//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 - Much Too Much // Story: The Equestrian Odyssey - A Tale of Two Worlds // by Kamahido //------------------------------// The blood drains from Twilight’s face. “W-wha-what?!” Arc frowns. “That’s asking a bit much of her. Any unicorn for that matter.” Rainbow Dash turns to Fauna. “Yeah! Can’t Arc do it instead?! Fluttershy blushes. “What?!” “Well, they are both stallions.” Arc shrugs. “I’m okay with that, if it means Twilight can keep her face away from there.” Fluttershy turns to the Ursa Major. “I’ll ask his mother.” She runs the question by her before turning back to the others. Her face is grim. “The mother, she… um… she says Twilight is doing a wonderful job of not hurting her cub, and that she wants her to finish the job.” “So that’s a no-go for me?” Fluttershy nods. “I’m afraid so, Arc.” Fauna looks to Twilight. “We can wait a few hours. Then I can administer another sedative.” Twilight sighs as she closes her eyes. “No, let’s just get this over with.” Arc slowly pulls Twilight down between the cub’s hind legs. The vet carefully positions Twilight’s head before returning to her console. “Okay. Now you’re going to have to go extra slow on this Twilight.” Rainbow Dash grimaces at the position Twilight is in. “Shouldn’t she hurry? I mean, I’d want my face out of there as soon as I could!” Fluttershy shakes her head. “That’s a very… sensitive area, Rainbow Dash. If she goes too fast the cub will thrash and hurt her!” “Come on! It can’t be THAT sensitive.” Arc shudders. “Trust me, it is.” Twilight turns her eyes to looks at the others as best she can. “Can we just get on with this please?!” Fauna nods. “Go ahead, Twilight.” Twilight’s horn glows as she begins. The cub begins to squirm. Cherry nervously calls out to Arc. “We should… never speak of this again.” Arc nods. “Agreed. I don’t like seeing Twilight’s head where it is any more than you do, Cherry.” Cherry makes a gagging sound in his head. “What has been seen, cannot be unseen.” Fluttershy puts a hoof on her friend’s back. “Easy, Twilight. Slow and steady.” Twilight shudders slightly. “You try doing this with your head stuck between… anyways… I’ll try.” The aura around her horn dims until only the very tip is still glowing. Meanwhile, the cub begins to cry out in pain. Fauna looks over her panel. “Almost there. Keep going as slow as you can.” Twilight gulps. “This is… really hard!” Arc gives her hind leg a quick squeeze. “You can do it, Twilight. I have faith in…” Sudden the cub flops away from her. Fluttershy turns to Arc and screams. “PULL!” Arc pulls Twilight toward himself with all his might as a claw swats at her face. She flies off the table as Arc falls backwards with Twilight on top of him. She sits down roughly on his chest and blushes heavily. Rainbow Dash cries out. “Look out!” The cub jumps up angrily and lunges at Twilight. Arc pushes her to one side and grabs a very angry paw before it can connect with his face. He struggles to his feet as the cub swings its other paw at him. “Oh no you don’t!” Fluttershy hurries over to the cub. “Please stop! We’re only trying to help you!” The cub flails its head toward Fluttershy, hitting her squarely in the face and knocking her to the ground before turning his attention back to Arc. A moment later the cub is knocked away by a blow from his mother’s much larger paw. She roars angrily at him as he roars back. Rainbow Dash takes up a defensive position in front of Fluttershy. “Oh my Celestia! Is this what she meant by behavior problems?!” “Yeah! You okay back there?!” Fluttershy nods as she gets to her hooves shakily. “Y-yes. He’s not very happy right now.” Twilight looks to them fearfully as mother and cub continue their screaming match. “That’s putting it mildly!” Rainbow Dash turns to Arc. “What do we do now?!” “Hopefully his mother can calm him down.” Fluttershy continues hiding behind Rainbow Dash. “I don’t think she can! Right now his words are just a mess!” Fauna steps away. “Oh dear! Everypony stay back!” Rainbow Dash frowns. “We have to stop them!” She jumps up and flies at the pair, but Arc grabs her in midair. “No! They’ll cut you in half!” “Let me go! I have to…!” “Rainbow Dash, STOP!” Her eyes grow wide at the severity of Arc’s tone. “I… uh… okay.” Arc lets her go as he calls forth his armor. “All of you get behind me!” Doctor Fauna, Twilight, and Fluttershy hurry to obey as Rainbow Dash moves to stand next to Arc. “We’ll keep you three safe!” “Get back!” Rainbow Dash spreads her hooves and wings in a battle ready position. “No, Arc! You protected us from this thing twice now! This time you won’t do it alone!” The cub lunges at his mother and grabs her. She tries to push him to the floor but he heaves her through a window before turning to Arc and the others. “Okay, cubby! Let’s…!” Arc is cut off as the beast lunges at him. He braces himself to take the blow. Suddenly a blur of fur and feathers flies past him and Rainbow Dash at an insane speed. Everyone gasps as Fluttershy plows into the cub as she and him careen out the smashed window. He hits a tree and stops. Fluttershy prepares to hit him again until she sees the moonlight on the ground at her hooves. She screams out in mortal terror. “THE MOON!!!” Fluttershy falls to the ground and covers her face as she begins to violently cry. Arc and the others jump out the window after them and run over to their sobbing friend. Rainbow Dash reaches her first. “Fluttershy, you saved us!” “PROTECT ME!!!” Arc raises an eyebrow. “Wow. She really IS scared of…” Twilight gasps. “It’s getting up!” They look up to see the cub stand. His mother lies on the ground behind him. Charging forward he and Arc meet claw to gauntlet. He turns to Twilight. “Was this thing always this big?!” “No, we shrunk him down!” Fauna looks over fearfully. “Well, he’s a lot bigger than he was in my office!” Arc grimaces as he is slowly pushed backwards. “And stronger! I can’t keep him back! Someone see to the mother!” Twilight and Fauna run over to the Ursa Major as Rainbow Dash stands by Fluttershy’s side. They shake the cub’s mother in an effort to wake her up. “Can you hear me?!” “Please open your eyes! Your cub is a danger to everypony!” Slowly the Ursa Major comes around and stands. She roars at her cub in an effort to get him to stop but he ignores her. The cub pushes Arc down to one knee. “He’s getting too strong! I need…!” Shifting his weight the cub pushes his opponent off balance. He the backpaws Arc to one side and roars triumphantly as he continues to grow. A moment later he is his former monstrous size. Glaring at the others he turns and lumbers away. Twilight hurries over to Arc. “Are you okay?!” Arc sits up. “I… yeah.” Rainbow Dash frowns as she reaches Arc’s side. “How did THAT happen?!” “He just become too strong. I couldn’t hold him back.” Fauna helps Arc up as they watch the Ursa Minor slowly lumber away. Fluttershy lays on the ground. Her eyes squeezed shut as Doctor Fauna runs over to check on her. “Is… what’s happening?!” “The Ursa Minor returned to its normal size and left.” “No, no! I mean is the moon still out there?!” Arc turns to Rainbow Dash. “You weren’t kidding about the whole fear of the moon thing.” Rainbow Dash sighs. “I wish I was.” Twilight looks after the cub as he continues slowly down the road. “Where’s he going?!” Arc moves to join her. “No idea. Fluttershy, can you…?” “NO!” Arc rolls his eyes. “Oh boy. We really need you to translate for us. I know your scared right now, but you’re the only one who can do this!” “The MOON!!! Take it away!!! Please!!!” “Great. Rainbow Dash, you and Twilight hold her hooves down.” With great difficultly the pair pull Fluttershy’s hooves from her face. Arc removes something from his ring and hurriedly pulls it over her head before turning to the others. “You can let go of her now.” They do so. Fluttershy immediately returns her hooves to her face. However she feels something soft covering it. “Wha-what is this?!” “It’s my mask, Fluttershy. You can’t see the moon now.” “What about the eyeholes?!” “I put it on you backwards. Trust me, you can’t see anything under that.” Fluttershy slowly opens her eyes. She looks all around but sees nothing. Fauna cautiously approaches her. “Are you alright now?” “I think so, yes. Um… where am I?” “Outside the clinic. Look, we need you to ask the cub’s mother what he just did. Can you do that?” “Where is she?” Rainbow Dash sighs. “Right in front of you.” “Oh.” She squees and asks the question. “The mother says he cast the counter-spell.” Twilight frowns. “That isn’t possible. An Ursa doesn’t have magic.” “She says he does.” Arc turns to Fluttershy. “Well, how did he know how to counter the Matter Compacting spell?” “She says he’s a fast learner. She’s been telling him not to do that ever since we arrived at the clinic.” Rainbow Dash frowns. “So what drove him over the edge?” Fluttershy sighs. “Probably the pain. I mean, that looked like it hurt a lot, after all.” Fauna looks down the path at the beast walking away. “Does she know where he’s going?” “Back to where it all began. Wherever that is.” Arc frowns. “Probably back to the facility.” A colossal crash is heard. They look up to see the cub slashing at random trees. Fauna gasps. “He’s out of control! Good thing he’s headed for the Everfree Forest!” Arc gasps. “Yeah! And my base full of diplomats!” Rainbow Dash turns to Arc, fearfully. “You don’t think he would…?!” Arc touches his earring. “Arc to Rose! Priority one!” “I’m here, Arc.” “Bring the base back up to red alert! Raise the shields and inform Shining Armor he’s about to have a very angry assailant over there very soon!” “Sandstorm Mirage is recalling all guards now. We’ll raise the shields momentarily.” “Good. Are the ships still in the air?” “Yes. Both the Lunar Destiny and The Equinox are currently orbiting the base.” Twilight walks over to Arc, warily. “What are you planning to do?” Arc sighs. “Protect the princesses and the rest of the leaders in Light’s Hope. Twilight, are our friends still aboard The Equinox?” “They are, but…!” Rainbow Dash frowns. “It has to be done! Look, we tried to do this the right way! But… something has to change, and fast!” The Ursa Major looks to Fluttershy and moans. “She says… she says do what you have to, Arc. But please… be merciful.” Arc thinks for a moment before turning to Fluttershy. “Ask her if she can buy us some time.” “She can. But what’s the plan?” Arc reaches forward and opens a portal. “Everyone in!” “Huh? EEP!” Arc scoops up Fluttershy as he turns to the others. “I got you! Everyone, go now!” They charge through the portal. The Ursa Major follows as Arc brings up the rear. Arc and his group appear in his quarters aboard The Equinox. He leads them out the door and toward the Main Hatch. Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie are waiting nervously for them. Throwing his shoulder into the button next to the door, he turns to the others. “Everyone onto the deck!” They do as they are told and hurry toward the railing to look over. The Ursa Minor continues down the path angrily. Applejack looks to Arc fearfully. “Is he going for the Everfree Forest or your base, Arc?!” “No idea! But he’s out of his mind!” Rarity gasps. “Do you have a plan?!” Pinkie hops around. “Arc always has a plan, silly!” “That I do.” “What should I tell his mother?” Arc sighs as he sets Fluttershy down carefully. “Nothing. We got this.” He jumps onto the Ursa Major’s back and charges up his magic. A moment later the pair Blink to the ground below. Arc jumps off as she turns and grows at him. “Easy there, big momma. We have bigger problems right now. Literally.” Looking down the road they see the cub snarling as he moves in their direction. Sighing, Arc’s hands glow as he holds them toward the Ursa Major. A few moments later the beast before him begins to grow at a feverish pace. Twilight and her friends look down at the scene before them. “What the hay is Arc doing?!” Rainbow Dash frowns. “Applejack’s right! I mean, we don’t need TWO of them?!” Fluttershy calls out to her friends. “What’s going on?” Twilight turns to Fluttershy. “Arc and the Ursa Major just Blinked down. He’s casting the counter spell to bring her back up to normal size.” “Oh no! That’s not good!” Rarity looks confused. “Why not?” “Because they’ll fight for dominance!” Applejack sighs. “I think a fight is kinda unavoidable at this point, sugarcube.” Rainbow Dash shudders. “Yeah. I sure hope Arc isn’t planning to join that in on that fight though. I mean, even he’d get squashed like a grape!” Rarity grimaces. “Oh my! What an awful way to go!” The Ursa Major turns to Arc. He points to her cub. “Stop him!” Although the beast can’t understand Arc, she nods and charges at her cub. Arc Blinks back up onto The Equinox’s deck. Rarity hurries over to him with the others. “Are you alright?!” “Yeah, I’m fine.” Twilight looks to him with a hopeful look on her face. “So you’re plan is what now?!” Arc walks over to Fluttershy and puts a hand on her back. “I’m hoping she can make the cub see reason now that she’s full size again.” Fluttershy sighs. “I hope so too.” Applejack turns her head to look down at Light’s Hope. “Do you suppose the princesses have noticed all the commotion yet?” Arc’s earring chirps. “I’m guessing there’s our answer.” He touches his earring “Arc here.” “Sergeant Sandstorm Mirage, sir. The princesses are… fervently requesting an update on the situation.” “The cub broke free from the clinic and re-enlarged himself. We believe he’s heading back to the Everfree Forest, but communication with him has been zero since he became enraged.” “Yes sir, we understand that but…” The sound of a scuffle and feedback comes over Arc’s earpiece. “Uh… everything okay over there?” Rose sighs. “Princess Luna just stormed in and grabbed the radio, Arc. I believe you’re about to get an earful.” “Great. I kinda deserve it at the moment though.” Arc waits patiently as the sound of hooves, paws, talons and claws can be heard approaching. A moment later Luna’s voice rings out. “Arc, all of us are in your office! What is going on out there?!” “Rose, put this on the speaker. Everyone should hear this.” “Very well. Go ahead anytime.” “The cub didn’t like our attempts to help him. He lashed out and broke away from the clinic where he was receiving medical attention.” Goldstone runs over frantically and shouts into the microphone. “And your plan to keep us safe is WHAT exactly?!” “I’ve already sent the cub’s mother after him. However, with his magical abilities, I have no idea how effective she’ll be.” Ember brandishes her claws. “Come back and get me, Arc! I’ll help you fight!” “Negative, Dragon Lord. This is too much for any of us.” Cadance looks nervous. “And what if the mother is unable to stop her cub?!” Luna sighs. “Then I will have no choice but to order the Lunar Destiny to open fire on him.” Ikis growls. “Your majesty! Think about what you’re saying!” “I have. While I take no joy in this, all of you must be protected.” Felix nods sadly as he looks at the feed from the exterior cameras. “I agree, Princess Luna. This creature is clearly out of control.” Arc frowns. “We’ll just have to hope it doesn’t come to that.” Meanwhile, the pair continue to roar at one another. The Ursa Major swats at the cub. He growls as he looks up at her. Rainbow Dash turns to Twilight. “Uh, Twilight? Is it just me, or is the cub growing again?” Applejack squints. “Either that or the mother’s getting smaller.” Twilight sighs. “I can’t tell.” Rarity gasps as the pair go at it yet again. “This is getting out of hoof!” Fluttershy sits down on the deck. “Oh dear!” Pinkie puts a hoof to her chin. “Maybe they’re just hungry! I know I’m in a bad mood when I miss a meal!” Arc watches the carnage unfolding below. “Maybe. But hungry or not, this has to stop.” He touches his earring. “Rose, how are they doing?” “The cub is attempting to shrink his mother down again. She’s quickly approaching his size.” Sereb growls. “This is not good.” Kane nods as her turns to his brother. “She’s the only thing stopping him from wanton destruction.” Iris sighs. “While I am loathe to suggest it, would it be prudent for us to make for a more secure location?” Cadance shakes her head. “We’d have to lower the shields to leave.” Shining Armor turns to all assembled. “With all that’s going on out there I don’t recommend that, your highness.” Tugem nods. “Agreed. One good blow from one of those paws to this structure would certainly topple it.” Ashe turns to Gestal. “Father! I’m frightened! What should we do?!” Gestal pats his daughter’s talon. “Have faith in Lord Arc’s ability to safeguard his base, my dear.” Ghaleon frowns. “That’s not much to go on.” Gestal sighs. “It’s all we have right now.” Meanwhile, Twilight turns to Arc. “What if we counteracted the cub’s spell?” Rarity nods. “Try to keep him from shrinking his mother. Can I help?” Twilight shakes her head. “You don’t know the spell, Rarity. Only Arc and I can do this.” “Let’s give it a shot then.” Twilight aims her horn at the Ursa Major and casts the counter-spell. Rose calls out to Arc over the airwaves. “The mother is no longer shrinking, Arc. Whatever you’re doing, keep it up.” Arc grins. “My turn.” He points a hand at the mother and adds his magic to Twilight’s. Slowly but surely the mother begins to grow again. Rainbow Dash turns to the pair nervously as they begin to pant. “Are you two okay over there?” Twilight strains. “I’ve never done something like this before.” Arc falls to one knee. “It’s like swimming upstream.” Rarity hurries over to Arc and speaks into his earring. “Is the cub weakening too?” Rose shakes her head. “According to my sensors, no. His magic must be quite powerful to be able to stand against both you and his mother without suffering fatigue.” Applejack frowns as she looks over Arc and Twilight. “We need to think of something else. You two can’t keep this up much longer.” Arc nods soberly. “A-agreed. Plan B doesn’t seem to be working.” Rainbow Dash looks to Arc, hopefully. “Is there a Plan C?” “Yes. But I’m trying to think of something else.” “Why’s that?” “Because it involves shooting.” Fluttershy gulps.