Fear the Bats!by Evowizard25ChaptersThe StartThe Setup The FinishThe StartThe town of Ponyville. Probably the most historically essential town in history. Yes pretty much everything happened here: daemons, gods, monsters. All of that and more. Honestly it was rare to find a day that nothing ever happened, especially Tuesdays. There was something about that day that set things off. Anyways, this was one of those rare peaceful days that came once in a blue moon. Out in the middle of the Apple Orchard, a certain stallion was taking advantage of it. His name of Golden Delicious, or Del for short. He was the son of Applejack; the Element of Honesty, world savior and the pony responsible for taking down gods and monsters a like; and Caramel….who made the best darn toast you could ever eat. He lay with his back to a tree and his eyes closed just enjoying the peace and quiet. Now normally he wouldn’t be lounging around. He was a hard work, an Apple. He’d be working day and night to get the farm work done. However, this day was strange. He had already done everything he needed to do. He’d already bucked enough trees and gathered enough apples to fulfill the family's growing business for the day. The rest of the chores were either done or being taken care of by another member of the family. Of course this wasn’t the first time he’d finished his chores. Usually he would either go into town to hang out with his friends, or one of them would come over and drag him about. He never did get that much time to himself. Del wasn’t complaining. He deeply cared for his friends and loved the adventures they went out on. It was just that he really needed a day to himself. A day of rest. By Celestia, he was going to enjoy this and there was absolutely nothing that could- Whap! Unfortunately the world had other plans. Specifically plans that involved something smashing into his face. Opening his eyes, he saw a creature of the vilest sorts. Something straight out of Tartarus. The nastiest creature that could ever live. A small, red and absolutely adorable Fruit Bat. Screech~ It cooed. Del did the only logical thing anyone would do to having found a cute bat on their face. “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” ……….Okay so screaming like a little filly and running away with his tail between his legs might not be the first thing to everyone’s mind. Give this author a break! ___________________________________________________________________ Del finally had his nerves in order. He berated himself for screaming like that. He wasn’t normally one to scare easily, but that bat...that bat was something to scream about. He was just thankful Prism wasn’t here to hear and see that or he would never live that down. Still, all that screaming and not to mention work had left him parched. So he reasoned to head on over to the cellar and grab a drink. That’d get his mind off that….beast. Just thinking about it sent shivers down his spine. Opening up the cellar, he prepared to drink from the mighty ciders of the Apple Clan. Whap! Screech~ “AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” ____________________________________________________________________ That had been a bust. Del was still parched and tired and that bat was still scary as all Tartarus. Still, he was inside the house. He was safe and secure from any sort of threat. He went to the kitchen to grab a snack, opening up a cupboard to- Whap! Screech~ “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” _________________________________________________________________________ The house wasn’t safe either! Oh well, he still had the old barn. Well old in that it was a week old. That was a record on this farm, oddly enough. He half expected to find it destroyed in one way or another. Barns were cursed like that on this farm. Still, he could hang out here, away from everything. Maybe he could try and read a few of those Daring Doo novels Aunt Dash had always gone on and on about. They sounded interesting. He picked up a copy and sat back on a pile of hay. Del smiled as he opened the book. Whap! Screech~ “AHHHHHHHHHHH!” Unfortunately for him, waiting outside on the perched trees were several of the dreadful creatures. “BATS! BATS! BATS!” He cried, darting this way and that to avoid the trees. “BATS! CATS! MATS!” Aunt Pinkie Pie happily screamed, all the while carrying a baseball bat, a mat and a cat on her head. “Aunt Pinkie?” Del came to a stop. “What are ya doin’ here?” “My Pinkie Sense was telling me that something was happening at the farm so I hopped on over to check and lo and behold I saw you running around saying ‘bats’ and I wanted to try the rhyming thing like Zecora does so I zipped on back to SugarCube Corner to grab a few things. I know a bat isn’t technically a good word to rhyme with a bat but I still think it’s funny.” Del blinked a few times. “So…” “I’m here to help you!” Pinkie happily cheered. “Ah don’t think-” Whap! Screech~ “AHHHHHHHHHH!” Del raced on ahead. Pinkie chuckled. “Awww, he likes you.” ______________________________________________________________________ Fluttershy took a sip of her tea and sighed. Oh it wasn’t her typical sigh of distress. It wasn’t about catching her daughter in an ‘act’ with Rarity’s son. It wasn’t about some predator attacking somepony. It wasn’t even about Discord….Just Discord. No this was a sigh of a different sort. “Del, sweetie, I’m sorry to hear your fear of bats was that bad. Honestly, I thought it would have gone away by now.” “Ah’m sorry, Miss Fluttershy.” Del sighed, staring down at his tea. The two of them were sitting inside her cottage after Pinkie had ‘helped’ him get there. “There is nothing to be sorry about,” Fluttershy interjected. “Everypony fears something. Why when i was your age I was deathly afraid of my own shadow.” When Del shot her a ‘Really?’ look, she nodded. “Oh yes, I was that bad but I got past it with the help of my friends. Have you thought of getting them to help with your fear?” “Honestly,” Del spoke. “Ah ain’t too keen on that idea. Most of ‘em think it’s silly to fear bats and some of them laugh in my face.” “That bad?” “Well, that was some years ago.” Del relented. “Ah think they think ah’m over it. Helps that the bats keep to themselves and ah ain’t one to bug them, till that one kept flyin’ into mah face.” “It was just his way of saying hello,” Fluttershy smiled, holding up the cutest little fruit bat she had ever seen. She nuzzled and it cooed. So adorable. Del cringed, glancing away in fright. “Yeah…” Seeing his fear, Fluttershy quickly motioned for the bat to fly off. It did reluctantly, not wanting to part from the ‘screaming pony’. “But it was also rather rude. I’ve talked with him about it, so hopefully he won’t do it any time-” Whap! Screech~ “AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!” Del ran out of her house. Fluttershy sighed even deeper and took a sip of her tea. It was worse than she could ever imagine. He sorely needed help. “Odd,” Discord piped up, having appeared beside her with some tea of his own. “I would have thought he’d last a little bit longer. It was far too short for my tastes.” “Discord,” Fluttershy lightly scolded him. “That’s not a nice thing to say. Chiroptophobia is not a laughing matter. There are plenty of ponies that are afraid of bats and we shouldn’t laugh at them for it.” “But it’s hilarious,” Discord chuckled. “Would you be laughing if it was me screaming in fear and running about?” Discord went silent, his glee gone. He stared hard into his tea. “I sometimes hate it when you have a point. You’re too smart for a mortal.” “And you’re too sweet for a god,” Fluttershy giggled and nuzzled her dearest friend. Not that the others weren’t dear as well. It was just that she was Discord’s only friend, well until he won over Celestia and had his son. Still, she was very dear to him and that made her feel special. “Now, are you going to be a nice god of chaos and help out Del?” “Yes, mother.” Discord rolled his eyes. Then they literally sparkled as an idea obviously formed inside his skull. “And I know just the pony that can do it.” “Discord,” Fluttershy’s voice, while still low, held a threatening tone. Discord scoffed. “Trust me on this, my bestest pal.” He patted her head. “This idea can’t possibly fail! Well, it can possibly fail because really, where is the fun in perfection.” He snapped his fingers and was gone in a flash. Fluttershy sighed in a more familiar way, letting a small smile grace her lips. “It’ll work out in the end, trust me old friend.” Author's Note Thank you all for viewing. This will be a short story, either a two-three parter and it's a part of kilala's next gen universe. Please support the 'official' relase. As well, please leave a comment. The Setup The Setup NIdra wanted to be anywhere else but here. ANYWHERE ELSE! “And this is the correct way to set your utensils,” Kibitz, Celestia’s trusted advisor and go to pony, instructed. He glanced at the alicorn sitting at the table and sighed. “Please pay attention, Princess Nidra. I know you don’t like this, but this is simply how it is done.” “For now,” Nidra narrowed her eyes at the utensils. ‘Yes, for now. One day soon, I shall rule my own kingdom and there will be no proper utensil positions. HA! I shall eat with my own hooves and do whatever I want.’ She knew that wasn’t going to happen, but she could dream. “There will be no thoughts of anarchy in these halls, young lady.” Kibitz frowned. “I already have enough of that with your mother.” He sighed deeply when he heard her snort. “Princess Nidra, I am not the bad guy here. I only want what is the best for you and the royal family. For now, let’s move on to something easier.” Nidra smiled. While he was a curmudgeon, Kibitz was quite doting on her as a child. Perhaps he would show her a little leniency. “Which means we’ll move on to the proper way to chew salad.” ‘He’s torturing me on purpose!’ Nidra thought to herself. She heard enough about Kibitz from her mother to guess why. The old stallion was all friendly and kind with Illusion, but with her? No. Of course, Illusion actually did as he was asked and wanted to be a good prince. Nidra couldn’t care less and wanted him gone. Anyhow, anyway. “Why, is that a frown I see on your face?” A familiar voice resounded about. Sure enough, Discord appeared right beside her in a doctor’s outfit. He was looking at Nidra through a magnifying glass. “Why yes it is. Oh that simply isn’t healthy.” He pulled out a large chart from behind her ear that held several numbered buttons. “On a scale of one to ten, how annoyed are you?” “Twelve,” Kibitz glared at him. “Uncle!” Nidra smiled. ‘Freedom!’ She was sure he was going to save her from this torment. She pulled him into a strong hug. “Tis most wondrous to see you again.” “I would think so,” Discord smiled, hugging his niece. “A moment without me is a most boring moment indeed.” He pulled back from her used his tail to snag Kibitz by the collar and bring him up to his eye level. “And how are you doing, you ol’ bean?” “I was well and good before now,” Kibitz scoffed. “Of course you were,” Discord smirked. “But don’t fret. I’m about to take a load off your shoulders.” “What are you-” Kibitz started, before Discord shoved an apple into his mouth. “Come, Nidra.” Discord pulled Nidra up into the crook of his left and and wildly gestured with his right. “To Sweet Apple Acres!” With that said, the duo teleported. ________________________________________________________________________ Del was at peace. What Apple wouldn’t be when surrounded by...apples. It’s like the fruit had a calming effect on the family. One couldn’t really explain it, but it was certainly helping with Del’s phobia right now. He was currently counting out an order for a Canterlot noble. Usually, ponies just asked for bushels full. This noble wanted an exact number, which meant he had to take his time and keep up. It didn’t help that the order called for hundreds of apples. Still, he was used to stuff like that. Most of the rest of the family was off doing other chores and his mom was cooking dinner. Granny Smith, who Death seemed to be wary of for very good reasons, was off buying some groceries. Somepony else should’ve done it, since she’s not as strong as she used to, but she’s stubborn. More so than a lot of Apples. “Two hundred and ninety three, two hundred and ninety four.” “Two hundred and ninety five.” Del smiled and grabbed the apple out of the hoof. “Two hundred and…..Huh?” Turning around he came face to face with Nidra, the daughter of Luna. After a few seconds of silence, he did what any pony would do when confronted by a bat pony dream goddess. “AHHHHHH!-” Nidra shoved an apple into his mouth. “Be still your racism.” Del spat out the apple. “I’m no-” Nidra shoved in another. “I do not care. My uncle relayed to me that you are still afflicted with the fear of bats. I say, that this will not do. No longer shall you fear the beautiful creatures of the night. I, Nidra, hereby declare that I will help you with your fears. What say you?” “....Can we vote on it?” Nidra threw her head back in uproarious laughter. “Voting? Such jokes you tell. Let us be off, pony of the earth.” Nidra used her wing to push him along. “But the apples-” “Will be there when we’re done,” Nidra scoffed. “Do not think mere fruit are more worthy of attention that I.” “I’m not-” Del’s answer was cut off with another apple. “Be silent,” Nidra glared at him. “You will listen to me. I know much more about this than you. You are lucky you are the friend of a friend, or else I would do nothing and laugh at your misfortune.” “That sounds rather harsh.” “Sometimes we must be harsh to beat a lesson in,” Nidra answered. The two of them walked off until they came to a secluded part of the farm. She gestured for him to sit and and stood tall and proud. “Let us cut to the chase, as they say, and be done with it.” “What are you-” Del again was cut off. Instead of an apple shoved in his mouth, it was that same little fruitbat that Nidra summoned with her magic. “AHHH-” Nidra smashed a mallet on his head. “No, bad pony, stop that.” “OW!” Del rubbed his head. “What the hay was that fer?” “Every time you scream or cringe in fear, I will smash you with this mallet.” Nidra said. “Why?” Del certainly wasn’t looking forward to this. He was just lucky he was an Earth pony, else that swing really would have given him a headache. “That is what my father did with me.” ______________________________________________________________________ “Dad,” little Nidra snorted. “I don’t need to learn how to swim. I can fly.” *pip* “Dad, did you just hit me with a marshmallow?” “Until you get into the water, I will keep hitting you with marshmallows.” Her bat pony father answered. “That’s stupid,” Nidra glared up at him. *pip* “Stop it.” *pip* Nidra pouted, growing red with fury. With a twinge of her magic, she threw the marshmallow back with force. Thus, the Marshmallow War began. ____________________________________________________________________________ “Oddly enough, it twas Tiberius who won the battle,” Nidra blinked in confusion. “He is a worthy opponent, even for an opossum.” Del gave her a deadpan stare. “Yer father hit ya with marshmallows. That’s a mallot.” “You are most observant,” Nidra smiled. “This will make things easier.” She summoned the bat again. “AHHH!” *WHACK* “Bucking hay!” Nidra gasped. “Language.” *WHACK* “Stop that!” Del put his forehooves over his head. “Not until you are no longer afraid of bats.” “Ah’ll be afraid of princesses at this rate.” “Then we shall work on that next.” Del groaned. ___________________________________________________________________________ In another part of the nation, in a little cabin, the god of chaos was laughing his tail off. Literally. It was bouncing around the room while he clutched his chest. A large tub of buttery popcorn was beside him as well as a cup with an additional swirly straw. Stuffing his face with more of the salty snack, he gulped it down. “Oh this is simply marvelous. One of my best ideas this year.” Discord would have preferred watching this in his royal suite up in the castle, but he knew his wife would have had a hissy fit. Oh she married a prankster, but he couldn’t mess with ponies because it’s wrong. What’s wrong with a little fun? Just ‘cause he took that one ponies spine to make a pun doesn’t make him a bad guy. He put it back. His thinking tree was getting renovated. So that left him his bestest friend’s house to watch the glorious chaos unfold. He always knew Nidra could make him laugh. More so than her incredibly stuck up mother, but that’s a different topic. Discord picked up a carrot to stir his buttery popcorn. Yes, it does help with the flavor. However, this carrot was Angel’s. Angel never shared. Anything. Ever. He’s kind of a jerk that way. So the little rabbit kicked Discord. That did about as well as you could imagine. “Oh?” Discord peered down at him. He grinned. “Isn’t it our local daemonspawn. What? Was Tartarus too hot for you?” Angel glared at him and pointed at his carrot. “This thing? It didn’t have your name on it.” Angel pointed to his name engraved on the carrot. “I’m sorry, I can’t speak English today. If you put it in Prench, then perhaps you might have better luck.” Discord smirked, disappearing in order to miss the bunny’s teeth. In the next second, Angel found himself muzzled and Discord floating in the air. “Ah, ah, ah. Play nice. Fluttershy won’t like it if she found out you hurt her bestest friend.” “Maybe if he had a good reason, I’d understand.” Discord’s eyes widened and he looked over to see Fluttershy in the doorway. The quiet mare was wearing a simple, green dress. She was giving him her best ‘u done goofed’ face. He gulped and chuckled nervously. “Fluttershy, I must say, you are looking-” “Discord,” Fluttershy cut him off. She rarely did that. “I was having a nice outing with my daughter. I really was, but then I forgot my purse. So I come back home and I see you messing with Del.” “I am not messing with Del,” Discord pointed out. “I am helping him.” “And you chose Nidra to do so?” “I thought she would be the best choice.” “Which is why you’re laughing at him from a distance and eating popcorn.” “.........Did I forget to mention how lovely that dress looks on you.” When Fluttershy didn’t say anything, Discord sighed. “I’m in trouble, aren’t I?” Fluttershy sighed as well. “No, I should have expected something like this. I’ve known you long enough to know that.” When Discord looked away in shame, she fluttered over and hugged him. “I’m disappointed, but you had your heart in the right place. Let’s give them some space and hope that Nidra won’t go too far.” “AHHH-” *WHACK* “AGAIN!” Fluttershy sweatdropped. “Okay, let’s ‘really’ hope for that.” The Finish“Fear is your enemy,” Nidra trotted back in forth in front of Del. “To overcome it you must first find it.” “Uh, Nidra.” “And then you must crush it into the ground so hard that ponies will never once again know the fear that you hold. You must destroy it utterly and without conviction.” “And ah’m supposed to find it out in the middle of the Everfree Forest?” Del waved his hoof around at the dark forest. The forest raged around them as the wind kicked up. The dark clouds above sparked now and again as lightning flashed in the sky. “In the middle of a storm?” “Of course,” Nidra smiled. “It is the perfect atmosphere for fear. Fear breeds here and you will be the one who neuters it.” “...That’s somethin’ ah’d rather avoid doin’,” Del cringed at the thought. “Ah mean, ah’m real busy with chores-” *whack* “OW!” “No chores,” Nidra glared at him, levitating the bat in her magic. “You are going to grow past your fears even if it kills you.” “Ah don’t think ‘fear’ is what’s gonna do me in,” Del mumbled to himself. “To quell your fear,” Nidra thankfully hadn’t heard him. “You must face it head on.” Whap! Screech~ “AHHHHHHH!” *WHACK* “FACE IT!” Nidra hollered. “Ah did face it!” Del shook the bat off. “Ah’ve been facin’ it all day. Ya know what that’s got me? A headache!” “You would have no ache of the head if you would simply forget your fears,” Nidra snorted. “Ah can’t just do that, Nidra.” Del glowered. Yes, she was a princess. Yes, she was an alicorn. Yes, she could smite him right now, but he had enough. “Ah ain’t no princess, alicorn, or nothin’ like that. Ah ain’t even a bearer of some Element. Ah’m just a farmer. That’s it. Plain and simple. Ah’m not a hero. Ah’m a pony like everypony else and ah assure ya that most of us have a little fear of somethin’. Ya can’t change that. So stop hittin’ me with that mallet and get that thing away from me!” Nidra’s jaw dropped at that. Del felt a little smug, but not too much so. The little bat, though it still gave him shivers, was clinging to Nidra’s neck. It was sniffling. “Is that how you would treat me? A friend of a friend and your own princess?” “Nidra,” Del sighed. “Ah’m not tryin’ to be mean or anythin’ like that. Ah….Ah just don’t like bats is all.” “...So you hate me?” “NO!” Del shouted. “Ah don’t hate ya. Ah’m mighty miffed about ya whackin’ me with yer mallet, but that’s it.” Nidra stared at him for a moment. Then she opened her wings out wide. “Look Del, these are mine. My eyes, my ears, my wings. I have bat running through my veins. I am that which you fear…..If you are indeed so adament as to keep your fear, then…..I will leave.” She turned. “Good day.” Del wanted to say something. To say he was sorry, but...he wasn’t really. Well, he might have been if his head wasn’t throbbing so much he couldn’t get in a clear thought. He didn’t want her to go however he sliced it. Of course, fate seemed to hear his plea. Or rather, it heard it, twisted it, and turned it into a sick joke. For that moment, a large lightning bolt smashed into a large tree. It shattered into several pieces and unfortunately, a rather large one collided with Nidra’s head. It sent her to the ground. “NIDRA!” Del rushed over to her. He nudged her, trying to get her to awaken. She was out cold, but thankfully, he could see her chest rising and falling like normal. “Gosh dang it!...Well Del, look on the bright side. The storm’s probably driven off most of the predators. This can’t get any worse.” It was then he heard a familiar growl. Gulping, he turned to see several glowing green eyes staring at them. “Me and my big mouth.” Timberwolves. A whole pack of them. By the sounds of their growls, they were definitely hungry. He had to think fast. Which wasn’t hard really. He just scooped Nidra onto his back and prepared to- Screech Del turned his head to see the little fruit bat trapped under a large piece of bark. The wing was probably crushed underneath it and he looked pitiful. Del was torn over whether to do anything. Any second now, the timberwolves would strike. Any second now….. Wow, these were very patient predators. Letting Del have the time to think over this crucial- “BARK!” Oh buck you dogs! Couldn’t even let me finish! The Timberwolves charged. There was only one conscious pony at this time and they thought they could easily tear it to shreds. It was as though time slowed down for Del as he looked down at the bat. He wanted to leave it there. It was a stupid bat. It scared the living daylights out of him….but seeing it’s weeping little eyes so filled with fright? Del acted fast. Putting away his fears, he quickly picked up the back and lightly put him on his neck. It felt wrong being so close to a bat, but right now he had other problems. Even with his heavy load, he still had enough strength to buck one smaller dog into pieces. This caused the dogs to pause and gave Del just enough of a window to rush out of them. It wasn’t a large pack, or they had just sent a few to take him so it wasn’t that hard. Out running them would be tricky though. Animated forest creatures had more endurance than a normal pony. The chase lasted several minutes, with Del galloping so fast that he’d make Rainbow Dash proud. Well, at least he thought so. Guess running and the fear of death cleared up his- “BARK!” Oh, you are just asking for it! Finally, in a cruel twist of fate, Del ran right up to a large river. “DARN IT! Ah knew ah should have turned left back there.” The timberwolves howled, knowing they had cornered their prey. Del turned around, putting Nidra on the ground with the bat at her side. If he was going down, he’d be cursed to let it be so without a fight. No one laid a claw on his friends….Or friends of a friend. Even if they smashed him with a mallet over and over again. Even if they were creepy bats that smashed into his face…. Why was he saving them again? Just then, a rather large Timberwolf stepped out of the tree line. It was easily twice Del’s size. He took a wild guess as to it being an Alpha of sorts. It growled at him as it advanced. Del snorted, pawing the ground in defiance. He made sure to keep himself in between his protectorates. The timberwolf stopped and stared at him for a moment, eyeing him up. Then it glanced at Nidra. Del could swear he saw a smirk on its face. It howled and charged, making a beeline for Nidra. Stepping in it’s way, Del charged headfirst. The timberwolf lowered its own head, hoping for its thick skull to crack Del’s own. Thankfully, he was an Earth pony so when they collided, it did nothing but stop the pair. The timberwolf cried out in pain and pulled back. Del could see cracks on the wooden head as the beast pawed at it in dismay. “There’ll be more of that if’n ya don’t skedaddle,” Del snorted. The timberwolf growled and howled. The pack howled back. Timberwolves were notorious for not playing fair. The rest of the pack made their move to attack. Del knew they were done for. He couldn’t fight all of them by himself. The pack knew this and they weren’t going to let him get away a second time. This was it. They were going to feed on pony flesh. Oh, they were going to revel in it. “Oh you nasty brutes. Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?” A rather posh voice spoke up. HA! No food for them! Del was rather surprised however by it. It honestly sounded similar in a way to Fancy Pant’s…...except way more feminine. He looked up to see a moustached, haired, river serpent. “Well, don’t that beat all?” “Oh?” The serpent looked down at him. “Hello little pony. My name is Steven Magnet.” “Steven?” Del knew that name from somewhere….AH HA! “So yer one of miss Rarity’s friends?” “Such a sweet mare,” Steven smiled. “And has such lovely children. Oh how I wished they visited more often, but let’s not derry on that. I think we might have a more pressing issue to attend to.” “Right,” Del nodded and turned to the Alpha. It was growling and trying to make itself look bigger, but the way it was taking steps back told a different story. The timberwolves were wary of the large river serpent. “Go on, skedaddle.” The rest of the pack left without a word. Well, except for the Alpha. He wasn’t going to let this prey escape him. Not after the splitting headache it gave him. The Alpha charged, jaws open wide. It was hoping to snag something quickly enough before the serpent could react. Surely, the serpent, thought the timberwolf, would try and snag the larger winged pony. It was so sure of that, it didn’t notice the tail wrapping around it. It was stopped just short of the accursed head breaker. Del smirked. “Nice knowin’ ya.” Growling a the usually threat of ‘revenge’, the timberwolf cried out in fright as Steven hurled him further into the Everfree Forest. “Well, that’s dealt with.” Steven nodded in satisfaction. He then peered down at the trio. “Oh dear, your friends are hurt. Quickly, hop on.” _______________________________________________________________ *later, at the farm* Del waited outside his room, or rather, Nidra’s room at the moment. His mother had been furious with him for going out so late in a storm like this. Absolutely furious. He could’ve told her it was Nidra’s decision. She dragged him out there, but...He couldn’t. Nope, he just took it. She’d already suffered enough, his mother’s tirades were overkill. The door opened and out walked Nidra with the little fruit bat on her back. She had some bandages wrapped around her bruised head. “Yer awake,” Del smiled. “Thanks to you,” Nidra smiled. “Your actions were indeed very brave. I commend your spirit and so does he.” She nodded over to the bat. The little fella had his wing bandaged up as well as a few other places. Still, he managed a smile. Screech~ Del flinched, but only slightly. “Yeah...Don’t have to thank me though. Just doin’ what’s right. Couldn’t leave y’all.” “Indeed you couldn’t,” Nidra paused. “Something’ wro-” Nidra bent down and kissed him on the cheek. Quickly pulling back, she looked away stoically with a light blush on her cheeks. “I must depart. My mother will surely be worrying about me at this late of an hour.” She used her magic to put the bat on the now, stunned and blushing stallion. “Good day and may we meet again soon.” And just like that, she teleported. Del stood there for a moment, not moving a muscle. The little bat crawled up on top his head and onto his face. The fruitbat smiled. Screech~ “.........Ya like apple fritters?” Author's Note Well, there's more action then comedy in this chapter. Sorry about that, but that's how I roll. I hope you all enjoyed this story and please leave a comment. I loved Kilala's universe and possibly, I might write another story for her one day. Till then, I wish you all the best of luck.
The StartThe town of Ponyville. Probably the most historically essential town in history. Yes pretty much everything happened here: daemons, gods, monsters. All of that and more. Honestly it was rare to find a day that nothing ever happened, especially Tuesdays. There was something about that day that set things off. Anyways, this was one of those rare peaceful days that came once in a blue moon. Out in the middle of the Apple Orchard, a certain stallion was taking advantage of it. His name of Golden Delicious, or Del for short. He was the son of Applejack; the Element of Honesty, world savior and the pony responsible for taking down gods and monsters a like; and Caramel….who made the best darn toast you could ever eat. He lay with his back to a tree and his eyes closed just enjoying the peace and quiet. Now normally he wouldn’t be lounging around. He was a hard work, an Apple. He’d be working day and night to get the farm work done. However, this day was strange. He had already done everything he needed to do. He’d already bucked enough trees and gathered enough apples to fulfill the family's growing business for the day. The rest of the chores were either done or being taken care of by another member of the family. Of course this wasn’t the first time he’d finished his chores. Usually he would either go into town to hang out with his friends, or one of them would come over and drag him about. He never did get that much time to himself. Del wasn’t complaining. He deeply cared for his friends and loved the adventures they went out on. It was just that he really needed a day to himself. A day of rest. By Celestia, he was going to enjoy this and there was absolutely nothing that could- Whap! Unfortunately the world had other plans. Specifically plans that involved something smashing into his face. Opening his eyes, he saw a creature of the vilest sorts. Something straight out of Tartarus. The nastiest creature that could ever live. A small, red and absolutely adorable Fruit Bat. Screech~ It cooed. Del did the only logical thing anyone would do to having found a cute bat on their face. “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” ……….Okay so screaming like a little filly and running away with his tail between his legs might not be the first thing to everyone’s mind. Give this author a break! ___________________________________________________________________ Del finally had his nerves in order. He berated himself for screaming like that. He wasn’t normally one to scare easily, but that bat...that bat was something to scream about. He was just thankful Prism wasn’t here to hear and see that or he would never live that down. Still, all that screaming and not to mention work had left him parched. So he reasoned to head on over to the cellar and grab a drink. That’d get his mind off that….beast. Just thinking about it sent shivers down his spine. Opening up the cellar, he prepared to drink from the mighty ciders of the Apple Clan. Whap! Screech~ “AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” ____________________________________________________________________ That had been a bust. Del was still parched and tired and that bat was still scary as all Tartarus. Still, he was inside the house. He was safe and secure from any sort of threat. He went to the kitchen to grab a snack, opening up a cupboard to- Whap! Screech~ “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” _________________________________________________________________________ The house wasn’t safe either! Oh well, he still had the old barn. Well old in that it was a week old. That was a record on this farm, oddly enough. He half expected to find it destroyed in one way or another. Barns were cursed like that on this farm. Still, he could hang out here, away from everything. Maybe he could try and read a few of those Daring Doo novels Aunt Dash had always gone on and on about. They sounded interesting. He picked up a copy and sat back on a pile of hay. Del smiled as he opened the book. Whap! Screech~ “AHHHHHHHHHHH!” Unfortunately for him, waiting outside on the perched trees were several of the dreadful creatures. “BATS! BATS! BATS!” He cried, darting this way and that to avoid the trees. “BATS! CATS! MATS!” Aunt Pinkie Pie happily screamed, all the while carrying a baseball bat, a mat and a cat on her head. “Aunt Pinkie?” Del came to a stop. “What are ya doin’ here?” “My Pinkie Sense was telling me that something was happening at the farm so I hopped on over to check and lo and behold I saw you running around saying ‘bats’ and I wanted to try the rhyming thing like Zecora does so I zipped on back to SugarCube Corner to grab a few things. I know a bat isn’t technically a good word to rhyme with a bat but I still think it’s funny.” Del blinked a few times. “So…” “I’m here to help you!” Pinkie happily cheered. “Ah don’t think-” Whap! Screech~ “AHHHHHHHHHH!” Del raced on ahead. Pinkie chuckled. “Awww, he likes you.” ______________________________________________________________________ Fluttershy took a sip of her tea and sighed. Oh it wasn’t her typical sigh of distress. It wasn’t about catching her daughter in an ‘act’ with Rarity’s son. It wasn’t about some predator attacking somepony. It wasn’t even about Discord….Just Discord. No this was a sigh of a different sort. “Del, sweetie, I’m sorry to hear your fear of bats was that bad. Honestly, I thought it would have gone away by now.” “Ah’m sorry, Miss Fluttershy.” Del sighed, staring down at his tea. The two of them were sitting inside her cottage after Pinkie had ‘helped’ him get there. “There is nothing to be sorry about,” Fluttershy interjected. “Everypony fears something. Why when i was your age I was deathly afraid of my own shadow.” When Del shot her a ‘Really?’ look, she nodded. “Oh yes, I was that bad but I got past it with the help of my friends. Have you thought of getting them to help with your fear?” “Honestly,” Del spoke. “Ah ain’t too keen on that idea. Most of ‘em think it’s silly to fear bats and some of them laugh in my face.” “That bad?” “Well, that was some years ago.” Del relented. “Ah think they think ah’m over it. Helps that the bats keep to themselves and ah ain’t one to bug them, till that one kept flyin’ into mah face.” “It was just his way of saying hello,” Fluttershy smiled, holding up the cutest little fruit bat she had ever seen. She nuzzled and it cooed. So adorable. Del cringed, glancing away in fright. “Yeah…” Seeing his fear, Fluttershy quickly motioned for the bat to fly off. It did reluctantly, not wanting to part from the ‘screaming pony’. “But it was also rather rude. I’ve talked with him about it, so hopefully he won’t do it any time-” Whap! Screech~ “AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!” Del ran out of her house. Fluttershy sighed even deeper and took a sip of her tea. It was worse than she could ever imagine. He sorely needed help. “Odd,” Discord piped up, having appeared beside her with some tea of his own. “I would have thought he’d last a little bit longer. It was far too short for my tastes.” “Discord,” Fluttershy lightly scolded him. “That’s not a nice thing to say. Chiroptophobia is not a laughing matter. There are plenty of ponies that are afraid of bats and we shouldn’t laugh at them for it.” “But it’s hilarious,” Discord chuckled. “Would you be laughing if it was me screaming in fear and running about?” Discord went silent, his glee gone. He stared hard into his tea. “I sometimes hate it when you have a point. You’re too smart for a mortal.” “And you’re too sweet for a god,” Fluttershy giggled and nuzzled her dearest friend. Not that the others weren’t dear as well. It was just that she was Discord’s only friend, well until he won over Celestia and had his son. Still, she was very dear to him and that made her feel special. “Now, are you going to be a nice god of chaos and help out Del?” “Yes, mother.” Discord rolled his eyes. Then they literally sparkled as an idea obviously formed inside his skull. “And I know just the pony that can do it.” “Discord,” Fluttershy’s voice, while still low, held a threatening tone. Discord scoffed. “Trust me on this, my bestest pal.” He patted her head. “This idea can’t possibly fail! Well, it can possibly fail because really, where is the fun in perfection.” He snapped his fingers and was gone in a flash. Fluttershy sighed in a more familiar way, letting a small smile grace her lips. “It’ll work out in the end, trust me old friend.” Author's Note Thank you all for viewing. This will be a short story, either a two-three parter and it's a part of kilala's next gen universe. Please support the 'official' relase. As well, please leave a comment.
The Setup The Setup NIdra wanted to be anywhere else but here. ANYWHERE ELSE! “And this is the correct way to set your utensils,” Kibitz, Celestia’s trusted advisor and go to pony, instructed. He glanced at the alicorn sitting at the table and sighed. “Please pay attention, Princess Nidra. I know you don’t like this, but this is simply how it is done.” “For now,” Nidra narrowed her eyes at the utensils. ‘Yes, for now. One day soon, I shall rule my own kingdom and there will be no proper utensil positions. HA! I shall eat with my own hooves and do whatever I want.’ She knew that wasn’t going to happen, but she could dream. “There will be no thoughts of anarchy in these halls, young lady.” Kibitz frowned. “I already have enough of that with your mother.” He sighed deeply when he heard her snort. “Princess Nidra, I am not the bad guy here. I only want what is the best for you and the royal family. For now, let’s move on to something easier.” Nidra smiled. While he was a curmudgeon, Kibitz was quite doting on her as a child. Perhaps he would show her a little leniency. “Which means we’ll move on to the proper way to chew salad.” ‘He’s torturing me on purpose!’ Nidra thought to herself. She heard enough about Kibitz from her mother to guess why. The old stallion was all friendly and kind with Illusion, but with her? No. Of course, Illusion actually did as he was asked and wanted to be a good prince. Nidra couldn’t care less and wanted him gone. Anyhow, anyway. “Why, is that a frown I see on your face?” A familiar voice resounded about. Sure enough, Discord appeared right beside her in a doctor’s outfit. He was looking at Nidra through a magnifying glass. “Why yes it is. Oh that simply isn’t healthy.” He pulled out a large chart from behind her ear that held several numbered buttons. “On a scale of one to ten, how annoyed are you?” “Twelve,” Kibitz glared at him. “Uncle!” Nidra smiled. ‘Freedom!’ She was sure he was going to save her from this torment. She pulled him into a strong hug. “Tis most wondrous to see you again.” “I would think so,” Discord smiled, hugging his niece. “A moment without me is a most boring moment indeed.” He pulled back from her used his tail to snag Kibitz by the collar and bring him up to his eye level. “And how are you doing, you ol’ bean?” “I was well and good before now,” Kibitz scoffed. “Of course you were,” Discord smirked. “But don’t fret. I’m about to take a load off your shoulders.” “What are you-” Kibitz started, before Discord shoved an apple into his mouth. “Come, Nidra.” Discord pulled Nidra up into the crook of his left and and wildly gestured with his right. “To Sweet Apple Acres!” With that said, the duo teleported. ________________________________________________________________________ Del was at peace. What Apple wouldn’t be when surrounded by...apples. It’s like the fruit had a calming effect on the family. One couldn’t really explain it, but it was certainly helping with Del’s phobia right now. He was currently counting out an order for a Canterlot noble. Usually, ponies just asked for bushels full. This noble wanted an exact number, which meant he had to take his time and keep up. It didn’t help that the order called for hundreds of apples. Still, he was used to stuff like that. Most of the rest of the family was off doing other chores and his mom was cooking dinner. Granny Smith, who Death seemed to be wary of for very good reasons, was off buying some groceries. Somepony else should’ve done it, since she’s not as strong as she used to, but she’s stubborn. More so than a lot of Apples. “Two hundred and ninety three, two hundred and ninety four.” “Two hundred and ninety five.” Del smiled and grabbed the apple out of the hoof. “Two hundred and…..Huh?” Turning around he came face to face with Nidra, the daughter of Luna. After a few seconds of silence, he did what any pony would do when confronted by a bat pony dream goddess. “AHHHHHH!-” Nidra shoved an apple into his mouth. “Be still your racism.” Del spat out the apple. “I’m no-” Nidra shoved in another. “I do not care. My uncle relayed to me that you are still afflicted with the fear of bats. I say, that this will not do. No longer shall you fear the beautiful creatures of the night. I, Nidra, hereby declare that I will help you with your fears. What say you?” “....Can we vote on it?” Nidra threw her head back in uproarious laughter. “Voting? Such jokes you tell. Let us be off, pony of the earth.” Nidra used her wing to push him along. “But the apples-” “Will be there when we’re done,” Nidra scoffed. “Do not think mere fruit are more worthy of attention that I.” “I’m not-” Del’s answer was cut off with another apple. “Be silent,” Nidra glared at him. “You will listen to me. I know much more about this than you. You are lucky you are the friend of a friend, or else I would do nothing and laugh at your misfortune.” “That sounds rather harsh.” “Sometimes we must be harsh to beat a lesson in,” Nidra answered. The two of them walked off until they came to a secluded part of the farm. She gestured for him to sit and and stood tall and proud. “Let us cut to the chase, as they say, and be done with it.” “What are you-” Del again was cut off. Instead of an apple shoved in his mouth, it was that same little fruitbat that Nidra summoned with her magic. “AHHH-” Nidra smashed a mallet on his head. “No, bad pony, stop that.” “OW!” Del rubbed his head. “What the hay was that fer?” “Every time you scream or cringe in fear, I will smash you with this mallet.” Nidra said. “Why?” Del certainly wasn’t looking forward to this. He was just lucky he was an Earth pony, else that swing really would have given him a headache. “That is what my father did with me.” ______________________________________________________________________ “Dad,” little Nidra snorted. “I don’t need to learn how to swim. I can fly.” *pip* “Dad, did you just hit me with a marshmallow?” “Until you get into the water, I will keep hitting you with marshmallows.” Her bat pony father answered. “That’s stupid,” Nidra glared up at him. *pip* “Stop it.” *pip* Nidra pouted, growing red with fury. With a twinge of her magic, she threw the marshmallow back with force. Thus, the Marshmallow War began. ____________________________________________________________________________ “Oddly enough, it twas Tiberius who won the battle,” Nidra blinked in confusion. “He is a worthy opponent, even for an opossum.” Del gave her a deadpan stare. “Yer father hit ya with marshmallows. That’s a mallot.” “You are most observant,” Nidra smiled. “This will make things easier.” She summoned the bat again. “AHHH!” *WHACK* “Bucking hay!” Nidra gasped. “Language.” *WHACK* “Stop that!” Del put his forehooves over his head. “Not until you are no longer afraid of bats.” “Ah’ll be afraid of princesses at this rate.” “Then we shall work on that next.” Del groaned. ___________________________________________________________________________ In another part of the nation, in a little cabin, the god of chaos was laughing his tail off. Literally. It was bouncing around the room while he clutched his chest. A large tub of buttery popcorn was beside him as well as a cup with an additional swirly straw. Stuffing his face with more of the salty snack, he gulped it down. “Oh this is simply marvelous. One of my best ideas this year.” Discord would have preferred watching this in his royal suite up in the castle, but he knew his wife would have had a hissy fit. Oh she married a prankster, but he couldn’t mess with ponies because it’s wrong. What’s wrong with a little fun? Just ‘cause he took that one ponies spine to make a pun doesn’t make him a bad guy. He put it back. His thinking tree was getting renovated. So that left him his bestest friend’s house to watch the glorious chaos unfold. He always knew Nidra could make him laugh. More so than her incredibly stuck up mother, but that’s a different topic. Discord picked up a carrot to stir his buttery popcorn. Yes, it does help with the flavor. However, this carrot was Angel’s. Angel never shared. Anything. Ever. He’s kind of a jerk that way. So the little rabbit kicked Discord. That did about as well as you could imagine. “Oh?” Discord peered down at him. He grinned. “Isn’t it our local daemonspawn. What? Was Tartarus too hot for you?” Angel glared at him and pointed at his carrot. “This thing? It didn’t have your name on it.” Angel pointed to his name engraved on the carrot. “I’m sorry, I can’t speak English today. If you put it in Prench, then perhaps you might have better luck.” Discord smirked, disappearing in order to miss the bunny’s teeth. In the next second, Angel found himself muzzled and Discord floating in the air. “Ah, ah, ah. Play nice. Fluttershy won’t like it if she found out you hurt her bestest friend.” “Maybe if he had a good reason, I’d understand.” Discord’s eyes widened and he looked over to see Fluttershy in the doorway. The quiet mare was wearing a simple, green dress. She was giving him her best ‘u done goofed’ face. He gulped and chuckled nervously. “Fluttershy, I must say, you are looking-” “Discord,” Fluttershy cut him off. She rarely did that. “I was having a nice outing with my daughter. I really was, but then I forgot my purse. So I come back home and I see you messing with Del.” “I am not messing with Del,” Discord pointed out. “I am helping him.” “And you chose Nidra to do so?” “I thought she would be the best choice.” “Which is why you’re laughing at him from a distance and eating popcorn.” “.........Did I forget to mention how lovely that dress looks on you.” When Fluttershy didn’t say anything, Discord sighed. “I’m in trouble, aren’t I?” Fluttershy sighed as well. “No, I should have expected something like this. I’ve known you long enough to know that.” When Discord looked away in shame, she fluttered over and hugged him. “I’m disappointed, but you had your heart in the right place. Let’s give them some space and hope that Nidra won’t go too far.” “AHHH-” *WHACK* “AGAIN!” Fluttershy sweatdropped. “Okay, let’s ‘really’ hope for that.”
The Finish“Fear is your enemy,” Nidra trotted back in forth in front of Del. “To overcome it you must first find it.” “Uh, Nidra.” “And then you must crush it into the ground so hard that ponies will never once again know the fear that you hold. You must destroy it utterly and without conviction.” “And ah’m supposed to find it out in the middle of the Everfree Forest?” Del waved his hoof around at the dark forest. The forest raged around them as the wind kicked up. The dark clouds above sparked now and again as lightning flashed in the sky. “In the middle of a storm?” “Of course,” Nidra smiled. “It is the perfect atmosphere for fear. Fear breeds here and you will be the one who neuters it.” “...That’s somethin’ ah’d rather avoid doin’,” Del cringed at the thought. “Ah mean, ah’m real busy with chores-” *whack* “OW!” “No chores,” Nidra glared at him, levitating the bat in her magic. “You are going to grow past your fears even if it kills you.” “Ah don’t think ‘fear’ is what’s gonna do me in,” Del mumbled to himself. “To quell your fear,” Nidra thankfully hadn’t heard him. “You must face it head on.” Whap! Screech~ “AHHHHHHH!” *WHACK* “FACE IT!” Nidra hollered. “Ah did face it!” Del shook the bat off. “Ah’ve been facin’ it all day. Ya know what that’s got me? A headache!” “You would have no ache of the head if you would simply forget your fears,” Nidra snorted. “Ah can’t just do that, Nidra.” Del glowered. Yes, she was a princess. Yes, she was an alicorn. Yes, she could smite him right now, but he had enough. “Ah ain’t no princess, alicorn, or nothin’ like that. Ah ain’t even a bearer of some Element. Ah’m just a farmer. That’s it. Plain and simple. Ah’m not a hero. Ah’m a pony like everypony else and ah assure ya that most of us have a little fear of somethin’. Ya can’t change that. So stop hittin’ me with that mallet and get that thing away from me!” Nidra’s jaw dropped at that. Del felt a little smug, but not too much so. The little bat, though it still gave him shivers, was clinging to Nidra’s neck. It was sniffling. “Is that how you would treat me? A friend of a friend and your own princess?” “Nidra,” Del sighed. “Ah’m not tryin’ to be mean or anythin’ like that. Ah….Ah just don’t like bats is all.” “...So you hate me?” “NO!” Del shouted. “Ah don’t hate ya. Ah’m mighty miffed about ya whackin’ me with yer mallet, but that’s it.” Nidra stared at him for a moment. Then she opened her wings out wide. “Look Del, these are mine. My eyes, my ears, my wings. I have bat running through my veins. I am that which you fear…..If you are indeed so adament as to keep your fear, then…..I will leave.” She turned. “Good day.” Del wanted to say something. To say he was sorry, but...he wasn’t really. Well, he might have been if his head wasn’t throbbing so much he couldn’t get in a clear thought. He didn’t want her to go however he sliced it. Of course, fate seemed to hear his plea. Or rather, it heard it, twisted it, and turned it into a sick joke. For that moment, a large lightning bolt smashed into a large tree. It shattered into several pieces and unfortunately, a rather large one collided with Nidra’s head. It sent her to the ground. “NIDRA!” Del rushed over to her. He nudged her, trying to get her to awaken. She was out cold, but thankfully, he could see her chest rising and falling like normal. “Gosh dang it!...Well Del, look on the bright side. The storm’s probably driven off most of the predators. This can’t get any worse.” It was then he heard a familiar growl. Gulping, he turned to see several glowing green eyes staring at them. “Me and my big mouth.” Timberwolves. A whole pack of them. By the sounds of their growls, they were definitely hungry. He had to think fast. Which wasn’t hard really. He just scooped Nidra onto his back and prepared to- Screech Del turned his head to see the little fruit bat trapped under a large piece of bark. The wing was probably crushed underneath it and he looked pitiful. Del was torn over whether to do anything. Any second now, the timberwolves would strike. Any second now….. Wow, these were very patient predators. Letting Del have the time to think over this crucial- “BARK!” Oh buck you dogs! Couldn’t even let me finish! The Timberwolves charged. There was only one conscious pony at this time and they thought they could easily tear it to shreds. It was as though time slowed down for Del as he looked down at the bat. He wanted to leave it there. It was a stupid bat. It scared the living daylights out of him….but seeing it’s weeping little eyes so filled with fright? Del acted fast. Putting away his fears, he quickly picked up the back and lightly put him on his neck. It felt wrong being so close to a bat, but right now he had other problems. Even with his heavy load, he still had enough strength to buck one smaller dog into pieces. This caused the dogs to pause and gave Del just enough of a window to rush out of them. It wasn’t a large pack, or they had just sent a few to take him so it wasn’t that hard. Out running them would be tricky though. Animated forest creatures had more endurance than a normal pony. The chase lasted several minutes, with Del galloping so fast that he’d make Rainbow Dash proud. Well, at least he thought so. Guess running and the fear of death cleared up his- “BARK!” Oh, you are just asking for it! Finally, in a cruel twist of fate, Del ran right up to a large river. “DARN IT! Ah knew ah should have turned left back there.” The timberwolves howled, knowing they had cornered their prey. Del turned around, putting Nidra on the ground with the bat at her side. If he was going down, he’d be cursed to let it be so without a fight. No one laid a claw on his friends….Or friends of a friend. Even if they smashed him with a mallet over and over again. Even if they were creepy bats that smashed into his face…. Why was he saving them again? Just then, a rather large Timberwolf stepped out of the tree line. It was easily twice Del’s size. He took a wild guess as to it being an Alpha of sorts. It growled at him as it advanced. Del snorted, pawing the ground in defiance. He made sure to keep himself in between his protectorates. The timberwolf stopped and stared at him for a moment, eyeing him up. Then it glanced at Nidra. Del could swear he saw a smirk on its face. It howled and charged, making a beeline for Nidra. Stepping in it’s way, Del charged headfirst. The timberwolf lowered its own head, hoping for its thick skull to crack Del’s own. Thankfully, he was an Earth pony so when they collided, it did nothing but stop the pair. The timberwolf cried out in pain and pulled back. Del could see cracks on the wooden head as the beast pawed at it in dismay. “There’ll be more of that if’n ya don’t skedaddle,” Del snorted. The timberwolf growled and howled. The pack howled back. Timberwolves were notorious for not playing fair. The rest of the pack made their move to attack. Del knew they were done for. He couldn’t fight all of them by himself. The pack knew this and they weren’t going to let him get away a second time. This was it. They were going to feed on pony flesh. Oh, they were going to revel in it. “Oh you nasty brutes. Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?” A rather posh voice spoke up. HA! No food for them! Del was rather surprised however by it. It honestly sounded similar in a way to Fancy Pant’s…...except way more feminine. He looked up to see a moustached, haired, river serpent. “Well, don’t that beat all?” “Oh?” The serpent looked down at him. “Hello little pony. My name is Steven Magnet.” “Steven?” Del knew that name from somewhere….AH HA! “So yer one of miss Rarity’s friends?” “Such a sweet mare,” Steven smiled. “And has such lovely children. Oh how I wished they visited more often, but let’s not derry on that. I think we might have a more pressing issue to attend to.” “Right,” Del nodded and turned to the Alpha. It was growling and trying to make itself look bigger, but the way it was taking steps back told a different story. The timberwolves were wary of the large river serpent. “Go on, skedaddle.” The rest of the pack left without a word. Well, except for the Alpha. He wasn’t going to let this prey escape him. Not after the splitting headache it gave him. The Alpha charged, jaws open wide. It was hoping to snag something quickly enough before the serpent could react. Surely, the serpent, thought the timberwolf, would try and snag the larger winged pony. It was so sure of that, it didn’t notice the tail wrapping around it. It was stopped just short of the accursed head breaker. Del smirked. “Nice knowin’ ya.” Growling a the usually threat of ‘revenge’, the timberwolf cried out in fright as Steven hurled him further into the Everfree Forest. “Well, that’s dealt with.” Steven nodded in satisfaction. He then peered down at the trio. “Oh dear, your friends are hurt. Quickly, hop on.” _______________________________________________________________ *later, at the farm* Del waited outside his room, or rather, Nidra’s room at the moment. His mother had been furious with him for going out so late in a storm like this. Absolutely furious. He could’ve told her it was Nidra’s decision. She dragged him out there, but...He couldn’t. Nope, he just took it. She’d already suffered enough, his mother’s tirades were overkill. The door opened and out walked Nidra with the little fruit bat on her back. She had some bandages wrapped around her bruised head. “Yer awake,” Del smiled. “Thanks to you,” Nidra smiled. “Your actions were indeed very brave. I commend your spirit and so does he.” She nodded over to the bat. The little fella had his wing bandaged up as well as a few other places. Still, he managed a smile. Screech~ Del flinched, but only slightly. “Yeah...Don’t have to thank me though. Just doin’ what’s right. Couldn’t leave y’all.” “Indeed you couldn’t,” Nidra paused. “Something’ wro-” Nidra bent down and kissed him on the cheek. Quickly pulling back, she looked away stoically with a light blush on her cheeks. “I must depart. My mother will surely be worrying about me at this late of an hour.” She used her magic to put the bat on the now, stunned and blushing stallion. “Good day and may we meet again soon.” And just like that, she teleported. Del stood there for a moment, not moving a muscle. The little bat crawled up on top his head and onto his face. The fruitbat smiled. Screech~ “.........Ya like apple fritters?” Author's Note Well, there's more action then comedy in this chapter. Sorry about that, but that's how I roll. I hope you all enjoyed this story and please leave a comment. I loved Kilala's universe and possibly, I might write another story for her one day. Till then, I wish you all the best of luck.
