My Little Lyra

by Autum Breeze

Chapter 7 - Joys and Tensions

Chapter 7

Joys and Tensions

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“And the winner of this year’s Snow Festival is… Walker Lyra-san, for her amazing equine sculptures!” the announcer shouts in the microphone.

Lyra screams with joy, her, Kimiko, Satoru and Kio, all dressed in what those living in Australia will call minimal winter clothing (long-sleeved t-shirts, jacket/hoodies and jeans), hugging each other and squealing with delight.

I smile as I watch them, before patting Lyra on the back and indicating she needs to head for the stage, causing her to blush.

We’re at the Sapporo Snow Festival in Sapporo Odori Park. It’s been two years since Lyra came into my life and I moved to Japan.

Lyra and her friends will soon be entering their second year in elementary school.

I feel a little anxious, since, once she’s going to middle school, Lyra won’t be walking to school with me every day and I won’t be there to watch over her.

Then again, that could just be daddy protective instincts kicking in. She’ll only be just under half an hour away by train, so it’s not like she’ll be too far away.

Regardless, those worries are for another time.

Lyra runs on two legs through the crowd and climbs up onto the stage to accept the award.

“You’re doing pretty well,” I glance to Sai standing next to me.

She’s wearing a red jacket over a black shirt and black leggings.

I myself am wearing a black shirt, blue coat and black jeans. I’m still slightly adapting to the weather here in Sapporo compared to the weather I lived with my whole live in Australia, but I’m not fully there.

Lyra, however, has adapted very well, though I think her fur coat played a part in that when it comes to the cold weather, with her only needing a white long-sleeved shirt, grey vest and a black skirt.

She got her Cutie Mark a month after we started living in Sapporo and was overjoyed when I told her what it was.

Though, she doesn’t simply play the harp. She also enjoys playing guitar.

I nod, looking up at the stage as Lyra waves to the crowd, who cheer and clap.

Granted, our time starting in Sapporo hadn’t gone without a few incidents. Walking around with a mint-green unicorn isn’t exactly something people are just going to outright ignore at first glance, but, over time, the city has gotten used to Lyra and she’s now just another remember of the society.

And if there are any MLP fans or those who know of MLP who’ve met Lyra, they’ve kept very quiet about it.

Even social media has been oddly quite about it, despite photos and videos I’ve noticed of Lyra pop up every once in a while.

Though, as I look at Lyra’s sculpture… I wonder if it’s time we tell her the truth.

The sculpture is of Lyra with Bon Bon hugging her, Twilight looking determined as casting a spell and Princess Celestia behind her faithful student, a gentle smile on her face, with them all standing on a balcony of what is clearly Canterlot Castle.

I know I’ll have to tell Lyra the truth soon, that she comes from a world that somehow became a TV show here in this world, but I hope it won’t be too soon.

Lyra has gotten so used to her life her, her friends, the places she enjoys visiting (she particularly enjoys the Tanukikoji shopping arcade and just walking around the underground shopping centers) and the culture.

I really couldn’t have chosen a better place for Lyra to grow up.

Once Lyra steps down from the stage, we all go to have some dinner.

Our group gather at a sheltered table to enjoy are festival food. Sai and myself are having sides of yakitori chicken skewers and jacket potatoes while the kids share some okonomiyaki pancakes, takoyaki octopus balls while we all share Sapporo’s winter speciality: crab nabe hot-pot.

It’s as we’re eating that I notice someone watching us from several tables down. He’s wearing a black coat and pants, along with gloves.

The moment he notices I’m looking he turns away, trying to make it look like he’s interested in his okonomiyaki pancakes, but I can tell from his posture he isn’t actually interested in the savour food.

I decide to put it out of my mind and we all congratulate Lyra on winning the festival, making her blush and tell us all to stop… so of course we double down, making her blush harder.

We spend the rest of the festival walking around, enjoying the food, the festival games and admiring all the other sculptures.

As the night wears down and I can tell the kids are starting to get tired, I suggest we all head home.

Lyra and the others are having a sleepover with a few other friends who’re around the festival with their families.

Sai says she go with the kids to make sure none of them get lost and we’ll meet up outside the park.

I watch them all go, Lyra talking with Kimiko and I can’t help smiling.

I turn to head out the park when I notice the guy from before. He’s standing near the exit, looking like he’s trying not to be noticed.

My eyes narrow.

After I’d seen him during dinner, despite wanting to put him out of my mind, I’d spotted him several times. He’d clearly been watching us and, waiting for a moment for some or one of us to be alone.

Seems I’m the one who’s going to have to deal with him.

I walk towards the exit, pretending I don’t notice the guy.

As I get close, however, he turns fully and stands in my way.

“<Walker-san,>” he says, his use of English immediately telling me this was planned. “I am Agent Sakamoto Haro. I was wondering if you would mind having a few words about your daughter.”

At once, I tens, using my body language to show I am not going to be intimidated. “<Whatever government plans you have for my daughter, you better bloody forget them, pal.>” I snarl. “<I’m not letting you make Lyra some kind of experiment, understand? You mess with my daughter, I will fuck you up in so many ways, you won’t believe it’s possible!>”

He remains calm, not seeming the least bit worried. “<You have no reason to fear, Walker-san. We have no ill will towards you, your family or your friends. We merely wish to discuss with you the implications of what your daughter’s existence are.>”

I cock an eyebrow ever so slightly. “<You mean the fact that she exists means there’s a world where the rulers control the very sun and moon and that that world is real? What? Are you planning on treating Princess Celestia and Luna like they’ll invade our world, using the celestial bodies as leverage against us?>”

He shakes his head, holding out a card. “<Your daughter cannot be hidden from the truth forever, Walker-san. We have known about her for a long time. We have been observing you and know she is no threat to our country or world. However, we also noticed you have kept her real identity from her.>”

I hesitantly take the card. On it is an address outside a building in Tokyo. I give him a sceptical look. “<Your point? And do you just expect me to blindly go to this address?>”

He doesn’t get angry. He just nods.

“<I get your suspicion, Walker-san. We do not pretend that you aren’t justified in being hesitant. However, we have information that may be of interest to you.>”

I scoff. “I find that highly unlikely.”

He reaches into his coat and I tense, going into a defensive stance.

When he pulls his hand out, he’s holding… a rolled up scroll?

“<We were sent this by a woman you owe the safety of your daughter to, Walker-san.>” He holds out the scroll. “<Without her, you never would have been able to protect your daughter when you found her.>”

My eyes widen and I snarl. “<Oh? Who is blackmailing me then?!>”

He shakes his head. “<You have never met her, but you know her and she has a firm place in your life. She made the show from which your daughter comes.>”

At once, I pause, my brain halting in place, puzzled by his choice of words.

The show my daughter…

“Lauren Faust?” I think aloud.

He nods. “<She has held onto this letter for over a year. It is only by sheer chance that she learned of your daughter’s whereabouts and contacted one of our operatives, unaware they we undercover in the Hasbro Japan branch.>”

I glance from him to the letter, not really sure if I do or don’t believe him.

He leans forward, putting the scroll in my hands. “<We know you have many reason not to trust the government on this, Walker-san. However, we will not ask you anything until you know the truth yourself. Open the scroll later tonight, when your daughter is asleep. Once you do, you will understand. We will be happy to speak with you then.>”

With that, he puts his hands in his pockets and walks off, fading into the crowd within seconds.

I just stand there, the scroll in my hands, not sure how to react.

I don’t know how long I was just standing there, but I’m jolted from my mind’s spiralling lockdown by a hand on my shoulder.

Shaking my head, I glance to my right to see Sai looking a little concerned. “You okay, James? You seem kinda out of it.”

“Is something wrong, Dad?” Lyra asks, coming up to me. “If you’re feeling a bit off, we could postpone the sleepover.”

I stare blankly for a moment, blinking, before quickly shaking my head and smiling, doing my best to secretly put the scroll in my coat pocket without anyone noticing.

I lean down, putting a hand on Lyra’s shoulder. “It’s nothing, honey. Nothing a nice warm cup of coco at home won’t fix.”

We head off back through the streets and get to the apparent.

The kids spend the night doing what all kids do at sleepovers: watch movies, play video games and chat about things like school and stuff that happened that day and plans for both tomorrow and later in the year.

I’m the one left watching over them as, despite it being the Snow Festival, Sai still has a shift at her job to do.

Since I’d started helping with the bills, she’d needed to do less work, but she had to cover tonight for a co-worker.

I just sit in the kitchen, watching the kids having fun and being kids. Lyra even agrees to play as two plays in a racing game by using her magic to control one character, while her hooves would operate the other.

By 10:40pm, the group are all wiped out and snoring away in Lyra’s bedroom.

I can’t help smiling as I look at them all, before slowly closing the door.

I walk into the living room, intend on cleaning up some of the mess they’d left behind, when I notice my coat laying on a chair in the kitchen. In particular, I notice the bulge in my right-side pocket.

I blink, before remembering what that man had said back at the festival.

I stand where I am for several long minutes, debating whether or not I should do this.

He made it clear whoever he works with would leave us alone if I choose not to work along with them, whatever that means… but he said the scroll came from Lauren Faust herself.

Now, it’s very possible he was just saying that for the sake of getting my attention… but what if he wasn’t lying?

What if the scroll really did come from Lauren Faust? And, if she sent it… what was so important about it?

I stand there, debating with myself for almost twenty minutes, before I decide to simply read the note. Opening the scroll couldn’t possibly change anything.

Walking over to the chiar, I reach into my pocket and pull out the scroll.

I blink as I notice the torn seal on it. It’s Princess Celestia’s Cutie Mark. A Royal Seal.

As I move to open the scroll, two sheets of paper slip out.

Stopping, I bend down and pick them up, reading the first one.

From: Lauren Faust

To: Human Resources Hasbro Japan

I am writing this because I do not know how else to move on without it.

I realize I have no fully worked with the company on the production of the show since the second season, however, recent news has come to my attention.

There is a man named James Walker living in Sapporo right now. He has a daughter.

This daughter… needs to read what is on the attached scroll.

If you open it or have opened it, I’m sure you understand why she must have the scroll.

I would honestly not feel right not contacting her before the company moves on, as you will be releasing the sixth season next.

I beg you, please let her have this scroll before then.

I have held onto it all this time because I honestly was not sure what to do, but now, what must be done is clear.

Please let Lyra Heartstrings Walker have this scroll. If we do not, it could prove too much for her when it happens.

I just stare for several long minutes, my eyes wide and my mouth agape.

Lauren Faust knows about Lyra? She’s known about her for a year before sending this scroll to japan? What in the world is going on here?!

Too anxious to know what’s in the scroll now, I ignore the other letter, which also seems to be from Faust and open the scroll.

“My friend,” a voice says, startling me and making me close the scroll.

I quickly glance around, but see no one else in the apartment.

Putting down the scroll, I do a quick search, coming up empty. The place is locked up tight.

It’s as I return to the kitchen and reach for the scroll that something about the voice clicks in my head, only causing further confusion.

It… it had been Tara Strong’s Twilight Sparkle voice.

What…? Why would Tara Strong be anywhere near my home? And why would she be doing her Twilight Sparkle voice?

Why are things just getting more and more confusing today? Everything was going so normally until today.

Picking up the scroll, I open it up again.

“My friend,” the voice says again, and I close the scroll, glancing around… before looking to the scroll itself.

Is… is the Twilight Sparkle voice coming from the scroll?

And, why does it sound like it has an echo effect on it.

Frowning, I decide to open the scroll again and, this time, I’m not closing it. I’m going to find out what’s going on here, once and for all.

Taking a deep breath, I open the scroll.

“My friend,” Twilight Sparkle’s voice says. “I… hope this letter reaches you, because it is extremely important, possibly the most important thing you will ever read.”

I cock an eyebrow at that. Okay, I’m more confused now than I was before.

“I’m writing it in the attempt to right a wrong I committed years ago, a terrible mistake that cost me a friend, perhaps forever.” Wait… what? “It all began in the Magic Kindergarten of Canterlot…”

Author's Note:

THIS IS WHAT JAMES IS HEARING

Yeah, time skip.

that's how things have to move, unfortunately.

Anyone who read My Little Dashie knows there were plenty of time jumps in that story and, while not as frequent, they need to happen here too.

But i needed to make Lyra older so the story can move forward, as she needs to be older for the story to actually have some depth now.

Now that she's older, i can move on to the Heart of the story. what helped me figure out what could actually propel this story forward.

ironically, i'd figured it out WAY back in July 2014, but ended up sitting on it for so long, until these recent chapters.

if any of you spoiled yourselves when you notice it in the story description (despite my warnings that it would take a lot of the mystery and impact away), you know what James is about to hear and it's heavy implications.

So, what is James about to learn? How did Lauren Faust get a scroll from Twilight Sparkle and why must Lyra hear what's on it? How will it change their family dynamic?

You'll find out next chapter... and things are gonna get heavy. Not sad, but heavy.

Sadly, next chapter won't be out til sometime next week, as i don't really go to the library on Saturdays and Sunday I'm going to my mother's house to celebrate my 2 younger brothers' birthdays, so that should be pretty self explanitory as to why i won't be writing on that day.

anyway, weak as i fear this chapter may feel, i hope you enjoyed it and anticipate the next chapter, where James is now fully aware why Lyra was brought into his life.

hope you enjoyed this and, til next time, stay safe, stay clean and later everybody

Comments

[harts fire]

amazing chapter.

[Emerald Flash]

This is good so far, and I'm curious to see how Lyra will respond to the letter detailing her past. Looking forward to the next chapter.

One minor note that may need rectifying: wasn't James' surname "Walker" in earlier chapters instead of "Williams"? Chapter 4, IIRC.