Lost Vegas, Part 1

>You are Marcus, owner of the best Alicorn breeding farm around
>It's been four months since Cleveland was erased from the face of the Earth
>Your farm thrives because of that disaster
>People realized that normal fluffies were pretty stupid
>Alicorns, on the other hand, are smart enough not to cause a state of emergency
>Demand for them skyrocketed almost immediately
>Regular feral fluffies were hunted down and either killed on the spot or sold to Chinese restaurants
>There's still plenty of domestics around, but about 25% of the market now belongs to Alicorns
>Considering nearly everyone in the damn country owns a fluffy, that's a LOT of money
>You and Jennifer are raking it in
>Of course, Anon gets a cut too
>Without his runt, Starsplash, you never would have discovered the secret to Alicorn breeding
>Turns out runt plus normal fluffy equals Alicorn for whatever reason
>Ever since you discovered how things work, life has been perfect
>Well...almost perfect...

>It's been about three weeks since Lemondrop, one of your mares, has given birth
>Her foals are old enough to be weaned, and now comes the toughest part of your job
>You walk into the pens and head to Lemondrop's cage
>Jen is already in the room, counting the newborns
"Hey, Marcus...that time already...?"
"Looks like it. I always hate this."
>No amount of time in this profession makes taking the babies any easier
>Even though you know they'll go to good homes, separating them from their parents is always heart-wrenching
"Did you want any help?"
"I think I got it...there's only three."
"Alright, I'll be around. Let me know if anything goes wrong."
"Here goes nothing..."

>Lemondrop is in her cage feeding her babies
>They're definitely getting too big for milk
>She perks up a bit when she notices you approaching
"Hewwo, missa Mawcus! Nummie time awweady?"
"No, Lemon...it's not time for food..."
"Den...wy hewe?"
"Well...your babies are getting pretty big and-"
"Wuv babbehs! Dey good babbehs!"
>A cacophony of "mummeh," "wuv," "miwk," etc. assaults your ears
"Yes. They're very good babies, but...they can't just have milk forever. They need food for big fluffies."
>Lemondrop doesn't seem to understand
>Even Alicorns aren't THAT smart
"Buh...babbehs need miwk!"
"Babies aren't babies forever, Lemon...they'll get too big for you to take care of."
>The realization of what's happening suddenly hits the fluffy like a ton of bricks at terminal velocity
"NU! NU TAKE BABBEHS FWOM WEMONDWOP! BABBEHS NEED MUMMEH!"
>This is her first litter
>She'll understand soon enough
"I'm sorry, Lemon, but your babies will go to a good home with lots of-"
"BABBEHS HOME HEWE!"
>It pains you, but you have to be stern with her
"No. You can't have them, and they're coming with me. That's it."
>You grab up the foals and they squirm around in your hand, crying out for their mother
>Lemondrop is hysterical
>She's collapsed in a heap of tears and sobs
>You set a cookie down in her cage and take away her water bowl
>You replace it with a hamster water bottle
>Can't risk her drowning herself
"Shhh...it's alright, little guys...you'll get new parents very soon. I promise."

>After introducing Lemondrop's babies to solid food, you head back to the cages
>Jen is trying to calm Lemon down
"How's she doing?"
"Fine, considering. They're always like this the first time, though."
>Lemondrop is crying silently
>The cookie remains untouched
>You didn't really expect her to take it
"Well...we'll show her the foals tomorrow to prove they're alright."
"That'll be good...maybe she'll calm down a bit then."
"wan babbehs..."

>You finish up work for the day and head back to the house
>You hear a knock on the door
"Gee, wonder who THAT could be..."
>You open the door and are greeted by Anon
>In his arms is Starsplash, who is happily babbling about playing with Sunsplash
"Hey, Anon. What brings you over here?"
"Oh, you know. It's about time for Star's, uh...session, and I felt like you and the lady could use a bit of company."
"Alright...take Star out to Vanilla's cage and I'll get some drinks"
>You grab a case of beer out of the fridge and head into your living room
>A few minutes later, Anon comes back with Starsplash and sets him loose in Sun's safe room
"So, how's things going at Chateau Anon?"
"Oh, you know...just doing my thing."
"So boring?"
"Bored as hell."
"Thought so. Any ideas for some fun?"
"Not yet...but we do have a shit load of beer here...and the night is young."
>Drinking with Anon never ends well
>Fuck it. It's a Saturday and dammit, you're going to have fun
>Even if it kills you