Arc and his squad return to Canterlot Castle. As he, Ember and Sereb disembark Arc turns to his squad.
“Take a break boys! You did good today!”
Max nods! “Tell the princesses hi for us!”
The trio makes their way to the princesses' room. Arc pauses outside the door. Ember looks over to him.
“Arc? Is something wrong?”
Arc sighs. “I... I have to tell them the truth.”
Sereb frowns. “What about?”
“That I killed their friend, Captain Decimus.”
Ember nods soberly. “You had no choice! He probably would have escaped again and returned again and again until he completed the job!”
Sereb nods. “They will understand. Of that I am certain.”
“Even if they don't, I should be the one to tell them. Would you two please wait out here?”
Ember steps to one side. “Sure.”
“By your command.”
He takes a deep breath and pushes open the door. “Wish me luck.”
Arc enters the room slowly. He sees the princesses propped up in bed and talking with Twilight!
“How did you do it Cadance?!”
“Do what?”
“Keep a level head through that entire ordeal! I think I would have been going crazy!”
Cadance sighs and looks down at her hooves. “I… actually broke down quite a few times. Luna was the one who kept it together through it all.”
Luna nods. “I had to. You needed me to be strong for both of us.”
Arc walks over to the group. “You did seem to have everything under control every time I visited.”
Luna shakes her head. “That was a facade. In truth I wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball and cry like a filly!”
“Well then, how did you cope?”
“You, Arc.”
He looks at Luna, confused. “Me?”
Luna nods. “Yes. I knew you were back here doing everything you could to help us, along with keeping the country safe. That knowledge gave me the strength to carry on.”
“I see. Well in any case, I just finished addressing the nation. Everyone in Equestria now knows what happened in Yakyakistan, Abyssinia, and that you two are on the mend.”
Arc walks over to the balcony doors and stares out at the city, sighing.
“Everything is... back to normal... I guess.”
Cadance looks concerned! “Arc? Is something bothering you?”
“Actually yes. I... uh... wanted to talk to you about today's earlier... altercation.”
Luna nods! “Yes. I remember you mentioning that earlier. What exactly happened?”
“Was anypony hurt?!”
“Several Royal Guards sustained minor injuries. The worst of it was Trixie taking a blade to the belly.”
“Is she all right?!”
Arc nods. “Yes. She's resting in her room now.”
Cadance looks confused. “Her room?”
“With the betrayal of Captain Decimus, I promoted Shining Armor to take his place as the captain on the guard. He and Trixie had been traveling the land helping others up to that point. They make a pretty good team! His only condition was to make Trixie his lieutenant. I agreed.”
Luna nods, skeptically. “How did she do?”
“While that would be a question better asked to him, from what I saw she was of great help to Shining Armor.”
Cadance nods. “So, what exactly happened today?”
Arc pulls up a chair to sit between the princesses' beds. “Let me start at the beginning.”
He takes a deep breath.
“It all started when I came here to check on both of you this morning. Doctor Whooves was giving you two your daily examination when I entered. He quickly told me that your condition was going downhill.
Luna nods. “I suddenly started having an especially hard time maintaining the Lunar Realm.”
“Any idea why, Luna?”
“Not a clue.”
“Is that when you called me?”
Arc shakes his head. “Doctor Whooves was supposed to contact you, but…”
Twilight looks nervous. “He… he did! I was just really out of it!”
“I'm sorry to admit I didn’t contact you myself until later, Twilight.”
Cadance looks to Arc. “Paperwork?”
“Meetings.”
“Ah! Been there, done that.”
Arc points a thumb behind him toward the myriad of lab equipment. “I left the castle with Sereb to pick up Auriel and Twilight, in addition to their lab.”
Luna nods. “We are most grateful that you did Arc!”
“Auriel and I certainly wouldn't have made it here in time any other way!”
Arc sighs. “Yes, well... I haven't had time to speak to Shining Armor and get the full story of what exactly happened. I arrived here with Twilight and Auriel to find Trixie lying on the floor in a pool of blood and the sounds of what can only be described as the castle being under siege!”
Cadance’s eyes grow wide! “The castle was being attacked?! By whom?!”
“A demonic army of some kind. Where they came from is anyone's guess! Sandstorm Mirage filled me in as quickly as he could.”
Twilight nods! “Arc told me to get a move on that cure and that he would hold them off as long as he could!”
“Yes, well... I didn't really know what I was getting into! I Blinked quite a way down the hall in an effort to flank them! But when I arrived, I found their leader monologuing on how he was here to finish what he started!”
Twilight looks confused. “What he... started?”
“Yes. He was the one who poisoned you two in the first place! If what he said was accurate, he wanted to give one last dose of the toxin which would have made your sleep... permanent!”
“Did you believe him?!”
“Yes, Twilight. He had nothing to gain by lying at that point. I believe he truly planned to kill you both and take over the realm himself!”
Twilight looks around nervously. “Is that horrible stallion still around here?!”
Arc bows his head. “No... I... I took care of him. He'll never hurt anyone... ever again.”
Luna nods. “You did what you had to Arc. Tell me, what was his name?”
Arc slowly stands up and turns to Luna's bedside. He pulls out the Captain's Insignia and puts it in her hoof.
“I'm sorry, but... it was Captain Decimus.”
Cadance blurts out! “WHAT?!”
“His plan originally was to put you two to sleep and then ascend to the throne. He didn't know I was a citizen of Equestria and was therefore ahead of him in the Order of Succession. Our battle destroyed several walls, two Guest Rooms, the end of the corridor, and a column which I pulled down to throw him off balance.”
Luna looks down at the insignia in her hooves. “How?! He was never that physically strong!”
Cadance nods! “A skilled warrior yes, but... this defies all logic!”
Twilight sighs. “It would appear the captain had quite a few secrets then! Perhaps some kind of alchemical concoction to greatly increase his strength?”
Luna thinks for a moment. “Maybe. However, on the other hoof, such things should still be impossible! Even Star Swirl the Bearded never had THAT much success with alchemy!”
Cadance nods! “This will have to be studied further! Perhaps Doctor Whooves can take a blood sample! Figure out what happened! We owe it to the captain!”
“That... won't be possible.”
Luna looks to Arc, confused. “Why not? Didn't you send his body to the morgue?”
Arc shakes his head. “There... there wasn't anything TO send! He had already been killed once! This time I wanted to be absolutely certain he couldn't return to hurt either of you again! After I defeated him... I... I threw him up into the air and... blasted him with Magic Flames. It was very quick! Believe me, he didn't suffer!”
Luna looks down at the insignia, sadly. “Thank you Arc. Thank you for giving him a merciful end.”
Cadance nods and sighs. “The Captain Decimus we knew and loved would have wanted to befall such a fate if it meant putting us or anypony else in danger.”
Twilight looks to Arc angrily! “It was more than he deserved!”
“Twilight! That's their FRIEND you're talking about! How would you feel if I had to take down Rainbow Dash... or Fluttershy?!”
“WHAT?! But... that would NEVER happen!”
Cadance sniffs. “We… we thought the same about Captain Decimus, Twilight.”
“Yes. The thought of him betraying us would have been unthinkable not that long ago. While I don't know what caused this change in him, I am happy that he now knows peace.”
Twilight looks down at her hooves. “I'm sorry. It's just... I almost lost my first friend to that stallion!”
She looks over to Cadance and puts a hoof on her friend’s fetlock.
“That's something I hope to NEVER experience!”
Luna nods. “I desire that for you as well, Twilight. However, for us it's not a matter of if... but when.”
Arc sighs. “Perhaps it's best not to think of such things. Let's just live in the now and enjoy each other's company while we can!”
Arc stands up.
“You two rest now. I should get to work now. It's past time for audiences to start!”
“Arc?”
He turns back toward Princess Luna. “Yes?”
She does not look up from the insignia in her hooves. “Thank you... for telling us the truth.”
Cadance nods sadly. “And for setting our friend's soul free.”
Arc nods and leaves the room. Ember and Sereb are waiting for him.
“What next Arc?”
Arc walks down the hallway. “Royal duties. Let's get to it!”
Meanwhile, Luna looks out the window at the blue skies.
“It's good to be back.”
“Luna... can I ask you something.”
She does not look over. “Go ahead.”
“In the Lunar Realm... at the end... were you serious?”
“About what, Cadance?”
“About Arc taking over as King of Equestria if he couldn't bring Princess Celestia back.”
Twilight’s head snaps over to them! “Wait, what?”
Luna nods. “I was. With us gone, Arc would have been the next logical choice to replace us.”
Twilight looks over, unable to accept what she has heard! “But... weren't you worried he might have left you and Princess Cadance to rule this land alone?!”
“No, I wasn't.”
“How can you be so casual about that Princess Luna?! We're talking about the fate of the country!”
Cadance looks to Twilight. “I agree with Luna. Arc would have ruled this land with justice and honor for as long as he lived.”
“That too! He's not an alicorn, so he won't live forever!”
Luna closes her eyes and smiles! “I am certain that Arc would have... thought of something.”
Cadance looks to Luna. “Like a successor?”
“Perhaps. Or maybe a more... permanent solution.”
“Such as?”
Luna sighs. “There's no way of knowing. But I'm sure he would have found a way to protect Equestria even after his… time was up.”
Twilight’s eyes grow wide! “Do you think he would have pursued immortality?!”
Cadance smiles! “Look at us, Twilight. Such a magical feat is certainly possible! But it's not a burden just anyone could bear.”
“What do you mean?”
Luna nods. “Celestia and I were taught by Star Swirl the Bearded how to be immortal. Not just physically, but emotionally.”
“Aunt Celestia passed his teachings on to me. You see Twilight, death isn't just a release from an old, frail and failing body. It's also a release from all the sad memories you've accumulated throughout your life! We've learned how to live with the pain and loss of those we care for!”
“Indeed. If a random pony was simply made an alicorn without learning how to deal with their emotions, the sadness and loss would simply accumulate limitlessly! In the end, they would certainly be driven to madness!”
Twilight nods. “I guess I never thought about it before. Wait! Is... is that why Princess Celestia created the Dagger of Eternal Slumber?!”
Cadance nods. “Yes Twilight. And why she created the Hero of Light to be the bearer of the weapon.”
Luna nods. “We are not infallible. One day the pain and grief may be too much for one of us! When that time comes, the Hero of Light will do whatever needs to be done to protect Equestria from us.”
Twilight tears up! “So... Arc will...”
Cadance takes Twilight’s hoof and smiles! “I know Arc would never hurt anypony who didn't give him cause! Believe me Twilight, if I went rogue and started hurting those around me, I would most certainly welcome my destruction!”
Twilight cries openly as she buries her face in Cadance's lap! “But you'd NEVER do that, Cadance!”
Cadance pats Twilight’s head as she sighs. “One never knows what the future holds, Twilight.”