Just Roll With It: Kayla-verse

by sunnypack

1 - Or

Chapter 1: Or

Celestia, Luna and I made our way out of the tower after Star Swirl so kindly teleported us to the castle. I bid Celestia and Luna goodbye and they watched me with big round eyes that tore at my heart as I waved away. Making my way back, I found Tempora ranging outside my front door.

Her tail flicked impatiently as I came up behind her.

“Hello?” I called out and Tempora whipped around to face me.

“Oh, Harmony. Just the pony- uh person I was looking for,” she replied awkwardly. I approached her hesitantly.

“Is something wrong?”

Something is wrong.

Tempora paced a bit away, then came back. “It’s your father, Harmony.” She trotted to the door and her horn lit up but then it faltered and she came back once again. There was a long pause. I realised she was waiting for me to say something. I jolted into action.

“Oh, u-uh c-come in,” I stammered, opening the door. I drew up a chair but she remained standing. She gestured to a seat instead. “Sit down, Harmony. I think you you’ll need to be seated for this.”

“How long?” I replied mildly. A flicker of surprise flittered across her features.

“How did you-“

“This was like the time my Dad told me Mom had passed away…” My eyes became unfocussed, I felt a wetness on my cheeks. “How long?” I choked out again.

I heard a sigh and the soft clatter of hooves. A pressure on my back. A linger of a breath as she gave me a soft embrace.

“One year,” she whispered.

There was silence for the longest stretch than I thought humanely possible.

“How?” was all I can say.

Tempora’s expression changed, it became… sad? Regretful? I couldn’t see through the murky waters of her emotional whirlpool flooding across her features.

“Harmony, your father has been providing his unique set of skills as a… service to the crown.”

I looked up at that, peeping into the deep emerald depths of Tempora’s eyes. The windows to her soul was no more revealing than the silence that followed. I dove into the next question on my mind. A prickle of anger worked down my spine.

“I don’t get it.” My breathing quickened. “I thought my Dad was just tinkering, as usual.” It was getting hard to maintain control. “What was he doing? What does he have?” I clenched a fist to reign myself in a little. “Why does he only have one year?” I took a breath. “And why haven’t you taken me to see him, yet?”

Tempora had an indeterminable look on her face. “Your father has volunteered himself for some extra-Equestrian missions. Things that couldn’t be handled by the regular guard.”

I glared at Tempora until she lowered her gaze. I didn’t know what to say. There were too many things I wanted to ask. Regardless, Tempora continued, unsteadily at that.

“He didn’t want to be a figurehead with the crown. Even before, before I had even met him, he was out there- “ she waved a hoof vaguely “ -helping anypony who asked. He was… special to us, special to all of us.”

I pushed Tempora away.

“Don’t say that,” I warned menacingly. I stalked over to the mantle and lay my head on the cool stone.

Calm down. Calm down. I thought to myself. I repeated the mantra, feeling tendrils of anger withdraw, albeit slowly.

Tempora trotted over. “I’m sorry Harmony, what do you mean. Don’t say what?”

“You’re speaking like he’s dead!” Tempora opened her mouth. I threw up a hand. “No! Not now!” I gripped the mantle until my knuckles turned white. “Jus- “ I took a deep breath. “Just take me to him.”

——

With a flash, we appeared in a quiet room. The rooms walls were a sickly pale yellow. The walls were supposed to be bright and happy, I suppose. There was a quiet shuffle. I spotted an aged mare bearing a pile of sheets on her back. I watched with the curiosity that one reserves for an insect crossing the surface of my table. I just wanted to be alone with my Dad. I still waited patiently for her to disappear, though.

Then I approached the bed, sinking to the side.

“Dad,” I croaked softly. There was an empty silence. I reached out, taking his hand into mine. It was like touching ice. I turned to Tempora. “Why isn’t he responding?” I felt drained. “Why?”

Tempora looked like she was breaking in two, but she didn’t say anything. Her face was downcast and I saw glistening streaks of light reflected off the drops falling from the tip of her muzzle. Was she acting strong? Was she just weak? This was her fault! Was it her fault? Blame her! Forgive her. Be angry! Stay calm. Yell at her! Ask her.

Tempora waited for me. I don’t know how long, but she stood there. In that time a few messengers had come. I vaguely heard them talking about matter of the court. She was needed back, I heard them say. You need to come back. Somepony seeks your audience.

Tempora refused them all. After a while, she finally answered my question.

“Your father has had a sleeping curse cast over him. We coudn’t find out how to treat it. All we can do is keep him fed and watch over him.”

“Where was he?” I repeated. “What exactly was he doing?”

The soft clop of hooves came closer. “You father was in the griffon kingdoms.”

“The griffon kingdoms? Why was he that far out?”

“Investigating.”

“And that requires royalty?”

Tempora paused at that.

“Max sensed there was trouble within the griffon kingdoms, specifically with their own royalty.”

There was the rustle of parchment. I looked up and saw a scroll held aloft in Tempora’s telekinetic grip.

“This was the last message that Max had sent. It was addressed to you.”

“Me?”

“Yes, I’m not sure why but he specifically wanted you to have it.”

I took the letter from Tempora. With a snap, the seal was broken and I unfurled the scrolled parchment.

-----

Dear Harmony,

If this letter has been sent, then something has gone horribly, horribly wrong. I am writing this letter from a town just outside the capital city of Selim within the southern griffon kingdoms. What’s happening here… is wrong. Harmony, this is worse than the time when we were at Pravial, I have to stay here. I’ve written so many versions of this letter, but I still have yet to know what I want to write. Even now, I don’t know if this is what I really want, but I will leave it here.

In the time I have been here I realised that I have been very selfish. I have watched you grow into a strong, independent young man. You have always been one to do things yourself and in your own way. You remind me a lot of your mother, Harmony, and that makes me happy. It also makes me sad. While I see a lot of your mother in you, I fear I don’t see a lot of myself. It may be a good thing, but it also means I have failed you as a father.

Though my forays into Equestria had not passed more than six months on Earth, the truth is, I’ve been here a lot longer than that time. I’ve been travelling the lands among inhabitants that have welcomed me with open arms. I loved it here and though I wanted to come back to Earth, for you, I wanted nothing more than to be among the people and the ponies of this world. Like Earth, it’s not perfect but here I can make a real difference.

I know this must be how it is.

I’d like to apologise to you. Whenever I read this back to myself, the reasons I give never seem to be enough, it just highlights the many flaws I am riddled with. Harmony, I am afraid. Afraid that one day you will look at me and that tolerable gaze will turn into dislike and finally hatred. Because of that, I was a coward. I stopped asking for your opinions because I was afraid what the answer would be. I stopped telling you what I was doing because I was afraid that you’d judge me as a poor father. I was just so wrapped up in my own fears that I slowly turned away from you altogether. When I realised this, after lodging with a warm griffon family, it was too late. For them and for myself.

If this letter finds you, then there is no hope left. I have exhausted all my resources and this is the final stages of my inevitable demise. Ha! That sounds so melodramatic now that I write this. Ah where was I? The griffon messenger is here. She is faithful, she’ll make sure that this letter arrives safe and sound. I am getting sleepy. It’s so cold.

Please Harmony, live well. Don’t worry about an old man and carry on.

Forgive me.

Love,

Your Dad.

-----

I clutched the parchment in my hands as I bowed my head to his hand. My father had a slight crease in his expression as if he were uncomfortable, even while sleeping. A burning filled my eyes and threatened to spill out.

“You stupid, stupid old man,” I rasped hoarsely. I clutched his hand tighter. “You stupid excuse for a father. Why do you have to care so much about others? Why’d you have to go out there and get yourself killed? Why couldn’t you just come back? Why do you always have to make my life so complicated? Why- “ I realised I wasn’t even breathing. I drew a deep, shuddering breath.

I felt the soft feathers of Tempora’s primaries wrap around me and my thoughts dissolved into a cauldron of roiling emotions. I wept until the tears had ended. I wept until I was drained. I wept past the emptiness. Then I wept some more.

-----

The tiles of whatever room we were in, slowly grew warm as I knelt at the side of my father’s bed. My father’s hand never changed temperature. It was just as cold as when I had first grasped it. I squeezed it as if I could send all my warmth and life through that connection. I stayed there, wrapped in Tempora’s embrace, for the stars knew how long. Eventually, a small spark drifted lazily through the space of my empty mind. Something had to be done.

“One year?” I posed to Tempora, she confirmed it with a nod. I pulled myself up. I felt a tidal wave of emotions flow through every fibre of my being. Of all of them, there was mainly determination.

I looked in Tempora’s suddenly worry-filled eyes.

“Then we haven’t a second to waste.”

——

Star Swirl woke with a start as a sudden flash of white light lit up his tower room. I watched in amusement as he scrabbled weakly and stumbled out of his desk yelling a mixture of threats and profanities. After a short while of acclimatisation, I brought him up to speed.

“Sleeping curses, eh?” he tapped his chin with his hoof in thought. “Curses are a nuisance in themselves, but a sleeping curse… hmm… your father knows something. The spell caster wants to find out.”

“What? How? He’s asleep!”

Star Swirl turned a eye towards me. I took a step back from the sheer force of his gaze.

“Dream walking,” he hissed. Intrigued, I leant in.

“What is dream walking?” I pushed, but Star Swirl was mumbling to himself and pacing. Suddenly he burst into a gallop, grabbing a volume from a bookshelf, reading a few pages, and then tossing it aside. He grabbed several parchments and riffled through them in a similar fashion.

“Ahah! Dream walking. Your father doesn’t have long. Barely a month. Dreams pass faster than reality or a lot slower… hmm…”

Impatiently, I skirted around the various tabletop furniture and scattered literature between us and I stood in front of the eccentric unicorn, staring him down.

“You sound like you know something about this curse. Why didn’t you tell us before? Tempora said no one knew what was causing the disease- “

Star Swirl waggled a hoof at me. “Nopony said that. They said they didn’t know how to treat it. Also, I was cooped up in this tower and they must have only recently brought him here, which means I haven’t been notified before. Suddenly, I had an idea. Why is it a sleeping curse? A lot of preparation to get your father to just sleep and then pass away. Not to mention the constant drain on mana to keep the link active. Also, killing royalty, no matter on unofficial business or not, will prompt an investigation. That would be something the griffon kingdom would want to avoid. Without any proof, though…”

“Are you saying that my father isn’t going to die?” I asked hopefully. My spirits raised a little. They were crushed a moment later as Star Swirl shook his head hesitantly.

“I’m afraid your father will be as good as dead if they are doing what I think they are doing.”

A shiver worked its way down my spine. “What are they doing?” I finally asked, afraid of the answer.

“They’re erasing his memories. Quick, not a moment to lose!” he cried, flashing away. As I was just blinking the light out of my eyes, another flash lit the room.

“Oh, sorry,” he said meekly. “We’re going to your father’s room. Uhh, bring Discord. We might need him.” Then he flashed away again. He flashed back. “Oh, and the Princesses. We’ll need them too.” He finally left, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I stared at my fingers.

Time to go, I thought. Then I flashed away.

Author's Note:

Knick

Comments

[LostFaith]

No...

[Zenith Sparkle]

This is not your average Roll With It chapter. I can see why you separated this story from the main fic.

As for the Griffons (I'd prefer "Gryphons," but whatever floats your boat), what are they up to? This is scary.