The sky was brightening. Slowly from the blue black of night to a purple, pink and orange. The clouds grudgingly drifted apart, shooed by the coming sun.
Leonidas dragged himself from his muddy bed, leaving a trail of blood. His rear right leg refused to work anymore, the rest of them screaming and grinding with each scooting step. He coughed, and it felt wet, tasting of blood and dirt. His vision in his one remaining eye swam. He had won. At the cost of his home, his herd, and his children he had stood against the tyrant Xerxes and won. MaybeâŚjust maybe if he could rest a bit he could get up and go home to Daddeh and his foals. MaybeâŚ
Another cough, a spear of pain in his side. Suddenly so tired. No! Not now! He could see a light through the bushes next to where the creek dropped off over the cliff! If he could just make itâŚ
Another scoot, another drag, more pain. He pushed his way through the bushes and flopped down. His view was of the forest, at the edge, the town he had grown up in. Lights winking off as the sky brightened. The coming of the light. A new day.
Leonidas knew heâd never make it home, he felt cold, and more tired. He sniffed. It wasnât fair. He had grown up trying to do whatâs right. He had stood up for his friends. He had been a good fluffy and followed the rules. And all it had gotten him was pain and sorrow and nowâŚhe was alone and broken because he had done the right thing againâŚ
âWeo jusââŚwannaâŚbeâŚguudâŚfwuffy.â He croaked. âBe stwongâŚn guud fwenâŚan be bwave.â Leo closed his eyes. âHa-ooh.â
speep
speep-peep Wub Weo! Cwynt wub!" Leo snapped his head up. Wha-that sounded likeâŚ
âCom Weo! Obah hewe!â It couldnât beâŚNike?
Leo looked out as the first rays of the sun came over the horizon, feeling it warm him from the inside. There ahead of him, in the light from the sun, he could almost seeâŚyes! Clyntius! Happy and waving his little hooves! Looking chubby healthy and joyful and reaching for a hug! And next to him, Nike! His Nike! His sweet special friend! Smiling at him so proudâŚButâŚhowâŚ
Leo reached out and Clyntius embraced him, warm and soft, and Leoâs heart broke with joy. Nike stepped up to Leo and lifted her head under his chin. âWeo besh fwuffy ebah. Time tuu com home!â Leo nodded, âHaa-ohâ and lifted Clyntius onto his back. With one last glance back, and a satisfied grin, Leonidas lifted Clyntius onto his back and walked off into the light of the sunrise with Nike, horn glinting, wings returned and whole. He walked away to go home to peace.
The stranger walked up in time to see the fading form of Leo and Nike in the sunlight. He glanced down at the still, battered and bloddy former body of a brave little creature who gave his last full measure in the name of right. The stranger gave a rare genuine smile as he flicked his cigarette butt away, âScore one for the good guys.â He muttered as Leonidas joined Clyntius and Nike in the light and they faded from view.
The stranger looked down the cliffside, setting his face in a more familiar expression: a savage wickedness. âTime for the devilâs due.â
He made his way down the cliffside, cursing nature and unturned earth in general before searching around the bottom of the meager waterfall. It didnât take long for him to find his quarry. The tattered golden fluffy still breathing, barely.
The stranger lit another cigarette and tapped the ash on the fluffy monstrosity. âWake up, wanker.â He snapped, any compassion or respect he had in his voice now gone, replaced by the hard edge of a horrible specimen of a human. Xerxes grudgingly open his eyes and the stranger squatted over him, a wicked grin plastered on his face. âYou know what I hate? I hate having to leave me sodding little flat in cozy olâ London, fly halfway across the bloody globe, look at one mess after another- look at me, ye shite!- look at one mess after another, and find out itâs all because of a talking stuffed toy with delusions of grandeur.â He blew a smoke ring into Xerxesâ face.
âWell guess what me little bell-end. Your little deal with our mutual acquaintance from down below is null and void. You were supposed to take over this god-forsaken country patch of land with your little army of empty vessel sprogs and you blew it. âNo weapon formed by man will topple thy ruleââŚabout right? Well how about a right pissed off fur missile with a good head on his shoulders and a hole in his life that YOU made? Didnât see that one coming did ya, me olâ cock?â The stranger flicked more ash on Xerxes.
âHeres the kicker! Now that youâve turned out to be a right tit, and your army is taking the proverbial dirt nap, your silly little patron downstairs has decided heâs backed the wrongâŚheh⌠horse if youâll pardon the expression and wants nothing more to do with you.â He stood, pulling a tuft of Xerxes fluff out and rubbing it between his fingers, âWhich means, my never was and never will be king, your arse now belongs to a right âorrible, terrible, diabolical olâ geezerââŚhe glanced downâŚânamelyâŚme.â Rubbing some dirt in with the fluff in his fingers he blew it back down on Xerxes. âAnd I 'appen to know someone who has a bloody hard on for naughty boys like you. Buckle up ya cuntâŚthe uppance hath come.â
Xerxes glowed, his fluff taking on a golden, electric shine, brighter and brighter, until with a bang and a flash he was gone. The stranger sighed, âWelp, now to find out if the Yanks have made any strides regarding a decent pint.â He said to the air. He strode off back towards the town, humming an old punk rock song in a jaunty manner, smoke curling from his head.
Oingo and Mambo were playing âFlowah Spwowasâ in Clintâs back yard. The game mostly involved Mambo picking a flower and asking Oingo what the color the flower was called, and then dropping it at Oingoâs feet to collect into a pile. Clint sipped his coffee, grateful for the quiet of the morning. He watched the duo playing and reclined in his chair.
The was a small crackle near the fence and Clint crazed his head around to seeâŚthe biggest damned fluffy heâd ever seen in his life. Pure gold from nose to tail and looking very confused.
Xerxes took a moment to get his bearings. He was healed of his wounds and felt relaxed and refreshed! Dummah hoomin had used big magic but had sent him away to someplace and made him all better! He wanted to laugh, as his mind immediately turned to his own greeady desires. For never let it be said that fluffies, especially shitheel smarties, are quick on the uptake when beaing taught a well deserved lesson. Xerxes stretched and glanced around. He was just about ready to run off and find a mare or maybe a foal to enf to death in celebration of his good fortune when he spied the two fluffies gathering flowers. He sneered and marched haughtily over towards them âDummeh fwuffies!â He rumbled, âDisâŚwhewebah dis isâŚam Siwksees wand nao. Fwuffies am swaves foâ Siwksees anâ unless juu wanna end up wike wittew Cwinteeush dummeh enfei babbeh ju wissen nao! Siwksees smawtie ob aww he see an aww fwuffies, anâ noâŚhoominâŚgonnnaâŚohâŚfwuff meâŚâ
A shadow fell over Xerxes. The broad shoulders of Clint raised and lowered slightly as he breathed, his face a mask of unfathomable rage and hate. This golden fuck was the one he had heard about. The one who had killed the baby foal Clint had popped from the can for Anon. This scum was the source of all the trouble around town lately. And this bastard had
ITCH
picked
ITCH ITCH
the wrong fucking yard
ITCHITCHITCH
and the WRONG pair of fluffies to threaten.
WellâŚso much for a peaceful morning.
