Demon's Child

The hospital door opened with a loud bang, letting in the cold night air. The receptionist covered his face for a moment to see a tall, shady figure with glowing turquoise eyes and a mane resembling a starry sky. Nightmare Moon immediately approached the reception desk and the pony working in it went back a bit scared. The nurse walking down the hallway suddenly stopped and watched her confused.

"I need a doctor. Now!" - Moon said, breathing very nervously. - "Please! He's barely breathing, he needs help!"

"Wait a minute, but who?" - The confused receptionist asked. Moon showed a soaked, wounded, barely breathing foal on her back. - "My gosh, what happened to him?"

"He was drowning, and I pulled him out of the water and woke him up, but... He's breathing hard, says he's in pain, I don't know what to do."

"He's... Wounded. What's ha..." - He looked at her, and at that moment, his eyes widened in a little fear. - "You did this to him?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"You almost drowned him and... You hurt him?" - The receptionist saying those words, he frowned his eyebrows.

"What makes you think like that?" - He wanted to say something, but... He didn't know what. - "Oh, yes, of course. The evil, cruel Nightmare Moon, huh? Listen, if I did this to him, I wouldn't bring him to this hospital. Will you help me or not? He doesn't look so good and I think he might die."

"Y-yes. I'm so sorry." - He looked at the nurse. - "Redheart, take her to one of the rooms and call a doctor."

"Uh, yes. Princess Nightmare Moon, this way." - The nurse said, starting walking down the hall.

"Thank you. And for the future, save these accusations, okay?" - After those words, Moon followed Redheart, and the Receptionist just sighed and looked at them. It was obvious that he felt remorse now. He promised himself he would apologize to her, but... He won't do it now. He was afraid.

Redheart was leading Moon through the hall. After a while, they went into one of the empty rooms. - "Here we are." - The nurse who came in first said. There were three empty wheeled beds in that room, with one locker each for the patient's belongings. Redheart approached to the third bed and uncovered the duvet from it. - "Put him here, I'll be right back, alright?" - She said, leaving the room and started running.

Moon gently put the little one on the bed and covered it with a duvet. The foal unexpectedly opened its eyes and moaned quietly. - "Miss Moon? W-w-where are..."

She tenderly stroked him on the forehead. - "Shhh. It's okay, little one. We're in the hospital." - He coughed, some water comes out of his mouth and tears flowed from his eyes. He looked weaker and weaker and had more and more trouble with breathing.

"I-it so hurts..." - He moaned and looked at her with a weak eye. - "W-will I die?" - He asked with tears running down his cheeks.

"You won't die, sweetie, I promise. The doctor will come and examine you soon."

"I-I-I'm s-so s-scared."

"I know little one. But you'll see that everything will be fine."

She was gently stroking his white mane, talking to him and comforting him. She wasn't sure if the foal would survive. She was expecting the worst possible scenario in which this child dies, with the false belief that he'll be fine. But still... It was better than telling him he could die. She wanted to comfort him and keep him alive, even if he was going to go to the other side that night. Sitting with him and comforting him, Moon liked him more and more. Actually, she felt like a mother now, though she wasn't, but... It was a really good feeling. But the longer she stayed with him and the more she felt that she likes him, the more was afraid of what would happen to him. Now she couldn't even stand the thought that this poor foal would die. She didn't want it, but... She couldn't do anything. Only doctors who were on their way could help him now. She was sitting, waiting impatiently for the doctors to come. She felt a slight relief because the foal had already calmed down a little and has positive thoughts. She looked towards the opened door and saw the doctor standing in the hallway, who entered the room after a while.

"Y-Your Highness..." - The doctor bowed a little, observing her all the time.

Moon got up and approached him. - "You must help him. Please."

He went back a little. - "Okay, okay. Relax. Redheart told me what happened. Could you tell me the exact course of events?" - He asked when he approached the bed where the foal was lying, and he was going to start doing the first preliminary examination. Listen to the heartbeat and listen to the sound of breathing.

"I sat by the river and heard his cry. I pulled him out of the water, woke him up, did the first aid. You know, Doc. Letting air to his lungs and pressing on his chest."

"Okay." - He started foal's heart beating. - "Did he spit out the water from his lungs?"

"I guess so, but not everything. He said he had chest pain and was getting weaker."

"And where did these wounds come from?" - He gave her the questioning look.

"I don't know. When I pulled him out of the water, he was already hurt. I don't know. He told me he didn't remember anything and... He didn't know who I was."

"What?" - The doctor laughed nervously. - "It's pretty unusual."

"I know. And that's why I wonder what's wrong with him."

"Hmm. Well, I suppose it could be something really serious."

"This loss of memory?"

"Yes. But I can't make one hundred percent clear conclusions until I've done a thorough examination." - The doctor listened to the foal's breath, and then he went back. - "Okay. The heart beats normally, but his breath is terribly wheezing. I'll tell you what happens, Miss Moon. We're taking him to an x-ray, pumping water out of his lungs and for an examination. But as for those gaps in his memory, I have some suspicion of what might have happened."

"What exactly?" - She asked inquisitively.

"First I'll do the tests, and only then I'll explain everything. You'll have to wait in the hallway, okay?" - Moon sighed and nodded. She didn't want to go into this anymore because she knew the foal was in urgent need of help. - "Redheart, you coming with me."

"Yes, Doctor." - The nurse nodded slightly.

The doctor started pushing the bed they left for the corridor. Moon walked by on the right side of the bed, and the nurse on the left. - "Kid, you still there?" - The alicorn asked anxiously.

"M-Miss Moon... P-please don't l-leave me."

"Don't be afraid, little one. It's just for a moment." - She stroked his mane and he closed his eyes.

They got to the door of another room. The doctor told Moon to wait in the hall. It's been over two hours, and she was standing by the window in the hospital corridor looking out the window at the flickering stars. She was still waiting. She was thinking about the foal she saved that night. She was afraid that the doctors might not help him and that the little one would die. She tried to get away with those thoughts, but she couldn't do it effectively. She was a person who was worried about the stock and was very anxious in situations like this. "Come on, Moon. It's nothing. The kid's alive. All the doctors have to do now is take care of him and he'll be fine." She tried to realize that, but... There was a vision in her head of a doctor coming up to her and saying: "Sorry, Your Highness, but we couldn't help him." She often felt a lot of emotion at once, which usually made her look calm, when in fact hundreds of thoughts were running through her head. She was now going one way, the other way. Still, nothing happened, no sounds could be heard from behind the door. What were they doing out there? "Calm down, you stupid mare. Stop worrying so damn much, will be fine." No. It will not. Maybe they didn't manage to save him. The foal may be dead, but the doctor and the nurse are afraid to go out and tell it to her. They might have been afraid of her reaction. It was Nightmare Moon herself. She stopped and looked at the door, getting annoyed and being more and more and more convinced of the fact that this child is dead when suddenly the door opened and the doctor stood in the threshold. She looked at what was behind him. She saw the foal lying on the bed with bandages, he was still alive and seemingly more conscious. She breathed, closing her eyes and feeling a sudden, sweet relief. Redheart took the bed out of the room where he was examined and started pushing it towards the room where the patient was to rest. Moon wanted to follow them, but the doctor stopped her.

"Miss Moon."

"What is it?" - She stopped and turned to him.

"We need to talk. It's urgent."

"Hm. All right. Can you finally explain to me what this is all about?"

"Yes. But before I say what I wanted to say, I'd like to inform you about his condition. We removed water from his lungs, dressed his wounds, gave him antibiotics and..."

"Aaand?"

"He has several broken ribs and a damaged spine."

Moon trembled and frowned her eyebrows. She felt a wave of anger and started wondering who could have done this to him. She would have liked to find the bastard and do justice to herself, but... She didn't know who it was. She was powerless, and she felt a huge frustration that she couldn't do anything. But at that moment she swore to herself that she would find the bastard who hurt that child and make him remember her anger for good. Moon closed her eyes, breathed a few times, and then looked again at the doctor in front of her, who seemed to be a little scared.

"Uh... Shall I continue?" - He asked very unsurely. - "You look a little bit upset."

"Of course. Sorry, I just... I wonder who could have done something so terrible."

"Hmm, I understand. You're worried about the little one, am I right?"

"Mhm. I liked him. Actually... I think he's alone, he has no one."

"Well, we were thinking about putting him in an orphanage and..." - He stopped when Moon pierced him with her look. - "W-what?"

"You gotta be kidding. That's the worst thing that could happen to him."

"Why? I have a few places on my list and they have a good reputation."

"Or it's just a pretense, Mister, uh... What's your name?"

"Liesel, Your Highness."

"Liesel. What if I could take him with me?"

"Uh, well... I don't know." - He swallowed his saliva. - "To be his legal guardian, you'd have to have the right papers, documents. And the foal would have to be registered as an orphan to be adopted."

"That can be arranged. Have you forgotten who I am?"

"No, of course not." - He said, being a little nervous. - "So... You're going to adopt him, right?"

"Adopt? Hmm. Yeah, I think that's the right word. But... I think I'll get to know him first." - She looked in the direction where the nurse took the hospital bed to the room. - "How long will he have to stay in the hospital?"

"About two weeks. He should recover a little bit, besides... We may have removed water from his lungs, given him antibiotics, but his life is still in danger."

"Hm. I understand." - She looked at him. - "You mentioned earlier that you have a theory about his memory loss."

"Uh, yeah, that's what I wanted to talk about."

Moon sat down. - "I'm listening to then."

Liesel sighed hard. - "I suspect it may be amnesia, Your Highness. I suppose what he's experienced is so terrible that his brain just made him forget about it. All the more so because this foal also has head injuries."

"Mother of me..." - Moon's ears dropped a bit. She started wondering again who could have done this to him, but... She decided not to think about it anymore. - "Ah... So, what could have happened to him? Why did I find him in the woods?"

"Here comes my next theory. Maybe somepony just purposely cleared his memory and abandoned him. Or he could have been kidnapped. There are many possibilities."

"So..." - She started. - "He doesn't remember anything? No past events, that who is he and what happened to him? Absolutely nothing?"

"Yes." - Liesel got up and started walking down the hallway, and Moon was right behind him. - "Unfortunately, we won't be able to find out who did this awful thing."

"Too bad. I'd personally make sure that the fucker who hurt him pays for what he did to him."

"You see, Miss Moon. We may not be able to find out who it was, but still... At least there's something positive."

Moon shook her head and blinked a few times. - "I think I overheard myself. Positive?"

"Well... At least the little one won't have to live with those memories and... You'll probably give him a whole new life."

She thought about it for a while. Liesel may have been a little right, but she still didn't think it was a good thing to lose memory. - "Will his memories ever come back?" - She asked.

"If somepony erased all his memories with magic, no. They've long since been lost. But if it's amnesia, then maybe after time the memories will come back."

"All right, and about those documents..."

"Well, there's gonna be some complications, but I think we'll get through this. This foal, it's a special case. We don't know where he came from, we don't know where he was born..."

"But?" - She asked impatiently.

"But I think we can get things done. Although it takes time and patience. And... We'll have to find out if he's an orphan for sure."

"Hm. Fine."

They got to the room they were in before. The little foal was lying in its bed with its eyes closed, and Redheart was sitting next to. When the nurse saw the doctor and Moon, she got up and walked up to them.

"Your Highness..." - Redheart bowed down. - "I gave him painkillers. He should be fine by now."

"Good, Redheart. Go to the restroom and take a break. Then I'll come to you." - Liesel said.

"Okay. And by the way..." - She looked at Moon - "That foal has been asking about you all the time."

"About me?" - Alicorn asked, who wasn't surprised anyway.

"Well, he said he was scared, and want to see you. I think he liked you. And I guess you should stay with him."

"I'll stay with him. I think he needs me now." - Moon said.

"I'll examine him tomorrow in the morning, but now I'll let him rest." - The doctor said, leaving the room with the nurse.

"Bye." - Alicorn said, but she didn't get an answer. She looked at the foal lying on the bed and slowly approached him, then sat down next to the bed. Only now did she notice that he had a blanket on him that she had given him. The foal held it and cuddled to it like a teddy bear. - "Hey, little one."

"Hm?" - He opened his eyes and looked at her. Moon's heart was melting right now. The little one was very cute, which she's also only just noticed. She didn't have time to pay attention to those details before, because of the stress of whether or not he survived. - "You're here."

She laughed. - "I told you I wouldn't leave you."

The foal rose and got closer to her. - "Thank you for saving me. I was so scared."

"I know." - She touched his cheek. - "How are you feeling?"

"I still have a little pain, but I feel better. Actually... How did I get there, on the river?"

"Oh, I don't know. Doctors suspect someone might have cleared your memory."

"Miss Moon, did someone abandons me?" - He asked. She was a little surprised that he had that suspicion himself. Maybe he had some flashes from the past, even though they were blurred.

"I don't know, little one. I don't know." - She replied sadly.

"In that case... What will happen to me? I'll be alone forever?" - He asked, being scared. Moon knew perfectly well that the little one was afraid to be alone. He had no one, and he needed someone to take care of him. - "I don't want to be alone."

"Hey, it's okay." - She got him up and sat on the bed with him. - "You won't be alone, I promise."

"Miss Moon, can you stay with me? Please."

"Of course I will. You need me and I'm not going to leave you."

The little one closed his eyes and cuddled up to her. Moon started stroking him gently on his white mane. When she held him in her arms, she started swaying him. She knew it would make the foal feel better. Sitting and swaying him, she became more and more convinced that taking this child to a home with her would be a great idea. He was lonely, had absolutely no one, but now... The little one had Nightmare Moon, which was swaying him and humming quietly. He opened his eyes and looked at her, then she smiled and booped his nose, the little one squinted and then Moon laughed.

"You're cute." - She said completely honestly, still laughing. The foal was indeed cute, and his sweetness could be probably matched by Fluttershy herself.

"And you are very pretty." - He smiled too.

When the little one said those words, she blushed slightly. She was moved by that innocent gesture. - "Thank you." - The foal yawned wide and rubbed its eyes. - "Oh, I guess it's bedtime."

"Yes, I think... Yeah, I think it is."

She put him on the bed and covered him with a duvet. He had his eyes closed, but he opened them and looked at her. - "Hm? Is something wrong?" - She asked, slightly worried.

"Miss Moon, I... What's my name?" - He asked. - "I don't have a name, and I'd love to have it."

"Oh, uh... Well..."

"Can you give me a name? Please."

"Hmm. Wait, what would I..." - She thought about it for a while. She couldn't think of anything. She had no idea how to call him. She looked at him, trying to come up with anything. Then suddenly it revelated her. The foal had unique wings, completely different from those of the Pegasus. "He can be a bat pony, but..." She touched his mouth, exposing his teeth, which was completely normal, like at any other pony. "No fangs? Interesting." She thought it was strange. He should have fangs if he was a batpony, but... He didn't have them. Neither did he have the typical big ears, eyes with vertical pupils and no particular behavior for this race. Maybe the little one was just a pegasus, and his wings could have been the result of some accidental mutation, illness, or he could have got them magically. It was a difficult puzzle for her to solve, but she already knew what name to give to the foal. - "Kid, how about Wingy? Hm? You like that one?"

"Wingy? Hmm." - He thought for a while, spelling his new name, and then he smiled. - "I like it!"

Moon smiled too. - "I'm glad you like it. Now go to sleep, Wingy. You got your medicine and now you need to rest." - She got up and walked to the other bed. She wanted to lie down and sleep, she was tired.

"Miss Moon..."

"Hm?" - She turned to Wingy.

"Will you do not go anywhere?" - He asked.

"Of course not. I'll be right there."

"I'm afraid to be alone. I don't want to be abandoned again." - He said, looking very scared.

"I know." - She approached him and sat next to his bed. She started to stroke him on the head. - "I won't abandon you. I promise."

"Thank you." - Wingy smiled, yawned wide and closed his eyes. - "Thank you very much."

"You're welcome, sweetheart." - She kissed his cheek lovingly. - "Now sleep, okay?"

"Okay."

Moon was waiting for the little one to fall asleep. And for that time, she stroked his mane and quietly hummed a lullaby that effectively makes him sleep. When Wingy was asleep, she could go home, but... She wouldn't. She promised to stay in the hospital. She wanted to take care of him because the little one had only her. But she was tired, so she decided to lie down on the other bed in this room. She was lay covered with a duvet and looked at Wingy sleeping in the second bed. The little one was breathing slowly, he looked so calm. Moon smiled. She felt that she was adjusted with that foal and now she wanted to protect him. Again she was thinking about taking him, taking care of him. She could give him a home, a family, surround him with love and warmth. "It's gonna be okay, little one. I promise." She thought, and a tear came from her right eye. She was now one hundred percent sure of that. She was sure she loved that child. It may have happened too quickly, but she didn't care. If not her, then who else could have loved him? There were probably a lot of persons in this world who could have done it, but one of those persons was Moon, and it was her that the child came across. But her thoughts went down again on what happened to that foal. Again she began to think about what might have happened to him. About who could have hurt him. The feeling of seemingly limitless love was replaced by an almost absurd, mighty anger. She hated the bastard who hurt that child. "I swear, if I find that son of a bitch, I will kill him." She thought, completely honestly. She wanted the one who hurt that foal to die. If the little one wasn't an orphan, she wouldn't give him back to the bastards who hurt him anyway. She certainly won't allow it. She took a few deep breaths, closed her eyes, then calmed down and opened them. Whatever happened to Wingy, he was now safe, far from the abuser and that was the most important thing. If the little one turns out to be an orphan, Moon will arrange for the necessary documents, sign the adoption papers and in two weeks' time, the foal will be at home. She will sign him up for school in Ponyville, the little one will find friends, maybe first love, but most importantly, he will have a home and family. "Well... At least the little one won't have to live with those memories and... You'll probably give him a whole new life." Liesel's words have taken a new lease of life in her head. Only now she could agree with those words more. He was right. Wingy got a second chance for a new, normal life. Moon was already calm. She closed her eyes and now she was just trying to sleep. She thought it was all right. But she didn't know how wrong she was. Something was coming up, something very evil and angry. Something that was waiting for her and that foal. She was about to find out that it wasn't going to be as easy as she thought.