Fluffies of the Sea - Motherhood

Fluffies of the Sea - Motherhood

A mare with a herd - sea birth
	"Enf Enf Enf" Mounted by a gray and red sea fluffy stallion a young blue and white mare struggles on her back.  "Nuu! Nuu wan speciaw huggies! Wan pway! Meanie! Wet guu! Wan swimmies! Nuu Meanie! Nuu! NUU! *slap* OWIES! Huu huu!" The older and more assertive male has found this recently fertile mare in his territory eating his 'sketties.' (kelp) "Enf enf giff guu feww, make bebbehs, nee fwuffies fow hewd, enf enf enf." When the mare was unwilling to leave, driven by hunger to steal his food, the two fought briefly.  Much smaller and weaker the mare gave up after only one slap.  Unlike on land, fluffies at sea mate by flipping the mare onto her back and embracing in a vertical float to keep both parties above water. Using their teeth and front fins stallions bite and beat mares who resist and stronger mares beat off ornery stallions.  But, much smaller and terrified by the aggressive stallion the mare simply cries on her back trying to cover her face and curl into a ball.

	After only a minute the stallion wraps up and swims down to eat.  "Fhuuu- fhuu- fwuhh- fwuffy tummeh feww funneh..." Left to clean up and console herself the violated mare weakly swims down to nibble on the kelp stalks as instinct kicks in.  Emerging every few minutes the mare sniffles and cries each time, but she is compelled to eat as much as possible.  After four hours she has a wicked bad tummy ache, but she continues to eat.  Pushing the small stomach to its limit the mare gorges herself.  Over the next three weeks she will continue to pack on fat reserves around the stomach.  But, for tonight she joins the stallion and his gang as they sleep on a nearby beach.

	Like land fluffies the sea fluffies sleep in piles, partially for safety but mostly for companionship.  Unlike land fluffies Sea fluffies have more body fat, a necessity for surviving in the open waters which can reach lethal temperatures for normal fluffies.  As such sea fluffies don't have to sleep in piles, but they will still complain of 'cowd, wownewy, wan piowe."  After a week the mare has fully integrated into the herd as her belly begins to swell and fat reserves layer up on the stomach.  With anywhere from 2-8 pups in her womb the amniotic fluid balloons the dam to nearly double her size by the end of pregnancy, but with flippers closer to the ground additional fat is needed to keep the foals safe from bumps the clumsy fluffies often occur while waddling.

	With attendants assisting the mares in and out of the water (see. rolling) pregnant fluffies are able to swim largely uninhibited by their increased girth.  But, diving is more difficult and dangerous for the infants in the fragile mother’s tummy.  So, while friends dive down to grab food dams float like buoys on the water’s surface waiting, usually impatiently.  "Mummah hungie! Nee nummies! Bebbehs nee mow nummies! Huwwy!"  The smarty that impregnated her is especially diligent in retrieving kelp and even the rarest squiddies.  (Baby squid) Despite the inability to properly digest the tiny squids the additional protein and fat could be the difference between life and death for the mother and her children.

	Three weeks have passed since the mare was forcibly added to the sea fluffy gang, and she is nearing birthing.  Still out on the water trying desperately, driven by some unknown instinct, to pack on more fat.  But, when the fluffies emerge from the water to give mouthfuls of kelp and algae the contractions begin.  "OOH! OWIES! HUWT! BIGGGG POOPIES! BIIIIIIG POOPIES! HEWP! NEE HEWP!" The smarty (our gray and red stallion friend) quickly rallies the fluffies, "Huwwy! Make waftie! Nee pwace fow mummah an bebbehs! Beachie tuu faww! Huwwy!"  The dozen or so fluffies lie on their bellies and interlock fins.  Paddling with their tails and rear flippers the pile keeps the mother, now balanced in the middle, out of the water.

	For five minutes the mother contracts and cries, her herd  unable to comfort her as all their efforts are concentrated on keeping her alive.  "OH! HUWT! SPECIAW PWACE HUWT! AAAAAAAAAH!" With one final jerk the first pup emerges.  No larger than a gerbil the tiny sea fluffy is slick with amniotic fluid and chirps loudly for its mother.  An unlucky stallion is coated with the fluid, "Eww yicky, mummah hewp! Bebbeh nee wickies fow cwean!" The mare, careful not to slap any friends in the face, moves around and places the baby on her tummy.  Holding the baby with her flippers she licks it clean cooing the whole time, "Guu bebbeh, wuv bebbeh, suu pwetty..."  Then the hungry pup is placed near a teat on the mother’s tummy and it suckles happily.  Four more times this happens.

	Tired, sore, and covered with blood and birthing fluid the fluffy raft manages to keep the babies and mother safe.  Fortunately for these fluffies there are no sharks nearby, and with no blood seeping through fluff into the ocean water predators are unaware of the new easy meal.  But, with five foals being rotated on teats the raft begins to tire and return to eating.  Washing off the "nuu pwetty" and "boo-boo" juice the other fluffies all swim back to the beach for a much needed break.  Lying on her back with the foals sleeping on her tummy in a pile the mare keeps them close while she swims backwards, assisted by an attendant.  Unable to see where she is going the mother is reliant on her friend to navigate them back to the island.

	Normally paddling with the back fins she has to keep them still so babies won't fall off and can nurse while she makes the long swim back to the shore.  The tiny fluffies suckle and snooze on the long swim, and don't even realize they are at sea.  The rhythmic rocking of the waves help them fall to sleep on their mothers fluff, which has dried in the sun during the birth and is now quite fluffy once more.  And, with an attendant keeping the pace up the tired mother manages to make it to the shore. Where then next challenge lies.

	Moving from land to sea is never easy for fluffies, and often they go under accidentally.  With foals on your tummy the prospect of flipping over in the waves means a watery death for the new babies.  While the attendant piles the babies on her back the mother keeps in place, swimming with the front fins to keep from floating away.  The babies aren't happy being away from mommahs nice, warm, dry fluff.  If she didn't have a herd the pups would just have to hold on as she surfed in.  But after flipping over the two begin to transfer the fluffy babies once more, this time to the mother.

	During the transfer four pups are already safe on their mothers back, but the fifth baby is accidentally dropped by the wet flippers.  Splashing in the waves and crying loudly as it can the mother screams, "NUU! HEWP BEBBEH! WAWA BAD FOW BEBBEH! NUU CAN SWIMMIES! HEWP!"  The attendant has to pluck the baby out of the water, but by the time she manages this the baby is quite waterlogged and is coughing up small dribbles of water.  Then with a final hack the baby coughs up a day’s worth of milk and sea water crying loudly as it vomits.  With all that milk gone the baby will most likely not survive, but it could get lucky.

	Surprisingly, the waves don't flip the mother and all her babies make it to the beach alive, at least for now.  Waddling past the napping fluffies on the sand and into the tall grass at the edge of the beach the mother has already burrowed a nest and covered it with nice soft leaves.  Protected by tall grasses the birds can't see the family as readily, and she is farther from the shore and its dangerous "bity meanies." Over the next week the dam won't eat a single bite.  Large fat reserves allow her to produce milk for the first formative days of life.  However, the family does waddle to the beach to play in the sand and small pools.  Dug by males the pools are only a few inches deep, but filled with water and allow babies to acclimate to the water.  If sheltered pools were nearby the babies would visit these instead.

	Diligently training her babies the starving mother is occasionally brought food, but will have to leave or bring her babies to eat soon.  Over the week the pups have more than doubled in size and are already talking. But, with their basic 'swimmies' mastered (?) the family decides to venture out into the sea.  While the pups swim in the water the mother dives constantly for food, checking on her babies and carefully counting each time.  "O...one, twuu... fwee, f..uh..fow..., an.. f.f.fiffe! Yay! Babbehs safe!" Hugging her children they nurse on her tummy as she floats on her back.  The pups, tired from swimming out to sea for the first time, nap on their mothers tummy as she coos to them.

	This mare is exceedingly lucky with no predators, especially seagulls, taking her babies.  Even the diving lessons go well during the next week and the pups manage to take their first bites of algae.  Once they are weaned the pups have another week of motherly care before they are left to their own devices.  Despite early danger the fluffy dropped in the waves as a baby has become a strong swimmer, and if predators don't show up these fluffies will live long lives in these (relatively) safe seas.
- GOOD END


A mare without a herd - sea birth
	Three weeks ago this red and blue sea fluffy mare was impregnated by a ornery stallion who overpowered her on land.  The young stallion has since been eaten by a sea snake, which he mistook underwater for spaghetti.  With no other fluffies in the area the mare had to do everything a herd would do for her.  Digging her own nest, finding he leaves for it, diving even up to the two week mark for food the pressure squishing her womb and possibly harming the growing bodies in her.  After two and a half weeks she is unable to waddle and has to drag herself along the sand in and out of the waves.  Knowing she doesn't have enough fat for the extended time on shore she is out diving when the contractions hit.

	Releasing a burst of bubbles the mare panics and quickly surfaces only experience and shallow water saving her from a watery grave.  But, on the surface she is unable to properly swim back to land.  She has to roll onto her back and birth in the open water, an exceedingly dangerous operation for mother and baby.  Alone, and thrashing in pain she may attract predators.  Luckily for her none come.  Then the first baby is born, and thanks to the wide flipper tail of the fluffy the baby is spared from having to flail in the water.  The tiny baby flops onto the fluffy base of the mother’s tail and begins to cry.  "Bebbeh?! Hewe bebbeh! Mummah hewe!"  Weakly crawling in mommy's fluff the pup moves towards the voice.  Picked up in front flippers the baby is licked clean and gets some yummy milk. Twice more the mother's tail flipper keeps the baby safe, a bit wet but safe.  The fourth baby isn’t so lucky.

	Rolling too far on the tail the baby is swept up by the water and begins to float away chirping wildly for help the whole time.  "NUU! BEBBEH! NUU! SWIMMIES HEWE! MUMMAH HEWE! SWIMMIE BEBBEH! PWEASE SWIMMIES!"  Graced with some instinct the pup does manage to paddle a bit, but is quickly tuckered out.  And, the mother is unable to swim properly with the precious cargo on her tummy.  With no amniotic fluid keeping water out the fluff becomes water logged and the weak pup is unable to keep its head above water.  Letting out a few bubbles as it mouths for help the baby sucks in more and more water before struggling no more.  "Nuu... bebbeh nuu swimmies... buhhh bebbeh.. huu huu..."  With the afterbirth out the mother quickly paddles away trying to keep her babies on her tummy.

	Rocked to sleep in the waves the three remaining pups have an uneventful journey to the shore, but in the struggle to surf to shore with babies on her tummy the pups have another scary introduction to the water.  "NuUuUuUuUuU!" Tumbling in the waves the family is pushed to shore.  Chirping in fear the pups are thrashing while they tumble in the wave.  Dizzy and unable to properly move from exhaustion the mother is able to grab only two pups before the waves pull back sucking another crying baby into the water.  Placing her two babies farther up on the sand the mother hobbles as fast as she can to save her third baby.  A grave mistake.

	The water has already claimed the pup when the mother arrives to search for it.  She cries out and hops around in the water to find the baby, but no body surfaces.  "Bebbeh!! Mummah hewe! Nuu weave... nu... mu..mummah nuu wan mow saddies... Bebbeh! BEBBEH! AHHHHH HUU HU HUUUU!!"  Sobbing in the water the mother momentarily forgets her two surviving babies on the beach.  However, small crabs in the sand do take notice of the wiggling bodies on the surface.  When the mother hears the panicked chirps she is too far away to save them.  A collection of crabs are picking at the two pups.  Bleeding and crying they poop in fear leaving tiny dribbles of milky feces in the sand.  The crabs, instead of being frightened or disgusted, arrive in larger numbers to eat the feces and pups, but the mother arrives in time to save their lives.

	But, she was unable to save one pup's tail and ear.  "Nuu... bebbeh taiw nuu pwetty... Haff eaw huwties... giff huggies, huwties guu way bebbehs." The bleeding babies are picked up and hugged till their loud crying becomes a small whimper.  Placed on mommah’s back the babies hold on as tight as they can as she hobbles with her babies to the nest.  But, the bleeding babies are too easy a target for the single mare to protect.  Seagulls begin to call overhead.  "Nuu! GUU WAY MEANIE BIWDIES! NUU TAKE BEBBEHS! MAH BEBBEHS!"  Yelling the mother rears up to intimidate the gulls and slaps her fins together, but the pups fall off unable to hold on after such a harrowing ordeal.  Now bleeding on the sand the gulls quickly dive down and pluck the bleeding but healthy baby and carry him into the air.  "Eep! EEP! EEP! EEP! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! EEEEEEEE! EEEEEEEEEEE! EEEEEEE!" Torn to shreds by seagulls jockeying for an easy meal the mare can only scoop up her remaining baby and cry as she watches the carnage above her.

	Making it to her small nest, now too large for what remains of the family, she settles down and nurses her wounded and tail less pup.  His sky blue fluff soaked with blood.  For five days the pup does nothing but nurse, cry, and sleep.  Too eager to simply cuddle her only living baby, the pride of her life, she finally has to leave to eat.  But, too afraid to leave her baby she first takes him to the beach.  He was blind during the harrowing event, but the wave’s noise scares him.  "Nuu! Bebbeh scawed! Nuu wike scaway wawa! Wawa meanies! Wan miwkies an huggies! Nuu wan wawa! Pwease mummah! Nuu guu swimmies!" The mother, confident of her baby’s ability to swim, comforts him, "Dun wowwy bebbeh! fwiffies guu swimmows! Can swimmies aww da way down tuu get nummies and haf fun in da wawa!"

	Convinced of his swimming prowess the tailless fluffy follows his mother into the water.  At first he struggles and  so mommah carries him to the feeding ground filled with kelp stalks and algae.  All the way he trembles looking out onto the water, but doesn't cry.  Still convinced he can swim.  When the mother reaches her destination she ushers the baby off her back and into the water.  He paddles a bit, but without a tail struggles to stay afloat.  "Siwwy bebbeh, hafta swimmies! Wike dis!" Demonstrating the paddling for her baby she doesn't realize the lack of tail will keep him from swimming properly.  "Mu..*glub* Mummah! Nuu wan swimmies! Wan wide on mummah tummy! Wan miwkies!" The mother picks up her baby in a hug, "dun wowwy bebbeh jus swimmies fow a wittow and mummah be back wiff miwkies!" "Otay mummah!"

	Watching her baby swim for a few seconds the mare dives down to eat.  Now all alone the baby begins to panic.  "Mummah? *Huff huff* When miwkies? Bebbeh tiowed!" No response and his face goes under for a second.  Panicked he paddles harder only to take on more water, "MUMMAH! BEBBEH NEE HEWP! NUU SWIMMIES! WAN MUMMAH! MUMMAH! MU-*blub* *Cough* *Cough* MUMMAH! HEWP! MUUUHHH HUU HUU! MU-*glub*" Unable to keep afloat the pup's eyes close, filled to the brim with tears as he cries.  Unable to see the surface he struggles in the cold water and manages to hold his breath for a few seconds before crying overcomes survival instinct.  He begins to drown.

	Three minutes later the former mother emerges, "Bebbeh! Mummah haf wossa nummies! Now bebbeh get miwkies!" Silence, "Bebbeh? Mummah hewe bebbeh... come tu mummah... swimmies... swimmies hewe..." The silence is all the answer she needs.  She dives, swimming down and scanning all around for her baby.  Spotting a small blue puff ball she swims as fast as she can towards it.  To her horror it is her beloved blue baby.  Now completely alone, she cries and sucks in some water.  Weak from starvation and her last vestige of willpower defeated the mare slowly sinks as she hugs her cold still baby.  A final bubble escapes her as she slips away.
- BAD END

In captivity - Assisted birth
	A yellow and orange sea fluffy mother happily nurses her three pups.  "Wuv bebbehs, dwink miwkies bebbehs, *coo* wuv bebbehs..." A wetsuit clad woman enters the small warm pool the mother floats in and carrying a bucket of kelp and a few tiny squids goes to feed the fluffy.  "Wuv nummies! Nummies fow nuu tummy huwties an bebbeh miwkies!" The woman in her body hugging suit sighs, "Yes, that's right.  Food does make the hunger go away, now eat your kelp." The mother cries, "Nuu... wan yummy squiddies!  Can mummah haff squiddies?" She takes out a squid and some kelp, "If you eat the kelp first you can have the 'squiddies' later, okay?" The mother splashes he flippers, "Nuu! Wan aww da squiddies!" She hands the mother a hand full of squid then leaves, "Fankoo! Wuv squiddies! Bebbehs haff mow miwkies!"  They babies, only a few days old, chirp happily for their happy mother.

	In warm safe waters the mother will happily sleep in the pool with her babies on her tummy.  After a few days the pups will use their mother’s tail like a platform to begin to swim and still be able to retreat if they start to go under.  And, given a week they will be able to dive and play underwater with their mother.  These sea fluffies are the happiest they can be; no searching for food, no predators, warm safe water, and all the squid they can eat. (Even though it makes them sick) But, the woman exits the pool and walks towards a circular plate on the edge of the room.

	The woman enters a platform and the ceiling opens and the crowd before her cheers.  "WELCOME TO SEA WORLD! ARE YOU READY FOR A GOOD SHOW?" The crowd cheers, "Well then, Let’s get this show started!"  The mare and pups are placed in the large pool by an assistant.  The mother happily paddles around in eliciting an 'aww' from the audience, "Now ladies and gentlemen, this is all very cute, but did you come here to see sea fluffies having fun?" The mother answers, "yes?" the crowd screams back, "HELL NO!"

	With a pull of a comically big red lever the cage at the bottom of the pool opens and a genetically reconstructed megaladon shark burst forward.  The mother scared by the noise poops herself, but she doesn't even see the bus sized shark rocket towards her.  With a twenty foot jump the shark swallows the family whole their torment lasting till they drown in the shark's stomach or are digested by acid.  Then as the shark reaches the top of its jump two massive fireballs explode in a pyrotechnic show.  With the giant shark swimming in the pool more and more fluffies are released.  Hundreds of fluffies are fed to this massive shark, but they don't even whet the shark's appetite, by the end of the day the pool is red with blood and pastel tufts of fluff.
- UGLY END