"So much for having the winning apple in the Appleoosa state fair, huh?" Rainbow says solemnly as Applejack picks up the knife. Applejack takes a sad look at the apple and hesitates before making a huge slice, allowing the smallest bit of juice to leak out.

The smell of the juice wafts over to FlutterBat's nostrils, making her stop in her tracks as she flies over the orchard. Temptation filling her, she turns towards the smell and sees the giant, juicy apple. FlutterBat bares her fangs, and lets out a snarling hiss as she dives for the apple.

"She's coming!" Rainbow Dash whispers to Applejack. Just as FlutterBat is about to sink her teeth down into the apple, Applejack kicks it out of the way, revealing a mirror directly behind it, held by Spike. FlutterBat stops, and stares at her reflection. Then she shakes her head and tears her eyes away, only to come face to face with a second mirror. She escapes that mirror, only to encounter a third, held up by Rarity's magic. Unable to resist, FlutterBat ends up doing the Stare on herself.

Twilight takes this chance to step forward and cast her spell. A bright pink light envelopes itself around FlutterBat, growing brighter by the second.

As quickly as it formed, the light turns white and vanishes. And in FlutterBat's place is none other than... FlutterBat.

The spell didn't work. Fluttershy didn't return to normal.

The monster blinks and looks around. "Twilight, what the hay happened?" Applejack snaps, turning her attention to the purple pony princess.

"I-I-I don't know! That should have worked!"

Before anypony else can speak, FlutterBat hisses and dive bombs them all before flying off into the distance.

"Great. Now what do we do?!" Rainbow Dash asks helplessly.

"Panic?" Pinkie Pie suggests worriedly, biting her hooves.

"No! Nopony panic!" Twilight says. "We just need to come up with a new plan, is all. We still have time, right? She's only eating fruits, after all. Not like she's eating actual ponies!"

Zecora has been busy cleaning up her hut in the middle of the forest. She has just finished rearranging some bottles of mysterious, fruit-smelling liquid when she hears a whooshing noise come from outside her window. Being in the Everfree, she's used to strange noises, but this one seems... off, somehow.

"Huh?" she asks quietly. The zebra looks out the window and sees nothing. She decides that maybe it's just her imagination and turns away, intent on finishing up her cleaning by wiping down a few more surfaces.

She isn't cleaning for long, before a strange slurping sound comes from the same area outside. This being the second strange noise in a row, she decides that maybe she's not imagining things, and exits her hut to have a look around.

"Who is there?" Zecora asks.

No answer, except for crickets. With it once again looking like her imagination, she turns to go back inside, muttering to herself, "Must be just a deer" - until she hears more slurping. Zecora turns in the direction of the noise and squints.

There. Up in the trees. She sees... Something. A creature.

"Oh?" the zebra says quietly. She can't see all too well in the darkness, but the thing seems to look somewhat pony shaped. She speaks up: "It is rather rude to stop by without a hello!"

In response, the creature turns it's head toward Zecora, and hisses softly. The beast's eyes glow a dim red. It opens it's mouth, unleashing it's tongue, which latches onto a fruit from one of the branches.

That must be what the slurping sound was, Zecora thinks to herself. Knowing what fruit that is, she shakes her head slowly, approaching the creature. "I wouldn't eat that fruit, if I were you. It has a rather bad aftertaste, one of an icky goo."

As she gets closer, she starts to recognize some of the creature's features. As she studies it, narrowing her eyes, her jaw opens slightly.

"Oh, my... Could it be?..." The zebra gets closer, squinting, and the beast gently hisses as Zecora mouths, Fluttershy?

The beast watches as the new character below her tries to lure her down - She's not stupid, however. She somewhat recognizes the name that this striped animal calls her - "Fluttershy" - but she can't say from where. Bored, the beast yawns and latches another fruit.

These fruits taste much better than apples to her. It's a nice change of pace, seeing as it's the only thing she's eaten over the last two nights. She's halfway through with sucking the current fruit dry when she smells another sweet, fruity smell waft up from where the zebra stands. The beast looks down, and sees the zebra. Next to the animal is an open bottle, and in the zebra's hoof is a new fruit.

That must be where the new smell is coming from. The beast immediately drops the current morsel from her mouth and, almost as fast as that blue pegasus from earlier, zips straight down to the zebra, stopping directly in front of her. Her ears twitch in an almost adorable way as she eyes the fruit in the zebra's hoof. Yes, this is most definitely where the smell was coming from. Just to make sure though, the beast leans her head forward and sniffs the fruit in the zebra's hoof.

The zebra chuckles at the sight before her. FlutterBat slowly, hesitantly opens her mouth, intent to take a bite of the fruit. As her mouth inches closer, from the corner of her eye she sees the zebra's hoof reaching towards her. The beast hisses, backing up and swatting the stranger's hoof with her own, almost catlike.

They stay still for a moment, staring at each other. The zebra opens her mouth. "It is okay, Fluttershy. I am your friend. It is clear to me that you do not remember who I am in the state you are in; that, we can try to mend."

The beast narrows her eyes, and her body slowly loses it's tension. She starts to approach the zebra, then flinches as her striped companion moves a hoof.

"It is okay," the zebra says again quietly. "Come with me, inside my hut. Let us find out why you are this way."

FlutterBat eyes her new companion wearily, then follows her inside the hut. Once inside, the strong fruity smell hits her nostrils again... and it's not coming from the fruit in the zebra's hand - the fruit which now, in a lighter setting, looks more like wood.

Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash head through the woods, on the path to see their zebra friend. The forest is normally creepy, but tonight it feels... Different. Off, even.

"H-hey, Applejack? Remember that time we were in the forest to see that old castle for that silly competition?"

The farm pony shifts her eyes over to Dash, then back to the path ahead of her. "I have more concerning things on my mind right now, Rainbow Dash."

"I-I know. Sorry. I was just trying to..."

"Lighten the mood?" Twilight asks.

"Yeah. That."

The three friends walk in silence for the next few steps. "So, uh, Twilight? What if going to Zecora's doesn't work? What if she can't find anything?" Rainbow Dash asks hesitantly, hoofing at the ground.

Twilight pauses, turning to look at her friend. She opens her mouth, then closes it again. "I don't know," she answers hesitantly. "Let's... Let's keep going."

They walk for a few more feet, when Applejack shivers. "It's cold out here. I mighty think we shoulda brought some blankets with us. Or some jackets."

"Well, it's not our fault for not bringing them!" Rainbow Dash snaps. "We're all a little stressed right now!"

"Rainbow Dash, do not take that tone with me!" Applejack snaps back, stopping dead in her tracks.

Rainbow opens her mouth, then stops, and they both turn to Twilight, who has just cleared her throat.

"Girls, I know we're all under a lot of stress right now, but now is not the time for this. We can argue later. Right now we need to focus on getting to Zecora's."

The blue pegasus and the orange farm pony both blush and look away sheepishly. "Sorry, Twi," Applejack says.

"Yeah, sorry," Dash follows.

On that note, the three mares continue their walk in silence.

FlutterBat licks her lips, captivated by the fruity scent coming off of the zebra. She barely even realizes it as the urine slides down her leg while she slowly steps forward toward the zebra, who is currently talking about... Something.

"Now Fluttershy, I feel if we were to take some of - Fluttershy?" Zecora turns to see the beast directly above her, drooling. The zebra turns to sniff her coat. It seems that some of that fruity-smelling liquid had gotten into her coat. Oh, shi- Zecora can barely finish her thought before FlutterBat's fangs sink into her neck.

A strange taste washes over FlutterBat's tongue. It's not fruity, like she was expecting. Yet it still tastes... Good? Better than good, even. The beast is relieved, however, as she was expecting the zebra to make a sound. She didn't. The beast picks Zecora up and flies through the door, still feeding.

The outdoors is much less cramped; more comfortable. Zecora quietly stutters and shakes as FlutterBat drinks, getting more pale by the second.

As they approach Zecora's hut, Rainbow sniffs the air. "Girls, do you... smell something?"

"No. I don't smell - Ew. What is that?" Applejack asks. They both stop to sniff around. "Rainbow Dash, did you fart?" the country pony asks, unamused.

"What?! What the hay makes you think I would actually fart and bring it up at a time like this?!" the blue pegasus asks, hovering above the ground, her wings beating furiously.

Applejack clenches her jaw and looks down. "Ya make a good point."

The two ponies turn to continue walking, only to see Twilight standing up ahead, not moving. They exchange a glance and walk towards their friend. As they get closer, the stench of fecal matter strengthens. Once they get within about two to three feet of the Alicorn, they see what has her not moving.

Twilight's mouth is slightly agape, her eyes tiny. She's shivering ever so slightly. Applejack looks in front of her, and the sight she sees makes her take a few steps backward.

Rainbow Dash vomits in her mouth a little. She lands softly and walks forward. The shriveled thing in front of them is definitely the source of the stink, or at least something around it. As she gets closer, she starts to recognize it. It's not an 'it' at all.

It's a 'her'. It's-

"Zecora?" Rainbow Dash asks. She bends down over her friend, and gently shakes her. Nothing. A lump catches in her throat. She's about to turn back to the others when something catches her eye - two tiny pinpricks, teeth marks, in the side of Zecora's neck.

Author's Note

As much as I respect the amount of FimFiction writers that are horny for FlutterBat, y'all have been sleeping on the horror fuel that's sitting right there. I've had this idea for a few months now, and had the beginning typed out for just as long. But with Halloween coming up, I decided eh, why not actually write this thing?

Cover art can be found here

Also, for the urine, apparently real vampire bats urinate while feeding. Science-y stuff.