MoonShadow.

by ParadoxPony

Ch3

Recalling the previous events of the night would be futile. All she knew was they were gone...Good.

MoonShadow kicked a pillow out from her side. With a groan, she got up, stretching out her four limbs and yawning. Her muscles were sore, but she managed to walk to her window.

The birds were chirping and the sun was out. Shadow blinked several times in attempts to clear her sight. She pulled a brown wool sack up off the floor, almost stumbling over her front hooves. When she opened the bag, the sweet citrus scent of lemon and other fruits hit her nostrils. The food she kept as a reserve in case her master did not serve. The food she would have to eat anyway. No, no this wasn't how it would be, she would trust her master. Master will come through. MoonShadow looked down at herself, ribs stuck out among loose skin and matted fur. No, no she would wait, just a little longer. Just...A...Little... Shadow dove into her sack, not even bothering to chew. Her stomach still felt empty...or maybe it was just her heart, she couldn't be sure.

---

Food...She needed food. Just a bit more...Master won't mind.

It didn't mater if the bright day sun shone overhead, Shadow had never felt so lonely and empty inside, all she could think of, the only picture drifting in her head, were the screams of the ponies she had frightened the night before. Now she needed food.

Master wasn't going to help her. Master was wrong! MASTER LIED!

MoonShadow veered right down the darkest road in sight.

Master had food, master lied...

Ducking behind a rather large carriage, Shadow swiped an apple off the stand closest to her. The juice squirted everywhere. It tasted like horseshoes compared to her usual diet.

I will find a new hate, a new master. I have had two masters before...I can find a third...

Tears streaked her face, that is until she saw him. Him, walking with his daughter, him buying apples from the stand next to her, him laughing as AppleJack said something she did not catch, and him looking into her eyes, a smile still printed on his face. MoonShadow snapped back into reality and bolted faster than RainbowDash ever could out of his sight.

After safely in between two buildings, her head peaked out onto the streets in his direction. He was still picking his apples. Good... She would starve to death thinking the way she did...But still...

---

The moon wasn't as bright as it usually was, but MoonShadow wouldn't have noticed even if she had dared to look up at it's rocky surface. She was on a hill. A small grassy hill over looking a pond. She could only look down at her hooves, for the pond reflected the moon, she didn't want to look at the moon...She was going to die, and truthfully, it didn't mater. She had no purpose. No reason to get up to greet the dark sky and moon every night. No reason go on.

MoonShadow held back tears for a brief moment then let them fall free, no reason to hold them back anyway. The salty liquid weaved between her fur, making it messier than usual.

"I know who you are..."

MoonShadow froze, every muscle and internal instinct telling her to run away, but why? Why should she...This pony was obviously going to kill her. Shadow closed her eyes and let the muscles in her legs go limp and her body fall to the ground in a wet and hopeless pile of fur and flesh.

The sudden physical touch of hoof to shoulder sent shock through her being, she wasn't sure if it were a hit or a touch, but she didn't resist either way.

An apple was placed in front of her. Reluctantly, she lifted her eyes to meet his...He found her, but he was neither smiling nor frowning, in fact, his expression was unreadable, but his eyes screamed concern.

Love.

She jumped back and hid her face behind what mane she had left.

"Please, let me help you...I'm the Professor..." His voice was calm and in a accent she did not recognize.

...

"What's your name?"

"MoonShadow."

The Professor sat next to her, looking up into the sky as if searching for something the same way he did in town and with the same wondering sea-blue eyes. He must have realized she was staring because he turned to look at her. MoonShadow quickly turned away.

"Why do you hide?"

"Why do you search for that of which does not exist? In the sky, on the streets? Your eyes never cease their searching."

the Professor winced, clearly caught off guard.

"You of all ponies would know why miss Shadow."

She could tell her vision was blurry, but wasn't sure if it's origin would be tears or the dim lighting of the night sky.

"I'm so sor-" She stopped
...

" it's just Shadow..."

The nervous mare tried to hide her mistake with a smile, revealing her fang-like teeth to the unsuspecting Professor by her side. His expression turned from worry and doubt, to calm and disappointment, much like Luna's used to.

MoonShadow let her false smile drop and continued to stare at her hooves.

"You don't have to do this, you can do what the others did, there's still time. I can help you mis- I mean, Shadow."

Something boiled inside of her and it showed, her expression flipped to twisted and angry, full of past wounds that had long since been forgotten and now been reopened by the stallion.

"Leave me..."

The Professor reluctantly did as he was told and marched back down the hill, this time, Shadow didn't look back.

---

She had fallen asleep on the hill, memories in the form of a dream haunted her night. Master was there...She was angry with her and taunted her dreams of what had once been, to nightmares of what is. Waking up in a cold, and uncomfortably soggy sweat, MoonShadow could see the sun just rising over the hill. That wasn't right, Shadow was meant to rise at the moon's glorious glow, not the sun's harsh and demanding light.

MoonShadow raised to her hooves, using the tree by her side as balance, then staring back at the sun.

"Go awake somepony else princess Sunny butt!" Shadow reprimanded, waving a hoof at the bright ball of light Celestia controlled.

Seeing as the everfree was a bit of a walk away, and by the time she got there it would be evening, Shadow decided to refill her "just in case" bag of fruits. Using a "borrowed" pillow sack from a near by laundry rope, she headed back to the main market area in the center of ponyville, Snatching various types of pony food as she when and stuffing them into her bag, too ashamed to buy them herself.