Everyone knows of the ruins Cleveland left behind after the Skettie Land super theme park blew sky high leveling several blocks and damaging the structure of the rest of the city. Now the fluffies roam the wreckage with the stray animals and wildlife, grass and trees breaking through the concrete and asphalt streets retaking the land. The only humans here were the homeless and the scrappers who slowly stripped the damaged building for anything they could sell for cash. This being illegal meant the additional danger of shoot-outs and turf wars between rival groups over a resource rich building.
Just on the outskirts of Cleveland it was maintenance day for the grinder traps, gears needed grease, propane tanks replaced and the shit piles accumulating under the trap’s conveyor belts needed to be hosed away. Jake had everyone out there today, with seventeen traps circling the city it was going to be a long day but it was their biggest contract with FluffCo. Earl was pissed off when he found one of his traps had been hit by the scrappers and had left for the city to make life miserable for them in return.
In one of the many small parks and playgrounds that dotted the city a large orange and green maned earthy stallion named pumpkin looked over his herd’s nummy pile. It never seemed like enough for the coming coldy times, the leaves had started to show their first signs of changing color, knowing it was time to step up their search for more. He marched up the steps to a small child’s slide and addressed his herd.
-Da cowdy time is soon! Weafies am tuwnin owange! Aww fwuffies not watchin babbehs am to be finding mowe nummies! Tiww cowdy time is ova, NU. MOWE. BABBEHS! Fwuffies undahstand Smawty?- He shouted to the herd as they gathered to listen.
-But Beans wumps awe feewin sowe, wan good feews soon.- Complained a random stallion amongst the herd’s collective groan.
-Nuuuu! It Bewwy’s tuwn to be mummah! Wan babbehs nao!- Cried a mare. -Wan babbehs! Wan good feews Wan Babbehsssssss!-
The collective shrill uproar of complaints from the fifty member strong herd made an angry scowl spread over Pumpkin’s face and he shouted over them.
-SHAHHHHHDDUUUUUUP! NU! MOWE! BABBEHS! Soon mummahs need wots of nummies! mowe den we can find befowe cowdy times! Babbehs need wots of miwkies an wawm nesties! Wast cowdy time aww chiwpies went foweva sweepies fwom cowd! Ou’ wan woose aww babbehs again!? If mawes be soon mummahs befowe dis cowdy time ou nu get nummies tiww nu am soon mummah anymowe! Stawwions use da dummeh piwwows we make fwom othew hewd if wumps hewt su bad but nu make babbehs wif speshaw fwend!- He lectured the herd as best he could.
-Buh nu wan’ have good feews wif dummeh enfie piwwows. Wan speshaw fwend!- Spoke up a rather slow to catch on pegasus at the front of the herd.
Pumpkin slid down the slide landing in front of the stallion just inches from his face and shouted as loud as he could.
-Den put it in hew poopie pwace! Aww nummy findews take othew fwuffies an show dem how to find nummies. Mummahs wiff fiwwies an cowts stay in nestie! Tuffies stay hewe and watch mummahs an babbehs! We go nao!-
Taking charge of a small group of ten fluffies lead by a pair of brown fluffed nummy finders he took a large red and white maned tuffy simply called Big Red, his right leggy fluffy. His herd ran the playground they nested in but outside the park other herds wandered to surrounding area and he wanted to avoid them at all costs. The lead nummy finder took them to his best spot first, an old strip of restaurants from the vegan organic craze days. Lots of seeds that had taken root in the organic garden in their back lots and grown into a small forest of fruit trees and bushes of berries and vegetables. The nummy finders did their best to keep the entrance hidden but it would seem the small hole in the wooden fence behind old trash and debris had been discovered. Now a fairly large herd called it home and were eating the grove down to the leaves, not wanting an unnecessary fight Pumpkin opted for them to just move on. There was a small park nearby with a pond that no fluffy herd had claimed in recent memory and the nummy finders warned the rest to be quiet and to watch out for the “Biwdy munstahs”. The crew got to work gathering any leaves, tall grass or anything thing else that might taste good, one fluffy made the mistake of getting too close to the water’s edge gathering the tall grass. She had disturbed a nest, there were nothing inside but soon they made their presence known.
“QUACK!”
A rather large brown and green headed duck came paddling up to the nest she now stood in, but this duck seemed different. It’s eyes were glowing red with a row of bony spikes across the top of its head and its beak was full of long sharp pointy teeth.
-Stwange bewdie fing gu way! Wan gwassy nummies.-
“HISSSSSSSSSSS!” The duck responded.
The duck snapped at her puffed out cheek ripping it from her face and threw it back down its gullet while she shrieked and rolled on the grass holding her face. The carnivorous duck bit down on her back leggy next and dragged her into the water as Pumpkin ordered the team to run away and follow him.
-Speshaw fwend NUUUUUU!- Cried her mate as he ran to the pond instead of following.
The second he reached the shoreline the meat eating mallard released her and lunged at him,they were nearly a block away but they could still hear their screams slightly but quickly was cut off. They managed to gather some nummies but it wasn’t much, the search continued on to the next spot.
-Otay fwuffies dis pwace am Big Wosie’s wand. Nu wet hew find us ow we in big poopies- Pumpkin ordered in a hushed tone.
Big Rosie was a colossal, fat rose pink and purple maned smarty bitch mare that ran the old farmers market. When the park blew the market was abandoned and all the produce left behind went to seed and turned the whole area into a massive, lush fruit and veggie garden and Big Rosie ruled it with an iron hoof.
-Bwing soon mummah Wosie mowe nummies NAO!- Big Rosie could be herd shouting to her herd. -Babbehs comin soon an Wosie need mowe nummies to make bestest babbehs!-
Rosie sat in her nest in the center of the garden, bigger than ever and unable to move anymore, her herd hustling about her bringing her the bestest fruits and veggies they could pick. Pumpkin and his little crew of raiders crept around the outside edge of the garden behind a wall of green bean vines. One of the nummy finders carried an old plastic grocery bag in his teeth, opening it up they quickly started picking beans and filling the bag. They were making good progress having filled half the bag when one of Rosie’s patrols spotted them and within moments they were being chased by dozens of rival fluffies.
The two slowest got caught and as the blue and yellow earthy stallions were pinned down and dealt the worst sorry hoofies of their lives the rest escaped with the bag. Rosie’s crew didn’t just leave them there though, they were dragged back to Rosie’s nest and thrown before her. She was so swollen with foals she hooves dangled in the air in a nest made of an old bean bag chair with a blue and green maned pegasus by her side looking defeated and submissive.
-Nummy thieves twy an steaw Smawty’s nummies! Buh ou dummehs nu escape Wosie! Nummy thieves fwends wun way wiff nummies! Noa ou am gunna be bestest nummies fow da poopies! Den ou be bestest nummies fow Wosie an miwkies fow tummeh babbehs!-
As soon as she announced this dozens of dirty, scrawny half starved looking poopie colored fluffies surrounded them. It was when they saw the large faded sign on a pole over Rosie’s head did they get what she meant. It was a simplified flow chart of the flow of food being eaten, pooped out and used too fertilize the next generation of food. The poopies were thrilled at the prospect of food that wasn’t poopies no matter what it was and they stared them down with hungry eyes.
-Nu pwease! Fwuffy nu am nummies!- Pleaded the yellow fluffy.
-NU! Ou AM nummies. Wed nummies. Da onwy othew nummies poopies an munstahs can have!- Shouted a ravenous looking brown alicorn. -Fwuffy am both! Gonna num ou an make ou poopies fow nummy twees!-
The surrounding group closed in licking their lips ready to pounce and devour them when Big Rosie let out a shrill scream as she came tumbling out of her nest. The bean bag chair kept rolling and flopped over Rosie as Pumpkin and Big Red popped out from behind it and shouted for the two doomed fluffies to run.
-Screeeee! Git soon mummah Wosie out NAO!- Her shrieks muffled under the bag. -SreeeEEEEEE!! Biggest pppooooopies! Too ssooonnnrreEEEEEE! Tummy Babbehs nu weady!-
In the chaos and confusion the fluffies ran following Pumpkin through the garden as the rest of the nummy finders grabbed what they could and followed. What a haul it was, half a grocery bag full of ears of corn and another half a bag apples and they quickly returned home to hide their loot in their own hiding spot. After such an ordeal the nummy finders wanted a break but Pumpkin only let them rest a little get a drink and then they set off again in search for more. With Big Rosie probably looking for them Pumpkin had the nummy finders lead them in the opposite direction of her territory and closer to the taller buildings. The nummy finders didn’t like going this way, fewer options, more competition and monsters looking to make them the nummies. Then there was the humans, any human that came around here aren’t friendly at all and foals were taught from early on that humans were bad and to avoid them at all costs. Food could be smelled in the distance, it was sweet and fruity with a mild spice to it, it was too tempting not to follow. They tracked this mysterious scent to the space between two large buildings the face of one completely collapsed and every window on another, shattered. There was an eerie calm to the area, no birds or other animals could be heard as they moved between the buildings following the scent.
“Oh shit, he found us!” A human could be heard from one of the buildings.
“Where’s my solar panels you grubby little pricks?!”
The loud bang of a shotgun echoed, Pumpkin had no idea what it was or where it was coming from but more shots rang out all around them. When one of the nummy finders burst like a balloon splattering his boo-boo juice and tummy sketties over most of the other fluffies. Run, that was theonly thoughts in the fluffies minds now and they bolted at a brisk waddle to the other side of the building as more shots and shouts echoed.
“I waned you idiots last time! Fork over my computers and I’ll only shoot you once! Imp! Go left!”
More loud bangs and and now chunks of the buildings started to fall then the largest wingy pointy fluffy he had ever seen fell from above and glided down in front of them almost crashing. It was an ugly shade of green with brown mane and had three slash scars of it’s left eye, it steadied itself shaking off the landing then looked at them with an angry glare. He felt like a foal in front of such a terrifying monster when he heard Big Red chattering in his ear.
-We gotta go Smawty. Dis munstah too big to fight.- Nudging him to keep moving.
-Did you say… Smawty?- The alicorn asked with a sinister grin.
“Goblin! Get your ass back in the fight!” A man’s voice shouted.
-But… But… A smawty.-
“Leave it! That’s not the job! Get back up here and fight!”
Goblin pouted for a second then looked at a chunk of concrete the size of his head and his horn lit up, the rock lifted into the air and sailed off into the distance landing on target with a wet crack.
“Oh god, he killed Kenneth!” Shouted another voice.
“Coleson, you bastard!” Cried a third.
-This is you wucky bwight time, Smawty. Wun away now… WUN!- Igniting his horn again.
Fear drove the herd’s little leggies faster than they could ever had hoped as more rocks flew overhead with shouts and shots deafening them. They ran blindly through to the other side eyes closed in terror, something they were taught never to do when they were young but this was too much even for veteran ferals. Pumpkin was in the lead and ran face first into into something soft and stretchy as the other all ran into it as well bumping into each other then being flung back slightly by it. Shaking off the blind panic they looked around and knew where they had ended up, the scrapper’s camp or human nestie as they called it. Tents, fold up furniture and a camp fire and the source of the wonderful smell, over by the fire pit cooling in a large dutch oven kettle was wild-berry cobbler intended to be dessert for the scrappers. It was the best thing they ever smelled and their mouths watered with desire as they rushed to the open pot. Big Red got there first and immediately burned one of his tender hoofies when he stood up to put his hooves on the kettle’s side.
-Bewnie hewties! Why nummies gif Wed owwies?- Red wailed sitting down to lick his wounded hoof.
A few other fluffies were dumb enough to try and touch the dutch oven’s side, lured in by the sweet smell, Pumpkin had to swat the last one away before she could touch the kettle.
-Dummehs! Dis am hooman owwie twap! We weave nao an nu touch any 'fing!- He orded and pointed to the greenest part of the city he could see.
The last fluffy to leave the camp spitefully shat on the dutch oven hoping to ruin the smell and save other fluffies from such a mean trap. None of the other nummy finders had ever been there and were not sure what they would find, if they did they would have never bothered.
The place they headed to was a big open gap between the buildings where a young forest grew through the rubble and pushed over dirt creating a hilly landscape. Some of which grew over still standing and half toppled buildings creating sudden drop off points, it took longer than they thought to get there but soon enough they arrived at the edge. After a moment of hesitation they headed in, after a while of scrounging around and finding little one of the nummy finders seemed to have disappeared from the group. Pumpkin warned them to stay close, something felt off about this place then they found a single solid light blue pony standing before them, smiling so hard it almost seemed forced.
-Who am ou?- Pumpkin asked standing between his group and the strange pony.
-Fuzzy am Fuzzy pony. Fluffies wanna be friends? Come play with fuzzy!-
-Come play with fuzzy!- Said another stepping out from behind a tree.
Then another and another then several more all repeating the same thing, come play with fuzzy and soon they started to play wrestle, giggling and encouraging the fluffies to join. Soon the fluffies gave in to their natural urge to just play and have fun and soon they were play wrestling and chasing each other around in a game of tag. One of the fuzzies had a nummy finder pinned on his back as the wrestled, giggling joyously when the fuzzy started to press a hoof into the fluffy’s neck. Trying to gasp for air and uselessly beating his soft hoofies against the fuzzy’s leg he looked up into the fuzzy’s blank stare with that giant forced smile. Just as his vision started to go dark Pumpkin came running tackling the fuzzy and knocking him down but did little if any harm at all.
-Come play with fuzzy.- Said the fuzzy getting up
pumpkin looked around and saw the other fluffies struggling in the same way save for Big Red who was strong enough to hold his own but now the fuzzies were ganging up on him. No matter how many sorry hoofies he gave even Big Red couldn’t hurt them enough to stop them quick enough before three more fluffies had their necks squished.
-Fwuffies wun back to nestie NAO- Pumpkin shouted knocking over another fuzzy.
The fluffy pinned underneath gasped for air coughing and rolling onto his feet he got up and ran following Pumpkin, knocking down any fuzzy they could to rescue their herd-mates. Sadly they ran in the wrong direction heading deeper into the woods, it was obvious when they stopped just short in front of a sheer cliff. There was a small lake in the center of the forest perfectly round and half filled with water and scraps of metal from buildings including big red letters S, K,E and T. It was the Skettieland theme park crater and that ten foot drop to the water below and one unlucky fluff didn’t stop in time and over the cliff-side she went. The fuzzies were closing in still smiling blankly at them still calling them to play with them. Pumpkin and Big Red took a defensive stance placing themselves between their herd and the fuzzies.
-Otay fwuffies! Stay cwose an fowwow smawty!- Pumpkin called to his herd. -Chawge!-
The few remaining fluffies huddled together behind Pumpkin and Big Red and they ran through the line of fuzzy ponies shoulder checking them out of the way. They didn’t stop running until they were out of the forest and a block away then collapsed huffing and wheezing for air. After he managed to catch his breath, Pumpkin took a head count, of the twelve he started with they were down to five not counting himself and Big Red.
-Dawkie time comin soon, (sigh), Wet’s gu home.-
The trek home was silent, their hearts heavy from the loss of their friends but they still had to keep an eye out for danger. They made sure to take the long way around the human camp but they could still hear the angry men shouting.
“Look the lid was still on so they didn’t shit IN the cobbler! Just give me five minutes to hose it off and were good!”
“It’s not about the fucking cobbler, Stanforde! Ken’s dead because YOU thought it was a good idea to rip off that psycho! Oh, he won’t anything, he wont find us. Look what the fuck happened!”
They still sounded angry, better to stay outta sight and they had to duck down an alley as a old grey van zoomed by hauling a trailer full of parts. But it was the alicorn they saw earlier hanging out the window with a barky monster next to him was what really scared them. When they made it home at last, empty handed, Pumpkin was too tired to see what the other groups had gathered he just climbed into his nest and went to sleep.
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Special guest appearance by the @Carniviousduck