Arc and the others head to bed for a well-deserved rest. The next morning as the sun rises there is a small knock on Arc’s bedroom door. He slowly opens his eyes.
“Come… come in.”
Dinky opens the door hastily and runs over to her father’s bedside. Her hair is unkempt and her clothes wrinkled.
“DAD! Are you okay?!”
Arc nods as he sits up. “Y-yeah. Good morning sweetheart.”
“Mom and I wanted to see you off! But I guess we fell asleep.”
“Cherry carried you two upstairs to bed.”
The helmet on the nightstand shakes slightly as Cherry’s voice comes forth.
“That I did! You two were so cute lying there together that I hated to have to move you.”
Arc smiles. “Thanks for taking care of them.”
The sound of footsteps hurrying down the hallway toward them can be heard as Derpy rushes into the room.
“Dinky! What are you doing?!”
“Just making sure dad is okay.”
“Yes, well… I’m sure your father needs his rest now! Think of the late night he had!”
Dinky looks down at her bare feet. “Oh… I’m sorry, dad.”
Arc stands up and tousles her hair. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I should be getting up anyways.”
Derpy looks at him, concerned. “Are you sure?! We could leave you alone for a while if you want to get some more sleep!”
Arc opens his dresser and pulls out some clean clothes. “I’ll just get a quick shower and see how my squad is doing.”
“Okay. But only if you’re sure.”
Arc nods as he walks toward the pair. “You’re doing better with walking.”
“I am?”
“Yes. You made it from your room to mine in record time.”
Dinky grins. “Mom worked really hard on it yesterday afternoon after you and Miss Ember went to bed!”
Derpy blushes slightly. “Yes, well… I couldn’t have done it without your help, Dinky.”
Arc turns to them. “Why don’t you two go ahead and take a shower in the main bathroom?”
“What about you, dad?”
Arc chuckles as he picks up his helmet and holds it a moment before returning it to his ring. “I’ll use the Guest Room shower. Ember will probably sleep for a while longer after our mission last night.”
Dinky follows him as they walk down the hallway together. “Do all dragons sleep as much as she does?”
Derpy frowns. “That’s not very polite, Dinky! Ember works very hard to keep your father safe!”
Arc shrugs. “I’m not sure about dragons. But humans do require proper rest. Especially when infiltrating bad guy’s lairs in the early hours of the morning.”
He taps the tip of Dinky’s small nose. She giggles happily as her mother calls to her from the master bedroom.
“Come along now sweetie. We’ll pick out some new clothes for today.”
Arc calls out after them. “Something thick! The day’s not getting any warmer.”
Dinky nods. “Okay dad!”
He stops in front of the guest room door and knocks quietly before entering. Ember is still sound asleep. Her covers are tossed to one side. Arc covers her back up and shakes his head, smiling.
“Sleep well, my friend.”
Arc heads for her bathroom and closes the door behind him. As he turns on the water, Arc mutters to himself. “What a night! I’m glad the three of us made it out okay!”
He steps into the shower and lathers up.
“That woman Stingray… how did she DO that?! The Shards shouldn’t be able to counter magic! No one here on Earth should! Is someone from Equestria helping them?!”
He bangs his head lightly on the wall of the shower several times.
“Someone… somewhere has the answers to my questions! I just wish that someone was me!”
Arc finishes showering and gets dressed. As he steps out of the bathroom he finds Ember sitting on the edge of her bed waiting for him.
“Sorry for barging in here like this. I told Dinky and Derpy to use the main bathroom.”
Ember nods as she stands up. “It’s fine. This is your house, after all.”
As the pair head for the door together Arc turns to her. “Yes, well… are you okay?”
Ember nods as they leave the guest room and walk down the hall. “I was just thinking about last night. What happened?!”
Arc shrugs as they descend the stairs. “Not a clue. But I didn’t like it one bit.”
Cherry sounds nervous. “Seeing your gauntlet fail you when it was needed most was unsettling!”
Arc blushes. “Ch-Cherry?!”
“What is it?!”
“I’m sorry! It’s just… I kinda forgot you were in there!”
She giggles. “Don’t worry! I didn’t peek on you in the shower.”
“Thanks.”
They head for the basement. Arc’s squad is already hard at work. They stand and salute as he approaches them.
“Morning boys! You’re up early.”
Max nods. “We all had trouble sleeping last night.”
Viktor turns back to the electronics on the table. “The thought of magical interference really got to us.”
Hugh sighs. “Your magical items and powers were always a trump card, sir. With our opponents able to somehow render them inoperable, this throws a monkey wrench into the whole plan.”
Xenos smacks his knuckles together. “I know you could always go old-school on them and fight your way out! But… you having the magical advantage was always good to know.”
“I’m not sure if they can also shut down our Dragon Magic. Ember?”
Ember shrugs. “Sorry, but I never tried.”
Sereb frowns. “Do you think that was what dulled my senses as well?”
Arc nods. “In light of what happened, I would say so.”
Sereb growls. “They should not have been able to sneak up on me. That many humans should make quite a bit of noise.”
Ember turns to Sereb. “What about your sense of smell?”
“Similar to my hearing, I never detected them. Forgive me for allowing them to get the drop on us.”
“It’s not your fault. Anyone have any ideas how this happened though? Any kind of magical dampening fields back in Equestria?”
Viktor nods. “Such things do exist, sir. But for one to be here is not possible.”
“Why’s that?”
Xenos sighs. “They’re used back home to prevent magical intervention during big sporting events. But that requires the fans and players to walk through an archway to temporarily seal their Unicorn Magic.”
Arc thinks for a moment. “Kinda like that Magic Nullifier technology?
Ember frowns. “Shining Armor was wearing that when he came to warn us about Trixie attacking Canterlot Castle!”
Hugh nods. “Yes, but on a much less focused scale. Whether or not Dragon Magic is affected is unknown to us.”
“I don’t remember walking through any archways. “
Ember turns to Arc. “What about the door?”
“There weren’t any electronics around though.”
Sereb nods “That and my senses were off before we even got to that point.”
Max shakes his head. “From what I’ve been told, you should be able to feel your magic being sealed. It’s not something that can be done covertly.”
Viktor puts a hand to his chin thoughtfully. “Unless someone here on Earth has been researching that technology. Improving it!”
Arc shakes his head. “I don’t know how or why they would be able to do that. For starters, without anyone to test it on, how would they know if their design worked?”
Sereb looks to Arc. “Unless they tried it on Princess Celestia.”
Ember’s eyes widen at the thought! “Wait, what?!”
Max frowns. “That makes sense! If someone on Earth had captured the princess, they would need some way to restrain her!”
Hugh nods soberly. “Her magic is powerful enough to vaporize anyone who tried to take her down!”
Viktor suddenly looks worried. “But without her Alicorn Magic or a suitable weapon, she wouldn’t have much with which to defend herself!”
Ember rolls her eyes. “So you think that nut Stingray has Princess Celestia?”
Max shakes his head. “That seems rather unlikely. The Shards don’t really have the facilities, or drive for that matter, to capture and hold a Princess of Equestria.”
Hugh nods in agreement. “Magic or no, she would have beaten them to a pulp!”
Arc raises an eyebrow. “Is she that tough?”
Xenos grins. “Let’s just say you yourself probably wouldn’t stand a chance against her, sir.”
Cherry sighs. “Her strength both physically and magically is well known all across Equestria. That and she is an accomplished tactician with a well-established military record, Arc.”
Ember frowns. “Which begs the question, if she’s so powerful who could have possibly taken her?”
Max nods soberly. “That’s a good question, Ember. She doesn’t really have any weaknesses that we know of.”
Arc turns to them. “She has one. The same as everyone else, really.”
Xenos looks confused. “What?”
“Trickery, deception, deceit. If she’s as strong as you all believe her to be, that would be the only way someone could have collared her.”
Max clenches a fist, angrily. “That’s a dirty trick!”
Ember nods. “True. But it must have worked.”
Cherry sighs. “I guess the question now is, where do we go from here?”
Arc shrugs. “As of right now, I have no idea. You boys watch that footage from last night and see if you can find anything we could use as a clue.”
Ember looks to him. “And you?”
Arc turns to head upstairs. “I’m going to spend the day with Derpy and Dinky. The whole point of me bringing them here was to spend family time together after all.”
Max nods. “Yes sir! We’ll let you know if you find anything when you get home.”
“Give me a call if there’s something urgent though. I have my earring.”
Ember looks over to them. “I’ll help you guys.”
Sereb jumps up on the table and begins looking over some papers. “Let us begin.”
The group sits down as Viktor brings up the video footage from Arc’s helmet. He sighs as he types.
“There has to be SOMETHING here that can give us a clue!”
Ember nods. “If there is, we’ll find it!”
Meanwhile, Arc makes his way upstairs. Derpy and Dinky have finished bathing and Derpy is busy brushing Dinky’s hair.
“This is much easier with hands!”
Dinky winces. “I just wish it was less painful!”
“We have to get the tangles out somehow sweetie.”
“I know, mom.”
Arc pokes his head in the open bedroom door and knocks lightly.
“How’s it coming you two?”
Derpy looks over to him. “We’re almost ready!”
“Can we go to Shelly’s Kitchen for breakfast, dad?!”
“Sure! Your mother needs to meet other humans eventually.”
Derpy sighs nervously. “I… I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”
Dinky looks up at her mother. “You’ll like Lily and Shelly, mom! Don’t worry! I’ll be there with you the whole time!”
Arc nods. “We both will.”
“Okay. I am hungry.”
“Now that’s settled, we can get moving.”
Dinky runs over to the closet and pulls out her coat, excitedly. “This is gonna be GREAT!”
Arc walks over to the closet and rummages around the back. “Let’s see what we can find for you, Derpy.”
Derpy looks confused. “Find?”
“It’s rather cold outside. You’ll need a coat.”
“I… I’ll be okay! Really!”
Arc walks toward Derpy carrying a brown coat with a fuzzy white lining. “This should fit you. Now I know you don’t like feeling restricted, but you can’t go out there in just a dress.”
Dinky nods. “Yeah mom! You’ll get sick!”
She looks at the coat hesitantly. “I… well…”
Arc steps up to her and slowly puts the coat around Derpy’s shoulders. “Trust me on this, my friend.”
Derpy nods but says nothing. Her breathing becomes heavier and more deliberate. Arc puts his arms around her.
“It’s okay, Derpy. I’m here for you.”
Dinky walks over to her mother and puts her small arms around her waist. “Me too mom!”
Derpy returns the hug but says nothing.
“We can leave it unzipped if that would help.”
“Th-thank you!”
Arc smiles at her. “If you get cold you can close your coat. It’s up to you.”
She nods. A hint of uncertainty in her voice. “I… I’ll try it.”
Arc leads her slowly toward the door. “Let’s get going.”
The trio moves to the garage. Arc opens the passenger side door for Derpy and helps her inside.
“There you go. Don’t worry. I’ll be right by your side the whole time.”
Dinky gets in the back seat. “And I’ll be behind you mom!”
Arc closes her door and goes over to his side, gets in the Jeep, and buckles up. Derpy and Dinky do the same as he starts the Jeep and turns to Derpy.
“This is kinda like a mechanical wagon. Are you ready?”
Derpy silently grips the side of the seat with a hand. Seeing this, Arc takes her hand and gives it a quick squeeze.
“Hold onto me, okay?”
“Thank you, Arc. I will.”
Arc presses the button to raise the garage door and shifts into drive.
“Here we go!”
He takes his foot off the brake and the Jeep slowly moves forward. Derpy’s hand grips his tighter as she looks forward wide-eyed.
“A-amazing!”
“You okay, mom?”
Derpy nods with a small smile. “Y-yes. Your father will take care of us.”
Arc turns out of the driveway and heads down the street. A short time later they arrive at Shelly’s Kitchen. Arc gets out and walks over to the passenger side. Opening the door, he helps Derpy out.
“Easy does it. I got you.”
“Th-thanks!”
Derpy looks around at the buildings and surrounding trees.
“Everything’s so much bigger here!”
Arc puts a consoling arm around her shoulders. “You’ll get used to it.”
As they walk slowly toward the building, Derpy closes the coat around her body. “I’m glad you had me wear this. It really is cold here!”
Dinky nods. “According to the weatherman, the temperature here is about the same as back home, mom!”
“What?!”
Arc nods. “You don’t have your gray coat and long mane to keep you warm.”
Derpy sighs. “I suppose you’re right.”
They step inside the building. As usual there are no other customers. Lily greets them at the counter as Arc helps Derpy remove her coat and hang it up.
“Hello again, Daisy!”
Dinky walks happily up to the counter. “Good morning Miss Lily! Dad and I brought my mom with us this time!”
Lily smiles at them as Arc and Derpy walk slowly up to the counter. “Welcome back, Arc!”
“Hi Lily! This is Daisy’s mother… Dawn.”
Derpy looks to Lily very shyly. “Um… hello.”
Arc puts his arms around Derpy’s shoulder. “Sorry, but she’s very shy around strangers.”
Lily nods. “That’s okay! I can relate.”
She escorts the trio to their booth and pulls out her order pad as they sit down.
“What can I get you today?”
“Three plates of pancakes, please.”
Lily raises an eyebrow. “Straying from your regular, Arc?”
“Dawn here is a vegetarian. I don’t want to make her uncomfortable.”
“Understood! What would you like to drink?”
“Milk, please.”
Dinky nods. “Me too!”
“And you, miss?”
Derpy whispers shyly, not making eye contact. “Um… just water please.”
Lily writes the order down on her pad. “I’ll get that right in for you. Shouldn’t take long.”
Arc nods. “Where’s Shelly today?”
Lily sighs. “Today’s not one of her better days. She’s resting upstairs.”
Dinky looks sad. “I hope she feels better soon.”
“Give her a day or two and she’ll be back down here, dear.”
Arc nods. “We’ll come back and see her another day then.”
“Thank you Arc. I’m sure she’d like that.”
Lily heads to the kitchen. Derpy looks to Arc, confused.
“Arc? Why did you call me Dawn?”
“Sorry. Derpy isn’t a very flattering human name.”
Dinky grins. “I liked the human name dad came up with for me! Being called Daisy makes me feel special!”
Derpy smiles. “I understand now. But where did you come up with that, Arc?”
Arc puts an arm around Dinky. “She’s my little flower! Small, sweet and pretty!”
“And mine?”
“I’m hoping this experience will be the start of something new for you too. The dawn of a new chapter in all our lives, so to speak.”
“It’s a very pretty name, Arc. Thank you.”
A short time later Lily emerges from the kitchen with their food. She sets the plates down in front of them.
“There you go! I hope you like it!”
Arc nods. “Thanks, Lily. I’m sure we will.”
Lily turns to Derpy. “So, Arc tells me you work at an orphanage. You just here for the holidays?”
Derpy looks up. “Hearth’s Warming?”
Arc turns to Lily. “That’s what they call it back where she’s from. We call it Christmas here remember, Dawn?”
Derpy nods. “Yes, I’m looking forward to learning more about it.”
Lily smiles. “Well, Christmas is right around the corner. We still on for our regular tradition, Arc?”
“Yes. I hope you don’t mind a few extra though.”
“Not at all! The more the merrier! In any case, I’ll let you folks get back to eating! Enjoy!”
She returns to the kitchen as Dinky looks to her father.
“What was Miss Lily talking about, dad?”
“Lily, Shelly and I get together on Christmas Day every year for a big meal at my house. You see, before I went to Equestria they were the only family I had.”
Derpy smiles. “And you want to share that with us?”
“You don’t have to if you really don’t want to.”
“No, no! I… we would be honored!”
“Good! You two are part of my ever-growing family now.”
They eat their food, pay the check and walk toward the door. Lily waves after them from the cash register.
“Come back soon!”
Dinky laughs and waves happily. “We will!”
Arc and company step out the door into a freezing cold wind. He takes Derpy’s arm.
“Let’s get you two back to the Jeep.”
Dinky runs ahead to open her mother’s door. “Yeah! It feels like this wind just blows right through us!”
They get in the Jeep and Arc starts the engine. Turning on the heat, he smiles at them.
“Much better!”
Derpy looks to him. “Where do you want to go next, Arc?”
“We should probably see about getting you something a bit warmer, Derpy.”
Derpy nods as they drive down the street. “Like what?”
“You’ll see.”
“We going to the mall, dad?”
Arc nods. “Yes. It’s the best place to find what we need. That and I need a few other things.”
Derpy looks confused. “What’s a mall?”
“A really big market with lots of little stores in it, mom!”
“Oh… um… I don’t know…”
“It’s the middle of the week, so it shouldn’t be too busy. Think you can handle it, Derpy?”
Derpy nods sheepishly. “If you two are with me, I know I can do it!”
“That’s the spirit!”
Arc turns onto the highway. A short drive later brings them to the mall. Derpy’s eyes are glued to the window as he drives through the parking lot.
“It… it really IS big! Are there really clothes here for me?”
Dinky nods as her father parks. “Sure mom! This is where dad took me to buy some clothes when we first came to this land!”
Arc walks over and helps Derpy out of the Jeep. “I believe you’ll feel more comfortable in clothes that you pick out yourself.”
Derpy blushes slightly as she takes Arc’s arm in an effort to steady herself. “But I didn’t bring any bits!”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll buy them for you.”
“Thank you. I’ll pay you back when we return home!”
Arc shakes his head. “You don’t have to do that. Think of this as an early Christmas present.”
They make their way inside. Dinky looks around the mall as they walk along.
“What’s with all those colorful lights, dad? They weren’t here before.”
“Those are Christmas lights, sweetheart. It’s traditional to put them up in celebration of the season.”
Derpy looks confused. “What for?”
“The old tradition was for candles on trees. My guess is they started too many fires.”
Dinky raises an eyebrow. “Trees?”
Arc nods. “I have an artificial tree in the attic I put up every year. We’ll probably put it up tomorrow.”
They walk on together. Before long they reach their destination. Arc leads them inside as they walk toward the women’s section. Derpy looks at a wool sweater.
“Wool? There are sheep here?!”
Arc nods. “Yes. That should keep you warm without putting you into a full-on panic attack. Would you like to look at some thicker pants or dresses?”
Derpy shakes her head. “I think I’ll stick with dresses. If that’s okay with you, that is! You’re buying them after all.”
Arc picks up a few garments from a rack. “How about these?”
Dinky raises an eyebrow at Arc’s selection. “Aren’t those shirts a little long for my mom?”
“They’re called sweater dresses, sweetheart. Made for cold weather, wind and snow. You’ll still need to wear a coat though.”
Derpy smiles. “They’re very pretty!”
Arc looks over at his daughter. “They even have some in your size, Dinky.”
“Can I have one too, dad?!”
“Sure! You and your mother can be look-a-likes!”
Dinky takes her mother’s hand. “Come on, mom! Let’s go try them on!”
“Try them… on?”
Arc nods. “To see if they fit and that you like the way they feel. Dinky will help you change, won’t you dear?”
Dinky nods happily! “Sure will!”
They walk over to the changing rooms together. Arc picks something up off the rack and gives it to Derpy.
“What is it?”
“They’re called leggings. These will help keep your legs warm.”
Derpy appears relieved. “Thank you very much! The walk in here was pretty cold!”
Arc sits down on a bench. “I’ll wait for you two out here.”
Dinky follows her mother into the changing room. “We’ll hurry!”
Arc calls out after them, happily. “Take your time! I’m not going anywhere!”
A short time later Dinky steps out of the changing room with her mother. They are both sporting their new sweater dresses with matching leggings.
“What do you think, dad?!”
Arc stands up and approaches them. His face turns red as he sees Derpy. “You both look… very nice! Are you comfortable?”
Derpy nods and blushes slightly. “Very! These leggings are a big improvement already!”
“You don’t feel hemmed in by them, mom?”
“Not at all! They’re not holding me in as much as they’re protecting me from the cold.”
Dinky smiles and laughs. “Like dad does?!”
Derpy smiles. “I suppose so, sweetie.”
She turns back to look at Arc.
“What do you think? Do these suit me?”
Arc nods. “They do! You’re very pretty in them! But you both should try on some more clothes and pick out some sleepwear.”
Dinky looks confused. “What’s sleepwear?”
“Comfortable clothes to sleep in”.
“Like the t-shirt and shorts you gave me, dad?”
“Yes. But your mother needs something to wear to bed as well.”
“Please Arc! Don’t feel that you have to spend more money on us! I can sleep without clothes on if it would save you some bits!”
Arc blushes deeply. “I… uh… it’s no problem! Really!”
Dinky takes her mother’s hand. “Come on, mom! Let’s look for more nice feeling clothes!”
Arc shakes his head as Derpy and Dinky walk back to the racks. “I wonder if this is what husbands feel like when they go clothes shopping with their wives.”
Derpy and Dinky spend the next hour trying on different clothes before settling on what to buy. Arc pays for their choices and the pair head back to the Jeep with several large bags.
“Thank you very much Arc! This feels MUCH better! What did you call these things again?”
“Boots. They protect your feet from injury and cold.”
Dinky smiles. “They also keep my toes warm!”
They reach the Jeep and put their purchases inside. Arc turns to Derpy.
“Are you feeling up to looking at a few more stores?”
She nods. “I am! This market and Earth are truly amazing!”
Arc closes the door and locks the Jeep. “Follow me then.”
They visit several more stores and the mall’s food court before returning to the Jeep once again. Derpy giggles as she buckles her seat belt.
“That was a trip and a half!”
Dinky closes her door and buckles up. “But we did have fun!”
“What was that last store again?”
“An electronics store, Derpy. They sell all kinds of technology there.”
Dinky grins. “You sure did buy a lot of stuff there dad!”
“Yes, well… they should deliver everything tomorrow. Then I can show you what I have planned.”
Derpy smiles at him. “Looking forward to it, Arc!”
Dinky laughs. “What’s next?!”
Arc thinks for a moment. “How about we go grocery shopping? We need some fresh food for the house.”
“Is the grocery store as impressive as the mall, Arc?”
Dinky nods. “It’s the biggest collection of different foods I’ve ever seen!”
Arc starts the Jeep. “They have many different foods from many different cultures. We should be able to find something interesting there. That and we need milk. Ember’s kinda grouchy if she doesn’t get at least two large bowls of Frosted Flakes and milk every morning”
Dinky smiles as they pull out of the parking lot. “Well, let’s see if we can remedy that!”