//------------------------------//
// Preface - Volume 21 - Preparations and Proposals 
// Story: The Equestrian Odyssey - A Tale of Two Worlds 
// by Kamahido 
//------------------------------//

In our previous volume, Arc, having exhausted all his magical energies saving The Shards from an abandoned mine, was carried home by Ember and Sereb. His squad bathes him, and puts him to bed with Ember. Meanwhile, Minerva returns home to Cherry. The helmet offers to allow Minerva to see her true form. Allowing the young woman to wear her, she is drawn into Arc and Cherry’s Sanctuary.

After explaining her unique circumstances Cherry drops her coverings and allows Minerva to see that she is not human, but a pony. Telling Minerva how she and Arc met along with the method by which she died, Cherry hides nothing save for the identity of Arc and his friend. Wracked with guilt, Minerva asks to leave the Sanctuary. Waking, she quickly leaves her apartment and goes for a late night walk. However as she does so a hand reaches out from an alleyway and pulls her in.

Bound and gagged, Minerva’s purse and money are quickly taken from her as two thugs rob her. As they turn to leave the alley a figure in a navy blue cloak stands in their way. Refusing to return what they stole, the pair rush at their opponent. But they are no match for the stranger whom effortlessly dispatches them. Walking down the alley they approach Minerva and untie her. Identifying himself as Wiseman, he invites Minerva out for coffee and a chat. Revealing that he knows of her crime against the Hero, Wiseman pressures Minerva into returning Cherry before vanishing. Shaken, Minerva walks home through the rain, all the while contemplating what to do. Arriving back at her apartment, soaking wet no less, Minerva grabs the helmet and hides it away in a drawer. Listening to Cherry’s cries for release stirs something in the woman. Opening the drawer she removes the helmet and confesses her earlier lie to the Hero. Wasting no time, she grabs her purse and the helmet before rushing out the door and down to her car. Sometime later Sereb awakens Arc to inform him of Rose’s sensors picking up his helmet. Rushing downstairs he opens the front door just in time to catch Minerva as she passes out, helmet in hand. Carrying her inside he lays her down on the couch and takes Cherry in his arms.

Hugging the helmet Arc expresses great happiness at Cherry’s return. Taking Minerva upstairs, he waits in the hallway as Ember and Rose remove the young woman’s clothes and dress her in a dry pair of pajamas. Loading Minerva in her car, Arc and company drive her back to the apartment. After putting her to bed Cherry asks to stay with her friend. Arc agrees and sends the others back home to join Cherry in watching over Minerva.

The next morning Minerva awakens to a cloudy and rainy day. Looking at the unfamiliar clothes, she originally believes she invited someone home with her. Cherry enters the room in Eidolon’s Ward which does not go over well with Minerva. Helping her sick friend to the Kitchen Arc serves them breakfast. He confronts Minerva about her treachery to which she takes full responsibility. Telling all she knows, Minerva confirms what Snake said about truckloads of goods leaving the Shard Hideout. Asking to be allowed to keep the armor to care for her, Cherry bids farewell to Arc as he returns home.

Several days later Arc and his friends talk through what they know about the Shards and their plans. Not being able to make further headway Ember more or less forces Arc to turn in early. Putting him to sleep with a spell, Ember helps Arc into the bed. Entering the Sanctuary, Arc sits down as Cherry steps out of the house. She confesses that she put Ember up to the idea of putting Arc to sleep so they could talk privately.

Waking up the next morning, Xenos catches Arc and Ember in a very compromising position. Albeit completely innocently. Getting up, the pair head to Shelly’s Kitchen to say goodbye to the pair before returning to Equestria. They learn that the others have been helping out around the restaurant during peak hours. Returning to the house they find an ominous looking scroll on the couch. Opening it Arc discovers it to be a message from Tempest asking for a meeting. Upon returning to Equestria, Sunburst informs Arc that the princesses are waiting for them in the Meeting Room. Reaching it, they find two very haggard looking alicorns along with Shining Armor and Trixie.

Luna and Cadance make reference to Arc’s numerous accomplishments before informing him of the reason for the meeting. Having called for a meeting of all the world’s leaders, the princesses had found themselves at a political impasse. Every leader was in support of the peace summit. But none trusted Equestria enough to hold the meeting in Canterlot Castle. Arc was nearly floored when Luna informed him that he had been requested by all involved to preside over the summit personally. Pouring over a map they agreed to use Light’s Hope as the facility to house the diplomats during the summit. Near the end Trixie accidently speaks of a new project currently underway. Luna and Cadance lead the group to the castle’s hanger to show Arc and his friends a newly completed airship docked there. Upon reaching the master cabin Arc spots his crest over the doorway, as Luna informs him that the airship was commissioned for him personally.

Arc orders the crew of his new airship to fly them back to Ponyville as he heads to his quarters with Ember. She forces him to rest while they wait for the ship to take off. Upon arriving back at Ponyville they disembark and head for town. Rose heads for the Golden Oaks Library as Arc and company stop at the orphanage/school to see Derpy and Dinky. They spend the noonday meal helping serve lunch to the school foals and younglings.

Heading to the library to meet up with Twilight and Rose they run into Auriel. She reports the gathering of the Dragon Fruit essence goes well before letting them into the library and departing. Walking downstairs to the basement they find Rose being operated on by Twilight. Confessing to her the danger of the fight with Bloodletter, Twilight warns them that Rose, while powerful, is not invulnerable. Splitting up, Arc heads for Sweet Apple Acres to speak to Applejack regarding Dinky’s sleepover. Applejack agrees, but informs him that Filthy Rich is in a position to take the farm via their potential default on a loan. Arc gives her the money to pay off the loan on the condition Applejack pays him back when she can.

Walking to Carousel Boutique to ask Rarity about a fore mentioned sleepover he is asked to give Princess Luna a special dress from Rarity to further her career. Thinking that the two of them were sexually involved, she informs Arc of the rumors circulating about the pair’s earlier date. After dispelling the rumors, Arc tells her the… other reason for his visit. Rarity does not take it well, as she locks the door and lowers her voice. Convincing the paranoid mare that it’s best to come clean about her secret, he heads over to the Hammer’s shop. Asking them about the peace summit, they inform him of their own reservations regarding the plan. From their experience, they know the world leaders are merely posturing for position on the world stage. However, they have faith that Arc can find a way to make it work. Heading home Arc gets to work cooking supper. Sadly, he becomes distracted when Dinky and her friends come home and burns the meal. Not wanting to start over Arc announces they are going out as he steps onto the sigil.

Arc and his family reappears on the sigil in his room in Canterlot Castle. Leaving the room, he leads them into town and to The Tasty Treat. Ordering one of everything on the menu (most likely as a gesture to help Coriander Cumin financially) they eat until they can eat no more. As he pays the bill Sweetie Belle accidently mentions the identity of Arc’s date being Princess Luna. Coriander Cumin is terrified, knowing that he has unknowingly cooked for royalty. After boxing up the leftovers the group returns home. The fillies head to bed, but speak at length about their respective families amongst themselves.

Early the next morning Arc prepares breakfast for the fillies as Derpy leaves for work. They rise, eat, and head out the door to Sweet Apple Acres to talk to the Apples about Babs Seed’s recent school troubles. Arc convinces Applejack to let the young filly come with them on a day trip. They take a portal back to Light’s Hope where Raven asks to speak with Arc privately. She confesses to having doubts regarding her value and her desire for cloture.

Arc returns to the fillies on the Main Hall. They proceed outside and over to his new airship. After boarding, they head to the Bridge and request a course to Dodge Junction, over the Everfree Forest, and ending at Baltimare. Deciding to play games as they fly, they head to the Observation Deck for a more scenic view. However, Babs Seed appears distracted as she spends all her time looking out the window. Volunteering to head to the kitchen for snacks, she leaves as Arc and the others play a new game. As he going looking for her, Arc finds the errant filly staring out yet another window completely oblivious to the passage of time. Approaching her, Arc is able to bring her back to reality. After getting a snack from the kitchen they return to the cafeteria where Arc tells Babs to sit and talk about what she’s thinking about. Her thoughts immediately turn to ways to help make Zap Apple Jam production easier for Granny Smith. Arc learns that she wishes to repay the Apples for their kindness toward her.

As the ship nears Baltimare Arc orders the crew to land. He and the fillies disembark and head into the city. Finding a shop that sells patches Arc buys each of them a patch for their Cutie Mark Crusader capes. Leaving the Shopping District they pass numerous massive houses owned by the land’s elite. Some time later they arrive at Cerulean Skies’ house. As they approach she comes outside with a large cooking pot. Nervously she speaks to them before the door opens and Tempest herself walks out.

Claiming to only be there to help Cerulean Skies feed the hungry neighbors, Arc relents and watches over her in the kitchen as Ruby and the fillies help serve outside. After supper Arc leaves via portal with the fillies. Cerulean Skies confesses her desire to have a family with Arc along with Tempest as a sister wife.

After dropping Ruby off at her ranch they return to Ponyville. Dinky and her friends head to bed, but talk at some length about how Arc changed their lives. Meanwhile, Arc covers Derpy with a blanket, accidently waking her. She confesses that the soldiers he ordered to help were more trouble than they were worth, as none of them had any cooking skills. As they sit on the couch and have some dessert there is a knock at the door. Answering it they find Sassy Saddles on the front steps. She tells Arc that Rarity would like him to bring Sweetie Belle home tomorrow morning for some reason. The next morning the fillies rise early as Arc and Derpy cook breakfast. Arc informs Sweetie Belle of her sister’s request to which she groans.

As they finish their meal Arc leaves with Sweetie Belle. Upon arriving at the shop Rarity, looking very tired, leads them upstairs to her room. Sitting down she talks to her sister about love and where foals come from. While they had already had that conversation previously, Sweetie Belle asked several good questions regarding love and sex. Eventually the conversation returns to the topic of importance. Rarity confesses to Sweetie Belle how Arc had read her diary in an effort to help her when she was hospitalized some time ago. She also tells the filly of her own story of how she was passed around during a drunken haze at a college party, during which she conceived her. Sweetie Belle initially takes the news badly, thinking Rarity is playing a cruel joke on her. It’s only when her birth certificate is shown to her along with several pictures of a young Rarity holding her in the hospital that she relents and accepts the truth that Rarity really is her biological mother. Arc leaves to allow the pair to speak in private. Sweetie Belle confesses her own attempts to help Rarity get close to Arc in hopes the pair would hit it off. They embrace for the first time as mother and daughter before continuing with a day’s worth of questions.

However, many questions still remain. Will Arc be able to organize a peace summit? How will the Apple family fare now that their debt to Filthy Rich has been forgiven? Will Rarity be able to come to terms with the events in her past? Can the guards at Light’s Hope learn to cook? Will Emerald Dream be able to help Babs Seed with her apparent Attention Deficit Disorder? How will Cerulean Skies and Tempest handle their newfound feelings for Arc? How will Sweetie Belle handle the knowledge that her sister is actually her mother in the long term?

Time will tell. Sooner or later… time will tell.