//------------------------------//
// Happy Birthday, Littlebat! 
// Story: The Littlebat Trilogy Book 3 
// by MLRNitevision 
//------------------------------//

	The Littlebat Trilogy: Book 3 - Happy Birthday, Littlebat!

Berry Punch was racing back and forth, hanging streamers and inflating balloons. It had officially been one year since she had adopted her child, and she had decided to deem it his birthday. Since no pony knew when his actual date of birth was, this appeared to be a suitable substitute. 
“Anything I can do to help?” Lyra asked, watching her friend frantically preparing the Tavern for her son’s birthday celebration. Berry Punch paused to catch her breath, and looked over. 
“Sorry Lyra, I’ve been so swamped I didn’t even notice that you were standing there!” She said breathlessly. 
“It’s alright,” Lyra giggled. “Your son is a very special pony, and he deserves a huge celebration.” Berry Punch nodded in agreement. 
“I went down to Sugarcube Corner to see if Pinkie Pie was available to help out, but Mrs. Cake said she was in Cloudsdale for the weekend. At first, it seemed a bit odd, seeing as Pinkie is an earth pony, and we can’t walk on clouds, but then I realized that even though it denies logic, it is Pinkie, and she kind of does that.”
“Well, Bon Bon and I are here to help in any way we can.” Lyra offered. Berry Punch smiled.
“I appreciate it, Lyra. Do you think you two can handle the decorations while I go make the punch for the party?” Berry’s eyes were filled with hope. Lyra’s mouth watered at the mention of Berry’s punch. 
“You’re making it non-alcoholic, right?” The unicorn winked. Berry Punch laughed. 
“You don’t think a bunch of drunk children would make the party that much more entertaining?” She asked with a sly smile. Lyra shrugged and smiled back.
“I just think the parents would have a problem with having their children more intoxicated than they are is all.” The unicorn replied. 
“Good point.” Berry Punch replied, dashing behind the bar to grab a special cocktail of drinks and a bowl. 
“I just have to ask, what’s your secret ingredient? Your punch is always the perfect amount of sweet.” Bon Bon said.
“Half a bag of sugar.” Berry Punch admitted.
“Don’t you think the dentist is going to flip if she hears that?” Lyra asked. 
“Actually, I’m rather fine with it.” Minuette said, handing the sugar to Berry Punch. “She keeps me in business, with all of the drunken ponies falling and cracking their teeth.” Lyra swallowed at the uncomfortable thought. 
“You’re kidding, right?” She asked. The Maya-blue Unicorn smiled.
“Yeah…kidding.” She said. Lyra had her suspicions, but she kept them to herself. 
“Bon Bon, can you help me out here?” Lyra called to her partner, who walked over to help her string up a balloon. 
“Who all’s been invited?” Bon Bon asked. 
“You and Lyra, Minuette, and Sweetie Belle. Every pony else is either working or away on holiday. Rarity is coming too, but she’s going to be a little bit late.” Berry Punch replied, carefully measuring an amount of strawberry juice into her bowl.
“So where’s the little bat pony now?” Minuette asked, looking around the room. 
“I left him with Cheerilee. She’s got the day off, so she volunteered to babysit him before she leaves town for the weekend.” Berry Punch answered, mixing in a vial of grape juice and stirring the bowl. Lyra and Minuette exchanged glances, and both mares shrugged. 
“Alright, the streamers are done, is there anything else?” Lyra asked, looking over at Berry Punch. 
“Would you mind possibly picking up the cake for me?” Berry Punch asked. “I ordered it last week. Mr. and Mrs. Cake worked really hard to make it look like his Cutie Mark. It’s an adorable bat, and I figured it would suit him well.” She smiled. 
“You got it boss!” Lyra saluted. Bon Bon laughed, then began to organize the tables that were scattered throughout the Tavern. Berry Punch hoisted the bowl and put it on her back, then carried it out and set it on the nearest table. 
“That looks delicious, as always!” Minuette said with a perfect smile. Berry Punch looked over her shoulder at the mare. 
“Keep your hooves out, Minuette.” She teased. 
“Oh Berry, you and I both know that’s your thing.” She replied. “Is that how you got your coat to be that beautiful purple colour?” Berry Punch howled with laughter that echoed through the room.

An hour later, every pony gathered in the main room of the Tavern. Nitevision had returned just in time to be greeted by his aunts and his mother. Cheerilee had declined an invitation to stay, as she had to leave to catch her train to Canterlot. Sweetie Belle arrived minutes later, greeting her friend with an embrace and a pat on the back. The pair had just sat down when another pony that neither of them had seen before entered the room. He was a fiery red unicorn, with a cutie mark that portrayed a hammer, resting next to an anvil.
“Hi! I’m Nitevision! My friends call me Nitevision. You can call me Nitevision if you want. You don’t even have to be my friend! Unless you want to. In fact-“ 
“Nitevision!” The unicorn snapped. Nitevision gasped, and leaned over towards Sweetie Belle.
“He knows my name!” He whispered excitedly. “He knows my name!” Sweetie Belle chuckled.
“I uh…heard there was cake.” The unicorn said, quietly setting a small box down on the table covered in gifts. Berry Punch watched him carefully, with a shy smile on her face.
“What’s your name?” She asked in a soothing voice.
“Fire Alloy.” He replied flatly. “I’m new in town, just looking for a way to meet new ponies.” Nitevision grinned from ear to ear.
“You wanna be my friend?” He asked happily. Fire Alloy groaned. 
“Sure…why not.” He said. Secretly, the unicorn was excited to make his first friend in Ponyville. 	
“Would you like to open your presents, Littlebat?” Berry Punch asked. Nitevision nodded enthusiastically. Berry Punch took the box that Fire Alloy had brought and set it down in front of her son. He stared at it for a minute, unsure what to do with it since he had never been given a gift before. Every pony in the room watched him, waiting for him to open the gift. 
“Um…” Nitevision stammered. “What do I…do with it?” He asked, tossing the objects between his hooves. Lyra and Berry Punch exchanged glances and chuckled. Without warning, the door flew open and Rarity raced in. 
“Sorry I’m late darling, I had to stitch a new dress for the occasion.” Berry Punch wanted to point out that this was unnecessary, but she knew there was no point. Her dress was made of solid black silk, with dark and light blue stripes, with pictures of Nitevision’s cutie mark dotting the body of the dress.
“Here you are, Littlebat.” Rarity said, setting down a box wrapped in colourful paper in front of him. Nitevision set down the box, and picked up the ball. 
“Nitevision?” Minuette said, putting a hoof gently on his shoulder. “All you have to do is take the paper off of the toy inside.” Nitevision looked at it once again, and gently tore a hole in the paper that concealed the item inside. 
“Like that?” He asked, seemingly upset at destroying the beautiful paper. “Did I just break the present?” Rarity laughed sweetly. 
“No dear, the toy is inside of it. You have to take off the paper to get it.” Nitevision snickered as he realized his mistake, and took the ball out of it’s wrapper.
“Oh boy!” He said excitedly. “A ball of yarn!” The young bat pony loved nothing more than playing with a yarn ball. The blue fabric made Nitevision very happy. 
“Here Nitevision, open this one.” Fire Alloy said, using his magic to levitate his gift over to the bat pony. Nitevision opened it, and took out it’s contents. It was a rubber ball! He bounced it two or three times, before realizing that it had a distinct squeak that sounded each time it hit the ground. It suddenly occurred to Nitevision that he now possessed a squeaky toy! Sweetie Belle stood up and walked over to her friend, wrapping her arms around him.
“Happy birthday, Littlebat.” She whispered.