In our previous volume, the mysterious being known only as 'Kronos' used its power to turn Dinky from a baby into a young filly! Arc and Derpy take their unconscious daughter to Arc's newly build quarters in his base, Light's Hope! A short time later, Dinky awakens, and speaks to her parents! Quickly identifying Derpy as her mother and Arc as her father, the trio slowly walk back to Derpy's house.
Upon arriving, Arc heads to Sugarcube Corner to buy a celebratory cake for his little family! While gone however, Dinky tastes the soup meant for Arc and is told it contains fish! Horrified at this, she asks her mother what kind of pony her father is! This prompts both Arc and Derpy to have a heart to heart talk with their daughter about the truth! Revealing that Arc is NOT her biological father, Dinky listens intently as her mother tells the whole sordid story! The little filly again accepts Arc as her father and the pair enjoy a loving hug!
The next day, Arc returns to Light's Hope to challenge his squad to find his hiding spot somewhere in the base. They fail, as Arc was next to the main entrance the whole time. At lunch, he notices his squad is squeamish at the sight of his meal! Fearing they will succumb to these feeling in battle, he and Ember take them into the Everfree Forest for a few days of hunting and fishing! On the way they tell him of their childhood at Equestria's only orphanage, 'New Beginnings'! The squad speaks of a then-young mare who cared for and looked after them as they grew up! The also inform him of the treatment of the foals by the wicked Matron Tempest! Arc listens to them intently and vows to look into the matter when they return.
A couple days later, after learning to hunt, fish AND fillet, they return to Light's Hope. Arc and his squad get cleaned up as he plans their next mission... the infiltration of the New Beginning's Orphanage! Dinky volunteers to be admitted to the orphanage as a spy. Derpy agrees on the condition Arc stays with her! Twilight begrudgingly teaches Arc the Matter Compacting spell so he can hide behind Dinky's ear.
After traveling to Canterlot Castle to bring the princesses up to speed, they spend the night there before boarding the morning train to Vanhoover. A Royal Guard escorts Dinky, with Arc in her mane, to the orphanage. There they are met by a middle-aged mare wearing a large black and white robe. She identifies herself at Coco Pommel and takes Dinky inside.
After a short nap, Coco Pommel returns for Dinky. She explains that it's time to go play a game to see who gets fed! Trotting outside, they discover the game is Hoofball! Arc, riding on Dinky's head in his armor and wearing the Magic Cloak, calls out commands to his daughter and aids her in standing out during the game! Matron Tempest, clearly impressed, gives Dinky a chocolate bar which she promptly gives away. Befriending two other foals, Pipsqueak and Aquamarine, Arc and Dinky spend the next several days observing and learning all they can about the orphanage and its caretakers!
Arc sends a message to Matron Tempest, giving her the option to surrender herself to the authorities. Rebuffing his request Tempest, thinking it all a trick by the orphans, addresses them the next morning in full special forces body armor! Calling out the Hero of Light, she attempts to hurt a very frightened Pipsqueak! However, Arc uses his magic to stop her! Ordering Dinky to charge the matron, Arc returns to normal size in order to deliver a message to her via his fist! Tempest asks Arc to join her in her quest to train the next generation of super soldiers, to which he refuses. She reveals her true form, that of a self-proclaimed Angel of Darkness! Using her power to hold Arc down, she calls for her weapon 'Light's Bane' to kill him and absorb his soul! But before she can carry out her plan, Derpy throws herself in front of Arc, taking the spear in her back! Seeing her mother fall, Dinky snaps! Displaying a strange power, Dinky blasts Tempest, cutting her off temporarily from the Dark Power before fainting from exhaustion! Furious at Tempest, Arc watches her as she attempts to fly away. Grabbing the Spear of Righteousness, he lunges into the air and spreads a pair of wings that shine with a pure light! He hits Tempest over and over again! Light smashing her violently before knocking her to the ground! Gathering all his power, Arc flies straight down at Tempest to unleash his fury! An explosion of Light bursts forth and sends a shock-wave out for an untold distance!
Arc collapses, too weak to stand as Tempest staggers to her hooves. Coco Pommel retrieves a weapon buried deep under her flower garden and holds it high against her former employer! She calls forth a suit of armor and the power from within her spear! A bright light shines down on Tempest as she melts away! Rising slowly and approaching Light's Bane, Arc raises his own weapon to destroy it! Hearing Derpy's voice, he learns that not only is the weapon of evil indestructible, but that Derpy's is trapped inside! Ignoring Derpy's pleas for him to stay back, Arc grabs Light's Bane and allows himself to be absorbed by it!
Inside Light's Bane, Arc reunites with Derpy and meets a shadow of a creature of pure darkness known only as The Dark One. He offers Arc great power in exchange for his soul upon his death. Arc refuses! Through guile, he and Derpy persuade the shade to allow them both to leave. Waking up to Dinky over him, Arc slowly stands and looks to Light's Bane. A small orb of light floats above its handle. He takes it and returns Derpy's soul to her body! Medics rush Derpy to the hospital as Coco Pommel slowly walks over to Arc in order to thank him, but collapses in the mud! Arc picks her up and rushes her to the hospital!
The doctor informs Arc that Derpy will require a risky surgery to repair the damage to her spine from Light's Bane's blade! Knowing his friend would not want them to give up on her, he tells the doctor to make it so! Coco Pommel regains enough consciousness to tell Arc of the power in her spear. He uses it to repair the damage done to Derpy! However, Coco Pommel's prognosis is not so easily fixed! As the doctor pulls back the covers, they see her emaciated body for the first time! Looking like a walking skeleton, Coco Pommel's body has all but run out of time! Asking the doctor to do everything he can, Arc orders Xenos to stay with Coco Pommel as he takes Derpy and the orphans back to Light's Hope.
Returning to his base as the sun sets, Arc takes the orphans to the barracks and orders Flash Sentry to see to it they find beds! He heads to Canterlot Castle to report to the princesses his findings. They can scarcely believe their eyes as the pair watch Arc's memories though a special projector! Arc puts Light's Bane in the Royal Armory with the blessing of the princesses before returning to his base. Falling to his knees from exhaustion, Ember helps him to bed!
Arc spends the next day or so teaching the orphans about regular life! A builder named Hard Hat is dispatched to Light's Hope to go over plans for a new orphanage with Arc! The pair put their heads together to design a new facility!
Flash Sentry along with Arc and a few Royal Guards return to the orphanage to confiscate Tempest's files. Later that morning Arc has the Mane Six over for a meeting to inform them of the existence of the new threat known as Tempest and the Dark One. Afterwards they have tea together and meet the Marquis!
Arc visits Coco Pommel in the hospital. Her only concern is the well-being of the orphans though. He assures her they are doing well before returning to Light's Hope to tell his squad of Coco Pommel's condition. They talk over Arc's latest plan to infiltrate Canterlot Castle to investigate Captain Decimus' office and personal quarters! However, the plan is put on hold when Xenos calls and informs him that Coco Pommel is going downhill! Rushing back to the Vanhoover Hospital, Arc notices that connection to the mare's condition and his own proximity! Having no other options, he brings Coco Pommel back to Light's Hope.
The orphans are overjoyed to see Coco Pommel safe and sound! As are Arc's standing forces, who come to the cafeteria to tell her how much she means to them! Unfortunately, that night Coco Pommel awakens screaming from a horrific dream! Arc takes her to the kitchen for a midnight snack only to find Derpy and Dinky there as well! They talk things over as Arc cooks the group a cheese pizza and tells them the sad truth of his own childhood!
Sending Derpy and Dinky back to bed, Arc and Coco Pommel head to his office to go over the files from Matron Tempest's office. They find that one of the orphans does indeed have living relatives living in town! They go to the Apple family and explain the situation. Granny Smith agrees to take in the filly! They return to Light's Hope to meet her. Finding out the filly is Babs Seed, the Apples accept her into their family! Raven types up the proper paperwork as the orphans meet Babs Seed's new family in the cafeteria. Arc signs the papers and the Apples head for home!
Arc and his squad investigate the orphanage together with Coco Pommel in tow. Flash Sentry leads the squad into the abandoned aqueducts while Arc and Coco Pommel investigate Tempest's room! Finding only a small lock box, Arc goes after his missing troops! Finding only monsters and Flash Sentry, the pair fight their way to the central chamber and a mare controlling the beasts, Trixie Lulamoon! Arc effortlessly defeats her and frees the ogres she had imprisoned! Being awarded a wolf companion by the ogre king, they take Trixie topside. Arc frees the wolf from his service and is rewarded by being invited to his village in the Dragon Lands!
After dropping Coco Pommel and the squad off at his base, Arc and Flash Sentry deliver Trixie to Canterlot Castle's dungeon. Arc returns to his base and reports his findings to the princesses. After resting, heads to the dungeon to make sure Trixie is still in her cell. Finding her beaten and bruised, he takes her to his base and tends to her. She tells him of the beating she took at the hooves of Captain Decimus and his Royal Guards! Arc agrees to safeguard Trixie at his base if she will show him what happened via the magic projector! He watches in horror as Trixie is forced to sign a confession, admitting to horrific crimes! She is rewarded by being savagely beaten by the guards as Captain Decimus leaves the interrogation room!
The next day Arc shows the images of Trixie being beaten to his squad. He is able to convince them to help get her bogus confession back before the trial! While waiting for night to fall, Arc heads to the blacksmith shop to pick up the tome he left with them. When he asks Steel Hammer and Silver Hammer about their fatigue, he is told they are being forced by a contract with Filthy Rich to work for almost nothing! After agreeing to work for him, Arc gives them an advance to pay off their loan. He and Steel Hammer go to Barnyard Bargains to inform Filthy Rich of the change and strike a new bargain!
That night Arc and his squad along with Flash Sentry break into Captain Decimus' office and gather evidence against him. Causing a diversion, they also get him out of his quarters long enough to search it as well! Returning to Light's Hope, however, they find an intruder! The captain's lieutenant! He informs Arc that his orders were to kidnap Trixie and bring her back to the castle! On the recommendation of Coco Pommel, Arc allows him to leave and return to Decimus for punishment.
The next day at Trixie's trial, Decimus finds that the confession in his bag has been switched with one signed by one named "Stupid Unicorn". Princess Luna orders a new trial, during which Arc acts as Trixie's Councilor. He is able to reduce Trixie's sentence from most likely Tartarus, to a year in prison.
Even so, many questions remain...
What will become of the orphans and Coco Pommel? Did Tempest really die? What of Captain Decimus? Is Trixie truly reformed? Will Arc ever find love?
Time will tell. Sooner or later... time will tell.