Father of the Night 23: House Call.


                                            =Father of the Night 23=


                                            -Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxLLWW7Tt54-


                                            >The room you're sitting in is dark and you've got no inclination to change it right now.

                                            >It was a dark time.

                                            >Somewhat poetic, really.

                                            >After what had happened at the party, you did the only thing you could.

                                            >You grabbed AJ and Bruce and ran back to Ponyville, back to where you were the safest. Not a hard thing to do when the son of an obscenely wealthy socialite appears hurt after a terrorist attack.

                                            >They patched him up in the hospital here, they had WANTED to do it there but you had screamed up a storm and "convinced" them to move him.

                                            >You did not want Bruce in the same city as that maniac.

                                            >Even with the story you concocted, there was a chance he could find him.

                                            >You couldn't take that chance...

                                            >And so here you sit in your big empty house in Ponyville, with the one other living soul in it barely even doing that and laying motionless on the bed.

                                            >His face is bandaged and he remains silent as the grave and almost as still, save for the slight rhythmic rise and fall of his chest.

                                            >Under his bandages, his eyes remain shut.

                                            >His eyes were NEVER shut when he slept, that worries you.

                                            >From downstairs you hear the opening and closing of the front door. That'd be the doctor the hospital sent leaving after saying that they had done all they could to help Bruce and what he needed now was time.

                                            >So more waiting was in order. Perfect.

                                            >As you look over the boy, your boy, in the bed, you see him for what he really is.

                                            >He was smart, he was strong, he was swift...but he was oh so fragile.

                                            >He could be broken.

                                            >And it was very hard putting him all back together.


                                            >Time passes and you remain in your chair by the bedside. The only sounds in the room being the steady beeping of the EKG machine.

                                            >For the moment.

                                            >From downstairs, you hear the front door open and shut. Meaning that the doctor didn't lock it on his way out.

                                            "Fuuuuuuuck."

                                            >You rise from your chair and walk out of the room. Your muscles and joints popping and snapping in protest from the hours of inactivity.

                                            >You walk through the hall and make your way to the central staircase that overlooks the front door.

                                            "Look, whoever you are, it's really not a good time right no-"

                                            >Your words die in your mouth when you see the familiar colored ponies standing in your foyer.

                                            >"Anonymous...ya look like ya haven't slept since ya got back." Applejack says

                                            "That's because I haven't, AJ."

                                            >Next to her, Twilight takes a step forward. "How is he...?"

                                            >You sigh. Not awake, so not god enough. Come on."

                                            >You wave for them to follow you and walk back into the room.

                                            >Bruce was still laying there just as you'd left him.

                                            "There he is..."

                                            >Applejack covers her face with her hat. "It...didn't look that bad on the way back."

                                            >You walk over and resume your post by the bed again.

                                            "Yeah...I thought that too..."

                                            >Twilight looks Bruce over before taking a step towards you. "Did the doctors give any idea as to when he'll wake up?"

                                            >You shake your head, Twilight hangs hers.

                                            >"...None at all?"

                                            >"Twilight!" Applejack hisses.

                                            >Twilight winces and takes a step back. "I'm sorry, I can't imagine what you're going through."

                                            >You cock an eyebrow and look at them.

                                            "Girls...? What's going on?"

                                            >They glance at each other for a split second before answering "Nothing." in tandem.

                                            >Okay, that's weird.

                                            "Giiiiirls..."

                                            >"Anonymous, relax."

                                            "Why are you being so damn dodgy?"

                                            >"Calm down, partner."

                                            "What's going on?"

                                            >"We just need to-"

                                            "What do you guys want?"

                                            >Suddenly a new voice. "Twilight Sparkle? Applejack? Art thou ready for us?"

                                            >...Oh shit.


                                            >You hear the faint "clink clink clink" of crystalline horseshoes grow ever closer from inside your dark room.

                                            >Oh shit.

                                            >When it gets almost on top of you, the wearer of those horseshoes walks into the room in all her navy blue glory.

                                            >Shit shit.

                                            "...Princess Luna."

                                            >"Anonymous." she says with a curt nod.

                                            >Fuuuuuuck your life.

                                            >Luna trots up closer to you. "We sent a missive to Twilight Sparkle requesting an audience with you both."

                                            "...You could have CALLED."

                                            >"We thought a friendly face in these...trying times would be of some comfort to you." she says.

                                            >Luna looks over both you and the prone colt on the bed. If she felt any emotion behind those icy blue eyes of hers, she didn't show it.

                                            >"How did this happen?"

                                            >Shit. Time to lie.

                                            >To the Princess.

                                            "Well..."

                                            >You stand up.

                                            "As you know from the news, the event was attacked by some radicals lead by a minotaur. The Batmane showed up and fought him, but his goons were still around. One of them must have roughed up Bruce before they left..."

                                            >You glance to Bruce and then back to Luna.

                                            >Shiiiit.

                                            >The monarch remains stone faced as ever, not revealing a hint of emotion.

                                            >The lie had to work, she wasn't there, she couldn't know.

                                            >"We do not believe you."

                                            >SHIT.


                                            "Hahaha, what?"

                                            >Fuckfuckfuck.

                                            >Luna walks over to the bed and looks down at Bruce, her face finally flickering just a bit.

                                            >"Upon the night of the altercation, it was a full moon."

                                            >She turns to you. "As you may or may not be aware, Anonymous, we see all that the moon sees. And we saw The Batmane flung through the window by the one called "Will"."

                                            "Ahuh..."

                                            >"And the wounds that young Mister Mane seems to have suffered match the wounds The Batmane would have suffered from being thrown through a window."

                                            >SSHHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT.

                                            >Luna trots away from the bed. "We have been curious in this...vigilante since the royal crowns were stolen out from under us some time ago. We believe them to have been returned by this Batmane."

                                            >She glances at both you and Applejack and Twilight. "Since that day, we have looked into this matter on our own time. And we seem to have discovered that the Batmane and his activities seem to focus around the three of you."

                                            >Shit.

                                            >"We would like to know why."

                                            >Twilight looks like she's about to pass out, AJ looks away.

                                            >That honest streak was coming back to bite you here.

                                            "Uh...it's really just a coincidence, Princess."

                                            >From Luna's less than thrilled expression, you assume she's unconvinced.

                                            >"Once is a coincidence, Anonymous. Twice, a trend. Three times? That is a pattern."

                                            >Fuck.

                                            >Now you look away, unable to meet her gaze until you could think up another new lie.

                                            >Luna wasn't having any of that, it seems. "We ORDER you to tell us."

                                            >Shit...that was it.

                                            "We-"

                                            >Nothing else escapes you, however.

                                            >The moaning and writhing body on the bed next to you distracts you.


                                            >Holyshit.

                                            >You do what surely none in Equestria have done in ages and turn away from the angry moon princess.

                                            "BRUCE!"

                                            >Twilight and Applejack gallop up next to you, Princess Luna taking a few steps back.

                                            >Bruce moans and groans under his bandages, pawing at his face. Behind them, you see his eyes open and adjust to the room.

                                            >"Where...am I?" he asks.

                                            >Ohthankgod...

                                            "You're...you're home, Bruce. We took you home. Are you alright?"

                                            >He winces and leans back. "My face is itchy. I am...sore beyond belief...

                                            >"But I am alive...thank you Anonymous."

                                            >You nod.

                                            "Don't mention it."

                                            >He's alive...

                                            >Bruce looks past you and spots the Moon Princess, his eyes widening.

                                            >"Oh. Hello Princess Luna. What are you doing here?"

                                            >Luna grunts. "Losing my patience, Mister Mane. We have come here to learn about the Batmane and we want to know right now."

                                            >The cold authority in her voice shakes you, it's all you can do to avoid blurting it out right here.

                                            >Bruce leans back and looks to the three of you, taking in your faces before turning back to Luna.

                                            >"What do you know already?"

                                            >Luna trots forward, her head held high. "We know that it was most probably Batmane who retrieved our crown for us, we know that Batmane is frequently seen in close proximity to Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, and Anonymous here, and we know that the wounds you have suffered match those one would suffer if thrown through a window as Batmane was."

                                            >Bruce hangs his head ever so slightly.

                                            >"...Princess, if you were to obtain that information, what would you do with it? What do you want?"

                                            >Luna's eyes narrow and seem to glow from within. "We want the monster who would come into OUR kingdom and assault OUR people gone."

                                            >A long moment passes, one that ends with Bruce lifting his head back up and looking Luna in the eye.

                                            >"I believe I can cooperate, then."