Fel the Average Batpony

Chapter I – What the Buck Did You Do To My Books?!

"BAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTYYYY!" A frustrated voice filled the air, echoing through the darkened interior of the small bookshop. While the sound stayed inside the building, a few innocent bystanders would find their pleasant morning sabotaged. What followed after was a quiet squeak of “Oh buck…!” before the sound of retreating hooves were made.  The scene inside the bookshop was simply utter CHAOS. Bookshelves were face-down upon the soft violet carpet, a few of them having their shelves disjointed and broken. All the while numerous books of countless genres and such lay scattered on the floor in disarray, a few of them sporting damaged covers.  All the while, an angry speckled raven cawed possible insults and curses in its tongue towards the target.

“Batty, get your damn flank back here!” The voice emanated from a dark grey pony with leathery bat wings half extended in anger, his emerald eyes seeming to glow with barely suppressed rage as he swept his gaze over the destruction of the room, his normally well groomed mane sticking up in disarray. However at this moment, his eyes were narrowed into furious slits and his hooves stretched out as he chased after the menace…

“F-Fel, hold on! Hold on!! Can’t we just talk this over?!” A terrified voice cried out from the greyish white unicorn.  Around his neck, a simple pair of goggles bounced around. “Oh crap…FEL NO! NONONONONONONONO!!!” Batty screamed, weeping exaggerated tears as he attempted to double his speed.

“Don’t think you can run forever!!” Fel ranted. These raging demands and panicked pleas for mercy would continue what seemed like hours, echoing throughout the store. But then at the stroke of 9 a.m., finally both stallions stumbled on the floor, panting and gasping for air. “W-Wait…Until I get…my hooves on you…” The batpony croaked his throat and body sore from his rage though he tried to reach a sole limp to grasp at his friend. But eventually he gave up and dropped the hand to the floor, sighing in defeat.

“Can’t…breathe…Too…tried…” The blond unicorn gasped, laying one hoof on his rising-falling stomach as he stared up to the ceiling. Then came the awkward silence between the former foes, one that seemed to linger for what felt like eons. In that brief period, the raven that perched itself began to preen out itself though it cast an angry look at the two ponies. Batty shuddered when his blue eyes met the bird’s, knowing as the fact that creature always managed to frighten him out whenever it was possible. “F-Fel…” He soon looked over to his friend, green cat-like eyes now gazing to him. “What…? What is it Batty?” Fel grumbled his question, still annoyed at what Batty had done. “Have I ever…told you…that that bird always freaks me out..?”

Again, silence between the two. But soon this too was interrupted as a faint smile managed to surface on Fel’s muzzle, slowly growing as a quiet noise came out from his throat. Batty blinked in surprise as he listened to the sound getting louder until he soon gave a goofy grin and chuckled. Eventually within seconds, both colts rolled on the floor with booming laughter. The noise startled the raven from its preening, though it returned to glare death at the duo and cawed angrily. After a few short minutes, batpony and unicorn soon gasped again for a fresh breath from their hysteric fit, their sides now sore as the rest of their bodies.

“Hehe…Batty…” Fel soon wheezed, still giggling a bit as he rose to his hooves, brushing himself off. “You know you still need to clean…” He added, sporting a deadpan glance down to the unicorn. Batty gave a sigh, lowering his eyes as he soon hopped back up. “Crap…” The unicorn muttered. Fel gave a sigh as he bent down to scoop up the fallen books from the floor, organizing them according to genre and author and always double-checking if he had them in the correct order. Batty followed his lead of course though his organization was lacking at best. The raven above them soon gave a silent sigh, spreading its wings as it flown off the bookshelf, feeling now hungry for some bird seed that was kept in the back.

For Fel Leatherwing, these had been the four longest months of his life and yet they were also the most bizzare. For any pony like Fel, reason and logic were what kept him sane from first climbing out of bed to a working day’s end. However, he had the fortune (or misfortune as the batpony secretly thought) to know one certain Batsfeld Crecentshine or “Batty” as the unicorn preferred to be called. Although it was Batty who helped him gain the employment at the Whispering Pages as the owner was an old foalsitter, it didn’t really help when his said friend happened to be a bad luck magnet. Somehow, it seemed that when Batty would show up, trouble would eventually follow.

But nonetheless, the pay was decent which helped to pay for his home and his employer was a sweet old mare whom Fel swore was the inspiration of the fictional Daring Do, rather bold and adventurous for her age. However the only other downside from his beloved job was her pet – the feisty raven brilliantly named ‘Nevermore’ who apparently saw himself as in charge of the store whenever she was not around and tended to caw constantly as if barking orders. That annoying bird only behaved once his mistress came by much to the batpony’s dismay. But once again, pay was pay and the workplace was his preferred.

Fel sighed to himself as he continued to gather up the fallen tomes, placing each armful carefully onto the counter before resuming while his friend managed to do the same. His eyes soon fell upon one book cover-down and its pages exposed.  He knew better than to leave anything unchecked, so he managed to grasp the tome with a hoof and began to look it over. The book bore a simple blue paper sleeve with an image of a sole batpony warrior thrusting a blade through some kind of colossal beast, a dragon in appearance. Fel suddenly winced as his eyes noted the design of the warrior’s armor. Though it was merely a drawing, already the stallion began to remember things which he preferred not to. Quickly, he placed the book on the counter and shifted away from it as if it were poisonous.

“Uh…” Batty stood by with his arms filled with a dozen books, blinking to the odd reaction given by Fel. “You…Alright?” He soon asked, his head tilting a bit to the side. “Hmm?” Fel turned his head, looking a bit off before letting out a sigh. “Oh…I’m fine. Just fine.” The unicorn looked not truly convinced but soon gave a shrug and continued to clean. “Again, sorry about the mess… “ Batty apologized but the batpony making a gesture of shooing with a hoof. “It’s fine…Accidents happen. Just don’t let it happen again…Understand?” Fel answered, although there was slight warning in the last word.