Father of the Night 2: Misty Justice.


                                            =Father of the Night 2=


                                            >Hoof hitting wood rouses you from your restful sleep as the sun creeps through the window.

                                            >Nnnggg...he was hitting the dummies again.

                                            >You sit up in the bed and peek out the window. Bruce was under the trees in the back yard wailing on a circle of practice dummies.

                                            >He spins on his fore hoof and circle kicks the head of one of the dummies clear off into the woods.

                                            >You grumble and climb out of bed.

                                            >Stretching your legs you go to the window and crack it open.

                                            "Breakfast! Get inside!"

                                            >Bruce glances at you over his shoulder at you before trotting into the woods.

                                            "You better be getting that head..."

                                            >You lean back inside and start cooking breakfast.

                                            >Bruce was one of the few ponies you had ever met who willingly ate meat.

                                            >He was mildly apprehensive, but changed his mind the second you told him that they built muscle mass.

                                            >A few minutes later and you have bacon, eggs, and prench toast out on the table, just in time for Bruce to walk in and sit up at the table before beginning to scarf down his food.

                                            >You sit yourself down at the table and look the caped child over.

                                            "Still wearing the costume, I see."

                                            >His eyes snap up at you. "I must practice in my suit."

                                            "Okay..."


                                            >He continues to glare at you. "I must get used to the weight."

                                            >You cock an eyebrow.

                                            >"For when I go out."

                                            >Oh no.

                                            "I'm not letting you go out to bash in pickpockets heads, Bruce."

                                            >His eyes narrow. "You will not be able to stop me."

                                            >Oh...this again.

                                            >You reach into the cabinet behind you and grab a spray bottle. You place it down on the table and angle the nozzle towards Bruce.

                                            >His eyes widen but his glare intensifies.

                                            >"If you think that is going t-"

                                            >Psssssssst.

                                            >Bruce tenses as he's doused in the disciplinary liquid, he fortunately finished is food.

                                            >You expect him to leap over the table at you, if not for the spray than for denying him going out, instead he just sits there and simmers.

                                            >"That will not work forever."

                                            "Then I'll have to come up with a new solution, won't I?"

                                            >Bruce hops off his chair and walks into a closet at the edge of the hall, slamming the door behind him.

                                            >That closet served as his work space, it was practically the only place he spent time.

                                            >Leaving your day remarkably open.

                                            >And therefore remarkably dull.


                                            >You spent your day laying on the couch watching TV.

                                            >As usual.

                                            >The closet Bruce had locked himself in was still in your sight, and you were keeping a close eye on it.

                                            >The TV had been boring you for some time, you had had a pillow over your face as it ran in the background for however long.

                                            >You almost drifted off to sleep before a knocking came from the door.

                                            "Nnnnnggg..."

                                            >The knocks continue.

                                            "NNUUUUUUUUUHHHH."

                                            >The knocks now intensify, instantly alerting you to who it is.

                                            "Don't wanna!"

                                            >"Anonymous, y'all get out here and open the door!" the pony behind the door says.

                                            >Fucking...dammit.

                                            >You grumble and roll off the couch.

                                            >Your feet drag along the carpet as you make your way to and eventually throw open the door.

                                            >The orange pony under the Stetson cocks an eyebrow up at you.

                                            "What is it AJ?" you grumble.

                                            >Applejack has been a friend for ages now, the side effect of you working on the farm when you first came here.

                                            >That was a bit before Bruce got sent to you.

                                            >AJ walks inside a bit after you step aside.

                                            >"Just comin' round to see how y'all are doin'. Applebloom said ya came by the stall yesterday."

                                            >She glances down the hallway to the closet Bruce was in. "How is he?" she asks with concern.


                                            >You sigh.

                                            "He's normal, for him. He locks himself in that closet for hours on end and doesn't come out till night."

                                            >Applejack sighs and turns back to you. "I thought so. Anon, ya ever think about getting that boy a' yours out and about with kids his own age?"

                                            >Whoa, "boy a' yours"?

                                            "What'd you call him?"

                                            >AJ cocks an eyebrow. "Aint that the term you use for adopted kids?"

                                            >It breaks your what happened to Bruce, it really did, but just because you took him in didn't make him your kid...

                                            >You reel back a bit.

                                            "Adopted? AJ, he's my ward, not my son."

                                            >"Anonymous!" she hisses.

                                            >You meet AJ's glare. [spoiler][/spoiler] "What?"

                                            >She jerks her head back to the closet. "He can probably hear you."

                                            >You look back to the work closet.

                                            "He probably doesn't care."

                                            >AJ sighs. "Now just because the two of ya have your...problems don't mean that he doesn't care."

                                            >She walks out the door. "Maybe think about that some, Anon. Y'all might be surprised."


                                            >After AJ left, you did some housework, patching up the hole Bruce made in the ceiling last night and sweeping up whatever was left of the mess.

                                            >By late afternoon, your work was done, nothing was on TV, and Bruce was still in his closet.

                                            >You decide to take a walk around town to clear your head a bit.

                                            >Your feet eventually lead you to the library, home of your friend and local know-it-all Twilight.

                                            "Can't hurt..."

                                            >You knock on the door and take a few steps inside.

                                            "Twi? You in here?"

                                            >Your favorite Purplesmart lifts her snout out of the book she was reading and greets you with a smile.

                                            >"Hey there Anon, what brings you around?"

                                            >You shrug and walk up to her. [spoiler][/spoiler] "Just getting out of the house a bit, ended up walking past here."

                                            >Twilight closes her book. "How is he?"

                                            >Twi and AJ were the only ones in town besides you who were aware of Bruce's...activities. You had come to them when it started for advice on how to handle it.

                                            >So far nothing.

                                            "He's...Bruce."

                                            >Twilight frowns. "Still in his closet?"

                                            "Yup."

                                            >She sighs.

                                            >"I don't suppose you've brought up the subject of going to school yet."

                                            "When I did he went off on a tangent about mathematics and Equestrian history."

                                            >"...And?" Twilight asks.

                                            "And I checked later and he was right, I doubt he thinks he'll learn anything at school."


                                            >Twilight's face grows worried. "I hope he doesn't hurt himself..."

                                            "More worried about other people."

                                            >"He needs...something to focus on."

                                            "He seems focused on fighting as is."

                                            >You and Twilight are silent for a few minutes.

                                            "So what are you reading?"

                                            >Twilight looks back at her book. "A history of both Griffins and Diamond Dogs, I'm hoping to get a leg up on the Razorclaws and the Diggers."

                                            >The 'Claws and Diggers were two clans of Griffins and Diamond Dogs who had been harassing each other in the badlands to the south of town, it's been spilling into the edges of town recently.

                                            "Well...I'll leave you to it then. See ya later, Twi."

                                            >Twilight heads back to her book and starts reading again. "Bye, Anon!"

                                            >You exit the library and walk back home.

                                            >The sun was setting on one horizon while the moon rose from the other.

                                            >You creep in the front door of the house and glance over it.

                                            >Lights off.

                                            >Stove off.

                                            >Closet door open.

                                            >Bruce gone.

                                            >...

                                            >Oh shit.