//------------------------------//
// Strawberries~ 
// Story: Your Own Fault for Leaving Fruit Out 
// by Lotus Moon 
//------------------------------//

The day was beautiful out. It had been some time since Anon was suddenly thrust into this world of pastel talking ponies, mythical creatures, and sometimes world-ending dangers. But he was accustomed to things now. And the same can be said vice versa. When Anon suddenly appeared, ponies were terrified of the strange bipedal creature. But after half a year, his existence became as normal as seeing a neighbor every day. 

Spring was in the air and so were the scents of ripe fruits. This was a time Anon enjoyed since he used this time to stockpile on food that would last him into later months. Before his sudden shift in living, Anon worked in a company that preserved food, specifically fruits, in different ways. Some of the methods he used were shared with fruit farms such as the Apples and Cherry Jubilee. The efforts of which were appreciated by all who sampled it. From fruit chips to jams to dehydrated snacks, ponies liked how Anon introduced them new ways to eat fruit. 

Whike walking through the market with his wagon, Anon took a deep inhale and savored the scent of spring fruits. Mango, cherries, kiwis, pineapple, oranges, apricots, and his favorite strawberries. Anon loved strawberries as much as anyone else. He'd always get them when he can and divide them up into portions for each preservation method to eat later. But the best way he loved to enjoy them was as they were. And fortunately for him, this year's haul was big and juicy and at the peak of ripeness. The sales pony greeted him in a jovial tone and thanked him for his advice on how to grow and harvest this year's crop. Staying humble, Anon just rubbed his neck bashfully before being given on the sample. One bite in and Anon felt his world freeze. The strawberry was rich with all the sweetness that exploded on his tasebuds. To him, it was full of all the love and effort poured into its cultivation. So much so, he couldn't help but praise the sales pony for a job well done. As thanks for the praise, the sales pony gave Anon his usual portion of strawberries plus a little extra. He placed the strawberries carefully in the wagon and went on with his day, collecting more fruits.

Little did he know, there was a shadowy figure watching him.





Upon reaching home, Anon got to work moving his sweet haul into his home. He placed the other fruits in the living room in sealed barrels. His first priority was the strawberries. Anon wasted no time portioning out at least five portions to preserve for late consumption, leaving a mixing bowl full of what he would slowly snack on while tending to other things during the day. Taking a big whiff of the ripe red berries, he smiled. "I can't wait to enjoy you." He then began his process of preserving the portioned goodness. The first batch was prepped with drying to be used in lunch later in the week. The second batch was stored in the freezer to be enjoyed for winter as well as a summer smoothie or two. The third batch was canned in a few mason jars. The fourth batch was laid in a bed of honey to be pickled. This method was a new one to him and while it worked better on apples (which also produced sweetly mellow cider) it worked well on strawberries too. The fifth batch was thinly sliced to be placed in alcohol to produce a pure and tangy beverage.

While slicing for the fifth batch, Anon hears a swishing noise. It was quick and shouldn't warrant his attention, but he decided to check it out. He came out of his prep room and looked around. All seemed right in his home. Nothing was out of place in his immediate sight. He walked around, checking to anything was amiss, and enjoyed the gentle breeze flowing through.

Wait...breeze??

Anon looked to his window and saw it was open. He was sure it wasn't earlier. He looked around and still couldn't find anything. The sound came again, this time sounding like it was upstairs. Anon made his way up there and looked around from his bedroom to the bathroom to the extra storage room he has. Nothing! Was he going crazy? Was he spending too much time focused on work and not socializing? No, he took plenty of time off and socialized often. But then why couldn't he-

SWOOSH CLANG! 

The sound of wet slurping and munching came from the kitchen. Anon went to there and stopped dead in his tracks. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Sitting on his kitchen floor was a black mare with bright strawberry red hair. She looked like a pegasus but her wings were leathery and her ears were floofy. She was a bat pony! He'd never seen one before. As much as he wanted to marvel at the sight, his face was twisted in horror as the unknown mare was savagely and messily munching the entire mixing bowl of strawberries! An unsolicited squeak left his mouth, catching the mare's attention.

The two stared at each other for what seemed like a long time. He noticed the mare's eyes looked a bit derpy and crazed as she chewed on a strawberry currently in her hooves. There was so much strawberry juice covering her mouth and hooves, they looked like a murder had happened. Not breaking eye contact, she continued to eat. Even as Anon dropped to his knees and looked like a child who had his favorite thing destroyed.

"Why?" He asked as the mare finished her stolen snack.

The mare proceeded to lick her hooves and mouth clean before walking to the window. She then looked to Anon and said "It's your fault for leaving it out." Then she left the same way she came.

Anon, sighing heavily said, "I'm locking my windows from now on."