Episode 6: Bats!
Episode 6:
Bats!
It’s about time for the sun to rise, over the horizon of in Ponyville. And one pony who is presiding over the hills at Sweet Apple Acres is awaiting for the dark blue night sky to turn into a bright and beautiful orange and pink. And from the look on her face, she is eagerly ready for that sun to rise.
"Any minute now…" She said like she is preparing for the start of the Running of the Leaves race. And just seconds following the bright orange and pink sky coming up was Celestia’s sun rising from the sky from behind the hilltops. The rooster let out a crow, just when the once dark orchard was now brighten up from the first rays of sunlight of the new day. "Yee-haw! It's officially Apple Bucking Day!" She cheered.
It was that time of the year once again, Apple bucking season. A perfect opportunity to buck fresh apples from the trees to make her family’s famous apple pies, apple juice, apple sauce, apple cider, along with all of their other apple related treats and drinks. The happy country pony made her way through the orchard, while looking on at the bright and delicious looking red and green apples on their trees.
"Look at all those apples! Ripe and juicy, perfect for bucking'!"
She did not waste any time in bucking down the very first tree, happily anticipating the apples in full glory coming in her direction just waiting for them to fall to the ground.
But suddenly her excitement was suddenly soured with what landed on her hooves, a small pile of yellow mush as a result from the apple itself having its juice sucked dry up. The same is already said for the rest of the apples that landed on the ground around her and are all dried and drained of their fresh juice.
"What the heck is goin' on?" She wondered just when she heard the sound of flapping wings and screeching noises. Her eyes widened and she gasped in shock once she realized what happened. "They're back!"
Elsewhere, Fluttershy, Beshte, and Ono are all currently at Fluttershy’s home helping tend to the former’s animal friends with the egret giving an injury analysis to Fluttershy who immediately decides what the best course of recovery is for said critter.
One of the critter’s Ono was scanning his eyes with is a bunny (not Angel) that had accidentally tripped over a log and had hurt its leg as a result. “Hmmm…” He eyed the bunny’s leg. “…good news, nothing too serious, just a small sprain. So that means all you really need is some light bandaging and avoid hopping around too much for a few days.”
The bunny nodded in compliance before Fluttershy moved to bandage up his injured leg. “Just stay still, I promise you this won’t hurt a bit. There you go.” She then said with the critter’s wounds properly covered before moving to tend to a baby duckling with a hurting wing from a failed attempt to fly.
“Poa!” Beshte remarked very pleased at the sight of this heartwarming display by the two. “Great job.”
“Well, thanks.” Ono nodded in response while scanning for injuries on the next patient in line. “Just another great use of my keen sight.”
“It sure is.” Fluttershy agreed while applying the proper healing tools for the baby duck’s injured wing. “And I really appreciate your help, Ono.”
“No problem, Fluttershy.” Ono thought nothing of it. “I’m just glad I could help.” Just then one a couple of blue hummingbirds chirped something to him while nuzzling him on the cheeks. “Aww, you’re welcome.” He said to them while blushing madly in embarrassment. Even though he is not shy of showing some kindness to them, their affection in return is admittedly embarrassing to endure at times.
Just then they heard the sound of a bell ringing and from the sounds of it, it was coming from Sweet Apple Acres.
“Huh?” Ono said with a quizzical expression in the farm’s direction. “I wonder what Applejack is calling us over for?”
“I don’t know.” Beshte replied looking curious himself. “But it sounds like something in her apple bucking harvest went wrong.”
“Oh, right. Of course.” Ono realized. “Apple bucking season. Applejack’s favorite time of the year.”
Sure enough, they weren’t the only ones who heard the bell, since it was also heard by the rest of the Lion and Pony Guard halfway across town. Bunga was helping Kion and Pinkie bake some treats to sell at the bakery shop. At the same time Rainbow and Fuli were practicing their flying and running on a personally made trail they made just below Cloudsdale while Kyoga monitors their progress from the sidelines.
Once they heard their friend ring the bell from her barn, they all stopped what they were doing and rushed over to see what crisis Applejack is dealing with now.
At the same time, the sound of the bell was loud enough it could be heard from the Pride Lands to which caught both Scar and Twilight’s ears while they were conversing at Pride Rock. Upon hearing this with their super senses, the latter worked her magic to conjure a current visual of the event’s that are transpiring at Sweet Apple Acres so they can both watch what’s going on over there.
The bell of the Apple Acres barn rang loudly. The rest of the Mane Five, along with the Lion Guard arrived at the barn.
"Attention! This is a Sweet Apple Acres code red! I need all hooves, hands – and claws – on deck!" Applejack called to every arriving Guard member on duty.
"Calm down, Applejack," Rarity kindly implored of her which is met with the farm pony getting right in her face in response.
"Calm down?! How can I calm down at a time like this?! Vampire fruit bats are attackin' Sweet Apple Acres!"
"Fruit bats?" Bunga questioned clearly confused.
“I thought the fruit bats usually stayed put in the west orchard," Kion added.
"The fruit bats do, but not the vampire bats.” Ono corrected upon remembering them.
“Ono’s right.” Applejack chimed in. ”These aren't just your everyday ordinary fruit bats. They're vampire fruit bats! And I'll be darned if they think they're gonna sink their fangs into my blue ribbon apple." Applejack continued before moving to remove a white blanket that was covering a very large, red apple attached to a tree bending over due to its very heavy weight.
The group seeing all expressed “Wow.” At the sight of her greatest and biggest prize of the bunch.
“Un-Bunga-veilable!”
“Poa!”
“Whoa!”
“That is one huge apple.”
“Talk about the impossible becoming possible.”
The Lion Guard all expressed at the marvelous thing of beauty in the farm.
"This here's our entry into the Appleloosa State Fair's produce competition." Applejack explained before she exhaled her breath onto the apple and then used her tall to polish it. "You know how much TLC goes into getting an apple to grow like this?"
“No, how many?” Ono asked.
“A whole lot.” Applejack replied with a tone of pride.
“I see. I never would guessed nor did been able to do the math on that.”
Rarity approached the shiny apple while admiring it, mainly because she could see her reflection in it. "Applejack! When you go big, you really go big!"
"Them vampire bats want to shrivel it up like a raisin!" Applejack then said to the others.
“Not if the Lion and Pony Guard can help!” Bunga declared confidently just when Fluttershy had differing thoughts..
"Oh, I'm sure if we just let them know how special that particular apple is to you, they'll leave it alone."
"Yeah, right. Be my guest." Applejack sarcastically remarked.
“Hmm…” Ono thought with a neutral expression while turning to Beshte. “…If only I can say it’d be easy.”
“Well, who knows.” Beshte returned optimistically. “Maybe it’s doable.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Making her way towards the orchard where the vampire bats are in trees with dried up apples on the ground and a cover of darkness there, Fluttershy then flew up towards a tree to try to reason with them.
"Um, excuse me, Mr. Vampire Bat--" She started with a rotten apple tossed her way. "We were just wondering if maybe you wouldn't mind leaving that really big apple alone?" She kindly asked of her with a meek grin.
Sadly for her their response to that was to relentlessly spit seeds in her direction to which had her moving away from their tree.
“Of course.” Ono voiced figuring this would happen just when their Pegasus friend walked up to Applejack while removing the seeds from her mane with her wing.
"Well? What'd he say?" She asked.
"Um… yes." She replied to which Applejack smiled at. “But it could've been a no." Applejack then frowned hearing this.
“Definitely a no since they spit seeds right at you.” Ono commented while heavily leaning on that.
“This is the first vampire fruit bat I've ever met and, well, it might take some time for me to really understand their language." Fluttershy then explained.
“I suppose that’s true.” Ono commented feeling the same likewise.
“And that’s something I can agree on.” Beshte added.
Applejack however was not convinced. "Uh-huh. And in the meantime, this pest and his vermin friends are gonna go after my prized apple and, while they're at it, every other apple in the orchard! These vampire bats are nothin' but a bunch of monsters!"
Fluttershy gasped at that remark. "Monsters?!"
“Aw, come on Applejack…” Beshte voiced feeling a little aghast by that statement. “…don’t you think monsters is a bit of a stretch?”
"No, I do not." She stubbornly asserted with her stance. “I call them as I see them. Just like Scar.”
Scar watching this shrugs it off with a humorous scoff like it’s something he’s used to hearing at this point, while Twilight widens her eyes in offense to remark, given her devotion to her master who shares a lot of similarities to her.
As the bats flew out of the tree, both Applejack and Fluttershy break out into song on their stances on the vampire bats.
“Those vampire bats will give you a fright
Eating apples both day and night
They rest for a minute, maybe three
Then there eatin' every apple in your apple tree.”
Applejack sang while more fruit bats bit into the apples, sucking them dry as the remains landed in front of her hooves before getting in Pinkie and Rarity’s face to make her point while Ono dodges the many bats flying in his direction.
“They don't care about nada, not zilch, no, nothin'
'Cept bringin' about an orchard's destruction.”
Fluttershy then took her turn singing on her stance.
“Now wait just a minute, there's another side to this
And if I did not defend them, then I would be remiss
These bats are mamas and papas too
They care for their young just like we ponies do.”
She sang while flying towards a family of three , a mother, father, and baby, resting peacefully on a branch with blue innocent eyes.
The baby bat flew around Fluttershy, nuzzling her face before flying down and moving to do the same with Beshte and Ono. Beshte smiled in response with Ono accepting it even if he didn’t really show the smile Even so, it goes to show that Ono doesn’t see all vampire bats bad.
If only Applejack could see the same way.
“Oh, give me a break, you're bein' too kind
These creatures have a one-track mind
The orchard is not their restaurant
But do they ever think what others may want?
No! They don't! And that is just a fact
These bats, they simply don't know how to act.”
She sang while angrily shooing away two bats fighting over an apple.
“That's where I have to disagree
They're loyal to their family
Spreading seeds both far and wide.”
Fluttershy argued back while spotting two good bats eating an apple together.
“You see one comin', you'd better run and hide!”
Applejack sang back in argument while wrapping herself around a blanket, giving herself the brief appearance of a bat, before continuing the next part of her song while demonstrating the devastating state her trees were now in due to the creatures.
“They're big and ugly and mean as sin
Will ya look at the state my trees are in?”
“They’ll help your trees, they'll grow stronger faster."
“They've turned my life to a total disaster!”
By this point it seems that only the Lion Guard disagrees with Applejack since the rest of the Mane Six agree with her.
“Well, I for one don't have a doubt
These vermin must be stamped right out.”
Rarity sang while marching around Fluttershy and the Lion Guard.
“I second that, they've got to go
These bats, they've got to hit the road.”
Rainbow sang while flying near her.
“It comes down to just one simple fact
They've crossed the line, it's time to fight them back!”
Applejack sang with a firm statement before she and the other ponies all galloped around Fluttershy, chanting and singing in unison.
“Stop the bats! Stop the bats!
Make them go and not come back!
Stop the bats! Stop the bats!
Make them go and not come back!
Stop the bats! Stop the bats!
Make them go and not come back!”
“Yes, it comes down to just one simple fact
They've crossed the line, it's time that we attack!”
Applejack sang once more before finishing her song.
Once the song came to a close, Beshte stepped forward to comfort the trembling pony on her haunches. “It’s okay, Fluttershy.”
“Listen…” Ono began feeling the need to counter argue in Fluttershy’s defense. “…I get your point and I’ve read about how devastating they can be if they aren’t kept under control, but I don’t think this is the right way to go on about this.”
Applejack was surprised to hear this, considering that he has never disagreed with his past decisions before.
"I'm sorry, Ono, Beshte, Fluttershy…” Rarity voiced to disagree while helping the Pegasus up on her hooves while apologizing especially to the latter. “…but I believe Applejack has made the better argument. These vampire fruit bats sound downright dreadful."
"Exactly. So let's get to roundin' them bats up so they don't destroy the rest of my orchard." Applejack stated before leading the team on over to do the job with Pinkie hopping and singing to the tune of Winter Wrap Up.
"Fruit bat round-up, fruit bat round-up!"
Fluttershy then spoke up still pressing on her ideas against Applejack’s plan once more. "Um, excuse me, but, um, what if instead of rounding them up, we... let them have part of the orchard?"
"Have you lost your pest-lovin' mind?!" Applejack voiced in an incredulous tone at that proposal.
“No she hasn’t.” Ono answered in her defense much to the farm pony’s surprise.
“If you think about it, it makes sense. It’s just like the bats at Mekundu Cliffs.” He explained while recalling the time where they dealt with them helping a family of them out in finding food. “Just before the dry season, the trees they were living in were starting to get dry due to the last rain storm passing by a month ago at the time…”
Back then, Bunga leaped inside the tree that’s just about to collapse in order to get the bats out of there. “Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!”
The bats all screeched while they all were suddenly flying up and away, but not without Fluttershy, Ono, and Rainbow all having dodge and duck to avoid getting him by them.
“Oh, no!”
“Eek!”
“Whoa!”
The bats in their blind fly by ended up accidentally knocking Ono backwards and towards the ground. Luckily for him, Fluttershy was quick to catch him.
“Are they gone?”
“They’re gone.”
The two exchange before the tree finally gave way and collapsed.
“Bunga…”
“…Look out!”
Both leaders shouted before the latter quickly worked her magic in teleported him out of there and safely on the ground.
“Whew! Thanks, Twilight!”
“No problem.”
The Guard then examined the tree that collapsed while trying to understand how it happened.
“Upon examining the tree and its surroundings, it became clear that the land around Mekundu Cliffs had already been depleted of their food and resources. It was like they were very hungry and ended up cleaning out the area.” Ono’s voice from the present spoke before turning back to the present day.
“No question that happened.” Applejack remarked still firm on her stance. “They practically ate up everything within days of arriving there just before flying away to avoid the dry season in the Pride Lands.”
“True, but point being even if we don’t like them, they were just trying to eat what they need in order to survive.” Ono pointed out.
"Ono’s right.” Fluttershy agreed. “And if we build a sanctuary for them, they could have their apples to enjoy. After a while, they could even help the rest of your orchard. The vampire bats don't eat the seeds of the apples, and when they spit them out, they grow into even more productive apple trees!"
But even still Applejack is still too stubborn to listen to reason. “Listen, guys. That sounds real nice 'n' all, but every second we spend buildin' this so-called 'sanctuary' is a second they'll spend destroyin' orchards! You don't know what it was like the last time there was an infestation, but Granny Smith has told me enough stories about it that just the thought of it gives me nightmares!" She cringed while recalling when Sweet Apple Acres had only a small amount of apples to give to some customers when Granny Smith was about Applejack’s age at the time. "Granny says we lost a huge section of the orchard that year. They had to ration out apples all winter!"
"What about the cider?" Rainbow asked hopefully, "There was still cider, right?"
"Not…a…drop." She answered with emphasis on every word.
Bunga gasped in jaw dropped horror at the very mention of it. “No cider?! No cider?!” He exclaimed in a panic. “We need to round up these monsters, and we need to do it now!"
"If Granny Smith wasn't with Apple Bloom an' Big Mac checkin' out our produce competition in Appleloosa, she'd be here tellin' us to do just that!" Applejack said to everyone.
Fluttershy on the other hood could only look on sadly seeing that it's no use trying to talk to her just when Kion moves to give her sympathy for her plight. “I'm sorry, Fluttershy, if only there were some way make wishes like this come true."
And when Kion said that it sparked an idea in Bunga’s head. “Maybe there is…” He said with immediate delight before turning his attention towards Kyoga who eyes at him and Applejack in confusion. “What?” She asked flatly while realizing what he means by that. “It involves using my magic doesn’t it?”
“Yep! You’re just the magical lion to do it.” The honey badger happily answered while tapping her nose with his pinkie while the Guard looks at each other pretty befuddled at the idea of magically making them forget about the apples.
While watching this from Pride Rock, both Twilight and Scar turn to each other before smiling deviously just when an idea comes to mind like their bright bulbs suddenly flashed which was really a green spark of flames from Chrysalis’s magic that just flew over their heads along with some arguing from her and Zira from down below.
“Watch where you’re shooting that ugly horn at me, you beast!” Zira snarled at the changeling queen.
“Excuse me?! Like you’re one to call me, ugly you threatening skinny red-eyed demon!” Chrysalis fired back just when Zira attempts to lunge her before being frozen in place by the former’s magic before stepping aside and unfreezing her. The end result from this move had Zira crashing head-first into solid rock.
Thankfully, Zira was able to pick herself up on her paws after a few seconds of being knocked down onto the ground. But even after what she endured she bared her claws ready to try again. Both the changeling and lioness charged at each other with murderous intent to kill each other.
And that’s where Scar immediately leaped down and fired a beam of magic to force them back when it created an explosion and scorch mark onto the ground. “ENOUGH!”
The both of them immediately backed down upon the black-maned lion’s command and scowl at the two of them for engaging in whether petty and childish argument they were having. “Were you two fighting over who’s in charge again?!”
Unable to lie to their master due to Scar’s past experience with the hyenas lying to him in the past they both admitted. “Yes.”
“Uh-huh.” Scar figured before immediately adding before they can try to argue once more. “And I don’t want hear another word about it or who started it because I have no time for these ridiculous arguments.” He added seriously. “If we want to take over Equestria we’re going to have to work together, and by that I mean you two need to start cooperating with each other and start coming to an understanding with each other.”
“But Scar…” Chrysalis tried to plead of her master.
But Scar wasn’t having it. “Chrysalis!”
“As you wish…your majesty.” She relented without further protest, in a more defeated and pride swallowing tone while Zira complies without another word by lowering her head in shame towards her most devoted lion.
“I assure we will try our hardest to ensure that it won’t happen again.”
“Good.” Scar said before turning their attention to Twilight who looks down at the two in disappointment. “Because going forward your current teamwork progress will be monitored by Twilight who will inform me should this happen again. Is that clear?”
“Crystal.”
“Yes.”
With a new understanding set in stone, Scar then continued with some important business in mind. “Moving on…” He said before directing everyone’s attention the the Lion and Pony Guard gathered at Sweet Apple Acres where Ono speaks of his knowledge of the vampire fruit bats. “…I would like to direct your attention to why I’ve summoned you both here.”
“There's good news and bad news." Ono began with his knowledge on magical spells, "The good news is that there’s a spell that can get the vampire fruit bats to stop wanting to suck the juice from the apples.”
“Okay…” Kion said with full focus.
“But for the spell to work, we need the bats' complete attention." Ono added while turning his attention to Fluttershy.
"Oh no." She realized what that means.
“Yes, Fluttershy. I’m afraid that requires you to do your Stare on the bats." He said with no pleasure in breaking it to her.
Unsurprisingly, Fluttershy is not comfortable with this. "Oh, gosh, I don't know."
“You can’t be serious?!” Fuli questioned that suggestion with a strong sensethat’s going too far.
Hearing this had Rainbow quickly getting in the Pegasus’s face to question this hesitant attitude of hers. “What's the problem? You've used the Stare plenty of times before!”
“Yeah!” Bunga spoke up to back her up. “You took down a crazy stone turning chicken with those killer eyes.”
"Yes, but it's not something I take lightly. I've made a vow not to use it except in dire circumstances."
"This circumstance is plenty dire to me!" Applejack asserted.
"Me too!" Rainbow agreed with Applejack once more before despairing on the ground of the consequences of what will happen without a good apple supply. "Think of the cider! Won't somepony please think of the cider?!"
Bunga dramatically placed a claw on his forehead before dramatically fainting to which had Rarity rolling her eyes and shaking her head in dismay in response to their cider cravings doing the talking. “My, my, such a fuss over cider.”
"I'm sorry.” Fluttershy apologized. “I just don't like the idea of taking away the thing that makes the vampire fruit bats Vampire fruit bats! It just feels wrong!"
“Isn’t there another way?” Beshte implored of his friends. “If Fluttershy doesn’t want to do it, we really shouldn’t make her.”
“And we shouldn’t!” Fuli firmly agreed against making Fluttershy do something against her will.
"But if we don't do this, there won't be any apples left for anypony here in Ponyville." Applejack counter argued. "Doesn't that feel wrong, too?"
“Yes, but two wrongs don’t make a right!” Fuli stated.
“Kion…” Fluttershy stammered while turning to him, hoping he can back her up here. But even Kion was stuck in a bind here. He too didn’t want to go through with this plan out of respect for the Circle of Life, but a potential apple shortage had to be stopped before it could begin and their friends were really counting on wanting to enjoy the benefits the fruit from Sweet Apple Acres provides.
“As much as I hate saying this…” Kion began with regret but knows it must be done for now. “…I think this is our best course of action…” Fluttershy lowered her ears in saddened dismay and Fuli shook her head in dismay. “…but only until we take of the apple harvesting.” He added with an adopted neutral resolution proposal in the ponies direction. “After that, we can work how to deal the best course of action going forward.”
“…well… I guess…” Fluttershy spoke feeling Kion is really trying hard to play both sides here.
“I suppose that’s doable.” Fuli reluctantly spoke still having a bad taste at the idea itself.
"So what's it gonna be, Fluttershy?" Applejack asked wanting her answer. "Will you do your Stare on the bats or not?"
So out of sheer reluctance she gave her answer with her head hung down sadly. “Um… Um... Okay, I'll do it."
"Agreed." Rarity commended. "I knew you wouldn't side with those icky bats!" She added with a disgusted expression in regards to them.
“They're not icky," Fluttershy protested with her eyes to the side.
“Sorry, Fluttershy.” Kion apologized. “I only wish I could know how to please both sides at the same time more.” Fluttershy looked towards her friend with a look that tells him he knows he is trying. “But I can promise you that after this we’ll go straight with this.”
“Okay.”
“Yep.” Scar commented on the scene. “Straight into our paws and hooves since this is a perfect opportunity to capitalize on to bring suffering to Sweet Apple Acres and leave the Lion and Pony Guard begging to surrender.”
“So what’s the plan?” Twilight asked.
“The plan is for you to head on over there and intervene with their attempted spell.” Scar explained. “Once that is done, wait for the cover of darkness then you along with Chrysalis and Zira will shake up the Guard and have them on the run from the farm.”
“Got it. Tamper the spell, and shake their bells.” Twilight nodded before motioning her head towards Chrysalis and Zira to follow after her to the portal to Ponyville. “Alright ladies, let’s go!”
“And remember…” Scar added to the two sternly. “…best behavior.”
Both the lioness and the changeling both wordlessly nodded before following after the alicorn in charge towards the portal’s direction.
Once inside Ponyville, Twilight teleported herself, Chrysalis, and Zira on over to Sweet Apple Acres on the semi-distant hills from the orchard to where the vampire bats are occupied.
“Shh.” Twilight said with a raised hoof to her mouth before making her way closer to the Guard without being seen by sneaking tree to tree and bush to bush without using her magic while both Chrysalis and Zira watch from afar.
In order to get the bats rounded up, Applejack tied several apples on Pinkie Pie and Bunga’s head, looking like a fruit hat from a fiesta. With the apples on her head the pink pony hopped along the bat filled orchards, grabbing their attention in the process.
“Here, batty, bats.” Bunga said while walking along the way.
Rarity and Fuli, while both wearing contamination suits, carried butterfly nets to try and capture a couple of bats hanging from a tree. With Rarity giving her a lift, Fuli was able to reach it. But she also accidentally knocked an apple off which landed on the unicorn’s mask leaving behind a splatter on it. The bat having smelled it’s scent moved to land on the unicorn's mask and needless to say Rarity was left in frightened disgust upon seeing the bat face to face.
"Ew, ew, ew, Ewwww!"
Luckily for her, Fuli was able to swat it away and bought Rarity time to flee before anymore bats can follow suit before quickly speeding off to sweep her off of her hooves in order to shake them off of their tails.
Another group of bats was eating some apples and spitted out it’s seeds were quickly swooped up by Rainbow Dash with Kyoga quick to grab the ones that the former didn’t catch.
"Gotcha!"
The two with the bats they grabbed in tow took them to the tree where the others have gathered enough apples to keep them there long enough so Kyoga can do her magic on them.
Once all of the bats arrived at the tree they were all munching on apples.
"Good work, everybody!" Applejack complimented. "I think we got 'em all!"
“As of now!” Fuli shouted while zooming by in a flash while tossing Rarity’s apple splattered mask alongside the tree. “Phew.”
“Thanks, darling.”
“Don’t mention it.”
With that settled, Applejack then turned to Fluttershy. "Now all we need is for you do to your Stare."
"Oh, um, are you sure I need--" Fluttershy once more asked with the others nodding in response.
“It’s okay.” Kion again assured with a paw on her wing. “It’s not forever.”
“Okay.”
As Fluttershy moves to fly up to prepare her stare on the bats, Kion turns to Kyoga. “You ready?”
“As always.” She answered with a resigned tone.
Just when Kyoga moves to work her magic, Twilight secretly moves towards the closet tree behind the Guard’s backs before the open in the center of the orchard.
"Okay, I really, really, really hate to do this to you... I just hope you can forgive me…" She said to them with closed eyes and sincerity before opening them to give the bats the Stare. The creatures hissed at her first, but then they stopped, upon being frozen in place by her harsh glare.
"Good… Now you go, Kyoga!" Applejack then told her who moved towards the tree to work her magic.
Before she could do her spell, Kyoga gave a sigh. "Sorry to have to do this, but here goes."
Deep down she like Fluttershy really hates of what she is about to do but of course they have other matters to worry and a farm on the verge of losing valuable apples is one of them and it’s only temporary. Yet she can’t help but feel someway somehow this will end badly. But nevertheless she moved to do so.
While Fluttershy continued doing her Stare, Kyoga activated the spell. By standing on her back legs she worked her front paws with magic glowed a bright peachy pink color along with the bats, under the trance. She then closed her eyes and continued motioning her paws so the spell could be properly done.
During the event, Twilight then tapped into her horn and sent a small stream of dark magic into the mix in order to tamper with the spell to her liking without anyone noticing. And once the spell was done, both Kyoga’s paws and the bats stopped glowing.
"You can stop staring, Fluttershy." Kyoga said to her who ended her glare and looked down at her friends once she longer had to do something she hated.
"Did it work?" Spike asked.
"Only one way to find out for sure." Applejack said before turning to nodding at Rainbow Dash before she tries to test it out by offering one of them an apple to eat.
One of the bats that was previously rubbing his eyes, like he was just trying to remember what had just happened, sniffed it twice before turning away in disinterest and flew off.
Upon seeing this Rainbow cheered seeing the plan worked. "Ye-he-heah, whoo!"
“Oh, yeah! No more bats chewing on apples!” Bunga also cheered.
“My crop is saved! Yee-haw!" Applejack cheered the most
"We'll be drinking cider all winter long!" Rainbow Dash continued before Applejack continued with much needed gratitude for her friends.
"I wanna thank you for your help." Applejack said with satisfaction of a job well done. "I couldn't have done it without you. Now all we gotta do is sweep up these cores so I can start buckin' fresh tomorrow morning'!"
But even still, Fluttershy still had something on her mind, and oddly enough it was something rather distracting. She was staring at something with full attention, one of the fallen apples on the ground. For some reason it looked very appealing to her. Something about that red shiny and juicy apple had the saliva in her mouth rising from her tongue like she really wanted to enjoy it.
“Fluttershy?” Ono’s voice called to her.
“Huh?” She said while snapping to attention. “Oh, yes, Ono?”
“Doing okay?” He asked with an arched eyebrow.
“Uh-huh.” She replied still trailing her eyes to the side in the apples direction. “Just got a little distracted is all.”
“Okay…” He accepted it without another word yet can’t put his wing on what’s really wrong inside.
With the Guard getting to work cleaning up the eaten apples on the ground of the orchard, Twilight, along with Queen Chrysalis and Zira move away from the orchard, bush to bush, and tree to tree to avoid being spotted.
Once they were a safe and unnoticeable distance away, Twilight then turned back to the two with a plan in place.
“Now that the spell is in place, I want you two to keep watching over Fluttershy throughout the rest of the day into the morning. And if you two can cooperate with each other till then, we’ll discuss the next part. That clear?”
“Yes.” Both ladies grimaced in reply.
“Good.”
With her orders set, both parties set out to keep tabs on the Lion and Pony Guard with Twilight herself taking watch over the Guard while Fluttershy heads on home to give her time to fully adjust to what had her friends had her do.
Even though Kion assured her, it was only temporary, she still feels something deep down isn’t right. She can’t put her hoof or wing on it but it is definitely deep down her growling gut and it is hungry for apples for some reason as she stared with locked hungry and thirsty eyes at the fruit around her. The more her tummy grumbled the more she really wanted it.
As for both Chrysalis and Zira, it was a really tough pill to swallow for them. Not only do they have to learn how to work together along with the fact that Scar has Twilight not only watch over their progress but also the fact that she is his second-in-command of his army and is in charge when Scar isn’t around to give orders.
But still, since they do both want to aim to please Scar while getting what they want in return, they both pressed forward with their task at paws and hooves while trying their hardest to be on their best behavior.
“This is humiliating.” Chrysalis started.
“No kidding.” Zira agreed.
“First, Twilight kicks our flanks during the Comet, then helps Scar the most in taking over the Pride Lands, and now we are taking orders from her.”
“I know. If only she was still pretending to be on their side we’d still be his go-to girls giving orders to the others.”
“But…” Chrysalis sighed with slight humility. “…even so, she is still the one we need in order to achieve victory and our revenge on those who had beaten us before and Scar’s right. If we want to be able to succeed we’re going to have to work together.”
“Yes…” Zira gritted her teeth while retracting her claws in order to show restraint. “…we do. And I really need to prove to Scar that I am someone he can count on just in case Twilight slips up somehow.”
“Me too, me too.”
“Glad to hear that.” Twilight’s voice spoke to them. “And remember eyes on the target.” She reminded them to keep watch on Fluttershy who had just arrived in her cottage, saving the two from being spotted by her in time by the alicorn’s magic. “And nothing personal, watch the sky going forward.”
The two both blushed and looked aside rather embarrassed that Twilight like Scar is capable of hearing and listening to every word that goes on whenever she’s not here before moving to sneak their way towards the Pegasus’s cottage in order to keep a close eye on her every movement.
The next day at the same time just when it is time for the sun to rise yet again, Applejack prepares to try it again.
"Apple Bucking Day, take two!"
The rooster crowed just when the sun rose up over the hills. Just like yesterday before, she galloped happily.
"Yee-haw!"
With the bats gone, she could finally buck the apples once again. "Time to collect those juicy, sweet apples!" She moved to buck the first tree and happily watched as the first apple fell…
…sadly for her, it was quickly soured with what she saw land on the ground and that led to her calling the Guard on over here.
"The spell didn't work!" Kyoga spoke with disbelief once she examined the apple mush all with the other apples sucked up dry just like yesterday.
"You're darn tootin' the spell didn't work!" Applejack angrily exclaimed.
“But it had to." Kyoga argued to assert herself in order to keep the country pony from pointing hooves at her. “How could it not?!”
"Maybe you worked the spell wrong?" Bunga suggested.
“I didn’t…” Kyoga returned rather aggravated while trying to keep her cool. “…someone or something must have tampered with it while I was doing it.”
“Okay, okay, sorry…” Bunga quickly apologized with raised arms. “…I was just suggesting. Not saying that you’re wrong but just suggesting.”
Kyoga placed a paw on her forehead, visibly regretting her near-outburst towards Bunga.
“It’s okay, Kyoga.” Kion quickly assured. “Whatever happened we’ll figure it out.”
“Okay.” She said with a calming sigh before turning to the honey badger with a solemn expression. “Sorry, Bunga.”
“It’s okay.” Bunga quickly accepted the apology.
"Now that that’s settled…” Applejack then said focusing on the more important issue. “…I think we're gonna have to take more extreme measures!"
"I hear ya, Applejack!" Rainbow Dash immediately agreed before leading the team on over towards where the bats are. "C'mon, everybody! Let's track down those vampire bats!"
The team rushed towards the trees where the bats were on the branches, all completely calm doing nothing but sitting and flying, with some even reading.
“Hmm, odd…” Ono spoke with a curious and perplexed expression. “…they’re all there but not even eating them.”
In order to test this, Rainbow offered the vampire bat reading an apple, but he quickly swatted it away without even looking at it even when it landed on Rarity's horn.
“Can I…” Bunga asked while slipping the apple off of the unicorn’s horn before moving to eat it earning looks from the others. “What’s with the looks?” He casually asked while munching on it. “Beats letting this fresh one go to waste.”
"Wait a minute...” Applejack realized. “I don't think these bats are the ones that sucked my apples dry."
“Nope.” Ono stated upon examining their eyes which earned him weird looks from the bats. “Kyoga’s spell worked fine, they are all still anti-apple vampire bats.”
"But if the vampire bats aren't eating your apples…?" Rarity began.
“…who is…” Beshte finished before turning to the yellow Pegasus. “Fluttershy? You’re our animal expert. Do you know of any other creature that might be capable of this?"
"I'm sorry. I don't." Fluttershy replied.
“Neither do I.” Ono joined in. “Not even knowing every animal in both the Pride Lands and Equestria will tell us who.”
“So how do we find out?” Fuli asked hoping someone has some ideas.
"There's only one way to find out." Kion answered. “We'll have to catch whoever it is in the act."
"And how do you propose we do that?" Rarity asked.
"A stakeout!" Kion again answered with a confident smile.
"The witching hour…" Rainbow said in a spooky voice as she and the others walked around the orchard at night.
“Ooooh….” Bunga joined in with an ominous tone. “…scary.”
“Can we please just focus on this mission?” Fuli seriously asked them in a tone wondering if they’re done goofing around.
“Yes.”
“Of course.”
The two immediately replied without protest just when they heard a owl hooting.
“Freeze!”
“Show yourself!”
“Bunga, Rainbow….” Fuli then said with a deadpan expression. “…that’s an owl.”
Both were immediately embarrassed by their sudden overreaction.
“Right.”
“Oops.”
"Maybe we should just call this off." Fluttershy suggested in plea not wanting to be out here for another second. "Not sure about the rest of you guys, but I'm really hungry…" She then said while gazing up at an apple hanging from one of the tree branches with hungry eyes to match. In fact it was so mouth-watering for her that drool dripped from her mouth before she gulped and snapped herself out of it.
“Fluttershy…?” Ono having noticed her moment of distraction asked sounding concerned.
“Yes.”
“Still doing okay?” He hesitantly asked trying to wonder what’s different with her overall tone and demeanor.
“Yes. Everything’s fine.” She quickly answered to which Ono still felt something was up.
"Oh, Fluttershy, it'll be okay." Rarity added in encouragement, "Don't forget, darling, we're all in this together."
“That’s right.” Beshte backed her up. “Nobody and nopony leaves this orchard until we solve this mystery. Agreed.” He asked everyone.
“Agreed.”
"Does everybody have their signals?" Applejack then asked. While both Rarity and Kyoga used their magic from their horn and eyes respectively to create light with their cutie mark symbols on them, Pinkie had a flashlight that shined a symbol with her cutie mark on it. And the others carried flashlights that had the Lion Guard symbols on them whenever the light on theirs flashed.
"Now remember, only use the signal if you see somethin' suspicious." Kion told everyone to remind them this is serious business.
“Understood.”
“Got it!"
“Only if we see danger lurking around.”
Kyoga, Pinkie, and Bunga all said seriously while Pinkie swings hers around and accidentally temporary blinds Applejack by flashing hers into her eyes.
"Something suspicious…" Pinkie Pie repeated before shifting her eyes around while holding her flashlight with her mane while both she and Bunga eye the orchard around them. The two got started right away in spotting anything suspicious at all before spotting Fluttershy sniffing an apple.
“Freeze!” Bunga shouted in the startled Pegasus’s direction.
"Whatcha doin'?!" Pinkie also shouted while her friend shook her head before galloping ahead.
“Susipcious!” Bunga stated while Pinkie placed her flashlight back into her mane, before they both continued eyeing Fluttershy suspiciously.
"Alright, now everybody split up.” Applejack then instructed everyone. “We'll each patrol our own row of the orchard. Whoever or whatever's destroyin' my apples has gotta be here somewhere."
Without another word, the Guard members all split up so they can all cover more ground in pursuit of the mysterious apple-eating thief.
The ponies, teens and dragon each split apart from one another to search for the mysterious creature where Ono continued to act on his suspicions by following after Fluttershy with Beshte following suit upon seeing the look the egret was giving her.
“Ono…?”
“Shh….”
Fluttershy continued down her path across the orchard while still having a terrible pit in her stomach.
"I have a bad feeling about this. A really bad feeling about this…" She then caught sight of another bright apple hanging from a tree. The sight of it had her eyes turning from her normal teal green to a blood red while continuing her gaze on the fruit. "That apple... It looks...so juicy... and sweet…" While she looks on, her teeth start sporting fangs when they started to grow out…
“Poa!”
“Hapana!”
Both Beshte and Ono exclaimed upon having witnessed this from a safe distance.
Meanwhile, both Pinkie Pie and Bunga suddenly heard the sound of apple crunching from the shadows within the nearby trees.
"What was that?!" Pinkie Pie asked.
“Over there!” Bunga reported while pointing towards a rotten apple, splattered on the ground. “Another bad apple!”
Pinkie Pie inspected it up close before speaking. "Suspicious!" She giggled in delight. "It's pony signal time!"
But before she could do so, the same mysterious individual that rushed back knocked it out of her mane.
“What the…?” Bunga tried to turn to the direction of where the figure who ran by while dropping his flashlight when he was stunned.
Elsewhere, Rarity is making her way down her path of the orchard on full alert due to walking in the orchard at night. She suddenly saw a shadow fly over her head. "Who's there?" She stammered when the figure flew over again and missed her head again. “Oh, well, there's obviously no need to worry about that shadowy figure overhead..." The same figure swooped over her again. “Maybe there is!” She then said in fright before picking up the pace of her walking.
At the same time, Rainbow along with Fuli were both focused for anything around them with the former hovering over the air and the latter sniffing for anything suspicious.
“I got something!” Fuli whispered while managing to pick up someone’s scent.
“Who?”
She sniffed again and then expressed like she it’s something she’d least expect it.
Just then the same shadowy figure flies right by over their heads.
“What?” Fuli said out loud upon examining what’s from above while squinting.
‘Who?!” Rainbow repeated just before feeling the same breeze again. “Uh… who's there?" She questioned slightly intimidated herself before spotting something else in the shadows. “Answer me or you'll regret it!"
“Rainbow…” Fuli tried to tell her but the Pegasus was already eyeing her target.
“Fine, have it your own way!" Rainbow didn’t listen and immediately charged towards it to attack. "Take that, you, you, you... scarecrow…?" She quickly realized when Fuli walks up by her side.
“Eeyep.”
“Oops.”
Elsewhere, Kion and Kyoga are both searching their portion of the orchard when they see Applejack’s cutie mark signal shining through her flashlight in the sky.
Seeing that she had spotted something worth their attention, they both quickly rushed over in her direction to where they find her looking on with her mouth and eyes wide open in baffled shock at something from above with her flashlight standing on the ground.
“Hevi Kabisa!”
“What?”
The two were both stunned at what they saw at the same time the others have gathered together with Beshte and Ono both catching their breath from their attempts to keep up with the figure eating apples and sucking them dry.
"Everyone...” Ono spoke in between breaths. “…oh…I…see…you…see…what…we see…Hapana.” He gasped before passing out.
“What’s going on here…?” Fuli spoke before cutting herself off once she saw what everyone’s seeing with agape eyes before following suit.
Said figure that’s been lurking around the orchard is now hanging from a tree branch, wrapped up like a cocoon. Pinkie Pie and Bunga both hung onto the branch, upside down, shining their flashlights at the creatures.
"Suspicious!"
“Show yourself!”
“Huh?”
“What?”
The two then gasped once they saw the creature opening its wings to reveal itself as someone they didn’t expect the culprit to be….Fluttershy. As it turns out, she is the one who has been sucking the apples dry with her fangs whenever she transformed into a bat-pony. Said form has her appearing with her coat now darker shade of yellow, her eyes were red and her mane was messy like she just got her hair done for a horror movie. In addition her cutie mark was now three pink bats and had bat wings.
Fluttershy's tongue stuck out and she sucked the juice out of another apple.
"Fluttershy?”
“Yoo-hoo!"
She hissed at both Bunga and Pinkie, causing them to fall from the branch and land on their heads.
“Whoa!”
“Ow!”
"That's not Fluttershy…" Rarity gasped. "That's Flutterbat!"
“Well…” Ono tried to correct her before being faced with the deadly eye stare from the bat-like pony. “…never mind!”
"We've gotta get her down from there!" Kion stated.
Beshte given that he shares the same affinity of kindness on her level tried to talk to her first, but not without emitting a small gulp before pressing forward. “Uh…Fluttershy, hello…” He started albeit nervously. “…think make you could you come down please?"
"As well as stop being a vampire bat." Rarity added.
She simply hissed in response before sucking up more apples.
Rainbow Dash flew up to her to try a more snap out of it approach. “Fluttershy! It's me, Rainbow Dash! Why don't you cut the bat act and come on down?!"
Naturally, Fluttershy hissed in response before spreading her wings to slap Rainbow Dash away. She yelped while spinning and flying backwards in midair before stopping, looking surprised at how Fluttershy is stronger than she looks before retreating back to the ground.
"Whoa! Maybe we should just let them come down when they're ready."
Suddenly, Fluttershy swooped down to their level again nearly cutting Rainbow’s head off in the process. Luckily for her, Fuli quickly tackled Fluttershy before that could happen, but in the process got bitten while doing so.
“YEOW!” She screamed before finding herself knocked aside by the pony with fangs.
Kion growled at the sight of this before charging to tackle Fluttershy himself. The Pegasus pony struggled under the lion cub’s gripping his claws onto her throat while pinning her down to the ground until she tapped into her inner pony strength by moving her body around to shake Kion before slapping him away with her pony-bat sized wing.
Kion ended up knocked backwards to the nearby tree before crashing down onto the ground. “Aah!”
"Giant bats on the loose!”
“Run for your lives!"
Both the terrified pony and honey badger screamed before they began digging a tunnel when Kyoga quickly walked up to them.
"Pinkie Pie, Bunga, both of you, calm down!" She told them before directing their attention to the pony bat now hanging upside down in another tree. "See? She’s back on the… branch."
Neither one of them were fully convinced.
"She’s just biding their time! Waiting for the right moment to pounce!"
“And then…YEOW! Like Fuli!”
“Exactly...Thanks Pinkie.”
"Pinkie Pie, bats don't eat ponies. Not even vampire bats." Applejack reminded them to no avail.
"But, maybe vampire ponies eat other ponies!"
“And maybe vampire ponies eat other creatures!”
Both Bunga and Pinkie blinked at each other before turning and seeing something startling in Kion’s direction.
Fuli is struggling and moaning to get up on her paws while Kion watches over trying to help her up.
“Fuli? Are you okay…?” Kion asked with concern before suddenly and barely dodging a claw to the face. “Whoa! What in the Pride Lands?!” He exclaimed in alarmed shock with the others gasping at what has happened.
As if Flutterbat wasn’t bad enough, they now have Fulibat on the fly when she faces the group with a snarling hiss while baring her fangs and glaring at them with her now blood red eyes. She got up on her paws and sprouted black bat-like wings on her body while grunting in pain while baring her long black claws ready to attack her prey.
Both Pinkie and Bunga screamed in terror.
“That’s it! I'm not taking any chances! Let’s go!" Bunga shouted before moving to hang onto to Pinkie’s mane while she drills her way down the tunnel she is creating.
“Whoa! Cheetapire!” Ono shouted before ducking said cheetapire aiming directing her eyes at his head.
Luckily he was able to get out of the way in time before Fuli moved to eat up a nearby tree of apples while hanging upside down by her tail.
“Fuli?” Beshte called out to her trying to wonder what happened. “Fuli?!” Fuli simply hissed back at her friend who wisely decided he was better off not trying to risk getting bitten too. “Never mind.”
“Well that’s just great…” Ono voiced now feeling like he wants to fly away too. “…First Fluttershy has become Flutterbat, and now Fuli has become Fulibat! What’s next?”
"I don’t know.” Rarity replied before wondering. “How did all of this happen? I get that a vampire-like bat turned Fuli into one but how did Fluttershy become Flutterbat?"
“Me neither, that’s the part that I don’t understand either.” Kion added while coming to a regretful realization. “And I think somehow this was actually our fault."
"Our fault?" Rainbow asked like he is serious there while Kyoga glances at her with something to cement that claim.
“Yes, it is.” Kyoga firmly replied while raising her left paw. “And I know why.”
"And how'd you figure that?" Applejack asked.
In answer to her question, Kyoga then used her magic to create a hologram for a visual demonstration with shaped images of her, Fluttershy, and the bats.
"Okay, so this is me, these are the bats, and this is Fluttershy doing her Stare." She explained while the images showed said past events playing out. "The spell was supposed to go right onto the bats like this, but somehow the spell must have backfired." The image then showed the Kyoga figure casting her spell and the bats glowed, which then reflected onto Fluttershy, turning her into a bat pony. "It took the vampire fruit bats' desire to be vampire fruit bats and transferred that desire into Fluttershy." She then cancels the magic showing the visual graphics. “And not only that what ended up causing that is a sudden disturbance in my magic which altered it so it could happen the way it did.”
“But how?” Ono inquired before sudden realizing. “Oh, no. Twilight.”
“Yep.” She nodded.
"We’ll deal with her later!” Kion immediately stated before leading the team on over in the vampire friends direction. "We got to reverse the spell and make it right!"
Just then, the ground opened up and both Bunga and Pinkie popped out.
"Then what are we waiting for?"
“Lets go and save Fluttershy and Fulira before those things eat us all!"
They stated just when said bats hovered over them and advanced on them in flight.
"Hit the deck!" Rainbow Dash screamed before everyone quickly did so.
"Follow those bats!" Bunga shouted before all they moved to quickly pursue them in the direction they were both flying towards.
As the group ran off to seek their friends, they didn’t realize that the two hybrid bats have both had landed on a tree branch in the distance behind them. They both groaned and hissed in pain as their ears began to turn sharp and bat-like ones. The two both licked her lips with their hunger still growing before flying off.
As soon as they both flew off, Twilight along with Chrysalis and Zira emerged from their hiding spots.
“Come on, ladies!” Twilight ushered the two to follow her lead before moving to fly after the Lion and Pony Guard together which lasted for quite a few hours into the night.
"I can't believe we lost them!" Rarity expressed.
“I can’t believe we lost Fluttershy of all ponies!” Ono expressed feeling frustrated himself. “It’s one thing that we would lose Fuli, but Fluttershy?! Just how is a vampire bat able to make that possible?!”
“Considering she was able to keep up with Rainbow Dash with the motive of stopping Discord came to mind, it would make sense how.” Kion answered and deduced. “Fluttershy! Fuli!”
Kyoga having spent the time sniffing into the ground, picked up of what they are looking for straight ahead. “Found them!" But likewise, they both quickly turned around and hissed at them before they both flew up in opposite directions.
First Fluttershy came by and swooped down while giving Kion a chase, while Fuli pursed Applejack. Kion tried to run as fast as he can but finds the formerly sweet and meek pony bat is gaining on him. So with her fangs drawing close to his fur and skin, he moved to quickly duck and move his body to the side while tumbling across the dirt to avoid being bitten.
Fluttershy then flew back up and then back down to try to attack Kion when he has no time to get back up and running again. Having no choice but to fight her, he quickly leaped up and swiped his claws at her which had her knocked aside from the impact. She quickly recovered and flew off but not before slurping up another apple and spitting seeds right back at him as payback for that attack.
Applejack didn’t have any better against Fuli since super speed is in her energy and she used her wings to her full advantage by swooping and knocking the country pony off of her hooves and into the mud. Just when she emerged from her face from the ground, she found herself knocked back hard with a paw to the face, followed by a series of rapid punches, before finishing off with a strong kick that had the earth pony falling on her back. Once she was dealt with, the cheetapire that scooped up another apple with her fangs before sucking it dry of juice before spitting the seeds right at her before flying off.
Kion having recovered with his heart racing after having to fight for his life against someone that’s always been by his side from the day they met. “You okay, Applejack.”
“Eeyup.” Applejack replied before letting him help him up. “How about you?”
“Fine…” He answered while still trying to catch his breath. “…it’s just not easy having to fight your friends.”
“I know.” Applejack sighed knowing that having one of their friends against them is bad enough.
"If they keep this up, your whole crop will be gone in no time!" Rainbow Dash pointed out.
"That's the least of my worries." Applejack commented as she watched the two bat creatures fly around. "I just want my friends back."
"At the speed both Fluttershy and Fuli are both flying at, we can't get them back unless we corner them so I can reverse the spell!" Kyoga pointed out.
“But how?” Applejack asked. ”Even if we can lure them close enough for you to do it, how are we gonna get them to stay still long enough for you to do your reverse spell?"
“I don’t know!” Kyoga expressed rather frustrated and without anything useful in her mind. “I don’t know.” She repeated softly while quickly regretting her outburst.
"If only we had Fluttershy to do her Stare on the Flutterbat and Fulibat then we could do it." Bunga said.
Having said those words had an idea bulb lighting up in the lion’s head. “Maybe we can!”
“We can?” Bunga double-taked when he said that. “You mean getting Fluttershy to actually do her own Stare to herself?”
“Yes, Bunga! Because that’s exactly what we’re going to do!” He stated confidently before moving to explain it to everyone.
With full determination, Kion vowed to ensure that they wouldn’t lose anymore friends to the side of darkness before having everyone bring what they need in order to save them.
"Okay, let's get our friends back." Kion told everyone while Kyoga and Beshte lifted a large object covered with a long blanket.
Once they all arrived in the empty area of the orchard once more, Beshte had gently placed the object down on the ground with Kyoga assisting him in handling it delicately before Rainbow moved to remove the cloth to reveal the object was in fact Applejack's prize winning apple.
“Lion and Pony Guard! Split up!”
Everyone did exactly that while Applejack took a knife in her mouth ready to slit it.
"So much for having the winning apple in the Appleloosa State Fair, huh?" Rainbow said apologetically that she is giving this up.
Applejack acknowledged her sympathy before carrying through with it. As she said it herself, the apples are the least of her worries and saving both Fluttershy and Fuli was more important than ever.
Once she sliced the side of the apple, a sweet smelling juice came pouring out with Rainbow flapping her wings to spread the sweet aroma scent into the sky.
In no time, Fluttershy and Fuli both immediately caught it’s scent and quickly rushed towards the juicy fruit while hissing and flapping their wings.
"They're coming!" Rainbow alerted everyone.
Acting quick, both Kion and Kyoga leaped from their trees at the same time Rainbow flew up and tackled Fuli to the ground and pinned her down with her hooves locked around her waist. Both Kion and Kyoga quickly assisted Rainbow with keeping her down by pinning down her legs so she can’t move or break free.
While Fuli was heavily restrained, Applejack kicked the giant apple away when Fluttershy approached it to show her a mirror placed right behind it, held up by Spike catching her own reflection in the process.
She quickly turned and tried to fly away but was stopped by another mirror, held by Pinkie Pie cutting off her escape. She tried to turn away to try to escape the third and only remaining route, but Rarity was quick to stop her with a third mirror. From there, Fluttershy was cornered with nowhere to go and avoid seeing herself entranced by her own Stare, the Korra bat slowly stopped as well, almost as if she too was under the same spell.
Kyoga quickly activated her magic and a peach colored glow circled around Fluttershy and Fuli.
Once the magic processed through their bodies and the transformation took place. Their ears returned to normal, along with their teeth once the fangs were transformed back into normal teeth. Fuli lost her wings and her claws were returned to normal length. Once the spell was complete, the magic dissipated with both the now former vampire bats now gently placed back onto the ground.
Kion quickly rushed over to help Fuli up while Applejack rushed over to help Fluttershy up to her hooves with the latter opening her eyes first.
"Oh… where am I?" She asked like she just woke from a bad dream at the same time Fuli came too.
“Yeah…” She groaned. “And what happened?”
“Thank goodness you're both okay!” Applejack happily said in relief.
"Yeah, but the question is why are we okay now?” Fuli asked.
"I can't remember anything." said Fluttershy.
Pinkie Pie and Bunga both literally jumped in between Kion and Applejack and explained everything.
"You turned into a vampire pony!“
“And Fuli was a vampire cheetah!"
"I tried to eat ponies?!"
"I tried to eat animals?!"
Both girls asked in shock.
"Of course not!" Pinkie Pie happily answered.
"So we weren't vampires?" Fluttershy asked.
"Yes!" Pinkie replied.
"You mean yes we were, or yes we weren't?" Fuli asked.
"Yes, you were!" Bunga replied.
"But we didn't try and eat anyone?" Fluttershy asked.
"Yes!" Pinkie replied.
"We did?!" Fuli asked looking confused and horrified.
"No!" Bunga replied while shaking his head.
"I'm confused…" Fluttershy replied.
“Me too, I’m lost.” Fuli added still feeling confused and groaned while hearing her stomach growl. “And hungry.” She then licks her lips. “It’s like I had nothing but apples all day.”
“Oh, it’s because you did.” Ono said in confirmation. “And briefly grew wings in the process.”
“I grew what…?” Fuli shook her head while widening her eyes at what her egret friend had just said.
“We’ll explain later.” Kion said in response so they can move to treat her to a much-needed dinner.
While the Guard moves to the farm so they can have a late night dinner after a job well done in saving their friends, Twilight, Chrysalis, and Zira move to sneak their way towards the apple with a small sliced opening in it. By working together both the alicorn and changeling queen moved to work their magic in levitating the apple away from the orchard while Zira moves ahead to keep an eye on the Guard in case they turn their backs and spot them.
“All clear?” Twilight asked the lioness on full alert.
“Almost there…” Zira softly spoke while spotting the Guard still moving towards the farm for the next ten seconds before finally making their way inside the house. “…now we’re good!”
“Great!”
With the all clear, Twilight and Chrysalis proceeded to carry the giant apple away from the farm while Zira follows from behind while looking back to make sure they haven’t and aren’t spotted yet.
Along the way, Zira had something on her mind with a feeling of restrained vengeance boiling up in her heart. “If I may ask…?” Zira began with a question for Twilight. “…why did we go through all of that trouble for that giant apple? The Lion and Pony Guard are all still alive and not dead?!”
“Two reasons. One…” Twilight began with her eyes still focused on carefully handling the giant fruit. “…this giant apple is a golden source of food that the changelings will greatly enjoy considering all of the apple treats that can be baked with this alone.” She then eyed the frustrated lioness on the second part. “And two, it is not in Scar’s interests for the Lion and Pony Guard to die…at this time.”
“Why?!”
“Because we need to ensure that his rule over Equestria along with the Pride Lands is permanent. And with the Elements of Harmony still accessible with the keys needed to access that chest containing the only thing powerful enough to defeat him still out there, we need to ensure they don’t access that.” As Twilight continues to explain her reasons, Zira starts to slowly understand the necessity of it. “So that means we still need them in order to gain those keys and need them around just a little longer if we want this plan to work.”
“I suppose.”
“We’re here.” Chrysalis directed the two’s attention to the nearby portal to the Pride Lands straight ahead.
“Believe me when I tell you this will work out better in the long run.” Twilight promised before she and Chrysalis moved to cross the portal together with the apple in tow. “We just need to be patient.”
The next morning, the vampire bats were moving and settling into their new home in their part of the Apple orchard. Applejack after what happened throughout the last few days had decided to comply with Fluttershy's previous advice and build a sanctuary for the creatures. After creating the sign, Bunga finished hammering the sign that showed an image of a black colored vampire bat on it to finish the job.
“By the power invested in me on behalf of the Lion and Pony Guard, I hereby proclaim this part of the Apple orchard, the vampire bat orchard!” Bunga announced with a proud look on his face while the others smile in agreement while letting him have this moment.
"Looks nice." Beshte complimented just when one of the friendly bats rested on his shoulder. "With this new orchard for them, you’re sure to have more apples when the new trees start growing in.”
“It sure will.” Applejack agreed before turning to Fluttershy with sincere remorse for what her previous stance on the bats had caused her. “I’m real sorry I didn't take your suggestion in the first place Fluttershy."
"It's okay.” Fluttershy quickly accepted her apology. “And don’t forgot, that now that the seeds are planted in the grow, you’ll get even bigger and better apple trees."
Rainbow Dash came in between the two, while wrapping her hooves around the both of them with a very hopeful and eager question along with Bunga. "Does that mean what I think it means?"
"Yup! More cider too." Applejack happily confirmed.
"Yea-he-heah, whoo!"
“Oh yeah!
Both Rainbow and Bunga cheered while the former flew around the sky happily leaving behind a rainbow trail in excitement.
Later at Fluttershy's cottage, Spike wrote down their latest story into the journal while laying on the floor. "Okay, got the part about the spell, Fuli and Fluttershy turning into bats, building a sanctuary…"
"Be sure to put in there that I came to see that my short-term solution was a little short-sighted." Applejack reminded while kneeling to his eye level.
"And that you shouldn't let anypony pressure you into doing something that you don't think is right." Fluttershy added to which the country girl blushed in response to that. "Sometimes you have to tell even your closest friends 'no'."
Everyone nodded in agreement with that statement.
“Well said.” Fuli voiced her thoughts.
“No kidding.” Kion agreed.
"Now, how about we celebrate our stronger than ever friendship with a nice, ripe, juicy apple?" Applejack offered to which had Fuli’s smile turn into a face of disgust.
“Ugh. No thanks.”
Just then Pinkie and Bunga immediately got in between them again while wearing fake vampire fangs
"Stand back!”
“I vant to suck its juuuice!"
Pinkie bit into the apple, only to have her fake fangs get stuck in it instead. Everyone laughed happily at the joke, with everyone finding it funny with Fuli quick to remind Applejack with something else.
“Seriously, though, no more apples, please.”
“Whatever you say.” She respectfully complied to her wishes by offering the apple to someone else to which Beshte gladly accepted himself.
Meanwhile at Pride Rock, the changelings are currently enjoying the various apple treats provided by Twilight after having baked them herself. All that time in the kitchen with Pinkie did pay off as it turns out.
“Who would have of that? All the time in the kitchen really does help you pick up a thing or two.” She thought to herself rather pleased with how they turned out.
She then moved to exit Pride Rock before approaching Scar who is having a word with both Zira and Chrysalis to ensure that they have buried the hatchet going forward. “And I trust that you both can work together going forward?”
“Yes, Scar!”
The two obeyed with a bow to their king.
“Good, just remember that I’m still watching and it had better not happen again.” He sternly reminded them.
“Of course your majesty, that’s a promise.” Zira vowed.
“Absolutely guaranteed.” Chrysalis said. “You’ll won’t see another squabble from us.”
“Good. Now carry on.” He replied feeling satisfied before dismissing them to carry out training their troops. Once they had left he turned to Twilight standing behind her with a pleased expression. “Well done, Twilight.”
“Thank you, Scar.”
“And now that that’s settled, we can start focusing on our plan to get those keys.”
“Of course.” Twilight nodded before scanning her magic and sensing a rainbow wave of magic from somewhere far from Ponyville. “And I know just where the first one is…” She said with her magic pulling up the detection coming from somewhere that is familiar to those who grew up with an elegant and graceful style and taste of clothing and manners. “…Manehattan.”
“Excellent.” Scar said very pleased with an evil smile knowing that the search for the keys to victory is just beginning with successful results.
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Not bad, I have a theory and question about this new plan with keys. I’m guessing that after the heroes get their keys in the chest, daddy might make a move and snag the keys and the chest so he can take the power for himself. But I also wonder what about Twilight’s key? After she’s purified what’s daddy gonna do? Is the fight with Tirek still gonna happen and him getting rainbowfied? Does Twilight know what items will become the rainbow keys? I have so many questions!! I just hope daddy’s prepared for all this and I hope he continues to plan and stay alive throughout the series
Is Zira going to play a big role in this series?
I was wondering why Sparkle gave them the journal. The new question is, what does she want with the box and how will she ruin things? Because obviously either she or Scar could corrupt that magic for their own purposes, and neither would be good for both worlds.