There were only four charges in the Colt Room by lunch time, and three of them were parked contentedly in front of the tv. Kimmy had her hands full in the Filly Room, so Pete was periodically leaving the colts unattended for the forty five seconds it took to check on her.
His highness Prince Rupert was leading two small bebbeh colts in singing along with one of the inane fluff tv shows. The trouble was Cinder, an orange and red pegasus who was very spoiled and demanding. Almost fully grown but still acting like a chirpy, Cinder was banging his little hooves on the plexiglass gate and crying every time Pete left the room.
Poor Kimmy had also taken charge of the Chirpy and Mummah room, as the third morning employee had no showed, and there were the 4 fillies, and two mummahs with 3 chirpies each, and one enormously pregnant mare that Kimmy had set in a laundry basket with towels, just in case, all crowded into the ten by ten filly room.
Thankfully the fillies were all well behaved and content to play pretend games with their stuffies and blocks. Kimmy was smart enough to portion out lunch before the daycare got too crowded, and all Pete had to do was pop down to the kitchen and grab the trays with their pre-portioned and labeled bowls.
Lunch time was chaotic as soon as the bowls hit the ground. the tiny ponies buried their faces in the chopped up strawberries, lettuce and fluffy kibble making an enormous mess. everyone except Prince Rupert, who ate slowly and daintily, careful not to get food in his very curly, fluffy mane.
Pete was out of the room helping Kimmy when Cinder decided that Prince Rupert was a target for his boredom and frustration.
“Fatteh dummeh nu need maor nummies, gib to Cindow!”
Prince Rupert sighed and tried to ignore the obnoxious pegasus. This angered Cinder even more, who puffed his cheeks and stamped his hooves.
“Ey! Gib nummies, dummeh!”
Prince Rupert chewed his food thoroughly and swallowed before speaking. “Nu, Cindow. Wooput nu do dat,” Rupert replied.
Cinder boldly charged at Rupert. The pudgy fluffy did not budge, but as soon as Cinder lunged, Rupert parried with a hoof flick to the Orange Pegasus’s nose.
Shocked at first, Cinder stood stunned as Rupert languished in his meal, slowly chewing a piece of lettuce. As soon as Pete clicked the gate shut behind himself Cinder erupted in enormous crocodile tears holding his snout.
“HUUUHUUHUUU WOOPUT GIB WOWSTEST OWWIES …”
Pete had known this fluffy less than 3 hours and was already sick of his shit, “Well what did you do to Prince Rupert to deserve that, Cinder?”
“CINDOW IS GUD FWUFFY NU DO ANFING WONG EBBEH!!!”
A little colt with bright green fluff and a deep blue mane chirped at Pete, “Cindow twy steew nummies.”
Pete patted the little fluffy on the head and scruffed the whimpering Cinder, carrying him to the sorry corner. “You stay put until you’re ready to say sorry to Prince Rupert for being mean, Cinder.”
Pete cleaned up the lunch mess and turned off the tv for the day. After lunch is litter box time and nap time, and hopefully no more discipline would be needed. Cinder glared from the sorry corner, plotting revenge on Pete and Rupert.
