Quinn blinked open his heavy eyelids at the sound of his radio alarm. He yawned, pressed his hand down on the “alarm shutoff” button and pushed himself up, trying not to fall asleep again. The events from yesterday came to him and he smiled softly. His new fluffies were his reason to get up in the morning and not call in fake-sick to sleep. Resisting the urge to crash back into the soft pillow, Quinn stretched and started the day.
After doing his morning stretches to alleviate the backache that he always got from sleeping, he stepped out of his room. As he passed by the small guest space that he had decided to use as a saferoom, he glanced in on his pets. They were still sound asleep. Quinn chuckled when he saw Tidepod sprawled out on her side with her wings sticking up in the air and her head thrown back. He felt pride when he saw Night cuddled up next to her, just as majestic as his mom was at the moment. He didn’t know if she always let Night sleep next to her, but it was a start.
His coffee was piled high with sugar and cream as usual. His breakfast was scarfed down when he realized he’d taken too much time stretching this morning. He dressed quickly, nearly ripping the seam of his shirt in his hurry. He jogged to the saferoom to wake the fluffies and slowed down to a gentle tiptoe when he reached the door.
He softly knocked once, twice, then opened it. “Hey guys? It’s morning time, I need you to wake up for me.” He quietly called into the room. Tidepod groaned and reeled her wings in, not noticing how silly her sleeping pose had been.
“Wha’? Am wakie time awweady? Nuuu…” She croaked, still tired from her crying spell the night before as she heaved her exhausted body up. Quinn frowned a little when he saw her bloodshot scleras and puffy eyelids. She must have cried a little more after he placed her back in the saferoom. Poor baby. He made a promise to himself that he’d bring them to the fluffy store for equipment after work.
“I’m just letting you know I’m off to work. I’ll be gone for a long time, but I’ll be back well before dark. Remember how I promised you I’d take you to get proper equipment soon? I’ll bring you and your foals to the store today, okay?” He explained. Tidepod was suddenly awake all the way, grinning excitedly.
“Wittewbox an’ toysies fow mummah an’ babbehs?” She gasped.
“Yes! But I’ll have to do that after I come home. Work comes first, of course.” Quinn glanced at his watch and his eyes bugged out. “Jesus! I gotta go Tidepod, don’t forget to be a good mother and feed all your babies. I’ll know if Night goes hungry. Bye, everyone! Love you!” He zipped out of the doorway and down the hall, the floor thumping under his run.
“Wub yoo too, daddeh!” She waved cheerily. She heard the front door slam shut and her smile dropped. Feeding her worstest baby hurt her heart so, so much. But she knew she’d be in trouble if he didn’t eat. So she thought up a plan as she trotted over to her water dish to get a drink.
Night chased PB&J around the room, giggling as they played tag. He’d never felt so energized! Was this how his littermates felt all the time? Mummah’s milk must have had magic powers. He whinnied happily as he galloped, even though he wasn’t nearly strong enough to catch his siblings yet.
“Wowstest babbeh. Come hewe, am nummie time.” Tidepod called calmly. Night didn’t trust Tidepod much, so he trudged over while keeping his eyes on her. She rolled her eyes and trotted over, ignoring his fearful squeak when she scooped him up by his neck scruff.
He gasped when he realized his mummah was carrying him. This was his first time being this tall! He cooed and pretended to fly, wishing he had wings like his sister so he could flap them. She plopped him in front of her food dish.
“Eat. Mummah nu wan’ gif yoo miwkies, an’ nu wan’ get time out fow not feedin’ yoo.” She sighed. Night chirped and stared up at her, eyes wide with confusion. He smiled, thinking she finally loved him. She snarled and his smile dropped, his wide eyes now caused by fear.
“Eat! Wook! Dis am fwuffy food. Num dis, not miwkies.” She frustratedly picked up a pellet in her mouth and chewed. Bland, but tasted like fresh grass. Not bad. “It nu taste pwetty, but nu taste yucky eithew. Su eat.” She ordered.
Night picked up a pellet and attempted to suckle. Nothing came out. No milk, no yummy taste. He whined. “Mummah! Wai meanie nummies nu gif miwkies?” He asked.
“Because! Fwuffy food am not MIWKIES!” She snapped, patience running thin. Night flinched at her voice, but Tidepod didn’t care. She did not like spending this much time around Night. She could hardly stand the sight of him. “Bite nummies wike dis!” She crunched into another pellet, this time, chewing with her mouth open so Night could see.
“Bite da nummies ow Tidepod wiww bite yoo.” She threatened. The other foals gasped, appalled by her threat. Night whimpered and tried to bite into it, but yelped when he felt pain. He still had no teeth, unlike the other foals whose primary teeth were just barely coming in. He couldn’t eat this. Plum ran to Night’s aid and stepped in front of him, puffing her chest out.
“Nu be meanie to bwuthah! If Night nee’ num big fwuffy food, then Pwum wiww do da same.” She turned around and carefully nibbled at the food, her half-erupted baby teeth helping her break it down. She still whimpered at the stomach cramps her too-early first solid food gave her.
“B-But babbeh! Yoo am too widdwe for big fwuffy food! Nee miwkies!” Tidepod gasped at her baby’s tone.
Aqua stepped up next, glaring. “Mummah say Night bown the same bwite time as bwuddahs an’ sissie. Su why Peebeejay nu owd enough but Night am? Aqua num big fwuffy food too, if mummah gon’ be meanie.” He started chowing down on the food too, ignoring the pangs of pain in his mouth and stomach.
Tidepod stared at PB&J. “Pwease babbeh, dwink miwkies.”
The foal stared at her and shook her head, trotting over to the dish. “Nu wan’ dwink miwkies fwom a meanie.” She shot back, nibbling on the food.
Tidepod sighed as all her babies kicked her milk to the curb for the day. Daddeh said to treat all her babies the same, so… It was only fair. She watched PB&J figure out that placing pellets in the water softened them, and all the other foals did the same. She whined as she laid down on the floor, her teats hurting.
It was only fair.
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