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// Photograph 
// Story: My Little Bat-Pony 
// by Moniker 
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	It's been a year since I found Opal Ash at my doorstep in a package just big enough for her. I've not stopped watching her as she grew day by day. Today is her first birthday.

I walked home from work nothing out of the ordinary outside of my house, despite the bright beam of sun. I came inside of my house smiling as I saw Opal Ash curled up in a blanket. I felt my heart warm with the sight.

I took a seat on a different couch, making sure not to make much noise to not startle the young Bat-Pony. With that I saw her serpent like tongue crawl out of her mouth in a long yawn. I snickered as the tongue retracted back to her mouth. "Hey honey, how is it going?" I asked as I held something behind my back.

Opal Ash was a curious Bat-Pony. She tried to look behind me. I declined by moving with her. She moved left I moved left, she moved right I move right. I smiled as she finally gave up on looking for a mere moment before she lunged at me.

I had little time to dodge her lung I did manage to dodge however. I stroked the filly as her face was in between the two cushions. I looked at her and saw nothing much happen. Glad she knows not to go outside of the house and stay in plain sight. I snickered at the stuck filly squirming, trying to get out of her soft prison. I chose to help her soon enough after watching her for a few more minutes.

I pulled the cushions aside and watched her smile and nuzzle me. Snuggling on my lap. I ran my hand along the gray filly's coat. She gave me a look of pleading to see what I had behind my back. Seeing this, my heart melted and I handed her the object, it was a small plush of Opal I had paid for from a girl from some internet site. "Now there's a little you . . ." I said with a chuckle and kissed Opal's forehead. Running my hand along the bridge of her nose.

As I stopped she used her bat-wings to pull my hand back on her head. It was too adorable to not just go back to pet her head. I did this repeatedly and smiled softly, she wouldn't let me go for a good two hours, and when she did she had fallen asleep cutely by my side. I was originally going to scold, but realized quickly she just wanted to see the world and I couldn't deny her wanderlust, for if I was to, she could just sneak off.

I took her to a nearby park, it's empty most of the time so the idea of a person seeing Opal was slim to none, and honestly, the part of town, the location, it is perfect for a creature such as Opal to run around and play. I let her play for about an hour or two, before long she came back smiling widely and wanting to show me a trick, unable to deny the young Bat-Pony's request I leaned against a tree letting her preform her trick, it was a flop and she fell to the ground with a thud, but, she tried and that's all I've ever taught her really.

Opal and I went back home and I stared at a picture of nothing, just an empty frame, I didn't know why my eyes turned watery or why I felt a flutter of sadness seeing the portrait that was simply an empty picture frame, maybe it was because I had no money to scrape together to get a camera and I couldn't simply photograph Opal, I mean, I couldn't just bring Opal to a photographer and expect him to be like: "Oh yeah, I'll photograph your Bat-Pony friend, no problem!" I don't live in a world that believes in the unbelievable.

I took my time, wondering what to do, I had enough money to buy a camera and get food for Opal, and honestly I was sure I had enough food for the next week and I could stand to go without a meal or two. So I got up and rubbed her head, she purred like a kitten and rubbed her head against my hand, causing me to smile at the sight, it was too adorable and I felt bad having to leave her, but I had to.

*At The Mall*

Looking for a camera can be hard enough as it is, but when you want life-like realism, like you could touch the picture and the photograph will now you're looking, it can be tricky with just under seventy dollars as your budget. I was always known as someone who wanted a lot, maybe that's why I stayed in the house I live in, because I felt I could be more in the rusty house that I reside in. Besides, it's not a house - I didn't just move into it because it looked nice - it's a home. I lived in it with my other family. I stared at the cameras, no one even bothered to come see if I needed help, they just went on with their day.

*Back Home*

Around an hour and half later I came back with the best camera I could find and found myself losing Opal - but finding her quickly - again. I grabbed her and set her in front of a couch, sitting next to her I sit down and hugged her tight, she kept me sane, the thing is, I am not by any means sane I am quite the opposite. My life's dullness taking a toll, my arms covered in cuts I rather not explain, all before I met Opal Ash. Never do I want to see a razor blade, or the old me again. My life was great, even though it still was dull, there was a shimmer of interesting from my dearest Opal Ash I met a year ago.