On the Rocks, Part 1

On The Rocks, Part 1

Quick interlude, putting down the Neckbeard and the Fluffy Armada story for a day or two for this, simply because Fluffy_Writer’s ‘Abandoned’ story made me sit back and think.

We’ve got plenty of animals that live feral in our own towns and cities...what about Feral Fluffies living in the City? How do they survive? What do they face day to day? How do they see the world?

>Sun not up yet, but herd is up and moving.
>Need to get out of dark places before sun comes up, go to park and eat grass at the park before mean munstas come and chase you away.
>Safe place to sleep is a long way from the grass, but Fluffies that try to sleep in park are hurt by the Munstas.
>Most never come back.
>No-Lips leads the Herd. He’s tough, mean, but he not let Fluffies wander away or get hurt.
>Munsta tried to hurt No-Lips when he was a foal, used a sharp owie to cut his lips off.
>No-Lips says he fought Munsta off and fled to the Underground, then found other Fluffies, and made them his Herd.
>You don’t like No-Lips. He likes to kick other Fluffies that don’t do what he says.
>Most other Fluffies call those who argue Bad Fluffies, and won’t give Hugs.
>Need Hugs when Sky goes Dark, too cold to sleep alone.
>Herd sticks to narrow alleyways as they creep to park. Hide from the Munstas.
>Some of the Herd have lost Friends to the Dog Munstas.
>Lots of them have been mauled or had Foals stolen and eaten by Cat Munstas.
>More-than-you-can-count have died to the swarms of Rat Munstas.
>None quite so bad as Two-Leg Munstas. They hurt Fluffies just because they can.
>”Stop!” No-Lips barks, and the whole herd freezes in place, just a few feet from the end of the alleyway and the broad road you have to cross to get to the grass.
>”Why stopping, belly hurts!” “Need food!” “No-Lips, why stop, foals hungry.”
>”Need few Fluffies to go first, make sure no Munstas waiting in bushes.” The older Fluffy growls, sniffing the air cautiously. “Wittles, Honey, Blue-Horn, Zodd, you go.”
>No-Lips glares over his shoulder at you.
>”You go too, New Fluffy. You earn place in Herd, or I chase you out!”
>You don’t want to leave the Herd.
>You can’t go home, Daddy hit you with a shoe, made your leg hurt, then he said he have to get rid of you.
>You ran.
>Your heart hurt more than your leg.
>”Yes. What we do if we see Munsta.” You ask as you limp through the Herd.
>Some are looking at you sadly.
>Most are too busy complaining in small voices that they are hungry.
>”You just go, waste no more time, Sun be up soon, Munstas be out.” No-Lips kicks you as you go by, just missing your sore leg. “Stop wasting time and go! Foals hungry!”
>Crying at the pain as you force your sore leg to walk, and carry you across the road faster, you limp across the road and immediately walk into one of the bushes that scatter the Park.
>No Munstas here. But it’s dry under the branches. Not smell pretty, but nothing smell pretty anymore.
>You stick your head out from under the bush and grin back at the Herd.
>It’s safe.
>Suddenly, a scream.
>The Herd is charging across the road in a panicked stream.
>Rat Munstas must have followed you from Underground.
>You see a Purple mare go under a wave of black, biting, meany Rat Munstas, squealing for help.
>Fluffies get across the road, and the Rat Munstas don’t seem too interested in chasing.
>They’ve got their food now.
>The Herd cries and hugs each other. Some are pooping in fear.
>There is a young foal bawling her eyes out.
>No-Lips is hugging her, stopping her from going back across the road.
>”Mumma! Mumma!” The foal is crying, flailing her legs at the pile of Rat-Munstas.
>”Mumma gone. Must eat Grass! Two-Leg Munstas be here  soon!” No-Lips says softly, pushing her head to the ground.
>The foal keeps crying and won’t eat.
>You shuffle over and nuzzle the foal.
>”Make her eat. EVERYBODY! Must eat grass now, fill bellies, feed foals!” No-Lips grunts at you, shoving the foal to you with one hoof, before turning to shout at the Herd.
>”B-but we lost Bun-Bun!” Somebody cries, setting off a new wave of tears and crying.
>”Eat now, or we lose foals!” No-Lips replies, stomping into the Herd, bumping those still hugging each other with his head until they let go. “Empty tummies no make milk. No milk, foals go hungry. No foals means Herd not last. Now eat!”
>Whimpering and crying, the Herd disperses to graze, and you are left aone with the small Foal, a lighter shade of purple than her mother, and a Pegasus as well.
>”Must eat grass.” You whisper, grazing next to the shaking foal as No-Lips walks around and through the Herd, yelling at the Fluffies to eat faster. “Must eat grass and not be hungry.”
>”Mumma under Munstas!” The foal whimpers, curling up into a ball, still crying. “Munstas eat Mumma! Why No-Lips not fight Munstas?”
>It’s a good question, but the Stallion is looking at you with narrowed eyes.
>”No question No-Lips. Eat, eat grass, grow up big, be fast, so you not get caught by any Munsta.” You find some of the younger blades of grass, softer and more delicious than the older ones, and place them in front of the foal. “Live for Mumma.”
>The foal whimpers, but drags a bit of the young grass to her mouth and sucks on it.
>She has no teeth.
>You remember seeing on Munsta-Daddy’s Magic Picture Box that some animals chew up food for babies.
>You grab some of the young leaves, chew them up, and try to dribble them down the young foal’s mouth.
>She cries, but she gets the idea and swallows them.
>”Yikky.” She says, forcing herself to her feet.
>”Very Yikky, but I no Girl-Fluffy. I no have milk for you.” You apologise, giving her a bump with your nose. “We go see Girl-Fluffies, see if they have milk?”
>The little lavender Pegasus whimpers but nods. You graze along the way, as she’s very slow.
>You know one Girl-Fluffy who lost her foal a few days ago.
>Peach-coloured Unicorn, very friendly, always happy to give special hugs.
>She looks at foal, wrinkles her nose and says “No. No look after Bun-Bun’s foal. She fat. She stupid. She say No-Lips like her more than me. She get eaten by Rat Munstas. No want Stupid from Foal.”
>The foal is devastated.
>You’re horrified.
>Grab the foal by the scruff of the neck and carry her away.
>Most other Girl-Fluffies either have their own foals or have no milk. They say “Sorry, no can, foals so hungry.”
>Tell little foal you’re sorry.
>Chew her up some more young grass.
>She licks it up, still crying from what Peach-Coloured Fluffy said.
>The other scouts have returned to the Herd. Most found nothing, although Zodd seems to be dragging something.
>Wittles says he found nice dry place Herd can spend day, inside Park. No-Lips says he think it over, Wittles to graze now and stay strong.
>Honey say there be another Herd on other side of Park, maybe Herds meet and play? No-Lips smacks him across the face with a hoof.
>”Stupid, we need all grass to ourselves. Other Fluffies dumb, they think Two-Leg Munstas friends.” No-Lips yells at Honey.
>Honey runs away, squealing in pain.
>Blue-Horn, one of the few Unicorns in the Herd, says he found a new tunnel to the Underground.
>No-Lips says this is good thing, as Rat Munstas waiting for them across road.
>Blue-Horn pees and runs away. No-Lips yells at him for making grass taste bad.
>Zodd is the biggest Earth Pony you’ve ever seen.
>He’s dragged back a big white thing, full of lumps that smells terrible.
>Says it’s full of treasure.
>No-Lips tells Zodd he is best Fluffy, and may have any Girl-Fluffy he likes.
>Zodd grins, trundles over to a Girl-Fluffy with two small white foals, and starts to special hug her.
>”No want, no want, foals still hungry!” She cries.
>Zodd is a meanie and doesn’t listen.
>Girl-Fluffy can’t hold both herself and the big Earth Pony up, and falls to the ground.
>Zodd still doesn’t stop special hugs. You can see her head pressed onto the ground under Zodd’s chest.
>She’s crying. Foals are crying they are hungry, and for Meanie Fluffy to stop hurting Mumma.
>You can’t do anything, Zodd is so much bigger, and No-Lips said he could have special hugs with anyone he wanted.
>No-Lips has stuck his head in the white thing and is pulling stuff out.
>You see strange things coming out, then .....
>”Ham-bug-gher!” You yell, pointing a soft hoof at one of the treasures.
>Before Munsta-Daddy hurt you, you remember he gave you a bite of a hamburger.
>No-Lips pulls his head out of the white thing and yells at you to shut up. He is sorting treasure, does not need No-Name Not-Herd Fluffy telling him what things are.
>Between feeding the little lavender Pegasus foal and yourself, you have no more time to talk. She’s eating slowly, but at least she has stopped crying.
>”Why nobody fight Munstas?” She asks softly as you both walk towards a new patch of grass, one hopefully nobody has peed on.
>”Munstas so sharp, so hurty.” You try to explain. “Fluffies must always run. Hooves are soft, teeth are blunt, we no can fight back.”
>”Not fair.” She whispers.
>”No, not fair, but we must be nice to No-Lips. He has so many Friends, we be kicked out of Herd if we not be his Friends too.” You try to explain it to the little foal.
>You’re scared of being kicked out of the Herd.
>You spent days on your own, eating garbage, getting chased by dogs, getting kicked by Two-Legged Munstas.
>Herd is safe. Fluffies give you Hugs when things are scary, show you safe places to eat, to sleep, to drink.
>Herd must be good place to be, better than Munsta-Daddy at least!
>And then ...
>”Fluffies! Day! Day is coming!” No-Lips shouts, rearing on his back legs and glaring at the dawn.
>Already, a faint pink line is showing between the towers of the city.
>”We no can go back! Rat Munstas waiting!” Peach cries.
>Zodd is grazing next to Girl-Fluffy he was hugging. She’s crying, lying on her side so Foals can have milk.
>There’s blood on the grass.
>”Wah, Munstas!” “We stay in Park? Eat grass all day, then go to Underground?” “Hide in bushes!” “Hide under benches!” several Fluffies begin to babble.
>”NO!” No-Lips yells, silencing everyone. “Blue-Horn, where you be?”
>”Here! What No-Lips need?” The Unicorn yells back, scrambling out from under a bush, his lips stained blue.
>No-Lips stares at him for several seconds, then says “Take us to Tunnel. We must go back to Underground.”
>There is some crying at this. Some Fluffies are terrified of the dark, and many haven’t seen the Sun for days.
>”No crying! Want to see two-legs stomp on foals? Want to see Cat Munstas eat friends?” No-Lips yells.
>”No, no owies, no saddies!” the reply comes from every throat.
>”Then we go back to Underground! Every Fluffy must go! Now!” No-Lips commands, leaping onto the white thing Zodd dragged back.
>”Zodd, grab tasty things out of Bag. Wittles, Honey, you carry what he tell you to.” No-Lips starts to bark order.
>”But No-Lips, Wittles finds dry place, safe place!” Wittles pipes up, pointing a hoof deep into the bushes around the Park’s lake. “Herd can stay on Overground all day, eat grass, drink nice water.”
>There is silence for a few moments.
>”Is Wittles Smarty Friend?” No-Lips asks as every Fluffy Head turns to look at the two Flufflies.
>”N-no! No-Lips Smarty Friend! Wittles just...” The younger Fluffy Pony whines as No-Lips stalks up to him.
>”Is Wittles saying No-Lips no can lead Herd? Is Wittles being Smartier-Friend than No-Lips?” the disfigured older Fluffies asks loudly as he circles Wittles.
>Wittles is shaking if fear now, lying down on the grass, face pressed to the ground.
>”Nonononononono...” he’s whispering to the ground.
>”Good. Wittles good Friend. But you not Smarty Friend.” No-Lips says, then turns around and bucks Wittles strait in the head. “Now do wat No-Lips says, Sun here soon, Two-Leg Munstas here soon, all foals die, BECAUSE WITTLES IS STUPID FLUFFY!”
>Wittles lies there, clutching his head and whimpering.
>Every other Fluffy has gone silent and is looking at the ground.
>Nobody wants to look No-Lips in the eyes. Nobody wants to look like they are trying to be Smartier-Friend.
>The Herd starts to shuffle off after Blue-Horn, but you notice that the Girl-Fluffy Zodd was Special-Hugging is having trouble getting up.
>”Foal, follow me please.” You ask the little Pegasus, shuffling over to the female with your head down low.
>”Leggies okay?” You ask softly, going behind the female to put head under her belly and push her up.
>”Leggies hurt, but I walk.” She says, going “Owies” as she stands.
>She’s limping, but she’s not too slow.
>”Need favour.” You ask.
>”No, please too sore, we must go Underground, No-Lips says so.” She starts to shake in fear.
>”No, no, no Hugs. I need help with little foal. She Bun-Bun’s foal. She eating little bit of grass, but she need Milk.” You ask as the Girl-Fluffy’s two foals and the little Pegasus toddle after you both.
>The two foals are crying for more milk.
>The little Pegasus is crying for ‘Mumma’.
>”I not can give much, but I can help.” The Girl-Fluffy agrees. “But we must move faster, Herd is going away.”
>”But Foals not walk to fast! Look, Foals being left behind!” You say with alarm.
>It’s true.
>In their rush to get away from No-Lips, some of the Girl-Fluffies have forgotten about their foals, who are being buffeted around by the other members of the Herd and are fallin behind.
>”I know trick, lie down.” The Girl-Fluffy demands. You’re confused, but she’s a Mumma, she must know what she’s doing.
>In moments you feel three weights on your back.
>”New Friend is going to carry you. Hold on, and no poopies.” She is saying to the foals.
>You stand up, and now both of you are moving much faster. Both of you, and some of the other Girl-Fluffies, are going around picking up the Foals and putting them on each other’s backs.
>”Is Smartie idea.” No-Lips says, making you flinch. How did he creep up on you.
>”Wish ... wish Herd not have to be so scared.” You venture.
>Silence
>Oh no what have you....
>”Me wish it too. But world not right for Fluffies. It mean and scary and hard and sharp.” No-Lips gives you a sad look, and you realize he’s so old, his fur is going grey at the roots. “Me wish Herd could stay in Wittles safe place, play in shallow waters, eat grass, lie in sun.”
>The Smarty Friend glares at the coming Sun.
>”But me not forget. Not forget Two-Leg Munstas no can be trusted. Not forget what happens when Fluffies get lazy and play all day.”
>”Me not forget First Herd. Now, all you with Foals on Backs, you get to sleep in Papers tonight. You Good Fluffies.” No-Lips says loud enough for the rest of the Herd to hear, and there are dismayed cries when some of the Mummas realize they have left their Foals behind.
>The Tunnel to the Underground is small, big enough for a single Fluffy to walk down.
>It’s very, very dark.
>Blue-Horn uses his magic to light the way, but the Fluffies at the back of the Herd have to bite each other’s tails to make sure they don’t get left behind or walk into each other.
>Zodd comes in last, dragging something behind him.
>He’s so big, his fluff is dragging on the hard, dirty walls of the tunnel.
>It’s a long walk to the Underground, and nobody recognises where they are now.
>”We lost!” Somebody yells, and the whole Herd starts to cry.
>”Who said that! You Bad Fluffy!” No-Lips yells back. “No-Lips knows Underground, knows where all tunnels go. We go left, then .... left then ... right, then strait. We get back to Haven, you see!”
>Nobody wants to believe they are lost.
>Nobody wants to get bucked in the head.
>Everybody follows No-Lips as he leads them along the edge of a sewer.
>Water no smells pretty.
>Rats swim in it, but Rats are dirty Munstas.
>Sewers open up onto big, big tunnels.
>This is scary part.
>Big things go whooshing past on metal things on bottom of tunnel.
>Fluffies who touch metal things don’t get up and won’t play anymore.
>Everyone is telling Foals to hold on tightly.
>You feel foals trembling, they are biting your fluff and clinging tightly to your back.
>You hope it’s enough.
>It seems like forever, but No-Lips was telling the truth.
>He does know the Underground. You recognize this place.
>You see Fluffy Markers, little piles of stones with sticks or drinking straws pointing the way to Haven.
>Then, the dreaded noise.
>HONK HONK HONK!
>Everybody flattens against the floor and the wall, clinging desperately to each other.
>Big Metal thing goes whooshing past.
>Your eyes are closed, but you hear somebody scream.
>You open your eyes to see a green Fluffy from further up the line get sucked up by the Big Metal Thing.
>He’s screaming for ‘Tricks’ to not let go, screaming for Big Metal Thing to stop being so mean, screaming for No-Lips to help him.
>He hits the ground, hard, and rolls away.
>He rolls so far, bumping into the hard grey stone of the middle of the tunnel for yards and yards.
>He’s stopped screaming.
>The Herd is crying and hugging each other.
>The foals have wet themselves on your back.
>You’ve wet yourself too.
>It’s just not fair.
>You do nothing to Big Metal Thing. You can do nothing to it.
>Why is it so mean?
>”Must keep going!” You hear No-Lips shouting from the front. “We home soon! Haven safe!”
>The Herd is sobbing with fear and relief.
>They only lost two Fluffies today. Yesterday they lost four, the day before, five.
>But their tummies are full of grass, and Haven has lots of clean Water.
>Dry places to sleep.
>Safe places for Foals to play.
>Slowly, everyone gets back on their hooves and keeps on walking, following No-Lips.
>The Herd is so happy, some Fluffies start hugging each other when they finally take a smaller tunnel off the bigger ones that the Big Metal Things use, and they can hear voices.
>Fluffy voices.
>It’s Haven.
>Everyone is running now.
>Small, glowing mushrooms grow out of the old Poop that gets pushed into the tunnels.
>Mushrooms taste very bad, smell very bad, keeps everything away, even the Rat Munstas.
>Then ... Haven.
>Herd left some of the older Fluffies behind. Two-Socks, One-Eye, Gnaff, All-Mumma, Some-Legs.
>They found a smaller Herd in the Underground.
>Their Smarty Friend got lost and led them down a wrong tunnel.
>Two-Leg Munstas found them.
>Some of the males got pushed into water and drowned.
>Smarty Friend of smaller Herd is sitting in corner.
>His Fluff is all tattered, his ears are bleeding around the edges, his lips are all puffy.
>New Friends saying they want to join No-Lips Herd.
>They not want to follow Dumb Friend.
>No-Lips say this is good, but they must do something first.
>They babble they will do anything.
>No-Lips points a hoof at the Dumb Friend.
>”He not be allowed to tell other Fluffies where Haven is. Too many Fluffies, and Haven be found by Munstas.”
>But how do they stop him?
>”Dumb Friend must not talk. Must not move. Must not eat.” No-Lips replies, his voice sounding so small and gentle.
>”You must push Dumb Friend into Bad Fluffy Pit.”
>Everyone in your Herd flinches.
>Bad Fluffy Pit is where you go when you put whole Herd in danger.
>Nobody has ever gotten out.
>”Smarty Friend not Dumb Friend! Younger than scary-looking Fluffy! Better Smarty Friend than Old Fluffy!” The Dumb Friend shouts, stalking up to No-Lips and shaking with fury. “Smarty Friend keep Herd safe! Find boxes to sleep in, knock over cans so can eat Two-Legs food! Why you call him Dumb Friend!”
>A chorus of “Dumb Friend led us to Two-Legs!” “Dumb Friend always eating first, never give us good food!” “Food always taste bad, want grasses!”
>”Bad Fluffy Pit over there.” No-Lips says, pointing a hoof to a darkened corner of Haven.
>Other Fluffies have built a little wall to keep curious Foals away from the Bad Fluffy Pit.
>It’s only made of stones, and about an inch high, but everyone knows what is beyond that wall.
>Dumb Friend puffs out his cheeks at his Herd.
>His Herd puff out their cheeks at the Dumb Friend, and start to advance on him.
>”No, wait, Smarty Friend sorry, he help, he help new Herd!” The Dumb Friend begins to babble as his former Herd begins to push him towards the Bad Fluffy Pit.
>When he starts to panic and fight back, they bite him. They kick him in the tummy and face, poke him with their horns and call him a Bad Fluffy.
>It’s only ten meters to the Bad Fluffy Pit from the entrance to Haven.
>It takes ten minutes for the New Friends to push the Dumb Friend to the edge of the Bad Fluffy Pit before they shriek and run away.
>You’ve heard about what lives in the Bad Fluffy Pit.
>A Dragon.
>It can’t climb up the walls, but it can swim through the water, and can swallow a Fluffy in a single bite.
>Dumb Friend has seen the Dragon.
>He’s lying on his side, shivering, having peed himself with fright.
>No-Lips gives the New Friends a stare, and they cower on the ground.
>”Wan join Herd, but Munsta so scary!”
>”Dragon scary, but seeing Foals die, seeing Herd die, is scary-er.” No-Lips replies softly, nuzzling each of the New Friends. “Go to Herd, you family now.”
>Crying “Thank you.”, the New Friends crawl over to the Herd and are given Hugs. Everyone is watching, Old Fluffies, Herd and New Friends, as No-Lips slowly walks over to the crying, shivering Dumb Friend.
>”A Smarty Friend must be Smart.” No-Lip shouts, his voice echoing in Haven. “Must do Smart Things, even if it scary or make Herd sad.”
>He stands right behind the Dumb Friend, looking over him into the Bad Fluffy Pit.
>”I not always Smarty Friend. I followed others, when I younger. I watched as ‘Smarty Friends’ let Herds get hurt so they could play. I saw Smarty Friends abandon Foals to save Toys. I became Smarty Friend, because other Smarty Friends not so Smarty after all.”
>No-Lips is silent for several moments.
>”And Smarty Friend must always be responsible for mistakes.” So saying, No-Lips turns around in a neat circle and bucks the Dumb Friend right in the middle of the back.
>Dumb Friend squeals in pain, and then fear, as he is pushed off into empty air.
>It only takes a few seconds for the Dumb Friend to hit the bottom. It seems to take forever.
>There is a splash.
>”Wah! Smarty Friend no like! Pwease! Wet out, wet out, me be good, wet out wet out wet out!” The more the Smarty Friend panics, the worse his speech becomes.
>There is another splash.
>A dull, coarse hissing noise.
>”W-what dat? What down here! Why rock mo-~”
>There is a scream of primal terror.
>A booming roar from the Dragon.
>Then, silence but for the lapping of the water in the Bad Fluffy Pool.
>No-Lips turns to face the Herd, the pale pink light of the Dawn filtering down through the holes between the Overground and Underground.
>”A Smarty Friend must be ready to do even bad things for the Herd.” No-Lips says softly in the silence, as the Dragon returns to the depths of the Bad Fluffy Pit.