Time!”.
>”YUU IS DUMB FWIEND!” Pale Green shrieks, jumping up and down on the spot, his fluff sticking straight out. “DUMB FWIEND KNOW PAWK NU SAFE PWACE FO’ FWUFFIES TO HAF SWEEPIES!”
>”NU CAWW SMAWTY FWIEND DUMB FWIEND, YUU DUMB FWIEND!” Bright Yellow screams back, also jumping up and down with rage.
>The majority of the Herd is watching this conflict with awe. A pair of Fluffies, however, are closer to you. One of them, with dark, earthy-brown Fluff, is so round her feet barely touch the ground. The other has a coat of Bright Red Fluff and is nuzzling her face and trying to rub a patch of that green slime off the Round Fluffy’s neck with a hoof.
>You creep closer to inspect them as the shouting match between the two Unicorn Smarty Friends gets louder and more intense.
>They are both screaming “DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB!” at each other as loud as they can, their horns making coloured sparks that fly back and forth at each other.
>You can see the Round Fluffy is a Mare, she is with foal, her eight teats all swollen and protruding from her fluff.
>The second Fluffy smells like a Mare, sounds like a Mare, but you can’t be too sure. It is getting very dark, after all …
>”Nu wan’… nu wan haf baybehs in Stinky Wa-Wa’s. Nu wan Baybehs smeww bad an’ haf Meanie Smawty Fwiends …” The Round Fluffy groans, her pale brown fluff matted with sweat. “Wan’ baybehs tu haf happies, nu haf saddies.”
>”Gween yikky stuff nu gif Bwun’s Fwuff huggies nu moar.” The second Fluffy murmurs, scraping her hooves on a nearby rock before having another attempt at wiping the slime off the Round Fluffy. “Bwun be pwetty ‘gain soon.”.
>”Wed be Guud Fwiend.” ‘Bwan’ sighs as the Argument continues. Now the Unicorns are just squealing in high-pitched, incoherent rage at each other.
>There’s a few more hidey-places between you and this Herd. A ripped towel hanging off a jagged piece of scrap-metal, an empty milk-crate, a fridge lying on its side with the doors open and a TV case, all of which you scuttle up behind as you inch closer towards the Herd.
>You don’t want to scare the Herd or have to fight the Unicorn Smarty Friends, but the Fluffy Mumma says she’s unhappy … maybe, if she will come with you, you can keep your promise to Clover and still make No-Lips happy with you?
>Sneak up beind ‘Wed’ and tap her tail with your nose, and smile your best ‘I’m a friend!’ smile at her as Wed turns to look at you, mouth open.
>”Nu yeww, pease! No-Name nu scawy, is Fwuffie, wike yuu!” You whisper, holding a hoof in front of your muzzle. “Bwun nu wike Hewd? Wan’ gu to Guud Hewd whu nu wive in Stinky Wa-Wa’s? Maybe Wed nu wike Hewd tuu?”
>”Wed … nu wike Hewd, Smawty Fwiends awways haf fites now.” Wed admits, crouching down next to her pregnant friend and looking at you with a curious expression. “Nu see ‘No-Name’ b’fowe. Wat Hewd yuu bewong tu?”
>”No-Lips’s Hewd.” You admit proudly, puffing out your chest. “No-Lips is nu wike dose Dumb Fwiends.” You point a hoof at the two Unicorns, who have stopped bouncing up and down in rage and have collapsed onto the filthy ground, shaking from exhaustion, but still yelling insults at each other. “No-Lips keeps Hewd safe, pways wit foaws, is nu scawy when he nu haf tu be. No-Lips is Bestest Smawty Fwiend.”
>”Buh … buh dis is Wed’s Hewd. Wed be part of Herd fo’ … Wed pawt o’ dis Hewd since Wed was Baybeh.” Wed whispers, looking at the small Herd with undisguised fear and confusion.
>”No-Lips nu huwt Fwuffy Mummas?” Bwun asks, staring hard at you, her legs moving softly to prop herself onto her distended belly. “Fluffy Mummas wuved in No-Lips Hewd, gu in Hug-Piwe an’ haf Fwiend who woww dem? Onwy Wed hewps Bwun now, soon, Bwun tu big to wun, haf be wowwed. Smawty Fwiends onwy cawe ‘bout nummies an’ who is Smawtiest Fwiend now.”
>”No-Lips is guud tu his Fwuffies. Wooks afta’ Owd Fwuffies, pways wit’ Foaws, nu huwts Fwuffies unwess dey make Hewd be in Biggest Twouble.” You promise, shuffling over on your belly to whisper as softly as you can to the two Mares as the rest of their Herd mutters and whimpers.
>Behind Bwun, the two Unicorn Smarty Friends are glaring daggers at each other, slowly rising to their feet even as they wobble with fatigue.
>Pale-Green’s face has a few black spots on it that still smoulder. So does Bright-Yellow’s face. They were so angry at each other, their sparks were so hot that burned each other.
>”Hewd nu need Two Smawty Fwiends.” Pale-Green snarls, lowering his horn to point at Bright-Yellow’s throat.
>”Dat wite! Yuu gu, o’ Swun gif yuu Biggest Owies!” Bright-Yellow yells back, also lowering his horn.
>Both horns are glowing with magic, sparks flying out furiously.
>”Bwun gu wit’ No-Name to his Hewd.” The pregnant Mare says suddenly, rising to her feet with a great amount of wobbling from her belly, which protrudes out from between her legs and out behind her rear like a balloon under too much pressure.
>”Buh is Hewd. Owr Hewd. We weawy haf gu?” Wed asks, tears in her eyes as she stands up and shifts her eyes from the whimpering Herd to the two Smarty Friends, howling in pain and hate as they shower each other in sparks that makes their coats of fluff smoulder and smoke, and her friend Bwun, who is slowly, painfully lumbering away.
>”Bwun haf ‘nuff o’ Stupid Meanie Smawty Fwiends. Tiwed of Unicowns makin’ spawks dat make Oiwy Puddwes haf Bwunies when Swun an’ Wime haf fites.” The Pregnant Mare replies, shuffling past you and back down the way you came, snuffling the ground. “Nu wan haf Sweepies where Bitin’ Tings can make Bwun’s eaws aww isshy. Nu wan Bwun’ Baybehs get stomped ‘cause Smawty Fwiends nu can teww who is Daddy.”
>”Wed, come wit No-Name and Bwun.” You beg, reaching out with a hoof to touch her own hoof. “Nu safe fo’ Yuu o’ Bwun. Dis Hewd is tuu wittwe, nu haf 'nuff Toughies! Smawty Fwiend nu cawe 'bout dere Fwuffies, onwy wan be Smawty Fwiend.”
>Wed sniffles, but follows after Bwan, and you follow after them, telling them to look for ‘V’ shapes on the ground.
>”Smawtie Ting.” Bwan complements you, back-tracking from one of the branching passages after you call her back and explain the marks again.
>You only hope the other Stallions are having as much luck as you as you hear the Herd behind you shriek in alarm as the bright lights shed by Lime and Sun’s horns grows brighter and more terrible behind you…
>Honey and You, Wittles the Toughie Friend, are about to Raid a Herd. You’re excited, your heart is bouncing around in your chest so much you can’t keep still.
>”Wittles, weady?” Honey asks, straining against the Hooman Thing on top of the mountain, making it rock and creak alarmingly, but then, the whole of these mountains and canyons of garbage do that every time the wind blows the wrong way …
>”Wittles weady, Honey!” You whisper back and help, pushing your head against the Hoomin Thing and grunting as you strain, your hooves slipping and sliding on the pile of garbage beneath you.
>Both you and Honey have played this trick before, as it only works in Stinky Waters, but it’s very, very effective.
>It starts by pushing something heavy down one of the garbage-mountains near a likely Herd. Once pushed, the Heavy Thing will make lots of noises on the way down and scare the Herd witless, making most of the Stallions run away.
>The Mares almost always stay with Fluffy Mammas and Foals to protect them and try to stop the Fluffy Mummas having Scaredy Fits. Squashing the Fluffy Mummas under several Mares keeps them from puffing up and going ‘Fwoooph’ … most of the time.
>All but the bravest of the Stallions will run away, shrieking in terror at some large, scary, half-seen thing tumbling into the middle of their Herd in the with loud, horrible noises filling their ears.
>You feel the Hooman Thing start to give, then it slowly rolls down the ‘mountain’, picking up speed and knocking more Hooman Things off the mountain, rolling and tumbling and bouncing down to where the Herd is trying to sleep.
>The portable radio crashes down like a thunder-bolt in the middle of the Fluffy Head, narrowly missing a Dark-Yellow Pegasus, who responds by releasing both an ear-piercing scream of terror and his bowels before bolting for the nearest opening in the garbage.
>Predictably, most of the Herd scatters, bumping into and scrambling over each other, trying desperately to climb the surrounding ‘mountains’, only to fall back in more miniature ‘landslides’ of trash or fleeing in shrieking terror down the narrow ‘gulleys’ of dirt between the garbage-canyons.
>A handful of stallions and mares have remained behind to guard the pregnant mares, but the avalanche of cans, empty CD cases and other refuse has rattled them, you can hear it in their voices.
>“NUUUUU! Munstas!” “Fwuffies be Guud! Pwotect Mummas!” “Mumma scawed! Whewe babies, WHEWE BABIES AWE?”
>Give Honey an evil look. It’s the part of the Trick where Honey does his best impression of a Scary Munsta.
>Honey returns the look, the takes a deep breath and starts shouting as loudly as he can.
>”Munsta wan haf Stawwion-Nummies! MUNSTA WAN HAF AWW STAWWIONS FO’ NUMMIES!” He roars at the top of his lungs.
>The Stallions start to pee in fright, but they don’t abandon the Mares. Must be their Special Friends …
>”Du ‘gain, buh moar scawy!” You egg on Honey, staring down at the Mares. They look so pretty! You want One, no, Two Special Friends!
>”MUNSTA WAN STAWWION-NUMMIES! STAWWIONS WUN, DEN MUNSTA NU CAN CATCH, NU CAN EAT STAWWIONS IF DEY WUN!” Honey gives a second bellow.
>That’s it for the Stallions, as they start to squeal in terror and buck at anything that tries to grab them.
>Something just came crashing down and sent half of their Herd running away in pooping terror, and now some hideous ‘Munsta’ in the dark is going to eat them if they stay.
>Kicking the Mares that are trying to give them Hugs to make them brave, the Stallions all race away, squealing in terror.
>You can hear the Mares sobbing in fear even as they squash down on the Fluffy Mummas, hugging each other and the Fluffy Mummas to try and protect the Fluffy Mummas and their Foals from the Munsta.
>Is time. Time to be Brave Fluffies now, to ‘save’ the Mares from the ‘Terrible Munsta’.
>Run down the back of the mountain with Honey right at your heels. It’s harder than climbing, especially since the Sun is almost completely hidden behind now, making the shadows longer, to the point you almost can’t see where the safe places are to put your soft hooves.
>Rush around the base of the mountain, panting with the effort to move to the Mares as fast as you can before some bright spark realises that the ‘Munsta’ has gone, to see the Mares hugging the Fluffy Mummas desperately, promising them that they will protect their foals to their dying breaths.
>One of the Fluffy Mummas was so scared, she started to poop, judging from her screaming about ‘Big Poopies!’.
>No, not poop, babies! The Mares are squeezing her so tightly her Babies are coming out!
>That’s bad timing. No-Lips was adamant, no Foals, only Mares.
>”We hewp!” Honey says, tail waving in the air. “Guud-Bwave-Pwetty Stawwions take Mawes an’ Fwuffy Mummas tu Safe Pwace, hide fwom Munsta!”
>”Nu can take Foaws!” You add, shooting Honey a look. “We sowwy, nu Foaws! Nu can take Foaws!”
>Terrified, the Mares rush over to hug you, sobbing about being left behind, about being so scared. The Pregnant Mares, the Fluffy Mummas, waddle over as well, begging to go to the Safe Place.
>The Fluffy Mumma who gave birth is cuddling and hudding her babies, whispering to them that they are very good, that Herd will love them. You’re pretty sure the World could end right now and she wouldn’t notice.
>There are three Mares and four Fluffy Mummas, not counting the one that just had her babies.
>Maybe three Mares be your Special Friends?
>No, wait, then who will Honey have for his Special Friend?
>Two Special Friends for you, One for Honey then.
>”Fuh’wow Wittles an’ Honey!” You shout, leading them back around the mountain. “We gu tu Unner’ground, gu tu No-Lips Hewd. Safe! Wamm Safe Pwace fo’ Fwuffie Mummas an’ den dey can haf dere Baybehs in peace.” You promise.
>Crying with relief, shaking with fear, the Mares follow, helping the Fluffy Mummas along as best they can, with Honey bringing up the rear, rolling the fattest Fluffy Mummas along with the Mares.
>By the time the New Mother thinks to look up to ask the other Fluffy Mummas about what they think of her Babies, everyone is long gone, leaving behind only the echoes of their babbling and the fading shrieking of her Herd.
>She curls up around her Foals, shaking from the fear and the cold as the half-blind, damp Foals nurse and cling to her belly-fluff.
>Her Herd is scattered and terrified. They might not come back tonight. It is very hard to stay warm without Hugs in Stinky Waters, and her constant shivering is upsetting her Foals, making it hard for them to cling to her warm, milk-filled, life-giving teats.
>”W-whewe fwiends?” She whispers, tears falling down her face as the babies whimper and whine as her shivering threatens to dislodge them from their perches. “Why nu-nu-nuu t-take tongs-s-s-s wit’? Tong i-s-s-s-s Guud Fwuffy, haf Gu-gu-guud Baybehs …”
>Slowly, over the course of an hour, most of the Herd trickles back in, covered in muck, mud and pee, whimpering and crying and shivering with fear and cold.
>The Stallions, spotting the Fluffy Mumma and hearing the whining of her Foals, rush over to give her hugs, surrounding her in a Hug-Pile to keep her warm, whispering how sorry they are, how beautiful her babies are, how much they love them.
>Then, panic from their Smarty Friend, the Dark-Yellow Pegasus that almost got crushed beneath the radio.
>”Where owr otha’ Mawes?” He shouts, running around the Herd’s favourite sleeping ground. “Whewe Mawes gu! Why nu come back!”
>”T-Tong tink dat Fwiends hewp Mawes an’ Fwuffy Mummas gu tu Safe Pwace.” Tongs replies, happy to be Hugged and warm again. “Wittles an’ Honey take Mawes to safe pwace.”
>The Pegasus looks at her for long seconds, then starts to scream with frustration, running around and head-butting the remaining Stallions, scaring everyone and forcing every last member of her Herd around the sole remaining Mare.
>”Evewy Fwuffy is DUMB!” Smarty Friend screams, stamping his hooves on the ground and grinding his teeth.
>”W-w-why? Why Smawty Fwiend gif Owies tu Fwuffie?” One of the Stallions whines, nursing a sore leg.
>”Because Hewd haf NU FWIENDS CAWWED WITTLES AN’ HONEY!” The Smarty Friend yells back.
>Most of the Mares are gone, there’s only four left, including Tongs the Fluffy Mumma, and there are no Foals in the Herd. He was counting on the Fluffy Mummas to resolve that issue!
>If he chases after the thieves, he could lose the rest of his herd to predators, or maybe one of his Toughie Friends might try to rebel and take over the Herd for himself.
>If he stays, there are only four Mares, and close to twenty Stallions. The Mares will be badgered non-stop for Special Hugs, get depressed and maybe try to run away, meaning he’ll have to assign more Stallions to watch over them and less to finding food and fighting off Rival Herds.
>The Herd might have to disband and join other Herds if they lose all of their Mares, and a Former Smarty Friend would never be allowed into another Herd unless he grovelled and abased himself before the Smarty Friend of that Herd, and maybe not even then …
>Screaming his frustrations to the night sky, the Pegasus flaps his little wings as hard as he can and run around the Herd in circles, shouting at the top of his lungs.
>“WIWW FIND YUU! WITTWES! HONEY! DOSE WERE MY MAWES!”
>Be Zodd, the Biggest, Strongest, Bestest Fluffy in the whole world, or so your friend Bluehorn tells you.
>”Gum is Smawty Fwiend! Gum say who gif Speshaw Huggies tu Mawes!” The annoying Pink Fluffy is screaming at you, bouncing up and down and spitting in rage.
>Don’t care, you have a Mare. She’s squealing about Bad Huggies an’ No-No’s Owies, but she’s silly, Special Hugs feel good!
>And you’re far too big for the Silly Pink Fluffy to hurt anyway.
>At least, you thought so, but then his kicks you on the nose. It’s just a tap, but it surprises you!
>“OWIES! Nose haf Owies!” You babble, rearing backwards with your front legs flailing, releasing the Mare and holding both front hooves up to your nose. Feel her pull away, and then your No-No’s is no longer warm and happy.
>And that makes you very, very angry.
>”Big Fwuffy is Big, buh Smawty Fwiend stiww can make Boo-Boo Juices come!” The Pink Fluffy yells again, puffing out his cheeks at you. “Yuu gu ‘way! Dis Gum’s Hewd! Dese Gum’s Mawes! Dese Gum’s Toughie Fwiends! Nu scawed of One Fwuffy!”
>”Dose are Zodd’s Mawes now!” You shout back, standing up and advancing on this ‘Gum’ with fury snapping in your eyes.
>You’ve got several inches on him, not including the Fluff. And this time you’re not distracted by a wonderfully soft Mare wriggling underneath you.
>He goes to kick you again, rearing back on his hind legs and flailing his front hooves at you.
>You stand up on your back legs, and he misses, and you see his eyes go wide in panic as his attack fails.
>Then you fall down again, your hooves smacking onto the top of his head and slamming him down into the ground with an audible thump.
>Jump on his head a few times to make a point.
>”ZODD IS NEW SMAWTY FWIEND!” You roar at the Herd, who are holding each other and whimpering. “Aww Mawes wiww come wit’ Zodd, or Zodd gif Biggest Owies tu aww Stawwions wike Zodd gif dem tu Gum!”
>Your No-no’s are throbbing, demanding the Good Feels again. The Mare you were special Hugging has run back to her Herd and is being given Hugs, crying and staring at you with a horrified expression on her face.
>Smarty Friend is wobbling back to his feet, blood leaking from his mouth and ears.
>”My … Hewd! Meany Fwuffy … gu … way!” He grunts, staggering around to bump ineffectively against your leg.
>”Pink Fwuffy is weak! Smaw! Nu Smawty Fwiend, just Dumb!” You grunt back, kicking him in the shoulder and making the Smarty Friend’s forward half collapse back onto the ground.
>You walk around him, glaring at the recaltant Mares, and see his hind-quarters still in the air, wiggling as this ‘Gum’ tries to stand up once again.
>No-no’s still throbbing. You didn’t get to have the Good Feels before, thank to this Stupid Smarty Friend …
>But maybe he can help. No-Lips won’t care if you give ‘Bad’ Special Hugs to a Stallion who is not a part of your Herd? And how can Special Hugs be bad when they make you feel soooo good?
>You decide this is a Smarty Thing to do, just like Bluehorn tells you!
>”WAAAAAAAH! Nuuu! Owies! Gum nu wike! Pweeeeeeease!” He squeals as you mount him, thrusting ineffectively until your No-no’s find the right place.
>Feels different from a Mare. Not bad different, just different-different. It still feels good, and your No-No’s is happy and warm again!
>Gum’s Herd is watching, stunned, as you give Bad Special Hugs to Gum, grunting and straining and panting as the little Pink Smarty wriggles and claws at the dirt under you.
>”Gum nu wuke dis! Pwease! Gum’s Poopy-Howe Haf Huwties! Nu wan Poopy-Owies!” He whimpers, but Gum isn’t big enough to push you away. “Gum nu Smawty nu moar, Zodd is Smawty, ZODD IS SMAWTY! Pwease nu moar, Gum sowwy, Gum sowwwwyyyyy!”
>You feel … powerful. Gum is as big as No-Lips, but you’ve make him do what you want.
>He even made you the Smarty Friend of his Herd! Maybe Bluehorn was right … maybe you are destined to be the Smarty Friend of No-Lips’s Herd.
>You finish, have the Good Feels, and then roll off Gum. Gum curls up into a ball, crying and whimpering and shaking, but you’re done with him. It’s time to take the Mares back to the Herd!
>Glare at the Once-Gum’s-Now-Zodd’s Herd, who are staring back at you with big, frightened eyes, hugging each other and whispering to each other in small, terrified voices.
>”Mawes wiww come wit’ Zodd NOW, or Zodd gif Speshaw Huggies to evewy Fwuffie!” You threaten, puffing up your cheeks and making your Fluff stand on end.
>At that point, half the Herd shrieks and runs away, or tries to, and the other half just howls in terror and forms a hug-pile with their Foals in the middle.
>The runners are bouncing off each other, hitting each other with their hooves as they try to scramble up the walls of garbage and then falling down, half-burying themselves in garbage.
>Their yelling is making your ears hurt. Your heart won’t stop beating so fast. Your No-No’s throb, demanding more Good Feels.
>You have to make the screaming stop, it’s making your ears hurt!
>You lash out at a Fluffy Mumma who tried to run past, hitting her in the neck with a hoof.
>She squeals and falls over, begging for help, but she’s not able to run away anymore.
>This gives you an idea. It’s Mean, but that’s what a Herd of Bad Mean Loud Fluffies who won’t obey their New Smarty Friend deserve!
>You charge into the panicking herd, biting, kicking, headbutting.
>You are Zodd the Smarty Pony!
>Zodd the Big Fluffy!
>Zodd the Unstoppable!
>Stallions turn to face you, afraid to turn their rear ends to face your wrath, and you stomp on their faces, crushing them into the dirt and the scardey-poopies left by the rest of the Herd.
>Foals scream in pain as you trample over them to give Special Hugs to the Mares.
>The Mares hold each other and cry out for help as you give them Special Hugs before kicking them over and bawling into their faces how bad they are, you are their new Special Smarty Friend, you give Good Special Hugs!
>By the time your heart has stopped pounding, the Herd has mostly fled, leaving behind a mess of churned earth and poop, crushed foals and the dead and the crippled of their number.
>Your heart sinks.
>It happened again.
>No-Lips will be so angry … You didn’t mean to! You just … just …
>Wait, what did Bluehorn say?
>”Zodd is Guud Fwuffy, buh No-Lips is Meanie Fwuffy. Awways make Zodd gu wook fo’ Munstas. Awways haf Zodd cawwy nummies an’ tweasuwes.” Bluehorn had whispered in your ears, so No-Lips couldn’t hear and yell at you again. “No-Lips is nu Fwiend tu Zodd. If Zodd be Smawty Fwiend, Hewd awways haf Foaws an’ Baybehs. Zodd’s Baybehs. Big, Stwong, happy Foaws who wuv Zodd an’ can pway wit’ Zodd an’ nu get Owies o’ Huwties.”
>Maybe Bluehorn was right. He is a very smart Fluffy …
>And this is not only Herd in Stinky Waters. There are many, many others, and surely there’s a Herd or two out there Good Enough and Smart Enough to understand how lucky they will be to have you for a Smarty Friend!
>Stepping on the crying form of Gum, who looks at the shattered remains of his Herd with a look of horror and self-loathing etched on his face, you stride out into the canyons and mountains of garbage looking for another Herd to claim.
Old Ponibooru Version
On the Rocks, Part 3
>The sunlight that was filtering down through the grate in the roof of Haven is starting to come in at an angle again.
>Soon, you, No-Name, will be sent out with the other young stallions to raid.
>Hate raids, but No-Lips say’s it’s important.
>Bring mares from other Herds back to No-Lips Herd, make No-Lips Herd strong again.
>Lost so many Fluffies in the past few days.
>Herd is now only thirty strong.
>Last week, it was over forty.
>Mares of No-Lips Herd cry. Many were taken from their own Herds. They miss their Old Herds sometimes, but they know No-Lips is best Smarty Friend.
>Clover is crying and leaning her head into your chest.
>”Clover not haf sad wa-was, No-Name not make Owies for new Herd-friends.” You promise her.
>”Clover miss Mumma, miss Brudda. No-Lips say No-Lips Herd only haf room for young mares.” She whispers, staring at her foals. “Miss Special Friend. He nice. Bring Clover nice nummies.”
>You give Clover the best not-Special Hug you can. She’s a friend. You wish you could make her happier.
>No-Lips is waiting for all the young stallions at the entrance to Haven. You, Wittles and Honey are the last three to arrive.
>”Young Mares!” No-Lips shouts, glaring at you all. “No-Lips Herd need only Young Mares. Not Foals, not Old Fluffies, not more Stallions!”
>”Know is scary. Know Fluffy feel big saddies to make other Fluffies scared.” He continues, marching up and down the line of stallions, all of whom are totally focused on him. “Most Smarty Friends are Dumb Friends! Abandon Friends to swave own Fluff! Let Foals have saddies so they can pway! Not share nummies with Fluffy Mummas!”
>”You bring back Mares to No-Lips Herd! We look after Mares, make happy, not saddies, gif good nummies, safe pwace to haf Foals!” No-Lips turns and stares you right in the eyes. “No hurt Mares if Fluffies not have to. Dumb Friends not care if Mare go wit’ No-Lips Friends. Smarty Friends will be angwy with Fluffies if Mares go wit’ you, them, you fight.”
>”We weady, No-Lips!” Honey boasts, puffing his chest out with pride. “Honey bwing back Mares, keep No-Lips Herd stwong!”
>”Zodd weady. Fight Smarty Friend, take all Mares.” Zodd rumbles, baring his teeth in what could be a smile or a snarl.
>”No-Name weady!” You pipe up. “No-Name find Mares who be saddies, and bwing back to No-Lips!”
>The other stallions start making promises as well.
>It’s scary, but there’s a part of you that’s excited too.
>No-Lips Herd is strongest in Underground.
>Some Herds try to find Haven, but never get past the Munstas.
>Rat Munstas eat them.
>Big Metal Munstas drag them down the tunnels and crush them.
>Two-Leg Munstas snatch them up and take them away.
>Nobody knows what Two-Leg Munstas do with Fluffies they catch.
>”Den Raid starts!” No-Lips yells, trotting to the side and waving a hoof towards the twisting passageway between the piles of old Poop and Papers, and the glowing Mushrooms. “Bring back Mares, or no come back to Haven till you do!”
>Zodd gives an excited cry and charges, and you find yourself giving chase.
>Something deep inside you enjoys this.
>It’s scary, but you not mind so much. More excited than when playing with Rock-Balls or having Special Hugs.
>You feel indestructible.
>Everyone follows the way the Red Straws are pointing on the Fluffy Markers.
>Is direction of Stinky Waters, where most Fluffy Herds go at the end of the day.
>Water is dirty there, and air full of small biting things, but it safe from Two-Leg Munstas and only have small number of Rat Munstas.
>Is long run, but no Metal Munstas this way. No need to grab each other and hope Metal Munstas not grab you and drag you down tunnels.
>See daylight in grates above. Daylight is going sideways now, turning darker.
>Sun gets angry morning and afternoon. You think it must, because it makes light angry colour.
>Smell is getting worse. Underground never smell pretty, but closer Raiders get to Stinky Waters, worse smell gets.
>Worse than Fluffy Poop. Smells of rancid water and rotting food and a hundred other things that not good for Fluffies.
>Tunnel opens up after last turn of the tunnel.
>Sun is hiding behind big tall things, glaring angrily at you.
>You can hear the babble of Fluffy Ponies in the distance.
>Zodd stops and sniffs the air.
>Several Fluffies who could not stop in time run into the back of him and bounce off, saying “Owies!” and “Why Zodd stop!”
>Wittles bounces off Zodd, clutching his muzzle and whining about “Nose make Owies-Wa-wa!”
>”Zodd smell Munsta?” You ask, coming up to stand at Zodd’s side. If there is a Munsta, Zodd might be the only one who could stop it.
>”Zodd smell Mares.” He rumbles.
>His No-no’s is standing out.
>It scares you. No-no’s aren’t supposed to be that big.
>You can smell it too, now that you’re out of the Underground.
>A strange smell. Peach made that smell when you first join No-Lip’s Herd. Made your No-no’s be naughty, but Peach waved her rear in your face till you couldn’t take it anymore and gave her Special Hugs.
>Most of the other Stallions are sniffing the air, grinning and babbling to each other.
>”We have Special Hugs, then take Mares back?” Wittles asks hopefully.
>”Maybe.” Zodd grunts, looking back to the tunnel with a strange expression on his face. “No-Lips say he wan Mares … not say we not have Special Hugs.”
>”Every Fluffy!” Honey shouts, drawing attention to him. “Every Fluffy remember Raid, wat do?”
>A few shake their heads, confused.
>”Fluffies must get a Mare each. No go back to Haven without Mare!” Honey says, Fluff puffed out. “Two Mares better, but One Mare enough. No pwaying wit other Herds. No join other Herds! Fluffies must …!”
>”No-Lips say no Foals, no Stallions!” Zodd rumbles, pushing Honey aside with a hoof. “Zodd not wan wait, Zodd go now!”
>In ones and twos, the Raiders drift away, seeking out that wonderful scent.
>Honey and Wittles trot off together, babbling about having Special Friends all their own, not having to share with Zodd.
>Blue-Horn gives you a withering look and runs off on his own as well.
>You’re on your own.
>Follow a small path through the Stinky Waters. Wawa’s bad here, green stuff on the water, nasty biting things swim in it.
>Lots of piles of strange things, almost as big as Tall Things surrounding the Park.
>Some are dark and scary, lots of holes in them.
>Some have lots of pretty colours.
>You wander amongst the piles, leaving special hoof-marks to mark the way you came.
>Drag hoof through dirt and make ‘V’ shape to point way back to Underground.
>Making another special hoof-mark when hear voices.
>You crouch down behind a rusty pipe and peer around to look.
>It’s a small herd. You can only see ten Fluffies.
>Two Unicorns are arguing. One is Pale Green, the other, Bright Yellow
>”I Smarty Friend!” Pale Green says angrily, puffing up his cheeks at the other Unicorn.
>”You Dumb Friend! I Smarty Friend! Dumb Friend not let Herd sleep in Park!” Bright Yellow replies, just as angry, and responds by puffing up his cheeks as well.
>”YOU DUMB FRIEND!” Pale Green shrieks, jumping up and down on the spot, his fluff sticking straight out. “DUMB FRIEND KNOW PARK NOT SAFE!”
>”NOT CALL SMARTY FRIEND DUMB, DUMB FRIEND!” Bright Yellow screams back, also jumping up and down with rage.
>The majority of the Herd is watching this conflict with awe. A pair of Fluffies, however, are closer to you. One is so round her feet barely touch the ground. The other is nuzzling her face and trying to rub a patch of that horrible slime off the Round Fluffy’s neck with a hoof.
>You creep closer to inspect them as the shouting match between the two Unicorns gets louder and more intense.
>They are both screaming “DUMB DUMB DUMB!” at each other as loud as they can, their horns making coloured sparks that fly back and forth at each other.
>You can see the Round Fluffy is a Mare, she is with foal, her eight teats all swollen and protruding from her fluff.
>The second Fluffy smells like a Mare, sounds like a Mare, but you can’t be too sure. It is getting very dark, after all …
>”No wan’…” The Round Fluffy groans, her pale brown fluff matted with sweat. “Wan’ happies, not saddies.”
>”Gween stuff weaving.” The second Fluffy murmurs, scraping her hooves on a nearby rock before having another attempt at wiping the slime off the Round Fluffy. “Bwan be pwetty soon.” The Second Fluffy is a darker red-brown colour.
>”Wed be good Fwiend.” ‘Bwan’ sighs as the Argument continues. Now the Unicorns are just squealing at each other.
>There’s a few more hidey-places between you and this Herd. A ripped towel hanging off a jagged piece of scrap-metal, an empty milk-crate, a fridge lying on its side with the doors open and a TV case.
>Not want to scare Herd, just want a Mare.
>Sneak up beind ‘Wed’ and tap her tail with your nose.
>She turns to look at you, mouth open.
>”No make noise! No-Name not scawy!” You whisper, holding a hoof in front of your muzzle. “Wed not happy wit Herd? Bwan not happy?”
>”Wed … not wike Herd.” She admits, crouching down next to her pregnant friend and looking at you with a curious expression. “Not seen No-Name. What Herd you from.”
>”No-Lips.” You admit proudly, puffing out your chest. “No-Lips not wike Dumb Friends wike them.” You point a hoof at the two Unicorns, who have stopped bouncing and have collapsed on the ground, shaking from exhaustion, but still yelling insults at each other. “No-Lips keeps Herd safe, pways wit foals, takes care of Fluffies. He true Smarty Friend.”
>”But … but this is Wed’s Herd. Wed be part of Herd since … Wed no can remember when not part of herd.” Wed whispers, looking at the small Herd with undisguised fear and confusion.
>”No-Lips no hurt Fluffy Mummas?” Bwanasks, staring hard at you, her legs moving softly to prop herself onto her distended belly. “Fluffy Mummas wuved in No-Lips Herd?”
>”No-Lips wuvs Fluffies. Wuvs Old Fluffies, Stallions, Mares, Foals. No-Lips not hurt Fluffies unless they very silly.” You promise.
>The two Unicorns are glaring at each other, slowly rising to their feet.
>Pale-Green’s face has a few black spots on it.
>So does Bright-Yellow’s face.
>They burned each other with their sparks.
>”Herd not need Two Smarty Friends.” Pale-Green snarls, lowering his horn to point at Bright-Yellow’s throat.
>”You go, or Swun give biggest owies!” Bright-Yellow yells back, also lowering his horn.
>Both horns are glowing with magic, sparks flying out furiously.
>”Bwan go with No-Name.” The pregnant Mare says suddenly, rising to her feet with a great amount of wobbling.
>”But is Herd. Our Herd. We go? Weawy?” Wed asks, tears in her eyes.
>”Bwan tired of Unicorns. Tired of sparks that make Funny Water make Hot-Owies when Swun and Minty yell at each other.” The Pregnant Mare replies, shuffling past you and back down the way you came, snuffling the ground. “Not wan sleep wit small things biting Bwan’s nose and ears. No wan eat yikky foodies, when Swun and Minty eat nummies.”
>”Wed, come wit No-Name and Bwan.” You beg, reaching out with a hoof to touch her own hoof. “Not safe, Wed’s Herd too small, Smarty Friends not care ‘bout other Fluffies.”
>Wed sniffles, but follows after Bwan, and you follow after them, telling them to look for ‘V’ shapes on the ground.
>”Smartie Thing.” Bwan complements you, back-tracking from one of the branching passages after you call her back and explain the marks again.
>You only hope the other Stallions are having as much luck as you.
>Honey and You are about to Raid a Herd. You’re excited, your heart is bouncing around in your chest.
>”Wittles, weady?” Honey asks, straining against the Hooman Thing on top of the mountain.
>”Wittles weady, Honey!” You whisper back and help.
>Done this before.
>Push heavy thing down near Herd, it make lots of noise and scare Herd, make it scatter.
>Mares stay with Fluffy Mammas and Foals. Most of the time.
>Stallions scream and either try to fight or run away.
>You feel the Hooman Thing start to give, then it slowly rolls down the ‘mountain’, picking up speed and knocking more Hooman Things off the mountain and down to where the Herd is trying to sleep.
>The portable radio crashes down like a thunder-bolt in the middle of the Fluffy Head, narrowly missing a Pegasus who responds by releasing both an ear-piercing scream of terror and his bowels.
>Predictably, most of the Herd scatters, bumping into each other, trying desperately to climb the surrounding ‘mountains’ or fleeing in shrieking terror down the narrow valleys between the mountains of trash.
>A handful of stallions and mares have remained behind to guard the pregnant mares, but the avalanche of cans, empty CD cases and other refuse has rattled them.
>Give Honey an evil look.
>Honey returns the look, the takes a deep breath and starts shouting.
>”Munsta wan eat Stallions! MUNSTA EAT ALL STALLIONS!” He roars at the top of his lungs.
>The Stallions start to pee in fright, but they don’t abandon the Mares.
>”Do again, but make scarier!” You egg on Honey, staring down at the Mares. They look so pretty! You want One, no, Two Special Friends!
>”MUNSTA EAT STALLIONS! STALLIONS RUN, MUNSTA NOT CATCH, NOT EAT!” Honey gives a second bellow.
>That’s it for the Stallions.
>Something just came crashing down and sent half the Herd running.
>Now some hideous Munsta in the dark is going to eat them if they stay.
>Kicking the Mares that are trying to give them Hugs to make them brave, the Stallions all race away, squealing in terror.
>The Mares are all crying now, hugging each other and the Fluffy Mummas.
>Is time to be Brave Fluffies now.
>Run down the back of the mountain. It’s harder than climbing, because Sun is almost gone now, shadows longer, can almost not see not-owies places to walk.
>Rush around the base of the mountain to see the Mares hugging the Fluffy Mummas.
>One was so scared, she started to poop.
>No, not poop, babies!
>Is bad. No-Lips said no Foals.
>Not take her.
>”We hewp!” Honey says, tail waving in the air. “We take Mares to safe pwace!”
>”No can take Foals!” You add, shooting Honey a look. “We sowwy, no Foals! No can take Foals!”
>Terrified, the Mares rush over to hug you. The Pregnant Mares, the Fluffy Mummas, waddle over as well, begging to go to the Safe Pwace.
>The Fluffy Mumma who gave birth is cuddling and hudding her babies, whispering to them that they are very good, that Herd will wuv them.
>There are three Mares. Four Fluffy Mummas, not counting the one that had babies.
>Maybe three Mares be your Special Friends?
>No, wait, then who Honey have for Special Friends?
>Two Special Friends for you, One for Honey then.
>”Fuh’wow Wittles an’ Honey!” You shout, leading them back around the mountain. “We go Underground, we go to No-Lips Herd. Safe! Warm for Mares and Foals.” You promise.
>Crying, shaking with fear, the Mares follow, helping the Fluffy Mummas along as best they can, with Honey bringing up the rear.
>By the time the New Mother looks up to ask other Fluffies to wuv her babies as well, you’re all long gone.
>She curls up around her Foals, shaking from the fear and the cold.
>Her Herd is scattered and terrified. They might not come back tonight. It be hard to stay warm without Hugs in Stinky Waters.
>”W-where fwiends?” She whispers, tears falling down her face as the babies slowly nuzzle their way to her teats and begin to feed. “Why not take Tongs wit? Tongs Good Fluffy.”
>Slowly, the Herd trickles back in, covered in muck, mud and pee, whimpering and crying.
>The Stallions come over to give her hugs, saying they are ‘Sowwy’.
>Then, panic from their Smarty Friend, the Pegasus that almost got crushed.
>”Where Mares?” He shouts, running around the Herd’s favourite sleeping ground. “Where Mares go! Why not come back!”
>”Friends help.” Tongs replies, happy to be Hugged and warm again. “Wittles an’ Honey take Mares to safe pwace.”
>The Pegasus looks at her for long seconds, then starts to scream with frustration, running around and head-butting the remaining Stallions, scaring everyone and forcing them together around Tongs.
>”Every Fluffy is DUMB!” Smarty Friend screams, stamping his hooves on the ground and grinding his teeth.
>”W-w-why? Why Smarty Friend hurt Fluffy?” One of the Stallions asks, nursing a sore leg.
>”Because Herd has NO FRIENDS CALLED WITTLES AN’ HONEY!” The Smarty Friend yells back.
>Most of the Mares are gone.
>Almost all the Foals.
>Only four Mares remain in his Herd.
>If he chases after the thieves, he could lose the rest of his herd.
>If he stays, there are only four Mares.
>The Herd will have to disband and join other Herds.
>Screaming his frustrations to the night sky, the Pegasus flaps his little wings as hard as he can and starts climbing the mountain of trash.
>Those are his Mares! Nobody takes them away! Nobody!
>”I Smarty Friend! I say who give Special Hugs!” The annoying Pink Fluffy is screaming at you.
>Don’t care, have Mare.
>Zodd too big for Pink Fluffy to hurt anyway.
>At least, you thought so, then his kicks you on the nose.
>OWIES! It make sad Wawas come! You totter backwards, releasing the Mare and holding both front hooves up to your nose.
>”Big Fluffy is Big, but Smarty Friend know how make Owies!” The Pink Fluffy yells again, puffing out his cheeks at you. “You go, not Special Hug Gum’s Mares! My Mares!”
>”Zodd’s Mares now!” You shout back, standing up and advancing on this ‘Gum’.
>You’ve got several inches on him, not including the Fluff.
>He goes to kick you again.
>You stand up on your back legs, and he misses.
>Then you fall down again.
>Your hooves hit his head.
>He goes to the ground with a whimper.
>Jump on his head a few times to make a point.
>”ZODD IS NEW SMARTY FRIEND!” You roar at the Herd, who are holding each other and whimpering. “All Mares come with Zodd, or I give all Fluffies big owies!”
>Your No-no’s is throbbing. The Mare you were special Hugging has run back to her Herd and is being given Hugs.
>Smarty Friend is wobbling back to his feet.
>”My … Herd! Meany Fluffy … goes!” He grunts, staggering around to bump ineffectively against your neck.
>”Pink Fluffy is weak! Small! Not Smarty Friend, just Dumb!” You grunt back, kicking him in the leg and making his front half fall down.
>You walk around him, and see his hind-quarters still in the air.
>No-no’s still throbbing.
>Dumb Friend not a Mare. No-Lips not care if you Bad Special Hug Dumb Friend, right?
>Bad Special Hugs.
>”WAAAAAAAH! No! Owies! Gum not wike! Pwease!” He squeals as you mount him, thrusting ineffectively until your No-no’s find the right place.
>Feels different from a Mare. Not bad different, just different-different.
>Still feels good.
>Gum’s Herd is watching, stunned, as you give Bad Special Hugs to Gum.
>”Gum now wike! Pwease! Gum’s Poopy-Hole feels bad! Owies! No!” He whimpers, but Gum isn’t big enough to push you away. “Gum not Smarty Pony! Zodd Smarty Pony! Pwease stop, Gum sowwy, Gum sowwwwyyyyy!”
>You feel … powerful. Gum bigger than No-Lips, but you make him do what you want.
>He even call you Smarty Pony.
>You finish, and then roll off Gum.
>Gum curls up into a ball, crying and whimpering.
>Glare at his Herd, who are now staring at you with big, frightened eyes.
>”Mares come with Zodd, or Zodd make Bad Special Hugs with everyone!” You threaten, puffing up your cheeks and making your Fluff stand on end.
>Half the Herd shrieks and runs away, or tries to.
>They’re bouncing off each other, hitting each other with their hooves as they try to scramble up the walls of garbage and then falling down, half-burying themselves in garbage.
>Their yelling is making your ears hurt.
>Your heart won’t stop beating so fast.
>Make the owies stop.
>You lash out at a Fluffy Mumma who tried to run past, hitting her in the neck with a hoof.
>She squeals and falls over, begging for help.
>This gives you an idea.
>You charge into the panicking herd, biting, kicking, headbutting.
>You are Zodd the Smarty Pony!
>Zodd the Big Fluffy!
>Zodd the Unstoppable!
>Stallions turn to you, afraid to turn their rear ends to face your wrath, and you stomp on their faces.
>Foals scream in pain as you trample over them to give Bad Special Hugs to the Mares.
>The Mares hold each other and cry out for help as you give them Bad Special Hugs.
>By the time your heart has stopped pounding, the Herd has mostly fled.
>Your heart sinks.
>It happened again.
>No-Lips be so angry …
>Wait, what did Blue-Horn say?
>”Zodd is Good Fluffy, but No-Lips is Mean Fluffy. Always makes Zodd go look for Munstas. Always makes Zodd carry Treasures.”
>Maybe Blue-Horn right.
>And this not only Herd in Stinky Waters.
>Stepping on the crying form of Gum, who looks at the shattered remains of his Herd with a look of horror on his face, you stride out into the canyons and mountains of garbage looking for another Herd to claim.