Monday- afternoon footage-
The eight fluffies on the far side of the gate are increasingly agitated as the day presses on. The low trough has been emptied of the sparse kibble it held, and the bowl of water, missing the refilling bottle above it all the others in the yard have, is all but dry. They still press their faces against the chainlink gate, staring enviously at the everflowing drinking fountain and lush grass visible on the other side. Wistfully at the bright colored toys and playsets. Near murderously at the quartet of alicorns merrily bouncing around after each other.
A scruffy, skinny ginger man strolls by, seeming to check the perimeter of the fences, and unlatches the gate quietly as he passes. It takes the fluffies inside another five minutes before the gate swings open a fraction as they press into it. With muffled squeals, they press harder into it, whining about ouchies as soft hooves catch on rough spots on the wire. And then theyâre in, staring about in awe at the lush grass underfoot and the bright colored toys.
The lavender pegasus starts to make a beeline for the water fountain, only to find himself cuffed by the orange earthie. âWawkspuw neeâ wawa!â he protested, shaking his head. âWhy huwt fluffy?â
âDummeh! âOu tuffie foâ smawty now.â The tall orange stallion shook his blue and green mane, stamping a hoof before he looked expectantly back at the blue unicorn.
ââOu hewp smawty speciaw fwiend geâ wawa, an udda soon- mummahâs,â the smarty was directing the red unicorn and the grey earthie mare with the halloween black and orange mane, before he looked back at his toughies. âTuffies keeâ watch. Den hewd wiww deaw wit scawy munsta fwuffies, take aww pwetty toysies anâ gud gwassies foâ hewd. Keeâ nu-woud, su munstas nu heaw hewd âtiw hewd weady.â
This was said in perhaps not the best imitation of a stage whisper, as all four of the Pack had glanced up to survey the result of the gate creaking open. Rook and Aurora shared a glance, the former catching Foxfire by the tail before she could launch herself more than a foot in the direction of the herd. His cloven hoof settled carefully over her muzzle, silencing whatever squealed protest or greeting she had bubbling in her throat. Neatly, he planted a hind hoof on the end of her tail before spitting out his mouthful. âGwowy, gu weft âwound da tabw anâ Mummah,â Rook ordered in a peremptory whisper. The ivory and peacock fluffy nodded silently, tucking his wings tighter in before he slunk over to the patio. âFoâfia gu-â the grey and black demonfluff frowned for a moment, shaking his head in irritation. âFoâfia gu udda weft âwound da housie. anâ wayt dere anâ be mousie kwiet, otay? Nu du anyting tiww Wook say.â He lifted his hoof off her muzzle as she nodded enthusiastically, pressing gently down again as she opened her mouth. âMousie kwiet,â he reminded her, wings mantling as he kept her tail pinned. âAnâ da udda, udda weft,â he added, pointing her in the right direction before he picked up his hind hoof.
Foxfire swished her tail defensively out of his reach, ears flattening as she glanced between the larger fluffies. âNu wanna wayt, wanna pway wit nyu fwiends,â she muttered, but obediently swapped directions to slink quietly behind the plastic playhouse. The remaining pair of demonfluffs glanced at each other before casting calculating looks back at the shuffling herd.
Rook flicked a wing at the path between the little crossed tunnels and the playhouse, head lowering as he frowned in thought. âAwowa, gu-â
âAwowa wiww gu obaâ da tunnels. Hab wongest wegs, bestest jumpinâ anâ climninâ.â she snorted, tossing her mane. âWook can gu wound tunnews anâ housie.â Rook huffed, black wings mantling again as he drew himself up, but Aurora was already running at the plastic tunnels.
âWook gonna say gu twu tunnew, wess woud,â he hissed to himself, ears flat. He turned to take the path heâd indicated himself, trotting as quietly as he could. He was behind the little crowd of babbling, multicolored fluffs taking turns gulping at his packâs drinking fountain, slowly dropping into a cat like stalk. To his side, his tall, golden fluffed sister gathered herself and launched up at the top of the two foot high plastic tunnels in a graceful arch. A graceful arch that ended with her hind hooves caught on the edge of the openings. She managed to regain her footing, but only after a long moment of hard hooves scrabbling loudly against slick plastic.
Not before all eight of the former ferals looked up from the burbling water bowl, staring up warily at the large alicorn standing on top of the plastic structure. The blue unicorn raced in front of his herd, pointing his stubby horn in her direction as threateningly as he could. Which wasnât much, as his purple streaked tail swished nervously. âTuffies hewp smawty,â he snapped frantically. âMawny, Howwy, hewp da soon- mummas.â The orange earthy stepped loyally to his leaderâs side, followed by a trembling lavender pegasus. Behind them, the grey mare and the red unicorn struggled to move the smartyâs very pregnant mate away from the water she was gulping, the somewhat less round murky green mare already leaving the assistants behind as she waddled back to the gate at her top speed. The smarty winced as he watched his mate protest the sudden retreat, and motioned his toughies forward with him. âMu-munsta fwuffy! Dis wawa anâ gwassie nummies bewong to hewd now! Gu- Gu way ow tuffies gib owwies!â
Aurora jumped down from the other end of the tunnels, head high as she surveyed the fluffies arranged before her. âNu. Aww hewe bewong tu Awowaâs pack.â Glory chose that moment to step off the patio some few feet from the waterbowl, as Rook curved around into view from the side of the tunnels.
The lavender fluffed pegasus was still shaking like a leaf, ears flat and eyes wide as he glanced between the alicorns stalking forward at them like hunting cats. One was bad, two was unnerving, threeâŚHis hesitant stance at his leaderâs flank broke, as he wheeled and bolted for the far side of the yard, clearly trying to put as much between himself and the conflict as possible. âWawkspuw!â The smarty yelled after him, âNu wun! Hewp hewd! Stupiâ, dummeh, nu gud tuffie!â By the time he looked back, all three of the alicorns were much closer, a loose circle around the herd, and the blue unicorn forced himself back into a defensive stance. He stamped his hooves into the soft grass as loudly as he could manage, puffing out his cheeks as he took a step forward. âBwuâs hewd neeâ nummies anâ wawas. Dese gwassies anâ wawaâs anâ safe pwace awe hewdâs now. Gu âway, ow smawty gib sowwy hoofsies anâ owwies!â The red unicorn stepped up next to him in Larkspurâs place, and the nervous twitch of the smarties tail ceased. âHowwy nyu tuffy den?â he asked as quietly as he could, not taking his eyes off the Pack.
âHowwy wiww be tuffy foâ Bwu, pwotect hewd,â the red and green unicorn assured his leader, even as his tail was tucked underneath him, glancing worriedly at the trio staring them down. âMawnie wookinâ aftaw Astaw anâ Iwis.â Rook, tracking the slow progress of the more rotund mares with the calculating gaze of a fox watching chickens, snorted in amusement. âTuffy wiww gib wowstest owwies if munstas nu gu way!â the second unicorn blustered, stepping forward with lowered horn.
âFwuffy nu knuw wat wowstest owwies awe,â Rook retorted, neatly taking the few more steps he needed to cut off the would be defenders from their fleeing herdmates. âBuâ dat otay. Wookâs pack wiww show âou.â He grinned at that, revealing the lines of feline sharp teeth, bright white against his gums.
It was too much for the orange toughie, who pranced in place for a moment, hovering between flight and fight. He lunged at Rook, cheeks puffed and hooves swinging. âMewon gib munstas wowstest owwies!â
Rook dodged the clumsy attack almost contemptuously, before Aurora thumped a heavy hoof into his extended wing. âOwwies!â he yelped, flinching away and turning his back on the earthie. âWat Auwowa du dat foâ?â
âAuwowaâs Pack.â she corrected, baring her teeth at him almost as fiercely as he had at the orange fluffy. âNu Wookâs pack. Auwowa pwincess, an-â she started to declare, before stumbling back with a yelp just as loud as his. âNu faiw!â The red unicorn had taken advantage of their distraction, charging into her side with lowered horn in a move that would have done serious damage if his horn had been as sharp as any of the alicorns. As it was he jammed the stubby point just behind her shoulder with all the strength in his little body. The golden alicorn lost her balance, sprawled back on her side with a thin trail of blood seeping up through her fluff.
Rook snarled furiously, dodging another flailed attack to throw himself at the unicorn still standing over her. Sharp teeth lodged in the snarled green mane, dragging the red fluffy away from her before his raised hooves could land another blow. âNu huwt Wookâs sissy!â he growled through clenched fangs, still dragging the struggling fluffy over the grass. Holly kicked back desperately at him, and Rook reared up, hauling the unicorn off balance with the move before he slammed both front hooves down onto the nearest hind leg.
A wrenchingly sharp crunching noise ensued, and the red unicorn screamed, the underside of his fluff suddenly soaked in his own piss. â-Screee!- pwease, Howwy sowwy! Huwties, wowstest huwties, hu hu huhuâ
âHowwy!, Bwu cominâ!â Blueâs frantic scramble after the dragged off fluffy was cut off as Glory leapt in front of him, wings suddenly flared wide like a fan of eyes and teeth bared as threateningly as either of the others. He seemed unaware of the pile of crap suddenly under his ass until the ivory alicorn wing slapped him back into it. âNu smeww pwetty? How Bwu gib bwu sowwy poopies?â he asked in a dazed tone, his attempt to stand again foiled by his hooves slipping in the noxious substance.
Melon, eyes wild with panic, ran right under those flared wings, grabbing at a peacock eyed primary and yanking back with all his might. It tore loose in a spatter of blood and an indignantly pained shriek. âWingie huwtie!â Glory wailed, before his dark green eyes narrowed in fury. âDummeh, nu pwetty, nummie fwuffy!â As he rounded on the new threat, the earth fluffy dropped the bright feather, jumping to grab for another one. Just as his teeth caught hold, the alicorn flapped hard enough to bowl him over, hissing as another primary tore loose with the tumbling fluffy. He snarled wordlessly at the sprawled Melon, slamming a single hoof back into Blueâs muzzle as the smarty managed to regain his feet.
Bits of teeth flew, the jaw hanging askew and bleeding as the smarty, still slightly dazed by the first heavy wing buffet, stumbled forward out of the puddle of mess, eyes glazed over. Slowly, step by step, he shook himself back to pained focus, trying to get back to the modicum of safety offered by the kennel run. Only to feel a heavy hoof crunching down on his lower spine, as a snarling Aurora stood over him.
From that far gate, Aster wailed, Iris and the murk green âsoon-mummahâ still carefully dragging her into the run. A shrieking, panicked Larkspur ran past them from the far side of the play house. âNyu fwiend? Datâs nu how tu pway hidies! Ow taggies!â a plaintive voice followed him, as Foxfire bounced after him until he crossed through the gate. âNu faiw,â she whined, skidding to a stop just outside the cracked open gate. WIth a huff, she turned back to the yest of the playyard, freezing again as she took in the scene with the rest of her pack. âNu faiw!â nearly tripping over her own feet, she scrambled into the middle of everything.
Melon had just made it back to his feet, the foreleg that had taken the brunt of the last wingslap tucked protectively under his chest. Just in time for a blur of grey and red orange to crash into him, stubby claws digging into his flanks as Foxfire scrambled up his back. Each movement opened new bleeding gashes, and he kicked back, frantically trying to buck her off. âScreeee! Nu! Mewon wiww gib wostest owwies to wittw munsta tu! Wet gu!â Foxfire clung tighter for the first several kicks, before dropping just far enough to sink sharp teeth into his hock, using all of her limited weight to hamper his legs, to rip through to the tendons.
His instinctive rear was met by a still furious Glory going for his exposed throat. Long feline teeth sank even deeper into that vulnerable flesh, a gush of blood staining orange and ivory fluff alike. Melon thrashed, trying to use his one working foreleg to dislodge the predator, to writhe free of the smaller one chewing into his back leg, to- those heavy wings buffeted into him, battering his shoulders and flailing leg enough to render it as useless as the other. He wheezed frantically for air enough to scream, to cry out to- With a last gurgle and a greater spray of blood, Glory pulled back, ripping out the throat he gripped The earth fluffy dropped, one back leg still twitching out as the last of his life bled out into the lush green grass.
Glory sneezed, hard and repeatedly, trying to clear the salty blood that had sprayed up his nostrils, as Foxfire pounced playfully at the last twitches of the leg. âNu. Bwudda Melon? Why huwt Howwy bwudda?â the red unicorn still trying to crawl away from the raven winged alicorn sobbed, seeming as distraught over the dead fluffy just out of reach as his own shattered leg. âWhy munstas huwt hewd? Fwuffy jusâ nee- Scree!-â Rook, with a bored sounding huff, had driven his hooves down onto Hollyâs other leg, with almost the same results, splintered shards of bone breaking up through the skin, fragment of white in the damp red fluff.
âAwowa otay? Hab owwies?â Rook asked, ears tucked back in concern as he turned his attention to his sister, the thin line of blood matted into her golden side. âOwwie hab booboo juice? Shouâ gu tu mummah. Anâ Gwowy tu, Gwowy wingie hab owwies.â Glory shuffled his hooves at that, tucking his wings flatter against his back before kicking at the dead earthie petulantly.
Aurora snorted, stretching her wings in apparent unconcern. âAwowa otay, jusâ wittw owwie, -oof-â Foxfire had abandoned the carcass she stood over, barreling into the larger fluffy to wrap forelegs around one of her hind legs in a fervent hug.
âSissy huwties? Fofia gib huggies!â she declared, as the golden alicorn sighed. She did, however, curve a large silvery white wing over her smaller sister before stamping a hoof down on the smarty underfoot again, who wheezed through his sobs. The bat winged fluffy nuzzled happily up into the feathers, sneezing quietly before she bounced over to Glory as well. âGib Gwowy bwudda huggies tu!â He curved a foreleg over her shoulders, carefully lifting the wing, still slow oozing blood from the ripped out pinions, out of her reach before she could hug it as well. She leaned happily into the hug, and he nuzzled into her mane fondly.
âHewd jusâ neeâ nummies anâ wawa, why huwt fwuffies,? Soon-mummahâs neeâ wawa, pwease- hu-hu- cough- huhu,â the blue smarty still sobbed, trying to get out from under the implacably heavy hoof. âWhy back weggies nu wowk, pwease nu be meanie, hewp fwuffy- Scree-Chirp-â Aurora had brought another hoof down, this time on his shoulder, bracing herself to start ripping out the fluff from his neck and back.
âWook wight, dis fun,â she remarked, glancing up to give the darker alicorn a grin. âAnâ makes dis easiew.â She reached down to a bare patch, ripping a chunk of flesh free, tossing it up and catching it before she gulped it down. The fluffy under her screamed again as she took another bite, a chorus of terrified protest rising from the four fluffies cowering behind the chainlink gate.
Rook stepped further over the other unicorn, planting a hind hoof into one of the shattered hind legs as he did. Holly shrieked, puking half digested grass and bile over himself, bowels giving way in enough of a puddle to cover the cloven hoof on his thigh. The grey and black fluffy jumped back, scraping his now shit covered foot over the grass unhappily. âAww da nummie toysies nu smeww pwetty. Nu wan poopie fwuff foâ nestie,â he complained, ears flattening in disdain.
âNu wan nu smeww pwetty nummies,â Glory added, stepping cautiously back from the puddle of blood. With an aggravated huff, he leaned down to try preening the spatter of red off his foreleg, whining ever more high pitched as his attempts only stained more fluff with the spots already over his muzzle.
âYouâll all get baths before bed, kiddos,â Shadow sighed, walking over with her book still tucked under her arm. She nudged the orange fluffed corpse with her foot absently, retrieving both the yanked pinions and tucking them into the pocket of her hoodie. The thick paperback was balanced on the fence, before she snagged the hose and turned back to the mess. âBut Iâll get this cleaned up for you, this time.â Glory and Rook scrambled out of the way as she turned the faucet, Aurora only holding position over her prize until the spray of water hit her feet.
âPwetty wawa cowows!â Foxfire squealed, dashing after the flicker of rainbow visible in the arched spray without care for the way her fluff matted damply over her flanks. Shadow sighed, but flicked the hose back and forth long enough for the giggling little fluffy to tire out and trip over her own feet before turning back to hose off the grass and what was left of the ferals.
The blue unicorn found new voice as the cold water hit the gaping wound at the back of his neck. âScreee! Pwease, hoomin, pwease hewp hewd - chirp- hewp fwuffie- â whatever else he meant to say was lost as Shadow sprayed him him the face, letting him cough and splutter and fight for breath before she went back to what she was doing.
âAlright. You guys can split these two right now,â she told them, as soon as the crippled fluffies were clean of the more noxious bodily fluids. âThis one,â she hauled the dead earthie up by a slightly mauled hind leg, âis going in the freezer to feed you guys later this week. Iâll be back in a while to take you in for bath time.â With her free hand she patted the fluffies curling around her calves, a fond smile on her face. âHave fun, kids. Iâll be back out in about an hour, and then weâre all going in for baths and naps, okay?â
âOtay, Shadoâ Mummah!â came a tripled chorus of voices. âDanks foâ nummies. Pack wubs âou!â Aurora just nodded in Shadowâs direction, burying her muzzle back in the open wound and ripping more mouthfuls free as the herdleader became increasingly incoherent, the last few chirps ending in a broken gurgle when she bit too deep.
âMummah! Mummah! Wook wan fwuffyfwuff fo nestie, buâ aww wet. Wat du? Can hab? Mummah hewp, pwease?â Rook excitedly asked, almost prancing around the sodden wet, miserable fluffy to put cloven hooves up on Shadowâs knee. âPwease? Pwetty pwease, wit cuppycakies anâ sketties?â
âWhy not,â Shadow sighed, rolling her eyes. âPile what you yank over on the patio. Iâll do something with it when I get a chance.â Gently, she nudged the charcoal fluffy back off her leg, rubbing at the damp spots his hooves had left. âGeorge, is that mesh washing bag still on the laundry shelf?â she was asking, as she trudged back inside the building.
âYouâre spoiling that fucker,â the skinny ginger snorted from just inside. âHow can you stand-â the glass doors slid shut behind them, cutting off the rest of his comment. Rook immediately started yanking Hollyâs fluff free in clumps, ignoring the occasional peep and mumbled âwan dieâ from the unicorn.
With each repetition of that phrase, Foxfireâs ears flattened back a little, her leathery wings fluttering awkwardly. Glory coughed after the third or fourth, stretching out his uninjured wing to tap their brother, nodding pointedly back. Raven black wings flapped in aggravation, tail swishing before Rook slammed a single cloven hoof into the unicornâs skull and the last sounds ceased. âAwe happies now?â he huffed, only to sigh and relax as the smallest of the pack hugged his foreleg enthusiastically.
When Shadow returned, there was an impressively large pile of sodden fluff on the patio, a few bits and bones scattered through the grass as Aurora continued dragging half a stripped hindquarter toward the castle stairs. âBath time, Kiddos. Finish up whatever youâre eating. Aurora, that doesnât go on the playsets.â The golden alicorn paused, shooting a sullen glare at the blue haired womanâs back before slowly hauling her prize back. âRook, Glory? Have you seen Foxfire?â
Both the boys glanced up from the bone they were tugging at, tilting their heads as they looked around. âFoâfia say hab ânough nummies, gu pway wit nyu fwiend. Nu weawwy wisten, wewe habbân nummies.â Glory ruffled his wings in a loose, almost shrugging motion, snagging the bone from Rook.
âSowwy, mummah. Wan Wook gu wook foâ Foâfia?â Rook asked, shifting from hoof to hoof as he peered eagerly up at her. Shadow almost absently patted the upturned head, staring out into the yard.
âNo, here.â She dropped a mesh bag in front of him, gesturing at the fluffy sized pile of soggy red and blue. âPut all of that in the bag, and Iâll run it in the laundry. Probably be clean and dry before you guys are. Iâll find your sister.â Rook glanced back across the yard, flicking his tail in momentary hesitation before he dragged the laundry bag over to the pile to start. âFoxfire! Bath time!.. Aurora, not going on the playsets includes the damn tunnel thing. Put that over on the patio, now.â
âCominâ Mummah Shadoâ!â came a cheerful call from the playhouse. âCâmon, nyu fwiend, mummah Shadoâ cawwinâ!â the smoke grey fluffy backed out of the plastic house, her muffled voice continuing to mumble things in the same vein. Mumbled, because her teeth were clenched around the bright orange and black tail as she dragged a larger fluffy out with her. âBathytimâ anâ den kwieâ timâ wit fwuffy teebee anâ den sweepynappies!â she insisted, letting go and stamping her hoof.
âMawnie wan stay hewe, nu wan scawy hoomin, pwease?â the darker grey mare begged, still sprawled on the soft grass halfway out of the playhouse. âPwease, wiww pway anythinâ scawy fwuffie wans, buâ pwease!â
âMummah Shadoâ nu scawy. Is nice, gib good nummies and pwetty toysies anâ pway funnest gamsies.â Foxfire insisted, as the earth fluffy tearfully peeked out from behind her hooves. âIs good Mummah. Wubs aww pack fwuffies. Mawnie come wit Foâfia anâ be nyu pack friend?â
âFoxfire, that really isnâtâŚâShadow sighed heavily, rubbing her eyes. âYou know what? I wanna see how this plays out. Foxfire, your ânew friendâ can come inside, but youâre in charge of her. Any rules she breaks, youâre in trouble for, and youâll be punished together. Understand?â Foxfire squealed happily, bouncing around before she started nudging at Marnie again.
âYay! Foâfia wiww wook afta mawnie an shu aww da wules anâ shawe toysies anâ, anâ â She hugged Shadowâs leg gratefully, still running back and forth to try shoving the other grey fluffy forward. âSee! Towd Mawnie! Mummah Shadoâ bestest mummah evew! Gibs huggies anâ nummies an toysies an pwetty nesties an, an aww da bestest tings!â
Shadow skeptically eyed the shivering mare, sighing again before she crouched down. âSo, itâs Marnie, right? If you come in and do everything Foxfire says, you can stay in the house and share all her toys, for as long as she considers you her friend. Understand?â She extended out a hand, waiting for the stray to hesitantly approach.
âMawnie⌠Mawnie can wive in nice housie again? Nu hab housie since hoomin daddeh weft Mawnie at pawk. Mawnie wiww be bestest fwuffy foâ nu mummah!â A tearstreaked, still sniffling muzzle pressed into the outstretched hand, the matted, grimy fluff more evident as the fluffy came fully out into the light.
âIâm notâŚ. You can call me Mummah shadow, like Foxfire. Never just Mummah.â Shadow snapped, snagging the fluffy around the middle before she could flinch back out of reach. âYou, and the Pack are all getting baths now.â Marnie shivered again, a small whimpering sound under her breath, but remained limp, unstruggling in the careless grip.
Rook and Glory met Shadow at the patio, proudly dragging a full laundry bag to her feet. âWook anâ Gwowy puts aww da fwuffyfwuff in bagsies, Mummah! Wat du ne-â Rook tilted his head, ears flicking back as he considered what she was carrying gingerly. âMummah finâ nyu nummie toysie?â
âMawnie nyu fwiend!â Foxfire happily told them, still at Shadowâs heels in the closest to a skipping pace an oddly footed fluffy could manage. Both the boys, and Aurora as she finished dragging the hindquarter she was trying to cache back to the patio, gave her an incredulous look before looking back up at Shadow.
âThis is Marnie, kiddos. Sheâs Foxfireâs new friend, so Iâd like you all to be nice to her while she stays with us,â Shadow said with a far too toothy smile. âShe falls under all the same rules as the rest of the Pack until I say otherwise. Understand?â
âDat stupiâ. Why Pack gotta hab dummeh nummie fwuffy? Shadoâ is- yip- owwies! â Without looking at his sister, Rook flicked the leading edge of his wing under hers, right into the shallow, bruised gash just behind her shoulder. Aurora flinched violently away, looking at the human plaintively. âMummah Shadoâ! Wook beinâ meanie!â
âOh, Iâm sure he didnât mean to hurt you. His wing probably just slipped accidentally, just like you just accidentally implied I was stupid.â Shadow near hummed, that too wide smile going dangerously tight. âBecause that had to be an accident, right? You just misspoke, didnât you, Aurora?â The golden fluffy opened her mouth almost indignantly, then shut it fast enough her teeth clicked audibly, nodding furiously. âGood. Thatâs what I thought. Whatâs rule one, kiddos?â
âWule wun be Mummah Shadoâ awways wight,â Glory and Rook recited immediately, both of them watching Aurora out of the corner of their eyes as they turned their faces up to the human. âFwuffy sowwy huwt sissy, Mummah,â Rook added, dropping his gaze. âWas assidenâ, jusâ wike Mummah say. Wook wiww pway nice wit Foâfia nyu fwiend. Anâ Gwowy wiww tu.â Glory opened his mouth at that, only to squeak as a cloven hoof thumped back into the front of his leg.
His ears flattened as he looked between Rook and Shadow, swallowing at the glare Aurora fixed on him. âGwowy wiww pway nice, mummah Shadoâ. Wub Foâfia hab nyu fwiend.â Aurora bared her teeth at him, and he carefully avoided her gaze as he walked back to sit in front of the door. âBathytimes? Smeww pwetty anâ nu hab ucky muck in fwuff?
Shadow hadnât taken her eyes off Aurora, that false smile still fixed on her face. âFwuffy sowwy. Nu mean say meanie stuf bout Mummah Shadoâ. Was assidn,â Aurora finally muttered, dropping her eyes and slinking to the door with her wings tucked unhappily flat against her sides. Stretching her shoulders, Shadow cleared her throat as she opened the door. âFwuffy wiww pway nice wit sissy nyu fwiend,â was grudgingly added as the largest of the pack sullenly trudged inside after Glory, with one last longing look at the chunk of meat and bone sheâd been dragging around.
âLying, stupid little bitch,â Shadow hissed under her breath when Foxfire had bounced inside after Aurora. âIâm giving you rope and you just keep tying a damn noose around your neck. One of these daysâŚâ
âMummah? Wat nuus? Wook nu see wope?â came the baffled question from the back of her calves as Rook leaned into her like an anxious cat. âWook sowwy say nu twuuf bu Mummah awways wite anâ Wook nu wan contw- contwadiâŚâ
âContradict. You did it right, Rook, Iâm not mad at you. And a noose isâŚHow do I explain metaphors? Itâs⌠A way of saying things differently that humans use. In this case, I meant that Iâm giving Aurora a lot of chances and she keeps⌠making bad choices. Iâve tried sorry sticks and sorry box time, and all sheâs learned is to try to hide not being a good fluffy from me.â Shadow sighed, as Marnie made another nervous whimper. The woman patted her lightly on the head, scritching lightly at her ears until the fluffy relaxed into her chest.
Rook blinked, tilting his head as he processed that information. âMummah wan Wook tu twy gib Auwowa huwties tiww be bettaw?â Shadow chuckled at that, reaching down with her other hand too pet him as well.
âNo, but thanks for the offer, sweetie. Mumma can handle this, donât worry. I just need all four of you alive and intact until-â she sighed,drumming fingers softly between his ears. âTell me when she breaks the rules, but donât say anything about that to her or when she can hear. You can keep telling her off when she acts like a bad fluffy, but donât tell her about rope or nooses or the fact I know sheâs telling me no truths, okay? Marnie, you donât say anything about this to her either. Or Foxfire, or Glory. This stays between us.â
âOtay, mummah. Wook tink undastanââ he said, with just a trace of hesitation, still leaning into her hands before she stood and opened the door again with a hummed âGood boy.â
âMawnie undastanâ nu teww udda fwuffies bout Auwowa beinâ bad ow Mummah Shadoâ being maddies?â the earth fluffy piped up carefully, studying Shadowâs expression nervously. When a trace of a smile flickered over the humanâs face, she exhaled heavily, risking a brief nuzzle at the arm holding her. âCan⌠Can Mawnie maybâ hab wawa? Nu hab befow hewdâŚâ she snuffled quietly, clearly trying not to cry.
âThereâs a water bowl in the grooming room. Iâll put you down after you arenât filthy anymore. You need a bath even more than they do.â Shadow muttered, shutting the door after her.
First Chapter The Pack- because what we need is more fluffies bred to eat other fluffies. (1) by :Shadowfox
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