You watch Sundae run and play with the other mares and foals as the staff sets up the other side of the room for her first encounter with the therapy stallions, and do your best to take deep breaths. You’re here, you’re not going to let anything bad happen to her, and she knows it. The encounter side isn’t that much different from the free play side, really. The same scattered toys and loose bedding to promote creative play, interaction, and instinctive behaviors, but they’re also setting up a small temporary pen inside it, with a deep and comfortable-looking nest, full of soothing pillows and stuffie friends. It’s too tall for a fluffy to jump, and the only other way in or out is a single cat-flap on the most accessible side. You really hope it doesn’t make Sundae nervous.
Scott, one of the people on shift this morning, has explained it to you, but it’s not obvious at first glance that it works on the principle of a shark cage, meant less to keep a mare in than to keep stallions out. Of course, none of the therapy stallions are going to attack or chase anyone, but this little portable panic room is there for any mare whose fears get the better of her. At least Sundae trusts you, so if you say it’s okay, she’ll be inclined to believe you. And she won’t be alone. Not only will she have the therapy mares for backup, but all this isn’t set up just for her, she’ll be with a ‘class’ of other mares.
Really, it’s kind of like being a parent at the playground, as the four of you humans gather up your mares. Sundae comes easily away from a game of huggie tag, and is pleased to let you pick her up and carry her to joint he rest of the class. There are five mares total, because one of your comrades, a cute, chubby, girl with big round glasses, has two. They’re a particularly noticeable pair, one a cute but very plain all-brown earthie, the other possible the most ridiculously designer specimen of fluffydom you have ever seen in real life, an alicorn with extreme ears, lop-style, five-pointed stars in her eyes, and those split wings meant to look like a dragonfly. You do your best not to stare, not wanting to make her nervous. She sticks close to the earthie, and it looks like maybe she’s here for moral support. Once you’re all seated on the floor next the security pen, you quietly ask the girl about her fluffies.
She beams. “This part is for Terra,” she says, stroking the earthie’s mane where she’s cuddled in her lap, the alicorn sitting at her knee. “Sparkle just wants to be a good sister, don’t you, girl?”
“Yes, Mummah,” the alicorn, Sparkle, says. She has the oddly refined kind of voice you’ve heard from some pageant ponies and other highly-bred types, and gazes up at you with those starry eyes, very calm. “Spawkwe wuv Tewwa-sissy. Hewwo, nicie wady. Spawkwe am pweased tu meechu.” She offers you one delicate little orange hoof, and you take it, instinctively bowing a little instead of shaking it, because Sparkle is clearly a lady. Sundae waves from your lap, and Sparkle smiles at her. “Hewwo, nyu fwen!”
Sundae introduces herself, and the two of them compare notes on the fluffy basics, and Sparkle explains that Terra is shy and extra-nervous today. Sundae, sweet girl that she is, reminds Terra that this is a good place, and doesn’t keep meanie stallions. You’re glad of the reminder yourself, and gladder still when Luna comes in with the therapy mares at her heels, gently clapping her hands for attention and giving you all a bright smile. She explains that you will be meeting all ten of the stallions today, but in two sessions to make it less overwhelming. This first group will be Arrokoth, Crystal, Phaeton, Sunkist, and Marron. You did look everyone up again this morning, but you can’t seem to remember a damn thing right now.
The therapy mares come trotting over to greet the class, and you set Sundae on the floor to talk to them, those around you doing the same. Terra glues herself to Sparkle’s side, but she seems calm, and that’s good. Sundae takes Terra’s other side, sweet girl that she is. A grey unicorn named Raincloud and a purple pegasus called Dawn complete the class, and all of the mares nuzzle and greet each other as Luna continues, speaking to the humans.
“Arrokoth will be the first out, and we’ll see who feels up to talking to him,” she says. “He can be a little intimidating, but he’s a real sweetheart. Ladies?” she asks, speaking to the fluffies now.
Spike looks up, the others following her lead and paying close attention. “Yes, Miss Wuna?”
“Are we ready to see Arrow?”
Spike glances around at the class. “Weady see nicie stawwion?” she asks. She waits until everyone nods, even Terra. “Weady, Miss Wuna,” she says, and Luna smiles.
“Good girl,” she says, and then whistles.
The tapping of hoofpads lets you know that a large, heavy fluffy is approaching, and sure enough, a huge, rough-coated red-orange earthie comes trotting out from the back. His mane and tail are a deep purple, and his hoofpads and his eyes are a dark, peacock green. Someone has put a single braid into his mane for him, just a little punctuation, like the light scarring on his snout. He goes into the encounter pen and immediately lies down, with that acute knowledge of his own size and strength that some big guys have. Ears pricked forward in friendly interest, he watches the mares, and they watch him.