Sunny Gardens: Morton's Fork

>Now the herd is in 'pick me' mode, except for Mandy and Flame.
>The latter yells “New fwiend pwease hewp babehs!”
>Sarah smirks a little.  “Didn't know you were trying out the breeding business too.”
>Grumble grumble grumble.
>You pick Flame up and set her aside.
>”Nee' nummies fo' babehs!”
>The crying foals wiggle in your hands as you scoop them up.
>Sarah picks up Mandy and looks at him.
>”Waah hooba!  Wuggies!  Mandy wuggies heggies!”
>She busts out laughing.
>”Hey sis, I think this one's retarded.  More so than usual, I mean.”
>You groan, setting the shaking foals on the tall front desk for now.
>Flame begs you to bring them back.  “Babehs nee' huggies an' nummies!”
“Mandy is not retarded, he's...he's just a little slow.  He didn't have a mom to give him enough milk.”
>She puts him down, scanning the herd for a moment.  “Where's that pretty unicorn?”
>You fold your arms; this time, you get to do the smirking.
“Lucent went home with a new dad.  She's got a family that can provide for her now.”
>”Fewiss wuv new fwiend, mommy fo' Fewiss?” he asks as he gets picked up.
>Slate approaches her slowly.  “New fwiend, pwease hewp babehs.  Fwuffies no can hewp, babehs nee' nummies,” he says, pointing as best he can in their direction.
>Sarah looks at them idly, petting Felix.  “Orphans?”
>You nod sadly.
“Their mom died in the alley next door...they're probably going to starve to death soon.”
>You clap your hand over your mouth, but it's too late.
>The dreaded word enters the fluffies' ears, and panic sets in.
>”Nuuuu, no wan' die, Fewiss no bad fwuffy!  No huwt, no huwt!” he wails, squirming.
>Eleven mares scream in unison.  “No wet babehs die!  Babehs good fwuffies, pwease hewp!”
>Starlight is not amongst them; the stress has made her drop to the floor and 'hide'.
>Sarah puts Felix back into the pen and walks over to the foals.
>They're chirping with fear because they hear the adults' frightened tone.
>”New fwiend, pwease hewp babehs!” Flame shouts over the cacophony.
>You follow her over to the desk.
“Why are you here, Sarah?”
>She pokes lightly at the white foal; in response, it latches onto her finger, sucking at the black nail polish.
>”This one's pretty.”
>Oh hell no, you know exactly where this is going.
“I am not giving them to you.”
>You've walked right into her trap, and you know it.
>Her purple lips curl up into a little smile as she tickles the white foal.
>She only smiles that smile when she's won.
>Damn it.
>”Fine, your fluffy friends can watch as they wither away.”
>”Hewp babehs!” Flame shrieks.
>You know what happens in that horrible place.
>Death is better than condemning these helpless, tiny things to that life.
“I think I'd rather let them die.”
>Damn it!  Stop saying that word!
>”Nuuuuuuuuu!  Why mommy wet babehs die, babehs good babehs!” Starlight wails.
>Right in the heart.  You turn around so Sarah can't see the gathering tears.
>”I know where there's plenty of milk,” she says, still tickling the white foal behind you.
>”Gif miwkies!  New fwiend haf miwkies, babehs nee'!” a grey unicorn mare speaks up.
“Nimbus, quiet.  That's...that's bad milk.”
>Nimbus doesn't get it.  “Miwk no bad, miwk good!  Miwk fo' babehs!”
>The herd takes up her chant.  “Miwk fo' babehs!  Miwk fo' babehs!”
>You can't blame them.  They're doing what they think is necessary to help the babies live.
>After you think you've collected yourself enough, you whirl back around.
>Your black dreadlocks pop you in the face.  Great, now you look like a dope again.
>You admit defeat.
“Fine.  Get them some milk.  Are you ever gonna explain why you're here?”
>She smiles again, taking the foals into her right hand and heading for the door.
>”I'll be right back,” she says, then turns to the fluffies and adds “after I give the babies lots of milk.”
>She walks out, gets into that ridiculous Porsche of hers, and drives off.
>”Yay! New fwiend fin' miwk fo babehs!” the fluffies cheer.
>Well, Slate doesn't cheer, he just smiles.
>Mandy is too busy rolling around on his back, babbling “Wubba higgy wooba fub!”
>You sit down on the floor by the pen and sniffle.
>”Why mommy sad, new fwiend hewp babehs...” Starlight asks, coming over and pressing against the mesh side in a failed hug attempt.
“Mommy just sent those babies to a bad place, that's why.”
>Your little herd cannot understand why you're crying.
>”No cwy, babehs okay now.  Babehs haf miwkies, gwow up big.  Be good babehs.”
>Slate's attempt at reassurance only draws your thoughts to those god awful 'feeders'.
>If there's such a thing as blood milk, that's it.
>They're going to grow up big and strong all right...if they're males, they'll fuck until they die.
>If they're females, they'll wish they were that lucky.
>The fluffies push against the mesh as one now, trying to hug you and make you feel better.
>...besides Mandy, again.  He's still on his back.
>You just sit there until the obnoxious noise returns twenty minutes later.
>The fluffies are scared, but with the babies gone it's not nearly as bad as before.
>Sarah walks in and looks down at you.
>”Your orphans will be fine.”
>You glare up at her with teary eyes.
“Yeah, I'm sure they're gonna love their new life.”
>She smiles again, but it's not a smile you're accustomed to.
>”They better, I gave them to Whitney.”
“Don't gloat to me ab—what?”
>You stand up, blinking.
>Whitney is one of Sarah's employees, you've met her before.
>That woman is an even bigger sucker for the fuzzballs than you are.  She has five of them.
>”She's got a dam that just had a foal...one foal.  Cried about her baby being lonely.”
>You're stunned.  You didn't really think your sister had a soul.
>She leans down on the desk, ignoring the fluffies as their conversation again drifts to being picked.
>”Now it's time for business,” she says, folding her arms and getting that damned serious look of hers.
>You turn to the pen, reaching in and setting Mandy upright so he can waddle to the litter box.
>Slate senses something is off, so he directs the herd to go back to playtime.
>Bless that fuzzy blue ball.
>”Mom wants to know when you're going to outgrow this 'I have to save everything that's cute' phase.”
“Fuck mom.  I'm doing what I want.”
>You hear Sarah snort as you give Starlight a hug and send her off to play.
>”Yeah, you're doing what you want with the money dad left.”
“It's a lot!  Why is this even a thing?  I'm not gonna run out for years!”
>By the time you've turned around to look, Sarah's got her hands raised.
>”Mommy, pwease no yeww, new fwiend no wan' fwuffies if yeww...”
“It's okay, Starlight.  Well, you've got your answer.  It's the same as all the other times she's asked you to come over here.”
>She just nods and shrugs.
>She does not, however, leave.
“Well?  What else is there?  Surely you're not here to adopt.”
>”Pick fwuffy!  Pick fwuffy!” Felix yells.
>Slate scolds him straight away.  ”Fewiss, no yeww.  Hoomans talkies, fwuffies be quiet now.”
>Sarah looks at him for a moment, then back up at you.  “Not letting this go?”
“Not a chance.  These fluffies need me, and I'm not going to leave them.”
>”No weave!  Mommy no weave!” Starlight shrieks.  You have to hug her to calm her down.
>Sarah smiles again.
>”Then I have a proposition for you.”