Nocturnal Bats and Green-Eyed Angels

If there was one thing that Nocturnus loved about the winter season, is how much it changed the environment around him. Sure, he liked the other seasons and saw why they were favored, but winter held a very special place in his heart. Aside from it being colder than a freezer, it always blew him away just how beautiful winter made everything around him. From the snow covering the branches to the snowflakes falling like droplets of rain. Covering everything in a pure blanket of white. Like some mysterious winter wonderland that only those with a love for it could see as being beautiful. Regardless of how corny it probably may have sounded or been to others.

As Nocturnus walked with Fluttershy to her cottage, he found himself thinking just that. With each step, he found himself gazing around at the wonder that was the winter season. Something that was amplified by the setting sun helping to light up the scenery around them as the sky grew darker. Next to the stallion, Fluttershy led the way, occasionally looking back to see if Nocturnus was still following her. Each time she did, she found herself giggling at the look of awe in the stallion’s eyes. It reminded her of a foal that was learning of new lands that they never heard of before. She found it rather adorable honestly.

“My Nocturnus~. You look to be really out of it today,” Fluttershy commented with a playful edge to her tone. “Is there something on your mind right now?”

“Huh?” Nocturnus asked dumbly, the mare’s voice pulling him out of his silent daydreaming. At that same moment, he stopped centimeters away from running into a thick snowy branch. Upon seeing what he was about to run into, he backed up and quickly joined the mare on the road they were on. “Oh, s-sorry Fluttershy! I didn’t mean to zone out like that... are we at the cottage yet?”

“Not yet, but it won’t be too much longer. We’re making good progress, so we’ll be there long before it starts to get dark.” Fluttershy replied, reaching out with a wing to brush off some snow on Nocturnus’s hat. “Why do you ask? Were you afraid that it was taking longer because of how much you were admiring the scenery?”

“…Now that you asked, I suppose I was. I was so caught up in seeing how pretty everything looked in the snow that I wasn’t exactly thinking.” Nocturnus replied, blushing lightly while wiping at his muzzle.

“It’s okay love. You were finding what you were seeing to be beautiful and you wanted to take in as much of it as you possibly could. There’s nothing wrong with that.” Fluttershy said kindly. “Just make sure that you don’t get too absorbed into it. You don’t wanna maybe run into a branch or trip over a rock or anything worse than that.”

“I think I got that well before you felt the need to tell me that.” Nocturnus deadpanned, his half-lidded eyes locked right onto the mare’s amused teal ones. He looked back to where he almost ran into the branch as if he was expecting it to be in front of him again. “Long before…”

“I know! But it’s better to hear it from me than feeling it or tripping over a rock, right?” Fluttershy stated, tilting her head with letting out a chuckle. “At least those won’t leave you feeling hurt anywhere.”

“True,” Nocturnus murmured, taking a quick glance to see if there were any upcoming rocks in front of him.

“Anywho, are you feeling excited?” Fluttershy said as she looked ahead of her. “ About taking Mokata with you to Rosière?”

“I am! I’m really excited!” Nocturnus replied, smiling a bit before looking down at the ground. “I just hope when I tell her she’ll feel the same way. I’m… kind of worried she may not want to go with me at all.”

Fluttershy shot a confused glance at the stallion. “Why do you think that? You and Mokata are best friends. She sees you like family as I do. And you feel the same way about her. You go to each other about anything and always do everything together. Why wouldn’t Mokata want to go with you to something as amazing as where you want to take her?”

“Why do you think I think she wouldn’t want to?” Nocturnus countered, giving the homeworking veterinarian a knowing look. “Aside from you Fluttershy, I know Mokata like the back of my own hooves. Out of all the Crusaders, she’s the one that I feel the closest to. In those twelve years, I’ve seen Mokata display some rather interesting traits. Ones that make me more than a little doubtful that she would want to do what I’m planning to do with her. Ones that I’m sure that you’re well aware of.”

Fluttershy’s lips pursed, her head swinging sideways as if someone smacked her across the cheek. It was no secret to anyone in Ponyville that she and Mokata were alike in practically all aspects of the imagination. One on hoof, both were incredibly kind, having hearts bigger than the skies they flew in with nurturing, motherly sides to boot. On the other hoof, both were as timid as they were nonconfrontational, emotional, and easily scared. Something that Nocturnus had quickly come to pick up on and learn about the two while getting to know them. In the years following, both have gradually improved in their assertiveness, fearlessness, and being willing to fight when needed. It still flared up every now and again, but when it did, it usually tended to serve as a fond reminder of the old days. For the other Element Bearers and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Nocturnus, and his own sister most of all.

“I-I see. And you think it’s because of this, um… traits that Mokata may not want to join you on your trip?” Fluttershy asked weakly once she managed to collect herself.

“More or less,” Nocturnus nodded affirmatively. “Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying those traits are bad. In fact, I think they’re really cute. And part of what makes Mokata who she is. I’m just kind of doubtful that because of them, she may not wanna go to a land where creatures like vampires are real. Plus, I really don’t wanna end up giving Mokata nightmares that’ll follow her to her grave.”

“Hm… it does make more sense why you’re so nervous about her reaction to this when putting it that way,” Fluttershy said, contemplating his words like she was figuring out what medicine to give to a sick animal. “Even so, I don’t think you have to worry that much. I’ve seen Mokata grow a lot from when she was a filly, and she’s made a lot of progress. Most of all in the areas where you mentioned that she, um… shares with me. I’m not gonna deny that there is a chance she may not wanna go because of it, but you shouldn’t base your chances solely on that alone. For all you know, Mokata may want to go to a land she’s never seen before.”

“What makes you so sure of that?” Nocturnus asked with a raised eyebrow. “You think she’ll see going with me to the Blood Moon Kingdom as a chance to face the very things she scared off?”

“No, I’m not. But, I wouldn’t put it past her to do that if it was for that reason. Other than wanting to spend time with you.” Fluttershy said, pausing before getting back on track. "My point is… try to have faith, okay Nocturnus? You never know the outcome of anything. It’s always a good idea to keep both outcomes in mind instead of one. That way, you’ll be more prepared for what will happen. When you think of it that way, it makes it easier when facing something like this, doesn’t it?”

Nocturnus blinked, mulling over Fluttershy’s words as they registered in his head. “I suppose so...”

“Of course, it does!” Fluttershy nodded, wrapping a loving wing around the stallion’s neck. “Don’t worry, I have no doubt Mokata will want to take time out of her night to go to an event with you. You are one of her closest friends! I’m sure she’ll accept! And even if she doesn’t… well, at least you’ll meet a pretty mare in the Rosière Kingdom who’s more than willing to spend time with you. Even if it’s just for a night, right?”

“Right…” Nocturnus replied awkwardly, not even attempting to think of the implications behind Fluttershy’s last statement. “Thank you for that Fluttershy. That really cheered me up.”

“You’re welcome, love!” Fluttershy crooned warmly, pulling the stallion closer to her for a brief moment. “Me and the other girls are there if you need to talk to us about something. Even if it’s for things like this. Never forget that we love you, and we’ll always be here for you. Through the good and the bad, okay?”

“Uh-huh! I’ll be sure to remember that!” Nocturnus chirped, hugging the mare around her neck and nuzzling into it. “You're the best Fluttershy!”

“I know~,” Fluttershy said gently, planting a soft kiss on the stallion’s nose. Her ears perked when she heard birds chirping, making her look ahead to see where they were. “Oh! It looks like we’re finally at the cottage!”

Pausing in his nuzzling, Nocturnus pulled away from Fluttershy to see the giant hut that was the latter’s cottage. Most of it looked to be untouched by the snow thanks to the trees hanging from above. Though there was a good portion of it at the top of the roof thanks to the many branches growing out from atop it. As the thestral scanned the front yard, he could see burrowing holes and treehouses devoid of any residents. No signs of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and any insects of the sort anywhere.

‘I guess they decided to turn in early.’ Nocturnus thought, landing next to Fluttershy as they headed for the door. Not wanting to be outside any longer, he flew inside, dropping his gift on the rug in the middle of the floor. Nocturnus then propped himself right up to the fireplace, sighing in delight as the fire wrapped him in its flames of warmth.

"Looks like somepony’s eager to get himself all nice and toasted up. Not wasting any time, are you Nocturnus?” Fluttershy asked, carrying her bags over to her Christmas Tree.

“Nuh-uh! I want to get myself as rested as I possibly can! That way, I have plenty of energy to let loose at the Pink Moon Festival,” Nocturnus replied as he spread his wings out to their full span and moved them in front of the fireplace. “I also wanna make sure that I have extra energy to do whatever Mokata wants while we’re both there. After all, she’s also coming with me to the festival, so she deserves to have as good of a time as I do too.”

“Well, you are a thestral Nocturnus. You have far more energy than the standard pony. So it makes sense you should have lots of it for something like a kingdom festival.” Fluttershy commented, acknowledging the thestral's point. “I just hope Mokata will have the energy to keep up with you.”

“If you’re worried about me burning her out, then don’t,” Nocturnus said while glancing back at the mare. “I’ve had more than a decade to know Mokata. Sure, we’ve gone on our own little adventures and did tons of shit on our crusades, but even we knew there were some things we just couldn’t do. Had we not known or learned where our limits lay, we would’ve been worse off when we were foals.”

“Yes, I know…” Fluttershy laughed, thinking back on the times the Cutie Mark Crusaders all but demolished Ponyville during their adventures. “In any case, I appreciate you taking Mokata’s safety into consideration. It makes it easier for me to let her go knowing there’s somepony who’s looking out for her. I just hope she won’t overreact when she does meet the residents in the Western Nation. Epona knows the last thing she needs is to start looking for monsters under her bed or in her closet.” She shivered lightly. “Again.”

“You’re telling me.” Nocturnus nodded. “Where is Mokata anyway? Did she decide to go do some shopping of her own too?”

“No, she decided to say here and look after the animals for me while I shopped for us,” Fluttershy replied, tilting her head to the gifts she had set on a Christmas Tree. “I don’t sense her anywhere downstairs. She must be in her bedroom. Let me go get her for you."

As Fluttershy turned to head upstairs, she saw a cloud of what looked to be steam coming from the hallway. Stopping, she listened to the sound of water running briefly before stopping as a door being opened replaced it. A gentle and melodic humming followed by hoofsteps made its way in their direction before the pony making said sounds was revealed. It was a mare around Nocturnus’s age, looking to be a younger replica of Fluttershy. Save for her gentle sea-green eyes, stockings, and muzzle matching the color of the very snow outside. Her mane was the only part of her that was concealed, a towel concealing it as she used to dry the thick hairs on her head. On her neck was a black collar, a beautiful chain hanging from the center that held a roseray with a burning red eye in the center.

“Oh! There you are Mokata! I was just about to go looking for you.” Fluttershy said, pausing in her steps. “Were you coming out of the shower?”

“Yes, I had just gotten finished. I was out in the backyard playing with some deer and I ended up falling into the stream outside. I came inside to clean myself up before I went back out.” She replied, her voice coated with honied warmth. “Did you come back from your shopping?”

“Yes! I was able to get the gifts on time before the shops closed for the night and tomorrow,” Fluttershy replied, pointing to the tree in the far corner. “But I was a little late getting here because I ran into somepony along the way.”

“Ran into somepony?” Mokata repeated, stopping in her mane drying as Fluttershy pointed to the right of her. Following the lining of her older sister’s hoof, the younger mare went wide-eyed upon seeing the thestral sitting at their fireplace.

“Hey there Mokata!” Nocturnus beamed, flashing a fanged smile at the pegasus.

“Nocturnus!” Mokata cried, happiness filling in her as her eyes went brighter than a bedroom lamp. Before she knew it, the mare was running down the stairs, the towel around her head sliding off and falling to the hallway's floor. With her now visible mane flowing behind her, Mokata made a beeline for the colt, hopping into his outstretched forehooves.

“Epona's Holy Wings! I can’t believe you're here!” She gushed, rubbing her cheek against the thestral’s as she hugged him close. “What’re you doing over here?”

“What do you mean? It’s just like Fluttershy already told you. We bumped into each other in town and she took me with her to the cottage.” Nocturnus replied as Mokata pulled away from him. “I wasn’t expecting you to be here though. I thought you went with Fluttershy to help her with the shopping.”

“I was planning on doing that, but I felt it would be better if I stayed here and look after the cottage while Fluttershy was gone,” Mokata replied with a casual shrug. “Plus, I felt like if I did, I wouldn’t be able to stand the cold and I would get sick.”

“So, you didn’t want to get cold huh?” Nocturnus said in a partially teasing voice. “And didn’t you just say a few seconds ago that you were out in the backyard playing with deer and ended up getting soaked? Wasn’t that the reason why you were showering a few seconds ago?”

Mokata blushed as she backed up from the thestral. “I-I know that, but that wasn’t the point! I was saying that I didn’t want to be outside in the cold for too long in case I caught a cold! Plus, the mall is farther from the cottage! So I’d have more time to be able to take action. Especially since I’m younger and more prone to catch a cold in weather like this!”

“…Okay, when thinking of it like that, it does make more sense.” Nocturnus conceded. “But that argument kind of falls through with what you just said before. Unless of course, you were paying attention to just how long you could be out in the backyard before it started to get dangerous for you.”

Mokata paused, her mouth open as she tried in vain to find some sort of counterargument for the thestral. She looked over at her sister for help, but the older mare just shrugged, giving a little smile. Eventually, the younger sibling sighed, her soft pink mane falling over her eyes as her head went limp.

“You’re right. That was silly of me to say. I thought staying here would help me to reduce the chances of catching a cold,” Mokata admitted, face flushing blue. “But it looks like by doing that I just upped the chances of that happening anyway.”

Nocturnus chortled, holding back the urge to giggle at his friend’s show of adorableness. Since their first meeting, Mokata always seemed to have a certain air to her, and that there was much more to her than met the eye. While subtle at first, Nocturnus found himself constantly surprised by Mokata's behavior in certain situations. Cuteness made up most of it, while in some cases he was reminded just how bad it was to upset calm and gentle creatures, pony or otherwise. Occasionally, Mokata would display a show of strength that many wouldn’t expect to see from her. When she did, it went beyond expectations, leaving those there to see it absolutely speechless. Including the other Crusaders. And boy was it a show every single time.

As they grew, Nocturnus came to see other sides of Mokata which made her more down-to-earth in other aspects. For one, she was extremely sweet and loving, with saint-like patience and love for nature equivalent to Fluttershy’s own. At the same time, she also showed how scary she could be when she was pissed off. While they had an amazing friendship, the times that Mokata did get angry at him did well to remind him that even she had her limits. Rarely did it ever happen, so Nocturnus had no problem telling others how wonderful their bond was. Nevertheless, it never ceased to amaze him just how much Mokata’s anger would send terror through his soul. Along with the ones of those who found themselves at the center of her wrath.

“Yeah, you sorta did,” Nocturnus agreed, reaching out and giving Mokata a gentle head pat. “At least you got yourself cleaned up and refreshed before you had the chance to get sick! Now that would’ve been a real damper on your night!”

“I agree. I don't really have anything going on tonight, but at least it won’t be spent being sick in bed,” Mokata nodded as she looked up at her foalhood friend. “So what are your plans for tonight, Nocturnus? Did you want to spend the night here? Or did your parents decide they wanted to spend some time by themselves and had you go somewhere else?”

‘Wow, she almost figured out my entire situation right off the bat.’ Nocturnus thought, wincing as the talk with his family entered his mind. “Yeah, something like that. My parents have plans of their own that don’t have any room for me to be involved. And from what Fluttershy told me, even Miyako has plans with her and their friends, Zephyrus and Spike. I’m pretty much on my own for tonight.” He glanced over at Fluttershy, who nodded to him while silently gesturing him to keep going. “But… that’s not why I’m here.”

“What is it then?” Mokata asked inquisitively, unaware of the surprise the thestral had in store.

Giving a sigh, Nocturnus took the plunge. “After I had gotten back home, my Mom and Dad told me they had something planned for me. Since they and my big sister had plans for the night, they decided to go have me go over to the Vampire Kingdom over in the west. Its King and Queen are holding a festival tonight, and they gave me tickets to go and participate in it.”

“You’re going to Rosière?!” Mokata gasped in amazement. “Wow! That’s amazing Nocturnus! That was such a nice thing for your parents to do for you!”

“It sure was. What others would give to have parents as cool as mine,” Nocturnus nodded, touched by Mokata’s elated support while simultaneously surprised by her reaction. “I was really excited and I couldn’t wait to take whoever wanted to come with me to spend a night surrounded by creatures only heard of in books. But… that didn’t happen.”

Mokata’s own happy expression faltered. “What do you mean?”

“He means that nopony wanted to go with him,” Fluttershy emphasized. “Nocturnus went around the town and asked the ponies he knew if they wanted to go to the Pink Moon Festival. Unfortunately, they were either uninterested or too scared of the vampires to go with him. Some of them reacted rather… physically in their responses, but the message was clear enough.”

“Awww… nopony wanted to go with him?” Mokata asked, frowning at her sister’s solemn nod. Turning back to the grey stallion, she reached out and gingerly caressed his fluffy cheek. “I’m so sorry Nocturnus. I know that couldn’t have been easy for you.”

“It was… in more ways than one,” Nocturnus uttered, shivering as if he had multiple ice cubes dumped on him at once. “I was about ready to throw in the towel when I ran into Fluttershy on my way back home. I told her about my situation and that’s when she presented me with an… offer.”

Mokata blinked slowly as the bat pony’s words sunk in. “An offer?”

“Yes, love.” Fluttershy nodded, coming up to stand in between the duo. “You’re the only one who has time on their hooves that could be spent doing something other than staying here. And since you don’t have anything planned, you’re best suited for what Nocturnus is wanting to do.”

It took less than a second for Mokata to finally piece the puzzle together in her head.

“W-wait a minute… Nocturnus…” She slowly turned to face the thestral, who was looking anywhere but her. “A-are you saying that…?”

“Yes Mokata,” Nocturnus said as he pulled out the tickets he had stored away in his hat. Breathing deeply, he steeled himself as he asked the question he had prepared - and dreaded - to ask. “I want you to come with me to the Pink Moon Festival.”

Both of the thestral’s eyes snapped shut as he bowed his head, bracing for the rejection he was sure to get from Mokata. All while praying to Nyx that her rejection would be gentler than those he had received. For what felt like an endless stretch, silence reigned, feeling so thick that it could’ve been cut with a samurai sword. It was soon ended by the sound of air being sucked in, which Nocturnus figured out was sniffling. Eyes snapping open, he looked to see the shocking sight of Mokata having tears running down her soft yellow cheeks.

“M-Mokata?!” Nocturnus asked, fear filling up as his heart began to speed up. “W-what’s the matter?! A-are you okay?!”

“Nocturnus…” Mokata finally said, giving an inhale as she fought, and failed, to keep herself together. “T-this… this is just… I-I don’t…”

“Shit! Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! Nyx’s Piercing Sabers!” Nocturnus swore, ignoring Fluttershy’s gentle look of admonishment. “I’m sorry Mokata! I didn’t mean to make you cry! I knew this was a bad idea... damn it!”

Nocturnus got to his hooves, grabbing at his hat so he could store the tickets away and get out of there. His left forehoof barely reached halfway to his head before he felt it being grabbed by another, softer hoof. Looking down, he saw Mokata holding it in place while she stared into his eyes - her own still flowing with tears.

“Mokata, w-what are you-?” Nocturnus asked fearfully but found himself stopping as the young pegasus spoke.

“Don’t go!” She begged, her pleading voice locking him in place as if a cockatrice had turned him into stone. “Don’t go Nocturnus! P-please just… stay here.”

“W-what?” Nocturnus asked as he slowly calmed down. “I... don’t understand. I thought you were upset.”

Mokata shook her head, doing her best to wipe away the salty liquid from her face. “No, I’m not mad! I... I'm just... I’m just so happy!”

“...You are?! But… you’re crying and-”

“It’s not what you think! I swear!” Mokata said, taking both of Nocturnus’s hooves in her own. “I’m happy! I really am! For you to go out of your way to do something like this for me! I knew you cared about me, but… I didn’t think you would show it like this!”

“I… of course I care about you Mokata!” Nocturnus asked, feeling shocked by the mare's statement. “You’re my best friend! One of the best that I’ve had in the twelve years that I’ve been living in Ponyville! Why wouldn’t I care about you after all this time?! For me to be friends with you for this long and still not have some form of care for you?! What the hell do you take me for?!”

Mokata giggled, her wings coming to her face to dry her eyes. “Yes, I know. I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings. I guess I was so overwhelmed by your surprise that I didn’t really think about what I was saying.”

“No, I’m sorry for getting so upset. I overreacted there and I didn’t understand what you were trying to say,” Nocturnus retorted, sighing as he rubbed the back of his head. Clearing his throat, he pursed his lips for a second before asking, “So… how about it Mokata? You wanna go out – I mean - go with me to the festival in the Undiscovered West?”

Mokata didn’t immediately reply, too focused on cleaning her face of whatever tears still stained her face. Once she was sure she had calmed down, she looked at Nocturnus with a smile that was as small as it was overjoyed. Giggling slightly, she hugged him, her wings enveloping him as if she was an angel embracing a lost and scared soul.

“Yes Nocturnus, I do. I would love to go to the festival with you,” Mokata finally replied, resting her chin atop his head. “I can’t think of anything that would be more enjoyable to do than this. Most of all with you.”

‘She... she said yes…! She actually said yes!’ Nocturnus thought, internally whooping in joy from the mare’s response. ‘This is awesome! I didn’t think she would actually agree, but she did! I'm gonna get to take Mokata with me to Rosière tonight! Hooray!’

“So… you do wanna go, huh?” Nocturnus asked, his outward voice calmer than the one screaming inside his head. “Glad to hear it Mokata. I promise! This night will be the best night of your entire life! We’re gonna have so much fun there!”

“I know we will~.” Mokata nodded, holding the bat pony close as she nuzzled his forehead.

Somewhere in the exchange of hugs, a gurgling emerged, breaking the silence with the force of an axe destroying the trunk of a tree. Abruptly Nocturnus and Mokata immediately pulled away from one another eyes on the floor as their faces went red. Just next to them, Fluttershy smiled, laughing in amusement at the sudden action as she went to break the ice.

“Uh-oh! Looks like two little ponies are hungry~.” Fluttershy cooed as if speaking to two infant fools. “Why don’t you two come to the kitchen so I can whip you up something before you head off? Don’t worry, I won’t give you too much. You wouldn’t want to be too full and not want to taste any of the festival food, now would you?”

“Y-yes, that sounds nice. T-thank you, big sister…” Mokata nodded, not daring to look at her sister’s amused face.

“Yeah,” Nocturnus nodded, looking just as embarrassed. “Me too, Fluttershy.”

“You’re very welcome my sweet little fluffy bundles~.” Fluttershy cooed, kissing them both on their foreheads. As she led them to the kitchen, the veterinarian looked at Nocturnus and calmly asked, "Oh, I meant to ask you Nocturnus. Do you have a designated time as to when you’ll be catching the train with Mokata?”

Nocturnus paused at the question. “Well… the festival doesn’t start until about nine, and it’s said to end at midnight. The next train won’t be here until six either. It’s pretty fast while going to the Undiscovered West so we should be there in about an hour and a half. We’ll have about another one and a half hours to roam around the city and find a hotel to stay at until then.” He looked at the pegasus questioningly. “Why do you ask? Were you wanting us to come back right after?”

“No. I was just wondering when you’d be catching it is all,” Fluttershy replied as they entered the kitchen. “I wanted to make sure that I’d have enough time to cook you something before you went on your way. I didn’t want to make either of you late.”

"I see. That makes sense.” Nocturnus nodded, pulling out a chair and sitting himself down at the table. “Thanks for that…”

“Of course love,” Fluttershy nodded, opening one of the counters and getting out her equipment. Setting them on the table in front of her, she looked at the duo with an excited smile. “Now then, which of you wants to help me with the cooking?”