From the Diary of Close Call
Excerpts from the supplemental observation notes of Close Call during his survey of the creatures in the Everfree Forest. An update on the findings of Professor Detailed Notes on his original expedition some twenty years prior:
Day Six – The Treehouse
It took a little longer than I intended in order to reach Professor Notes’ original observation post. I actually walked past it three times before realising I had arrived. The building was in pretty bad shape. When I found it, a corner of the floor was sagging, much of the roof had caved in and there were thick vines everywhere!
Apparently, the forest itself didn’t take kindly to ponymade structures in its midst. I even had to levitate myself up to the door the first few days before I restored the pulley and carriage to working order.
Now I know why Professor Notes recommended a unicorn take up this posting. Not that a Pegasus or Earth Pony couldn’t have done it, but using magic made it so much easier.
Day Eleven – Shipshape
Cleaning the place was such a pain. Especially considering I could only really do it in my down time. At least it is done now and will take less effort to maintain while I remain here.
Day Twenty-Six – So Far So Good
Been pretty easy so far, other than the hiking to find some of the more far flung reference points. The survey is going well. Surprisingly, I am yet to encounter any of the more vicious creatures I have heard dwell in the surrounding forest.
Day Forty-Two – Wilder Wildlife
I saw a manticore today. Detailed notes of my observations have been lodged in the survey documentation. All made from a decent distance of course. I’m not stupid.
Day Forty-Nine – Beware! Some Plants Kill!
Okay, Professor Notes wasn’t lying about the Flesh Chomper plants. Glad I had recognised it before stumbling into its range. And that it already had another victim in its maw. I left quickly, not wanting to become dessert.
Day Seventy-Three – The Weather Sucks.
I can’t say it has been a pleasant time taking such a research posting. Living in a leaking house nestled in the branches of a seemingly random tree deep within the Everfree Forest. It is a far cry from the facilities of the university back in Trottingham. At least I am accustomed to the rain. Although, after six weeks of it, even I find it to be wearing on my patience.
It hasn’t stopped my studies, however.
Day Seventy-five – Not Alone.
I found her hanging beneath the dense canopy as I was returning from the swamp survey eight days ago. I say hanging, however, it was not suspended by its tail as some bat ponies have been documented as doing in the past. This one, a mare of pale grey coat and charcoal mane, tail and wings, appeared to be asleep laying casually on its back cradled by an intricate grouping of vines.
Thinking it to be somepony who had hiked in from one of the towns on the forest fringes, I approached with little concern. Hoping to engage in conversation with anypony after two months alone, even one so strangely positioned as this, I called out, trying to sound as friendly as possible. I guess I startled her from a nap as she let out a screech and launched herself into the abundant foliage leaving swinging vines and a few dislodged leaves falling in her wake.
I stood there for several minutes, dumbfounded by the mare’s reaction.
Day Seventy-eight – Following Me?
I believe the bat pony may be stalking me.
It may also have followed me back to the house. Either that or I am forgetting things I have done. However, I swear to Celestia, my only chair wasn’t sitting half in my wash basin last night. Yet, low and behold, there it was this morning. Is this why Professor Notes sent me here to document things?
Day Eighty-six – More Than One!
I tried to put aside the strange occurrences still going on at the house by seeking the waterfall Professor Notes had documented during his first expedition. It took much of the day, but when I finally found it, I encountered another bat pony.
Different from the one I assumed to still be following my every movement, this one had a mottled coat with deep brown wings, mane and tail. I spied her drinking straight from the pool beneath the narrow waterfall. This encounter ended just as abruptly as the one in the vines with this bat pony darting into the underbrush with only a gasp of surprise, I began to wonder if my approach was at fault.
Returning to the treehouse, I frowned at what I saw. Much was as I had left, in order and neatly placed. However, the bowl I kept my fruits and berries gathered during the previous day’s excursion now lay upturned on the floor; the fruit and berries nowhere to be seen. It left me rather peevish. I’d been looking forward to snacking on it as I logged my findings from the day.
Day Eighty-Eight Morning – Pony Poltergeist?
The oddest things have only happened in the last few days. Every morning I’ve awoke to find my belongings in the strangest of places. In one case, all of my books had been draped over a vine which had been strung from one side of the treehouse to the other.
Will my belongings ever stop mysteriously moving every time I sleep or leave to survey things?! Also, can my pantry be left un-pilfered? I’m running seriously low of fudgy chocolate! Where have they gone? I know I didn’t eat them. I would still have the wrappers if so.
I had been rationing them for my entire stay and the last ones were meant to be to celebrate the final of my one-hundred days here. Now I either have to take a journey to the nearest town to re-supply, wasting precious time in the process, or press on with no sweetness to look forward to.
Day Eighty-Eight Evening – I’m Not Being Foalish!
Don’t get me wrong, I can go without chocolate for the remainder of the survey. Just, it was to be my celebration considering I wasn’t allowed to bring cider on this trip.
Day Ninety Part 1 – Names
Okay. After today, I can definitely say there is a small colony or family of bat ponies living somewhere nearby.
My total count is now at four. All mares.
I am also unsure if they can speak, but I will explain that theory further in a secondary entry.
I have also given them each a nickname in order to easily reference them here.
The first one I encountered just over two weeks ago I have come to call Vines. Why? Well, every time I have seen her, she is either lazing about in hanging vines or carrying some off in her mouth to who knows where… or why for that matter. I am yet to be able to track either of them back to any particular location. They are more built for this accursed forest than I.
That one is a very strange pony.
The timid one I mentioned previously, I now refer to as Leaf Fall. This is from the burst of leaves often emitted when she dives for cover in the underbrush whenever I am around.
The other two I encountered when I had once again accidentally startled Leaf Fall. The slinky one I have named Branch Hopper, while the big stern one I have called Brush Tail (a far less threatening name than their demeanour I can assure).
Day Ninety Part 2 – The Incident.
This will take more detail to describe.
The next time I glimpsed the timid one was also when I gave her the nickname Leaf Fall. Apparently, as usual, I startled her… again. Like I said, she’s the timid one. However, I didn’t expect to witness her fall from the branch she had been tentatively perched upon where she crashed into a bush spraying foliage everywhere.
That was when I crossed paths with the one I determined to be the colony leader. With my gait quickly becoming a gallop in an attempt to aid Leaf Fall, I suddenly slammed my hooves into the ground, skidding in the muck as another shadowy form leapt out at me. Other unicorns probably would’ve cast a shield to protect themselves. Of course, I had never been good at that and was subsequently tackled to the ground.
With the wind knocked from my lungs, I lay on my back, sucking in as much air as my lungs could pull. The position gave me a wonderful view of the underside of the forest canopy. That and the floofy chest beneath the stern gaze of a rather large and imposing bat pony.
Still trying to catch my breath, I gasped out a greeting. “H-hello?”
I could hear rustling and faint screeches coming from where I saw Leaf Fall land. I tried to rise and look in her direction but the big bat pony, the one I called Brush Tail, nailed me to the ground with her hard, imposing glare.
Branch hopper slipped into view, her entire side pressed against that of Brush Tail. She was very much the most tactile of the four. Often remaining in physical contact with one of the others, especially Brush Tail, on the rare occasions I had seen her. Unlike her leader, Branch Hopper examined me closely, an inquisitive glint to her eye.
Brush Tail hissed a warning. One Branch Hopper shrugged off with a twitch of an ear. They appeared to be communicating, yet I heard no words pass between them, just a slight screeching at the top of my hearing range. Did they have another way to communicate? Body language perhaps? Maybe their screeches, hisses and EEEEEs! hid their words from interlopers?
Another rustle of leaves from where Leaf Fall landed snatched away their attention; Branch Hopper slinking out of sight in the process. Brush Tail soon glared at me again, leaned forward and snorted in my face. In the blink of an eye, she spread her wings and departed, leaving me alone and dumbfounded, laying on the forest floor.
Day Ninety-seven – Alone Again?
It has been a week since I last spotted any of the four bat ponies. Even my belongings have gone un-moved when I sleep or am out completing the last parts of the survey. It is strange what you can miss once you get used to something. Perhaps their leader had warned the others to stay away from me?
In any case, where the colony lived and why they were here still eludes me. I hope to at least discover the former before the date I depart for civilisation once more. Maybe finding their home would shed light on the latter? For now, I can only speculate as it is late and I need some rest if I am to ever reach any conclusions. At least my survey of the other species is technically done so I can’t be accused of being distracted by a lost colony of bat mares.
Honestly, seeing it written that way makes my encounters sound more like the plot of an old, low-budget adventure movie.
* * *
While Close Call slept, with the lantern no longer illuminating the rustic treehouse, a pair of golden eyes popped up into view of a glass-less window. The eyes blinked a few times as they slowly turned, scanning the single room of the treehouse. The tiniest of sounds, imperceptible to normal pony ears squeaked from the owner of the eyes. "He’s sleeping. Let’s go."
With the faintest whisper of wind and the softest of paps from hooves on the old treehouse floor, Vines swept in through a window and landed beside the bed. She let out a soft hiss as she spread her wings to pose and grin in celebration. "Yes!"
A leathery wing clipped her across the scalp and Vines quickly fixed her mane. She snorted her disapproval at Brush Tail who simply glared back. "Cut it out."
Her point made, Brush Tail softly stepped towards the middle of the treehouse to examine their surrounds.
Vines scrunched up her face and mockingly mouthed at Brush Tail’s back. "Whatever you say, boss."
Brush Tail suddenly stopped, her head turning abruptly to glower back at Vines. Vines, however, had just as quickly pulled herself up to sit with the most innocent look on her face. Brush Tail’s glower deepened the longer she focused on Vines.
The silent standoff was only broken when Branch Hopper drifted in beneath Brush Tail’s line of sight and suddenly bumped her forehead against the taller mare’s chest floof. Branch Hopper eyed Vines as she slunk herself around, keeping contact between her side and Brush Tail’s chest. Brush Tail shuddered noticeably at the contact.
"We shouldn’t linger." Branch Hopper flicked her head in the direction of the unicorn who was now snoring on the bed. "Best we don’t wake him. Not when we don’t yet know his intentions. Just take back what is ours."
Leaf Fall peeked over the windowsill, taking extra care to only let the top half of her head be seen. "A-are we done yet?"
Brush Tail continued to watch Vines then let out a breath and turned for the table. She swept the fruit from the bowl into her wing without a sound. The bowl didn’t even move. Softly making her way to the open door, she shot a look back at Vines. "We’re done."
"Oh, good." Leaf Fall visibly relaxed. Her eyes widened expectantly. "Find more of that sweet square brown stuff?"
Branch Hopper nuzzled Leaf Fall as she passed. "Unfortunately, no. Some wicked berries and spice apples though."
Leaf Fall’s head drooped as she followed Branch Hopper out the door. "Aw. Did you find out what it was?"
Branch Hopper shrugged then took to the air.
"Best not concern yourself with it." Brush Tail tucked the food into her tail. "I see this one making to leave. We should leave it be from now."
She turned to shoot another glare back at Vines and hissed, "All of us."
"Yeah, yeah. I get ya, boss." Vines was busy putting the finishing touches on her latest artwork/prank before stepping back to admire her work. With a grin and a nod, she turned and softly dashed across the floor while both Brush Tail and Leaf Fall took flight.
Vines leapt through the open window, spread her wings and sailed off into the darkness, leaving an intricate stack of books atop the table. The former fruit bowl perched on the edge of the bedrest, waiting for the moment Close Call, still half asleep, would lift his head, knock it and make it fall on him, splashing him with what little water it held.
If he truly was leaving, this would be her parting gift.
Author's Note
Just something I threw together from an idea late at night. Partly written around two in the morning so hope it makes sense. There is undoubtedly more which could be in this but I was just having a bit of fun.
If anyone wants to use these characters in something, just ask.