The Toy Castle, chapter 1
A Fluffy Named Water
The inside of the castle was just as colorful as the outside, Snowcone emerging into a wide and empty space. A thick, soft carpet lined the floor under her hooves and the warm air would have been a godsend if not for the dire circumstances. Little lamps lined the walls, but the ceiling was too high for her to see and every step she took echoed. Aside from a couple of vases, there was no furniture of any kind - nothing but a wide hallway stretching onward.
âBabbehs?â she called, listening for any reply but only getting the faded echo of her own voice. She moved carefully, sniffing around the vases but finding nothing. There wasnât even the scent of dust, just ⌠nothingness.
With no other options available, she sighed and began to walk down the hallway. Although Snowcone wished she could relish in the castleâs beauty, anxiety and concern for the foals made it hard to relax. âHewwo? Anyone hewe?â
She got no answers, of course, but speaking kept her somewhat focused. âBabbehs?.. Hewwo?â
A quiet âcheepâ from a bump in the carpet made Snowcone almost trip, and she gently nudged the bump only for it to roll over. It wasnât part of the carpet at all; it was a pale yellow foal, the same color as the fabric under her hooves.
They had been right then, this was where the babies were. Breathing out, Snowcone picked up the tiny chirpy baby and nudged it onto her back. One down, many more to go.
She walked slower after that. She still called sometimes, but she mostly listened for little peeps or baby voices, eyes fixed on the ground so as not to step on any more hidden foals.
But when she heard something, it was the sound of echoing hoofsteps, different from her own. Her heart surged - she wasnât alone! Raising her head and looking around, Snowcone called. âHewwo! Anyone thewe?â
She gasped as she saw him; another fluffy, sky blue and seafoam green. A friend! Someone to help her find the lost foals! She rushed toward the stranger at once, but once she came close enough to see his details, Snowcone slammed to a sharp stop.
âHewwo,â the fluffy hummed cheerfully. No, rather, he was no fluffy at all - he was close, but no fluffy she had ever seen carried both wings and a horn.
âM- Munstah âŚâ whispered Snowcone, backing away. The monster blinked, watching her with piercing blue eyes unlike any sheâd ever seen, but then he just chuckled.
âDun be siwwy, theweâs no such thing as munstahs.â
What? How could he say that? Of course there were, he himself was a monster⌠Wasnât he? But he was acting like the very notion of monsters was absurd, and Snowcone hesitated.
âAm Wawa,â the strange fluffy introduced himself with a pleasant smile. âWhatâs yu name?â
âAm Snowcone.â She still felt uneasy, but despite his strange name and appearance Wawa acted kind enough. Normal enough. Maybe he knew something. âHaf yu seen babbehs?â
âBabbehs?â Wawa paused and put a hoof to his chin, sounding thoughtful. âWawa did heaw chiwpies. May know whewe babbehs awe.â
Hope fluttered in Snowconeâs chest, spreading all the way up to her wings. âWeawwy? Whewe!?â
âFaw deepew in the castwe, tuu faw tu expwain.â Wawa lowered his hoof, holding it out for Snowcone who instinctively took a step back. âWan wowk togethew, Snowcone? Wawa can show yu tu babbehs.â
Work together⌠with a monster? No, fluffy, no monster ⌠Wawa waited patiently for her answer, watching her with those deep blue eyes, until finally Snowcone gave in and nodded. âOtay.â
She needed to find those babies and get out. Weird or not, a fluffy who knew his way around would be invaluable.
âOtay!â Wawa lit up, placing his hoof back on the floor with a big wag of his tail. âDis way, Snowcone.â
As the fluffy began to walk, Snowcone pushed down her lingering doubts and followed. Soon she found herself walking alongside him, Wawa slowing to let her catch up instead of taking a proper lead.
âSnowcone am awone?â he asked. She couldnât tell if he was curious or concerned.
âNu, haf hewd outside castwe. Hewd am waiting fow Snowcone to wetuwn.â
âHuh.â Wawa looked thoughtfully somewhere at empty air. âNu othew fwuffies come?â
âNu⌠Big fencey doows shut aftew Snowcone.â
âHmm. Wawa undehstands.â
What did he understand? Snowcone couldnât make much sense of it, but then Wawa turned to her with a cheery smile.
âWeww, Snowcone am wucky Wawa found yu then!â he chimed. âDis castwe is big and scawy, wooking awone wud be awfuw!â
Before Snowcone could agree they reached the end of the hallway, emerging into a huge room. A shiny, sparkling chandelier hung high up in the ceiling and golden banisters lined every wall and railing and frame. Pretty and colorful furniture dotted the room, two doors pointed different ways, and a huge staircase - lined with cracks but as colorful as the day it was made - lead up to a second floor. It was enough for Snowcone to stop and gasp, staring at it all in awe.
Wawa had walked on a good few steps before realizing, turning to her then back to his surroundings. He chuckled. âIs pwetty, wight?â
âSu pwettyâŚâ Snowcone whispered.
âWhich way yu wanna go fiwst?â
Which way? Were there foals in every direction? Suddenly indecisive, Snowcone looked around. Maybe there were even foals in this room, she thought, and then she saw it.
In the middle of the stairway, huddled close to one of the banisters, was a little red foal. Snowcone at once hurried toward it, but a few steps up the board she stepped on cracked and fell down. Snowcone barely avoided falling with it, stumbling aside and staring at the jagged, deep hole she had left.
âCawefuw!â called Wawa behind her. âNu wawk on cwacked pieces! They huwt!â
âO-Otay!â Right, she couldnât be hasty. She had a yellow foal on her back already - what use was it to save the red one if she lost her yellow foal in the process? Yet, she couldnât leave the red one where it was just because she had the yellow one, eitherâŚ
âGif babbeh tu Wawa,â offered Wawa, sensing her dilemma. Snowcone nodded slowly, climbing back down and pulling the foal out of her fluff. It chirped in protest as it was placed in Wawaâs hooves, but he dutifully held it to his chest and kept it warm as Snowcone climbed up the stairs.
She was more careful this time, avoiding the boards with too many cracks and pressing down on those that seemed unstable to ensure they were safe to walk on. As she got close, though, she got careless. The red foal was so close, on a board below her just out of reach, and she tried to lean on a spider-web-cracked board to grab hold of it. Just a little moreâŚ
The board creaked as she placed her front hooves on it, and despite waving her wings to offset the weight it suddenly shattered with a loud snap. Snowcone threw herself forward and snagged the foalâs fur in her teeth as she was dragged down the hole, her chin hitting the wood at an awkward angle and causing her to twist in mid-air. She struck the ground on her back and dropped the foal with a cry, the red fuzzball rolling down beside her with distraught chirps.
âSnowcone! Yu otay?â called Wawa, hurrying over with the yellow foal on his back. Snowcone groaned and gingerly rolled onto her side, but her back burned and she could taste metal.
âT-Think soâŚâ she murmured despite the tears pricking at her eyes. More important was the foal - as she looked it over, the fur where she had bitten hold was dark and growing wet. Sheâd hurt it.
âStay stiww,â urged Wawa as he stepped behind her, pushing her down a little with a hoof. Snowcone didnât ask what he was doing as she felt him grab hold of something, but then the burning renewed into a sharp stabbing pain and she cried out.
âIs otay,â said Wawa as she looked to him - he was holding a thick wooden shard, its edge coated in blood. Slowly, almost dully, Snowcone begun to realize what had happened. Her carelessness had made her bite the foal she wanted to save, and had caused her to fall onto the very same board she shattered.
She sniffled and hugged the red foal, licking its wound until the bleeding stopped and it seemed okay. She wished she could do the same to herself, but that was a physical impossibility. âThank-yuâŚâ
She had been lucky to leave the other foal with Wawa. Had she still carried it ⌠The mental image of the baby crushed between Snowconeâs body and the sharp wood, killed by her recklessness, hurt almost as much as the wound on her back. â⌠Thank yu.â
She really was lucky to have met Wawa. She needed all the help she could get.