Fluttershy frowned as her brothers started their nightly arguments and discussions. Well, ‘brothers’. Bat ponies didn’t have siblings, but everyone was supposed to be one big family. Of course, that didn’t help her when every night they screamed at each other. Someone always did, and for the small, fluffy foal, it was always too much.
Tears crept to the edges of her eyes as she put her hooves on her ears and slowly used the claws bat ponies had on their hind legs to make her way away from them. She had only just started to sleep upside down, but she found that sleeping with them only made the noise worse when it started. She just wanted a quiet place. A place with no loud noises, where she could just sit by herself and be safe.
One misstep though, and safe was the last thing she was. Instead, the small filly was falling, and falling fast.
Fluttershy spent only a moment staring at the soon approaching ground before spreading her wings wide. The turbulent breeze caused by other bats in the cave snapped her wings tight and she found herself starting to spin as the wind took a hold of her. She kicked out her legs, trying to find purchase anywhere, but none came. Instead, she went out the mouth of the cave, where the gale outside grabbed her.
Despite the fear, and pain, Fluttershy kept her wings open. She was entirely at the wind’s mercy, and this current decided that its mercy led upward. As she made her way up though, some of the fear just… faded away. The wind in her mane, the clear night sky, it wasn’t only beautiful, but it was quiet. She hummed to herself, a frequency nopony but her and her kind could hear. Two regular bats came beside her, drawn by the sound, and started the hypersonic rhythm as well.
And for a while, her simple gliding made her happy as more bats joined her. Tears came to her eyes from the first time she had been surrounded by sound, but still was able to find peace. Peace with not only herself, but the night, and even, somewhat, her own kind. The little filly didn’t even notice as her flank flashed, and three, pink bats appeared.
Gliding can never last forever though, and soon Fluttershy started to slowly drift towards the ground. Her sore wings finally got to come to a close as she crashed into a bush, her legs stuck straight in the air as she wrestled with the brambles. Eventually, the foal managed to get free as she sprawled out on the ground. She smiled to herself, the memory of the flight fresh in her mind, but then she blinked, and then her eyes widened.
Fluttershy had no idea where she was, where her home was, or how she would ever make it back. Her heart started hammering in her chest and she started to claw at the ground with her back hooves.
Grumble.
Fluttershy jumped into a bush at the odd sound that seemed to have come from beneath herself. She couldn’t move voluntarily as the leaves around her shook with her body. Each moment that passed came with the thought of another horrible predator that may have found her.
Gurgle.
Even the shaking stopped as the noise came. She slowly glanced down, until she found herself staring at only her naval. A small, nervous smile broke out across her face and she let out a heavy sigh. I’m just hungry. I… I could find an insect. or something of that sort. Have a snack that way until I… I…
She shut her eyes as her mind warred with itself. On one hoof, she had stability and others like her. On the other though, she would probably never get this kind of quiet for years, especially since she had only just started gliding a few nights ago, and didn’t know when she might fly. Fluttershy had become a small ball at this point, her wings spread over her small body, clutching herself tight, when she smelled something. Something quite good.
======+++++======
Applejack swallowed hard as she looked upon the twin tombstones. As always, they were kept in the field that the Apple family member had always worked, the one they enjoyed the most. For her parents, it had always been the west field. They found the Everfree’s possible influence on the soil made the apples smell better, so it was always their favorite. For Applejack, it would always be the last she took care of from now on.
Applejack wiped away a tear that had sneaked its way to the edge of her eye. She knew she had to be strong. Big Mac had gone completely quiet since their passing, and so far hadn’t shown his face again, except for meals. He wouldn’t be there for her baby sister though. Apple Bloom was going to need her, so she had to get past this.
“Hi mom, hi dad. I… I came here to tell you… tell you,” She shut her mouth and looked down while a scowl slowly formed. Applejack knew she had to. If she was angry with them, she could stop caring. Stop wanting them back. She would be strong after that, able to face any problem. “I…. I ha–”
Shlurp.
Applejack looked back as she heard the juices get drained from an apple. She peaked behind the gravestones and stared at the large baskets of apples behind both. Granny had placed them there last week, and there they had stayed. Another sucking sound came from the one right next to her, and she steeled herself before looking in.
There, in the basket, was a yellow bat filly, her fangs sunk deep within one of the apples. Her eyes went from entirely closed, to tentatively open. The two made eye contact and Applejack scowled while Fluttershy paled. “Get out!”
The bat filly leapt from the barrel and into a nearby bush. Applejack got to watch as the very bush started to shake, and all she could see left of her were two large eyes. Applejack let out a heavy sigh as she turned an apple over. “I don’t care about the apples. They’re for ponies I don’t…” She stomped the apple now, furious with her reluctance as juices splashed her legs.
Fluttershy watched this and swallowed hard before coming out and taking a bite into another apple. She watched Applejack watch her from her peripherals, and she felt herself growing tenser by the moment. And yet, Fluttershy didn’t run.
After another three minutes, Applejack bit into her cheek and finally looked over at Fluttershy. “Shouldn’t you be going home to your family?”
Fluttershy paled further and felt a tear spring to the edge of her eye before she turned her head. For a moment, she considered telling the truth, but then decided no. She would tell her truth. “I… I don’t have a family. They’re gone from me, as they always have been.”
Applejack felt a small bit inside her snap, and finally, two tears fell down her face. “R-really? I-I just lost mine myself.”
Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “I’m so sorry.” She hesitated for only a moment before deciding the nice filly across from her needed it too much for her to withhold, and gave her a hug.
Applejack stood stock still before wrapping her hooves around the odd, yellow bat pony. Her soft fur made for a good pillow to cry on, and there they stayed, both sobbing and sharing what life had been for them, and what they thought it would become.
By the end of the night, they had come to an agreement, Applejack stood and held out a hoof. “Sisters?”
Fluttershy slowly moved her hoof up before placing it in Applejack’s and shaking with the already strong filly’s handshake. “Y-yeah, but, um, wh-what should I call you?”
Applejack almost smacked herself as she realized the mistake they had made, but changed it to a small laugh. “Applejack. What about you,” she stopped for a moment, thinking of a polite way to address her, “sugarcube?”
“F-Fluttershy.”
The two stared at each other for another moment, before hugging one more time, and heading back to the farm to talk to Granny Smith.
Author's Note
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