In the tiny plastic can that was her whole world, the little pegasus filly was taking stock of her situation. Well…no, that wasn’t quite right. She was crawling around, trying to figure out what was going on. Underneath her was something soft, but it wasn’t very warm and it didn’t smell quite right and it was missing something . Hugs! That’s what was missing! The soft thing wasn’t hugging her!
And that caused her to let out a distressed little “peep chirp peeeep!”, flailing her little legs and flapping her little legs. It had to hug her! It…wasn’t hugging her. And that was wrong . Then her tummy gurgled and the dark green filly stopped flailing, instead crawling towards the rubber nipple. Again it wasn’t exactly right and it was missing something. But it made the hungry feeling in her tummy go away.
Even if it tasted yucky.
And it was away from the thing that made her poopie place and pee pee place have hurties. They weren’t worstest hurties, but to the little chirpie foal? It was extremely uncomfortable. Especially when after she drank the yucky stuff that made her not hungry and she felt something that made her feel really full and then…all of a sudden she wasn’t so full.
It was very confusing! And scary! But when she peeped and chirped nothing came to help her and the pad underneath her didn’t hug her. And she didn’t know why and it was very confusing and that was a lot to think about when you were only a little under two days old. So instead of thinking any more big scary thoughts, the little green filly tried to get comfy on the not hugging thing, and tried to take a nap.
Thanks to the can and how tired her deep thoughts made her, she barely noticed when Doug took the can and put it back carefully in the box. He didn’t want to startle her, taking the box and its contents out to his car. He’d heard that Fluffies could be scared by “vwoom-vwoom munstahs” and hopefully that wouldn’t happen with her asleep. Truth be told, he could’ve walked but carrying the box would’ve been awkward, never mind everything he likely would be getting her.
Best to do things right and pay now than fuck it up and pay later, he thought as he drove to the store. It was in a retail plaza, a sign proudly proclaiming “Sunshine Fluffcare: Fluffy Supplies and Medical care” in bright letters. Way different from the 4 floor Fluffmart from back in the city and less run down than the Fluffs R Us he’d seen. A good sign maybe?
Carrying the box with the sleeping chirpie foal inside, Doug was surprised by a few things. First of all how quiet this place was. No cries of “Nyu daddeh an mummah for fwuffy?” or “Nuuu! No take babbeh!” or the huu huuing of fluffies being pillowed. Secondly the store didn’t smell like fluffy shit. Even Fluffmart had a problem because if there was one thing Fluffies did besides give huggies? It was shit. Too happy? That was shitting. Scared? That was shitting. Angry? Shitting. No reason at all? Shitting so much goddamn shitting. To cover it up, Fluffmart had sprayers every few feet that would lightly mist a pleasing scent to try and cover up the fluffy crap scent but it was a losing struggle.
Sunshine Fluffcare smelled neutral, a slight hint of fluff but not the overwhelming odor Doug had expected. And…hardly a Hasbio logo in sight on the rows and rows of shelves of fluffy products. It was actually kinda of disorienting without the packaging being almost offensively eye catching. Towards the back, there was a man with long hair and a bit of a beard, looking a bit “Granola” overall stocking shelves and writing something down. On hearing Doug enter, he offered a wave. “I’ll be with you in a moment. Leeloo, can you help him?”
Leeloo?
“Weewoo hewp!” Came the unmistakable voice of a fluffy, an orange and white male earthy moving from behind a set of shelves, wearing a bright yellow vest that announced “Yes I work here and my daddy is the owner.”.
“Hewwo siw. How Weewoo hewp yu?” The fluffy asked, looking up at Doug.
“I…I need stuff to take care of a foal?” Doug managed to say after a few seconds of being shocked. “They’re only a chirpie and I don’t have what I need.” He looked down into the box, the little green filly still napping inside her can.
“Where am chiwpie foaw’s mummah?” Leeloo asked, looking up at Doug. “I…someone sent me her in a can. I didn’t want to take her away from her mummah and didn’t ask for her but I want to be a good daddy for her.” Doug found it easier and easier to think of himself as the foal’s daddy after saying that. It even felt good to think of himself that way even.
“Dat am tewwibwe. Babbeh need mummah but…Weewoo hab heawt happies yu want to be gud daddeh!” The fluffy said, sadness at the foal being taken from her mother quickly replaced with joy that someone wanted to take care of her. “Yu need foaw fowmuwa…nestie box…miwkie bottwe…” The orange and white fluffy was clearly deep in thought, tapping his hooves on the floor with a poomf sound as the leathery pad hit the softly carpeted floor. “'Yu need awot.”
“Hey. Sorry about that. Got a shipment this morning. Leeloo, why don’t you go in the back room and take a break with Dallas. I’m sure she’d love the company.” The apparent owner said as he approached the fluffy, reaching to scritch Leeloo between the ears. “Otay! Weewoo go pway wit Dawwas!”, the big earthie giving Doug a wave before heading through a small fluffydoor into a back room.
“Fifth Element fan?” Doug asked, arching a brow and a small smile crossing his lips. “What can I say, Love saves the day no matter what the director says it’s supposed to be. Made sense for fluffies. I’m Adam.” He extended a hand to Doug, then spied the box and looked a bit sheepish. “Ah, the guy who called. Hopefully Leeloo didn’t try to upsell you too much. He gets really really eager.”
“No…but he did say I’d need a lot.” Doug looked down at the box’s occupant, still asleep. “I’m kind of worried honestly. With her colors and being a can foal I wasn’t exactly hopeful about her chances at a shelter and the other option…well, wasn’t going to happen. So I just want to do best her.” Doug smiled a bit, the foal wiggling in her sleep.
“So I’m not going to lie. Chirpies require a bunch of stuff. It’s why foal in a can is getting phased out in a lot of places since people just wait for their eyes to open at least.” Adam said with a shrug. “Plus, they encourage public abuse and foal abandonment which just leads to more ferals especially in cities. And foals that open their eyes in cans tend to be pretty anxious, not that I can blame them.”
Doug couldn’t help but feel guilty as he looked down at the sleeping foal. “So…what do I need then? And do you have something here I could carry her in that isn’t this can?” Adam nodded, looking down into the box. “Yeah, we can get her out of there and into a foal nest. I can give her a checkup too. I’ve got flufftech certifications from both Hasbio’s official and the Fluffy Breeder’s Association.” Something in Adam’s tone made it pretty clear to Doug which of those groups Adam had higher opinions of and it certainly wasn’t Hasbio.
“I see you don’t have anything Hasbio…is there a problem?” He finally asked as Adan led him towards a table, the top padded and a lip around the edge making sure a curious foal wasn’t able to accidentally fall. “So…Hasbio created fluffies. But once PETA released them? They lost the big upfront moneymaker. So instead? Marketing let them churn out products. And because they created fluffies, people assume they know what’s best.” Adam sighed, gesturing to a spot where Doug could set down the can, the foal inside letting out an inquisitive “Peep?” and stretching her chubby little body.
“The truth is, they use their media to hype products up. FluffTV is basically nonstop commercials, and their official kibble and formula? Are so low in nutrients that you end up with a fluffy eating more AND shitting more. Which means having to buy more food and more litter.” He took the can, setting it down waste collector side resting on the table, the foal suddenly sitting on her bottom and away from the place that gave the yucky tasting not miwkies. “Don’t worry little girl, you’ll get the good stuff soon enough.” His smile was gentle as he looked up to Doug. “She have a name yet? I’ll need one for her file.”
“I…hadn’t thought of one?” Doug had to admit, with this being a totally unexpected event he was more concerned with immediate needs. He drummed his fingers on his chin, looking at the filly who was trying to raise herself up to reach the rubber nipple, hooves hitting the soft pad ineffectually. The metaphorical light clicked on after a few seconds. “Terra. Her name is Terra.” Doug finally said with a grin.
“Naming a pegasus after the earth?” Adam arched a brow. “No, after the final fantasy character” came a quick reply. “Ok…that, that I can allow.” Adam responded with a chuckle, hitting a catch on the formula reservoir and twisting it off, then a second one on the waste receptacle and carefully and slowly removing the plastic can.
For the little filly? It was as if her whole world changed in a moment. Everything was so much louder and she could smell so much more. Her hooves which had previously only been able to touch the can’s hard plastic walls and the soft pad now were…not hitting anything? Where did they go? Big questions for a little foal, and ones she was more than happy to vocalize to the world in a series of rapid fire peeps and chirps. Doug couldn’t help but watch her with wonder, especially as her tiny wings began to buzz and flap.
“So, give her one finger…she’ll go to hug it, and you can run a fingertip down her back.” Adam watched the foal. “Right now, the biggest senses for her are touch, smell, and taste. Her hearing is still pretty below average for the next day or two, and sight is a nonfactor till her eyes open.” Doug heard him, but was too busy to say much, reaching out and putting a finger in the path of the little foal, her leathery hooves hitting it first. There was a moment or two of curiosity, before Terra was trying to hug the finger, lifting her body up as much as a chirpie could and wrapping her legs around the finger as best she could.
It wasn’t quite a hug and it didn’t feel exactly right, but at the soft touch to her back? Terra let out a contented sound, almost a coo, and then a quiet series of chirps, nuzzling her face against the finger and in a heartbeat? Convincing Doug that he made absolutely the right decision.
“So, I’m going to give it another minute or two to make sure the collection tubes deflate so we can get those out of her. I’ll set down some paper towels because she’ll…probably be a little messy.” Adam laid out some down next to where Terra was hugging her owner’s finger like it was the best thing in the world. Probably because to the little foal right now it WAS. Warm, and nice, and…something felt different. Something in her poopie place and peepee place felt different. She stopped her nuzzling, letting out a “Chirp! Peep??”, the sensation bringing relief she couldn’t verbalize though she could vocalize.
“That’s right, those are coming out. Your daddy is going to have to help you make good poopies and good peepees until you can learn to use the litterbox.” Adam had a smile that was crossing over into a smirk, especially at Doug’s reaction, though to Doug’s credit he hadn’t stopped letting the little filly hug his finger. “So, Foals don’t really poop or pee on their own for the first two weeks. Their mummah will lick them, and a mix of the motion, moisture, and warmth causes them to release. Fortunately, there’s a brand of foal wipes I’ve found that works wonders. Just put them under some warm water for a few seconds, then wring it out and give her a little rub. Also? Makes cleanup easier”.
Adam began to carefully lift Terra up, the foal letting out a scared little chirp as her wings buzzed and she held Doug’s finger even tighter as the tubes in her poopie place and peepee place were removed, causing her to let out just a bit of scaredy poopies and peepees before Adam helped Doug set her down somewhere clean. The smell was…well, it wasn’t going to be on Doug’s favorite list anytime soon.
“Her reflexes look good. She’s moving all her legs, she’s vocalizing, and her wings are moving. And now that she’s out of the can? I think you might be surprised about the colors. She might have a two tone mane and tail but we won’t know for sure till it’s grown in more.” Adam wiped up Terra’s little fright induced accident then went to get a bottle before adding some bottled milk and powdered foal formula with just a hint of sugar. “Breathing also looks good…no rasping or gasping. The formula should be ready in another minute. You can feed her and let her get used to you while I get together what you’ll need. I’ll toss in a pamphlet with what you should know and some common misconceptions.” Adam watched Doug and now the quite hug happy little foal, then brought the bottle over, showing Doug how to hold it.
Terra? Terra didn’t need to be told twice or even once how to drink it though. It still didn’t feel right what she was nursing from. But the taste…oh the taste. Sweet and delicious and nothing like the yucky stuff she had drank earlier. This…this was…this was milkies. And between that heavenly taste and the gentle stroking from Doug’s finger on the little foal’s back? Terra was pretty sure that this was the best thing ever.
Though with Leeloo and Dallas, a big female earthy who was a deep brown speckled with white in her mane both choosing that moment to come out of the back room, talking a mile a minute about “things foa da babbeh!” from toysies to nummies and the bestest nestie? Doug was pretty damn certain that he was being upsold by two of the most effective fluffy salespeople ever.
And while his credit card might have a complaint or two, watching Terra nurse at the bottle and occasionally make coos and chirps of contentment? Those were complaints that he VERY much did not share.