It had been 12 days since his birth, and Uglyface had finally begun to take his first, shaky steps.
Cupcake had, reluctantly, done her job and kept him from dying- and no more. He was clearly somewhat smaller than the other foals, though his fluff disguised his thinness.
Cupcake had given almost all of her milk to her other foals, while he had only a handful of suckles each feeding time. He was always so hungry. Cupcake never hugged him, and really only touched him for feeding.
He wasn’t allowed to sleep in the fluffpile, either. Cupcake would always keep him in or near the litterbox as much as she could.
When he first opened his eyes on day 5- a full 2 days after his siblings- he could do nothing but stare at his mother. She was so pretty, and simply seeing her made him feel relaxed and happy. Once she noticed him staring, though, she picked him up and dumped him in the corner of the nesting enclosure behind the litterbox, facing the wall.
He chirped and chirped, but Cupcake didn’t really hear or care, focusing almost all of her attention on her other chirpeh babbehs, who took in as much of the world around them with their eyes as they could. He tried to wriggle back around the box to be with her, but his hunger left him with little energy for such pursuits, and he usually tired himself out before he was able to get all the way around.
On the morning of day 7, his siblings spoke their first words, all some rendition of “Mummah! Wub mummah!”. He, meanwhile, in the shade of the litterbox, did naught but listen as Cupcake praised her very smart and good babbehs for speaking.
By day 8 the others were already walking, albeit shakily, giggling and babbling nonsensically as they explored the enclosure and hugged each other, while he’d sit in the corner behind the litterbox, watching and squeaking sadly for them to come and play with him too, and sometimes glancing over at Cupcake when he could see her with pleading eyes for hugs or milk.
So when day 12 had rolled around, she ignored him as he finally, quiveringly, got on all fours and slowly stumbled along, using the wall as support. He chirped and cooed trying to get everyone’s attention- but he was still too quiet to hear over everything else.
“Otay babbehs,” Cupcake announced, “time fo’ miwkies!”
They all came running over immediately.
Cupcake picked up her bestes’ babbeh first, who she’d named Blueberry. He was a blue unicorn and always got first milkies, and all the other foals had learned this. They watched impatiently as he suckled from her until he was quite fat and lethargic before she nestled him into her chest fur.
Next came her only pegasus, and one of the two earthies. The pegasus had yellow fur and and an orange tail and mane, and was called Warmy. She made Cupcake very happy when she did dancies. The first earthie was called Wiggle; he was dark green all over and had wiggled funnily while Cupcake had tried to lick him clean as a newborn.
After snuggling them both into her belly fluff, Cupcake pulled the other earthie to her teats. She had purple fluff and yellow a mane and tail. Her name was Softpetal, as she reminded Cupcake of some flowers painted on the walls of the fluffmart’s training room.
As softpetal suckled, Uglyface awkwardly trundled into view.
Cupcake glared at him while he looked up at her with a big beaming smile, very proud of his new walkies. She didn’t like seeing this parasite so happy, nevermind proud. He was a bad poopie babbeh, and poopie babbehs aren’t supposed to be happy.
As he came closer for milk, she shoved him hard backwards, “Nu miwk fo’ Ugwyface 'tiw wast!” she hissed at him.
This was the first time he really felt or understood his mother’s animosity. He thought she would be happy with his walkies, yet…
He lay there, peeping occasionally for hugs and milk, but only got an icy stare. Softpetal fed for an agonizing few minutes and, once finished and fat with milk, was carefully lifted to her sleeping place. Cupcake took her time nestling Softpetal into her chest fluff before she finally allowed Uglyface his due.
“Otay, dummeh babbeh, yu can haf sum miwkies nao,” she said coolly.
Uglyface scrambled to his feet and wobbled over to her teats. He flopped down and began to suckle, but as usual, there wasn’t much. He suckled until there was nothing left, a paltry 10 little mouthfuls of milk. Cupcake peeled him away then, pushing him back a few feet. He rolled before he came to a stop, his back left leg getting caught under him at an odd angle.
“Dummeh babbeh, nu dwink su much! Gib Cupcake miwkie pwace huwties!” She shouted at him.
He buried his head under his hooves, but no more hurties came. When he looked up, Cupcake had already rolled onto her back and was snuggling her other foals, cooing at them with soft whispers.
He wanted to be lifted up. He wanted snuggies too!
He stood, but peeped when a shot of pain rushed up his back left leg. The knee was slightly misaligned now, and it hurt to even move it. He limped over to Cupcake’s tail, and chirped quietly for a makie-bettah hug.
Peep! Peep peep!
She ignored him.
He chirped again, a little louder. He wanted to be a part of mummah’s fluffpile. It would make the hurties go away.
Peep! Peeeeep!
She still ignored him.
The hunger made it hard for him to stand, let alone chirp loudly, but he was able to do so just loud enough for Cupcake to turn and look down.
PEEEEEP!
For a moment he felt a little happiness well up and sat back carefully with his fore-hooves out. Finally, he was going to get the huggies and wub he needed! Instead, Cupcake disinterestedly sighed and whipped her tail past him, causing him to lose his balance and fall onto his back.
He couldn’t turn over and flailed uselessly for a few seconds, peep peePEEpeep peep he called out to her, sure that she had only accidentally pushed him over.
“Stoopi poopie-babbeh, gu back tu wittahbawks pwace,” Cupcake snorted, pushing him hard onto his side.
He struggled back over onto his tummy, looking up at his mother’s disgusted frown.
He understood her expression’s command, and stopped his noise. She eventually returned her attention to the rest of her foals, and he crawled away back towards the litterbox, his happiness extinguished and pain still shooting up his backside. He looked back every few inches, maybe hoping mummah didn’t mean it.
She paid no attention to him at all.
When he got back to his little litterbox corner, where a few crumpled newspapers was his bed, Cupcake started to sing. He loved her songs so much, they always made his heart feel funny. His laid his head down on his hooves and closed his eyes while perking his ears up to take in the heavenly sound.
“Mummah wub babbehs, babbehs wub mummah~ Bestes’ babbeh, wingie babbeh gib bigges’ huggies~ Otha babbehs stiww gud babbehs, gib wotsa miwkies~ Mummah bestes’ mummah~ Mummah awways wub yu!”
She flashed a glanced over to the litterbox, spying Uglyface’s shape in the shade. She had a song for him too.
“Dummeh babbehs, bad babbehs, nu git huggies. Poopie babbehs, smewwy babbehs, nu gud fo’ miwkies! Steawy miwkies, steawy huggies! Bad babbehs nebah git wuv! Baddes’ babbehs onwy git huwties!”
Uglyface curled up and flattened his ears. He didn’t like this mummah song.