A few days later Arc and Derpy sit on the couch with Dinky. Derpy looks to Arc.
“How’s she doing?”
Arc sighs. “Not the greatest.”
“Has she left your room lately, dad?”
“Other than to got to the bathroom, no. She just kinda sits there in a stupor looking out the window.”
Derpy sighs. “Is Sereb still watching her?”
“As best he can, yes. Recently he’s been sitting in her lap and allowing her to pet him.”
Dinky smiles. “He’s really cute like that!”
Derpy sighs. “Even I can’t be mad at her when she’s like this.”
Arc nods. “I think she’s finally hit rock-bottom.”
“What’s that, dad?”
“It means she’s lost everything. Her husband, job, money, home, possessions and even her daughter.”
Derpy shakes her head. “It must have been pretty shameful for her to learn that you had to carry her inside like a bag of potatoes.”
Arc looks at Cybil’s waitress clothes from the other day draped over a nearby chair. “She doesn’t even have the will to get dressed.”
Dinky nods. “She’s starting to get a bit grubby again.”
Arc nods. “Ember tried to get her to take a shower, but… no luck. Cybil wouldn’t even respond to her. Can I assume nothing changed the other day when I left to deal with the Shards in the park?”
“Not a thing.”
“What happened at the park, dad?”
“They were graffitiing the playground.”
Derpy turns to him. “Did you stop them?”
“Yup.”
“How?”
“It seems their own paint cans turned on them. They started floating and spraying the gang members.”
Dinky grins at her dad. “Now I wonder how THAT happened!”
Arc smiles at Dinky and shrugs. “Mysterious circumstances, sweetheart. I think they learned their lesson.”
“Did they see you?”
“Yes. I wanted those guys to know who was trolling them.”
Derpy nods. “How about the day before when they were stealing packages off door steps?”
“Simple. I just teleported over to their base, walked over to the road that leads to it, and waited. It was a simple task to Blink inside the back of the truck, grab the packages with my magic, and Blink back out.”
Dinky smiles at her father. “What did you do with them?”
“I took them back to the Post Office. They’ll have to be redelivered tomorrow.”
Derpy shrugs. “Guess it’s better than not getting your package at all.”
She giggles slightly.
“What’s so funny, mom?”
“I just remembered what filly me wanted to be when they grew up.”
Arc turns to her. “What was that?”
“A mailpony!”
“Why’s that?”
Derpy shrugs. “I don’t know. Maybe so I could go to exotic locations.”
Dinky turns to her mother. “Or maybe to get away from home.”
Derpy nods. “Probably. But I’m very happy with the way my life turned out. You and your father are the best thing to ever happen to me!”
Dinky looks a bit nervous “Yeah… about that, mom.”
“Dinky? What is it?”
“I… uh… wanted to talk to you about something.”
Arc looks at Dinky. “Do you want to be alone?”
“It’s okay, dad. You should be here too.”
Dinky is silent for a time before she turns to look at her mother.
“Mom? Remember how you told me about my biological father, Moonlit Dusk?”
“Yes. What about him?”
“Well… you told me how he… you know… got you pregnant and all. I… I just wanted to know if you ever…”
She pauses as if trying to find just the right words.
“…regretted having me.”
Derpy puts an arm around Dinky’s shoulders. “WHAT?! Never sweetie!”
Arc looks at Dinky. “What brought this on?”
“Well… back home in Ponyville, some of the school foals told me how they came to live there. Pipsqueak and Aquamarine had the same story.”
Derpy frowns. “Story?”
“Both of their mother’s got pregnant without being married. Their dads didn’t want them or their mothers so…”
Her voice trails off. Arc takes Dinky’s small hand.
“So they abandoned them?”
Dinky nods sadly.
“I know you and dad would never do that to me. But I have to know the truth! Mom… aren’t I a reminder of… of what happened to you that night?!”
Derpy takes a deep breath before responding.
“Dinky. I want you to know that what happened to me was… not something I want to ever see happen to anypony else! But I don’t see you as a reminder of my weakness back then.”
“You don’t?”
Derpy puts her hands on Dinky’s cheeks. “No sweetie. To me, you’ll always be a reminder of what Hope truly looks like!”
“Your mother’s right, sweetheart. Do you regret being born?”
Dinky sadly nods. “I kinda do! I mean, I’m happy to be here with both of you! But… if I hadn’t come along, maybe things would have worked out better!”
“Listen Dinky. You don’t have anything to be sorry for. A child doesn’t ASK to be born, after all. And both your mother and I are VERY happy you’re here!”
Derpy gives Dinky a hug. “That we are! Never forget that, sweetie!”
Dinky returns her parent’s hugs with one of her own. “Thanks! I’m happy to be here too!”
After a short time Dinky’s stomach growls. Derpy giggles.
“Sounds like someone’s hungry.”
Dinky smiles at her mother. “A little bit!”
Derpy stands up. “Why don’t we get some lunch going?”
“Can I help?!”
“Of course, sweetie!”
Arc nods. “While you two do that, I think I’ll check on what my squad is up to.”
Dinky follows her mother to the kitchen. “Okay dad!”
Arc heads for the basement. Viktor is at his computer as usual, Ember and Xenos are sparring, Hugh is listening to the police scanner, and Max is looking over some printouts. They snap to attention as he enters the room.
“Sir!”
“Find anything boys?”
Viktor shakes his head. “Not really. The Shards are keeping quiet for the time being.”
Max looks worried. “Maybe they’re getting ready for something big!”
Arc chuckles. “More than likely their members are just getting ready for the holiday. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve after all.”
Ember holds Xenos in a headlock. “You sure?”
“Frank was always respectful of this time of year for some reason.”
Xenos breaks free and tosses Ember aside. “Why’s that?”
Arc shrugs. “No idea. How about the police scanner?”
Hugh looks over. “Everything’s quiet in town.”
“Good!”
Ember calls over to him. “Hey Arc! What are we going to do with that stuff we took from the Shard base a while back?”
“Truth be told, I actually forgot about it. We need to turn those weapons and electronics over to Marshal Raynor.”
Ember wipes her face with a towel as she and Xenos take a break. “How?!”
“Hmmm…”
Xenos looks to Arc. “Why don’t you just bring it to him at his base?”
“It’s called the Police Station. And I don’t want everyone in town hearing about this. It has to be handled delicately.”
He thinks for a moment before turning to Max.
“Max, call the Police Station and ask for Marshal Raynor. The number is next to the phone.”
“Yes sir. What should I tell him?”
Arc thinks for a moment. “Say you want to meet him in regards to the stolen weapons in exactly one hour.”
Ember frowns. “Where’s this meeting going to take place?”
“How about just outside that warehouse the Shards robbed? No one’s going to be there the week of Christmas.”
Max nods. “I’ll take care of it, sir.”
He heads upstairs to make the call as Ember walks over to Arc.
“If you’re going on this little errand, I’m coming with you!”
Arc nods. “I was hoping you would volunteer.”
Xenos turns to him. “There’s just one thing I don’t understand, sir. Why the one-hour bit? You could be there in five minutes with your Sigil Magic.”
Arc smiles as he turns to walk upstairs. “That gives us time to eat lunch.”
Ember facepalms. “Why am I not surprised?”
Arc and company eat lunch together. Afterwards he and Ember put on their armor. Sereb rushes downstairs.
“I heard the sound of armor. Is there trouble?”
Arc shakes his head. “Not really. We’re just going to turn in those stolen weapons from the Shard base. How’s our guest?”
“She doesn’t sleep well at night, so she keeps dozing off.”
Ember grins. “Did you take the opportunity?”
Sereb nods. “Yes. I went into the hallway, returned to my normal form and cast a sleep spell on her. She should be out for a while.”
“Good. Stay by her side though. She needs the emotional support of a friendly face more than ever right now.”
Sereb turns to go back upstairs. “I will do my best.”
Arc turns to Derpy and Dinky as he opens a portal.
“Thanks for lunch you two. We shouldn’t be too long.”
Derpy waves. “Take care you two.”
“Bye dad!”
Arc and Ember step through and make their way over the perimeter fence. Ember looks to Arc.
“Isn’t this breaking in?”
“Not really. Look.”
He points to a small empty guard shack with a raised barricade.
“We could have just walked right in.”
Ember folds her arms over her armored chest. “I hope your friend gets here soon!”
Arc pulls the magic cloak out of his ring and puts it around Ember’s shoulders. “So do I. Does that help?”
Ember pulls the cloak around herself tighter. “Actually yeah! Thanks! What I wouldn’t do for a warm fireplace right now though.”
Arc looks around. He spots a barrel nearby and uses his magic to levitate it over to himself.
“Arc? What are you doing?”
“I think the workers here use this barrel to keep warm when working outside.”
He points to a pile of broken pallets.
“There’s the wood pile.”
Ember nods. “Do you think they’d mind if we used some of that wood?”
“I doubt it. From the looks of things, they have plenty for the winter.”
He quickly smashes a couple pallets into smaller pieces before throwing them in the barrel and casting a flame spell. The dry wood quickly ignites. Ember holds her gauntlets toward the warm flames.
“Much better!”
She looks over at Arc suspiciously.
“You don’t have a coat on under there, do you?”
“Nope.”
“Then how are you not freezing?!”
“The Hammers put thermal regulators in my armor. I stay warm here, and cool in hot climates such as Abyssinia.”
“Handy!”
About twenty minutes pass. Ember looks up at the sound of an engine approaching.
“Look! There’s a car coming!”
Arc frowns. “That’s not Marshal Raynor’s squad car!”
A moment later the federal vehicle pulls over to them and stops. Marshal Raynor steps out in a heavy coat and boots. He walks over to Arc.
“You again?!”
Arc gestures to the barrel fire. “Nice to see you again. New set of wheels?”
Raynor frowns. “The feds have all but taken over the police force and insist that all of us drive federal vehicles until further notice.”
Ember sighs. “Flexing their muscle?”
Raynor warms his hands by the fire. “So it would seem. I’m not too happy about it myself! Now then, someone called me about wanting to share some info. Was that you two?”
Ember shrugs. “You could say that.”
“So talk! What do you know?!”
Arc turns around and touches his ring. “Why don’t I show you instead?”
“Please do.”
Arc takes a few steps away from the fire before pulling the crates out of his ring and lining them up neatly. Raynor looks at them suspiciously.
“What do you have there?”
Arc steps aside. “A Christmas gift from me to the town.”
Raynor looks confused as Arc pries open a crate with his bare gauntlets and steps back.
“See for yourself.”
Raynor does so. He reaches into the crate and pulls out an assault rifle. Examining the weapon in his hand before turning back to Arc, astonished.
“What the heck?! Where did these come from?!”
Ember sighs. “They were stolen from the gun shop.”
“How did you get them then?! Were you the ones who pulled off that heist?!”
Raynor looks at Arc’s ring and narrows his eyes.
“You certainly have the… technology to pull off something like that!”
Arc shakes his head. “We had nothing to do with the robbery.”
Ember stands next to Arc. “Right! The Shards are the thieves here! Not us!”
“Then how did you get your hands on them?!”
Arc gestures to Ember. “We broke into the Shard base and found them.”
Raynor narrows his eyes. “Just the two of you? How did you pull that off?!”
Ember activates the magic cloak and disappears. “Invisibility.”
Arc nods. “Right! Why fight when you can avoid trouble all together?”
Raynor looks at all the crates lined up neatly.
“I really should bring you in for questioning.”
Ember growls. “What for?!”
“Possession of stolen property for starters!”
Arc Blinks in front of Marshal Raynor.
“I don’t think you have a cell that could hold me.”
Raynor sighs. “Yeah. I guess you’re right.”
“I did make one other discovery in their base.”
Raynor sighs. “Really? What could be bigger than this?!”
Arc reaches into his ring yet again and pulls out the truck.
“A toy?”
Ember looks to the Marshal as Arc sets it down carefully on the ground and steps back. “Not exactly. Watch!”
The marshal watches as Arc casts the Matter Compacting counter spell. In a moment the truck begins to grow. As it returns to its normal size Arc steps back over to the barrel fire.
“Take a look in the back.”
Ember nods. “I think you’ll find the cargo quite interesting.”
Marshal Raynor cautiously does so. As the doors swing slowly open his eyes widen in amazement.
“Electronics?! But… but how?!”
Ember nods. “They were with the weapons.”
“The whole truck AND its cargo?!”
Arc nods. “Yes.”
Raynor shakes his head in disbelief. “That’s not possible! The feds took this truck and its contents as evidence quite some time ago!”
Ember rolls her eyes. “Well the Shards must have taken it back then!”
“Again, not possible! They would have reported it stolen if that was the case!”
Ember chuckles. “Well then, I guess we have an impossibly placed truck with impossibly obtained cargo that couldn’t possibly be here.”
Raynor nods. “Obtained by someone who’s got some kind of impossible power.”
Arc laughs. “Touché.”
Raynor puts a hand to his forehead as he attempts to take everything in. “This… how on Earth did you pull this off?!”
Arc shakes his head. “That’s a trade secret.”
Ember frowns. “What does it matter?! We got this stuff away from the Shards and no one got hurt!”
Arc nods. “Especially by those guns!”
Raynor turns back to the crates. “Yeah. There’s enough of those floating around on the black market without adding to the supply.”
Ember looks to Raynor. “Marshal, how DO you suppose the Shards retrieved this truck?”
“Your guess is as good as mine on that one, miss.”
Arc sighs. “Could there be a rat in the feds?”
“Not likely. I mean, what kind of a fool would risk their job to help a bunch of misfits like that Shards?!”
Ember nods. “Good point.”
Arc looks at the truck again. “However, a traitor is the only logical explanation.”
Raynor sighs. “I know you’re right. It’s just hard to imagine someone being that stupid.”
Arc turns to leave with Ember. “Well, I guess you can take it from here, Marshal.”
“Wait a second! Just who are you really?!”
Arc stops but does not turn around. “I already told you. I’m the Hero of Light.”
Ember nods. “What he said!”
Arc opens a portal. “Just one more thing. Watch your back, Marshal. If there really is a mole in the feds’ organization, they’ll start investigating.”
Raynor crosses his arms over his chest. “Bring em on! I’m a lawman, not a patsy!”
Ember grins. “Good to hear!”
She and Arc step through the portal and vanish from sight. Marshal Raynor returns to his vehicle and calls for backup along with a transport. Standing up and looking back at the recovered property, he mutters to himself.
“I still don’t understand how those two did this! But I don’t exactly want to look a gift horse in the mouth either.”
Meanwhile, Arc and Ember reappear on the sigil in Arc’s basement. Xenos walks over to them.
“How’d it go?”
Ember removes her armor. “Mission accomplished!”
Arc nods as he returns his armor to the ring. “Marshal Raynor will take care of that stuff for us. Anything happen while we were out?”
Max shakes his head. “Not really. Things stayed pretty quiet.”
A message comes over the scanner. Ember looks over to it.
“What’s that about?!”
Max grins. “Marshal Raynor just called for backup to transport a bunch of recovered materials.”
Hugh nods at Arc. “I wonder who could be responsible for that!”
Ember smiles and shrugs her shoulders. “Yeah! It’s a mystery!”
Viktor nods as he munches on Christmas cookies. “Hopefully things stay peaceful! I’m rather enjoying this holiday!”
Xenos laughs. “Me too! Everyone’s a bit happier, good food, and good friends to share it with!”
Arc turns to the others. “Right. Just remember we’re having a big dinner here Christmas Day.”
Ember looks to Arc. “Do you want me to monitor the scanner while you guys eat?”
Max shakes his head. “Sereb already volunteered.”
Ember chuckles. “He’s kinda a lone wolf. Literally sometimes!”
Arc nods. “We all have our ways of doing things. Anyone seen Derpy and Dinky?”
Viktor points toward the stairs. “They’re upstairs making cookies.”
Arc quickly heads for the stairs. “I want in on that action!”
Ember follows closely behind him. “Me too!”
They quickly head upstairs as Max turns to Viktor.
“It was nice of the commander to invite us to his family gathering.”
Viktor nods. “I would have expected any other commander to sequester us down here during the meal.”
Xenos grins. “He’s not like other commanders though.”
Hugh chuckles. “Right! Ours is certainly one of a kind!”
The next day Arc and his friends sit around the kitchen table together.
“So are we ready for tomorrow?”
Max nods. “I think so, sir!”
Xenos grins. “Hugh and I bought everything on the list from the market.”
Arc sighs. “I can’t help but think we forgot something.”
Derpy smiles at him. “We triple checked, Arc.”
“Yeah dad! We got this!”
Ember grins. “What’s the plan?”
“Derpy, Dinky and I will get up early tomorrow morning and start cooking. Shelly and Lily will arrive about eleven and lend a hand. With luck, we’ll be ready to eat by one.”
Max grins. “Can we do anything to help, sir?”
“The house needs to be cleaned from top to bottom.”
Viktor looks to Arc. “We do our best to treat your home with respect sir.”
Arc nods. “And you’ve done an amazing job of that. But for tomorrow, everything needs to be PERFECT!”
“Perfect, dad?”
Derpy looks confused. “Why?”
“This is a very special year. For the first time I have a family to spend it with. And I want to share that with all of you, Shelly and Lily.”
Ember smiles. “They’re nice folks, Arc! Tomorrow is going to be quite a day!”
Max laughs. “As is tonight!”
“That it is!”
Dinky looks toward the stairs. “How is Miss Cybil doing?”
Derpy sighs. “She’s improving. But… I don’t know. She still seems broken somehow.”
Viktor nods. “All things considered, she’s doing very well! Did she agree to go with you tonight, sir?”
“Yes. We’re going to make that little girl’s Christmas wish come true.”
Ember grins. “And deliver a ton of ice cream to the orphans!”
“Right.”
Dinky looks to her mother. “Where is she anyways?”
“She’s taking a shower. I lent her some of my clothes.”
Arc raises an eyebrow. “Derpy?”
Derpy looks to Arc, sheepishly. “I… didn’t want her daughter to have to see her mother wearing those old beer-stained rags she came in here with.”
They finish their supper. Max and Hugh begin doing the dishes as Ember looks at the uneaten plate of food sitting on the counter.
“Cybil didn’t make it down.”
Max nods. “She’s probably just nervous about tonight.”
Dinky smiles. “Or trying to make herself extra pretty for her daughter!”
Arc picks up the plate. “I’ll run it up to her.”
He walks up the stairs and up to his room and lightly knocks. A small voice calls out.
“C-come in.”
He opens the door to see Cybil sitting in her usual place staring out the window absentmindedly. Arc sets the food on the desk.
“You feeling better?”
“I… I think so.”
“You should eat something before we go. Ember and I have a couple things to get ready before heading over to orphanage.”
“Okay.”
Arc turns to leave.
“Wait!”
He turns back to her. “Something wrong?”
“I’m sorry, but… I… I can’t.”
“You can’t what?”
“Go to the orphanage.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m a terrible mother, that’s why!”
Arc sits down across from her. “No parent is perfect.”
Cybil shakes her head. “Believe me, I’m far worse than you realize.”
“Do you feel bad for leaving your daughter behind?”
“Not at all! I was a horrendous person to her and everyone around me! Sam was always there for her and me though. But now… now he’s… gone.”
Arc sighs. “It always feels like we have forever.”
“That it did. But… she’ll be better off just forgetting I ever existed.”
“I know she doesn’t feel that way.”
“Well, she should! After what I did…”
Arc shakes his head. “Leaving her with Sam was the right thing to do at the time. But right now he can’t be there for her. You can! Just try to make in through Christmas. If not for yourself, then for her sake.”
Cybil shakes her head sadly as she looks down at her clenched fists, trembling.
“Did… did she tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
Cybil does not look up. “What happened to her hands?”
“No. She didn’t say, nor did the orphanage staff seem to know either.”
“She… she was always such a sweet little angel. Even when I was drunk and stupid!”
Arc looks at her warily. “Cybil. What exactly happened?”
Cybil looks up at Arc with fresh tears in her eyes. “Her hands… I… I DID THAT TO HER!!!”