It is early in the morning as sunrise is near in Sweet Apple Acres as all of the trees in the orchard are fully loaded with fruit and Applejack is seen over top of a hill crouching down with a fierce smile in anticipation for when the sun comes up.
Applejack: Any minute now. . .
As she tenses for action, the first morning rays wash over the orchard and a rooster's crow makes itself heard loud and clear.
Applejack: Yee-haw! It's officially Apple Bucking Day!
She then trots through the orchard excited as she looks around at all of the apples on the trees.
Applejack: Look at all those apples! Ripe and juicy, perfect for buckin'!
She goes up to a tree and her hind legs come up to solidly make contact with a trunk, and a shower of apples in all colors tumbles down around her in slow motion. She lifts her head and forelegs, lost in the moment's bliss, and lets one particularly red apple drop toward her raised hooves. However, these apples weren't as fresh as she thinks they are as what happens next surprises Applejack.
Once the apple made contact with her hooves, it disintegrates into a spatter of pulp that ruins the farmer's good mood in a heartbeat. And to show her that it wasn't the only one, more shriveled apples rain down all around her.
Applejack: What the heck is goin' on?
She then looks up at the tree to only get a shocked gasp.
Applejack: *gasps* They're back!
A couple of silhouettes then fly across the trees make a familiar chittering sound of some nocturnal animals that are particularly fond of fruits.
Later in the morning feeling as though this was dire to the entire orchard, Applejack has rung the large bell that's above the barn of Sweet Apple Acres. She is then seen at the front doors of the barn as her six friends and Spike racing onto the property.
Applejack: Attention! This is a Sweet Apple Acres code red! I need all hooves – and claws – on deck!
Rarity: Calm down, Applejack.
Applejack get's in Rarity's face backing her up a bit.
Applejack: Calm down?! How can I calm down at a time like this?! Vampire fruit bats are attackin' Sweet Apple Acres!
Hearing the word "bats" immediately made (Y/N) froze up and his eyes shrunk to points as well.
(Y/N): B-Bats. . .? As in. . . Actual bats?
Applejack: What else could I possibly be referring to? Are ya afraid of bats or somethin'?
(Y/N) shakes his head extremely fast from that and gives a nervous smile.
(Y/N): A-Afraid of bats? No! Why would I be afraid of bats? Who would be afraid of bats? And why would you even ask that question? Are there bats around here now? 'Cause that's a weird question to ask just for no reason.
Everypony else gave (Y/N) some unconvinced looks as they could definitely tell that he has a fear of bats. Rainbow Dash starts to laugh out loud too.
Rainbow Dash: Ha ha! (Y/N)'s afraid of bats~!
(Y/N): I'm NOT afraid of bats, okay?!
Applejack: *rolls eyes* (That explains why ya never even come into the west orchard.)
Twilight Sparkle: (Y/N)'s fear of bats aside. . .
(Y/N): NOT afraid of bats!
Twilight just gives him a dirty look before continuing.
Twilight Sparkle: . . .I thought you said the fruit bats usually stayed put in the west orchard.
Applejack: The "fruit bats" do, but these aren't just your everyday ordinary fruit bats. They're "vampire" fruit bats! I'll be darned if they think they're gonna sink their fangs into my blue ribbon apple.
She then trots over towards a tree that has a tarp covering something quite large. She yanks it away to expose a single apple that is perhaps half a head taller than she is. The gargantuan fruit rests on the ground and its weight causing the tree's upper portion to bend 90 degrees. It sparkles in the light, eliciting a round of appreciative responses from the others.
(Y/N): That thing is enough to feed an entire banquet!
Applejack: It may be so, but this ain't for eatin' sugarcube. This here's our entry into the Appleloosa State Fair's produce competition.
She then breathes on a patch of skin on the apple and polishes it with her tail.
Applejack: You know how much TLC goes into getting an apple to grow like this?
Rarity then approaches the shining apple to see that even her reflection is visible on it.
Rarity: Applejack! When you go big, you really go big!
Applejack: Them vampire bats want to shrivel it up like a raisin!
(Y/N): Then we need to find someway to extract them so they won't mess with it. . . from a distance that is.
Fluttershy: Oh, I'm sure if we just let them know how special that particular apple is to you, they'll leave it alone.
Applejack: *sarcastically* Yeah, right. Be my guest.
Fluttershy beams at the suggestion, completely missing the tone of these words. She then flies over to some bat-infested trees with the grass around their trunks littered with ruined apples.
Fluttershy: Um, excuse me, Mr. Vampire Bat-
Another wrecked fruit is thrown down, barely missing Fluttershy as it goes splat.
Fluttershy: We were just wondering if maybe you wouldn't mind leaving that really big apple alone?
Her best "pretty please" grin is met with dead silence for a moment, followed by a machine-gun barrage of apple seeds spat into her face. Fluttershy then gallops away with a shudder going to Applejack with a few seeds stuck in her mane.
Applejack: Well? What'd he say?
Fluttershy: Um. . . yes.
Applejack: *smiles* Huh?!
Fluttershy: But. . . it could've been a no.
Applejack groans disgustedly from that.
Fluttershy: This is the first vampire fruit bat I've ever met and, well, it might take some time for me to really understand their language.
Applejack: Uh-huh. And in the meantime, this pest and his vermin friends are gonna go after my prized apple and, while they're at it, every other apple in the orchard! These vampire bats are nothin' but a bunch of monsters!
Fluttershy: Monsters?! Oh, that's a bit harsh, don't you think?
Applejack: No, I do not.
(Y/N): I actually agree with Applejack. Bats themselves are nothing, but monsters.
Fluttershy: (Y/N), I'm sure if you just go up to a normal cute bat you'll see that they're harmless.
(Y/N): Thanks. . . but no thanks. I-It's not that I'm afraid of bats. . . It's just. . . I don't like to go near them.
Fluttershy: So you're scared of bats. . .
(Y/N): No, I'm not!
Rainbow Dash: *gasps* (Y/N)! A bat just landed on your back!
(Y/N) tenses up and looks behind himself only to see that there was no bat at all and Rainbow just starts laughing while (Y/N) glares at her.
(Y/N): *growls* Rainbow. . .
Fluttershy then walks over to (Y/N).
Fluttershy: Aw, don't worry (Y/N). I'll help you get over your fear of bats.
(Y/N): I. . . Fluttershy. . . *sighs* Fine.
Applejack: We can worry about that after we get rid of these varmints.
Fluttershy: I feel as though varmint is a little excessive too. . .
Applejack: Well it ain't and I'll tell ya why. . .
Applejack: ♪ Those vampire bats will give you a fright ♪
♪ Eating apples both day and night ♪
She get's up in (Y/N)'s face when she said that making him shiver in fear like she said.
♪ They rest for a minute, maybe three ♪
♪ Then they're eatin' every apple in your apple tree ♪
She gestures off to one side to show a tree that is immediately cleaned up by two bats and a third puts its head out from the leaves and bites into one of the last apples, sucking it dry and spitting the drained husk so that it bounces across the grass to stop at Applejack's hooves and she crushes it into pulp.
♪ They don't care about nada, not zilch, no, nothin' ♪
♪ 'Cept bringin' about an orchard's destruction ♪
Fluttershy then crosses to Applejack and lays a hoof on her shoulder.
Fluttershy: ♪ Now wait just a minute, there's another side to this ♪
♪ And if I did not defend them, then I would be remiss ♪
Two bats are then seen in full light similar to ordinary bats except for their large eyes, long fangs, and leaf-veined ears. One cradles a baby as (Y/N) gives an uneasy look at them.
♪ These bats are mamas and papas too ♪
♪ They care for their young just like we ponies do ♪
The young bat flies up and nestles in Fluttershy's mane. (Y/N) almost gave a smile until Applejack comes up to him resting a hoof on his shoulder.
Applejack: ♪ Oh, give me a break, you're bein' too kind ♪
♪ These creatures have a one-track mind ♪
A vampire bat that was less cuddly than the ones that Fluttershy envisioned is then seen seated at a table on a branch and ready to dig into an apple placed on it.
♪ The orchard is not their restaurant ♪
♪ But do they ever think what others may want? ♪
Another bat flies up and grabs the meal away while the thwarted one gives chase with a yowl.
♪ No! They don't! And that is just a fact ♪
She crosses to the two bats, now having a tug-of-war over the apple on the path.
♪ These bats, they simply don't know how to act ♪
(Y/N) cringes at Applejack's description before Fluttershy brings his face over to her.
Fluttershy: ♪ That's where I have to disagree ♪
♪ They're loyal to their family ♪
A bat couple bites into an apple as it bursts in a hail of seeds that drift down over the orchards.
♪ Spreading seeds both far and wide ♪
Applejack then holds up a blanket behind herself and spreading it like a pair of bat wings forming a shadow under (Y/N) making his eyes widen in fear.
Applejack: ♪ You see one comin', you'd better run and hide! ♪
The sky has gone red, and a giant, red-eyed bat silhouette looms up over the fence, matching her movements.
Applejack: ♪ They're big and ugly and mean as sin ♪
She sweeps the blanket to clear the red sky and show the stricken apple trees.
♪ Will ya look at the state my trees are in? ♪
Fluttershy flies over as a new tree sprouts up and develops a crop of apples.
Fluttershy: ♪ They help your trees, they'll grow stronger faster ♪
A swing of Applejack's hoof, and the new tree falls backward as if made of cardboard.
Applejack: ♪ They've turned my life to a total disaster! ♪
Rarity then paces around Fluttershy.
Rarity: ♪ Well, I for one don't have a doubt ♪
♪ These vermin must be stamped right out ♪
Rainbow Dash then swoops down.
Rainbow Dash: ♪ I second that, they've got to go ♪
♪ These bats, they've got to hit the road ♪
Applejack: ♪ It comes down to just one simple fact ♪
♪ They've crossed the line, it's time to fight them back! ♪
Fluttershy soon finds herself ringed in by the other five mares and even (Y/N) joins in.
Mane 6: ♪ Stop the bats! Stop the bats! ♪
♪ Make them go and not come back! ♪
♪ Stop the bats! Stop the bats! ♪
♪ Make them go and not come back! ♪
♪ Stop the bats! Stop the bats! ♪
♪ Make them go and not come back! ♪
Applejack then backs Fluttershy down into a scared, shivering crouch.
Applejack: ♪ Yes, it comes down to just one simple fact ♪
♪ They've crossed the line, it's time that we attack! ♪
With the song ending there, (Y/N) walks over and helps Fluttershy off of the ground.
(Y/N): Fluttershy, I know you to be a really good expert with animals. . . but we just have to face the facts that these vampire fruit bats are just too ignorant to listen to reason.
Applejack: So let's get to roundin' them up so they don't destroy the rest of my orchard.
Pinkie Pie: ♪ Fruit bat round-up, fruit bat round-up! ♪
Fluttershy: Um, excuse me, but, um, what if instead of rounding them up, we. . . let them have part of the orchard?
The rest of the group stops in its collective tracks and Applejack voices a surprised little neigh before she rounds on Fluttershy.
Applejack: Have you lost your pest-lovin' mind?!
Fluttershy: They're only here because they're hungry! If we build a sanctuary for them, they could have their own apples to enjoy! After a while, they could even help the rest of your orchard! The vampire bats don't eat the seeds of the apples, and when they spit them out, they grow into even more productive apple trees!
(Y/N): That's a good idea, Fluttershy.
Fluttershy smiles at (Y/N) approving of that, but he says next was different.
(Y/N): If we had more time that is. The fruit bats already drained so many apples in the orchard that nearly half of it is gone now. I don't think that by the time that we build a sanctuary, there will be much apples left. . . Plus, I don't feel comfortable with a "bat" sanctuary.
Applejack: Exactly! You don't know what it was like the last time there was an infestation, but Granny Smith has told me enough stories about it that just the thought of it gives me nightmares!
(Flashback)
Young Granny Smith and her parents stand at a path running alongside one of their orchards and before them are her cousin Apple Rose and another family member, each carrying buckets in their teeth. Mr. Smith stands next to a bag of apples on the ground, in front of a bare produce counter, and doles out the fruit. The trees behind them look as bad as they are when the Mane 7 arrived at Sweet Apple Acres.
Applejack: Granny says we lost a huge section of orchard that year. They had to ration out apples all winter!
(End of Flashback)
Rainbow Dash: What about the cider? There was still cider, right?
Applejack: Not. . . a. . . drop. . .
Rainbow lunges down into her face shocked.
Rainbow Dash: No cider?! NO CIDER?! We need to round up these monsters, and we need to do it now!
Applejack: If Granny Smith wasn't with Apple Bloom an' Big Mac checkin' out our produce competition in Appleloosa, she'd be here tellin' us to do just that!
(Y/N) sees Fluttershy dropping her head feeling down that they'll have to chase out the bats, no questions asked.
(Y/N): Sorry, Fluttershy. Looks like we have no choice, but to kick the bats out. If there were some way we could get them all out faster without having to harm them, then I would do it.
Hearing him say that made Twilight brainstorm something up in her mind and she smiles shrewdly.
Twilight Sparkle: Actually, (Y/N), maybe there is. . .
Twilight shoots a look at (Y/N) as he turns around and crosses his hooves.
(Y/N): Whatever it is, leave me out of it!
It didn't take but a second for Twilight to walk up to (Y/N) and tap his shoulder as he hangs his head while Twilight smirks at him.
(Y/N): . . .I'm in it, aren't I?
At the Golden Oak Library, Twilight and (Y/N) were now sorting out books all over the place looking for the alternative that they need to get the bats to stop eating the apples in the Sweet Apple Acres orchard. As they were searching, Twilight turns to (Y/N) and decides to ask him a question.
Twilight Sparkle: Hey, (Y/N). I know this is kind of sudden to ask, but where did you get your fear of bats?
(Y/N): I just don't like bats, Twi. I'm not afraid of them. . .
Twilight Sparkle: You seemed pretty nervous the more we were talking about them though and you were also hesitant to go inside of the orchard.
(Y/N) ignores that to try and dodge the question as Twilight just sighs and walks up to him.
Twilight Sparkle: Sweetie, you're not going to help yourself unless you tell me. You don't have to act like you're not afraid of anything, (Y/N). We all have our fears. I'm sure that there was something that you had to deal with in the past that gave you a fear of bats.
(Y/N) looks at Twilight uneasily as he sweats not knowing what to do before he just sighs.
(Y/N): *sighs* Alright! You got me! I'm. . . I'm scared of bats. Not "absolutely" terrified of them though.
Twilight Sparkle: How come? Did something happen?
(Y/N): Yeah, when I was younger. . .
(Flashback)
It is night time at (Y/N)'s home city on Earth and his young self could be seen with a glass jar in one hand and a lid on the other hand and he was alone looking around an open grassland.
(Y/N): I was running around after dark in the summer wanting to catch some fireflies and make myself a little lantern.
A firefly buzzes past Young (Y/N) as he chases after it and he scoops it up to collect it in his jar as he closes it. He then notices another one as he caught that one too. He happily goes around an open field catching a few more fireflies before he notices one more. Young (Y/N) chases after the firefly, but what he didn't notice was that he was chasing the firefly through a dark cave.
He finally catches up to the firefly and grabs it in his jar making the dark environment around him illuminate around himself. He then heard a squeaking noise as he looks around for it before he looks up and notices something strange.
(Y/N): I saw a lot of glowing red eyes around me and I thought they were more fireflies too. . . except they were in pairs which was weird to me.
Young (Y/N) wanted to get a closer look at the glowing red eyes and he holds up his firefly collection jar to raise the light up to the top of the cave. However, when he does. . . he doesn't see fireflies, he sees bats which made his eyes widen in fear.
All of the bats in the cave then dive down towards Young (Y/N) swarming him and he let's out a scream as he drops the jar of fireflies that he had and runs out of the cave scared of his life. The bats wouldn't stop swarming him as they were touching him as well. He then makes himself teleport back into his own home and he breathes heavily being scared the living daylights out of the bats that he just saw.
Young (Y/N) sighs in relief with a smile before he turns his head to notice that there was still a bat resting on his right shoulder making him yelp and freak out as it flies off of him and exits out of a nearby window.
(End of Flashback)
(Y/N): That's why I don't like going near bats.
Twilight Sparkle: Wow, I don't blame you. . . but come on. You're able to go up against bigger things like an Ursa Minor or a timberwolf like their nothing. How can a bat possibly be worse?
(Y/N) shoots a bored look at Twilight before he smirks at her.
(Y/N): And yet you're afraid of ladybugs. . .
Twilight's eye widen from that and she blushes before she glares at (Y/N).
Twilight Sparkle: W-Why would you bring up ladybugs, (Y/N)?!
(Y/N): I'm just sayin'. I know you don't like ladybugs and yet you also faced off against some of the creatures that I face too. . . even the Everfree Forest itself.
Twilight pouts from that as she doesn't have a counterargument against that before she turns around and keeps searching for the spell that they needed.
It took them a little bit before the entire library was filled up with books scattered everywhere and eventually Twilight was able to find the spell that they needed to stop the bats from invading Sweet Apple Acres as the rest of the Mane 7 are now here as well.
Twilight Sparkle: So, there's good news and bad news. The good news is that we found a spell that can get the vampire fruit bats to stop wanting to suck the juice from the apples. But in order for the spell to work, (Y/N) and I need the bats' full and complete attention.
Fluttershy's eyes pop open from that followed up by a gasp.
Fluttershy: Oh no.
(Y/N): Yeah. . . In order for that to work Fluttershy, we'll need your Stare.
Fluttershy: Oh, gosh, I don't know.
Rainbow Dash: What's the problem? You've used the Stare plenty of times before!
Fluttershy: Yes, but it's not something I take lightly. I've made a vow not to use it except in dire circumstances.
Applejack: This circumstance is plenty dire to me!
Rainbow Dash: Me too!
She half-crumples to the ground and starts to dramatically sob.
Rainbow Dash: *fake sobbing* Won't somepony please think of the cider?!
Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, and (Y/N) aim very funny looks down at her during a beat of silence before Fluttershy speaks up.
Fluttershy: I'm sorry. I just don't like the idea of taking away the thing that really makes the vampire fruit bats. . . Vampire fruit bats! It just feels wrong!
(Y/N): But if we don't do this, we may not have apples to feed all of Ponyville either, Flutters. Doesn't that feel wrong too?
Fluttershy at this point was torn between choosing between the two choices of the vampire fruit bats or the apple orchard.
Back at Sweet Apple Acres, Fluttershy was still pacing around contemplating whether or not she should use her Stare against the vampire fruit bats that want to drain Sweet Apple Acres dry of any fresh apples that are needed as the food supply for Ponyville. She doesn't like harming even the scariest of adorable looking creatures, but she also can't let all of Ponyville be scarce of food.
Applejack: So what's it gonna be, Fluttershy? Will you do your Stare on the bats or not?
Fluttershy: Um. . . Um. . .
(Y/N): Fluttershy, I know you don't want us to just kick them out of the orchard, but we have to do what's right here since we're on a schedule with the entire orchard being drained.
Hearing that, Fluttershy thinks for a few more seconds before she droops her head resignedly.
Fluttershy: Okay, I'll do it.
Rarity: Good choice. I knew you wouldn't side with those icky bats! *shudders*
Fluttershy: They're not icky.
(Y/N): Yeah, well they are kind of scary too. . .
Fluttershy: Not all bats can be scary, (Y/N). Some are actually kind of cute.
(Y/N): C-Cute?! Nuh-uh! I think that the word you meant to say is creepy. Mice and hamsters are cute and cuddly rodents. . . but bats are no where near the level of cute! They're frightening!
Fluttershy pouts from that before Rainbow Dash flies up on the roof of the barn.
Rainbow Dash: First round of cider's on me!
Applejack: Hold it right there! We've gotta round up these beasts with wings first. Time's a-wastin'!
With that being said, the Mane 7 started getting busy rounding up the bats as Pinkie gets a band of yellow cloth tied around her forehead by Applejack that is holding a pile of fresh apples on her head.
Pinkie then hops merrily into the orchard, bats slumbering upside down on nearly every branch, but not for long. Within seconds, the creatures have woken up, exposing beady black eyes with red-tinted whites, and started after the mobile fruit salad with gusto.
Rarity is then seen walking cautiously toward a tree with a butterfly net held in her magical grip. She's dressed in a full-body protective suit, complete with a respirator. It even covers the full length of her tail. Rarity's breaths hiss through the equipment as she reaches the tree and floats her net upward, swinging at a sleeping bat and missing.
Her next try whacks the branches, waking the bat up with a screech and knocking an apple loose. The fruit hits her face shield and bursts in a pulpy splatter, and the bat is after it in an instant. Rarity lets off one cry of terror as she screams and flails about as the bat eagerly licks up the gunk.
Rarity: Ew, ew, ew, ewwww!
She gallops away in a full panic, taking this bat with her and being chased by quite a few others ready for a snack.
Meanwhile, (Y/N) comes from behind a tree and sees a group of bats on a tree right ahead of them. Just having to go near them makes him shiver in fear as they look very intimidating if Applejack said they won't listen to reason. He looks down and sees a twig and he levitates it up before inches it close to the tree.
Once the twig was close enough, (Y/N) starts to gently poke one of the bats to try and see if he could wake it up undetected. He first few attempts were only a slight nudge, but on the next one he gives the bat a little whack on the head rudely interrupting its nap and it looks around for the culprit as (Y/N) quickly drops the twig and went back to hiding behind the tree.
(Y/N): (Okay, okay. . . Calm down, (Y/N). . . Like Twilight said, they're only small flying rodents so there's no need to be scared. . . Except their creepy, they fly at night, and they have fangs too. . . *shudders*)
As (Y/N) was thinking that, he looks over the tree that he was hiding behind only to find that the bats on the other tree were gone which made him raise an eyebrow. He then took a step forward, but that was probably a mistake as he heard a splat and looks to see that he stepped on an apple that was still fresh in juices. It was covered all over his hoof which made his eyes widen before he heard some bats squeaking behind him.
(Y/N) yells out in complete fear as he shuts his eyes and starts to fly around in full panic with a group of bats chasing him. On another tree, one bat, standing upright on its branch, lashes out its tongue, drags an apple into its mouth, and swiftly sucks it dry. The shriveled thing is dropped and the seeds spat out before Rainbow's multicolored blur sweeps the branches clear of bats.
Rainbow Dash: Gotcha!
She zips from one to the next, scooping up every bat she can reach in a lot less than ten seconds flat. At ground level, a giggling Pinkie hops along, the apples on her head drawing a line of bats, and dumps them at the base of a tree in whose branches a full basket has been placed. She trots away, still laughing, and the encroachers start to gorge themselves on the feast she has left for them as Rarity and (Y/N) were still running and flying screaming past the tree.
The bats following their peel off to go after the pile of apples that were laid out on the branches thanks to Twilight and Fluttershy. After Twilight sets one last container in place, both of them clear out and a multicolored tornado closes in fast. It settles down around the tree and resolves into Rainbow Dash, who has neatly delivered her captives to the bonanza in the branches.
Everypony else then gathers around, Rarity now out of her biohazard suit and Pinkie no longer wearing her headband. One bat tries to flutter away, but a dirty look from Rainbow Dash is enough to change its mind.
Applejack: Good work, everypony! I think we got 'em all!
She then turns to Fluttershy who had an uneasy look on her face.
Applejack: Now all we need is for you do to your Stare.
Fluttershy: Oh, um, are you sure I really need-
(Y/N): Fluttershy. . . Please. . .
Fluttershy looks at (Y/N)'s desperate face and to the rest of the mares as they all nod in agreement.
Fluttershy: *sighs* Okay.
She then flies up to approach the tree as the bats were still eating their meals.
Fluttershy: I really, really, really hate to do this to you. . . I just hope you can forgive me. . .
She closes her eyes, focusing all her concentration before she opens them back up to project every scrap of her Stare through her blue-green irises. The bats cease their gluttonous activity and give a few half-hearted hisses before they are all completely cowed.
Applejack: Good. . . Twilight, (Y/N). It's your turn.
Twilight Sparkle: Alright. You ready (Y/N)?
(Y/N): *gulps* . . .I guess.
Both of them step towards the tree and (Y/N) gives an uneasy look being near the bats before both him and Twilight activate their horns to perform the spell at full intensity and their magic auras envelops the bats at all of the containers in the branches. The invading pests are caught helpless in the combination of both the alicorn's magic and Fluttershy's Stare, and after several seconds Twilight and (Y/N) cease their magic.
They both turned to notice that Fluttershy was for some reason still using her Stare bringing concern to the two of them.
Twilight Sparkle: You can stop staring, Fluttershy.
Fluttershy does not immediately acknowledge the request, but instead concentrates even harder and even starts to sweat a bit. (Y/N) then flies up to her and waves a hoof in front of her face.
(Y/N): Fluttershy? Anypony home?
That still wasn't enough to snap Fluttershy out of her Stare and (Y/N) thinks before he gives her a quick peck on the cheek which snaps her out at last to look at her boyfriend.
(Y/N): That was some concentration you had there, Flutters. You alright?
Fluttershy nods, but what (Y/N) didn't notice was that her eyes went just the tiniest shade of red for a split second.
Spike: Did it work?
Applejack: Only one way to find out for sure.
She flips a nod upward, which Rainbow Dash returns. As one bat gradually lets its head clear, the Pegasus leans in close and holds out an apple. The leathery mammal sniffs at the offering, then turns away disgustedly and flies off.
Rainbow Dash: Ye-he-heah, whoo!
Applejack: My crop is saved! Yee-haw!
Rainbow Dash: We'll be drinking cider all winter long!
(Y/N): Phew! Finally, some bat-free orchards.
Applejack: I wanna thank you for your help. I couldn't have done it without you.
Spike: Aw, don't mention it, Applejack. It was my pleasure! Really!
Everypony shot him funny looks as he walks away as they know that Spike barely even did anything to get the bats out.
(Y/N): Well, the good thing is that your orchard will finally be able to have some fresh apples to grow AJ. I can't wait to have some once they're off the trees.
Applejack wraps a foreleg around (Y/N) and pecks him on the cheek.
Applejack: Trust me sugarcube, you'll be the first to taste how succulent they'll be once I've bucked them all down. But first we've got to sweep up these cores so I can start buckin' fresh tomorrow mornin'!
As some of them were leaving, Fluttershy hangs back a bit and she sniffs the air a bit before she notices a bright red apple resting on the grass and getting every bit of her attention.
The very next morning, the process was about to go on once again with Applejack starting the apple bucking as she was on a hill ready to do her job.
Applejack: Apple Bucking Day, take two!
She watches the first light rise over the distant hills and tenses for action and as soon as the rooster's crow comes out, she starts trotting over the orchard once more.
Applejack: Yee-haw! Time to collect those juicy, sweet apples!
Just as yesterday, her rear hooves slam into a trunk knocking the apples out. The mare attached to them grins expectantly upward, but the sound of a single object falling and splatting on the ground takes the wind out of her sails in a hurry.
Applejack: What in tarnation. . .?
Applejack soon get's the rest of the gang to come out to the orchard as both Twilight and (Y/N) were now looking at a shriveled up apple that was ruined just as the bats were doing.
(Y/N): That's. . . strange. . .
Twilight Sparkle: The spell didn't work!
Applejack: You're darn tootin' the spell didn't work! I think we're gonna have to take more extreme measures!
Rainbow Dash: I hear ya, Applejack! C'mon, everypony! Let's track down those vampire bats!
She flies off with everypony else following behind only to run up and meet the unexpected. . .
The previous vampire bats that were eating the apples were on a tree that was actually with fresh apples meaning that they didn't suck any of them dry. Rainbow decides to offer an apple to a bat reading a magazine only for it to smack the apple away uninterested. The apple lands and pierces through Rarity's horn bringing mild shock to all of them.
(Y/N): So, the spell. . . did work? I don't get it? How are the apples over here completely intact while some others are sucked dry?
Rarity: A fairly good question, darling. I don't even have a clue.
(Y/N): Hey, Fluttershy. Do you know any other animal that lives in garden-like environments and feed on fresh fruit?
Fluttershy: I'm sorry. I don't.
Twilight Sparkle: Well, there's only one way to find out. We'll have to catch whoever it is in the act.
Rarity: And how do you propose we do that?
Twilight smiles with a look of confidence.
Twilight Sparkle: A stake out. . .!
(Y/N) freezes up in fright as he could tell that Twilight meant that they're going out at night which are when bats are awake.
(Y/N): C-Can we actually stake out from a distance? Somewhere were you know. . . a certain flying rodent can't dive down and pull out their fangs on us?
Applejack: You're actin' ridiculous, (Y/N). Those bats may be scary, but you can fend yourself off of them.
(Y/N): I don't like going near bats though. . . We're in the daylight and their about to go back to sleep which makes me less scared.
Applejack: Then would it make you more comfortable if we had flashlights out at night?
(Y/N): . . .In a way, I guess. That doesn't exactly solve the problem though. Also, aren't bats blind? They travel by sonar, so they're more attracted to sound than what they see most of the time.
Twilight Sparkle: You're not wrong on that, but (Y/N). . . they're just bats and you're not prey of bats.
(Y/N): They can still hiss and bite though.
Twilight narrows her eyes at (Y/N) before she goes over to whisper to Applejack.
Twilight Sparkle: *whispers* Make sure he doesn't hide himself in his house, okay?
Applejack: *whispers* Sure, I don't know why he's bein' so stubborn about some varmints that don't even bother you most of the time.
It was now nighttime and Applejack did indeed have to drag (Y/N) out of his house in order to get him from stopping to prevent participating in the stakeout that him, his girlfriends, and Spike were going to do in order to find the culprit behind the apples becoming spoiled.
Right now, the full moon is up in the night sky, with a few wisps of cloud drifting lazily past as the wind moans in the distance. Everypony was walking through the orchard while (Y/N) was shivering in fear.
Rainbow Dash: *spookily* The witching hour. . .
Only a few lonely animal sounds greet this proclamation as everypony looks around.
Fluttershy: Maybe we should just call this off. Not sure about the rest of you guys. . . but I'm really hungry. . .
One bright red apple on a branch has drawn her gaze, glowing faintly in the moonlight. Fluttershy's jaw hangs wide open and a few dribbles of saliva ooze down her chin as her pupils constrict. After some entranced seconds, she recovers herself and turns to face forward.
Rarity: Oh, Fluttershy, it'll be okay. Don't forget, darling, we're all in this together.
Twilight Sparkle: That's right.
She then looks behind herself to see (Y/N) trying to tiptoe away in the other direction and she uses her magic to pull him back and make him face towards them. (Y/N) chuckles nervously as the rest of the mares deadpan at him.
Twilight Sparkle: "Nopony" leaves this orchard until we've solved this mystery. Agreed?
Mane 5: Agreed.
The mares then look at (Y/N) who lays his ears flat in defeat.
(Y/N): *sighs* . . .Agreed.
They then continue their walk through the orchard to find the fruit-eating culprit.
Applejack: Does everypony have their pony signals?
Twilight, (Y/N), and Rarity cast beams upward from their horns where each is projecting a spot of light onto the clouds that displays their own Cutie Mark. Pinkie dips her head briefly and comes up with a lit flashlight gripped in the forelock of her mane, angling it to beam her own Cutie-Marked light overhead.
Applejack: Now remember, Pinkie Pie, only use the signal if you see somethin' suspicious.
Pinkie swings the light directly into her face for a moment messing up her eyes.
Pinkie Pie: I got it. Something suspicious. . .
Once the flashlight was removed from her face, Applejack shakes her head clear of the glare and falls. Pinkie narrows her eyes back and forth to look for suspicious activity happening around until she spots Fluttershy sniffing an apple. The beam of Pinkie's flash falls over her face, distracting her.
Pinkie Pie: Whatcha doin'?!
Fluttershy has no immediate response, but snaps out of her reverie with a head shake and trots off. Pinkie follows, turning off her light and tucking it back into her mane. Everypony continues their patrol until they are up at another section of the orchard.
Applejack: Alright, now everypony split up. We'll each patrol our own row of the orchard. Whoever or whatever's destroyin' my apples has gotta be here somewhere.
Rarity advances warily through the grove, joined first by Spike and then both (Y/N) and Twilight. As this couple wanders, a cracking noise is then heard making (Y/N) shiver in fear.
(Y/N): Did you hear that?!
Twilight looks down only to see that (Y/N) stepped on a twig making her give him a deadpanned look.
Twilight Sparkle: Yes. . . I heard you step on a twig.
(Y/N): Sounds like bats!
Twilight Sparkle: Bats aren't made of wood! Bats aren't motionless or delicate!
(Y/N): . . .Bat-sticks!
Twilight Sparkle: (Y/N), there are no bats!!
(Y/N): You don't know that, what if we didn't get every vampire bat that was on the tree yesterday?
Twilight Sparkle: Okay, so what if we didn't? You're able to fly as fast as the wind and you have magic that strong enough to project shields that can absorb physical and magic damage. . . How can a five ounce flying rodent compete with that?
(Y/N): I don't know! But I told you that I don't like being near them and at night they could be living in these trees for all we know ready to stick their terrifying fangs out!
While Twilight and (Y/N) were arguing, Fluttershy was moving off in a slightly different direction from the rest of their friends.
Fluttershy: I have a bad feeling about this. A really bad feeling about this...
She then glances up and is suddenly entranced by a bright red apple.
Fluttershy: That apple. . . It looks. . .
She then starts to drool copiously and her irises go red as well.
Fluttershy: So juicy. . . and sweet. . .
Out comes her tongue to lick her chops and one upper tooth in her teeth lengthens into a pointed fang.
Back with the others, Pinkie was on the move as a bite and a slurp catches her attention and she looks around not noticing the silhouette that passed her.
Pinkie Pie: What was that?!
She sucks in a gasp and leans down to scrutinize a freshly wrecked apple for a long moment. Her eyes flick towards it, then up, then down again, and she snaps upright with a huge smile.
Pinkie Pie: Suspicious! *giggles* It's pony signal time!
She tosses her head, ejecting the flashlight from her mane, but dark shadow whips past again with a hiss, distracting her long enough so that the light hits the ground instead of being caught in her forelock.
Rarity was walking in her own path as well as the shadow passes her as well.
Rarity: Who's there?
The silhouette then crosses overhead, now seen to be rather larger than any of the bats but still having a general outline similar to theirs.
Rarity: Oh, well, there's obviously no need to worry about that shadowy figure overhead. . .
It makes another pass and this one was so low that she has to duck in order to avoid a collision between the flyer and her head.
Rarity: Or maybe there is! I think I'll just go see how Rainbow Dash is doing. . .
The said Pegasus was in another part of the orchard as the same shadow flies right ahead of her.
Rainbow Dash: Uh. . . who's there?
No response except for the wind stirring a few dead leaves and an inky figure standing in repose among the shadowy underbrush.
Rainbow Dash: Answer me or you'll regret it!
The figure has no response whatsoever.
Rainbow Dash: Fine, have it your own way!
Backing up in midair to build up steam, she flashes across the clearing to tackle what she just saw as bits of straw flutter down around her.
Rainbow Dash: Take that, you, you, you. . .
Her fury evaporates into a puzzled little stutter as the thing that she just tackled was a. . .
Rainbow Dash: Scarecrow. . . Oh.
Back with Twilight and (Y/N), both of them were hiking through the orchard as a bird's cry startles a soft gasp out of the two making them hug one another in slight fear however they look up only to see that an owl was responsible. As it sits stolidly on its branch, a spot of light showing Applejack's Cutie Mark throws itself onto the clouds.
(Y/N): Applejack's signal. . .! She must've found something!
They both make their way on over to where Applejack was only to find her eyes popped open and her jaw-dropped staring straight ahead.
Twilight Sparkle: Applejack, what is it?
A used apple is thrown down, bouncing off Twilight's head and drawing her and (Y/N)'s eyes towards its source.
It was the same funny silhouette that everypony has been trying to track down as it had a long, slightly ragged hank of hair hanging down from its bottom end. Pinkie has the flashlight in her forelock and is hanging by her tail from the same branch as the creature is and she shines it on the mysterious creature.
Pinkie Pie: Suspicious!
What Pinkie sees are two yellow bat wings are wrapped tightly over the face, leaving only a pair of matching ears and a disheveled pink mane in view. When the wings are pulled away, the face of a decidedly different Fluttershy comes into full view. Coat a paler yellow than usual, very thick brows over the eerie red eyes, fanged mouth, and a pronounced dislike at being interrupted with a light thrust into her face, expressed with a feral hiss.
Everypony around gapes in horror of seeing that this bat-like figure is nearly in the same shape as Fluttershy. (Y/N)'s eyes shrunk to points as he was shivering.
(Y/N): W-W-What. . . the heck is th-that?!
Fluttershy lashes out a long tongue, drags an apple back, and quickly sucks it dry thanks to her new fangs. The husk is cast down as Pinkie swings over to put the light on her.
Pinkie Pie: Fluttershy? Yoo-hoo! Fluttershy!
For her trouble, she gets a hiss that startles her into letting go of the branch.
Rarity: That's not Fluttershy. . . That's Flutter-"bat!"
(Y/N): I'd never thought there would be a day that the cutest mare that I love turns into something so frightening!
Twilight Sparkle: We've gotta get her down from there!
Rarity: Uh. . . Fluttershy, sweetness, please come down, and. . . do stop being a vampire bat.
All she does is hiss and snags another apple and drains it to spit the remains away. Now Rainbow Dash flies up to her level.
Rainbow Dash: Fluttershy! It's me, Rainbow Dash! Why don't you cut the bat act and come on down?!
The "bat act" now goes one step beyond, as Flutterbat not only hisses but brings both wings forward to slap Rainbow away. She tumbles backward with a yelp before righting herself and she flies back down to the others.
Rainbow Dash: Maybe we should just let her come down when she's ready.
Flutterbat then swoops down so low that all, but Pinkie hit the dirt to avoid her. (Y/N) however was freaking out as he jumps out and yelps.
(Y/N): Flutterbat attack! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!
(Y/N) goes up to a tree that had no leaves and was hugging it in fear of seeing his own girlfriend being an actual bat.
Twilight Sparkle: (Y/N), calm down! See? She's back on her. . . branch.
(Y/N): And yet she just tried to swoop down and attack us out of nowhere! I know that she's not going to eat us. . . but it does look like that she knows self-defense!
Pinkie Pie: *gasps* Wait! Maybe vampire ponies eat other ponies!
(Y/N) looks down at Pinkie with a raised eyebrow.
(Y/N): Pinkie, I know that I'm afraid of bats. . . but even I know that that's not true at all. Pony or bat. . . all she is. . . is just terrifying! *shudders*
Rarity: How did this happen? That's what I don't understand.
Twilight Sparkle: I think this was actually our fault.
Rainbow Dash: Our fault?
Applejack: And how'd you figure that?
Twilight starts her horn and aims it off to one side. A grid of lines magically traces itself into the empty air, and her light violet silhouette winks into view along with a (C/C) silhouette that resembles (Y/N), and there was even figures of both the bats and Fluttershy.
Twilight Sparkle: Okay, so this is me and (Y/N), these are the bats, and this is Fluttershy doing her Stare.
Waves of red energy emanate from Pegasus to bat, and the spell both alicorns threw shows up as a red dotted line from her avatar's horn.
Twilight Sparkle: The spell was supposed to go right onto the bats like this, but somehow the spell must have backfired.
The Stare and spell break and the bat figure, now red-rimmed, reflects the Stare back at Fluttershy. Fluttershy's figure then turns into her Flutterbat silhouette.
Twilight Sparkle: It took the vampire fruit bats' desire to be vampire fruit bats and transferred that desire into Fluttershy.
Pinkie Pie: Then what are we waiting for? Let's save Fluttershy before that thing eats us all!
Twilight Sparkle: Sure thing. . . Except, we'll need ONE specific boyfriend of ours to use that reverse spell.
Everypony looks up towards (Y/N) who was still on the tree and his eyes widen in fear.
(Y/N): ME?!?!
Twilight Sparkle: You're the one who knows the reverse spell way better than I do, (Y/N).
(Y/N): B-But. . . I-I can't. . .
He then sees Flutterbat preparing to lunge at them as he points his hoof frantically at her.
(Y/N): Hit the deck!
Everypony does so and amid a round of yelps and cries to avoid taking the hit.
Pinkie Pie: Follow that bat!
Twenty-four hooves and two clawed feet peel out after the fugitive, but they missed her to see that she already landed on another branch right behind where they left.
Flutterbat's head and face are wracked by a sudden, soundless agony, she claps her front hooves over her head and then one ear grows in length and develops a small tuft at its point so that it now resembles a bat's ear. Down below, the search party is having no luck finding her trail.
Rarity: I can't believe we lost her!
Twilight Sparkle: Oh, Fluttershy, where are you?
Right behind and above her, if the inverted silhouette that slowly stretches its wings is any hint. Flutterbat abandons her catbird seat to dive on the group, hissing and scattering them every which way. Spike trips on a loose apple and goes flat on his face. Flutterbat ignores him completely and snatches up the fruit.
She then rises to silhouette herself against the full moon for a moment before diving again.
Applejack: Look out!
She ducks to avoid the fruit carcass being thrown at her head, losing her hat for a moment, and others drop to keep from being rammed. The apple rolls to a stop in front of Rainbow Dash, and Applejack crosses to her, (Y/N), and Twilight.
Rainbow Dash: If she keeps this up, your whole crop will be gone in no time!
Applejack: That's the least of my worries. I just want my friend back.
She then takes a glare at (Y/N).
Applejack: And SOMEPONY needs to stop worrying about his darn fear of bats already!
(Y/N): Um, uh. . . I just. . .! I'm not. . .!
Applejack smacks him in the head making him wince a little and she gives him a really deep glare.
Applejack: That is one your girlfriends for crying out loud!! So what if you're afraid of bats?! Don't you care about getting Fluttershy back?!
(Y/N): Of course! More than anything!
Applejack: Then what's so hard about going near her??
(Y/N) looks down in slight guilt before Twilight walks up to him.
Twilight Sparkle: Fluttershy may be a bat right now, (Y/N). But it's now time that you face one of your fears.
Applejack: Plus, ain'tcha scared of something way worse than bats? . . .Like losin' somepony?
(Y/N) looks up to see Flutterbat hissing at him and the more he thought about it. . . Applejack had a point. If he didn't do this, he may lose Fluttershy as his own girlfriend too. (Y/N) sweats a bit before he get's a determined look on his face and stands up with his wings out.
(Y/N): Okay. . . Let's save Fluttershy. But we need a better plan than just keep chasing her around. Is there some way to draw her in towards us so we can keep her grounded?
Pinkie Pie: Aww, if only we had Fluttershy to do her Stare on the Flutterbat.
Twilight Sparkle: *gasps* That's it!
(Y/N): What's it, Twi?
Twilight Sparkle: Maybe we could make her use the Stare on herself.
Getting the picture, (Y/N) smiles at Twilight's idea and nods.
With the plan now in action, Twilight is up ahead, walking backwards and floating the thing in her magic, while the rest of the Mane 7 bring up the rear. They reach a suitable location and stop with Twilight lowering the cargo to the ground and crossing to the others. Rainbow takes off the tarp to reveal the ginormous apple that Applejack's been growing.
Twilight Sparkle: Okay, let's get our friend back. Action stations!
Applejack gets the handle of a large knife in her teeth and finds Rainbow hovering resignedly above the apple.
Rainbow Dash: So much for having the winning apple in the Appleloosa State Fair, huh?
Applejack sighs heavily as the full meaning of these words sinks in, but (Y/N) reassures her.
(Y/N): It's better this way if it means the only way in turning Fluttershy back to normal. . . I'm. . . kind of nervous, but I'll have to do it means rescuing Fluttershy and getting my girlfriend back.
Applejack nods as she slice part of the apple skin. Juice starts to dribble out from the cut edges, and a series of quick, strong flaps from Rainbow Dash sends its aroma drifting over the grounds. High overhead, Flutterbat stops short upon getting a good whiff of the stuff.
Suddenly, with quick notice she comes diving down hissing madly.
Rainbow Dash: *quietly* She's coming!
(Y/N): *quietly* Steady. . . Steady. . .
She was closing with only a few more yards away and (Y/N) points his to give a signal and Applejack bucks the colossal fruit aside for Flutterbat to see her own reflection in a mirror that was being held up by Spike. She stops dead with her face going slack with surprise and she shields her eyes to turn in a different direction.
Here she finds a second mirror being propped up by Pinkie and another panicked turn has her come up against a third mirror in Rarity's telekinetic grip. Flutterbat hovers in place, utterly stupefied by her own reflection. This was (Y/N)'s cue as he looks at Twilight who nods and he slowly approaches the Flutterbat.
However, things were about to backfire as (Y/N) accidentally stands in front of the mirror shocking Twilight.
Twilight Sparkle: (Y/N), wait! Don't block her sight!
However, it looks like the damage had already been done as Flutterbat shakes her head to regain control and (Y/N)'s eyes widen once more and he started shivering in fear frozen in place.
Fluttershy takes a hard glare at (Y/N) and hisses at him before something unexpected happens. . . She looks straight at (Y/N)'s frightened eyes and for some reason. . . it was calming her down as her mouth hangs open.
A faint blush even appeared on Flutterbat's face the more she looked into (Y/N)'s eyes. She lowers to the ground and approaches (Y/N) as he was shaking like a leaf and he backs up just a bit. Flutterbat was then right up in his face as (Y/N) couldn't speak at all with her being this close. Twilight and the others were confused to why this is working.
Rainbow Dash: How is she not flying away? She's not looking at her own Stare like we planned.
Twilight Sparkle: I have no idea. . .
Applejack: (Y/N) doesn't know how to use a Stare. . . I don't get it.
Flutterbat leans into (Y/N) and she even takes a smell at him. (Y/N) squints and braces for what Flutterbat was about to do, but instead. . .
She actually starts to nuzzle his nose as if she were his pet which was making (Y/N) surprised and he even blushes from Flutterbat's weird shift in personality. Not only that, she seemed to be enjoying it as a smile appeared on her face. The rest of the mares were shocked at this.
Applejack: What the hay?
Rarity: Twilight. . . Does that normally happen with bats?
Twilight Sparkle: No, this is a first for me.
Twilight thinks for a second before her eyes widen in realization.
Twilight Sparkle: This may sound weird, but you girls do still know that's Fluttershy, right? I think maybe somehow seeing (Y/N) up close made her realize just how much she loves him? It's hypothetical, but. . . I think that may be the case.
Applejack: Huh. And look at that, (Y/N) ain't even running away from it at all.
No he wasn't, in fact he was actually kind of enjoying it as the more Flutterbat was nuzzling (Y/N), the more he was giving some chuckles.
(Y/N): *chuckles* Nice, Flutterbat.
(Y/N) decides to try something and even pets her head a bit which only made Fluttershy give a quiet squeak of delight. It's almost as if (Y/N)'s not even afraid of bats in the first place. The rest of the mares were smiling at this going well except for Rainbow Dash who was getting bored and even a tiny bit jealous too.
Rainbow clears her throat to get (Y/N)'s attention and he looks over to the mares to see Twilight and Applejack smirking at him as if saying "Still, scared of bats?" (Y/N) gives a nervous smile, however he does know that he can't leave Fluttershy like this and without any hesitation and fear, he activates the reverse spell with a (F/C) flare from his horn.
His spell wraps Fluttershy in a glowing (F/C) cocoon from head to tail, and the fangs shorten and the ears shrink back to normal. (F/C) gives way to incandescent white, and one final burst disintegrates the cocoon into a knot of glowing bats that wing their way into the night. The affected Pegasus, now back to her normal outward appearance, is floated gently down and collapses bonelessly to the grass.
(Y/N) lets his spell dissipate and he looks worriedly across the way and is met by Fluttershy's opening blue-green eyes.
Fluttershy: Oh. . . where am I?
Everypony comes in cheering as she stands upright and (Y/N) gives her a tight hug.
(Y/N): Fluttershy, I'm so glad that you're back to normal again!
Fluttershy: But. . . what happened to me?
Pinkie Pie: You turned into a vampire pony!
Fluttershy: *gasps* I tried to eat ponies?!
Pinkie Pie: Of course not!
Fluttershy: So I wasn't a vampire?
Pinkie Pie: Yes!
Fluttershy: Yes I was, or yes I wasn't?
Pinkie Pie: Yes, you were!
Fluttershy: But I didn't try and eat ponies?
Pinkie Pie: Yes!
Fluttershy: I did?!
Pinkie Pie: No!
Fluttershy: I'm confused. . .
All (Y/N) did was pull Fluttershy in for a kiss which surprised her, but she slowly returned it. Within a matter of a few seconds, they break apart from the kiss and (Y/N) just smiles at her.
(Y/N): What matters most is that you're back to normal now and that's all I care about.
Rainbow Dash: Oh no! Another bat, (Y/N)!
(Y/N): *smirks* Yeah, nice try. . .
Rainbow Dash: Huh? . . .I thought that would've worked a second time.
(Y/N): Sorry, Dash. It's not going to work any longer.
Twilight giggles as she walks up to (Y/N).
Twilight Sparkle: Sounds like somepony has gotten over their fear of bats.
(Y/N): Yeah. . . I guess I did. I had a little help from you and Applejack.
He then looks at Fluttershy with a tiny bit of a blush on his cheeks rubbing the back of his head.
(Y/N): I guess you could say that somepony. . . or bat themselves helped me out with it the most.
Fluttershy was confused by that before everypony else gave out some laughs together as they know while Fluttershy just smiled sheepishly at (Y/N) as she doesn't know how, but she must've helped him in a way.
The very next morning, the Mane 7 were at Sweet Apple Acres once more as Applejack adjusts the position of a newly placed sign, marked with a bat, that stands at the fence which makes the location of a new wildlife preserve.
Applejack: Fluttershy, I'm real sorry I didn't take your suggestion in the first place.
Fluttershy: And don't forget, now you'll get seeds that will grow into even bigger and better apple trees.
Rainbow Dash then pops up between them, throwing a foreleg over each set of shoulders.
Rainbow Dash: Does that mean what I think it means?
Applejack: *smiles* Yup! More cider too.
Rainbow Dash: Yea-he-heah, whoo!
(Y/N): (*sighs* You've got some obsession with apple cider, Dashie.)
Back at Fluttershy's cottage, everypony was gathered around as Spike was writing down what should be put in their journal. Fluttershy, Applejack, and (Y/N) were the ones giving him ideas.
Spike: Okay, got the part about the spell, Fluttershy turning into a bat, building a sanctuary. . .
Applejack: Be sure to put in there that I came to see that my short-term solution was a little short-sighted.
Fluttershy: And that you shouldn't let anypony pressure you into doing something that you don't think is right.
Applejack blushes slightly at this.
Fluttershy: Sometimes you have to tell even your closest friends "no".
Everypony nods from that before (Y/N) decides to put the last thing that he wanted Spike to write.
(Y/N): Finally, even you have some of the biggest fears, that shouldn't have to get in the way of helping your own friends especially if it's something very important.
(Y/N) wraps a foreleg around Fluttershy and nuzzles her cheek which she reciprocated.
Applejack: Now, how about we celebrate our stronger than ever friendship with a nice, ripe, juicy apple?
Before either one can dig in, Pinkie zips in between the two and shoves them apart. She has grown a set off fake fangs.
Pinkie Pie: *vampire accent* Stand back! I vant to suck its juuuice!
Biting into the apple, she hunkers down for a snack, but as soon as she opens her mouth again, the fake fangs she has used for this bit of tomfoolery come loose and remain embedded. She puts on a squeaky, sheepish little grin and joins in the others' hearty laughter.
However, what goes unnoticed is that Fluttershy's upper tooth is a short fang while she was laughing.
Chapter 7 End.