On The Rocks, Part 10

ON THE ROCKS, PART 10

>You are No-Lips, a Fluffy Pony without lips and the Smarty Friend of your Herd.
>You’ve led wisely, with both compassion and unrelenting control, for the past four years.
>Under your leadership, not one of your Fluffies has been snatched up by the Hoomans, and not one Foal has ever died of neglect.
>But .... you’re dying. It hurts to breathe, to move is pure agony ....
>Every Fluffy is crying, sobbing and holding each other as Some-Legs and Gnaff drag you out of the Old Fluffy Corner on a ragged pillow so you can speak to the Herd one last time.
>No-Name is sitting there with one of his Mares, shaking his head back and forth in disbelief, and he’s not the only one.
>Foals, Mares, Stallions, all of them can’t believe you’re dying.
>As far as you know, no other Smarty Friend has lived as long as you have.
>No-Name, Little Foal ... so many Fluffies to give names to.
>Start with the Foals .... have to start with them, give them Good names. Brave names. Strong names.
>It might be the last thing you can do for them.


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>”Mus huwwy!” Bandit grunts, even as the Fluffies gasp for breath, kicking over the Fluffy Markers in the gloom.
>Can’t make Horn-Lights.
>The rattling of the stones, sticks and straws on the cold, dirty concrete echoes down the tunnels of the Underground.
>Fluffies.... so many Fluffies!
>All coming from the direction of Stinky Waters, whole Herds bickering and squabbling as they try to navigate the dirty and confusing ledges that border the horrible, dirty water in the Underground.
>Fluffies shouting at Bandit, Kook, Blue-Horn, Stumbles, Drips and yourself, the Pink male Unicorn Wumm-wumm to slow down, show them the way to Haven.
>It’s terrible.
>Who told other Fluffies about Haven?
>New Friends sob and struggle to keep up. Everyone has to stop every now and then to rest, and pick up nummies that fell out of their fluff.
>Push the stones that made up the Fluffy Markers into the Dirty Water. Can’t leave so much as a pebble behind for the Bad Fluffies to follow!
>Fluffies are everywhere, in groups of five and six or sometimes whole Herds, bumping and shoving each other, yelling that Haven should come out now.
>Bandit ordered you and Drips to shower some Fluffies that were following you with sparks.
>One squealed and ran away, the other two tried to press on, pushing forwards against the sparks, even as their skin turned black and their fluff started to smoulder.
>Finally, one couldn’t take the pain anymore and tried to escape, but blinded by tears, only succeeded in tackling his friend and pulling both of them into the Dirty Water.
>It took them a long, long time to drown .... heard them begging for help, from you, from the other Fluffies, even from each other, as their fluff slowly got heavier and heavier and dragged them down.
>Finally ... Haven.
>But every Fluffy Marker is destroyed, or at least you hope so.
>Never paid much attention to them before. They were just ... ‘there’. Things to see, not things to think about.
>Bandit looks worried. Keeps muttering that somebody ‘tawked’ and how the Herd is in danger.
>Fluffies wend through the narrow, twisting passageway between the walls of old, dry poop and the stinky-bad glowing blue-mushrooms to enter Haven itself, and are greeted by a strange scene.
>No-Lips is lying on an Old Fluffy Pillow, legs dangling off the sides, with a line of Foals in front of him.
>”Yuu ... be Ice.” Your Smarty Friend says loudly, then coughs, flinching as if in pain, before rubbing a hoof on the Foal’s head. “Ice, Foal of Clover, Foal of Daff’o’dil!”
>”Ice, Foal of Clover, Foal of Daff’o’dil...” The Herd mumbles, looking oddly subdued.
>Naming Days are supposed to be fun!
>But, everyone has owies. Nobody has eaten today.
>Another White Foal is being brought forth, and No-Lips stares at him, mumbling with his eyes closed.
>”We caww yuu ... Ash! Ash, Foal of Clover, Foal of Daff’o’dil!” The Smarty Friend says loudly again, and the Herd repeats.
>Foals where were named hug each other and squeal with delight. It’s a big day to get your name, and be recognised as a Stallion or Mare.
>Finally, your group is noticed.
>Fluffies toddle over, taking the Nummies out of your fluff and bringing them over to the Old Fluffies to sort through.
>”Bandit! Yuu bawk ... an’ haf New Friends?” No-Lips calls, coughing again with a grimace, as the Stallions trot over to their Smarty Friend. “They is guud Fwuffies? Bwave? Nice?”
>”Dey ... wisten. Nu shure if bwace or nice yet.” Bandit says, his wings fluttering. “Buh, No-Lips, dere be Fluffies in de Underground. Bad Fluffies from Stinky Wa-Wa’s.”
>The Herd reflexively hugs each other, Foals, Named or Un-Named, seeking out their Mothers and Stallions turning to their Mares.
>”Yuu ... yuu do Smawty Ting den? Wike yuu towd, Bandit?” No-Lips asks softly as the Herd whimpers and tries to console each other.
>”Yes, No-Lips. Bandit and Good Fluffies broke all Fluffy Markers that they can find between Stinky Wa-Wa’s an’ Haven. Buh ... dere be otha Fluffy Markers we nu can find in dawk.”
>”It be ‘nuff. It gif Bad Fwuffies scawy time to wun awound in dawk an’ cowd wit’ no way to know where go.” One-Eye grunts, stepping out of the Herd, his scarred face set into an evil look. “Yuu guud Fwuffy, Bandit. Aww yuu be guud Fwuffies, even you, Blue-Horn-Wuss.”
>Blue-Horn grates his teeth together, but wisely remains silent. One-Eye is old, but he’s mean and strong and smart.
>”How many Bad Fwuffies? Five? Ten?” No-Lips grunts, trying to push himself up-right on his pillow.
>”Moar. Moar and Moar. ‘Nuff Fwuffies to fill Haven many, many times.” You hear Bandit say unhappily.
>Old Fluffies give each worried looks. No-Lips looks sad but resigned.
>”Aw’ways knew dis day come. No-Lips hope, no be Smarty Friend when it come, though.” He groans, then flops back down onto the pillow. “Fwuffies! Mus’ name Foals, den ... den No-Lips haf make Choice. No-Lips too owies to lead Herd, too Old to go outside of Haven. No-Lips mus’ choose New Smawty Fwiend, after aww Foals named!”
>The Herd gasps, shocked out of their fear by the news.
>You’re a bit stunned too! No-Lips is .... No-Lips! Best Smarty Friend! Oldest, Wisest, Toughest Fluffy in the World!
>But ... who will be the next Smarty Friend?


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>Your head is spinning, this is all so much to take in!
>No-Lips ... not be Smarty Friend? But ... he always been Smarty Friend!
>And bad Fluffies from Stinky Wa-Wa’s are coming? Coming to Haven! So many!
>Bwun looks worried, hugging her new-born Foals tightly as they nurse without a care from her teats, too small to understand the situation.
>Clover is nuzzling Ice and Ash, her two White-fluffed Foals, and Little Foal is sitting at your side, sniffling.
>She hasn’t got a Name yet.
>You haven’t been given a proper Herd Name yet either.
>And she’s worried about No-Lips. It seems when they were playing together a few days, they became friends.
>Wed is sitting on the other side of Bwun, her face contorted into an unhappy mask as she stares at you.
>”Yuu pwomise Wed, New Hewd be safe, New Smarty Friend be strong and nice, but he owd, he hafe owies, an naow Bad Fwuffies are comin’!” She whines unhappily, shifting from hoof to hoof.
>”No-Name nu know dat Bad Fwuffies come, or dat Park Hewd be meanies, break Wules, twy to keep Gwasses all for themselves.” You explain, feeling extremely guilt. You did promise them that No-Lip would keep both Mares safe.
>”Yuu nuu Bad.” Bwun sighs, grunting as she rolls to her feet and starts to pick up her foals, pulling them off her teats and awkwardly placing them on her back, where they instinctively climb to try and be flat on her back, buried in her fluff. “Nu Fwuffy can teww wat happen tomo’wow.”
>”Buh he pwomise, Bwun, he pwomise!” Wed whines again, gazing sadly at Bwun’s Foals. “He haf special Hugs wit’ Old Mares an’ no haf dem wit Yuu or Me.”
>You open your mouth to tell Wed she is being unfair, when No-Lips speaks again.
>”Send ouwt Little Foal!” He says, a pained expression on his face.
>While Wed was arguing with you and Bwun, more Foals had been named.
>Little Foal gives you a hug, then skitters out to No-Lips, her wings flapping rapidly with excitement.
>”No-Lips happy to see yuu, happy to see yuu get Name.” No-Lips says, smiling as he puts a hoof on Little Foal’s head. “Wat we Name yuu ....”
>There’s silence as No-Lips thinks, Foals hushed and, in the case of those that won’t shut up, pressed into their mother’s fluff face-first.
>”We caww yuu .... Lavender!” No-Lips says, loudly, with tears in his eyes. “Lavender, Foal of Bun-Bun, Foal of Dai-“ He stops to sob, shaking, gazing down at Little Foal, no, Lavender. “Foal of Daisy ... and of No-Lips!”
>Lavender is sitting there with her jaw open, stunned, and the Herd is whispering and cheering.
>Nobody knew No-Lips had any surviving Foals! Bun-Bun never said anything! So that means that Lavender is his family!
>”Yuu ... Daddah of Mumma Bun-bun?” Lavender asks, shuffling up to No-Lips and sniffing his muzzle. “Mumma’s Mumma be ‘Daisy’?”
>”Yes ... yuu be mah famiwy, Lavender.” No-Lips sighs, nuzzling Lavender and smiling softly. “Bun-bun wan teww yuu, buh No-Lips say nu. Nu wan yuu few diff’went from otha Fwuffies.”
>Lavender sobs and rears up to wrap her hooves around No-Lip’s neck, and the old Fluffy hugs her back, tears falling from his eyes.
>”No-Lips wish could teww yuu sooner. Buh yuu be Mare now, nu Foal. Yuu be big, brave, smart Mare, jus’ wike Bun-Bun.”
>You hug Clover, then Bwun, and even Wed lets you hug her.
>Lavender has family! You’re so happy! You’re so ....
>No-Lips is dying. Need Choose new Smarty Friend.
>Oh ... oh no.
>”No-Name! Yuu come!” No-Lips yells, and you shuffle forwards, thoughts spinning in your head.
>No-Lips is dying, and Lavender only has a short while to spend with her Family before No-Lips goes on the Long Sleep....
>”Yuu join Hewd ... an many tink yuu nu last long. Not Smarty Friends, not Guud Friends, not Old Fluffies.” No-Lips says, giving you a tired grin as he stops to catch his breath, Lavender still standing at his side, her eyes filled with tears. “Buh! Yuu pwove us aww wrong! Yuu nice Fwuffy who cawwy foals, be good Scout who find nummies and safe pwaces, be Brave Raid-Fluffy who bwing back Guud Mares wit’ nu Huwties, be Good Fwiend who gif owies to Bad Fwuffies an’ save Mares.”
>”Dere be any Fwuffy here who say No-Lips nu be Good Fwuffy?” No-Lips asks the assembled Herd.
>Some shake their heads and open their mouths to complain, but their neighbours poke them with hooves or horns till they stop grumbling.
>Your Mares look happy.
>Most of the stallions do too.
>Blue-Horn looks like he’s about to throw a fit, and Bandit looks uneasy.
>”Den ... I caww yuu ..... MIST!” No-Lips says as loud as he can.
>”Mist! Mist! Mist!” The Herd chants, drumming their hooves on the floor of Haven.
>”I ... Mist.” You whisper, feeling moved. Your Herd Name ....
>”Yuu Mist. Yuu hide many tings, but yuu awso pwotect Fwuffies an’ hide dem too.” No-Lips grunts as he struggles to his hooves. “Now, I haf make Choice. Lavender, Mist, pwease go back to otha Fwuffies naow.”
>You and Lavender shuffle back to your positions, to be greeted and smothered in hugs by your Mares, the Herd still rumbling and whispering about No-Lips claiming Lavender as his family, and your new name.
>”Fwuffies ... No-Lips watch, as Smarty Fwiend must do! Watch Fwuffies, see who is gud at finding nummies, who guud wit’ Foals, who is Mean, who is Nice.” No-Lips says, being supported on both sides by Gnaff and One-Eye. He looks so small between the two other Fluffies, and he’s shaking heavily, like he’s in great pain.
>”No-Lips watch Stallions, Watch fo’ Guud Fwuffy who can be New Smarty Friend.” His eyes sweep over the Herd, his lips compressed into a tight line as he gathers the eyes of every Fluffy in the Herd.
>”No-Lips tink long an’ hawd. Smarty Friend mus’ be Bwave, buh nu Stuupid-Bwave, mus’ be Mean when Hewd is stubborn or scawed, but Nice otha times. Mus’ wemember many tings, be many tings to many Fwuffies.” No-Lips coughs, a spatter of bloody phlegm splattering his chest-fluff. “Dere onwy One Fwuffy in Hewd who can do dat ... an’ I wan Stallions to fowwow him, be his Guud Fwiends, hewp him.”
>”Bandit! Yuu come! Yuu is New Smarty Friend!”
>Bandit strides forwards, his wings fluttering, as the other Stallions hug each other and whisper comforting words, or cheer out Bandit’s names.
>You like Bandit. He’s very brave, very strong, nice when you talked to him.
>Cheer his name too.
>”No-Lips an’ Old Fwuffies haf many tings to teach yuu before Morning ... yuu come to Old Fwuffy Corner, and we tell yuu evwyting.”
>”W-what happen in Morning?” Bandit asks softly, just loud enough for only the Old Fluffies to hear, his face displaying his nervousness.
>”Morning is when Smarty Friend Bandit an’ Hewd mus’ weave Haven forevah.” No-Lips replies sadly as Gnaff and One-Eye take hold of the corners of his pillow and start to drag the former Smarty Friend back to the Old Fluffy Corner.