Sunny Gardens: Be My Beta Tester

>A proposition?  This should be good.
>No, this is probably going to be really, really bad, knowing Sarah.
>She's not smiling...maybe it's not too bad.
>”Pick Fewiss, be good fwuffy?” Felix says hesitantly.
>”Since you're the caring one out of us, you'd be great for this,” she says, walking back over to the pen.
“For what?”
>”Do you know what an alicorn is?”
>A fluffy pony with wings and a horn.
>They're supposed to be a bit bigger, smarter, and more durable than the standard fluffy, but apparently regular fluffies hate them viciously.
“Yeah, what about them?”
>Sarah picks up Starlight.
>”New mommy?” she asks.
>”I've been getting requests from customers about alicorn foals, but I've got no room for them.”
>That's not your problem.
>You watch her pet a confused Starlight for a second.
“What does this have to do with me?”
>She looks at you.  “I want you to breed alicorns for me.  Just a couple, at first.  I don't think they'd do well in a mass breeding situation, they get kind of emotional.”
>Of course.  Sarah doesn't have time for emotional merchandise.
>Slate is trying to process the conversation.  “Awicown...wha dat?”
>Flame seems to know.  “Is fwuffy munsta!  Bad fwuffy!” she cries.
>The little herd is now agitated, including Starlight.
>She squirms in your sister's arms and cries.  ”No wan' munsta!”
>Sarah looks amused.  “As you can see, they wouldn't get along with my stock too well, either.”
>You fold your arms, trying your best to look serious.
“I run a fluffy shelter.  I don't have time to breed alicorns.”
>Sarah glances about, her eyes darting over empty cage after empty cage.
>”Yes, because you're so busy right now.”
>Damn it.
“I am busy!  I was going to get food for the fluffies before you barged in.”
>”Nummies!  Nimbus hung'y!”
>”New mommy gif Stawigh' nummies?”
>Even Slate paws at the mesh, frowning but not speaking.
>Sarah sets Starlight back into the pen.  “Think about it.  It'd get mom off your back and give you something to do.”
“I'm fine, thanks.”
>She just shrugs, snatching her car keys off the desk.  “If you change your mind, you know where to find me.”
>She leaves, scaring your fluffies with that stupid car of hers again.
>After taking a few minutes to collect yourself, you get back to your original task: lunch.
>Slate and Flame are whispering to each other as you walk out the door.
------
>You are Slate, the blue earth smarty friend of this small herd, with grey mane and tail and yellow eyes.
>Nice Human has gone to get nummies, so you are now in charge.
>As she leaves, you waddle over to Flame to get answers about something the Purple and Black Human said a few minutes ago.
“Fwame...say know wha awicown is?”
>The yellow wingie friend starts sniffling when you say the word.
>Starlight and Nimbus come over to give her huggies.
>”When daddy gif huwties to babehs, say fin' betta fwuffy, smawty fwuffy.”
>A better fluffy?  What does that mean?
“No unnastan'.  Betta fwuffy?”
>Flame is really crying now, so you help the others give her huggies to make her feel better.
>”Daddy say new fwuffy no dumb, not haf babehs aww time.  Say no wuv Fwame anymo'.”
>That makes you really sad.
>Your mommy told you the same thing; she didn't love you anymore.
“Wha munsta fwuffy wook wike?”
>Flame sniffles again.  “Haf hown-tingy wike Fewiss, haf wingies too.  Fwuff wook wike fwiend Nimbus, bigga.  Wossa fwuff, wong taiw pwace.”
>Big, fluffy, long tail.
>The same color as Nimbus, whatever that is.
“No cwy.  Swate no wet munsta huwt fwuffies.”
>You promise this to her.
>You're the biggest, strongest fluffy in the whole herd.
>You'll stop the monsters if they come here.
>You will also protect the Nice Human from them.
>This is your job, after all.
>For you are the smarty friend.
>Right now, though, your tummy hurts.
>You stay with Flame while the others watch the door, waiting for Nice Human to come back.
>You should warn her about the munstas.  A good smarty friend would do that.
>You wait with your herd for her return.
------
>Slate looks incredibly serious as you get back in, your arms full of bags.
>You'll have to ask him what's wrong in a minute.  You've got to sort all this food.
>You tune out the tidal wave of 'nummies!' and 'sgettis!' and 'wubba foo!' while you search the bags.
>Mandy gets a salad, as that's all his little teeth can handle at the moment.
>Most of the other fluffies get small amounts of spaghetti.
>Starlight gets a baked potato; she doesn't like the pasta, incredibly.
>Flame likes hers spicy, probably one of the reasons she got her name.
>Slate will eat pretty much whatever you give him, he never seems to have any requests.
>He's likely just glad you care enough to feed him.  Sigh.
>As for you, a cheeseburger.  And curly fries!
>While everyone eats, you ask Slate what was wrong.
>”Swate talkies wif Fwame 'bout munsta fwuffies. No wan' dem hewe, bad fo' fwuffies an' nice hooman.”
>Oh, the alicorns.
“I'm sure they're not bad fluffies, Slate, just different.”
>”Fwame say munsta fwuffy make daddy no wuv anymo', make daddy take 'way.”
>You look up as Flame begins sobbing around her mouthful of spaghetti.
>Frowning, you go over to pet her.
>Truth be told, if people don't start dropping off strays soon, you'll have to do something.
>You don't want to scare the fluffies you've got now, though.
>After Flame calms down, you all finish lunch.
>Time to change the litter box in the pen...should have done that before eating.
>Mandy needs to go one more time, yelling “Wubba woopies wuuuhhh!” while rolling around.
>After that's done it's back to the usual grind.
>Except, there isn't much of a grind.  The only cage that routinely needs cleaning is Mandy's.
>Slate has trained up the rest to make only good poopies.
>All the other cages need are their small litter boxes scooped, and new blankets for the beds.
>”Nee' wawa pwease!” Nimbus shouts.
>Oh yeah, and water.
>Time drags on; nobody else shows up to adopt.  The fluffies see the light through the windows becoming dimmer.
>They know what happens next, and they really don't like it.