Arc’s vision begins to clear. Soon he is able to see clearly.
“W-w-what?!”
Looking all around they see innumerable glass tubes. Some are still intact while others lie broken. Spike turns to RD-001.
“These are big enough for a stallion! Did you keep ponies in these?!”
RD-001 shakes their head. “Dragons.”
Tempest’s eyes grow wide. “DRAGONS?!”
“Yes.”
Rose frowns. “For what purpose?”
“Research.”
Spike hides behind Rose. “You experimented on them?!”
“Indeed.”
Arc turns to their host. “The Bloodstone Scepter. It was created here, wasn’t it?”
“I am not familiar with that term.”
Rose turns to the stallion. “I think I can help with that.”
Her eyes aglow, she displays a picture of the Bloodstone Scepter on a nearby wall. RD-001 nods.
“I understand now. You’re talking about a Wand of Control.”
Tempest looks confused. “Wand of what now?”
“The Earth Ponies of my time period used it to lead an attack on the Dragon Lands many years ago. They hoped to enslave dragons and bind them to their will. With their slaves’ Dragon Magic and the ability to fly, the Earth Ponies would have theoretically been unstoppable.”
Spike looks frightened. “But that didn’t happen… right?!”
Arc shakes his head. “No, it didn’t.”
“Then what did?!”
Rose kneels down to his level. “Spike. Some things are better left in the past, okay?”
“But…!”
Arc interrupts him. “Spike. Just… don’t.”
“Um… okay.”
RD-001 sighs. “I’m still waiting for the official report from headquarters. Although it is quite overdue.”
Tempest rolls her eyes. “I don’t think it’s coming, chump.”
Spike nods. “Yeah. Probably best to just leave that in the past too.”
Arc turns back to the stallion. “Right. But in any case, you said earlier you needed Dragon Magic. For what purpose?”
“Yes. This way.”
RD-001 leads them past the glass tubes toward the crystal at one end of the room. Spike looks at it wide-eyed.
“It… it looks like the stone atop the Bloodstone Scepter!”
Arc gasps. “You’re right, Spike! How did we miss that?!”
RD-001 chuckles. “The two of you were mesmerized at the time. You could not have noticed, even if you had seen the item in the past.”
Tempest glares at RD-001. “How did you do that? I mean, the runt I can understand. But Arc certainly isn’t a dragon!”
“Perhaps not. However he does have Dragon Magic.”
Rose frowns. “So you controlled him?!”
“Yes.”
Arc shakes his head. “Okay. You still haven’t told us why though.”
“I am aware of the state of affairs in this world. The event leading up to the Earth Ponies losing the war, and how the three nations are now one.”
Tempest raises an eyebrow. “How?”
“I’m able to pick up radio broadcasts.”
RD-001 turns to Arc.
“I even heard one whom sounded like you address the nation.”
Arc appears surprised. “Back when I was Lord Regent?”
“So it would seem.”
Rose turns to their host. “I don’t understand. If you knew the war was over, why continue your work here?”
“I must complete the tasks given to me. Research and development.”
Spike folds his arms over his chest. “But for WHAT?! The war’s over!”
“That it is. But my research must continue.”
Tempest smiles wickedly. “Tell us about your more recent research then. Maybe it can help protect Equestria.”
“With no new orders, I decided to try and… fix what I had done.”
Rose looks confused. “You mean try and make the world a better place?”
“In a way, yes. The research done here left many loose ends.”
Spike raises an eyebrow. “Loose ends?”
“I’ve managed to make a place for those affected. But…”
Tempest interrupts. “HOLD IT! Make a home?!”
Rose gasps. “Are you saying some of your specimens are still alive after all this time?!”
“Their descendants, yes.”
Arc frowns. “Tell me of this so-called ‘home’ you made for them.”
“Certainly. I discovered a forest far to the south-east that had a rather strange magical aura surrounding it. Physics appeared to be a bit… unstable there for some reason. While very inhospitable to ponykind, it would serve as a new home to the experiments of the past.”
Tempest narrows her eyes. “Show me these creatures.”
“I cannot, as most of them are long gone.”
Rose turns to RD-001. “Do you have visual records of them?”
“Yes. Observe.”
RD-001’s eyes glow as he displays a slide show of the creatures on a nearby wall. Arc gasps.
“Hey, I know that one!”
Spike nods. “A manticore?!”
Tempest frowns. “Yes. A cockatrice, manticore, timber wolves, bugbears and… are those plants?!”
RD-001 nods. “Yes. They too deserved a chance at life.”
Rose lists off the rest.
“Poison Joke, Plundervines, Sanguine Azolla…”
Arc freezes. “WHAT?!”
Tempest turns to RD-001, angrily. “Why would you release something so dangerous?!”
RD-001 appears confused. “Dangerous?”
Spike nods angrily. “Somepony made a rather… strange poison from that plant some time ago.”
“I am confused. How is that the plant’s fault?”
Tempest grits her teeth. “You should have destroyed something like that, you idiot!”
“Why?”
“To protect Equestria!”
RD-001 shakes his head as the drones from earlier surround him. “If that was the case, should I not also purge you?”
Rose gasps. “What?! But…!”
RD-001 interrupts as he looks at Tempest. “Are you not also capable of bringing death and destruction to this land?”
“Of course I could! But I won’t! These creatures and plants don’t have the mental capacity to…!”
“…to make a different choice? To follow a different path? You sound very much like the Earth Ponies I served long ago! Caring little for others outside their own species! Has so little changed over the centuries?! Have you learned NOTHING from the mistakes of your ancestors?!”
Arc nods soberly. “I have.”
RD-001 turns to Arc, confused. “You have? A dragon?”
“I am not a dragon.”
“You said that before. What are you then?”
“A human.”
“Interesting…”
Spike’s eyes grow wide. “You know about them?”
“I know OF them, yes. However until this day I had yet to meet one. Tell me, what have humans learned?”
“That fighting usually just leads to more fighting, for starters.”
RD-001 nods. “The Great War clearly proved that.”
“Tell me, RD-001. Were the creature that were created here simply for war alone?”
“Yes.”
Rose turns again to the stallion. “They could not exist for any other purpose other than to destroy?”
“I was… unsure of that.”
Tempest raises an eyebrow. “Unsure?”
“I decided an experiment was the best solution.”
Spike sighs. “Why does that make me nervous?”
“It was fairly simple. Using the last of the facility’s energy, I teleported them to what you now call the Everfree Forest.”
Tempest frowns. “Hmph. That explains where those freaks came from.”
Arc glares at her. “They didn’t choose to be BORN that way, Tempest.”
“A freak is still a freak!”
Rose clears her throat in an attempt to change the subject. “RD-001, you said you mesmerized Arc and Spike with this crystal. Can you tell us why?”
“Yes. Forgive me, as I tend to ramble.”
RD-001 clears his throat before continuing.
“There are currently two specimens in this facility.”
Spike raises an eyebrow. “You couldn’t leave them in the Everfree Forest?”
“I attempted to, yes. However this specimen is unable to accept what they are.”
Tempest facehoofs. “Let me get this straight. An animal can’t come to terms with being an ANIMAL?!”
“Correct. They continue to return here in hopes I can… fix them.”
Arc sighs. “How do they find their way back?”
Rose considers the question. “It must have an excellent sense of direction. Like a homing pigeon returning to its point of origin.”
Spike gulps. “And this creature… is this thing here now?!”
RD-001 nods. “It is. The energy collected will be used in an attempt to wipe its memory.”
Rose looks worried. “But won’t that be dangerous?”
“Yes. However this specimen was this facility’s greatest creation. Strong, brave, and intelligent. It was to be the harbinger of the Earth Pony army.”
Tempest glares at the android. “And you let it GO?!”
“Yes, well… perhaps you should simply see it for yourself.”
The android pushes a few button on a keypad and a door opens. Following him through into a truly massive room, Arc and company are met with an astonishing sight. Spike is the first to be able to speak.
“N-no way?!”
Arc takes a step forward. “It CAN’T be!”
Tempest puts a hoof on her spear. “Well, it’s certainly… big.”
Standing before them is a massive creature. Much larger than a building in height, even lying down. It appears to be sleeping. Spike turns to Arc.
“A-Arc?! Is that…?”
“Yeah. The Ursa Major from Ponyville.”
Rose scans the creature. “Even with all the known data on this creature, it’s still a sight to behold!”
Arc turns to RD-001. “How did you put it to sleep?!”
“I did not have to. Every creature, great and small, requires at least some amount of rest.”
Tempest grins. “Great! It’ll be that much easier to slay!”
She readies Light’s Bane, but Arc puts a hand on her shoulder.
“Let’s try the non-violent approach.”
“What? WHY?! It’s an animal, Arc!”
“That may be. But from my point of view, so are you.”
Tempest turns and steps back. “Fine. But if it goes crazy, I’m taking it down!”
Arc sighs. “Have it your way.”
RD-001 looks to Arc, clearly confused. “You have seen this creature before?”
“Yes. It came to Ponyville some time ago looking for its cub.”
“Was anypony hurt?”
Arc sighs. “Not… really. Well, it’s cub almost ripped my guts out when we first met.”
“All the more reason to quickly erase the memories of its past and this facility.”
RD-001 pushes a few nearby buttons. The door behind them opens and the crystal from earlier floats toward him. He checks the gauges.
“I will only be a moment.”
Rose turns to Arc. “Should we really let him go through with this, Arc?!”
“Well…”
Tempest shakes her head. “Certainly not!”
Rose turns to her, surprised. “Really? I thought for certain you would…!”
“It should be destroyed at once!”
Spike looks at the creature lying on the floor before them. “But that just seems so cruel!”
“I can make it quick.”
Arc sighs. “Tempest…”
“You KNOW this needs to be done, Arc!”
“That may be, but…”
The Ursa Major slowly opens its eyes. Spike tugs on Rose’s hand.
“Um… g-g-guys?!”
Rose turns to the beast. “Arc? Problem.”
RD-001 looks over to them. “I am nearly ready on this end. Please be patient.”
Tempest again readies her spear. “That may not be an option!”
Spike turns to him. “Arc? Can I try something?”
“Try what?!”
“You’ll see.”
Spike walks toward the Ursa Major. Rose calls out after him.
“Spike? What are you DOING?!”
“What I can. Hopefully we can come to some kind of agreement.”
Spike turns back to the Ursa Major.
“Um… hi?”
The creature frowns at him.
“You… uh… want to talk about it?”
Amazingly, a series of grunts and growls come forth. Tempest turns to Arc.
“What is he DOING?!”
“I think he’s trying to talk to it.”
Rose appears surprised. “But that’s not possible!”
Arc shrugs. “I don’t know about that. Fluttershy seems to do pretty well at it.”
RD-001 looks up. “I am ready.”
Rose shakes her head. “Wait! Let’s allow Spike to try it his way.”
“Very well. But I’ll keep the device ready.”
Arc nods. “Agreed.”
A few minutes later Spike turns and walks back to the group. Tempest frowns at him.
“Are you quite done wasting time over there?!”
Spike sighs. “To be honest, she’s more afraid than we are right now!”
Arc raises an eyebrow. “Afraid of what?”
“She can’t understand what’s going on.”
Tempest rolls her eyes. “Of course she can’t!”
“That’s why I explained it to her.”
Rose looks confused. “Which part?”
“The mind crystal thingy over there.”
Arc facepalms. “Oh boy. Is she mad?”
Spike shakes his head. “Not really. In fact, she says we’re wasting our time.”
Tempest raises an eyebrow. “How so?”
“That device doesn’t have nearly enough power to even faze her.”
Rose looks surprised. “Who says?”
“She does.”
RD-001 shakes his head. “That is not possible. This creature does not have the mental aptitude to…”
The Ursa Major growls at them. Rose turns to RD-001.
“Perhaps it would be wise not to anger the mountain-sized beast.”
Arc nods. “Agreed. Spike, can you really understand what she’s saying?”
Spike nods. “Yeah! You want me to translate for you?”
Tempest scoffs. “Waste of time!”
Arc steps forward. “It’s worth a shot.”
“What should I tell her?”
“How about we start with… hello.”
Spike shrugs. “Makes sense.”
The baby dragon makes some strange sounds which the beast returns.
“She says hello to you too.”
“Ask if she remembers me?”
“I already did.”
Rose looks nervous. “And?”
“She remembers the Ponyville incident.”
Tempest frowns. “Incident?”
Arc sighs. “Yeah. Like I said before, I… uh… kinda know this creature.”
Rose shrugs. “Why am I not surprised?”
“Tell her I’m sorry for what I did to her cub back then, Spike.”
The Ursa Major growls as Spike relays the message.
“She, uh… didn’t know you did that.”
Tempest rolls her eyes. “Smooth move, Arc.”
“Ah, tell her I was just trying to get him to leave.”
Rose nods. “Hurry!”
“Okay!”
A few moments later he looks back at Arc.
“She thanks you for not hurting him. He had run off on his own again and she was looking for him.”
Arc nods. “So she came to Ponyville because she thought I had hurt him?”
“Not exactly.”
Tempest rolls her eyes. “Why else would a manic beast head there?!”
“She was looking for something.”
Rose looks confused. “If not her cub, what then?”
“Help.”
Arc gasps. “Wait, what?”
Tempest chuckles. “Help with what?!”
“Her cub.”
Rose looks nervous. “Was it injured?”
Spike shakes his head. “No. But there’s something wrong with it.”
RD-001 steps forward. “Can it explain the situation?”
Spike and the Ursa Major continue their conversation for a few moments.
“Some kind of behavioral problem.”
Tempest raises an eyebrow. “Seriously?”
Arc sighs. “So… does her cub need a therapist, or something?”
“She believes it’s something deeper inside him. When she came to Ponyville, it was in a desperate attempt to find a doctor!”
Tempest chuckles. “You mean a vet?”
Rose shrugs. “Call it what you will.”
Arc thinks for a moment. “Fluttershy would probably be able to direct us to someone who could help. That and she could probably translate.”
Tempest frowns. “Say what?!”
Arc looks to Spike. “Okay, where is the cub now?”
Spike turns back to the Ursa Major. She stands and walks a few paces away to reveal the sleeping cub behind her. Tempest looks at the beast evenly.
“That was easy enough.”
Arc nods. “They could come with us to Ponyville tomorrow morning.”
Spike explains the offer to the Ursa Major before turning back to Arc.
“She says they’ll head back that way when they’re ready. Her cub will probably sleep for quite some time after all he’s been up to lately.”
Rose turns to RD-001. “Can’t you do something for him?”
“Sadly, no. These facilities are completely without surgical supplies or proper staff.”
Arc sighs. “I guess Ponyville it is. Tell her to head to the Golden Oaks Library. Twilight can show her to Fluttershy’s cottage.”
Tempest glares at him. “I don’t believe the populace will take that well, Arc.”
“That’s why I’m sending them to the library. Twilight can use the Matter Compacting spell to shrink them down. Be sure to explain that part, Spike.”
Spike does so. The Ursa Major growls.
“She… doesn’t really like the idea of being magically shrunken.”
Tempest frowns. “She can like it or lump it!”
Rose shrugs. “Yes well… such a large creature would be impossible to examine properly.”
Arc nods. “Tell her it really is necessary. The vet will need to examine her and the cub closely.”
RD-001 turns to Spike. “That will be very difficult if the patient is significantly larger than they are.”
Tempest growls. “I agree with the tin can.”
Spike explains the reasoning to the Ursa Major. She growls and lies down as Spike turns to the others.
“She begrudgingly agrees.
Tempest frowns. “Great. Can we go now?!”
“Just one more thing.”
Arc turns to RD-001.
“Magic doesn’t work in this region. Do you or your facility have anything to do with that?”
“Yes.”
Tempest turns to him impatiently. “Care to elaborate, bolt brain?!”
“When this facility was built, the outer walls and foundation were treated with a special substance to create this effect.”
Rose nods. “In preparation for a unicorn attack?”
“Correct. The unicorn army never did find out what happened to their scouting parties.”
Tempest narrows her eyes. “What can you tell us about this substance?”
“Sadly, nothing.”
Arc sighs. “Nothing at all?”
RD-001 shakes his head. “The chemical composition of the substance was top secret. It wouldn’t do to have androids such as myself aware of such a technological advantage’s finer points. All I knew was it drained the magic power of a spell before it could be properly cast.”
Arc snaps his fingers. “Just like the temple.”
Tempest turns to RD-001. “There is a small town nearby.”
“Are you referring to Stableton?”
“You’ve heard of it?!”
RD-001 nods. “Yes. Centuries ago it housed the support staff for this facility.”
“What happened to everypony?!”
“After the war, the town’s residents no longer had jobs to do here. Tired of bloodshed and fighting, they simply wanted to live out their lives in peace. Many of them stayed in town.”
Tempest storms over to him angrily. “That was centuries ago though! I mean what happened to my parents you overweight oil drum!”
“Unknown. My sensors cannot physically see the village. I assumed the last of the inhabitants had simply moved on some time ago.”
“They moved on all right. In less than a day!”
“Was this perhaps this century?”
Arc rolls his eyes. “I would say so, yes.”
“I did pick up some strange readings in the village many years ago.”
Tempest’s eyes narrow. “Show me what you found! NOW!”
“Very well. This way please.”
Spike turns back to the Ursa Major as they turn to leave.
“See you in Ponyville soon!”
She waves a massive paw as the door closes behind them. RD-001 leads them over to a computer console. The screen lights up dimly as he links up to it.
“The readings were unlike anything I had ever seen.”
Rose looks at the screen with him. “What do you mean?”
“I have knowledge of all known inhabitants of this land. There were no matches in my files.”
Tempest gasps. “So they WERE taken!”
“Perhaps. Then again, perhaps not.”
Tempest points Light’s Bane at him, clearly furious. “You had better start making sense, and I mean NOW!”
“My scanners don’t show life forms, but forms of energy. Their signatures were unlike anything ever recorded in what is now known as Equestria.”
Arc rolls his eyes. “Are you saying they were abducted by aliens or something?”
“I’m sorry, but your guess is as good as mine.”
He pushes a few buttons. A nearby machine spits out a stack of papers. RD-001 hands them to Tempest.
“Take these to your Ministry of Science. Perhaps they’ve discovered what this is in the time since my activation.”
Tempest grabs the papers and walks quickly away. “I will!”
Arc shakes his head and turns to the android. “Thank you, RD-001. Sorry about Tempest’s behavior.”
“Not to worry, as I do not have feelings.”
Rose sighs. “Yes well… it still wasn’t very nice.”
Spike looks hopeful. “Say, do you think you could let us out of here now?”
“Of course. Follow me.”
RD-001 leads them back to the main entrance. Tempest is waiting for them impatiently. He puts a hoof on a nearby pad as it slides out of the wall. The massive doors open with a loud rumble as he turns to the others.
“I hope some good comes from those files.”
Tempest scowls as she walks through the doors. “So do I.”
Spike hurries out. “I never thought a cave could be such a welcome sight!”
RD-001 turns to Arc. “Give my regards to Equestria’s rulers. Perhaps one day this facility will again be of service to them and this land.”
Rose frowns. “I hope not. It would only be used for war.”
RD-001 nods. “We all have our place in this world.”
Arc turns to the stallion. “Would you like to come with us? Sunburst would certainly like to meet you.”
“No. My place is here.”
Rose sighs. “Alone?”
RD-001 extends a hoof to Rose. “As I said. We all have our place in this world. This is mine, Rose. Farewell.”
Rose sighs and shakes RD-001’s hoof. A strange look crosses her face as the stallion gives her a small item before stepping back inside the facility.
“Tell her… I’m sorry for any pain my failure may have caused her.”
Rose nods. The group heads back to Tempest’s house. Arc closes the door behind them.
“Well, now that we have that figured out we should probably get some rest.”
Spike yawns. “Y-yeah. That was an adventure and a half!”
Tempest turns to them. “You can’t tell anypony about this!”
Rose looks confused. “Why not?”
“I don’t want looky-loos poking around my town! Got it!”
Arc sighs. “Fine. We’ll keep this to ourselves for the time being.”
Tempest heads toward her room. “Good.”
Arc and company do the same. Arc lies down in his bed as Rose and Spike return to theirs.
“Goodnight you two.”
Rose looks out the window at the first rays of dawn. “The night is nearly gone, Arc.”
Spike snuggles up to her. “We’d better hurry and catch up to it then.”
Arc rolls over sleepily. “Agreed.”
A few moments later Arc falls asleep. Rose sighs as Spike looks up at her.
“Something wrong?”
“Well… not really, I guess. I was just thinking about something RD-001 said before we left.”
“I must’ve missed it.”
“You were ahead of me, yes.”
“So, what happened?”
“He just… wanted to wish me well. Probably from one android to another.”
“Oh… that’s… nice.”
A moment later Spike drifts off to sleep. Rose sighs and looks at the item in her hand. The tip of a small purple unicorn horn.