“Moon?” I called into the darkness, the emptiness of the room was frightening. A bone chilling and sinister laughter surrounded me which echoed throughout the long, stretching chamber. I couldn't find the right state of mind to carry on downward through the room, my body couldn't find the motivation to continue. My legs locked into position and the alcohol running through my system set my mind spinning. I didn't know what to do, so I stood there, waiting. Calling out for the small filly.

Hours passed and the light slowly crept in through the small barred window of the wooden door, I hadn’t fallen asleep since I first arrived to the once abandoned ruins. I hadn’t even moved from the spot in which I stood in. All I could do was call for her, living in a hope that she would forgive me for the terrible things I’ve done. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know what to do! I’m sorry for what I’ve done.” The power within my legs disappeared as I fell down to my knees in anguish. I placed my hands over my eyes in an attempt to stop the oncoming rushing feeling of tears. “I don’t know any better way to tell you this, if you’re even listening to me...” My voice volume dropped to a whisper,”if you’re even here. I'm just..sorry.”

The laughter slowly faded away with the darkness as I heard a pair of small hoofs near me. I raised my head and found a small face appear from the darkness as she neared the light of the sun that shone through the small window. I could see tears streaming down the face of the small filly as she neared me, a small smile crept across her face as she knelt beside me. She looked deep into my eyes and asked with a shaky voice,”Do...do you really mean it?”

I looked into her eyes and nodded, I couldn’t find the words that could compensate for the acts that I’ve done to Moon. All I could do was try to find redemption in the small mares heart. I would do anything to make things right, something, Anything. To my amazement, the small mare wrapped her arms around me and gave me a heartwarming hug.

“I don’t hate you, and I don’t want to mourn for my sister anymore.” She let go of me and wiped her tears away and turned her attention back to me,”I’m kinda glad she’s gone.. she used to.. She did terrible things.. to ponies.” Moon stood to her feet and held her hand out to help me to mine. I accepted her small hand and we managed to get me standing with a great deal of effort.

“I want to help you, with anything. I need to help you. I can find you a home, I can find someone to raise you. You don’t need to live here in this constant reminder.” I could feel my senses returning as the effects of the tonic wore off.

She looked to me and smiled,”You’re gonna really do that? What if I don’t want a parent?” She wrapped her arms around my pant leg and looked up to me with a smile,”What if I want someone like you.” I contemplated her question and thought long. I cracked a smile and looked down to the small filly. A sense of happiness filled my gut as she returned the smile.

“If you really want me to, I can. I’ll take care of you, you won’t have to worry about being alone anymore.” I playfully ran my fingers through her mane as she hugged my leg tightly. I had a home, to which I never stayed in. A marefriend, and from that moment on.. a daughter. All I wished from then on was to be the father that Moon Shadow deserved.

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“And here we are, your new home.” I told the little mare. She gazed around the house and proceeded around searching all the photos throughout the rooms. I never really stayed here all too often and Miss Rarity always seemed to spend more time in here than I ever could, with all the clothes she’s made for me and all the decorations she littered everywhere throughout the house. It felt to me that she was a maid at first, but in all actuality, I was just a guest in my own house.

By the time my thoughts returned to reality, I heard Moon calling from down the hallway,”You live here? This place is so big! Where did you get all this stuff?” I followed the voice to its source and found Moon staring at the Knight armor inside my room. Her mouth was hanging awe, amazed at the spectacle. “Where’d you get this? This is amazing!”

Her attentiveness was cute, just the fascination she held for the objects throughout my household. “I got this as a gift from Celestia.”

“Why do you think she got you this? You already got your own set, their ten times better than this set.” Moon asked.

“I’m not sure exactly, mostly just for show I guess.”

“Has anybody but me seen this?”

I put my hand against my chin and thought deeply this,’The only people.. ponies that have actually seen the inside of my house have been Rarity, Zecora when she dropped me off that one time and now, Moon Shadow.’ I looked to the small mare and said,”Nope, not really.”

She cracked a smile and turned to search the rest of her new living quarters. I smiled at her as she left the room, and I then retreated into my thoughts. ‘I hope I can be a good enough father figure, we’ll just have to see.’

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The night begun to set across the sky and I had Moon Shadow sleep in my bed while I slept on the couch in the living room, I laid there in constant worry. Just the thought of her living with me. It wasn’t a scary thought, but what had her sister done to her before her passing? What did she do to the small mare through for Moon to just forgive me as she did? These thoughts plagued my mind as I laid on the couch. “I’m not gonna get much sleep tonight, am I?” I asked no one in particular. I looked to the clock on the wall and seen that it was three o’clock in the morning and gave myself an answer. “Eeyup.”

I stood from the stiff couch and gave a quick stretch to ease the sore spots it had embedded into my body. I made my way over to the kitchen and prepared a pot of coffee, and if I paid attention to my surroundings, I would have caught sight of my new daughter, Moon Shadow.

“Still up I see?” Asked the small mare, I turned to face her with a scoop full of coffee grounds in my hands. I looked to her and gave her a little smile.

“Morning kid, why are you up so early?” I asked Moon.

“The greater question is why are you still up? You know you have to get stuff done today.. tomorrow.. wait.” She retreated to her thoughts for a moment and returned to our small conversation. “Yeah, today.”

I put the coffee grounds into the coffee maker and grabbed the coffee pot and began filling it with water. I turned to the mare and raised an eyebrow,”I thought I was the parent here, come on.” I gave a quick, small laugh and turned back to the pot. Once it was full, I began pouring the water into the machine and placed the pot back in its appropriate spot. I flicked the machine on and turned to Moon, to find a 'not too pleased' expression on her face. “Alright, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll go to sleep once I’m done this pot. Deal?”

She gave me an unsure look and nodded,”Alright, you can drink it but I’m gonna help ya.” I looked to the mare with a confused expression.

“Wait, how old are you? I thought children usually steered away from this stuff. And aren’t you a little young to be drinking this?” I asked Moon. She looked to me with a smirk as she reached into the cupboard for a mug.

“I’ve done a lot worse than just drink coffee. Come on now.” I gave an approving nod as I took my mug and waited. "Oh yeah, I'm ten. Just so you know." she gave me a smirk and we returned to waiting.

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After the coffee had been finished off, Moon and I sat around and chatted. I continued to learn more about my new daughter. All the positive and negative things she’d lived through, the things she adored and the seemingly infinite stories she had. As the daylight cracked though the kitchen window, I turned to greet the sun. “Morning Celest.” I turned to Moon and her eyes looked to be falling ever so slowly as she tried to stay with the waking world. I watched as she closed her eyes and gently rested her head on the table. I could hear soft snores coming from the little filly as she slept.

I cautiously picked up the small mare and carried her back to the bedroom and placed her under the covers. I tucked her in and gave her a light kiss on the forehead. “Night kid, sleep tight.”

As I made my way out to the couch once again, I glanced at the clock for a brief moment. “Seven thirty, well.. I guess I could go see Ditzy for a couple hours.” I strapped on my boots and took a deep breath. “No sleep, no problem.”

Have questions? Ask me. Simple.

Keep it cool, Condemned.