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- >Morning of day five.
- >You've spent most of the night trying to rationalize what you did.
- >Or rather, what you did not do.
- >The two unicorns would have died anyway. The damage had been done.
- >Their stupid killed them.
- >You killed Snowflake.
- >You drag yourself outside to see how the remaining fluffies are doing.
- >It's raining again.
- >The two remaining pegasus fluffies don't care. They're awake and toddling around the island.
- >”Where wingie fwiend go?” “No hide no mo', pway new game wif wingie fwiends!” they say.
- >Big sigh.
- >The fluffies all survived the night, again. You're beginning to think they're not quite as stupid as everyone says.
- >At least, in some ways.
- >You go back in and get your umbrella.
- >When you return to the deck, the rest of the fluffies have woken up.
- >They graze for breakfast, each one apologizing to the grass when they finish.
- >Then they join the pegasus fluffies.
- >They also look for the missing 'wingie fwiend'.
- >It seems their memories are beginning to improve.
- >Maybe they just notice when things vanish now.
- >You look over the island and come to a realization.
- >They're going to run out of grass soon.
- >If they'll graze from the other grove, they should be all right for a while.
- >You doubt they will. Even the fluffies aren't dumb enough to eat where they shit.
- >You have a dilemma.
- >You could take them in, but you admit to yourself that you have neither the room nor patience for seven of them.
- >Hell, your temper couldn't even stand one.
- >You could try to catch them, put them back in the crate, and take them to the shelter.
- >But for all you know, the shelter is where they came from. The news this morning even had a story about the rampant overcrowding of fluffy shelters.
- >You could buy them food, but then they'd get attached and try to follow you.
- >Or, you could let nature cull them.
- >Once their numbers dwindle, you could save the survivors.
- >You aren't sure you have the stomach for that any longer.
- >After Snowflake, the fluffies aren't just dumb little objects you're watching for amusement.
- >While you watch them play and hug each other, you decide the shelter option is probably the best one.
- >You'll take one when they nap, and see what the situation is down at the shelter.
- >If it's all right, you'll return and take the rest.
- >With that settled, you return to observing.
- >The ground is slippery with rainwater. The fluffies' stunted hooves offer little grip.
- >They can't stop after they get up to speed, and constantly bump into tree trunks.
- >A chorus of ”Owwies!” and “Sowwy twee!” fills the air.
- >This goes on for at least an hour. They never seem to get the idea that they have to walk slowly.
- >Suddenly, the orange earth fluffy slides off the edge of the sleeping grove and into the lake.
- >The water at this end is five feet deep.
- >”Hewp! Hewp! Wawa cold! Wawa cold!” she shrieks.
- >This time, the other fluffies all rush over to the edge and look down.
- >“Wha we do? Wawa bad fo' fwuffies!” the silver unicorn asks.
- >”Do sumfin'! No mo' wan' fwiends go poofy-bye!” the green pegasus replies.
- >The disappearances of their friends actually got through to them.
- >My god.
- >You have no choice but to act.
- >By the time you reach the lake, the orange fluffy is barely treading water. The rest see you and start jumping up and down.
- >”Hewp fwiend! Wawa be mean to fwiend!” they yell.
- >A couple of the dimmer earth fluffies forget about the situation.
- >They shout for you to pick them.
- >You wade out, then swim to the drowning fluffy.
- >The water is freezing.
- >Quickly, you scoop up the soggy orange fluffy and take her to the formerly grassy strip.
- >The other fluffies mill around your feet, hugging your legs for all they're worth.
- >”You hewp fwuffy!”, “Hooman save fwiend!”, “Hooman fwiend! We wuv you!”
- >And those two earth fluffies still want to get picked.
- >You feel like a goddamn hero.
- >”Fwuffy cold...” the orange one mewls.
- >It's still raining.
- >You can't leave her out here. Her fluff can no longer repel the excess water.
- >You take her in, wading back to shore.
- >”Hooman no weave us! Hooman come back! We be good fluffies! Pwease go wif you!” they all scream.
- >Even bigger sigh.
- “I'll be back, okay? Just take a nap in your box, it's dry there.”
- >They refuse, continuing to scream for you as you enter your house.
- >It takes six towels to get her dry, and two more for yourself.
- >The orange fluffball hugs your leg as you throw towels into the hamper.
- >”Fank you fo' hewp fwuffy,” she coos.
- >She goes toddling around in your living room while you find your keys.
- >Once you get her in the car and start driving, she makes all sorts of stupid noises.
- >”Go fast!” “Vwoom!”
- >You arrive in town, but it takes you a few minutes to find the shelter.
- >You walk in with the wiggling, babbling orange fluffy in your arms.
- >The place looks nice enough, anyway. From beyond the hole in the wall where the reception desk is, you hear a constant stream of baby-talk.
- >The orange fluffy's eyes are wide. “New fwiends fo' fwuffy?”
- “I hope so.”
- >There's nobody at the desk, so you set the orange fluffball down and ring the bell.
- >She immediately waddles over and starts playing with some blocks in the corner.
- >”Bwocks! Bwocks!” she giggles.
- >Finally, someone appears at the desk.
- >”Sorry about that, changin' the water in the cages takes a while. What can I do for you?” she asks.
- “Found a stray. Almost drowned in the lake, had to jump in and get her.”
- >”Wawa bad fo' fwuffy!” she whines. You pick her up and show her to the lady. She whines some more as her stubby legs reach out for the blocks.
- >”Whoa, I've never seen one this color!”
- “Just out of curiosity, is this one of those overcrowded hellholes I've heard about?”
- >She smiles at your concern. “Come on, I'll let you see for yourself.”
- >She walks out of sight. Soon, a door to your left opens and she beckons you to follow.
- >After going down a hall and turning right, you're in the cage room.
- >The left wall has rows of metal cages stacked four high.
- >Most of the cages only have one occupant. A couple of cages have two, and only one has three. Those three fluffies are all the same color blue.
- >They all press themselves to the doors when they see you.
- >”Pick fwuffy!”, “Fwuffy wan' pway!”, “Pwease wet fwuffy out!”
- >The orange fluffy in your arms stretches her forelegs out at each fluffy you walk past.
- >”New fwiend? Wan' hug! Wan' pway!” she says.
- >You stop at the cage with the three fluffies. They shove and push trying to get to you, stubby legs waving through the wire.
- >”Pick sissies! We all go wif you! Wan' pway togetha!”
- “Sissies?”
- >”These are triplets,” the woman explains. “They cry really hard if you try to separate 'em.”
- >You are satisfied with the state of the shelter. Every cage is clean, the water is fresh, and for whatever reason there's bowls full of spaghetti every fucking where.
- >”Wan' pway!” the orange fluffy demands again.
- “All right, I think she'll be fine here.”
- >”Okay. You're a good soul for not letting her drown,” the woman says.
- >She takes the orange fluffball.
- >”Wha? Where you go?”
- “I'm going home. You'll be fine.”
- >”No weave fwuffy! Wuv you! Wan' go wif you!” she cries as the woman puts her into an empty cage.
- >Mega sigh.
- “Be a good girl, okay?”
- >”Wan' go! Wan' go! Pick fwuffy! Fwuffy be good poni!” she bawls as you walk out.
- >”I'll take it from here,” the woman says. “Thanks for giving a damn.”
- >You feel like a hero. Sort of.
- >Even amongst the explosion of 'new fwiend!' and 'hi fwuffy!' from the back, you can still hear the orange fluffy crying for you to take her with you.
- >You walk out and drive home.
- >The seven fluffy ponies are now six, but at least you don't feel like an ass this time.
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