"...You smell of her... What did you two talk about while I was… indisposed?"

**Cup**

Screaming. “Ah~!”

“Ah~!”
“~ah~!”
“~Ah~what is it~!?”
“~ah~!”

… Silence. I can hear my breathing but who’s else is-?

-the colt! I have a- where did I? Right. Next to me in the bed. He’s shaking.

“Shh~ it’s okay, little one. I’m here. It was just a bad dream.” I pick him up and position him down on me. His crying eases as he starts an early breakfast.

“That must’ve been quite the nightmare. Eh, sugarcube?” What a way to start the day. From the looks of the moon through the window, if I hadn’t taken some time off, this would be about the time I’d be getting ready to head into work.

“Wasn’t really expecting a surprise like that first thing. You know?” Looks like he’s settled. Wonder what foals dream about. Shadows? Negative emotions they’ve seen but don’t understand?

“You know, colt, there’s a song that I was writing. Haven’t thought about it in a little bit, but I think I ought to try it out again… ‘We’re far apart in every way-‘“

“B-b-b-b-b-b-b!”

…

“Okay.” I guess he’s done? And I’m too tired to deal with that right now. Just… come up here and settle into momma’s chest fluff. "We’ll nap a little longer."

**Baltimare, Equestria**
**095 Spring CC**
**Cup**

I was not prepared for yesterday. I don't think anypony could have been. It's not your fault, Dam; I don't blame you. Nopony could predict or prepare for such a thing.

Some homeless foal makes his way into my life yesterday. By all my estimations, he's too young to be at fault for whatever events led to his situation. I also have a hard time rationalizing that a foal so young would orchestrate his own way into the back of a milkmare's milk cart. That same milkmare happens to have everything in place to take care of one. The pieces fit together too well to be an accident.

It's almost like Harmony itself took pity on me and granted me a special mercy.

I’ve been quite blessed in this life; I don't know if I've ever done anything to deserve a second chance of this.

... Or maybe the nature of this event is dependent upon how I manage it? Like a seed: if I treat it right, then it will bear wonderful fruit; but if I don't, then it won't. And this 'little seed' sure is already different from any I've ever seen or heard of.

I can tell he has some issues with his coordination despite his young age. Even new foals should be able to walk better than he does, but he is young enough to where he should be able to improve if I take some time to help him properly practice his gaits... unless malnourishment has affected more than just his body?

…No. He just needs instruction, direction, and attention.

I don't even know what to think about the way he... runs? If you can call that a run: that jumping-style he uses to zip around. What even is that?

I've seen the way he seems considers and observes things. His mind seems plenty sharp for his age.

I've spent time on some of the family farms, and even I've never seen a pony raise a leg to a plant like an animal before! You can’t always get off the field for the luxury of an outhouse. Stallions usually just… lean their hips forward a bit.

It’s so much easier for mares. Move your tail. There you go. My stallion’s dam has that licked, too; she’s got her tail in that bun. Doesn’t even have to bother moving her tail any. But she’ll be the first to admit in excruciating detail that her tail-bun was more for her stallion than for any hygiene convenience.

***FLASHBACK: Cup's Stallion's Dam***
‘Maker above,’ she’d say, ‘Ah miss mah stallion, but he never was one to look where he leaped. No, ma’am! Took me one time gettin’ my tail a-ramrodded to figure that one out. So, in a bun it shall stay… The unfettered access did encourage him mightily; Ah ain’t complainin’ none but mah hips need replacin’ fer a reason, and it ain’t ‘cause of farm work.’

‘Speakin’ of buns, the last bun he put in mah oven was mah colt here. Coroner said, ‘he passed awhile he was mounted up.’ Eyup, he’d a gone on to the Graze, but he kept a-thrustin’ fer another day’er two. Only figured it out ‘cause the rigor set in. Stud of legends he was. Maker, Ah miss that stallion.’
***END OF FLASHBACK***

She’ll go on about her exploits with her late herdstallion outperforming the Legendary Trials of (copulatory) Endurance of the Rockhoof himself for hours if you let her. She’s at that age where she’s cast off her verbal filters and just says things no matter how embarrassing it may be.

Or as my stallion might say, ‘Naw, she ain’t gots no scruples no more no how.’ Silly imaginary-stallion, that’s way too many negatives no matter how you look at it.

Anyway, I think it’s clear my little colt has never used a toilet before last night, or he's so used to the streets that he is more comfortable using hedges. Oh, sweet Celestia.

He does not seem touch-shy, but he is really protective of his head. He won't let me nuzzle him between his ears. He wouldn't let me soap or shampoo his mane during the bath yesterday either. He did seem to understand what I wanted him to do with it, strangely enough; but I had to try and squirt it with the nozzle from a distance. The way he was splashing and rolling around in the water was peculiar, too. It was like he's bathed before, but he's only ever had shallow water to work with like... puddles or... oh, buck.

He didn't resist sleeping in the bed with me which is good, but he didn't cuddle up like a normal foal would. Ponies love cuddles. He put his head underneath a pillow -his muzzle sticking out the other side- and aimed his hind quarters my way; so I did have something to cuddle -I guess- and he did allow me to be near.

What ever happened to your head, little one? I... can't imagine.

That's quite worrying, and perhaps just as worrying is his tendency to dragon boat me after feeding. Yesterday evening, a midnight snack, and again for post-nightmare breakfast in the pre-sunrise morning: each time he finished he gave my girls a dragon boat.

Just about every mare I know has done this for a stallion at some point, and I’ve heard rumors that some stallions might engage in that type of activity for their herdmares -and even those are something of a rarity- but who'd ever imagine a foal doing it? A foal. Dragon boating a mare! That’s for- for… adult cuddling. It’s not something a foal is supposed to know right out of the box -unlike walking or feeding or... cuddling.

What has this colt seen that he would copy such behavior? *grr* Ooh~ if I ever get my hooves on whoever taught that to a foal...

I might be in over my head the more I think about this. Celestia, what do I- it’s quiet.

What's he doing right now? After waking from his post-breakfast nap, I woke up to the sound of his little hooves moving around some of Applebu- no, his toys into the sitting room and has been playing with some letter-blocks for a while. Seems to be thinking about them intently... Huh.

*knock, knock, knock*

Oh! It's them. Okay. Just breathe. Everything will be- following the knock at the door, he immediately spun around to face the sound and flared his wings. So~ cute! He's trying to intimidate the intruder. He's going to be a tough stallion one day. Protective. What mare wouldn't smile inside at such a sight?

"It's okay, little one," I reassure him, "she's my friend and her foal. Besides, you’ve got one tough mare to protect and provide for you right here; that’s the mare’s job, after all, and I’m pretty good at it.” He looks from me trying to reassure him with a good smile to the door a few times before relaxing slightly. Good enough.

Flow might need to tell me about pegasus foals. I was expecting a nature-pony like me... originally...

I get up and move to the door. He does not stay in the sitting room. Instead, he zips to me and seems to hide under my barrel -between my hooves. That's... wow! I can't resist feeling as tall as Celestia right now: he's letting me protect him. He's accepting me. *gulp*

No sooner than I turn the door handle does the door swing out, and I'm greeted to sunny-colored fur and a great feathered hug.

"Cup!"

"Hi, Flo."

"It's been too long!"

"Yes, it has."

"Let me look at you." She is not on the ground but instead floating by virtue of her wings -which I think looks tiring and uncomfortable as she's laden with saddle bags and a foal in a cloth sling across her front.

While she appraises me her expression goes from smiling sadly to something resembling cautious, “Cup," she says with some trepidation, "I must say I was expecting you to be a bit more of a wreck, but you look like you've been doing much better than I would after going through something like… that."

"Uh, yeah~ there's... something of a story to that..." She perks up when I say that. "Oh -um- come in! Please. Ah'm sure you're exhausted from the trip." I side step the door and let her in.

"Oh, you have no idea," she admits. "This little one was all over the train whenever she wasn't sleeping or eating! And is she ever fast for a foal. I don't remember being so fast at that age." She talks as she makes her way into the sitting room and sets her bags down. I follow her with my own little one beneath my hooves.

Flow unslings her foal and gently sets the bundle on a sitting mat then gets on the sofa to recline. "And my sister, Fleeting -I think you met her- who is living not too far from here, she's..." Her voice trailed off, and she stared at my legs as her head tilted quizzically. She noticed him. "Cup?"

*gulp*

**The Colt**

They seem to know each other -probably some friend, perhaps. Yellow pegasus with orange eyes and several hues of orange in her mane and tail. Uses make-up? I guess make-up on a pony is a thing.

She set a bundle down on the rug in front of the couch, and they settle next to each other on the sofa. Wow, they're really talking up a storm. The milkmare does most of the talking, but both glance at me and make several animated hoof-gestures. I'd guess the milkmare is explaining me. Welp, back to learning those blocks.

**Cup**

I skipped some of the little details but finished the gist of my new life with the colt. Flo breathes, "Wo~w," and takes a moment to let it soak in before saying, "That's got to be the craziest story I've ever heard. I don't know if I should be laughing or crying." We both sigh. After a moment, she asks, "He really dragon boats you after feeding?" Of course, that’s the first question a mare would ask after I finish telling her the whole story.

I nod. "You'll see eventually."

She smirks. "Wish I could get that kind of attention from a stud."

"He is a foal, Flo."

"You know what I mean, Cup..." She looks at him while he seems to puzzle over those blocks. "You sure he's safe -around others, I mean?"

I want to answer right away, but I should give her concern the respect of consideration. After a moment's thought, I slowly answer, "Ah've seen some issues for sure but nothing Ah'd consider dangerous or unsafe."

"Hm~," Flo considers for a moment and flashes me a smirk, "Well, let's try a few tests. Shall we?"

Oh? This peaks my interest. "Like what?"

"Well..." Flo starts slow and answers while she thinks, "you said he'll come to you for food?" I nod. "And you said he can figure out some things like with the bath?"

I nod again. "Yeah."

"So, let's see if he'll come to you for something else -like affection."

Affection? "...What do you mean?"

"Hm,” she hums in thought, “Oh! Why don't you call him over and show him that you want a hug? Every good pony born knows what the 'hug' sign is."

"But he shies away from nuzzles because of his head-"

"Yes," she says, "however, I think if he initiates the hug, then he gets to determine where his head goes. He'll be in charge of that. You know?"

"Hm~" That's not a bad idea supposing he really does think things through that much. He is really young, though... I think... "Ah'm suddenly reminded that Ah don't have a name to call him by..."

"Mm~ yeah," Flo replies, "that does need to be solved for several reasons -Harmony being the chief of them. Maybe we could go by the city Harmony shrine today? I'll bet an attending Friend would be thrilled to assist with that."

"Hey," that's a good idea, "Yeah! Ah need to look into getting some papers filed for guardianship, anyway. It would be very good to have a name to put on those."

“You could do that here in Baltimare or,” she says but ends by asking, “back home?”

“One thing at a time, Flo,” I answer.

Flo nods to this. "Okay... let's try this."

I clear my throat hoping he hears it. He doesn't. That small colt is really concentrating on those blocks. "Little one? Hello~ little one?" He's only a few hooves away -maybe a wing at most- but it still takes a few calls before he breaks his focus on those blocks. I wonder what he was thinking about so hard...

Then he looks at me quizzically and tilts his head as he seems to ponder while I motion with my forehooves to come to me and hold them open in the pony-versal gesture for 'hug.' "Please?" I continue the motions and give him as welcoming a smile as I can. I can feel a little worry creep inside me at his hesitancy. Does he not know what this means? Was he that negle- no, Cup! Focus. Every foal knows this... Right?

Surely Harmony ingrained this into his instincts as with everypony else.

His eyes widen. I hope that is understanding. How is it one so young can appear to be processing something like this as though it's an abstract philosophical dilemma? Come on, little one, let your instincts through. Don't think. Just come here and hug me... Please...

He looks from Flo to me. Flo is smiling and nodding with her head towards me -motioning to him that it's okay with her eyes. He looks down and slightly away with an expression like he's trying to hold in some tears. I can feel my own build with that familiar tickle move up the bridge of my nose. We'll help you, little one. I promise to-

Suddenly, he looks up and right at me with a sad but fierce determination. Flo stifles a gasp.

This is it! Smile wide, Cup. "Come here, little one." He gets up on his shaky, uncoordinated legs of his and bounds to me with startling speed. Seriously, how is that skipping technique is so fast?

He dives into my shoulder, "Oof!" And nuzzles into my neck and cheek with little kisses and foal-kisses: small, quick licks. That pressure in my muzzle runs moisture back down it from my eyes, and I breathe out tension I didn't realize was there.

Was I really so close to breaking down? Come on, Cup, be the mare here.

l hug back and nuzzle -carefully avoiding his head- and can't hold back the giggles. "He's giving me little licks," I tell Flo who looks almost shocked to hear it.

"Oh, Cup! That's a very good sign."

"Really?"

She nods, "Oh, yes. Pegasi preen with their mouths, as you know; so it's quite the affectionate gesture for this little pegasus to lick you. An improperly preened wing could be extremely dangerous. The meaning it conveys is that he cares deeply for your safety and wellbeing." Flo leans over and gives his side a little nuzzle. At the contact, he briefly stiffens but quickly loosens and continues his hugs. "Well, I guess that's one successful test."

"Do you have another?" I ask with more giggles as I return some little foal-kisses. His tail wags while I do. Should I lick him back? I'm a nature-pony and haven’t ever groomed a pegasus before. Would it mean the same thing?

As soon as he started, he seems done with the hug and moves down for a snack; so I give him access.

"Yeah," Flo replies, "I got a couple of ide-" She tilts her head a bit and looks across the sitting room.

"What?"

She nods in the direction she's looking. "What do you notice about those blocks he was playing with?"

I look. "Um... he didn't stack them?" That seems like a normal thing for a colt to do.

She shakes her head. "No. Look. The numbered ones." Her gaze steadies. "They're... in order."

"What?" Oh, Harmony. She's right. Flo gets up and takes a few steps across the sitting room floor for a closer look.

"The numbers- he has them in order: zero to nine. But the others are off to the side -also in order- but they’re grouped oddly -almost by shape- like he wasn't sure where to include them..? Like... he's aware of a base-ten system but... not the Equestrian Standard?” No~ there's no way a foal would make that distinction on their own.

"That's~ there's no way a foal would know any of that." He seems to be more comfortable nursing now than he was last night. “He’s doing better even now. You know, he clacked his teeth when I offered him to feed the first time.”

“He clacked?” She asked with some shock.

“Eyup.”

“But… isn’t that a-?”

“-a primal fear response. Yeah.”

Flo considers this a moment and returns her attention to the blocks, "Weird... The lettered blocks are not in order, but they're grouped. Looks like... by shape? See how the nature-consonant stems rotate around the centre? How old did you think he is?"

"Um... Ah mean, Ah don't know for sure, but his body is small -nursing age at least. So he could be a month or so, but his wings are pretty big which could indicate something older. Maybe 6-18 months?" Most foals might be starting their numbers and letters towards the end of that range, I think.

"Hm~ size could be from malnutrition. We should probably bring him to get checked by a doctor at some point..."

I nod. "Ah have to bring the cart back to work today. Then swing by the city Harmony shrine and then city hall before close-of-business for the day. Probably will put 'doctor' on tomorrow's to-do list."

"Do you think maybe he's smart?"

"Um..." I mean, that could make some of his behavior make sense but not all... But then, why would he be alone on the streets? Even Celestia herself would have gladly found a place for a gifted foal -pegasus or otherwise.

"Could that -maybe- be why he's so protective of his head? Like... maybe he knows he needs to protect it?"

"That seems like a stretch for one so young."

Flo considered for a moment. Her perception for inclement conditions makes her a successful weathermare. "Well," she begins to emerge from her thoughts, "apart from possibly being small and the head-thing, I don't think there's anything to worry about in the immediate... Oh! I got an idea for the next test."

"Oh?"

She nods, "Mm~hm! Yup," and looks around the sitting room. "Ah! Picture book." She grabs the foal book from a book nook and hold it up. "Let's see how he does with some vocabulary before he clonks out from feeding." She looks to her still-napping foal swaddled on the mat and says mostly to herself as she returns to the couch, "Hopefully, we can get the two on the same schedule later."

"Alright," I admit as she lays next to me. "This should be pretty good," and take a look at the book she found. Seems like a good one: just pictures of simple things. Just have to wait for him to-

"B-b-b-b-b-b!"

Flo freezes and stares -jaw agape- at the colt as she attempts to stifle a laugh all of two seconds. "Ah~! Ha haha! He actually did it! Ah hahaha!" My little foal sits up looking pleased with himself -like he's doing me a favor- while Flo yuks it up. Ugh~ I rea~lly hope he teaches your filly to do that to you, Flo. See how funny it is then...

I show him the book, and he locks onto it. Oh! He's interested? I motion to him to lay next to me with a few pats on the cushion so I can show him the pictures, and he follows the instruction after a brief hesitation.

**The Colt**

I don't know if I went overboard with that hug-party, but both mares seemed really into it. The milkmare’s giggles were quite enchanting. I guess I got lost in the moment. It felt pretty good. Felt right.

I must be -like- the best hugger ever! Maybe I'll do that more. She is letting me live here, drinks are straight from the tap, sleep in her bed, and all of it is rent-free. Hugs are a pretty good exchange for this deal -especially since it turns out I'm so good at them. Plus, they’re both super stoked for it.

Hm~ they... I wonder who this pegasus-lady is. Is she the milkmare's friend or...

The other lady -the pegasus- brought a little book over. It looks like it's for children. A... foal's book? Oo~h, I wonder if they're going to teach me some words! I haven't been able to pick up much of anything from their conversation or verbal contexts yet.

Milkmare didn't talk much yesterday or this morning. It's not easy to pick up words when they aren't used.

This could be pretty good -better than those blocks, anyway. I don't think I figured any of it out beyond a few patterns. Their writing system is weird.

I'll just lean into the Milkmare's shoulder and settle in a bit. She holds the book, but the pegasus-lady uses her wing to open the cover and turn the pages. I suppose that makes sense: wings seem to have more reach than legs -usually. That's some nice wing control she's got, too. I'll have to practice that later -maybe by stacking the blocks with my wings... She does not start on the first page -oddly. The lady flips through. Perhaps she's looking for something specific?

She stops on a page and the milkmare holds it so I can see it. It looks like a mare with a foal. She points to the mare with her forehoof and says, "Mem." Then she points to herself and says, "Mem," and repeated this a few times. I followed her point to herself and the picture and watched her mouth move. Mem... it either means 'mare' or 'mom' or some type of caregiver... No~ no~ for a foal's book, they likely are keeping this simple. I'm overthinking.

Mem...

Mem must mean mom or dam.

Makes sense. Most first words are some derivation of 'mom,' and nearly every language I know constructs the word with the simplest mouth movements. As I'm pretty sure most tongues have a fairly complex role with most languages, the sounds utilized by simpler muscle groups make more sense for this common First Word. Lips are easier for babies to use than their tongues -typically- and 'M' is the most common lip-sound used to refer to moms, I think...

Alright. Let's give this braying gibberish a try. "M~em."

"A! Beh-een shreht, Kek," says the pegasus lady to the milkmare.

"Iful, sheh viennh?" The milkmare asks. "Lextshtey-een rhehpit?"

"Hoahl-k."

"Mem?" I ask -interrupting the two mares. They both stop and look at me. Hm~ I definitely don't know enough words. I've heard the pegasus-lady use Kek a few times, and the milkmare use Iful. Other than that, they speak a little too fast, and I've no basis for any context. I try it again, "Mem?"

The milkmare smiles wide and brings her nose down to mine and nuzzles a bit. Quietly she says, "Mem-hee ay, Hy-beh. Mem!" Before I realize it, my tongue flicks her nose. Must tickle her right, because she makes that cute equine whinny-giggle again as she pulls away and shakes her head. She's done that a few times, and I like it.

"Gee-ya?" The yellow and orange winged pony asks.

"Ay-a."

"Khord-ya leiksh-hee, Kek."

"Hrd-iun, Iful. Trh-eh."

Okay. I think the pegasus might be called Iful, and the milkmare's name might be Kek. They have not introduced themselves as such to me; so I am flat out guessing at this point, but they've used those words at each other several times.

No idea what those names might mean... Names are really hard to define. At least, regular words have pictures I can use.

"Ay. Trh leigh?" Iful asks, and Kek nods. The pegasus uses her wing to flip a few pages, and we go over a few more words. Apple is haw-pum. Day or sun is sol.

I like it when words have similar connections to some of my native roots. That makes it easier to learn.

Night or moon is jzum. That one is pretty fun to say. It makes my mouth vibrate a bit. Jzy~um... jzu-jzu-jzu. Ha! Sounds like a sci-fi tractor-beam. I think 'friend' is fkhorend as it almost sounds like the word, ‘friend,’ but the picture was two happy ponies together which could be a bunch of things.

When the mil- no... when mom mentioned 'friend,' Iful got up and went over to her bundle on the mat. She pointed to it and said, "Fkhorend-i, hy-beh."

I looked at her motioning to her bundle and then back to mom. She smiled at me and nodded towards her friend. That picture of two ponies did not have a bundle. What's she going on about?

Mom nudges me, "Mreb rheheh."

Okay. I'll bite. I scoot off the low pony-couch and reorient my legs. They're both really happy, but something about the mood seems serious right now. Can't quite put my hoof on it. Alright. I'll take this slowly and try to creep around to Iful.

Her eyes start to smile along with her mouth. "Squee," she says. Mom giggles. I take that as a sign that I'm winning whatever game they're playing. These ponies...

I get up and move over to Iful. She keeps smiling at me and points with her wing to the bundle and says again, "Fkhorend-i." My eyes follow her wing. I didn't notice it before. There's a little face in that bundle, blinking, and looking at me.

...It's a... foal? She looks about my size -maybe a little bigger. I don't think I've enough experience to say, and the swaddling doesn't make it easier. I get down on my belly and slowly wiggle closer.

Its coat is just as yellow as Iful's. It yawns and starts slowly opening its eyes to show they're a a little more orange than its fur. Its mane is similar but instead of Iful's streaks, this one seems to have a flame pattern going from lighter orange near the roots and darker orange towards the ends.

Iful is suddenly near me as me and the foal look at each other, and she whispers, "Shpr-ifr." I look to Iful and back to the foal. "Fkhorend-iya, Shpr-ifr," she repeats, "Shpr-ifr."

I breathe what I think she said is the foal's name, "Shpr...ifr... Shpr-ifr..." Shpr-ifr... Shpr-ifr... She smells nice.

...Wait... do I know you?

Oh, Spitfire! … Spitfire?

...

Wow. I just smelled the future captain of the Wonderbolts! This is so cool. I'm going to brag about this so hard someday. She smells kind of like what I expect child to smell like but better: clean.

She's still kind of waking up. What's a good way to wake up a foal? She's swaddled, so I don't think hugs are all that good for waking up. The cloth is already hugging basically. Shaking is probably bad no matter what the species until we're much older -like adult Pinkie Pie-age.

...

The milkmare -no- Mem... Mom... She wants to be my mom. Wow... She's only known me for a day, and she already wants to spend the rest of her life raising me? ...That's heavy.

She was almost joyous when I said it, nuzzled, and kissed-

-Oh! That might be a good way to wake a foal...

...Who art thou, and what new realm of antic disposition hast We entered unto...?

Author's Note

Per request, I labeled the POV shifts. I agree that it makes it easier for one’s internal voice to know at the onset.

Dam: term for an equine's birth-mother. Ramrod: a pole-like device used to force items down a barrel and packing them snugly, usually referring to the loading of muskets.

There is a distinction between, ‘cuddling,’ and, ‘adult cuddling.' The Hug Sign: the universal (or pony-versal) gesture for a hug is the same for Equestrians as humans: open arms with some occasional movement inwards.

Dragon Boating
I suspect locomotive engines have not been reduced for use in personally owned watercraft. So, another term was developed in the Equestrian culture for the human equivalent.

I think that given the nature of magic on Equus, magic might be one of the primary originators of advanced mathematics. Basing magical math off of a magical number seems to make sense. Base-3, 7, 21, or 49 seem plausible while there may be another simpler system developed by nature-ponies or pegasi for non-magical problems. I'm not good enough with maths to explain it deeper than that.

Luckily, MC isn't much of a math whiz either. Others who made their Incursion into Equus may be better in this subject but not this guy.

I’m not sure how to depict the nature-pony script. It’s not exactly plot-dependent, but I put the work into it. Trick is that it needs to have some kind of pony-theme for the Derpibooru, and a bunch of squiggles don’t really meet that requirement... still working on drawing that Equestrian commode.

I imagine several parts of this Equish to be spoken with an occasional vibrato, whinny, or tongue roll.

Shtoash-ifl, Stormy Flare, is nicknamed here as 'Flo' or Iful by Cup. I don't know if it will come up in the story until MC learns a lot more vocabulary; some other nicknames may have odd translations like: Shiny, AJ, Rares, etc. I’ll translate as those come. But the idea was: sometimes in a 'storm,' one must 'go with the flow.' And Cup's nickname for Stormy Flare was something of a play-on-words. Shtoash-ifl -> Ifl -> Iful. Iful being an air current or flow; Ifl being a rough flow or storm. I couldn’t find much to base her character from the show or comics, so I made a lot of assumptions.

I think Cup's stallion's dam is one funny gal. I've got some jokes for her for later. Oh~ my~!