Flutter's Night

“Miss Cheerilee, why are they called 'vampire fruit bats'?” Applebloom questioned innocently. “Don't vampires suck up blood to stay alive?”

“Applebloom…” The lavender-coated teacher gave an exasperated sigh, shielding her face with her hoof while she tried to recover her fake smile. Usually she remained on the falsely cheerful side for weeks at a time, but ever since a few days ago the Cutie Mark Crusaders (especially Applebloom) just wouldn't stop talking about vampires. “Vampires don't exist in the real world; they're just made up monsters for fictional stories.”

“What, you mean like Ahuitzotl?” Scootaloo asked coyly, knowing from Rainbow Dash that Ahuitzotl and Daring Do were both real people. She gave Applebloom a wink just as Cheerilee explained that yes, vampires were just like Ahuitzotl. She had no idea how right she was.

–

Dear Princess Celestia,

Your sister's image is well on the way to being restored!

I honestly don't see the appeal in stories about made-up monsters, considering how many real ones there are to worry about in Equestria, so I'll be glad to see Fright Night go when the pieces finally fall into place. I understand your reluctance to let Luna in on the plan, but I'm 99 90 80% 79% sure that she would be fine with what we're doing. Plus, I've met Petal Vestment and he seemed a little too needlessly dramatic for my taste. As an actor. You know wh

Anyway, I'm glad you trust me to run the whole of Equestria in your absence, even if the excursion to the Griffon Kingdoms only lasts for one month. It really does mean a lot to me.

Your ever faithful friend,

Twilight Sparkle

“There! Now I just need to write a fifth draft; this time with no parts that need striking-out.”

--

“Hey Bloomster!”

“Babs!” As the two Apple cousins embraced, the remaining members of the CMC snickered at the wary looks Babs received from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. While Babs was in Ponyville her fellow Crusaders enjoyed a lack of bullying not seen in other times. That didn't stop Twist, Snips, Snails, and several others from approaching the group to interrupt Applebloom with questions.

“You don't really think vampireth are real, do you?”

“Oh, ho ho!” Babs shook with mirth at this statement, ruffling Applebloom's mane and displacing her bow. “What have you been tellin' these ponies, Bloomster?”

“Only the truth, cuz.” Applebloom pushed away from the Manehattanite and began to gesture animatedly to the crowd which had formed. “It was a dank and dreary time for the Apple orchard when Fluttershy stared down the vicious vampire fruit bats and, through a misfired spell, became like them.” The majority of the young crowd visibly gasped, despite having heard the same story from others in less dramatic terms before. “Only through the efforts of the alicorn Princess to cast the spell were the effects supposedly reversed, but who is to say that nopony made the same mistake in the past before proper, blood-sucking vampire bats became extinct?” Several fillies and colts grimaced or balked at this notion, shifting their gaze back and forth as if searching for hidden threats. “Historical documents I have studied show us that vampire ponies become ageless as a side-effect of the magic which makes them what they are, and the older they are the more power they acquire. A vampire older than Discord himself could live in this very town, striking unseen in the dead of night.”

“Okay, that's enough, Bloomster. Hehe…” Every child with the primness to have worn horseshoes to school shook in them, even the two Crusaders not of the Apple family looking a bit uneasy as Babs pulled her cousin away from the scene that she herself had created. “Why don't we go tah the farm an' see ya sistah, eh?”

“What is that blank-flanked freak telling those ponies?” Diamond Tiara whispered quietly to Silver Spoon from several yards away, looking frightened just from seeing the reactions of the others. Still, Babs had good ears.

“Youze stay outta this, ya hear‽” The wealthy bullies gasped and bolted from the scene, Babs trying desperately to contain her cousin's enthusiasm for spreading vampire lore to everypony in town.

–

“They're real, Ah tell ya! Ah'll even prove it to ya, if ya'll give me a week to find one. Ah'm sure there's at least one livin' in Ponyville.” The moment the fillies had reached the Apple home Applejack had sat them all down in the front room and served them some tea Fluttershy had vouched for a month ago. After which time, Applejack had taken a seat opposite her sister, causing Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo to wonder what exactly was going on whilst their fellow Crusaders had continued to argue about vampires.

“Applebloom,” Applejack finally said, interrupting the debate. “Have you been spreadin' around that story Ah told ya'll about Fluttershy becomin' a Flutterbat fer awhile?”

“Uh…” Applebloom and Babs exchanged looks, Babs's expression saying: Now ya've done it, youze little blabber-mouth. Applebloom looked to her other friends for help, but they could only look on with pity. “Yeah, but Ah don't--”

“Ya can't go doin' that, Applebloom!” The younger of the sisters cringed reflexively, trying to hide behind her cup of tea. “Poor Fluttershy 'as been dealin' with all kinds of alienation because uh you. Now don't worry too much,” Applejack backpedaled a bit, put off by her young sibling's distress at the news. “Ah'm just sayin', ya know… stop it. Like, maybe cut back on the vampire talk a little, or leave out the part about Fluttershy, m'kay? All the fillies and colts especially have been givin' her a wide berth and she don't rightly like it too much.”

“Ah'm sorry, sis… Ah really like Fluttershy. She's nice and I…” Applebloom sighed heavily, Babs patting her back in reassurance. “Ah didn't mean to do that to her, Ah swear.”

“Well, as long as you won't go doin' it again, Ah suppose it's fine.” Applejack smiled warmly at her sister and her friends, glad to have cleared things up without any sort of fight. “Now, as ya'll know, them vampire fruit bats have been producin' some grade A seeds and gettin' us here Apple farmers enough extra crop to start exportin' in mass. As such, we've got more work to do around here than we can handle ourselves, and we might as well share our new wealth with a helpin' hoof or two. So, Big Macintosh is escortin' our first hired hoof to this very house at this very moment. Might I ask a certain somepony not to scare him off with stories of vampires?”

“Sure thing, sis!” Applebloom practically roared, saluting diligently.

“I wonder where he's from.” Sweetie Belle pondered aloud.

“Why don't ya'll ask him when he gets here?” As if on cue, a knock was heard at the door.

“I bet that's him!” Scootaloo's wings fluttered excitedly, showing how easily the young could be excited by things adults would consider mundane and common. “I wonder what he's like.”

“I wonder what he wears.”

“Ah wonder why youze care.”

“Come on inside before the pegasi start this evenin's storm.” The earth pony stallion to step into Applebloom's field of view was dressed in a thick, stylish black coat over his reddish-brown fur, and it did nothing to cover his hammer and coffin Cutie Mark, nor his disarmingly charming grin framed by a tastefully cut black mane, which was nothing short of creepy to the young filly. His eyes spoke of the unnatural calm which only old immortals like the Princesses bore, and Applebloom was instantly suspicious of him. “Apples, presentin' Sweet Apple Acres' first employee outside the blood of family,

“Jury Dambridge!”

--

To Lady Rarity Belle,

My associate will arrive at the Castle of the Two Sisters to begin restoring the furnishings within the week, so you won't have to wait much longer for his help. I'm sorry I can't give you an exact date; he's dealing with family business at the moment and I'm unsure how long he'll be. However, I myself should arrive at Sweet Apple Acres by the time this letter reaches you. I'd appreciate a tour of the premises this evening as we previously discussed. I can help with damaged woodwork, but Billet is the expert on metalwork so we may as well wait for him before working on those rusted hinges you told me about.

I look forward to meeting you in person.

Yours truly,

Jury Dambridge

–

“Say Fluttershy, you home in there?” Rainbow Dash soon received a muffled reply from the other side of the door, taking that as an invitation and rushing in. “Sweet!” Rainbow took a quick look around to locate the other pegasus, finding her sipping some tea on a nearby couch, as well as eating an apple. It was nice to see her chewing the apple like any normal pony instead of sucking it dry like the pseudo-vampire she'd been only days ago. Rainbow took a seat beside her and gave her the sort of hug one only sees between family members, close friends, or those with a romantic connection. Ponies outside their inner circle of friends had trouble determining which of the latter two was the truth. “Applejack said you hooked her up with some really awesomazing tea last month, and I was just wondering if you had any more by chance?”

“Yes, you can have some,” Fluttershy said flatly, cutting to the chase.

“Ah yeah!” Angel Bunny seemed strangely polite today; usually he would've tried to coax Rainbow off the couch, but he just watched her calmly, unmoving. Creepy…

“Shouldn't you be managing the storm, Rainbow?”

“Nah. The clouds are all perfectly positioned by now. It's up to my lackeys to keep 'em that way.” Fluttershy just gave Dash a disapproving look which eventually seemed to work its magic. “Okay, fine, I'll go back out there, but I'm coming back for that tea tonight, alright?” Fluttershy merely nodded. The apple was completely gone by then. Rainbow didn't remember seeing Fluttershy dispose of the core, but she must have at some point, somehow.

Rainbow didn't give it much thought, but the only explanation that made any sense would be that Fluttershy ate the core whole.