Oh Dearest Father of Mine...

by ExaltedFiction

Chapter V - The Endless Desert I

Gasping awake, Appolyon shot up from his slumber, expecting to see the confines of his chambers, only to be let down as an endless desert stretched out before him.

Breathing heavily, he placed a trembling hand on his chest, focusing on slowing his breathing, collecting himself for panic would serve no purpose here.

Regulating his heartbeat, he slowly got up from the dry sands that stuck to his clothes. Upon standing up, he realised he was atop a sand dune. He could see far and wide as waves of sand blew in the cold and gentle wind.

Looking at its untamed skies, its colours wept blood and the stars themselves burned in multi-coloured flares. In the far distance, an eclipse could be seen, with only a portion of the sun shining upon this dark land.

Well this is… odd…

Letting out a depressing sigh, Apollyon looked near his feet, seeing his staff become tainted by the desert sand. Picking it up and dusting it off, he looked towards the ends of this barren wasteland.

Is this the Deserts of Kharak I see laid before me?

He thought, before turning around to scout for any points of interest that laid beyond.

Maybe if I wandered about for a bit, I would encounter an individual dressed in a red cloak and skating across the sands?

Sighing, he looked down at the hill he captured. Apollyon could only imagine a flag inscribed with the words ‘King of the Hill’, if that was so then surely someone would come across him… that was if anyone was actually here.

Or shall I remain here… and meditate until something interesting happens…

Pondering for a bit, looking at the skies, a dark blood red storm mixed with purple, constantly sparking streaks of red or purple energy inside itself.

Doesn’t look like it could get any worse

Apollyon sat down, crossing his legs, uncertain if the decision he made was the most wisest one. He laid the staff down beside him, the figurehead pointing towards the sky as he waited… and waited… and waited.

As time flew past like the sand in an hourglass, realization soon hit Apollyon that if he was going to be here, he might as well make the most out of this strange place. Reaching deeply into one of the many pockets his pants possessed, he immediately grasped something circular and metallic. Upon pulling the object out, he was met with a mechanical pocket watch; one that shined with a dark metallic shell, skeletal case, and was also connected by a matching chain. The chain carried a sigil at the end, a golden shape of a phoenix, one that was similar in design to the figurehead on his staff.

A smile slowly grew on Apollyon's face, but as soon as he popped open the skeletal case, his smile quickly faltered. The hands of the clock weren’t moving and the ticking sounds it created were nowhere to be heard.

Groaning, Apollyon brought a hand to his head, massaging his temples as he closed the case, rubbing his thumb over its gaps for a whole minute or two before sucking it up, and returning the mechanical device to its respective pocket.

Sitting up straight, rolling his shoulders, pushing out his chest before squeezing it together, Apollyon placed his hands on his knees with his palms facing the untamed skies. Shutting his eyes, the last image of the endless desert pictured in his mind, he started to breath; slowly inhaling through his nose and slowly exhaling through his mouth. He focused on the sounds of it, blocking out the noise of the calm wind and the gentle storms overhead.

As he meditated, particles of purple energy started to manifest around him, their bright ominous glow lit up Apollyon’s hill, becoming a beacon in this dark, barren land. Soon enough, all sources of noise went silent, replaced by the distant voices that echoed throughout his mind.

“Arise, children of the nation”

“For a great terror rises in the untamed lands of the north!”

“To arms, citizens of the Imperium”

“For these monsters wish to rob the innocents of their birthright!”

“Stand tall, subjects of the Empress”

“For we are the shining beacon in these dark times”

Apollyon looked away disturbingly, eyebrows narrowing and muscles tensing up as those voices ceased and another set took over.

“Will you help us?”

“Please help us…”

“The children, help the children!”

“Don’t leave us”

“Please don’t leave us…”

“Don’t say goodbye… I hate goodbyes…”

“...Hello?”

Apollyon gasped deeply, his eyes shot wide open, blurry vision and deafening hearing. Despite these temporary impairments to his senses, he could see a figure standing in front of him. This figure was small, childlike, it looked like it was holding something in its mouth. Then he heard an echoey voice, did this voice belong to it?

Apollyon’s hearing cleared up and his vision adjusted itself, and there, standing in front of him was a small earth pony filly, wearing a white sundress and a wide flexible straw hat. She had a soft light grey coat, her sapphire eyes gleamed like gems and her dark grey mane and tail blew gently in the wind.

Bewildered, Apollyon looked around briefly before returning his sights onto the small filly, “Uh, hello there, young one. What’s your name?”

The little filly didn’t respond, instead she sat on her haunches and pointed to the notepad in her mouth. Apollyon clenched his fist, looking around once more before slowly reaching out to take the notepad, once he got hold, the filly released it from the confines of her mouth and let him take it.

“‘Glimmering Hope,’” Apollyon read out, receiving rapid nods from the filly, and a cheerful applause by the filly, “Well, Glimmering Hope, I’m Apollyon, it’s uh, nice to meet you.”

The filly quickly snatched back the notepad, retrieving a pencil from the insides of her hat, placing the pencil in her mouth before inscribing her message onto the paper. Once she was done, she held her pencil in her hoof and presented the notepad to Apollyon.

‘It’s nice to meet you too mr hooman’

He chuckled at the misspelling of his species, he let it slide though. Apollyon handed back the notepad, giving the filly a look of concern, “Forgive me for my transgressions, Glimmering Hope, but are you mute?”

A sad expression washed over the filly as she disturbingly glanced to the side, nervously rubbing her leg with a hoof.

“It is alright if you are,” Apollyon assured.

With her head turned to the side, she shamefully nodded, a tear breaking out from her eyes.

Sighing disappointedly, he shook his head slowly, “Worry not young one, for I have a solution.”

Glimmering Hope tilted her head, intrigued by Appolyon’s offer.

“Just wait little one,” Apollyon smiled gently, holding out his hand, pulling the surrounding particles into his palm and massing them together in a shimmering aura that encompassed his hand, “Behold,” He declared, presenting the aura to the filly, “My solution.”

The filly gasped at the sight of the aura, stepping back before shrinking herself.

“Have no fear little one, this will allow you to easily communicate with me.” Apollyon reached out further, but this only made the filly jolt up and quickly step back, “What is wrong little one? Have you never seen ‘psykana’ before?”

The filly didn’t answer, but she didn’t have too. Her body was trembling, her tail pulled back between her legs, her pupils shrunk and her ears were flattened back against her head.

A lump grew in Apollyon’s throat at the sight of the fearful filly, looking to his hand and clenching it into a fist. The psykana was gone, dissipating into nothing.

“There,” He said gently, holding up his hands, flipping it over again and again, “No psykana.”

As he presented his hands, free of any sorts of psykana, Hope ceased her trembling, her ears returned to its default state as did her eyes. Still sticking low to the ground, she began to cautiously creep towards Apollyon, retrieving her pencil and reaching out with it.

Apollyon chuckled as the filly prodded his hand with the blunt end of her pencil, sticking her tongue out to the side in the process, “See, no psykana.”

After the filly’s pencil poking session, she backed away, a wave of much needed relief washed over her, but her body said otherwise; Her tail still remained hidden between her legs, and Apollyon could notice the slight trembling of her body.

Apollyon could only guess why she was so afraid, as much as he wanted to ask he did not think it would be wise, so he opted for another question to their current predicament, “Do you know what this place is?”

Hope shrugged nonchalantly, compelling Appolyon to look around the endless desert.

“Do you know how to get out of here?” Upon receiving a shaking head as an answer, Apollyon began to sigh heavily.

“Are you lost like me?” When she nodded, Apollyon continued, “Do you want to stick together?”

Unfortunately he did not receive a direct answer, instead Glimmering Hope’s gaze shifted to the side, subconsciously dragging her hoof in the ground, nervously drawing circles while Apollyon waited.

Although he did not receive an answer, with a groan he picked himself up, snapping Hope out of her own thoughts as Apollyon dusted the sand off his body, “Well, I’m gonna go that way” He said, pointing his staff in the direction of his choosing, “I do hope you follow”

The filly watched as Apollyon treaded carefully down the hill, concentrating on keeping his balance on the way down, “I’m going down the hill now,” He announced.

When he reached the bottom, he announced himself again, “I am now at the bottom of the hill,” Continuing walking, making it to the next hill, he halted his progress, looking back at the filly only to receive a gut wrenching feeling as she sadly waved at him.

“I am now climbing up the next hill!” He shouted, continuing his journey, silently cursing himself. Reaching the top, he looked back at the hill he started at, more importantly at the filly who kept waving at him everytime he looked back.

“I AM GOING TO GO DOWN THIS HILL!” He yelled out, pausing for a moment, “THIS HILL HERE, I AM GOING DOWN THIS HILL HERE!” Apollyon so generously pointed out… literally, pointing it out for he was pointing at the hill he was on.

Hope just continued waving.

Groaning, he continued on, bellowing out another sentence before he made his way down, “GEE, I HOPE NO ONE FOLLOWS ME, LIKE A CERTAIN FILLY NAMED GLIMMERING HOPE WHO KEEPS WAVING AT ME INSTEAD OF FOLLOWING ME!”

Once he was certain that the hill broke Hope’s line of sight of him, he laid down on the side of the hill.

Is this filly too smart or what?

After letting a minute or two pass, or at least what he felt like was a minute or two. He slowly rose up, peaking over his hill and into the distance. Much to his annoyance, he could see the filly continuing to wave at him.

Well that didn’t work…

Apollyon sighed, his gaze looking at the next hill.

Ok, just one more, if that doesn’t work then I’m walking back…

Apollyon rushed his descent once he stood up, quickly traversing the flat area and slowing down just as he arrived at the next hill. Climbing up the steep hill, using his staff to assist himself, when he neared the top, his eyes just allowing him to see over the hill, his sight was gifted with another hill and a… filly?

“What the?” He said aloud, attracting the attention of filly, who waved happily at his arrival, “Glimmering Hope?”

Hope nodded as she approached the human, taking a seat on her rear beside him. Apollyon kept glancing in the direction he went and the direction he came from. Most notably, he tracked his footsteps he left upon the sand, before they were washed away by the wind.

“Give me a second,” Apollyon said, embedding his staff into the sand before rushing headstrong to the next hill, climbing over several until he reached the one where he apparently encountered Hope again. Panting heavily upon reaching the top, he was met by a waving Glimmering Hope and his staff, that of which remained in place and looked unmolested.

Taking a moment to catch his breath, he looked towards the filly again raising up a finger, “Give me a second,” He repeated, taking his staff in his hands and rushing into the depths of the desert once again.

Reaching the bottom of the second hill, he unchained the book from his staff, lightening the load before taking up a javelin throwing stance.

Come on PE class, don’t fail me now!

Yelling from his diaphragm and with all his might he threw his staff over the hill until it was out of sight. Feeling the intense burn as he ran up the not-so-solid hill, he arrived to see no staff, just a smiling Glimmering Hope.

“Did… you… see… the staff?” he questioned in between breaths, only to receive a shaking head as an answer, “But how? I… threw it up- ARGH!”

Apollyon was cut off as he was struck to the ground, face first, by a metallic object. Groaning in pain, he reached behind, placing a hand over the impact location.

Yep… gonna feel that later… wait... how does that even... oh nevermind...

Rolling onto his arching back, the sounds of someone walking on the sand drew closer. Soon a pony shaped shadow loomed over him, “So… I guess we’re stuck here?”

The filly shrugged, compelling Apollyon to chuckle, briefly coughing after, “Well,” He said, clearing his throat, “Don’t mind me, just gonna lay down here and stare at the skies… forever.”

The filly began writing into her notepad, quickly presenting it to Apollyon.

‘Can I lay down next to you?’

“Sure… just don’t tell my daughters… one of them might just send you to the moon.” He laughed awkwardly.

The filly ignored his lame joke, instead she let out an over exaggerated yawn before stretching out her limbs. Softly laying on the sand beside Apollyon, she planted her head on his arm, nuzzling it before closing her eyes and peacefully drifting off to sleep.

As the filly slept, Apollyon listened to her delicate snores as he stared up into the crimson skies. Letting it’s dark storms become the last image in his mind before shutting his eyes.

Die ac Nocte…

Author's Note:

So... what'd you think? Comments, theories and criticism is always appreciated

Comments

[Mime Slayer]

The deserts of kharak hmm? We gonna see the Kapisi roll over a hill next chapter?

[ExaltedFiction]

10208941
In the totally normal desert you see before you? Who knows what could possibly happen?