Driving Me Batty

I like to think I'm not a monster. I mean, monsters don't fall in love, right?

I awoke in a cold sweat, gasping, breathing heavily. It was that dream again. I'd be in a dark room, the walls bare, making me as uncomfortable as possible. I'd hear the door open with a creak. What would come through it was a mystery, as I would wake up before I saw who it was.

But now, I was safe in my room. My walls were littered with posters of our glorious Princess Luna, keeping a watchful eye on me. It always brought me peace when I looked at them. I scrambled out of my warm bed to greet the night and took one last glance at my posters.

"Praise the moon," I whispered.

I suppose you're wondering why I don't get up during the day. It's because the sun is always so bright, and we, the thestrals, came from the dark caverns in the mountains. Our eyes could never handle the shining sun. Sometimes, though, when the night was over, I'd stay awake as long as I could to see the sunrise. I had always found it to be so beautiful.

My room wasn't very big, about the size of a walk-in closet. When you're a thestral, you don't get to enjoy the finer things in life without ponies complaining. You see, we don't get to shop in regular pony shops. Most of them are too afraid to even give us the time of day.

The only way we could even keep a job is if that job were to serve Princess Luna in some way. She had always been so kind to us, allowing us to live in her half of the castle. She was one of the few ponies to ever care about us. Sure, Princess Celestia was nice to us, but Luna understood the night. She WAS the night. She knew how it felt to hide in the shadows.

I made my way through the cramped space and trotted out into the dark hallways, making sure not to wake my parents. As I walked down the halls, my eyes skimmed over family photos on the wall. They work so hard, I thought to myself.

My father was in the night division of the Royal Guard, and he was very devoted. Wherever Luna went, he'd be there to keep a protectful eye on her. When I was little, my mother would stay at home and watch over me while he was away, and when he returned, he'd play whatever silly game I wanted to play no matter how tired he was.

I eventually reached the living room. We could never afford a couch, so my mother made us use secondhand couch cushions instead. They littered the floor, making it look so messy. I never really understood what the purpose was in having them if we could just as easily sit on the floor. I guess my mother's mind was on comfort more than functionality.

I went up to the front door and opened it fast to avoid a loud creaking noise. As I stepped out into the cool night, I closed the door behind me, making sure not to let it squeak. Success! Now I had to make it to the castle gardens for my first lesson.

That's right, my first lesson. It was my turn to take the torch from my father and carry the family legacy. I, Serene Night, felt pride in myself. I could imagine myself being Luna's right-hoof pony, defending her in battle, fighting for thestrals and all of Equestria! The mere thought of it made my fur stand on end!

I travelled to the castle gardens. It was always so beautiful, its richly-colored flowers surrounding a pedestal with a statue of our great princess of the night on top, in battle stance of course. She was to be both feared and respected.

All around me were other thestrals and ponies, chatting excitedly to each other, probably about the lessons they would learn today. I felt like a giddy schoolfilly, imagining all the friends I'd make. Maybe they had Luna posters, too? We could swap with each other!

"Settle down, please," a voice said. I turned to see a jet-black griffon with red eyes, and he looked like he could move a bulldozer with his muscular body. I wouldn't want to be in a fight with him.

"I am Sergeant Gusto, and I'm here to mold you into proper guards!" The large griffon walked over to the pedestal and looked up at the statue. "Any questions before we start today's lesson?"

Nopony answered. I guessed they were too excited for the lesson to ask anything. I, however, raised a hoof.

"Little missy?" he called upon me.

I kept my cool as best as I could. "Will we be going on missions with real guards as training exercises? I heard from my father that he went on such sessions."

"Little missy," the griffon replied, "We haven't had those exercises is years ever since we lost an entire class."

Lost an entire class? To what? I wondered. Perhaps some things were best left unsaid. I didn't want to pry into it too much.

"You will all be put into pairs of two!" he shouted instructingly. "A coin has two halves! Together, you will be that coin! Neither half is better than the other! You will be paired with that pony until you graduate! If one of you fails, you both fail!"

My mind raced as he spoke. A partner? Would it be a colt or a filly? Would it be a thestral? Would we become best friends and trade posters?! I could barely contain the excitement bubbling up inside me!

"I have a scroll with your names on it! If I call out the two of your names, you will be paired with each other!" The griffon looked over his scroll with a grin on his beak. I don't know how griffons smiled with beaks, but he did.

"Gizmo Twister and Neon Flame!" I heard him shout, and immediately after, I saw two ponies hoofbumping. It was so exciting, just thinking about it, having a friend!

"Tinselshade and Caramel Blissful!" Another pair of friends!

"Sparksail and Perfect Knot!" When would it be my turn?

"And finally, Serene Night and Peachy Love!"

Before I could realize my name had been called out, I was tackled from behind, somehow ending up on my back. I opened my eyes to see a pink pony with blue eyes and a white mane with red tips. She looked like she was a spokespony for some candy shop.

"Ohmigosh! I'm sooo sorry! I was just so excited to meet my new partner!" she exclaimed.

"How did you even know who I was?" I asked.

"Cuz you're the only one left, silly!" She giggled and gave me a once-over. "Heeeeeey. You're a thestral, aren't you?"

"Yeah?" I felt a little uncomfortable right then and there.

"So cool! We have so much in common!" she exclaimed, and that made my eyes widen. I suddenly remembered why I was so excited in the first place!

"Do you collect Luna posters, too?!" I asked, very hopeful of the answer.

"Nope!" she replied, dashing one of my hopes.

"Do you like Luna or Celestia better?" Hopefully she'd be leaning toward--

"Cadance is best princess!" she answered. It didn't seem like we had much in common like she had said.

"Do you like daytime or nighttime?" I hoped with all my might for her to answer--

"I like both!" she giddily replied.

"Will you let me up?" I asked, my wings squished up against my back.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I was so excited I forgot!" She held out her hoof, which I accepted, and I was pulled onto my hooves. I looked around at other ponies who were staring at me. I couldn't feel any more embarrassed, but at least I had made a new friend.

I looked at her and smiled sincerely. "I'm sorry, what did you mean when you said we had a lot in common?"

"Because we're both ponies, silly!" She patted me on the head as if I was a puppy. It made me feel weird, but I wasn't going to question it.

Suddenly, our conversation was cut short by a screeching griffon sergeant.

"For tonight, there won't be any lessons. It's just a pairing night. Feel free to use the rest of this time to get familiar with your partner!" After he had finished speaking, Gusto took to the skies majestically, without even making a sound, leaving us to chatter amongst ourselves.

I turned back to my partner, who was looking up at the flying griffon. Her eyes seemed to be full of wonder, as if she had never seen anything fly before. It was like she was a little foal.

"You ok?" I asked.

She snapped out of her trance and looked back at me. "Yeah! Hey, you wanna go somewhere? I know a great ice cream shop!"

I blushed. No one had ever asked me to go anywhere before. "Um... Sure! I'd love to!"

When you're a thestral, you don't normally make any friends outside of your own kind. When I was growing up, I was picked on by other colts and fillies. They'd call me Bloodsucker, and Batty McBat. It's true... I used to rely on blood when I was little, but I never really took it from anyone. My parents would provide me with little blood bags for lunch.

You see, young thestrals grow through a phase of "excessive thirsts." The extra blood was needed to keep them growing, and if they didn't get enough, they'd get sick. My parents were caring enough to send me to school with a blood bag, but other fillies would tease me for it.

"Are you ok?" I was brought back to reality by Peachy's voice. I nodded and looked at my surroundings. I was inside an ice cream shop. I must have been on autopilot, I thought.

"Whaddya want?" She brought me over to a glass case displaying dozens of different flavors. There were so many! Vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and many more! I pressed my nose against the glass, looking around before I saw an old childhood favorite.

"There!" I said, pointing to the blueberry ice cream. When I was sad, my mother used to get me that flavor, saying that nothing could be as blue as blueberries. It would always make me feel better.

Peachy pointed to the blueberries and ordered for me as I sat down at a round table in the corner of the shop. I looked all the pink tiles, counting each one. I always had a habit of counting things when I waited. It helped to keep my nerves calm.

Eventually I was joined by Peachy, who brought two bowls of ice cream. One was blueberry, like I had asked, and hers seemed to be strawberry.

"Why do you look so down?" she asked, looking me over.

"I'm not so much as down as I am apathetic," I admitted. "I thought... making a friend would be easier. We don't really have anything in common. We don't like the same princess, the same flavors of ice cream, nor do we collect the same kind of posters."

"You're so funny!" She commented before taking a spoonful of cold delight into her mouth. After swallowing, she resumed speaking. "Friendship isn't about what's the same! It's about celebrating what's different, and looking past those differences!"

I was hit with bricks of realization. She was completely right. Friendship shouldn't have to be about liking the same thing. I was stung by guilt.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't know... You've just be so happy while I've been so gloomy. I'll try to look past our differences!"

"That's the spirit!" she cheered.

I have finally found my first friend, and she's so different from me. In fact, she's different from everypony else I know.