The Bat at the Cottage

by Burning Wick

Rating: everyone
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Angel, Fluttershy, Random
Length: 1475

Fluttershy finds a Vampire Fruit Bat in her house. (Training grounds entry)

A month after her run in with the vampire fruit bats, Fluttershy finds one in her home.

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This is a very, very, very short story that may or may not lead into a much longer story. I feel like testing the waters and seeing how you the readers like it.

This is also my submission to the Equestria Daily Writer's Training Grounds. Click here for further information about it.

Published 2013-12-31 01:50:04 UTC
Last updated 2013-12-31 01:50:04 UTC

The Bat at the Cottage

The sun rose slowly on another autumn day as the songbirds began their choir practice. Meanwhile, a pegasus mare rolled over in her bed, letting loose a quiet snore as the rays from Celestia’s sun danced on her muzzle. At the same time her faithful hare stretched his tiny paws not even bothering to look behind him. After finishing his squeaky yawn, Angel hopped off the bed’s edge nearly missing the landing. Climbing down stairs, he passed several of the long term residents of the cottage waking up from their slumber as well.

Calmly, the little bunny took his favorite spot of the couch scratching his rumbling stomach as it pleaded to be fed. He sat there for several minutes before his hungry look went sour. Storming into the kitchen with a look of pure disliking, Angel a beeline toward where his owner would be making his meal. But as he got closer and closer, he realized that Fluttershy was nowhere to be found.

With a pout, turned around and marched back upstairs. Upon finding his master still in bed, he hopped back up and started pushing on her shoulder.

“Not now Angel,” the cream coated mare replied through her yawning. Using a wing, she gently yet passively pushed Angel away. The white hare hrmped at being dismissed. He made to attempt to wake her again before a monstrous roar came from his belly. Sighing, he made his way back to the kitchen to find substance before trying to wake the sleeping mare again.

Hopping onto the table that sat in the middle of cottage kitchen, he scanned the room for again food left out over night that wasn’t eating by the more nocturnal critters that took up residence there. Empty bowls of feed sat unattended. The tiny rabbit was about to raid the icebox when he spotted it. The shiny red apple that sat in a fruit bowl that would be empty without it filled Angel’s gaze completely as he felt himself sprinting over to.

Picking it up, Angel gave it a breath before polishing it till the point it reflected his smug mug. He was about to plant his mouth into the juicy fruit when it disappeared. The rumbling his gut cried out in rage as he looked around to find the thief. It wasn’t until the apple core planted itself on his head. Looking up he saw the culprit…

And he booked it back to Fluttershy’s bedroom in a frenzy panic. The tiny rabbit literally jumped into the mare’s belly with the force of a bowling ball, jolting the mare into full alertness.

“Angel?” she shouted in her own panic voice, “What’s wrong.” She lowered her head down to the bunny as it shook nervously around her leg. Slowly, Angel led her back down to the kitchen where he pointed out the large creature hanging that was hanging from the ceiling.

“A vampire fruit bat?” the pony asked herself before gently setting her pet to the side. The bunny didn’t hang around long as he disappeared back up the stairs.

Taking flight, the Pegasus brought herself up to eye contact to the flying rodent. “Umm, hi there, Mr. Vampire Fruit Bat, sir,” she addressed her visitor in her sweet voice, “but might I ask way are you hanging out here?”

The hairy animal stared at her with little emotion showing on its face. “I don’t have many apples here,” Fluttershy continued, “Wouldn’t you be better back at the sanctuary where there is plenty of apples for you to eat?” It blinked once still keeping eye contact with her. “It just seems like it would be a waste of time sleeping here when all of your food is elsewhere.”

The bat spat out a remaining seed from its mouth right into an empty bowl before letting go of the support beam. It spread its wings out and glided toward the refrigerator. Landing on the handle, it clawed at the door with the tiny hooks on it wings.

“Oh please stop,” she pleaded. Touching down next to the bat, she added, “I’m sorry but I don’t have any apples in there. I’m pretty sure that I haven’t restocked it with anything since last week.” The bat stared at her for a moment before resuming clawing at the fridge door.

“Well, that’s an improvement,” the Pegasus muttered to herself, remember all too that these bat tended to hiss at others. Using a wing, she tried to shoo it off the handle but it instead took a perch on her wing. Fluttershy stared back at it.

“How strange,” the mare said, “These bats were very mean to everypony last month. I wonder has gotten into this one?”

Opening the door with her hoof, she addressed to the bat resting on her out stretched limb. “See,” she stated with confidence, “Not a single apple.”

WHATICH! SLUUUUURRP!

Opening her eyes, the pony’s smug grin vanished as she stared at the hungry animal as it feasted on the apple stuck in its jaws. Juices could be seen leaking out of the bite marks as the red fruit shriveled into a useless husk. Taking a look into her appliance, her cyan gaze fell on the basket of a dozen or so untouched apples.

“I-I-I don’t know how those got in there!” Fluttershy stuttered as she back off away from the open fridge. The vampire fruit bat flew off and landed on the open shelf before helping itself to another one of the mysterious apples.

Slowly approaching the fruits the mare found herself looking closely at the basket. Lying among the fresh fruit was several drained apples. Glancing at the bat she saw finish off the first one and spit it away before taking another for itself.

“How is there more ruined apples already in the basket,” she asked the bat hoping for an answer from it. It gave a squeaky cry as it lifted its nose into the air before bringing the sharp teeth down into the juicy apple.

Before she could propose another question, a slight rumble came from her own stomach. Ooooohh, I can’t think on an empty stomach, she thought to herself, adding a soft hoof stomp to help display her frustration. Okay Fluttershy, one apple for now then well ask the other critters and see if they somepony enter last night with them. She nodded once, sure of her plan before backing away from her refrigerator and turning to her cupboards.

After setting up her table, she watched as the vampire fruit bat reattached himself to her ceiling. Taking it as her guest was full, she peaked inside her open icebox. There was still eight left in the basket and cores lying around it. Carefully counting the cores she found there were two missing.

“But I’m sure I counted them right,” she protested and recounted the drain cores and double checked the remaining apples in the basket. But after she finished she had only seven apples left.

“Bu-But how did that happen? I was right here watching it the whole time.” She doubled check to make sure the bat hadn’t move. It remained hanging upside down, staring at her as with its crimson red eyes.

“Ooooohhh, now I’m even more confused,” Fluttershy stated as she grabbed one of the last apples and closed the refrigerator door. “I should really go and ask the other night critters if they know who brought those apples in. I should also see how come this vampire fruit bat is resting at my cottage.”

Her stomach growled once more as she put the apple on her plate and took a set. “But first, breakfast for me and the animals here,” she finished closing her eyes and went in for a bite.

WHATICH! SLUUUUURRP!

Opening her eyes in shock, she saw that her breakfast was no longer on the table. Looking up she confirmed that her guest didn’t have it ether. It wasn’t until she felt juices slide down her throat did she look down her nose to the see the apple wither away in her jaw.

Dropping the fruit as it was the Cutie Pox, she leapt out of her seat faster than Rainbow Dash. Sitting on the floor behind her flipped chair laid the apple husk with a pair of large holes poking out of them. Fluttershy could still taste the apple juice in her mouth as she caught herself drooling.

“No, no, no,” she cried out in panic. Getting up on her hooves, she raced to her bathroom where she kept a mirror over her sink. Kicking open the door, Fluttershy hurried in and stared right at her mirror. Staring back at her was a fanged pony with a pink mane and a yellow coat.

Author's Note

Well how was it?