The Demon and his Daughter

by Manic Moon

Stories from the Past

Manic Moon was on his way to Mariposa's house to pick up Zelda. Maybe a little bit early, but he was sure with Whisper as her new pet his daughter wouldn't mind if she was the first one to go home. He could feel how the little snake moved in his mane and he had to admit that he like it. It felt like somepony was giving him a small head massage. He still had the coupon for the spa in Ponyville, but he thought it would be better to hold off on using it, because working as the leader of the town police would be a pretty tiring job and he could use the free massage after a very hard day of work. Soon enough, he reached the right house and rang the bell. After a moment the door opened.

"Oh! Hello Mr. Moon. We weren't expecting you until 9 o'clock." Mariposa greeted him.

"Hello! I know, I'm a little bit early. I hope that's not a problem." Manic said with a hoof behind his head.

"Of course not, but the kids just got back up stairs to play some more. We finished breakfast about 5 minutes ago and Zelda won't be to excited if she has to go already." she answered.

"Hmm. That's a good point. I know how she can be if she gets pulled out in the middle of something. Maybe I should have a little walk around Ponyville and come back later." he said.

"You don't have to. Dinky's mother wanted to come over and drink some coffee before she picked up her daughter. Do you want to join us?" Mariposa asked.

"If I don't bother you, I would like that." the demon pony answered.

"Not in the slightest. Be my guest!" she said and let him in. Both walked into the living room and Manic sat himself on the couch. Next to him was a little play pen where Lily Bloom was once again chewing on something. Manic looked around in the room.

"Isn't Cal at home?" he asked.

"No, he left pretty early this morning. He's gone fishing with a friend. He always says the fish bite the best in the morning hours." Mariposa said and walked into the kitchen to get the coffee ready. Manic used this time to take a closer look at the little filly in the play pen. Lily Bloom still chewed at her plushie, but you could see that she was nodding off to sleep. Manic giggled at the sight.

"That's my youngest daughter Lily Bloom." Mariposa said with a smile as she came back into the living room.

"She's really cute, but I guess we just lost her to the dream land. He he he!" Manic Moon said. She looked inside the play pen too and found her daughter sleeping peacefully, still holding the plushie in her mouth.

"She once again has chewed herself to sleep. Hi hi hi!" Mariposa said with a smile at her daughter.

"Just like Zelda at that age." Manic stated.

"Was she also chewing on everything she found?" she asked and sat herself into the chair next to him.

"Not exactly, but in her first months she didn't sleep one minute if she didn't have my hoof to chew on it." Manic explained.

"Aww! That sounds so cute." Mariposa said.

"Yes, it was. And Celestia save me if I dared to move my hoof away after she was asleep. As soon as I moved one inch Zelda woke up and started to scream. The first 3 months I was sleeping on a chair beside her crib." Manic said.

"Why didn't you use a pacifier?" she asked.

"Well, I wasn't realy prepared for beeing a father, so I had no idea about of all this baby stuff. It was complete chaos for awhile." Manic answered and scratched the back of his head. Mariposa was about to say something, but was cut off by the bell.

"That must be Derpy. I'll be right back!" she said and walked of. Manic could feel as Whisper again moved in his mane.

"Don't you worry yourself my little friend. You'll have your big moment yet." Manic said and heard a little hissing behind his left ear. Right after that Mariposa and Derpy Hooves arrived in the living room.

"Hello Manic! I heard you're joining our little brunch." Derpy said.

"Hello Derpy! I hope that's OK with you." he said back.

"Sure! Our daughters are best friends, so why shouldn't we become good friends and have a fun time together too?" Derpy answered and set a basket on the table before them.

"I see you brought some muffins." Mariposa said while she poured some coffee into the cups.

"Of course! There is no fun without some muffins. Hi hi hi!" Derpy answered and sat herself on the couch next to Manic.

"They smell delicious Derpy!" Manic said and took one.

"We were just talking about how tricky it is to raise little fillies." Mariposa said at gave everypony a cup of coffee.

"Tell me about it. My little muffin outsmarted me the day she found out how to open the latch on her crib on her own." Derpy said and laughed.

"Yeah! There is nothing that can prepair youself for the task of raising a foal. When it comes to Zelda the whole thing hit me pretty cold blooded." Manic said and took a bite of his muffin.

"What do you mean by that? Did you know Zelda's mother was pregnant?" Mariposa asked.

"Believe me! It was impossible for me to see it coming. But it's a long story." Manic answered.

"I've got time." Mariposa said with a smile.

"Me too. I love a good story!" Derpy said and made herself more confortable on the couch.

"Fine. You win! I'll tell you the story. But I have to go back pretty far. It all began when I still was a foal. We demon ponies live deep under the earth, even deeper than the diamond dogs. Most of us never see the light of the sun in our whole lives. But I was one of the lucky ones." Manic Moon began.

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////Flashback////

A little Manic Moon was walking through a dark tunnel. He was not even as old as Zelda and his mane was an even bigger mess than today. The only light in the tunnel came from the grown up demon pony, which was walking in front of him. It was carrying a lantern on it's back. He was about the size of Manic today, but his mane was cut short and he had a little grey beard.

"Where are we going grandpa?" little Manic asked.

"To a very special place. We're making a little trip to the surface." the old pony said with a smile to his grandson.

"REALLY?" Manic asked aloud and jumped up. His grandpa whirled around and put a hoof on his mouth.

"Not so loud little one! Most demon ponies don't approve of the surface world. We could get in real trouble for this. It has to be our little secret." he said

"OK grandpa! I promise not to say anything. Not even to mom and dad." Manic said still excited.

"I knew I could count on you. Now follow me! We're almost there." the old demon pony said and walked on. Soon enough they reached a dead-end.

"What now? We can't go any further." Manic asked.

"Yes, we can! Now we go up." his grandpa said and pointed to a hole in the ceiling of the tunnel.

"But....I can't fly." Manic said sadly. His grandpa picked him up and sat him on his back.

"Don't you worry. I'll give you a lift." he said, and took off. After a short flight the hole ended and Manic saw the surface for the very first time. But what he saw wasn't what he expected.

"But didn't you say it's bright on the surface grandpa? It's nearly as dark as in the tunnels." Manic asked disappointed. His grandpa simply laughted.

"Ha ha ha! That's because it's night. During the day the sun is shining and and you can see everything without any torches or lamps." the old demon pony said.

"But why are we going out by night then? Wouldn't it be much better at day?" Manic asked.

"I don't think so. There are things you can only see at night." he answered and took off in the sky. As soon as they broke through the cloud cover, Manic saw something he would never forget for the rest of his life. The night sky, the stars and, most importantly, the moon. He had never seen something so beautiful.

"Wow! What is that grandpa?" Manic asked with big eyes. You could see the reflection of the moon in his eyes while he looked in awe.

"That's the moon. Princess Luna created it and the stars. The ponies here on the surface can see them every night." he answered.

"Really? Then I want to live here too." Manic said, still looking at the sky.

"If you really want to, then one day you will." his grandpa said. They sat down on a cloud and watched the stars and the moon for hours.

//// end of the flashback ////

____________________________________________________________________________________________

"That's when it all began. My grandpa showed me the world beyond the tunnels, and I loved it." Manic said.

"But if your grandpa knew a way to the surface, why didn't he live here too?" Derpy asked.

"He would have, but when he found the passage he was already married and my grandma was pregnant with my father. He couldn't take them to the surface with him, because starting a new life up there was nothing he wanted to bother his wife and child with. That's why he showed me the way, so I could live his dream on." he explained.

"And what happened next?" Mariposa asked.

"As soon as I was old enough I took everything I had and moved to the surface. It didn't take too long to find out what fairy tales the ponies told each other about demon ponies. So I decided to move to a big city. Filly Delphia has a population of over one million ponies, I didn't think one demon pony would cause too much of a fuss. And I was right." Manic explained.

"What do you mean by that?" Mariposa asked.

"I got myself a job in a bar at the "darker" part of the city. I worked as a bartender and most of my customers were criminals or ponies that had nothing to lose. Sometimes I would meet some interesting ponies, like Octavia. When ever I found such ponies I tried my best to get them to return, and most of the time I succeeded." he said.

"And then?" Derpy asked. Both mares were hanging completely on his words.

"Well, time went on and I wasn't sure if I made the right decision. But then she came into my life." Manic said with a dreaming face.

"Who?" Mariposa and Derpy asked in union.

"Light." Manic simply answered.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

//// flashback ////

Manic Moon was standing behind the bar, polishing some glasses. The bar was pretty empty, but happy hour hadn't even started yet. There was only a group of four ponies sitting on a table and playing poker together. Manic was about to go in the kitchen, when the door to the bar opened and a beautiful unicorn walked in. She had a long and slim body, a blue coat and wavy light blue mane. Her cutie mark was two connected hearts, one was red, the other one black. She sat herself on a bar stool and looked shyly on the bar.

"A cup of milk please." she said without looking up. Manic raised an eyebrow.

"I'm terribly sorry Ma'am, but we don't serve milk here. How about a coffee or a cider? I can mix you whatever you want." he said with a smile.

"Uhm...then just a glass of water please. I don't drink hard stuff." she said and avoided Manic Moon's sight.

"That's laudable, but then a bar maybe is the wrong place for you." Manic answered and turned around to prepare her order. When he turned back the four ponies from the poker table were standing around the mare.

"Hey there, missy! What brings a beautiful mare like you do into such a dirty bar?" one of them asked and put a hoof on her shoulder.

"I....I just want to drink something. That's all." she said and shoved the hoof off her shoulder. Another stallion sat himself next to her.

"How about we leave this place, and go to my house to have some fun together?" he said. He and his friend got closer to her. She was shaking on her stool.

"Please, just leave me alone. I don't want trouble." she said fearfully. But they didn't back off, and the one next to her grabbed her mane and smelt it.

"I guess it's to late for that. Ha ha ha!" he said and his friend started to laugh with him. Manic Moon slamed the glass with the water on the bar. All four ponies and Light jerked and looked towards him.

"Didn't you guys hear the lady? She just wants to drink a glass of water in peace. Why don't you got back to your table and play poker again?" he said with a clear voice.

"That's none of your business! Piss off or we'll beat the hell out of you!" the one next to the Light said. Before he could say anything more, Manic grabbed his head and smashed it on the bar. Little splinters of wood went flying through the air. Manic let go of him and he sank down on the ground. Manic Moon stared angry at his friends, showing his sharp teeth.

"Take you friend and go or I'll shove your heads somewhere where you guys can never find them back!" Manic barked at them. They did as told and ran out of the bar, carrying their knocked out friend. He looked to the mare.

"I'm so sorry for that. Maybe you should...." before he could go on, she hugged him over the bar and started sobbing.

"Thank you!......Thank you so much!....I....I thought they would......Thank you." she said while she cried in his shoulder. Manic was taken aback by this, but he hugged her back and stroked her mane to help her calm down.

"It's ok! You're safe now." he said.

//// end of the flashback ////

____________________________________________________________________________________________

"When she finally calmed down, she told me her name and that she was new in the city. I took her to my appartment and offered to let her sleep there until she found something on her own." he said.

"Let me guess. Over the next months you two got closer and friendship became love. Right?" Derpy asked.

"Months? Ha! It only took us 2 weeks to completely fall in love with each other." Manic said once again daydreaming.

"That sounds so romantic." Mariposa said.

"It was. Even when I found out that she was a changeling princess, I just loved her even more. We went on dates, celebrated Hearts and Hooves days together and....well, you know....loved each other." Manic said with a blush.

"I know how it is. It was the same thing with me and Cal." Mariposa said and took a sip from her coffee.

"Yes, it was a wonderful time. I was the happiest demon pony in all of Equestria, but all good things had to come to an end." Manic stated and his face became a little bit sad.

"I guess now comes the sad part of the story." Derpy said and gave Manic another muffin to cheer him up.

"Thanks Derpy!" he said and took the muffin.

"One day I came home and found her on my bed, crying. She got a message from her hive and had to go back. She didn't know why, but it sounded like something important. I asked her to stay, but she had a obligation toward her people. She had to go. I promised to wait for her and that was exactly what I did. I waited for days, weeks, months, but nothing came. Until that one night." Manic said.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

//// flashback ////

It was a rainy night in Filly Delphia. Nopony was on the street, most of them were already in their beds. Manic Moon was sitting in his apartment reading a book. He looked at his clock.

"Damn! It's already midnight. I should go to bed. It's not like anything is going to happen anyway." he said and stood up. Just as the words escaped his mouth, somepony knocked at his front door.

"I just had to ask for it, didn't I?" Manic said and walked for the door. He opened it, but nothing could prepare him for what happened next. Before him stood a changeling in heavy armor.

"Uhm.....Hello?" Manic said confused. Then an idea came to his mind. Mayby this changeling had a message from Light.

"Is their anything you've got for me?" Manic asked. The changeling saluted before him and gave him a letter and a basket. Manic's mood was lightening. A letter and a present from Light. He saluted for the changeling and the armored creature flew away. Manic took the basket and walked back into his living room. He sat himself on the couch and opened the letter.

" Dear Manic Moon,

I'm sure you're hoping for a letter from your beloved Light, but the changeling who wrote this was Queen Chrysalis. My daughter was send\t out to gain some experience under ponies. She should have been my successor, but all she managed to do was fall in love with you. Some of my spies told me everything about you two. That's why I ordered her back.

But that's not the reason I wrote this letter for you. My daughter is dead."

Manic's world shattered when he read this. The letter slipped out of his hooves and tears ran down his face. He couldn't believe it. The love of his life, his beloved Light was dead. For about half an hour he was just sitting on his couch, silently crying. Manic wanted to scream, but it was like every drop of life was taken away from him. All he could think of was Light and that he would never see her again. His gaze moved back to the letter. There has to be more. Something.....anything in this letter. He picked up the piece of paper and read on.

"My daughter is dead. She died because of her love to you. She died while giving birth to your child. Light didn't know she was pregnant when she left you. That's the reason why I sent you this letter. Before my beloved daughter died I had to promise that I would give the foal to you. I kept my promise. I hate you and this cross breed! You took my child from me and you two should never come to my sight again."

With that the letter ended. This time Manic didn't know how he should react. Slowly he looked at the basket. He removed the blanket and there she was. A little sleeping foal was laying in it.

"Oh my...." Manic said and carefully lifted his daughter. Once again tears ran down his face, but this time he wasn't sad. He had a daughter, and for his beloved Light he would do all in his power to give her the live she deserves.

"I will always be there for you. My little Zelda." Manic said while he cried. The foal shifted a bit in his hooves and yawned before she kept on sleeping. Manics heart nearly broke when he saw this. He sat there holding his daughter the whole night.

//// end of the flashback /

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Mariposa wiped away a tear from her eye.

"That is so touching! I had no idea." she said.

"I know it's not the best life, but as long as I've got Zelda I wouldn't trade it for the world." Manic answered.

"It's the same with me and Dinky. I wouldn't give her away for all the muffins in Equestria." Derpy said and ate the last muffin. Mariposa nodded with her head.

"It's always the same. They can cause as much trouble as they want, but one look into their eyes and you forgive them for everything." she said and drank the rest of her coffee.

"Now look where the time went. We should go check on our little treasures." Derpy said and stood up.

"You're right. I can't wait to show Zelda her present." Manic said and stood up too.

"A present? Where is it? I didn't see you carrying anything when you came in." Mariposa asked.

"Yes, because her present is good at hiding. Ha ha ha! Right Whisper?" Manic laughed. Out of his mane came the little snake and smiled at Derpy and Mariposa.

The high pitched scream of Mariposa could be heard through the whole house, followed by the laughs of Derpy and Manic Moon.

Comments

[Dragaen]

lol, good shit, Derpy certainly took the reaction rather well

[Changeling-Drone]

2431812 derpies seen worse but that ending LOL

flashaback was