The sun had not yet risen over Sweet Apple Acres, but already Applejack was standing on a hill overlooking the orchard. For the past few weeks she'd been busier than ever, readying the orchard for this very important day. "Any minute now." she said to herself, waiting for the signal to start.
With a crow of the rooster, Celestia's sun rose into the sky, bathing all of Sweet Apple Acres in its majestic sunlight. "Yee-haw! It's officially Apple Buckin' Day!" Applejack cheered, and raced into the orchard as fast as she could. All around her were trees filled with bright red and green apples, the result of some nearly backbreaking labor. But it had all been worth it.
"Look at all those apples! Ripe and juicy, perfect for buckin'!" Applejack said happily, and kicked one of the trees. For a moment, everything was just right. Sweet Apple Acres had more apples to harvest this year, then any year prior. "This is the bumper crop we've been waiting for all these years!" Applejack thought to herself.
Unfortunately, the moment faded when the apples fell to the ground with a splat. Upon closer inspection, they were dried up and looked like they were void of life itself. Applejack was completely confused "What the heck is goin' on?" she asked herself. Then, her thoughts were interrupted as the sound of chittering bats reached her ears. Applejack looked up, and gasped in horror at what she saw "They're back!" she said, and raced to the barn to ring the bell. "I hate to admit this, but I'm gonna need all the help I can get to drive off these creatures. I just hope it's not too late to stop the destruction." she thought to herself.
Apple Bloom, Big Macintosh, and Granny Smith, were all awoken from their sleep by the sound of a bell ringing. They quickly forgot to be cross, as they realized what the bell meant. As quickly as they could, they raced outside to meet up with Applejack.
Applejack, for her part, was frantic. She continued to ring the bell over and over again, all the while shouting "Attention! This is a Sweet Apple Acres emergency situation! Code red! I need all hooves on deck! This is not a drill! I repeat, this is NOT a drill!"
"Calm down, Applejack." Apple Bloom said, when Applejack had finished ringing the bell "Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not as big a deal as you're makin' it out to be."
"How can I possibly calm down at a time like this?!" Applejack replied "The vampire fruit bats are attackin' Sweet Apple Acres! They're already destroyin' our harvest as we speak! We've gotta stop 'em, now!"
"But I thought the fruit bats never left the west orchard." Apple Bloom spoke up "Why would they do suddenly up and leave?"
"You don't understand. Vampire fruit bats are nothin' like regular fruit bats." Granny Smith explained ominously "I hate to say this, but if the vampire fruit bats have returned we're in big trouble. I remember the last time they invaded."
"What happened?" Apple Bloom asked nervously.
"It wasn't pretty." Granny Smith replied "It happened years and years ago, before even Big Macintosh was around. We had a really good crop goin' for us, and we were all set to harvest, then the vampire fruit bats came. They consumed every last apple we had grown, and the only way we survived through the winter was with the help of a quick relief crop. And we just barely made it."
"Those vampire bats sound like bad news." Big Macintosh nodded "But what can we do? If it's really been this long since they last appeared, how are we suppose to stop 'em?"
"I don't know." Applejack admited "But I'll be darned if they think they're gonna just sink their fangs into my blue ribbon apple. I've spent weeks gettin' it just right. With this on our side, we're sure to win first place in the Appleloosa State Fair's produce competition. Knowin' those vampire fruit bats, they'll shrivel it up like a raisin if they get the chance!"
"Sounds like we're out of our league." Big Macintosh said nervously "Them bats must have a reason for showin' up, if only there were someway we could figure it out."
"Well, I think I know somepony who can help us." Apple Bloom replied with a smile "It's a pony who's proven in the past that she knows how to communicate with animals. And she's shown that she's not afraid to stand up to dangerous or scary creatures."
"Out with it Apple Bloom, we don't have all day." Applejack said seriously.
"I'm talkin' about Fluttershy." Apple Bloom explained "Think about it. This sort of animal problem is right up her alley."
"Of course, why didn't I think of her before?!" Applejack realized "But by the time I can get to her cottage, the bats will probably have eaten at last half of the orchard."
"Well actually, Fluttershy and I just so happen to know each other through the Pony Tones." Big Macintosh spoke up.
"What?! You mean, the two of you are part of that hit musical sensation that everypony in Ponyville's been talkin' about lately?!" Apple Bloom gasped.
Big Macintosh nodded "The very same. Anyhow, we talked a bit and in time we came to learn more about each other. And I know for a fact, that at this time of day, she's usually in town."
"Where can I find her?!" Applejack demanded.
"I'm pretty sure you'll find her at the market place." Big Macintosh explained.
"Great! Thanks for the tip Big Mac!" Applejack replied, and raced away as fast as her hooves could carry her.
"So you see, that's why I brought you here Fluttershy." Applejack said, as she guided her friend to the orchard "If anypony can get those bats to listen, it's you."
"Gosh, I'm flattered that you think so highly of me. But I don't think I've ever even heard of vampire fruit bats until now." Fluttershy replied nervously. The only knowledge she had of them were bits of information given to her by Applejack, and she had no way of knowing how useful that information would be.
"Well, you've got to try." Applejack pleaded "My family and I need the harvest to survive. If you can't help us, we'll have to take matters into our own hooves."
Fluttershy gulped "Where are the bats?" she asked.
Applejack stopped at the trunk of one of the apple trees that the bats had already visted. "There." she told Fluttershy, pointing a hoof.
Fluttershy looked up into the tree, and when she got a good look at the vampire fruit bats, she could easily see how they got their name. Compared to normal bats, these bats had darker wings, sharper fangs, and duller colored eyes. They were already munching away on some of the apples, sucking the juice out with their fans.
"Uh, excuse me, Mr. Vampire Bat?" Fluttershy called nervously. The bat in question responded by tossing the apple onto the ground, where it landed with a splat. "Listen, I don't know if you realize this, but you and your bat friends are eating the inhabitants of this farm out of house and home. They'd appreciate it very much if you would go away and leave their apples alone."
The bat said nothing, it just glared at Fluttershy. Fluttershy, for her part, said nothing in reply. A strange silence suddenly came over the area.
"How long is this gonna take?!" Applejack said crossly, interrupting the silence.
At last, the bat gave off a response by shooting some seeds into the ground. Fluttershy gasped "Now Mr. Vampire Bat, that isn't very nice! I'm trying to help you out." she said seriously. The bat only responded by turning his head away.
"Well? What'd he say?" Applejack asked.
"I don't know." Fluttershy replied reluctantly "I can't seem to get through to him and the others at all. Like I said before, I've never met vampire fruit bats until now. I need more time to understand them, so I can learn how to communicate with them."
"I'm sorry Fluttershy, but my family and I can't wait that long." Applejack said seriously "Do you know how much TLC went into growin' that prize winnin' apple?!"
"Please Applejack, you have to give me another chance." Fluttershy pleaded "I can fix this. I just need time to learn how to reach out to the bats. If you drive them off now, they might come back next year and bring friends."
"Fluttershy, in any other situation I'd be willin' to give you that second chance." Applejack explained "I know how important animals are to you, and I really hoped you could help me out here. Unfortunately, Sweet Apple Acres doesn't have time to spare. The longer these bats hang around, the greater the chance of the entire Apple Buckin' Season bein' ruined becomes."
"Applejack, it doesn't have to come to this!" Fluttershy demanded "We're friends. A conflict like this shouldn't tear us apart. There's got to be another way."
"If there is I'm all for it." Applejack replied "But at this point, desperate times call for desperate measures. Either those bats are goin', or the Apple family is goin'. And we are most certainly not goin' anywhere!"
"Then it seems I have no choice but to oppose you." Fluttershy said sadly "I understand how important Sweet Apple Acres is to you, and to everypony. But I have to stand up for what I think is right."
"Well, I guess that makes us enemies." Applejack said crossly "As much as it pains me to say it, those bats have got to go!" And with that, she began to sing:
These vampire bats are givin' me strife!
Eatin' apples both day and night!
They'll rest for a minute, maybe three.
Now they're eatin' every apple in my apple trees!
They only care about nada, zilch, absolutely nothin'!
They're bringin' about the orchard's destruction!
Plucking up courage, Fluttershy began to sing in reply:
Now wait just a minute, there's another side to this!
And if I do not defend them, then I will be remissed!
These bats are mamas and papas too.
They care for their young, just like we ponies do.
Despite Fluttershy's arguement, Applejack sang in response:
Oh, give me a break, you're bein' too kind!
You don't know what's on their mind!
The orchard is not their restaurant!
But do they think about what we want?!
No! They don't!
And so it would seem fact.
These bats simply don't know how to act.
Fluttershy refused to let Applejack continue, and sang:
That's where I have to disagree.
They're loyal to their family.
Watch them spread seeds far and wide-
Applejack cut off Fluttershy by singing:
When I see one comin', I'm not gonna run and hide!
They're big, and scary, and mean as sin!
Just look at the state these trees are in!
Fluttershy was becoming frantic, and so she sang:
They can help your trees. They'll grow stronger and faster.
Applejack only sang in reply:
They're turnin' my life, into a total disaster!
Whatever hope Fluttershy had for support among the Apple family members was nowhere to be found. Big Macintosh, Granny Smith, and Apple Bloom quickly came to Applejack's defense.
Granny Smith led off by singing:
Well, I for one don't have a doubt. These bats must be driven out!
Apple Bloom sang in response:
I'h second that, they've gotta go! Those bats have gotta hit the road!
Big Macintosh joined in by singing:
It comes down, to just one simple fact.
They've crossed the line, it's time we fought 'em back!
Poor Fluttershy tried her best to be brave, as each member of the Apple family began to circle around her and chant:
Stop the bats! Stop the bats!
Make them go away and not come back!
Stop the bats! Stop the bats!
Make them go away and not come back!
Stop the bats! Stop the bats!
Make them go away and not come back!
Reluctantly, Applejack finished up the arguement by singing:
Yes, it comes down to just one simple fact.
They've crossed the line, it's time for the Apples to attack!
"I'm sorry it's come to this Fluttershy." Applejack said reluctantly "It's nothin' personal, but my family's way of life is at stake. I'm not gonna just sit idly by and let these bats destroy the rest of my orchard!"
"Must we really let these bats come between us?" Fluttershy asked.
"If you wanna keep talkin' to those bats, be my guest." Applejack insisted "Maybe you'll find a solution that will satisfy us both. In the meantime, if those bats won't leave willingly, then my family and I will just have to make them leave!"
"I really don't want to go against you Fluttershy." Apple Bloom said honestly.
"None of us do, but we have no other options. Ain't that right Big Macintosh?" Granny Smith asked.
"Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied. He wanted to say something else, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. He had been the one to suggest Fluttershy, and he had the most faith she could solve the problem. But he'd made his choice, and there was no second guessing himself now. Applejack had a stronger arguement, the bats were an imminent danger and needed to be dealt with in order to save Sweet Apple Acres.
"There's got to be another way." Fluttershy thought to herself "But what? Think Fluttershy, think."
"Alright ya'll, let's get to work on roundin' up those vampire fruit bats!" Applejack said seriously "If we move quickly, we can save the orchard."
"Wait!" Fluttershy shouted, catching the Apple family's attention "What if, instead of rounding them up and driving them out, you let the bats have part of the orchard?" she suggested.
"Fluttershy, with all due respect, are you crazy?!" Applejack asked furiously.
"Just hear me out." Fluttershy insisted "I think the only reason these bats are here is because they're hungry."
"Hungry is an understatement." Granny Smith said ominously.
"But if you designate part of the orchard as a sanctuary, and confine them to it, they can help you without destroying your harvest." Fluttershy explained "I'm sure there's a part of the orchard that's not as productive as the rest, and if you let the bats have it, in a year or two you'll see better results."
"Just what do you mean?" Applejack asked.
"The vampire bats don't actually eat the apples entirely. They leave out the seeds." Fluttershy explained.
"How do you know about this?" Applejack demanded crossly.
"It's mostly observation." Fluttershy replied "The orchard ground is littered with seeds. And those seeds can grow into new apple trees, with a healthy dose of natural fertilizer. The new trees may even be more productive then the old ones. Doesn't that sound like a better alternative then driving the bats off?"
"Ya gotta admit, she makes a pretty good point. Right?" Apple Bloom said to Big Macintosh.
"Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied nervously.
Granny Smith and Applejack however, just looked at each other, and exchanged looks of disapproval. "That's not a bad plan, I've certainly heard worse." Granny Smith spoke up.
"You hate it, don't you?" Fluttershy asked.
"No I don't. I think you made your point clear." Applejack replied kindly, before shifting to a more serious tone "But the thing is, your plan has a rather glarin' flaw. In order for it to work, the bats need to know they can't leave the designated part of the orchard. And forgive me for bein' blunt, but if you can't communicate with those bats, how are we gonna get them to agree to your plan?"
"Not to mention, every second we spend buildin' that sanctuary is a second they'll spend destroyin' the orchard." Granny Smith added "By the time we got the sanctuary completed, there wouldn't be an orchard left to save. We need a solution that can work now!"
"I guess I hadn't thought of that." Fluttershy admitted, sighing sadly. It seemed that she had failed to not only argue her point, but also to help her friend.
"Don't beat yourself up Fluttershy, you tried your best." Applejack said to Fluttershy "I'm glad I got a second opinion on the matter, and I promise I won't be too hard on the bats. But the simple fact is, they've got to go. All this time we've spent talkin' could've been spent savin' the orchard. So, unless you have an idea that could actually work, I think it's best if you just head home."
"No hard feelin's, but we gotta do what we gotta do." Big Macintosh added, and with that the Apple Family turned and walked away.
Before they could get very far however, Fluttershy called out "Hold it!". This time, it really sounded desperate, as if Fluttershy really wasn't certain she'd get another chance to speak.
"Don't tell me you've come up with an idea in such a short amount of time." Applejack replied.
"Oh, I haven't." Fluttershy said honestly.
"Then kindly quit wastin' my time." Applejack said seriously, and turned to leave.
"But I know somepony who might." Fluttershy went on "Our good friend, Twilight."
"You really think she can help us solve this bat problem?" Applejack asked doubtfully "Twilight's proven in the past that she doesn't know everythin'."
"We have to at least try." Fluttershy insisted.
Big Macintosh, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith all silently nodded in approval. Sighing, and admitting that her friend had a point Applejack said "Oh, what the heck. Let's give a shot! But if it doesn't work, it's back to plan A. Big Macintosh, you, Granny Smith, and Apple Bloom stay here and keep an eye on things while I'm gone. Don't let any more apples get eaten!"
"You can count on us Applejack!" Apple Bloom replied "We won't let ya down!" And with Granny Smith and Big Macintosh nodding in response, Applejack and Fluttershy set off for The Golden Oaks Library.
"I sure hope Twilight can help us both." Applejack and Fluttershy silently thought to themselves. Neither one of them liked the idea of this arguement driving their friendship apart.
Twilight was quite surprised when both Applejack and Fluttershy showed up at her front door. Today being Apple Bucking Day usually meant that Applejack would be hard at work harvesting apples, not hanging out with a friend. Something had to be up.
"Howdy Twilight." Applejack greeted kindly "I know this might seem a bit sudden, but we've got a problem. And Fluttershy here thinks you can help us solve it."
"If you don't mind, that is." Fluttershy replied "Truth be told, I'm not completely convinced this is the right thing to do."
"You're willin' to stand up for what you believe in, and I respect that." Applejack reassured Fluttershy, and turned to Twilight "We've got a problem with vampire fruit bats, and at the rate this is goin', it's threatenin' to put an end to our friendship."
"Vampire fruit bats? I believe I've read about those." Twilight said, as she assured her friends inside. "What seems to be the trouble?"
"Vampire fruit bats are invadin' the orchard back at Sweet Apple Acres." Applejack began somberly "Fluttershy believes the bats could helpful in the long run, but in the short term I don't think the orchard can survive if the bats stay."
"But if the bats are driven off this year, they'll just come back next Apple Bucking Season." Fluttershy added "And if that happens, Applejack and her family may not be able to get rid of them all. Sweet Apple Acres will be completely overrun with bats."
"Wow, I knew it was bad when you mentioned vampire fruit bats, but I didn't think it was this bad." Twilight replied anxiously "I've done some research on the bats in the past, but I don't know how useful my information will be since it hasn't been field tested."
"At this point, I'm willin' to give Fluttershy the benefit of the doubt." Applejack told Twilight "If she thinks you can help us fix this problem, I'm willin' to agree with her. No matter what happens, at the end of the day, I want to be able to know I considered all my options."
"Well, I've got some good news and some bad news." Twilight explained "The good news is, I was just researching a spell that should be able to keep the bats from sucking out all of the juice from the apples."
"Will it harm them?" Fluttershy asked worriedly.
"No it won't." Twilight replied "The spell shouldn't last for more than a few days, and the bats will still be able to eat. They'll just eat other fruits, and not apples."
"Sounds simple enough, what's the catch?" Applejack asked.
"In order for the spell to work I'll need to have the bats' full and complete attention." Twilight explained to Applejack "I think you both know what that means."
"Oh no. Not 'The Stare'." Fluttershy gasped.
"I'm afraid so." Twilight said seriously "It's the only thing I can think of that will attract the bats' attention. Is there a problem?"
"You've used that stare of yours plently of times before if I'm not mistaken." Applejack added.
"That's true, but it's not something I take lightly." Fluttershy replied firmly "The truth is, I was lying when I said I couldn't control it. But I made a vow never to abuse its power. I swore that I would only use The Stare under dire circumstances."
"Fluttershy, I know you're worried about the bats, but this circumstance is pretty dire if you ask me." Applejack said to Fluttershy "My family's way of life is at stake!"
"I'm sorry." Fluttershy apologized "But I just don't like the idea of taking away the thing that really makes the vampire fruit bats-" she paused and inhaled "-vampire fruit bats! It just feels wrong!"
"I know how you feel Fluttershy." Twilight said kindly "But if we don't do this, then there won't be any apples left for anypony here in Ponyville. Doesn't that feel wrong, too?"
Fluttershy tried to think of a good counter arguement, but she couldn't come up with one that would make sense. With a sigh of defeat she said sadly "It does. I guess I don't have a choice, I'll do it."
"Thanks for understanding Fluttershy." Twilight replied, putting a hoof around Fluttershy's neck "I'll make it up to you somehow."
"We can worry about that later!" Applejack said, taking charge of the situation "We've got to get back to Sweet Apple Acres, and get all those bats together in one place! Let's move it!"
Applejack brought Fluttershy and Twilight back to Sweet Apple Acres. Apple Bloom, Granny Smith, and Big Macintosh had been doing their best to keep the bats under control. But all three of them were out of breath and very exhausted, the bats had been cheeky and rather troublesome.
"About time you showed up." Big Macintosh said desperately "These bats just won't back off!"
"Well, I'm certainly not gettin' my cutie mark in bat control. That's for certain." Apple Bloom added.
"If only I was a few years younger." Granny Smith complained "I'd show those bats a thing or two about messin' with the Apples!"
"Not to worry ya'll. Twilight, Fluttershy and I have come up with a plan." Applejack announced.
"Then what are ya waitin' for? Do it already!" Granny Smith urged "At this rate, it's only a matter of minutes before the whole harvest is ruined for good!"
"I'm gonna need ya'll to help me get all the bats rounded up and into one place. Otherwise, the plan won't work." Applejack instructed "Let's get to work!"
Despite their exhaustion, Apple Bloom, Granny Smith, and Big Macintosh all pitched in. Working like clockwork, they raced through the orchard, using all sorts of methods to draw the bats' attention. All the while, Fluttershy and Twilight waited patiently by the desginated tree. Soon, a familiar chittering filled the air.
"They're comin'!" Applejack shouted, as she and her family led what seemed like an endless swarm of vampire fruit bats, to the largest apple tree in the orchard. When the bats saw it, they quickly forgot about the Apple family, and turned their attention to the delicious (not to mention tempting) fruits hanging from the nearby branches.
"Good work, everypony! I think we got 'em all!" Applejack cheered, then she turned to Fluttershy "Now, all we need is for you do to your Stare."
"Oh, um, are you sure I really need-- Okay." Fluttershy said, after stuttering for a moment. She flew over to the bats, who were happily munching away without a care in the world. When they turned to look at her, Fluttershy sighed and said sadly to the bats "I really, really, really hate to do this to you... I just hope you can forgive me..." And with that, she unleashed the power of her stare on the vampire fruit bats. The bats responded with angry hisses.
"Excellent!" Applejack smiled "Okay Twilight, now's the time!"
"Right. Here goes nothing." Twilight replied, and her horn sparked to life with its familiar violet red aurora. A faint humming filled the air, drowning out the hisses from the bats. The bats took no notice, as the violet red aurora enveloped them for a brief moment, before fading away completely.
When the spell was finished, Twilight turned to Fluttershy, who had not moved an inch since she performed her stare. "Uh, you can stop staring now, Fluttershy." Twilight told her. Fluttershy said nothing, she just silently nodded and flew back down. Twilight suspected that something was up, but quickly assumed Fluttershy was mentally overcoming her guilt, for helping to hyponitize the bats.
"Did it work?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Only one way to know for sure." Twilight replied, and used her magic to pick an apple from a nearby tree. She offered it to one of the vampire fruit bats. The bat looked at the apple, sniffed at it for a moment, then pushed it away with a chitter. The spell had worked perfectly.
"Yee-haw, ya did it Twilight!" Applejack cheered.
"The harvest has been saved!" Granny Smith chimed in.
"We'll be drinkin' cider all winter long!" Big Macintosh said happily.
"I wanna thank ya both for your help. I couldn't have done this without ya." Applejack said to Twilight and Fluttershy.
"Don't mention it Applejack, I'm happy to help." Twilight replied.
"You really think I helped?" Fluttershy asked Applejack.
"Of course you did." Applejack said kindly "Don't worry sugarcube, Twilight said the effects won't last forever. By the time this harvest is complete, everythin' will be back to normal. You'll see."
"I hope so." Fluttershy said with a sigh.
"Nothin' left to do now except sweep up the cores, and start fresh in the mornin'." Applejack said confidently.
Unknown to everypony present, Fluttershy began to sniff the air. Suddenly, she found the scent of apples to be almost irresistible. If one looked closely, they would've seen what appeared to be a faint bite mark just below her cutie mark.
The next morning dawned the same as the first. But this time, Applejack was convinced that nothing was going to go wrong. "Alright, let's try this again." she said to herself, as she waited for Celestia's sun to peak over the horizon. With the crow of a rooster, her wish was granted. "Yee-haw! Time to collect those sweet, juicy apples!" Applejack shouted, and raced into the orchard. Rather than kick one of the trees that the bats had already gotten to the previous day, Applejack kicked a tree that she knew the vampire fruit bats hadn't gotten to.
Despite this, the apples still ended up splatting onto the ground. "What in tarnation?!" Applejack exclaimed "I don't understand this at all! Twilight's got some explainin' to do!"
Twilight seemed to be just as shocked as Applejack was, when the farmpony angrily called her friend over to Sweet Apple Acres a short time later. "The spell didn't work?! But that's impossible!" Twilight gasped.
"Are ya sure about that?!" Applejack asked crossly "Looks to me like it lasted a lot shorter than I expected!"
"That can't be!" Twilight replied.
"But it is!" Applejack snorted "Now if you'll excuse me, I think Fluttershy and I had better go have another talk with those bats! Clearly, they didn't get the message the first time around!"
Applejack angrily stomped away, Fluttershy and Twilight followed after her.
Apple Bloom, Big Macintosh, and Granny Smith were waiting by the same tree that the bats had been hanging out in yesterday, before the spell was cast on them. The sound of chittering was impossible to ignore.
"You bats have some nerve eatin' our apples, even after we tried to make ya stop!" Applejack said angrily to the bats. The bats didn't say anything, they just turned their heads the other way.
"Don't any of ya dare turn your backs on us after what you've gone and done!" Granny Smith shouted "We tried to be nice, but if you're gonna ruin our harvest, then that means it'll be time to break out the big guns! Right, Big Macintosh?"
"Eeyup." Big Macintosh nodded.
But when Apple Bloom offered the bats an apple to provide Twilight and Fluttershy with proof, the vampire fruit bats rejected it. With a swat from a pair of wings, the apple hit the ground with a splat.
Then, Applejack realized something. "Wait a minute... I don't think these bats are the ones that sucked the apples dry."
"But if the vampire bats aren't the ones eatin' our apples..." Big Macintosh began.
"Then who is?" Apple Bloom finished.
"Fluttershy, you're the animal expert here. Do you know of any other creature that might be capable of this?" Twilight asked.
Fluttershy shook her head "I'm sorry. I don't. If only I could talk to the bats, they might know something we don't."
"Well, our harvest isn't safe as long as there's an apple sucker on the loose." Applejack spoke up "We've got to find a way to catch em' in the act!"
"How in Equestria are we gonna do that?" Granny Smith asked.
"With a stakeout of course!" Apple Bloom said eagerly "Don't any of ya ever watch movies? That's how they catch the culprit in these situations."
"You know somethin' Apple Bloom, that's actually a good idea." Applejack replied "A stakeout it is. Twilight, can you let the rest of our friends know that they need to meet us here tonight?"
"Of course I can." Twilight nodded.
Applejack smiled "Good. Somethin' tells me I'm gonna need all the help I can get if I wanna catch this no gooder!"
That evening, as Luna's moon bathed the orchard in its bright silver rays, Applejack met up with all of her friends. Twilight and Fluttershy were there, as were Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie.
"You'd better have a good reason for calling us here tonight, Applejack." Rarity said seriously "A lady needs her beauty sleep."
"Someone or somethin' has been eatin' the apples my family needs for the harvest season." Applejack replied "Apple Bloom suggested that a stakeout would catch the culprit."
"So, why call us here? Why not just search with your family?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Granny Smith oftens goes to bed early at this time of year." Applejack explained "This thief is strikin' way past Apple Bloom's bedtime, and if it was just Big Macintosh and I combin' through the orchard, it'd take half the night just to do one sweep. I figured six search groups would be better than two."
"What about these flashlights you gave us?" Pinkie Pie asked Applejack "I've never seen anything like these before."
"They're for you to signal the others if ya spot anythin' suspicious." Applejack told Pinkie Pie "They'll each admit a different signal, so make sure to remember what each of yours' looks like."
"How will we know if what we see is suspiscious?" Pinkie Pie added "For those of who haven't been through this orchard a lot, everything's gonna look suspsicious at first glance."
"Just use your common sense, and keep an eye out for somethin' that doesn't belong in an apple orchard." Applejack said seriously "Does anypony have any objections?"
"Maybe we should just call this off." Fluttershy said nervously, quietly she added "Not sure about the rest of you girls, but I'm really hungry..." Had anyone been looking, they would've seen drips of saliva coming out of Fluttershy's mouth.
"Oh, Fluttershy, it'll be okay. Don't forget, darling, we're all in this together." Rarity said kindly, patting Fluttershy on the head "Nothing bad's going to happen to you, I promise."
"That's right." Twilight replied firmly "But just so we're clear, nopony leaves this orchard until the mystery has been solved! Agreed?"
"Agreed." the others nodded.
Almost immediately after that agreement had been made, Fluttershy's mind began to wander somewhere else. The smell of apples was almost irresistible to her, and she began to sniff rather loudly.
Pinkie Pie, who was standing next to Fluttershy, overheard the sniffing and suspected that something was up. "Whatcha doin' Fluttershy?!" she shouted, so loudly that Fluttershy snapped out of her trance.
"Oh, uh.... nothing." Fluttershy quickly replied, shaking her head "Don't know what came over me back there. Thanks for the help Pinkie Pie."
"Don't mention it." Pinkie Pie said with a smile.
"Alright, if there are no more 'interruptions' everypony split up!" Applejack instructed "We'll each patrol our own row of the orchard. Whoever or whatever's destroyin' my apples has gotta be here somewhere. If you spot the culpirt, activate your pony signal and stay there until the others arrive!" And with that, each of the mare set off to comb through the different parts of the orchard.
Fluttershy was on her own, and already the urges from before were creeping back to her. But this time, nopony was around to help her, she was on her own. "I have a bad feeling about this. A really really bad feeling about this..." she said nervously to herself, as she felt the urges overtaking her "That apple... It looks... so juicy... and so sweet... I must have it."
Pinkie Pie was patroling through the western side of the orchard, looking all around for anything out of the ordinary. So far, she had spotted nothing. Then, in the distance she could hear the sound of biting. "That's gotta be the apple thief!" she realized "I've caught 'em redhoofed! It's pony signal time!" But before she could activate her signal, the source of the biting took off. Whoever or whatever it was moved so quickly, that Pinkie Pie wasn't able to get a good look. "Shoot, the thief got away! And I almost had 'em!" Pinkie Pie thought angrily to herself, and went back to patroling the orchard.
Rarity had taken the north western side of the orchard, but already her fears were starting to get the best of her. "What if the thief attacks me before I can alert the others?! What if the thief ponynaps me?!" she thought nervously to herself. In the distance, she could've sworn she heard the sound of bat wings flapping. " Who's there?" she called, but the dark gave no reply. "Oh, well, there's obviously no need to worry about that shadowy figure overhead..." Rarity said to herself, before realizing what that last bit was "Or maybe there is! I think I'll just go see how Rainbow Dash is doing..." And with that, Rarity took off as fast as her hooves could carry her.
Rainbow Dash was strolling through the northern side of the orchard. She was trying her best not to show how scared she was. "Come on Rainbow Dash, you're not gonna let some apple orchard frighten you. It's not like that creepy old Castle of The Two Sisters in The Everfree Forest." she thought to herself, trying to give herself a mental pep talk. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye she spotted a figure. At her current distance, she couldn't determine who or what the figure was. "Uh... who's there?" Rainbow Dash asked, but there was no answer "Answer me or you'll regret it!" Again, there was no answer. Rainbow Dash lost patience "Fine, have it your own way!" she said angrily, and lunged at the figure. She began to punch it repeatedly with her hooves "Take that, you, you, you..." then Rainbow Dash finally saw what she'd been attacking "scarecrow... Oh." Without another word, Rainbow Dash flew off.
Twilight was working her way through the south eastern side of the orchard, with only the occassional hoot of an owl to keep her company. Suddenly, Twilight gasped, as Applejack's pony signal lit up the north eastern side of the orchard. Its bright light piercing the darkness with the three bright red apples depicted on it. Twilight raced over to the location as fast as she could. "Applejack, what is it?" she asked anxiously.
"I've found the culpirt, but you're never gonna believe who it is." Applejack replied nervously "Look!" And with that, Applejack shined her light on the culprit. The figure that the light shined on looked like Fluttershy, but it had a darker yellow skin color, sharp bat like fangs, and wings that looked like they belonged to a bat, rather than a pegasus pony. The Fluttershy like figure didn't like the harsh glare that the light gave off, and hissed angrily in protest.
Nopony could believe their eyes, their friend Fluttershy had somehow turned into a bat like creature right under their noses. And said creature was now sucking the juice out of an apple on the tree it was perched on. Pinkie Pie looked it in the eyes, while dangling upside down from the same tree branch that the creature was perched on.
"Fluttershy? Yoo-hoo! Fluttershy!" Pinkie Pie called, the Fluttershy like creature only responded with a hiss. Pinkie Pie leaped down, and shook her head "I don't think she recognizes me anymore. It's like she doesn't remember being a pony at all."
"That's not Fluttershy... That's Flutterbat!" Rarity gasped.
"We've gotta get her down from there!" Twilight spoke up.
"Yes. But how?!" Pinkie Pie asked.
"Like this." Rarity said, and cleared her throat "Uh... Fluttershy, sweetness, please come down right now, and... do stop being a vampire fruit bat."
Flutterbat only responded with a hiss, and went back to sucking the juice out of the apple.
"We've gotta be more forceful. Let me try." Rainbow Dash insisted, and flew close to Flutterbat "Yo, Fluttershy! It's me, Rainbow Dash! Why don't you cut the bat act and come on down already?!"
Flutterbat responded with a hiss, and tried to bite Rainbow Dash.
"Whoa!" Rainbow Dash yelped, and flew back down "Maybe we should just let her come down when she's ready."
"But that could take hours." Twilight realized.
"Flutterbat on the loose! Run for your lives!" Pinkie Pie shouted, burrowing into the ground a little. Normally, she wasn't one to start panicking, but seeing one of her best friends turned into a batpony was enough to unsettle her. This wasn't just something you could laugh off because you knew it couldn't hurt you, this was something that actually posed a real threat.
"Pinkie Pie, calm down! Flutterbat's not gonna hurt you." Twilight insisted, and looked up at Flutterbat "See? She's back on her... branch."
Pinkie Pie wasn't convinced "She's just biding her time! Waiting for the right moment to pounce!" she spoke up "We've gotta get out of here before she tries to take a bite out of us!"
"We don't taste or look like apples, I'm pretty sure we're safe." Twilight said calmly, and instructed Pinkie Pie to take some deep breaths. It worked like a charm, and Pinkie Pie seemed to calm down.
"How did this happen? That's what I don't understand." Rarity spoke up.
"Well, I hate to admit it, but this was my fault." Twilight said grimly "I overlooked one key detail, and that detail has come back to haunt us."
"And just how'd you figure that?" Applejack asked.
"Allow me to explain." Twilight said, and lit up her horn. Within seconds, she had created a holographic display that showed her, the bats, and Fluttershy. "When I cast the spell, the intent was to temporarily remove the vampire fruit bats' desire to eat apples." Twilight explained, the holograhpic display showing the results as she spoke them "However, there was one thing that existed that wasn't suppose to exisit. Somehow, when I cast the spell, one of the bats must've bitten Fluttershy out of fear. And in doing so, the spell transfered that bat's desire into Fluttershy, through the wound. What we need to do now, is catch Flutterbat and reverse the spell."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's save Fluttershy before that thing eats us all!" Pinkie Pie demanded.
"Where is Flutterbat anyway?" Rarity asked, when she saw that said batpony was no longer resting on a tree branch. The answer came in the form of a familiar screech.
"Hit the deck!" Rainbow Dash shouted, as Flutterbat came into view. The girls yelped, and dropped to the ground, as Flutterbat swooped past just overhead. She was leaving the north eastern side of the orchard, and heading for the eastern side, where she knew fresh apples could be found.
"Follow that bat! I mean batpony! I mean... d'oh, you know what I mean!" Pinkie Pie ordered, and the girls gave chase. Unfortunately, Flutterbat was too fast for them to keep up with. In a matter of minutes, she had disappeared once again.
"I can't believe we lost her!" Rarity complained.
At this point, Twilight was starting to become frantic "Oh, Fluttershy, where are you?" she called out. A few seconds later, there was a reply in the form of more hisses, followed by more slurps.
"Look out!" Applejack cried, as Flutterbat swooped past. A trail of dried up apples were left in the wake of the batpony.
"If she keeps this up, your whole crop will be gone in no time!" Rainbow Dash realized.
"That's the least of my worries." Applejack said sadly, as she observed the destruction that lie all around her "At this point, I just want my friend back."
"We'll never get her back unless we corner and catch her so I can reverse the spell!" Twilight replied "Come on! We've got to catch her!" And the mares chased after Flutterbat once again.
This time, they had much better luck keeping up with the pony turned bat. It didn't take long for them to spot her, once again sucking the juice out of apples from a tree. "There she is!" Twilight whispered in a hushed voice, hoping that Flutterbat wouldn't overhear.
Unfortunately, she did. With another hiss, Flutterbat flew away.
"There she goes again!" Applejack shouted.
"Oh, this is no use. She's too fast for us now." Twilight realized "I think the only way we're gonna catch her, is if we can find a way to lure her closer to us."
"But even if we can lure her to us, how're we gonna get her to stay still long enough for you to do your reverse spell?" Applejack asked.
"Aww, if only we could get Fluttershy to do her Stare on her bat self." Pinkie Pie complained.
Upon hearing that statement, Twilight gasped "That's it! You've just given me an idea, Pinkie Pie!"
"No kidding?! I did?!" Pinkie Pie asked.
"Yes." Twilight replied with a smile, and whispered it to the others.
"I think it's goin' to work." Applejack said confidently "Let's do it!"
Twilight's plan was soon put into motion. "Okay, let's get our friend back." she said to the other mares "Action stations!"
Applejack was standing next to the giant apple she had intended to enter in the Appleloosa State Fair, a giant carving knife held firmly in her teeth. "Granny Smith's not gonna like this, but it had to be done." she thought to herself.
Rainbow Dash could see how torn Applejack was about what she was about to do. "So much for having the winning apple in the Appleloosa State Fair, huh?" she said. Applejack didn't answer, she just sighed and made an incision into the apple with the knife. The smell of juice soon began to leak out from it.
"Okay Twilight, get ready." Applejack instructed "This better work."
In the distance, Flutterbat was flying through the orchard in search of more apples to suck the juice out of. Suddenly, the familiar scent of apple juice reached her nostrils. She sniffed the air, and hissed when she managed to trace the source. She quickly flew towards the giant apple, unaware that it was a trap.
"She's coming! It's now or never!" Rainbow Dash said to Twilight in a hushed voice, as Flutterbat closed in.
Reacting quickly, Twilight fired up her horn in preparation. Meanwhile, Rarity used her magic to place a mirror directly in front of the giant apple. By the time Flutterbat saw it, it was too late. She hissed in fear at the creature that stared back at her.
With Flutterbat momentarily distracted, Twilight enveloped Flutterbat in her magic and slowly turned her back into Fluttershy. It started with the ears, that returned to pony ears. Then it worked its way up to the wings, which were turned back into pegasus wings. Finally, the sharp fangs were turned back into regular pony teeth.
When the spell had faded, there stood Fluttershy as her usual pegasus self. She looked around, seeming rather confused about her location. It was as if she had no memory of being a batpony at all. "Oh... where am I?" she asked herself.
Everypony cheered, Fluttershy was back!
"Thank goodness you're okay!" Applejack said with relief.
"But... what happened to me?" Fluttershy asked "The last thing I can remember, we were splitting up to search the orchard for the apple thief."
"Turns out the thief was you." Rainbow Dash explained.
"What?! But why?" Fluttershy asked, sounding incredibly confused.
"Because you turned into a vampire pony!" Pinkie Pie spoke up.
"I tried to eat ponies?!" Fluttershy gasped.
"Of course not silly!" Pinkie Pie replied.
"So I wasn't a vampire?" Fluttershy asked, sounding incredibly relieved.
"Yes!" Pinkie Pie nodded.
"Yes I was, or yes I wasn't?" Fluttershy asked, sounding even more confused than before.
"Yes, you were!" Pinkie Pie said happily, finally giving a straight answer.
"Okay. But I didn't try and eat ponies?" Fluttershy asked.
"Yes!" Pinkie Pie replied once again.
"I did?!" Fluttershy asked for what felt like the umpteenth time.
"No!" Pinkie Pie said seriously.
"I'm confused..." Fluttershy muttered in reply.
"Me too... and I was there!" Rarity spoke up "In any case, we're glad to have you back."
The next morning, when the harvest was completed, Applejack set up the bat sanctuary that Fluttershy had suggested. Fluttershy had managed to convince the vampire fruit bats to stay in the sanctuary, and everything seemed to be back to normal.
Or, so it seemed. When the sanctuary had been finished, Applejack took Fluttershy aside to talk to her in private. "Fluttershy, I wanna apologize." she said honestly.
"For what?" Fluttershy asked.
"For not takin' your suggestion in the first place and causin' this whole mess." Applejack apologized "My short-sighted ways turned you into a batpony, that was ten times worse than what I made the vampire fruit bats out to be. If I'd have listened to you in the first place, none of that would've happened, and Sweet Apple Acres could've had a much better harvest then the one it got this year."
"Applejack, you have nothing you need to apologize for. What happened last night wasn't your fault." Fluttershy replied seriously "If anypony's to blame, it's me. I was the one who was being stubborn and selfish. I let my love of the bats cloud my judgement, I couldn't see how much of a threat they were to the harvest. I could've gotten them to listen to me, but that would've cost you and your family everything you worked for."
"I think the truth is, we both acted kind of stupid." Applejack said after a moment of silent "My short term solution ignored the benefits the bats could've had to the orchard as a whole."
"And my long term solution didn't take into account how long it would take for the benefits to outweight the costs." Fluttershy added.
"No matter what though, we shouldn't have let our differences almost drive us apart." Applejack went on.
"Indeed. Just because we may not see eye to eye does not mean that the other opinion is wrong." Fluttershy agreed "By taking into account other opinions, we can see our own opinions in a new perspective. That helps us to make the best decisions we can, each and everyday."
"You know, I get the feelin' this would make for a pretty good entry in the diary." Applejack said with a smile.
"Now that, I agree with one hundred percent." Fluttershy replied happily, and the two friends went to go find a pen to write down their important lesson.