Footage clip-Tuesday
Even with Rook’s presence at her heels, Shadow’s entrance into the doubled outdoor pen went unnoticed against the volume of the shouting and arguing at the far end of the run. Quietly, she set her burden of kibble and supplies down, closing the distance to a few short feet.
“Am munstas! Udda babbehs nu safe wit’ munstas in safepwace!” the aqua mare was wailing, her forelegs latched around her grown colt and Maple hesitant at her back.
“Ossan am wite! Wawwock, aww hewd see wat munsta fwuffies du tu udda fwuffies! Tu mummahs wike sissy Astaw, an’ soon- mummahs wike sissy Iwis. Eben wittw babbehs wike Astaw’s bestest babbeh!” Larkspur was uncharacteristically worked up, stamping his hooves and puffing his cheeks as he stared Warlock and Druid down. “Wawkspu’ hab speciew fwiend nao, an’ Hazawd am soon-mummah tu! Am bewy-soon-mummah! Su Wawkspu’ nu gun wet speciew fwiend ow Hazawd tummeh-babbehs gu foweba sweepies wike sissies an aww ob owd hewd!”
Warlock and Druid were planted in front of the far barrel shelter, both of them set into defensive stances with worried looks on their little faces. At the other side of the far pen, Rose and Grape were protectively huddling over their nests like mother hens faced with foxes, Soot and Smudge pacing in front of them in careful imitation of the defensive blocking the older stallions were using.
“Wawwock, ou’ am guud smawty, bu’ Wawkspu am wight, mayb?” Maple slowly said, looking unhappy. “Aww hewd did see wat munsta fwuffies du. Awweady ‘nough munsta fwuffies hewe wit’ munsta human wady. Awweady tu man’ guud fwuffies hab gun foweba sweepies ow am nummed as hewd wooks.” He shook his head, shuffling his hooves as he looked between his Smarty and his new mate. “Tu man’ wittw babbehs an mummahs tu wook afta awweady, nu can take da wisk. Bettaw…Bettaw tu gib dem wowstest owwies an’ foweba sweepies nao, weww nyu munsta fwuffies stiww wittw ‘nough tu nu be scawy an’ num hewd.”
“Nu!” Willow shouted from behind her special friend and his brother. “Babbehs aww onwy wittw babbehs! Nu am munstas, am Wiwwow babbehs. Wiwwow nu wet ou gib huwties tu babbehs, eben…eben if Wiwwow nee’ gib bwudda Mapwe huwties!”
“It otay, Wiwwow. Dwuid nu wet any fwuffies huwt babbehs, babbehs awe Dwuid babbehs tu. Dwuid wub nyu babbehs, aww nyu babbehs!” that last statement was made with his eyes firmly latched on the other fluffies crowding into them with puffed cheeks and stamping hooves. “Dwuid wub speciew fwiend Wiwwow.”
“Dwuid am guud daddeh tu nyu babbehs, an’ Wiwwow am guud mummah,” Warlock assured them, his voice soft for a moment before he glared at his former best friend and the rest of the herd. “Wawwock nu wet hewd du dis. Babbehs nu am munstas! Munsta hab meanies an teethies. Babbehs am hab wingies an’ pointies, bu’ dat nu make babbehs munstas. Dat make babbehs wike sissy Pawadin, an’ Pawadin was bestest ob speciew fwuffies. Pawadin sab Dwuid an’ Wawwock fwom owd Daddeh afta daddeh gib Bawd wowstest owwies an’ foweba sweepies. Pawadin sab bwuddas eben knuw dat Pawadin gu foweba sweepies twyin’!” He took a step forward, lowering his horn as it flashed with dim bioluminescence. “Wawwock pwotect famiwy, eben if nee’ huwt hewd an’ fwiend tu du.”
Just as Larkspur raised a hoof and the young green stallion was urged forward by his mother, a pointed throat clearing came from right behind them. “I knew there was a reason I liked you,” Shadow murmured, and the cluster of fluffies parted. Larkspur hesitated, ears flattening in panic- but his cheeks puffed again, his weight shifting noticeable forward as he prepared to kick back at his most recent leader. “Rook.”
Before the lavender pegasus could lash back, there were fangs digging into the back of his mane and scruff as the grey demonfluff hauled him off his feet and out of the way before dropping him. An abortive scramble upwards as the jaws released was ended when a heavy, sharp edged hoof was planted on his neck. “Sta’ downies, mayb’ Wook nu num ‘ou ow gib huwties tu bad.” The demonfluff wasn’t even looking at him, entirely focused on waiting for the next command.
“Let me see them.” It wasn’t a request, and Warlock grudgingly stepped back, letting the human have a closer look at Willow’s litter. Druid hadn’t moved, flattening down appeasingly without breaking his defensive position. “Hey there, Willow. That’s some litter you have there. You made very pretty babies, sweetheart. The three of you are right. None of them are monsters, and I’m not going to let the other fluffies hurt them.” She stood up again and snapped her fingers. “Rook, move them over.” As Shadow walked back to put the food out of reach, her demonfluff leapt into action again. Brass tags jingling madly, he raced around the clustered fluffies, nipping, lunging and growling until they all fled into the other half of the run. Rose and Grape squealed and cowered over their nests, but Rook didn’t even bother looking back at them. He took even less notice of the the young stallions trying their best to hold a protective blockade against him.
When the aggressors of the little drama had been removed as far from all the current mummahs and litters as possible, Shadow slammed the dividing gate shut again. “Didn’t think about that. Ah, well, priorities,” she muttered at the sight of how hard and shallowly the heavily pregnant Hazard was breathing as Larkspur frantically tried to comfort his mate. With a final indifferent shrug, she headed back to the corner.
“Alright. Warlock, we have a few options here. One is that I leave now, the way things are. Everyone on this side of the fence gets food, the rest of the herd doesn’t. And they will probably keep trying to hurt Willow’s babies. Our deal remains otherwise the same.” He crept closer at that, ears flat as he considered the other half of his herd now pounding at the gate. “Option two. You, Druid and Willow give me the two babies they are so desperate to hurt, and I look after them inside. I give you my promise they won’t be hurt and I’ll do my best to find them good human homes when they are older. I’ll also count this as the deal for the day, and I’ll bring you guys either sketti or a ball. Your choice.”
Willow’s ears had flattened at that, and she was pulling all five of her babies protectively closer as Druid leaned against her side. “Dwuid wub speciew fwiend Wiwwow, wub babbehs,” he was crooning softly. “Dwuid nu wan gib up babbehs. Bu’ nu wan babbehs huwt by hewd. Hewd nu meanie, jus’ scawed. Hewd nu unnastan.”
“There is also option three.” Shadow reached up, unlatching first the solid cover and then the inner chainlink gate into the furthest kennel run. The waft of air-conditioned cool and the music of Fluff-TV blowing out at the fluffies was the first thing that caught their attention, followed by the same washable cushioned mat and litter-box that the rest of the inner runs sported. “The babies come live inside- all of them, with Willow. And Druid. Your foals will all be given a chance at finding good homes, and as long as you’re willing to follow the inside rules, you two can live inside and can stay as special friends. And Warlock-”
“Wawwock wiww stay with hewd. Wit’ Wawwock speciew fwiends an’ babbehs. Dwuid wite, hewd jus’ nu unnastan. nu meanies, jus’… If Wawwock wibe insidies, den nu fwuffy tu wook afta hewd an’ wet Miss Shad’ knu wat fwuffies bestest tu take. Den Miss Shado take any fwuffy at-” he winced at that checking her expression carefully. “Wawwock nu mean say Miss Shado’ nu smawt ow can pick own fwuffies. Onwy dat Miss Shado’ am bewy busies insidies, nu knuw hewd wike Wawwock can knuw hewd.” the corner of her lip curled up a little at that, and he ducked his head, looking between her and the dark green earthy. The blue unicorn still seemed torn, leaning heavily against his brother as he looked across the far pen at the young stallions guarding his mates and the babies in the corner. “Bu’…Bu mayb’ Dwuid shou’ gu with Miss Shado’. Keep Wiwwow an’ babbehs safe.” Another moment of pained thought, and he nodded firmly. “Yes. Dwuid gu wit’ Miss Shado’ an Wiwwow. Am bestest pwan.”
“I do think that is the best option we have here. Warlock- If we go with this, I’ll leave the rest of the herd alone for the week. Seven bright times without having to pick anyone for me. And they’ll both be right in here. I’ll let you come in and see where they’ll be living and help them settle in, and as long as you keep order in your herd, I’ll open one of the gates so you can see and talk to your brother once a day.”
He nodded enthusiastically at the idea, actually crawling close enough to touch his muzzle to her denim clad knee. “Tank 'ou. Tank ‘ou su much, Miss Shado’”, he said through choked sobs, and she gingerly reached out to pat the top of his head.
“Well, you’re mine, aren’t you? You keep them in order for me. It’s only fair you get a boon out of it every now and then.”
By the time she came back out and finished filling all the kibble troughs and water dispensers, the brothers had said long goodbyes. Warlock had carefully helped the pair move all five of the newborns into the safety of the inner run, checked every inch of the indoor run, had a touching reunion with the breeding pair pulled from his herd and spent time reassuring himself of the safety and health of every fluffy and foal in the kennel. “Satisfied? Going to go out and tell all the herd what a nice place this is and how nice I am?”
Warlock hesitated as the door shut behind him, clearly wavering. “Wawwock nu gun teww nu-twuuf. Miss Shado’ nu as much munsta as Wawwock tink, bu’… stiww nu nice wady. Miss Genny am nice wady. Wawwock wiww teww hewd awways wisten an fowwow wuwes, bu…” he braced himself, only for her to laugh.
“You know what? I can respect that. At least you aren’t lying to me. Go look after your herd, Warlock.”
First Chapter- The Pack- because what we need is more fluffies bred to eat other fluffies. (1) by :Shadowfox
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