[Satyr] Mirror, Mirror

>"Daddy..."
>You grunt and roll over in an attempt to block out the pitiful sound.
>But then it comes again.
>"Daddy!"
>More enthusiastic this time.
>In a desperate attempt to avoid responsibility, you clasp the pillow tight around your head, muffling all outside sounds.
>For a long moment, you listen to the beat of your heart, forcing your breathing to be as loud as possible to avoid the inevitable...
>"DADDYYYYYYYYY!"
>A hoof prods you in the stomach, causing you to sigh and release the pillow's vice grip on your head.
>"Your daughter's calling you."
>There's a slight arrogance in your bed partner's tone that, under difference circumstances, would drive you to pin her to the bed and have your way with her.
>Right now, it's absolutely the most obnoxious sound in the universe.
>With another sigh, you roll over onto your side, putting your back to the prodding hoof.
"I'm sure you can handle it.  Besides, if you stay in the dark, she won't be able to tell the difference between us."
>A sinister snarl accompanies a suddenly much more forceful push of the hoof.
>You yelp in surprise, finding yourself on the floor of the bedroom.
>Glaring over your shoulder, you find yourself face to snout with a pair of teal colored eyes, glowing with a livid light.
>"Are you saying I'm not enough of a lady, my dear husband?  Lacking curves deserving of a proper mare?  Maybe you'd prefer it if I resembled that earth pony trollop from Trottingham?  You filthy, perverted dog!"
>Even in the faint darkness, you can see her horn go alight as magic begins to pour through it.
>In desperation, you bow your head in her direction and begin scooting backward along on your knees towards the door
"N-n-n-not at all!  You are as bright as the sun at noon and more beautiful than the moon at night.  It would be my pleasure to attend to our little girl's needs."
>The glow of your spouse’s horn brightens just a touch more, allowing you to see the faint glower of her down turned lips, but the magic ceases shortly after, sending the room back into darkness.
>There is a faint rustling of sheets as Sunset Shimmer makes herself comfortable, and an accompanying happy sigh follows shortly thereafter.
>With your bacon temporarily saved, you sigh and struggle through the darkened halls of your home, moving towards your daughter's bedroom.
>The door creaks open, and you hear the faint 'clack-clack' of a bed frame bumping against the wall.
>In the moonlit shadows of the room, you can see your daughter's quivering form, wrapped up tight in a sheet as she stares at the door.
"Hey sweetie..."
>At the sound of your voice, the girl lets out a sigh of relief and drops the sheet in order to hold her limbs out towards you.
>"Daddy, there's more monsters in my bedroom."
>You cross the room to the best of your ability, though it's something of a pig sty, with toys scattered all over the place, many with sharp edges.
>After biting back a dozen curses, you make your way over to your daughters bed.
>One of her tiny hands reaches out and wraps around two of your fingers, the sweet little thing managing to smile at last.
>In her other hand, she clutches her prized possession, and the object her mother hated more than anything else in the entire house.
>A stuffed toy of Princess Twilight Sparkle.
>You smile, fondly remembering your daughter's excitement when you gave it to her on her birthday two years ago.
>Her excitement almost made you miss the look of sheer dread that crossed your wife's face.
>Almost.
"So, where's the monster, Sunny?"
>Your daughter beams at that.
>Her mother had insisted that her official name be 'Daybreak'.
>You weren't having any of that, and neither was your little girl.
>With a flourish, Sunny lifts her hand and points towards the closet.
>Of course.
>The door's cracked.
>You sigh and walk over to the closet, pulling on a hanging cord as you do.
>The room is flooded with a weak light, allowing you to navigate the treacherous turns of Toyland on your way to the closet.
>Though the light is on, you can still hear Sunny's bed squeak as she attempts to sink deeper into the mattress.
>Glancing back, you offer her a small smile and attempt to make this exploration a little more painless.
"So, what did you see?"
>"S-Sparkler saw a monster in the closet.  With flames for hair and big yellow eyes, and two big horns on it's head, and big sharp teeth and claws!"
>A sense of dread knots itself in your stomach as you nod and bite your lip.
>That all sounds very, uncomfortably, familiar.
>Opening the closet, you find the culprit in an instant, a large, full length mirror.
>You step aside to show your daughter, and watch as she heaves a sigh of relief.
>She hops from the bed, dragging 'Sparkler' along the floor as she walks up beside you.
>While she's only five, she bears a stark resemblance to her mother, with hair like wildfire, though Sunny's hair naturally falls in tight ringlets compared to her mother's wavy mane, and those odd yellow-orange eyes of hers that accent the two fur colored equine legs that extend from her middle down to the floor.
>Sunny stares at her reflection for a long moment before her free hand reaches up and grasps at yours again.
>In the mirror's reflection, you can see her brow furrow in thought as she looks herself over.
>At last, she gives an audible gulp and whispers,
>"Daddy, a-am I a monster?"
>Time seems to freeze as you go slack-jawed, staring at the girl in the mirror.
>Though you feel too stunned to speak, words still fall out of your mouth.
"S-Sunny, where would you get an idea like that?"
>Your little girl looks down at her hooves, dragging them along the carpeted floor, making a quiet whispering sound.
>"Happy Day said I can't go over to her house anymore because her mom said that I was an abolmanashin.  That's a kind of monster, right?"
>Another gulp from your daughter as she bites the corner of her lip and looks up at you.
>"Am I a monster?"
>You scoop the little satyr up in your arms and hold her close to your chest.
>She gives a squeak of protest, but is quick to bury her face into your shoulder as you shake your head.
"No, no baby.  You're not a monster."
>Sunny pulls her head back long enough to stare into your heart with those big yellow eyes of hers, still gnawing on her lower lip as she does.
>"Really?  Even though Momma did some bad stuff?"
>Planting a kiss on her forehead, you press the little girl's head back to your chest.
"Really.  You aren't me, and you aren't your Momma either.  You're Sunny."
>It's a roundabout way of addressing the issue, but thankfully, Sunny seems to take your answer at face value, going quiet as you walk her back to bed.
>Tucking the little girl in is a relatively painless affair, and with Sparkler back in her grasp, the filly turns her eyes back towards the closet.
>You waste no time walking back across the room and shutting the door.
>Sunny giggles and snuggles deep under the blankets.
>With a tired smile, she closes her eyes and whispers,
>"Thank you Daddy.  I love you."
>Managing a small smile, you place two fingers against her cheek and shake your head.
"I love you too.  Get some sleep."
>Giving a nonverbal grunt, Sunny head back towards dreamland as you kill the light.
>Getting out is easier than getting in, since you have a rough idea of where everything is now, but as you reach the door, you chance one look back at your sleeping daughter.
>Assured that she is snug in her bed, you smile and make your way back to your own bed.
>As you slide beneath the sheets, Sunset slides herself back up against your body.
>"Everything all right?"
>You give a quiet nod, thinking back to the reflection that Sunny thought she saw.
>Was it really just her imagination?
>With a sigh, you push the though from your mind, and settle in for a few more hours of sleep, Sunset curling herself tight to your chest.
>Maybe, you’ll bring it up with her tomorrow.
>Tomorrow…