On The Rocks, Part 4

Part 4

>You are Blue-Horn, the Smarty Unicorn.
>You found a Herd, but it’s quite big.
>Over fifty Fluffies all crowded around a ragged-looking king-size wooden bed-stand covered with rags and bits of paper, with about twenty Pregnant Mares, the Fluffy Mummas, sleeping on the rags.
>You can see this Herd’s Smarty Friend.
>He’s a big black-fluffed Earth Pony Fluffy.
>He’s having an argument with a couple of other Fluffies.
>”Coal not care wat Stupid an’ Stupid wan’!” He is yelling, glaring at the two other Flufflies. “Coal Smartie Friend! Coal say only Fluffy Mummas sleep on Soft Bed!”
>”But tummeh’s cowd!” The second fluffy, a small grey mare, whines, shivering furiously. For some reason, all the fluff is missing from her belly and backside.
>”Wan’ Hugs wit Special Friend!” The third, another Male Earth Pony Fluffy with a bright green coat, grumbles. “Cowd! Wan’ Special Hugs so feel wamm!”
>”Hug otha Fluffies den!” Coal says, loudly enough several of the other Fluffies in the Herd that are sleeping or hugging each other nearby the argument mutter and try to move away. “Herd need more Fluffies, Fluffy Mommas have more Fluffies! Many Fluffies on Soft Bed, Mummas can’ bweave!”
>Other Fluffies have started to get in on the argument.
>”Meany Smarty Friend! Tummeh cowd! Hoofsies cowd! Wan Soft Bed!”
>”Wan sweepies wit Sis!”
>”Fluffy Mummas get nice nummies! Gingar get no nummies! Tummeh owies!”
>This could be your chance.
>More and more of this ‘Coal’s’ Herd are ganging up on him. If he doesn’t make them back down, he’ll have to let them sleep on the Soft Bed.
>But there are other Fluffies going to stand behind Coal now. More Stallions. They are all puffing their cheeks up or blowing raspberries at the Herd.
>”Coal good Smarty Friend!” They shout back, stomping their hooves and jumping up and down. “Coal make Herd stwong, many Foals, many Baybehs!”
>A chorus of pitiful whines greets them. “Cowd!” “Hungwies!” “Wan’ Hugs!”
>If there is a time to move, it’s now.
>You wonder idly if you could take over this Herd.
>Stupid Earth Pony Fluffies.
>Make terrible Smarty Friend.
>You have idea.
>You push your way into the herd, bumping Fluffies aside with your horn until you’re in the middle of the herd, then start shouting.
>”Smarty Friend is Meany! Smarty Friend wait till Herd have sweepies, then have sweepies with Fluffy Mummas!” You yell, keeping your head down as much as you can so your tell-tale Horn doesn’t show. “Smarty Friend not nice to Fluffies!”
>”Who said that! You Bad Fluffy!” Coal shouts, seriously angry now.
>”Sweepies wit Fluffy Mummas?” Somebody asks.
>”Fluffy Mummas so soft, so wamm.” You shout, shuffling your way to the back of the Herd.
>The Fluffies around you are muttering, flicking their ears back and forth and stomping their hooves.
>It’s dark, scary and cold.
>Fluffy Mummas safe. Everyone remembers getting hugs from Fluffy Mummas, being wrapped in Fluff, safe and warm.
>Those nearest Coal and his enforcers are still arguing with Coal about wanting to get on the Soft Bed and be warm, but the majority of the Herd is starting to shuffle towards the Soft Bed, chanting “Soft. Wamm. Fluffy Mummas.”
>The Fluffy Mummas are starting to wake up.
>”Huggies?” They ask the Fluffies starting to climb up onto the Soft Bed, reaching out with hooves.
>”No! No Fluffies on Soft Bed!” Coal screams in alarm, trying to push past the members of the Herd still arguing with his Enforcers. “Only Fluffy Mummas!”
>The first Fluffies to climb up onto the Soft Bed immediately start hugging the Fluffies Mummas, babbling about how soft and warm they are.
>The second row want Hugs too, and try to force the first once away by pushing with their hooves and their muzzles.
>Squabbles, Fluffies being told find other Fluffy Mummas. Pushes turn to kicks, Fluffies yelling at each other and the Fluffy Mummas squealing in fear, and then pain, as stray kicks and head-butts hit them as well.
>More and more Fluffies are climbing up onto the bed, yelling they want “Wamm!” and “Fluffy Mummas!”
>The Fluffy Mummas, the pregnant mares, are squealing in fear and pain now, getting caught up in the fighting. You see one take a headbutt to the belly, curling up and yells “BAD OWIES!”, clutching her distended belly.
>Other Fluffy Mummas are desperately trying to roll off the Soft Bed now, landing on the hard dirty ground with whimpers of pain.
>Several land on top of the first few to come out, and you hear the ones underneath scream in pain and fear, yelling about “Bad Huggies!” and “Baybehs! No good for Baybehs!”
>The yelling gets louder and louder. Fluffies are now grappling either each other, treading on the Fluffy Mummas and wrestling for position, biting each other on the nose and ears and throat.
>Coal and his enforcers are running up to the Soft Bed, yelling at the top of their lungs and bucking those still on the ground, making them squeal in pain and run away.
>”Only Fluffy Mummas!” He bellows, crawling onto the Soft Bed and grabs a brawling Fluffy by the scruff of its neck and drags it to the side of the Soft Bed, letting his Enforcers drag it completely off and stomp on the Fluffy. “Bad Fluffies! Wook! Wook wat you doin’ to Fluffy Mummas!”
>Some of the Fluffies stop fighting and listen to their Smarty Friend.
>Fluffy Mummas still on the Soft Bed are crying, lying in sickening puddles of blood and shit and dead foals.
>All the stomping on them pushed the babies out of them prematurely.
>Most of the Fluffies are still fighting though. All the frustrations are pouring out of them as they fight. You see one Stallion pulled to pieces by his fellows, two are holding legs in their mouths, the third has the dying stallion by the throat and is shaking him, grunting unintelligibly around the nearly-corpse in his mouth.
>Other Fluffies are rolling around on the now-soiled Rags, complaining they are still “Cowd” or yelling about their “Owies”, legs and ears and faces that were bruised by the other Fluffies.
>You didn’t think it would be this bad .....
>Doesn’t matter, not your Herd.
>You run around the other side of the Soft Bed, which is shaking furiously with the fighting going on, and start looking over the Fluffy Mummas.
>The ones that rolled out first are barely moving, crying sometimes or gazing sadly at lumpy shapes under the Soft Bed.
>Foals got squeezed out when the first Fluffy Mummas got landed on, you realise.
>See the Fluffy Mummas you want. Two Unicorn Fluffy Mummas, one bright yellow, the other a pale orange.
>”Come wit Blue-Horn!” You whisper to them as you get behind the Bright Yellow Unicorn and start to push her away from the Soft Bed. Pale Orange follows after you in a panic, her belly not quite so big, so her legs can drag her along the ground. “Not safe, Coal Bad Dumb Friend!”
>”Wan Sissy!” Bright Yellow whines, waving a hoof at the Soft Bed, where another Bright Yellow Unicorn is butting a Dark Blue Pegasus in the eye with her blunt little horn.
>Don’t want to risk getting caught by Coal or his friends. Earth Fluffies Dumb, but they Strong.
>But not be able to roll two Fluffy Mummas all on your own all the way to Haven ...
>”Blue-Horn get Sissy.” You promise. “Fluffy Mummas stay! Blue-Horn an’ Sissy come back!”
>You run back to the Soft Bed as quickly as you can.
>Coal and his Enforcers have all climbed up onto the Soft Bed, and are beating the hell out of the Herd.
>Stallions are getting held down and having their No-no’s stood on.
>Mares are getting kicked in the tummy and bum.
>Coal is screaming at the top of his little lungs. “Bad Fluffies! BAD FLUFFIES! Look wat Bad Fluffies do! Dead Baybehs! Dead Foals! Dead Friends!”
>You climb up on top of a sobbing Pegasus Fluffy Mumma, ignoring her “Nuuu, bewwy sore! Nuuuu!” and grab hold of the Yellow Unicorn’s tail with your mouth, then jump back.
>She yelps in pain and surprise, falling back over the Soft Bed and bouncing off the Fluffy Mummas to land next to you.
>”Sissy come!” You say with as much force as you can as the Yellow Unicorn struggles to her hooves and glares at you. “Sissy come, help roll Fluffy Mummas away from Bad Smarty Friend!”
>”You not Brudda!” She hisses, dropping her head and making her horn start to glow. “Daisy no have Bruddas! Only Sissy!”
>”Blue-Horn not Brudda!” You snap, taking a half-step back as the first few sparks fall to the mud and are extinguished. “Daisy’s Sissy ask Blue-Horn to bring Daisy to Sissy!”
>That makes her stop fighting. You can hear Fluffies screaming for help, for hugs, where Mummas, why babies not move.
>”Sissy! Sissy not Owies?” Daisy asks, a look of hope on her face. “Fluffies hurt Mummas, Daisy try, but Fluffy Mummas wun away, get Owies!”
>You point your horn to where the two bloated mares wait, waving their legs impotently and bleating for ‘Sissy’.
>”Daisy woll Sissy and Friend to there.” You send a single spark from your horn to where you first stumbled across the Herd, a narrow space between two broken TV’s that the Fluffy Mummas will only just squeeze through. “Blue-Horn take Mares to Safe Place. Haven!”
>Wether or not Daisy understood you, you don’t know, she’s already trotting over to her sister and friend.
>You can hear Coal and his enforcers yelling at the remaining Fluffies that they are Bad Fluffies.
>They’ll start to check on the Fluffy Mummas soon.
>You’ll be discovered.
>Time to show why you Smarty Fluffy.
>”Waaaah!” You scream, pointing to a Fluffy Mumma who is bleeding out of her nose and mouth. “Fluffy Mummas have Bad Owies! Who give Fluffy Mummas bad Owies!”
>The cry goes up, and everyone starts to wail and scream in terror.
>”Who did, who did!” A older Unicorn stallion whimpers, poking the Fluffy Mumma with his hoof and crying. “Special Friend no move! Why no move!”
>”Bad Fluffies!” Coal bellows, trotting to the middle of the Soft Bed and pushing aside a dead Foal. “You all Bad Fluffies!”
>Lots of Crying.
>Hugging Friends who can’t, or won’t, get up.
>Everyone is so upset.
>It must be now.
>”Coal Bad Fluffy!” You yell, standing behind the older Unicorn, and sending a spark up onto the bed. You don’t see where it lands, but there is a yelp of pain. “Nevah let Fluffies sweepies on Soft Bed! Nevah wet nice Nummies!”
>”Who say! WHO SAY?” You can hear Coal roaring with anger now, running around and around on the Soft Bed, churning up the filth and dead foals with each lap. “Coal is Smarty Friend! Best Smarty Friend! Give Big Owies to who saying!”
>The Enforcers are trying to give the remaining Fluffy Mummas on the Soft Bed hugs.
>Coal is alone.
>Fluffies who Coal hurt are beginning to stand up, feeling very sore and cold.
>Fluffies on the ground are whining they want back up on the Soft Bed.
>Fluffy Mummas who can still move are trying to climb back up those who can’t to get back onto the Soft Bed, whimpering that their Babies are coming.
>”Coal Bad Smarty Friend!” You whisper into the Unicorn’s ear, sending another spark up onto the bed.
>”Coal hurt ... Fluffies. Coal give Owies to Fluffy Mummas...” The Unicorn whispers, staring at his dead Special Friend with unseeing eyes.
>His mane bristles with anger.
>”Coal is BAD FLUFFY!” The Unicorn bellows, climbing up onto the Soft Bed and yelling insults.
>You can hear him tackle Coal.
>Other Fluffies on bed are yelling in fear, or yelling for “Lance” to give Big Owies to “Meany Coal!”
>The Enforcers are moving to help the Smarty Friend.
>The Herd is moving to help Lance.
>You have to go.
>As you run back to where the three Mares are waiting, you throw a quick glance over your shoulder.
>The Soft Bed is shaking furiously, Fluffies climbing up, fighting each other, Fluffy Mummas trying to hug each other for comfort and safety, but their bellies are too big, and other Fluffies keep bumping into them and knocking them away from each other.
>Lance and Coal are standing on their hind legs, biting each other.
>There’s blood on Lance’s horn. He’s missing an ear.
>Coal is screaming about “Eye owies!”
>More and more Fluffies scramble up onto the Soft Bed.
>Of the Fifty Fluffies and Twenty Fluffy Mummas originally, now perhaps Sixty survive.
>Almost all are on the Soft Bed.
>”We go, we go!” You urge Daisy and two the Unicorn Fluffy Mummas. Daisy is rolling her Sissy along just fine, but it takes you a few precious seconds to get the Pale Orange Fluffy Mumma moving, but once she does, it’s harder to make her stop, actually.
>Manage to get your Mares to the exit of this little canyon in the garbage.
>Hear a horrible cracking sound.
>All four of you turn to look at Soft Bed.
>The Bed couldn’t support all the Fluffies.
>The damp rotted the wood. Fluffies fighting on Soft Bed didn’t help.
>Bits of wood snap up from under the rags and papers.
>You see a long bit of wood with sharp teeth jump out from under the rags and spear through both Coal and Lance, pinning them together.
>The legs of the Soft Bed are collapsing.
>Fluffies are screaming in fear, hugging each other instinctively as their world comes crashing down around them.
>Other Fluffies are trying to push past each other to get off Soft Bed, but they keep sliding on the blood and shit and dead Foals, and trip up the other Fluffies or get Hugged.
>The whole thing collapses with a groan louder than all the Fluffies screaming together can do.
>All the mares are crying. Daisy and Sissy are holding each other, the Pale Orange trying to turn around and crawl back to the Soft Bed, whining for her ‘Special Friend’.
>”Why happen?” Daisy’s Sissy whispers through her tears as you urge them to keep going.
>”Earth Fluffies make Dumb Smarty Friends.” You reply as you slowly push the Pale Orange Unicorn Fluffy through the gap.
>If Unicorn led Herd, this not happen.
>You know this because you are Blue-Horn, Smarty Pony, soon be Smarty Friend of Herd.


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>How this happen?
>Tricks say he found Small Herd.
>No Males.
>No Foals.
>Tricks, Spots and You all creep up on Herd.
>Mares look at you and smile sleepily.
>”Who you?” One asks as you nuzzle her head.
>”I Bewwy.” You reply happily.
>It Cold. It Dark.
>Take Mares in Morning?
>Then owies in tail!
>Waaah! Munsta?
>No, it other Fluffy.
>”Why owies?” You whimper, squirming around on the ground as the Meany Fluffy drags your tail towards him. “Bewwy Nice Fluffy!”
>”Not Herd!” Another Fluffy shouts.
>You hear the garbage moving.
>Stallions were sleeping in the garbage, hiding.
>You can hear Tricks and Spots squealing and running away back the way you came.
>You friends left you ....
>”W-why ...” You whimper as more Stallions come creeping down to glare at you.
>”Wat do?” One grunts, kicking you in the back of the head with a hoof. “Not Herd. Not know this Bewwy.”
>”Slave?” Another asks hopefully. “We need Slave.”
>”No!” The one that grabbed your tail shouts. “Every Fluffy, come! Have Nummies!”
>Nummies? Herd have food? You’re so hungry, grass this morning all gone!
>Owies!
>Why Fluffies pull your fluff!
>OWIES!
>They pull it right off! So much Owies!
>”No wike!” You scream, but more Fluffies are being mean now! Even the Mares!
>”Bewwy give good nummies!” The Mare you were being nice to says happily, biting your nose and trying to take it away.
>”Nuuuu! Bewwy’s nose, no take! Owies!” You squeal as her teeth break your skin. The pain is like nothing you’ve felt before, you can feel the flesh of your face tearing off.
>From his position, Crump watches the feast. He ate foals today from another Herd, he’s not hungry, but Crump’s Herd is still hungry.
>The Fluffy keeps kicking, crying, as the Mares and Stallions rip his Fluff off and start biting at his skin. Most draw blood, and walk away with a mouthful of flesh. Others push their way in to get their turn, and in a few minutes the intruder is pulled open, his hot flesh exposed and dozens of small mouths filled with short, blunt teeth tearing and ripping as the intruder’s legs paw weakly in the air.
>It takes a long time to chew flesh, but it does strange things to Fluffies.
>Poop smells funny.
>Tummeh hurts sometimes.
>But Fluffies .... change.
>Not so slow. Not so scared.
>You can hear the two other intruders wailing away as they run.
>Stupid Fluffies.
>Rats hear them soon.
>Don’t like Rats.
>Rats taste bad.


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>”No wan fight!” You yell over your shoulder, hoping Spots can keep up.
>Your name Tricks. You do funny things, walk on front legs, sit up and beg. How you make Old Hooman happy.
>Old Hooman not move later. Young Hoomans not want you, throw you out, yelling about who would have house, who would have car.
>Mis Old Hooman. Not have to play Raid in scary place like Stinky Waters.
>Left Bewwy behind. Makes you sad, but Herd not small, Herd big, Stallions scary.
>”Spots tired!” Spots complains, lagging behind. “No Mares! How we go back, how we go to Haven wit no Mares?”
>”Other Herds.” You gasp, slowly to a walk. “Tricks and Spots find, find three Mares, wait for Bewwy at Underground Tunnel.”
>”Gud plan.” Spots gasps, plodding up to your side. “When Bewwy come? Now?”
>”Tricks not know.” You offer, feeling scared.
>Fluffies not shout Tricks and other Fluffies new Friends.
>Not call them Bad Fluffies.
>Herd was too quiet. Smelled strange.
>Reminded you of Munstas.
>Maybe not good to take their Mares....
>Hear noises.
>Skittering, chittering, behind you.
>You and Spots share a horrified look.
*>Both of you turn around slowly.
>Rat Munsta. Only one.
>It’s crawled out from one of the strange Hooman things, sniffing the air, it’s dirty black whiskers twitching, red eyes glinting.
>Try to back away slowly.
>No good, it sees you.
>Two Fluffies, One Rat Munsta.
>You can win, right?
>Rat Munsta glares at you, stands up on it’s hind legs .... and makes a strange, loud noise.
>Hurts your ears.
>There is silence, and the Rat Munsta is down on all fours, glaring at you again.
>”Rat Munsta no get!” Spots whispers to you as you both start to trot away. “Rat Munsta small, no have friends!”
>More chittering. More skittering.
>Look over your shoulder again.
>Hundreds of Rat Munstas, pouring out of the Hooman Things, running down the canyon walls, sniffing the ground.
>As one, hundreds of small, sharp heads turn towards you, glaring with hundreds of small red eyes and baring hundreds more sharp little teeth.
>”WUUUUUUUUN!” You scream to Spots, running as fast as your little legs will carry you.
>Don’t care chest is full of burning-owies.
>Don’t care Fluff is all muddy and sticky.
>Don’t care Bewwy not coming anymore.
>Turn a corner and risk a look.
>Canyon is full of little black Rat Munstas. It’s like they are bad wawa running down the canyon walls and chasing after you like rain does sometimes in Underground.
>Spots is only a few steps behind you.
>Start running again.
>Totally lost now.
>Can hear Rat Munstas screaming at you.
>Can hear Spots sobbing and whining that his legs hurt.
>No can stop!
>Then, hear Spots yelp in fear.
>Keep Running!
>No wan die!


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>See Tricks keep running.
>Thought he was your friend!
>Meany Rat Munsta jumped out of wall and is hanging off your ear!
>Owies! Hurts!
>Then Rat Munstas hanging off your tail. Your legs and back. Your head.
>Can’t run anymore.
>Last thing you see before Rat Munstas clawing all over you is Tricks running around the corner, a few Rat Munstas still chasing him.
>Why? you ask yourself in the brief moment before the world goes dark, and then explodes into countless points of small, gnawing pain.


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>Feel heart make Bad-Owies as you hear Spots scream.
>Wan stop running, but can still hear Rat Munstas.
>As you run around the corner, bump into a jagged piece of metal, ripping out a big piece of Fluff and making your stagger, but you get up and start running again.
>Look over your shoulder.
>Rat Munstas have stopped and are tearing at the Fluff you left behind, squealing and chittering.
>”Sowwy Spots. Sowwy Bewwy.” You whimper as you keep running.
>Running and running. Endlessly.
>No idea where you are.
>It’s Dark. Scary.
>Call for Zodd.
>Call for Blue-Horn.
>Call for Wittles and Honey.
>Only cruel Fluffies who make same words you do, never answering you.
>No like Raids anymore.
>Sniffling from pain and heart-owies, you trudge through the muck, not caring where you go.
>”Tricks?”
>You jump in surprise!
>It is No-Name Not-Herd!
>He have two Mares!
>One very fat. Other looks normal.
>”Where Friends? Where Spots? Where Bewwy?” He asks softly.
>”B-b-bad Fluffies caught Bewwy.” You sob, trudging towards No-Name. “Rat M-munstas ate Spots. I Bad Fluffy, I no stop to help.”
>”Rat Munstas eat Fluffies.” The Fat Mare with No-Name says sadly, wobbling as she walks up and gives you a Hug. “Tricks be Smart Fluffy for running.”
>”Tricks come with No-Name, Wed and Bwun.” No-Name says as both he and the other Mare walk up and nuzzle you. “Go back to Haven, weave Stinky Waters.”
>”B-but No-Name, Tricks no have Mare! No-Lips say no come back if not have Mare!” You blubber.
>”Males.” The Fat Mare mutters, but she still gives you Hugs.
>”No-Name find two Mares, not wike their Herd, wan come to No-Lips Herd.” No-Lips explains. Fat Mare is Bwun, other Mare is Wed. “Bwun gettin’ tired. Tricks help No-Name an’ Wed woll Bwun to Underground, go back to Haven with No-Name and Mares.”
>It sounds good, but would No-Lips accept that?
>Hear faint chittering in the quiet night air.
>”Where No-Name say Tunnel is?” You ask, moving to help roll Bwun.