Spike Character originally by NekuChan. Flash/Gigi and new Spike art by Karn/Princess Purrpaws
It was a long time before either Spike or Flash said anything, the pair clearly distraught over the loss of their new friend, Gigi. While the alicorn was always somber over the loss of any foal, he had taken the filly’s death exceptionally hard, not only because of how much Flash had cared for her, but because of how important she had been to Spike.
While the alicorn had been quietly mourning, his eyes wet with tears as he occasionally whimpered, Spike was nearly catatonic. Still clinging desperately to Flash, the poor foal had sobbed and mewled for several minutes, screaming several times into the alicorn’s chest fluff, his despair fueled cries muffled to the rest of the playroom, before finally going quiet, his body only quivering slightly as Flash tried in vain to console him. As the pair slowly tried to recover from the loss, the foals around them had mostly calmed, with all but the most injured and traumatized fluffies now cooing and playing around the pen. Finally, after several forevers, the sullen foal looked up to the alicorn, his eyes wet and red.
"Fwash? Am Spike an’ Fwash ba’ fwuffies…? Am…am fwuffies bein’ punish’d…?
"Nu…fwuffies nu am ba’, Spike…nu am bein’ punish’d fow nuthin’…dis am ju’ wewe fwuffies awe…nu wan punish’n yu ow Fwash…munstahs am jus’ munstahs…dats aww."
"Den wai wus Gee’gee taek’n, Fwash!!! Wai Gee’gee gu foweba sweepies…wai Gee’gee gown foweba!!! Nu am faiw!!! Nu am wite!!!"
Putting his hooves on Spike’s shoulders, Flash held the foal firmly, looking him squarely in the eyes as he tried to bring the fluffy some form of solace.
"Dat wus nu Spike’s fawt…"
Pushing the alicorn’s affections away, Spike seethed, even has tears fell down his cheeks.
"Yus it wus!!! Spike…*huuu…huuu…huuu…Spike cud neaw’e…*huuu…huuu…huuu…cud neaw’e touchies Gee’gee…wus…*huuu…huuu…huuu…wus su cwose…Gee’gee was gud fwuffy…an’ Spike’s fwend!!! Nu desewb tu gets taek’n, nu desewb gu foweba sweepies!!!"
"Spike…p’wease nu yeww…yu nee’ tu cawm downsies…nu wan wady tu heaw yu…Wady wiww taek yu tu…"
"SPIKE NU CAWE!!! WET WADY TAEK SPIKE!!! NU CAWE NU MOWE!!! HAO AM FWASHOTAY WIFF DIS!!! FWASH NU WUVGEE’GEE!!! NU CAWE BOUT’ GEE’GEE!!!"
Looking down to the floor, the alicorn began to sob, clearly taxed far beyond what the fluffy could handle emotionally.
"*huuu…huuu…huuu…Nu…nu am easi fow Fwash edah, Spike…Fwash…Fwash see su mani babbehs gu way’…tu mani babbehs gu way’…*huuu…huuu…huuu…Fwash hab tu stahp Fwash fwom cwyin’…hab tu stahp Fwash fwom feewin’…feewin’ saddies…feewin’ scawed…*huuu…huuu…huuu…Buh Spike nu teww Fwash dat Fwash nu cawe…Fwash cawe…Fwash cawe tu manies…"
It was clear to Spike now that the loss of Gigi, no, of every foal weighed heavily upon the alicorn. It scared the foal slightly to see Flash like this, so upset, so vulnerable. He had been Spike’s rock for as long as the foal could remember, his smile and upbeat attitude, even in the face of death, was what allowed Spike to survive in The Daycare. It was unnerving and even a bit sobering to know that the fluffy he looked up to so much was just like him. With the pair now quiet, save for the occasional sob and whimper, the foals spent the rest of the morning in mournful silence.
Walking the halls of the daycare, Diane made her way to the studyhall, where the children were busy learning the alphabet. Karen was behind the desk, her hand in a small jar of sweets, tossing them as a reward for those who could recite them without any aid, and clearly helping herself to quite a few as well, based on the small pile of wrappers on Diane’s desk. Waiting until all the children had made at least two attempts, Diane then made her way to her desk, opening her drawer and taking out a manila folder, trying her best not to glare at Karen or the mess she had made.
“That’s very good! Great job, everyone! Now, for the rest of studyhall, I want you to try and copy down the short sentences on these sheets. When I give you the sheets, take one and pass it back, ok?” Met with most of the classroom sighing, Diane passed out the worksheets regardless before making her way back to her desk, sitting next to Karen. " I see you’re making yourself at home…"
“Oh very much, thank you. I have to say Diane, it seems like some of your kids haven’t learned their ABC’s just yet. Not to worry though, some kids just learn slower. You know it’s just like my sister’s son, Thomas. It took him so long just to…”
The rest of the morning had gone by quickly, with the younger foals eventually returning to the mares for their lunch, and Spike and Flash sullenly making their way once again to the waiting area. Even though he had only known her for a few days, the foal truly felt Gigi’s absence now, his thoughts drifting back to the filly and how she had made the last few days just a little brighter for him. As they awaited their food, the pair were uncharacteristically silent, still broken up from the tragic loss of their friend, as well as the poor other foals who had been taken. Unable to meet each other’s gaze, the fluffies stood near the pen’s entrance, unable to shake the loss of Gigi.
After an eternity of silence, the pair heard the door open, with the black-maned woman entering the playroom. Walking up to the enclosure, she once again checked on the caged mares first before taking the foals and placing them in the milkcrate atop the plastic cubbies. A few moments later, and the black-maned woman returned with two bowls, one filled with milky kibble, and the other with lukewarm water.
While both Spike and Flash were both clearly still depressed following the mornings tragedy, they gave in to their hunger and began to eat, occasionally lapping up water greedily to quench their thirst. Looking to Flash as the alicorn slowly drank from the worn waterdish, Spike finally broke the silence that had been haunting the pair.
"Spike…Spike am sowwy Fwash…Nu mean tu maek Fwash hab saddies…Spike nu undahstan’ tiww nao jus’ hao huwt Fwash weawwy wus…Spike wuv Fwash an’ nu wan tu gib Fwash mowe heawt huwties…Spike jus’…jus’ wanGee’gee tu be otay 'gain…Spike wus…wus happies wenGee’gee wus awound…"
Looking up from the bowl, Flash trotted aside it, nuzzling up to Spike.
"It am otay Spike…Fwash kno hao Spike feews bout’ Gee’gee…Dat am hao Fwash feew bout’ Spike…Fwash wus…wus su saddies fow Spike wus hewe…Nu odah babbehs wud…wud wast wong enuf fow Fwash tu maek fwends…Fwash…Fwash am tank’fuw fow Spike…
Hugging the foal, Flash sobbed slightly as he held him close, the alicorn clearly fearful that he had lost his friend. Returning the embrace, Spike tried not to wince as his back ached and groaned at the alicorn’s affections.
As she took out her phone, Diane casually saw the older babies hugging in the milkcrate before her eyes went back to her device. “Glad they aren’t too broken up about the other foal…” Cycling through her messages, Diane’s face went slightly sour as she saw several new texts from Miranda, the mother of one of the older teens that the daycare looked after. While it was founded as a non-profit school and daycare for preschoolers and elementary school children, it was funded by the city. And when the city decided that too many teenagers were skipping school, defacing public property, ect, it was decided that the daycare would also manage troubled teens, albeit separately from the younger children.
Scrolling down, it was clear that Miranda’s son, Vance would be paying the daycare a visit today, arriving roughly in a half hour and staying until close, which was usually around eight. Having had skipped school again the day before, it was Miranda’s decision that he be forced to spend his Saturday there, thinking about his actions. Diane could only shake her head, wondering if the foolish mother knew that her son liked coming to the daycare. Sighing to herself, Diane looked outside, past the sliding glass window. It wasn’t all bad at least. The burnpile in the back was getting pretty full, and while Diane loathed tending to it, Vance never seemed to mind.
Hugging for what seemed like a forever, the foals eventually ended their embrace, their spirits slightly higher than before. Finishing their afternoon meal, they awaited the black-maned lady to come and return them to the enclosure. As they lightly nuzzled each other, the pair tried to put the loss of Gigi out of their minds, at least for now. While Spike was cooing and hugging Flash, the alicorn had glimpsed the black-haired woman from across the room. She had a perturbed look on her face, one that troubled Flash and made him worried.
Rubbing her temples as she came to grips with how her day was unfolding, Diane put her phone away. While she didn’t hate her job, the seemingly unending interference from City Hall and the varied decisions made without her input did take a toll on her. While most of the younger children would be leaving around three, some would be staying until five or later. And while there wasn’t a rule against it, Diane took great aims to keep the teenagers and the others separated throughout the day. She loathed to do so, but it seemed like Diane would have to rely on Karen more than she had hoped, at least for today.
As though Diane had summoned the obnoxious woman with her thoughts, Karen opened the door, walking over to the desk and sitting down with a sigh. “I hate to speak ill of your kids Diane…but some of them can be downright grating on my nerves.”
Tilting her head slightly, her lip tremoring as she turned to face Karen, Diane tried her best to hide her ever-growing anger. “Karen, who’s watching the children?”
“Oh honey, don’t fret. They’re just kids after all, what trouble could they…”
Standing upright, Diane took a deep breath. “The moment they walk through those doors, they are our responsibility. Someone has to be in the same room with them at all times!” Walking to the door, Diane suddenly had an idea. A cruel bit of payback against the annoying and ignorant woman that had been making her already stressful day far worse. “Since you’re here and all, why don’t you go ahead and return those foals to the pen. I mean after all, if you’re going to work here, might as well get used to them.” Overjoyed at the look on Karen’s face, Diane left to tend to the kids, not giving the woman a chance to retort.
Jumping slightly at the door suddenly opening, the foals had yelped before looking cautiously, only to see the yellow-maned woman. While her appearance put Spike slightly at ease, the foal fearful that the children had returned, Flash only grew more nervous. Between the black-maned woman’s angry looking expression, and her suddenly leaving the room, the alicorn knew something was wrong. Before he could warn Spike, the yellow-maned woman had walked over to the cubbies, eyeing the foals within the milkcrate with a disgusted sneer.
After a few moments of the yellow-maned woman leering over them, her eyes scrutinizing the foals and the crate that held them, she grabbed the handles of the milkcrate and tried to heft it off of the cubbies, not willing to touch the foals by hand. Unable to muffle their screams as they tumbled and struck the walls of the crate, Spike and Flash cried out as they were berated by the boxes’ inner walls again and again as the yellow-maned woman struggled against the surprising weight of the milkcrate. Unaware that it was weighted along it’s bottom, to prevent the foals within from accidently toppling it over, it fell free from the yellow-maned woman’s hands shortly after she had taken it down, the foals screaming as they plummeted towards the ground.
“HEWP!!! FWASH!!! SAB SPIKE!!!*SCREEEEEEE!!!”
“SCREEEEEEE!!! NUUUUUUU!!!”
As the pair fell, the alicorn saw an opprotunity to cushion the blow for one of them, to maybe even escape the fall unscathed. Grimacing as he decided, Flash used his legs to catch the side of the crate, slowing his fall just enough to push Spike with his front hooves, the foal now falling into the partially full waterdish. While the impact was still quite hard and had knocked the air out of the poor foal, he rose back up after the fall, sputtering water as he gasped and flailed his way out if the bowl. Flash however, wasn’t as fortunate. Falling hard on his haunches, the alicorn shrieked as his back legs hit the floor, the fragile bones within shattering on impact.
“*SCREEEEEEE!!!”
His eyes wide for a single agonizing moment, the alicorn violently retched before passing out, the pain being too much for him to bear. As Spike saw him fallen on the ground, he tried to scream for him, coughing and sputtering up water. Feebly attempting to pull himself towards Flash, the foal grimaced and shook, falling backwards into the waterbowl over and over, before finally laying still, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he reached out with his hooves towards the splayed out alicorn, his vision blurring before the foal finally blacked out as well.
“SHIT!!!” Karen was livid, as she looked down at the mess she had made. Water and bits of kibble had spilled out of the crate as it had slipped from her hands. Not to mention the disgusting creatures were now on the floor, both having passed out shortly after their fall. Looking around, Karen found a broom and began to sweep the mess into a dustpan, with Flash and Spike’s unconscious bodies sliding and rolling slightly as she pushed them with the rest of the refuse. Once they were safely within the dustpan, Karen lifted it upward, grimacing as she narrowed her eyes at the foals. “Disgusting little vermin…”
Deciding that it would be easier to hide what she’d done, Karen made her way to the sliding glass door, opening it quickly before shaking the pan, letting the foals tumble into the tall grass before shutting the door and drawing the curtains. After then replacing the fallen milkcrate and putting the bowls back where they’d been, Karen looked around the room nervously before leaving the playroom, a slight look of paranoia on her face.
Watching over the kids as they finished their worksheets, Diane began to tap her foot impatiently. How hard is it to put up two foals, she thought, a deep frown growing across her face. After several minutes, Karen finally walked back into the studyhall, almost as though she were in a hurry. Oblivious to how nervous the woman appeared, Diane stood up and made her way past her. “I have to meet with a new arrival. Don’t leave the children alone again…” Not allowing Karen even a moment to respond, Diane then left her to look after the kids.
Walking outside, Diane saw Vance getting out of his mother’s car and making his way up the walkway towards her. Putting on a forced smile, Diane waved as he saw her. “Good afternoon, Vance. How are you today?” Not answering her, the teen simply walked by her as he made his way inside. Shaking her head as she turned around to join him inside the daycare, Diane rubbed her temples. Her day was already looking even worse than it had began.
Walking in, Diane saw Vance fidgeting with his phone as he waited outside the playroom door, putting it away as he saw her approaching. Looking to the room and then to Diane, Vance simply pointed. “Same as usual?”
“If you’re asking where you will be spending the afternoon, then yes, it will be in the playroom.” Opening the door for the teen, Vance simply walked in and pulled out a folding chair from against the wall, opening it before sitting down, his eyes slightly darting to the foals within the enclosure. Once he had sat down, he looked to Diane who had made her way to her desk.
“So do I get a fluffy to play with?” His face was almost devoid of any emotion as he asked Diane.
“You’re here as a punishment Vance. I don’t think that your mother would want you to have one today.” Rifling through some papers, Diane tried to hide her discomfort. While she was loathe to admit it, some of the older children she was asked to look after made her uncomfortable, and Vance may have been the worst of them. He was unnerving and always seemed a little distant to her.
“But it’s supposed to help me. You don’t want to help me, Miss Keene?” As he looked directly at Diane, it felt like he was looking through her, a slight chill going up her spine as he met her gaze.
Deciding that it’d be easier in the long run to simply go along with what he wanted, Diane smiled, even as her skin crawled. “Well I’ll tell you what. You help me with the burnpile again, and you can have one foal. Ok?”
Nodding only slightly, Vance smiled. “Of course, Miss Keene.”
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Curator’s Note: Due to depictions of human murder, part 4 of this story has been moved to the Controversial Stories subcategory
https://fluffy-community.com/t/we-are-not-toys-part-4-finale-by-karn/21394