In our previous volume, Arc was finally able to return home to Ponyville from Tartarus with his new friend, Ember. However, this was not the end to his problems. Unsure of what to do about her "betrothal" to Arc, Ember fell into a mild depression. Hoping to help her, Arc suggested meeting with the Dragon Lord to discuss the problem. The pair made their way by train to Dodge Junction, the first leg of their trip. While they stopped at a saloon for a drink before continuing, Arc witnessed a group of thugs harassing a table of mares. After teaching the group a lesson in manners, one of the mares, a Miss Cherry Jubilee, invited Arc and Ember to her home for supper and a good night's sleep.
However, late that night, there was a frantic pounding at Arc's door. A young mare, Ruby Jubilee, rushed in to inform him that her sister had been kidnapped, and was to marry the leader of the gang, Buffalo Bull, that very morning! Arc and Ember were able to stop the wedding and defeat Buffalo Bull, but at a cost. Cherry was badly injured during the battle, and needed to be carried to the hospital! Upon hearing that she would be all right in a couple days, Arc and Ember promised to return and continued on their way to the Dragon Lands.
Upon meeting Arc, the Dragon Lord appeared... less than impressed by him. Disallowing Ember to take him as her mate, he instead called for worthy candidates to come forward. As her father instructed Ember to take one of them instead, Arc suggested a trial by battle to see that only the most worthy would be chosen. Dragon Lord Torch agreed, however Arc pushed him too far in suggesting that dragons weren't as special as they believed. Enraged, the Dragon Lord ordered the three to destroy Arc! To his surprise, Arc was able to effortlessly defeat them, unarmed! Furious, the Dragon Lord himself moved to carry out his own orders! Grabbing his spear and waiting for his opponent, Arc taunted him by comparing Torch to the Marquis. Upon hearing his old friend's name, the Dragon Lord forgot all about his rage toward Arc and instead wished to hear about his friend.
They parted on good terms, and returned the way they had come. However things were not right in Dodge Junction. Heading to the Saloon for information, Arc was approached by the mares from the other day. They informed him that Cherry Jubilee lay in the hospital, dying! Rushing to her side, Arc and Ember learn from Ruby that Cherry needed open heart surgery. Sadly, nearest hospital equipped for such things was in Ponyville. Lacking proper transportation, Arc sacrificed his own reward money to pay Filthy Rich to send his own personal train to pick up the injured mare. Cherry arrives safely in Ponyville and Doctor Horse performs the surgery successfully. Hearing her sister will recover, Ruby collapses and Arc carries her to Derpy's house.
As Cherry recovers her strength in the hospital, Arc takes his armor to the Hammers for a show and tell. During the visit, they admit to being Equestria's former Heroes of Light, and ask Arc to take their former role. Agreeing, Platinum Valve and Arc go over a book of enchantments to put on Eidolon's Ward.
When Arc returns to the shop to retrieve he upgraded and enchanted armor, the Ursa Minor returns to town! Platinum Valve and Arc stay in the shop to finish bringing the enchantment online as Steel Hammer and Silver Hammer don their old armor and rush out to face the creature! Joining the Mane 6, they are able to drive off the beast, but not before angering its mother! The Ursa Major shambles into town angrily! Arc joins them and holds its attention on himself as the others formulate a plan. After chasing off the beast, the former Heroes of Light announce their retirement and pronounce Arc as their replacement. Removing their insignia's, Arc promises to deliver them to Canterlot.
Making good on his promise, Arc heads to Canterlot with the Mane 6 to see the princesses. They accept the insignias and lead the group to the Mausoleum of the Heroes of Light. Laying the former hero's insignias on a pedestal, they present Arc with one of his own and officially proclaim him as Equestria's new protector!
After Arc chooses his personal guards, four Lunar Protectors known as Max, Viktor, Xenos and Hugh, he heads for the Dining Room to meet the Mane 6 for supper. His squad joins them.
As they attempt to return to Ponyville, they are stopped at the end of Canterlot Castle's drawbridge by the Captain of the Royal Guard, Decimus. Insisting that Ember should be imprisoned, Arc tosses him into the moat and continues to the train station with his friends.
Announcing that his first mission will be to liberate the Marquis from Tartarus, Ember, Twilight and Derpy volunteer to accompany him. Stopping at the new Vile Tribe village, Mythic Honor asks Arc to recover his tomes from the old Town Hall and destroy the rest. Arc agrees and the group enters the forsaken realm. Heading to the old hideout for a fallback point, Arc's squad makes ready the tomes while the others retrieve the Marquis. Returning to the hideout, they set explosives and head for the Gates of Tartarus. King Malevolence is waiting for them with three deathly ill mares! He agrees to release them, but only if Arc will help him escape! Arc agrees. Using the explosion from the hideout as a signal, the squad swoops in, grabs the mares and flies them to safety beyond the gates as Arc tosses the shrunken king back where he belongs!
They group returns to the Dragon Lands and presents their hydra friend to the Dragon Lord. As a reward, the Marquis gives Arc a special scale that will allow him to be summoned in greatest need! The Dragon Lord, clearly impressed, gives Arc a special gift of his own... Dragon Magic!
Arc, Derpy, Dinky and Applejack escort Cherry and Ruby back to Dodge Junction. As they return, the townsponies arrive bearing gifts of food for the weakened Cherry Jubilee. Arc and friends spend the night at the ranch. Cherry asks Arc to be her special somepony, to which he kindly refuses.
As they return to Ponyville, Arc and Derpy take Dinky to Twilight in hopes of learning something about a mysterious power they can sense. When Twilight fails, she reveals the Elements of Harmony to them. Removing them from their hiding place in the floor, Arc and Ember approach them. They agree the power is similar, but are no closer to answers. Applejack brings Apple Bloom to the library. While she is able to sense the power as well, her sister cannot.
Arc takes Apple Bloom and Dinky to the hospital for examinations. They find Apple Bloom's blood has magiplasts in them! Upon leaving the hospital, Arc takes the fillies to the park where they play with other foals. Apple Bloom tells Arc another filly is emanating the same power! Calling the foal over, they learn it is none other then Rarity's sister, Sweetie Belle. She joins them in a day of playing before returning to Derpy's house for a slumber party.
The next morning they head to Arc's new command center, which Sweetie Belle has named Light's Hope. Touring the facility with Hard Hat, they end in the meeting room with the Mane 6. Lacking any ideas on where to go from there, a mysterious figure once again appears to them. It identifies itself as Kronos, and informs them that Arc and company can sense the foal's power, as they are all Bearers of the Spears of Balance. Kronos offers to restore balance if Derpy will bring him her daughter. She does so, very sadly. A few moments later there is a flash of light as Dinky says goodbye to her parents.
Arc, called forth by Kronos, reaches into the sphere of light and pulls out Dinky, who has aged to a young filly. Derpy follows Arc out of the room and down the corridor as the others return home.
Will Ember find a mate? Will Cherry Jubilee fully recover soon? How will Arc handle his new title and station? What of King Malevolence? What of Dinky's new form?
Time will tell. Sooner or later... time will tell.