Batty Love

by Lotus Moon

Chapter 4

Author's Note:

If anyone is curious, it took me a lot of time to consider how to execute Ruby's backstory. The bullying part, as controversial as it is, was a topic that couldn't be avoided. Being different can't be helped either.

Later in the day, while Twilight was reading one of the several books she brought with her, she heard the bats in the forest. Peeking out of her tent, she saw small herds of bats flying over the cave. In the middle of them was their mother. She directed them on where to go in different directions. “Go, my children, feed to your heart’s content. But don’t get caught. Ponies are too problematic.” She said. Once all the groups dispersed, she laid down on the ground. Twilight peeked out from behind some bushes.

“Oh Midnight…who does that pony think she is? Princess or not, to assume I pose some threat to her precious town. For that, I should attack. But…I won’t. It wouldn’t serve any purpose.” She extended her wing and a fruit bat as blue as her eyes landed on it. “I honestly can’t get much peace anywhere. I was driven from my own home…and everywhere else for that matter. Living in caves was fine and all…but now that I found a proper place to live, I have to leave? I wish all ponies would just…go away.” The bat let out a small screech and nuzzled her.

Twilight tilted her head. ‘I know I shouldn’t ease drop but…I never thought of things that way. She’s scared…more of us than we are of her or the bats.’ She thought and rubbed her hoof under her chin.

*****

The next day, Twilight entered the castle again. This time, teleporting herself to the throne room, startling the bat mare. The bats in the rafters let out screeches of protest for their sudden intruder. The medium red mare flew up and settled them. “Shh, it’s alright, my children. It’s alright, no need to fret.” She cooed softly at them. Once they settled, she landed back in front of Twilight. “What…do you want…princess? Come to insult me again?”

“No, I came to apologize.” Twilight said, visibly catching the taller mare’s attention. “I know that I know nothing at all about you. I, and my friends, judged you before getting your side of all this. And for that, I deeply apologize. So can we…start over?” Twilight extended her hoof.

The taller mare stared at Twilight’s hoof before shaking it. “Very well. What…would you like to know?” She asked.

“Well, your name would be a good start.” Twilight apparated a quill and scroll from midair, earning a hiss from the red mare. “I’m sorry, I…I just wanted to take notes.” Twilight chuckled nervously.

“Hm…fine. My name is Ruby. Ruby Bat. I was a Pegasus mare who hailed from Stratusburg…till I was chased out for…well…” Ruby extended and lightly flapped her wings before folding them against her back. “Even though my cutie mark was a ruby stone, I was always treated like an outcast because there were bat wings with it. Ponies started calling me Batty Ruby because of it. It got worse when some ponies caught me in a cave talking to the bats that lived there. They laughed at me, ridiculed me.”

Twilight’s quill lightly scratched against the scroll paper as Ruby spoke. “Oh that’s awful. You must’ve been pretty lonely.” She said

Ruby sighed as her ears drooped. “Ignoring me changed to tormenting me whenever I was seen. The bats were the only creatures that understood me. So I started working on a way to communicate with them, to learn more about them, to find some kind of meaning and purpose behind my strange cutie mark. I was mixing potions to find ways to talk to them, but something went wrong. Some of the ponies that liked teasing me startled me one night. I bumped into the cloud counter and some of my potions mixed, causing a small explosion. I don’t know what happened after but I woke up in the infirmary.” She walked over and sat by the window. “Things were different after that. I noticed because my sight and hearing became more sensitive, I liked going out after dark more than during the day, I ate more fruit than hay or oats, and so on. When I finally stepped out of the infirmary after about a week or two of bed rest, ponies stared at me horrified because my feathery wings changed to bat wings, my soft delicate ears were slightly curved, my teeth were sharp, and my eyes were like cat eyes. No pony would come near me or even speak to me. After accidentally attacking a pony for a few apples, every pony treated me like a monster and I had to flee my home.”

After finishing taking notes, the scroll rolled up as Twilight walked over and sat next to Ruby. “That must’ve been really tough on you. I can’t imagine being chased away from my own home because of something that couldn’t be controlled. What drew you to this place then?”

“After being chased out, and my subsequent change, I found myself able to understand bats. Realizing this, I found myself appreciating and understanding my cutie mark more. I spent about a year moving from cave to cave, gathering more bats as my children and some of them told me about this castle. So I came here, to this castle to completely settle down. But it was in ruins…and had some childish decorations.” Ruby rubbed her forearm with her hoof.

“Actually my friends and I put those decorations up. But I have been curious about how you managed to repair this castle so fast. This place looks completely brand new. But it would’ve taken weeks, no months, to do it.” Twilight said.

“For some reason, I gained an almost hypnotic stare. I politely convinced a couple of unicorns to use their magic to rebuild the castle. Once they were done, I returned them to the edge of the forest unharmed. This castle, along with the dimness of this forest, makes it the perfect home for me and my family.” She smiled and stood up. “Peaceful and quiet…at least until you and your friends showed up.”

“I guess, after hearing all of the facts, it makes sense why you came here. And why you were pretty upset when we ‘invaded’ your new home. Given all you’ve been through, you do deserve some peaceful silence.” Twilight glanced at the thrones. “But why have a King and Queen throne?”

“Obviously the Queen is I. It’s little more than a joke, but I simply feel my children need something like a father…and I, a King.” Ruby walked over to her throne.

Twilight jumped to her hooves. “So you…basically want a mate?”

“Laughable, isn’t it? With how I look, what pony would love me?” She placed her left hoof on the throne next to hers. “I’m a monster after all. Just a freak.”

“No you’re not. I’m sure no pony will see you as a monster when they get to know you.” Twilight flexed her wings and smiled. “You know, that’s not a bad idea! In two days, we’re celebrating the founding of Ponyville. It’s open to every pony and the Princesses will be there. It would be the perfect time.”

“Generous offer, but I’m not part of your…community. I wouldn’t be welcomed.” Ruby tensed up at the thought of being around other ponies after all the time she had spent in seclusion. Midnight flew down and landed on her shoulder, nuzzling her owner as comfort.

“I know you’re uncomfortable doing it. But you should give it a chance. If you show every pony your true self, they’ll see you’re not a monster.” Twilight smiled gently. “Believe it or not, when Princess Luna came to Ponyville on Nightmare Night, she had quite a hard time fitting in. Every pony was still afraid of her from her time as Nightmare Moon. But after a few set backs, things finally worked out and every pony warmed up to her. So if she can make it work, I know you can too.”

Ruby gave it some thought and, after seeing the slightly hopeful and confident look in Twilight’s sparkling eyes, she sighed deeply. “I cannot. I don’t belong with other ponies, let alone socializing with them. Nothing would change. Now, if your business is done, Midnight will escort you out.” And before Twilight could protest, the blue fruit bat had transferred herself to Twilight’s shoulder and directed her to the door.

“Alright. But Ruby, please consider my offer. I-I’ll be looking for you.” She said and trotted out of the door. Once Twilight was outside, Midnight retreated back into the castle and to her owner’s side. The lavender mare trotted back to the Tree of Harmony. “I wonder what I should do. I feel like I should stay out here and try to convince her. But given that the celebration for the founding of Ponyville is so close, I should be there overseeing the preparations. Even if I planned things out in advance already, I do want everything to go off without a hitch. Oh but if I go back, it’s like I’m giving up on Ruby!” She paced around about before taking a few relaxing breathes. “I think I should consult with the princesses about this.” With that, Twilight packed up her saddlebag and flew to Canterlot.