Fluttershy stood in the middle of her friends as they stomped in a circle around her chanting. “Stop the bats! Stop the bats! Make them go and not come back!”
Fluttershy felt tears at the corner of her eyes. “Please, no! This is their home too!”
Her friends paid her no mind as they continued. “Stop the bats! Stop the bats! Make them go and not come back!”
Fluttershy felt the tears roll down her cheeks. “P-please stop…”
Her friends all at once turned to her and looked at her, silently. Then they began to chant, “Stop Flutterbat! Stop Flutterbat! Maker her go and not come back!”
Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “W-what are you talking about-” She looked down to see a puddle – what she saw wasn’t her. The image before her had red eyes, fangs, bat-like wings, and fluffy ears. Fluttershy took a step back as her friends closed in. “N-no, this isn’t me.”
Her friends looked down at the ground and then looked up again, all bearing fangs along with a set of crimson eyes. “Time to munch! Make her lunch! Eat her slow and let’s attack!” The ponies pounced and—
Fluttershy jolted up with a small cry. Her body was shaking violently as she laid back down on the couch. She had been having nightmares ever since she came back home from Sweet Apple Acres and they just seemed to be getting worse. She shook her head. No need to think about it anymore, it was over.
Fluttershy yawned and rubbed her sleepy eyes. “I’m hungry.”
The mare looked towards Angel, who was sitting in his bed reading. He grumbled, shook his head, and stomped his little paws. Fluttershy sighed and turned over on the couch. She could see the moonlight shining through the window onto her fur. How she missed walking in the moonlight. It had been almost a week since the incident at Sweet Apple Acres where she had turned into a vampire. She only ate fruit, not ponies, though. She looked over at Angel Bunny who had his little arms crossed and a stern frown on his face.
Fluttershy grimaced. “Just one more apple, Angel, dear?”
Angel stomped his paws loudly on the hardwood floor. That was the fifth apple she had asked for tonight! After every two apples, she fell asleep for less than a few minutes then jolted up from some night terror. Angel was beginning to grow tired of it. Fluttershy had only been up for about three hours with a couple of five minute naps here and there.
Fluttershy looked at her friend with pleading, red eyes. “Please.”
The small bunny huffed and shook his head as his resistance melted. He turned and hopped away towards the kitchen.
“Thank you.” Fluttershy called out meekly with a smile on her face. Angel is so sweet even if he’ll never admit it.
Fluttershy thought back to Sweet Apple Acres, to what her friends had said she looked like. Large, fluffy ears, red eyes, fangs, bat wings, and bats as her cutie mark. She shivered thinking about it. She thought all this bat nonsense would be over but when she got home… One look at that juicy apple Applejack showed her and the beast within took over. She was just thankful her friends didn’t spot her fangs. Since then she had been afraid of anypony seeing her in such a state, so she took to solitude in her cottage. Well, you could call it solitude if you didn’t count the ton of animals that needed caring for everyday, or now, at night. Unfortunately, her new body didn’t take too kindly to mornings. The sunlight stung at her eyes mercilessly, so she was forced to adjust her sleeping schedule.
She had missed her outside friends. Although they came to visit every now and again, most of the animals weren’t nocturnal. It was simply putting them through too much trouble to ask them to stay up with her. Angel had refused to sleep at night like the other animals. He made it clear that he was going to keep her company. She smiled. Angel always knew how to make her happy even though the little things. Still, Fluttershy wondered how the other animals were getting along without her. She asked Angel to keep them in line but still was anxious to spend a day outside with them again.
She shook the thoughts from her mind and looked out the window towards the moon. It was so beautiful, the lunar moths and fireflies gathering around the sleeping flower beds as the owls hooted their nighttime tunes to each other. When was the last time she had been outside? It seemed so long ago. Maybe a quick peek? Her hoof reached towards the doorknob just as Angel emerged from the kitchen. He squeaked loudly as he saw Fluttershy and dropped the apple he was holding. Angel rushed to the door and placed himself in front of Fluttershy with his arms spread out in front of him, shaking his head frantically. Fluttershy continued to stare at the brass knob until Angel started to pull on her mane. She shook her head and looked down to see the little bunny’s eyes full of concern.
Fluttershy sighed and picked Angel up with her wing. “I know, I need to eat first. I’m sorry.”
Angel crossed his arms and frowned. Fluttershy looked down. She, once again, felt like a filly being scolded. “I know, Angel. No super speeding in the cottage.”
She looked back towards the door. Going outside is more than tempting but… Fluttershy shook her head and turned away from it. Nopony is going to get hurt because of me.
Fluttershy trotted back to the couch and sat Angel down on a soft pillow despite his protest. She trotted over to the apple, picked it up, and bit down hard. Her fangs pierced the shiny, red surface as fresh juice rolled off her lips. The apple quickly lost it’s shape, reduced to nothing but a squishy form of what it once was. Fluttershy tossed it in the trash where the other misshapen apples lay. She frowned as she saw Angel giving her a look. This look was one she had been getting since she had come home around a week ago and had sucked apples dry.
Fluttershy trotted over to the couch and sat down, careful to avoid squishing her little friend. She patted Angel on the head as he raised his eyebrow at her. She shrugged. “I’m totally content with staying inside.”
Angel made ‘pffttt’ sound as he stomped his tiny foot on the pillow.
Fluttershy crossed her forelegs. “I do— Ow!”
The little bunny yanked on her mane then started to squeak, while waving his paws and stomping.
Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “Oh no, Angel. I know you’ll be there with me, but I might hurt somepony!”
Angel huffed and stomped his paws.
Fluttershy looked down. “I know I need fresh air. But you know it’s too dangerous and there’s no quick fix. Twilight did all she could do…”
Angel looked at her pleadingly but quickly turned his head to the side and crossed his arms.
Fluttershy frowned. She hated making Angel Bunny upset, but there was nothing she could do. She looked down at her own hooves. Had she really given up hope on being able to reverse this curse? It certainly wasn’t a gift. Fangs, red eyes, craving fruit, how could she hide any of it from her friends? At least, the worst parts, like the bat wings, had disappeared, but she didn’t want to lose control and have them somehow come back. Fluttershy felt her fangs with her tongue and whimpered. She didn’t want to be a monster.
Fluttershy looked over at Angel who seemed to looked more tired than usual. She realized he had been staying up caring for most of the animals during the day and then spending time with her during the night, despite her protest. It was a wonder that the little thing got any rest. She sighed. She couldn’t keep this up, not with Angel sacrificing his daily life just to help her. The least she could do was make him happy.
Fluttershy picked up the little bunny and sat him on her back. “Let’s go, Angel. I’ve eaten enough so I should be fine, I guess...”
Angel smiled and hopped up and down on her back as Fluttershy trotted to the door. She reached for the doorknob but hesitated. What if I can’t control it? What if it get’s the better of me and somepony sees me? She shook her head and placed her hoof on the knob. No. I will not continue to live in fear of this, this thing that is inside me. I have to adjust. Fluttershy pushed the door open, it’s hinges squeaking loudly. Fluttershy shakely set a hoof on the cool stones outside her cottage. The cold night air danced through her fur as she trotted further down the path. She breathed a sigh of relief and looked back towards Angel. “See? Not so bad, right?” More so trying to encourage herself more than Angel.
She looked at the little bunny who seemed to be frozen in place staring up at the sky. Fluttershy stopped and prodded at the bunny’s side. “Angel, what is it?” She looked up towards the sky and froze, her crimson eyes widening. “A-angel, what i-is that?”
Her blood ran cold as she felt her breath catch in her throat. She recognized the shapes of the creatures flying towards them. They were bats, but not just any bats, vampire bats. She wanted to run, to be anyplace but here, yet she found her legs locked in place as the bats descended on them. She heard a small ‘eep’ escape from her lips as Angel Bunny held onto her mane tightly.
Fluttershy closed her eyes, not wanting to see the bats any longer. She waited, waited for the bats to collide with her and take her away into the night or worse. After a moment of nothing, she took a peek and then her eyes widened at what she saw. The bats, the ones that had frightened her so badly, were bowing in front of her. Fluttershy looked at Angel who just shrugged in response and then looked towards the bats. She waved a hoof. “Um, hi?”
The bats all looked up and waved their wings at Fluttershy and chirped loudly. Fluttershy gasped and took a step forward. “I can understand you!”
The bats nodded as a fairly large, blue-gray bat stepped forward and began chirping wildly. Fluttershy nodded and added the occasional ‘mhm’ as she listened to him. When the bat finished, he took a step back and bowed his head. Fluttershy shuffled her hooves as she hid half her face behind her quite messy mane. “Oh, I don’t know, Mr. Bat. Going back to the orchards isn’t a very… good idea.”
Mr. Bat shook his head and pointed the direction towards Sweet Apple Acres and chirped. Fluttershy frowned as she stared into the little bats big, pleading eyes. Fluttershy looked down. She couldn’t just say no, could she? She sighed and looked up at the bats. “But why should I go back there?”
All the bats began chirping at once before the big bat waved his wing over them and hissed. The bats fell silent. Mr. Bat waved his wings and chirped loudly at the mare in front of him. Fluttershy continued to shuffle her hooves. After the bat finished, Fluttershy sighed. “But it’s not a gift…”
Mr. Bat chirped and took to the sky soon the other bats took off as well. Angel tugged at Fluttershy’s mane. She turned to him and smiled faintly. “I know you’ll be worried, but I have to go with them. They… They might just have the answers I need, Angel.”
She sat Angel down on the ground despite his protest. “Now, Angel, I need you to watch over the cottage while I’m away. I’ll be back soon, okay?”
Angel, nodded despite the unease he felt with Fluttershy being alone with a bunch of vampire bats.
Fluttershy nodded to him as she spread her wings, taking to the dark sky, her path towards Sweet Apple Acres.
~(owo)~
Fluttershy soon landed in the ‘Vampire Bat’ section of the orchard. Fluttershy looked around at the papa, mama, and baby bats that were perched in the trees, along with the juicy apples surrounding them. She felt her mouth begin to moisten at the sight but quickly looked away and focused on looking at the ground. No, no losing control in front of all these bats.
She heard a loud chirp from one of the trees and forced herself to look up towards the sound. Mr. Bat was perched on the top of an apple tree with a ripe, juicy apple in his grasp. He shined it with his wing and gestured it towards the mare. Fluttershy took a step back but couldn’t take her eyes off the apple. It’s so red, and fresh, and juicy… Fluttershy felt her fangs grow as she took a step towards the apple tree. “It looks so good.”
Mr. Bat chirped and tossed the apple to Fluttershy, who leaped up and caught it in midair. She felt the juice fill her mouth as the apple became shriveled. She spat out the skin and seeds from her mouth as she landed on the ground. Fluttershy rubbed her foreleg and hid her face behind her mane. “Oh my… I’m sorry.”
The bats chirped at each other shaking their heads. Mr. Bat waved his wing, and they fell silent. He flew over to where Fluttershy was standing and lightly tugged on her mane and chirped.
Fluttershy blew her mane out the way to see the bat looking up at her with his big red eyes. “I know, Mr. Bat but I just, ” she thought back to her friends description of her and shivered, “can’t.”
Mr. Bat sighed and laid a wing on Fluttershy’s hoof and chirped some more. Fluttershy kept looking towards the ground as she listened. She knew that Mr. Bat was right. It was her nature now to have a love for fruit but that didn’t change the ferocious nature of the way of getting what she wanted. How can I ever face her friends again? Let alone go to the market with all of the fruit stands, it would be delicious, and yummy, and— Fluttershy shook her head. “No. I’m not a vampire fruit bat, Mr. Bat! Please understand.”
All the other bats in the trees groaned and chirped wildly. Even Mr. Bat looked disappointed. Fluttershy nudged a hoof at the ground. I can’t lose control again. I just... can’t. The images of her friends chanting around her were stuck in her mind. She closed her eyes and whimpered at the thought of it.
Mr. Bat placed a wing on Fluttershy’s shoulder and chirped. All the bats from the trees flew down to the ground and gathered around Fluttershy. She looked up to see all the bats and tried to listen to what Mr. Bat was saying. She had defended them when nopony else would, but that didn’t change anything in her mind. Her friends were still against the bats after that. In the end they listened to her, but it’s not like her friends were best friends with the vampire bats.
But that didn’t mean her friends would hate me, would it? I mean, they liked me before so they would be fine with me being all bat-like now, right? As long as I could control it. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to control it, though. She looked up at the apple trees, so many ripe, juicy apples. She broke her gaze from the apples and continued to look at the ground. What should I do?
She turned to Mr. Bat. “Um, Mr. Bat, could you teach me to not lose it when I eat apples?”
Mr. Bat nodded quickly and flew up to an apple tree and fetched an apple. He flew back down and placed the apple on the ground in front of Fluttershy. Fluttershy felt her gaze zoom in on the apple. All she could see was how red and delicious it was. She reached out to grab it but felt a sharp pain on her head. “Ow!” She rubbed the top of her head.
She looked over at Mr. Bat who was shaking his head. He chirped and grabbed the apple.
Fluttershy frowned. “Mr. Bat, I can’t do that. I’ll look,” Her voice lowered to a whimper, “scary…”
Mr. Bat chirped and began to walk away with the apple. Fluttershy stood up. “Alright, Mr. Bat.”
She tried to focus on the strange craving inside of her. Fluttershy felt her wings began to stretch out from her side and her whole body felt like it was tingling. She closed her eyes tightly until the tingling stopped. She heard the bats beginning to chirp, and she slowly opened her eyes.
She looked at her wings, they were bat wings. Wait, why was she still in control? She looked down at Mr. Bat. “What’s going on?”
Mr. Bat chirped a few times and nodded as Fluttershy gasped. “Really? So it’s only the first time you get like that?”
All the bats chirped wildly at once as some began to fly up in the air. Fluttershy giggled and sighed in relief. I was worried about nothing. She looked around the orchard and as each apple lit up in her view. She saw all the bats. The creatures that weren’t scared of her at all, they just wanted her to be herself. Herself. Was being a vampire pony who she was now?
She smiled and turned to Mr. Bat. “Let’s fly together.” Mr. Bat chirped in delight and took to the starry sky. Fluttershy laughed as she took off with her leathery wings as well, passing by the apple trees gathering apples one by one flying with the creatures that understood just what she was. A vampire pony.