A young woman named Zeri, stood in front of an alleyway staring down at a family of ferals. It was a Fluffy mare and her three foals. Four Fluffies with bright colors, dirty fur and looking somewhat malnourished. The mare was begging for aid. The pleas were nothing special. Just the standard lines any ferals would use.
“Pwease by nyu mummah. Fwuffy n babbeh hab worstest tummie hurties. Nee nummies. Am su cowd. Nee housie fo warmsies. Pwease by nyu mummah”.
Zeri shrugged casually
“Okay, sure” she replied in a carefree manner.
The mare was stunned. Clearly expecting rejection, but it would only takes a few seconds for the Fluffy to regain her composure and she began to smile.
“Weally?! Weally!?” the mare replies with a tone of disbelief.
“Yup” Zeri replied in the same carefree manner.
The mare turned to her children, and broke the good news. A chorus of cheers ensued and soon all Fluffies were at Zeri’s feet, tapping on her shoes as they greeted their new human mother. Zeri looked around and found a box on the side, next to some bins.
“Get in” she commanded.
The mare and her foal made no protest, getting into the box without a second thought. As they got in, the mare started to make use of their new relationship.
“Nyu mummah?” The mare asked cutely “Fwuffy hab tummie hurties can Fwuffy n babbehs hab nummies nao?”
“You’ll have to wait, nummies are at my house” Zeri replied
“Otay! Can… can… Fwuffy hab sketti?”
Zeri raised an eyebrow then stared at the mare and shook her head.
“Sorry. In my house there is a no sketti rule”.
The mare stared wide eyed, clearly unable to believe what she was hearing, yet still the Fluffy had to check. Just to really make sure.
“Nu… Nu sketti wule?!” the mare asked in a tone of disbelief.
Zeri nodded.
“Yes. No sketti rule. If you want me to adopt you then you and your foals will have to give up sketti”.
“Bu… but sketti… sketti iz bestest nummies” the mare says, as tears begin to trickle from her eyes.
“Okay. I’ll give you a choice. New mummah or sketti?”
The mare looks at her in horror, clearly the choice was too much for her to handle and she stayed silent for a few seconds. Zeri stared at her then begins to walk away.
“Wai!” The mare cries “Fwuffy wan nyu mummah! Nyu mummah!”
“So, you agree to no sketti?”
The mare was in tears, but managed a nod “Fwuffy agwee, nu… nu sketti”.
“No sketti forever?”
The mare once again nodded “Nu sketti… nu sketti…”
“Forever?”
The mare broke down, but still managed to nod “Nu sketti foebah! Nu sketti foebah!”
Zeri smiled and ushered the mare and her foals into the box. She picked up the box gracefully and headed home.
Zeri’s home was a flat in some fancy apartment in the middle of the city, aside from that there was nothing else worth mentioning.
Zeri entered her apartment with the Fluffy filled box. She set down a newspaper in the living room and removed the Fluffies from the box. The mare and her foals, looked at their new house in awe. While they sat and stared, Zeri provides the mare with a bowl of kibbles drenched in water. The mare quickly gobbled it up, messily eating everything before letting out a loud burp, prompting giggles from her foals. She than sat on her rump.
“Miwkie time” the mare announces.
The three foals scrambled to get their milk. One had to wait, but all three got more than enough milk to fill their stomachs. All four Fluffies looked at Zeri with contented smiles.
“Happy?” Zeri asked.
The four Fluffies replied with an assortment of joyous agreement. Zeri placed a couple of toys for them to play with: Blocks, a ball and some stuffed toys. As the foals played, the mare looked at Zeri with a look of wanting.
“Yes?” Zeri asked.
The mare stood on her hind legs with her forelegs outstretched.
“Upsie?” The mare asks cutely.
“Only if you let me give you a bath”
“Bathsie? Bu… wawa am bad fo Fwuffies”.
“Then I guess no upsies, huh?”
The mare looked dejected, then nodded.
“O… otay. Fwuffy hab bathsies”.
Zeri got the box and told the mare to get in. The mare got in hesitantly, yet despite her reluctance, the bath went smoothly and by the end the mare smelts of flowers. Zeri gave the mare upsies and then a warm hug. The Fluffy lets out a delighted squeal, before being returned to her still dirty foals.
“Tank yu mummah!” The Fluffy cried out “Fwuffy wub yu so much”
Zeri nodded and left. The Fluffy and her foals fell fast asleep.
The Fluffy awoke to find a bowl of nummies in front of her, but she could scarcely believe her eyes. The sight. The smell. It was a bowl of sketti. The Fluffy could hardly believe it and went in for a bite.
“Are you sure?” asks a voice.
The Fluffy looked up to see Zeri sat on a chair. She looked at the Fluffy with an stoic face.
“Are you sure?” Zeri asks “This is a no sketti household. If you eat that sketti, I’ll stop being your new mummah”.
The Fluffy looks at her in horror, then stares at the bowl of sketti.
"Ib Fwuffy num sketti, mummah nu be mummah anymo!?
Zeri nods with the same blank look and the Fluffy backs away from the sketti in horror.
“Bu… bu sketti…”
The mare began to moan and wail, clearly distraught that she could not have the sketti in front of her, and placing her foals in distress. Zeri stared at them silently.
Ten minutes passed, an eternity in the eyes of the Fluffies, and Zeri excused herself. Suddenly, it was the mare alone with a bowl of sketti. Temptation right in front of her face and after an eternity of ward off desire, or rather a minute, the Fluffy caved in and began to devour the sketti. The mare figured just a little bit. A tiny bite that her mummah wouldn’t notice. Just a small teensy tiny bit. The mare looked at the bowl. It was empty. She had eaten everything and she could only stare at the empty bowl in horror.
“Someone ate the sketti” came the familiar voice.
Zeri stood in front of the Fluffy with the same stoic face. The mare looked at her in horror then tears began to fall.
“Fwuffy sowwi!” the mare screamed “Nu mean tu num sketti!”
Zeri was silent.
“Fwuffy nu mean tu num sketti, mummah. Pwease dun be nu mummah! Fwuffy nu mean tu num sketti. Fwuffy nu bad Fwuffy. Am gud Fwuffy. Nu mean num sketti! Pwease be stiww mummah”.
“Get in the box” Zeri commanded.
The mare did not do as commanded instead crawling to Zeri’s leg and hugging it tightly.
“Fwuffy sowwi! Fwuffy sowwi!” the mare screamed.
The foals had become distressed from all the crying and had began to start crying themselves. That did not stop all four Fluffies from being put in the box, amidst protests and defecations made from fright.
Zeri left her flat with a box full of Fluffies.
“Pwease stiww be mummah” The mare begged “Fwuffy pwomise nebah hab sketti ebah gain”.
“Oh. Let me tell you a story” Zeri said.
The mare listened intently as Zeri told her a story about a Fluffy. It was a very happy Fluffy who lived the best life. They lived in a nice, warm house with a soft, cozy bed. They had so much delicious food and more toys then they could ever wish for. Best of all, they had a mummah who gave them all the love and hugs that they could ever want. The mare looked at Zeri with astonishment, unable to believe that a Fluffy could ever live such a good life.
“Oh” Zeri said “That Fluffy was supposed to be you, if you didn’t eat the bowl of sketti”.
The mare looked at Zeri at horror and tears began to fill her eyes.
“Fwuffy sowwi!” She screamed “Pwease stiww be mummah! Fwuffy pwomise! Nebah ebah ebah ebah num sketti fo ebah n ebah! Fwuffy pwomise! Fwuffy pwomise!”
“Well… I suppose. I can give you one more chance, but you will have to make a choice”.
“Choosie? Wat choosie?”
“I only want one Fluffy, so I can take you back, but not your foals”.
“Huh?”
“Let me make this simple. Choose. Me as your mummah or you keep your babbehs”.
The mare looked at Zeri with horror. Such a cruel choice and she stared at the woman in disbelief unable to believe that she had to choose. She looked at her foals, who all stared at her with fear, one even shaking their head in terror, as another begged her to stay. The mare began to cry.
“Bu… bu… babbehs nee mummah an Fwuffy nee mummah”.
“Oh. We’re almost here”.
“Hewe?!”
“Yup. The shelter”.
The mare stared out the box. They were outside and in front of a tall, scary building. The shelter. The Fluffy had heard that word before. Some other Fluffies she had met, used to talk about shelters. Now of them were ever good. In fact, the shelter seemed to be the worst place for any Fluffy.
“Nu nu nu!” The mare begged “Nut shewtew! Shewtew bad fo Fwuffy!”
“Last chance” Zeri said “New mummah and no shelter, or shelter with your babbehs”.
The mare began to cry, shaking her head violently. Desperately trying not to answer, but her choice escaped her lips.
“Nyu mummah” the Fluffy said softly.
"What was that? Zeri asked
“Nyu mummah” the mare said again.
“Louder please”
“Wan nyu mummah!” the Fluffy screamed with tearful eyes.
Her foals looked at her with betrayal. All three at a loss for words. The mare turned away from them, in a bid to hide her shame, and found herself removed from the box and placed on the pavement just outside the building.
“Mummah?” The mare asked in confusion.
“Wait here” Zeri replied “I’ll come back for you, okay?”
The Fluffy nodded and watched dejectedly, as Zeri entered the building with her babies. A few minutes later, she exited the building without the box nor the foals. The mare looked down dejected. Her babbehs were gone.
“Hello” Zeri said softly.
The mare sobbed slowly, then gave Zeri a pitiful look. She raised her forelegs up.
“Upsie” the mare pleaded softly.
Zeri picked up the Fluffy and gave it a warm hug. The mare rested her head on Zeri’s body. Still dejected from losing her foals, but feeling comforted by her mummah’s warmth. She may have lost her foals, but at least she managed to keep her mummah.
“Wub mummah” the mare uttered softly.
Suddenly the mare found herself pulled away.
“Mummah?” The mare asked in confusion.
The Fluffy was dropped. She let out a terrified scream, but it was only a short drop, and the only injury she incurred was a slightly sore bottom. However, she was confused and looked at her mummah with puzzlement.
“Mummah?!” The mare asked in disbelief.
“Wrong choice” Zeri replied with a sadistic smile.
Before the mare could react, Zeri kicked the Fluffy in the face, sending the Fluffy screaming as she flew a few inches in the air. The mare landed on the hard, cold ground and looked at her mummah in disbelief, but she was gone.
“Mummah!?” the mare screamed in horror.
She was gone. The mare looked around. She recognized this place. The alleyway where she first met mummah, but now she had no mummah and she had no babbehs as well. She had nothing. The mare only had two words left.
“Wan die”
This idea came to me in a dream
Actually, it came from playing C. AI
Might use Zeri for other short stories
If similar ideas come to mind