The town of Ponyville. Probably the most historically essential town in history. Yes pretty much everything happened here: daemons, gods, monsters. All of that and more. Honestly it was rare to find a day that nothing ever happened, especially Tuesdays. There was something about that day that set things off.
Anyways, this was one of those rare peaceful days that came once in a blue moon. Out in the middle of the Apple Orchard, a certain stallion was taking advantage of it. His name of Golden Delicious, or Del for short. He was the son of Applejack; the Element of Honesty, world savior and the pony responsible for taking down gods and monsters a like; and Caramel….who made the best darn toast you could ever eat.
He lay with his back to a tree and his eyes closed just enjoying the peace and quiet. Now normally he wouldn’t be lounging around. He was a hard work, an Apple. He’d be working day and night to get the farm work done. However, this day was strange. He had already done everything he needed to do. He’d already bucked enough trees and gathered enough apples to fulfill the family's growing business for the day. The rest of the chores were either done or being taken care of by another member of the family.
Of course this wasn’t the first time he’d finished his chores. Usually he would either go into town to hang out with his friends, or one of them would come over and drag him about. He never did get that much time to himself. Del wasn’t complaining. He deeply cared for his friends and loved the adventures they went out on. It was just that he really needed a day to himself. A day of rest. By Celestia, he was going to enjoy this and there was absolutely nothing that could-
Whap!
Unfortunately the world had other plans. Specifically plans that involved something smashing into his face. Opening his eyes, he saw a creature of the vilest sorts. Something straight out of Tartarus. The nastiest creature that could ever live.
A small, red and absolutely adorable Fruit Bat.
Screech~ It cooed.
Del did the only logical thing anyone would do to having found a cute bat on their face.
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
……….Okay so screaming like a little filly and running away with his tail between his legs might not be the first thing to everyone’s mind. Give this author a break!
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Del finally had his nerves in order. He berated himself for screaming like that. He wasn’t normally one to scare easily, but that bat...that bat was something to scream about. He was just thankful Prism wasn’t here to hear and see that or he would never live that down. Still, all that screaming and not to mention work had left him parched. So he reasoned to head on over to the cellar and grab a drink. That’d get his mind off that….beast. Just thinking about it sent shivers down his spine.
Opening up the cellar, he prepared to drink from the mighty ciders of the Apple Clan.
Whap!
Screech~
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
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That had been a bust. Del was still parched and tired and that bat was still scary as all Tartarus. Still, he was inside the house. He was safe and secure from any sort of threat. He went to the kitchen to grab a snack, opening up a cupboard to-
Whap!
Screech~
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
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The house wasn’t safe either! Oh well, he still had the old barn. Well old in that it was a week old. That was a record on this farm, oddly enough. He half expected to find it destroyed in one way or another. Barns were cursed like that on this farm. Still, he could hang out here, away from everything. Maybe he could try and read a few of those Daring Doo novels Aunt Dash had always gone on and on about. They sounded interesting.
He picked up a copy and sat back on a pile of hay. Del smiled as he opened the book.
Whap!
Screech~
“AHHHHHHHHHHH!”
Unfortunately for him, waiting outside on the perched trees were several of the dreadful creatures. “BATS! BATS! BATS!” He cried, darting this way and that to avoid the trees.
“BATS! CATS! MATS!” Aunt Pinkie Pie happily screamed, all the while carrying a baseball bat, a mat and a cat on her head.
“Aunt Pinkie?” Del came to a stop. “What are ya doin’ here?”
“My Pinkie Sense was telling me that something was happening at the farm so I hopped on over to check and lo and behold I saw you running around saying ‘bats’ and I wanted to try the rhyming thing like Zecora does so I zipped on back to SugarCube Corner to grab a few things. I know a bat isn’t technically a good word to rhyme with a bat but I still think it’s funny.”
Del blinked a few times. “So…”
“I’m here to help you!” Pinkie happily cheered.
“Ah don’t think-”
Whap!
Screech~
“AHHHHHHHHHH!” Del raced on ahead.
Pinkie chuckled. “Awww, he likes you.”
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Fluttershy took a sip of her tea and sighed. Oh it wasn’t her typical sigh of distress. It wasn’t about catching her daughter in an ‘act’ with Rarity’s son. It wasn’t about some predator attacking somepony. It wasn’t even about Discord….Just Discord. No this was a sigh of a different sort. “Del, sweetie, I’m sorry to hear your fear of bats was that bad. Honestly, I thought it would have gone away by now.”
“Ah’m sorry, Miss Fluttershy.” Del sighed, staring down at his tea. The two of them were sitting inside her cottage after Pinkie had ‘helped’ him get there.
“There is nothing to be sorry about,” Fluttershy interjected. “Everypony fears something. Why when i was your age I was deathly afraid of my own shadow.” When Del shot her a ‘Really?’ look, she nodded. “Oh yes, I was that bad but I got past it with the help of my friends. Have you thought of getting them to help with your fear?”
“Honestly,” Del spoke. “Ah ain’t too keen on that idea. Most of ‘em think it’s silly to fear bats and some of them laugh in my face.”
“That bad?”
“Well, that was some years ago.” Del relented. “Ah think they think ah’m over it. Helps that the bats keep to themselves and ah ain’t one to bug them, till that one kept flyin’ into mah face.”
“It was just his way of saying hello,” Fluttershy smiled, holding up the cutest little fruit bat she had ever seen. She nuzzled and it cooed. So adorable.
Del cringed, glancing away in fright. “Yeah…”
Seeing his fear, Fluttershy quickly motioned for the bat to fly off. It did reluctantly, not wanting to part from the ‘screaming pony’. “But it was also rather rude. I’ve talked with him about it, so hopefully he won’t do it any time-”
Whap!
Screech~
“AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!” Del ran out of her house.
Fluttershy sighed even deeper and took a sip of her tea. It was worse than she could ever imagine. He sorely needed help.
“Odd,” Discord piped up, having appeared beside her with some tea of his own. “I would have thought he’d last a little bit longer. It was far too short for my tastes.”
“Discord,” Fluttershy lightly scolded him. “That’s not a nice thing to say. Chiroptophobia is not a laughing matter. There are plenty of ponies that are afraid of bats and we shouldn’t laugh at them for it.”
“But it’s hilarious,” Discord chuckled.
“Would you be laughing if it was me screaming in fear and running about?”
Discord went silent, his glee gone. He stared hard into his tea. “I sometimes hate it when you have a point. You’re too smart for a mortal.”
“And you’re too sweet for a god,” Fluttershy giggled and nuzzled her dearest friend. Not that the others weren’t dear as well. It was just that she was Discord’s only friend, well until he won over Celestia and had his son. Still, she was very dear to him and that made her feel special. “Now, are you going to be a nice god of chaos and help out Del?”
“Yes, mother.” Discord rolled his eyes. Then they literally sparkled as an idea obviously formed inside his skull. “And I know just the pony that can do it.”
“Discord,” Fluttershy’s voice, while still low, held a threatening tone.
Discord scoffed. “Trust me on this, my bestest pal.” He patted her head. “This idea can’t possibly fail! Well, it can possibly fail because really, where is the fun in perfection.” He snapped his fingers and was gone in a flash.
Fluttershy sighed in a more familiar way, letting a small smile grace her lips. “It’ll work out in the end, trust me old friend.”