The Equestrian Odyssey - A Tale of Two Worlds

by Kamahido


Preface - Volume 23 - Magical Machinations

In our previous volume, Luna arrives at Light’s Hope to inspect their progress for the upcoming summit. Going over the preparations with a fine tooth comb, she is quite critical of many of the choices made. However, her demeanor softens whenever she is informed that a choice was made on Arc’s say-so.

The next morning Arc along with the princesses greet the arriving diplomats. As they are ushered into the base Arc learns of Lord Gestal bringing Lady Ashe with him unannounced. Unable to think of a reason to bar her from the event, Arc allows her entrance. Arc returns to his quarters, which have been lent to the princesses for the event, with the representative of the ogres living under Vanhoover, Prince Tugem. Introducing the royals to one another, they listen to the prince’s tale of how his citizens came to live in the Aqueducts.

Arc retrieves Lady Ashe from her quarters aboard the Lunar Destiny. Before they leave, however, he interrogates her on her true motives for attending the summit with her father. While she claims to be there simply for educative purposes, Arc informs her of his skepticism regarding her presence. Escorting her to the base’s Dining Room, Arc delivers her to her father and mingles with the guests. Meeting Ember’s half-sister Smolder for the first time, Arc is the victim of her hostile nature. Ember retaliates by having Brightwing drop the young dragon from quite the distance outside. Moving on to the Abyssinian’s, King Felix demonstrates his kind’s style with stealth, misdirection, and subterfuge by getting past Sereb’s older brother Kane three separate times. Eventually he is called over by the princesses to speak to the griffon diplomats regarding his somewhat recent trip to the Griffon Kingdom.

Before escorting the princesses to dinner, they ask Arc for his opinion regarding how the summit is going thus far. Arc reports to them that he believes the summit is going well. However, Rose’s scans have shown that everyone is acting a bit too calm considering world history. As dinner is served Cadance is appalled by the sight of Arc and a few other guests eating meat. Arc escorts her over to Rutherford to get his opinion of Tugem’s meal. Despite his single minded nature, Rutherford explains his understanding of different culture’s dietary needs. After dinner Smolder informs Arc that Ember, the future Dragon Lord, requests a word with him. Approaching her, Ember informs Arc there is a problem with her accommodations. Brightwing Blinks them to her room for a private conversation. She offers to officially ally the Dragon Lands with Equestria for a joint military operation to overthrow the Griffon Kingdom’s king and the Council of Lords. Arc is able to talk her out of it as the ground begins to shake.

Arc and Ember hurry back to the Dining Room. The other guests are understandably unnerved by the situation. After learning of the pattern of the tremors, Arc heads outside with the Mane 6 to confront the problem. Fluttershy repeats Arc’s words in an effort to communicate with the unseen force causing the tremors. After promising no harm will come to them, the Ursa Major emerges from the forest with their cub. She explains to Fluttershy that her cub is very ill and needs help. After the shield surrounding Light’s Hope is deactivated, Arc enters with the shrunken cub and his mother. They head to his quarters with the vet from town. She examines the cub, but is unable to make a diagnosis. Arc and his friends head to the vet’s clinic to continue the examination.

Arriving at the clinic, the vet runs several tests. Doctor Fauna determines that the cub’s problem is that his paired organs are woefully different sizes. Twilight uses the Matter Compacting Spell in an attempt to even them out. As directed by the doctor, Twilight slowly shrinks each enlarged organ carefully. Lastly they come to the cubs most sensitive organ… his testicles.

Twilight does her best to carefully shrink down the organ, but fails. The cub thrashes and jumps off the table as Arc pulls Twilight to safety and turns to face the cub himself. Rainbow Dash attacks and knocks the cub through the window. Arc and company hurry outside to help her as does the Ursa Major. Enraged, the cub returns himself to his normal size and knocks Arc aside before turning to walk down the road toward Light’s Hope. Arc opens a portal back to The Equinox and takes the cub’s mother along with the Mane 6 with him. They head to the deck to see the cub lumbering toward the base. The mother attempts to calms her cub, but he begins to shrink her down. Twilight is able to stop this by casting the counter spell on her. Arc adds his power to hers and together they counter the cub’s spell.

Stellar Flare recalibrates the ORB system aboard The Equinox to amplify a Telekinesis Spell. They use it to hold the cub down while regrouping for a more permanent solution. As pressure from the diplomats grows, Luna suggests mercifully killing the cub with the Lunar Destiny’s cannons. Arc convinces her to let him try another plan. As the radio feed is cut Arc confesses to his friends that his words were merely to buy time, as he has no plan. Twilight retrieves the Elements of Harmony from her suite aboard ship as Arc orders his pegasi troops to ferry the Mane 6 to the ground. Twilight and her friends line up and blast the Ursa Minor with the Elements, to no avail. Arc returns them to The Equinox as Princess Luna orders the Lunar Destiny to take up a firing position. Rushing to the Bridge, Arc directs Twilight and her friends to power up the ORB system with their Elements. As the power levels reach maximum Tight Ship orders Wrangler to fire. As the light of the blast fades Arc orders the crew to land the ship. Disembarking, they find only a crater where the cub had been. Rainbow Dash flies down into it, but returns a moment later carrying a small Ursa Minor. Arc escorts the Mane 6 back to the vet’s office for a final examination of the cub.

The vet declares the cub to be just fine. Arc and company return to The Equinox for a few hours of sleep. However, Shining Armor notifies Arc of a new demand on behalf of the diplomats. Early the next morning over breakfast Arc informs his friends that they will be joining the summit as representatives of Equestria. Returning to his quarters for a shower, Cherry confronts him about his lack of interest in making a new marefriend. She and Arc go down the list of suitors one by one as Arc tells Cherry of his feelings.

Arc and the Mane 6 enter Light’s Hope dressed to the nines. They head to the princess’ quarters to escort them to the Dining Room. However, both princesses are found to be unresponsive. Shrinking them down, Arc brings them all to The Equinox. Putting the princesses in his bed aboard ship he calls for Nurse Redheart. As the princesses are examined, Arc and his friends talk through potential causes for this event. While the nurse takes blood samples Shining Armor asks Arc for orders… as the new Lord Regent. Arc begrudgingly retakes the mantle.

After informing Trixie and Flash Sentry of the princesses’ conditions Arc and the Mane 6 return to Light’s Hope to confront the diplomats regarding the situation. Ember request Smolder be taken to the Little Hooves Orphanage. Rutherford does the same for Yona. Returning from the orphanage, Arc begins his interviews with Ember and Prince Rutherford.

Next, Arc interviews Prince Tugem and the Abyssinians. Confronting the queen regarding earlier testimony, she confesses to spiking Goldstone’s drink with Abyssinian Itchweed in a small effort to teach him a lesson. She and the king voluntarily place themselves under house arrest in their quarters. Twilight and the others return to Arc’s quarters and share what they learned during their interviews.

Returning to The Equinox to check on the princesses, Arc sees they are unchanged. He suggests amplifying the antidote with Hydra Humor in an effort to overpower the toxin. Redheart adds the humor to their treatments. A short time later both princesses are able to weakly communicate. They both report suddenly feeling ill that morning in their quarters. Voicing his plan to withhold the princesses’ recovery from the rest of the delegation, Arc returns to Light’s Hope. He informs the king and queen of Abyssinia that they have been exonerated and are free. Agreeing to stay for the rest of the summit, Arc then calls for the griffon delegation. While they are helpful, he is no closer to an accusation.

Joining Twilight and her friends in the Dining Room, Arc finds the diplomats restless. He informs them that no one else appears to have any toxin in their blood samples. This does little to soothe the tempers of the attendees, as they quickly begin to point fingers at one another. Gestal askes Arc to protect his daughter aboard the Lunar Destiny. Arc agrees, seeing it as a good way to hold her prisoner if she was indeed involved. While she maintains her stance of innocence, Arc is unable to ascertain if she is being honest or not. Calling for Twilight and the rest of the Mane 6 to come to his quarters, he tells them the truth regarding the state of the princesses. Teleporting the group to his room aboard The Equinox, Twilight is reunited with a healthy Cadance. As he returns to his quarters he suddenly feels faint. Trixie fetches his some food, as Arc is unable to remember the last time he ate, before watching over him as he naps.

After awakening, Arc heads to the security office. Rose shows him footage of some strange images in the Dining Room the previous night. Arc interviews the princesses’ Hoof Maiden, Eventide Shine, as she was the last one to see the princesses healthy. While not learning much from her, Arc returns to the Security Office and asks Rose to show her the mare’s movements that day. They watch as she takes the teapot from the kitchen and wheels it down the corridor. However, at one point Goldstone approaches her and fiddles with the pot. She informs him the tea is for the princesses, which he eventually understands. Calling for the griffon delegation to return to his quarters Arc presents this new information to them. Gestal allows Arc to search Goldstone’s luggage. Rose points out a false bottom in his trunk. Opening it, they find a satchel containing the poison used to take down the princesses. Goldstone insists he is innocent and requests an immediate audience with the ruler of Equestria. When he is told that is Arc himself, Goldstone loses all semblance of sanity. Arc orders him held in the Canterlot dungeon pending an official trial as set by the princesses. Returning to his quarters Arc revels privately at Goldstone’s apparent guilt.

Reappearing on the sigil in his quarters aboard ship, Arc reports his findings to the princesses. Redheart orders the princesses to rest as Arc volunteers to handle the rest of the summit as the temporary ruler of Equestria. As the other mares return to their rooms to dress for the evening meal, Rarity invites Arc back to her room so she can iron his wrinkled raiments. Agreeing, he follows her back to her suite. Rarity suggests Arc take a shower so she can work on his clothes. She retrieves them from the bathroom as Arc gets cleaned up. However as she sets to work, Rainbow Dash knocks. Having popped a stitch in one of her wing holes, Rarity gets to work fixing it. Rainbow Dash accidently finds Arc’s raiments and is able to deduce that he is indeed in Rarity’s shower. Encouraging her embarrassed friend that such a relationship is fine with her, Rainbow Dash leaves the room. Arc returns in one of his magic cloaks as Rarity continues working on his raiments. After Arc leaves, Rarity prepares herself for the evening meal.

Later that evening Arc and his friends walk down the corridor toward the Dining Room. They are greeted by a standing ovation from the other delegates whom are glad to have the whole event behind them. Arc makes a simple speech which is well received by all before sitting down at the table. Twilight and Rarity sit on either side of him. As they talk, Arc learns that half of the delegates hold a grudge against the griffons for Goldstone’s treachery while the other voice their desire not to hold the actions of one against the entire Griffon Kingdom. Arc proposes a toast to peace with everyone raising their glasses. As they drink a guard approaches Arc and passes on a message from Rose asking for him to join her in the Security Office. A short time later he storms out of the office and heads for a sigil to take him to Canterlot Castle. Hurrying to the dungeon Arc confronts Goldstone with the realization that the griffon is indeed innocent. Releasing Goldstone, Arc returns him to Light’s Hope. Heading to the Security Office, Arc presents Goldstone with evidence of his past crimes. He offers to stay quiet about them for the time being if the griffon will only announce publicly that he does not hold Arc or Equestria responsible for the false charges against him.

Returning to the Dining Room with the acquitted griffon, Arc announces the mistake to the rest of the summit members. As agreed, Goldstone backs him up. Going over the evidence with the rest of the delegates ultimately leads nowhere. That is, until Rose enters the room with several papers. Handing them to Arc, he looks them over before presenting the information to the group. A second Prince Tugem arrives and reveals the one present is a fake. The sitting ogre makes the same claim. Arc asks Rarity to go over their robes for authenticity. She is able to point out whom has a rob stitched by a seamstress from Canterlot named Inky Rose. Twilight and her friends use the Elements of Harmony on the fake prince, returning him to his true form. Arc pulls the robe from the figure as they fall to the floor.

Their traitor is none other than the renegade Judge Hawthorne. Claiming to have been trying to incapacitate the princesses to put Arc back on the throne and keep the nations divided, he calls for help. Decimus appears from a portal with several shadow creatures for backup. He turns to Trixie and encases them in a magic barrier to exact revenge on her for killing him. Trixie is able to defeat his shadow creatures and drop the barrier, However, Decimus and Hawthorne escape to the front of the building.

Arc, Ember, and Sereb run outside to face the pair as Rose raises the base defenses. The delegates watch from the nearby windows. As Decimus calls for shadowy reinforcements Arc orders Lemon Hearts to send his troops down to help him combat the growing threat. Tempest arrives with the reinforcements to stand with her lover, Decimus. Putting Shining Armor in charge of his troops, Arc waits for the creatures to make the first move. Arc’s forces deflect a volley with a large magical barrier before returning fire with unicorn magic. Decimus’ forces replenish themselves from nearby portals as Arc’s front line advances. The Equinox fires on the summoners in an attempt to close the portals. As the battle goes on, several dark portals open between Arc’s ranks. Shining Armor orders the troops to prepare to engage the new contracts, but Arc overrides him as he claims they are allies. Moonlit Dusk arrives with his acolytes to reinforce their lines. His acolytes join the battle with their own shadow creatures and begin to turn the tide of battle in their favor just as the Storm King arrives with a strange looking device.

Deploying the device, Decimus offers Tempest as a power source to fuel it. Tempest agrees, and channels her dark magic into it, greatly strengthening their forces. Arc orders Wrangler to target the device and Tempest in an attempt to negate their new advantage. However, Decimus blocks their attacks with a barrier. In a final attempt to destroy the machine, Shining Armor orders all forces to charge. As they rush the device, the Storm King turns up it’s power in a last ditch effort to hold back Arc’s forces. It overloads and explodes, scattering both his forces and Arc’s. As the dust settles Tempest emerges in her Angel of Darkness form. Her forces supercharged by her dark energy attempt to break down the doors to Light’s Hope. Before they can finish the job though, Rose blasts through them herself and joins the battle along with the rest of the delegates, minus Goldstone. Tugem flies overhead on an adult Brightwing’s back as he calls for the aid of the creatures of the Everfree Forest. Jumping off Brightwing, Tugem engages Hawthorne one on one. The former judge fights back with his dark magic, but is no match for Tugem’s elemental magic. Crushed and incinerated, Hawthorne is defeated as Tugem mounts a Timberwolf to rejoin the battle.

Taking the remains of his machine, the Storm King leaves the battleground. Rutherford helps Trixie break through the enemy’s line to engage Decimus. They run into the forest to finish their fight as Arc pins the Angel of Darkness to a tree with his spear in an effort to weaken her forces. Trixie is able to defeat Decimus with her Illusion Magic before allowing Ember to finish him off with a spear to his chest. Returning to the battle with Ember and Sereb they report Decimus’ death. The Angel of Darkness does not take the news well. She orders her forces to kill Ember and Trixie. However, before they can act the ground begins to shake. The Ursa Major lumbers forth from the tree line with Fluttershy on her head. She effortlessly smashes through the dark forces and disrupts their portals, cutting off reinforcements. As she turns to leave, Tempest throws Light’s Bane at the bear. Fluttershy kicks it away before turning her attention back to the assailant. Enraged, she beats her opponent savagely until the angel falls. As Fluttershy continues to beat on her, Arc tackles her and convinces her to stop. Twilight and her friends use the Elements of Harmony to return Tempest to her normal form, effectively ending the battle.

Medics are dispatched to help the wounded. Shining Armor reports no fatalities. Tugem escorts Fluttershy home. He reveals to her that she is legendary among the woodland creatures whom refer to her as “Mother”. As they walk, Tugem also reveals his knowledge of a secret Fluttershy has hidden from others. However, he agrees to keep it to himself. Meanwhile, Rarity informs her friends of how she and Arc spent the night together before the summit. They approve of her and Arc’s relationship and encourage Rarity to pursue it.

Arc returns to his quarters for a shower. As he muses over the night’s activities, Tempest’s voice rings out. They step into the Living Room together as Tempest reveals the Hawthorne is dead (seriously, like Wind Rider, he’s not coming back). She also reaffirms her promise to not take other lives. As she leaves, she points out Wiseman standing nearby. He advises Arc things are not always as they seem, before vanishing. Arc heads to the Dining Room to join the party. Ember proposes a peace treaty with Equestria, which every other nation agrees to except the Forsaken. As they drink, Arc remembers Wiseman’s words. He asks Rose to remotely scan the glasses. She reports the contents are fine. However the glasses themselves have a strange spell on them. One by one the delegates fall to a paralysis spell. Sereb runs to fetch the servants as Arc hurries out of the room. As the delegates are made comfortable, Arc stands amongst them invisibly. Spotting Eventide Shine, Arc pins her to the wall with a Telekinesis Spell. He claims she is not an Earth Pony, but a Unicorn. As he prepares to cut off her horn, she attacks and reveals her true identity… Sunset Shimmer. She confesses to being behind everything to befall the summit before calling for Kane to join her. He does so, revealing his Life Pact to her in front of everyone before leaving with his new mistress via a dark portal.

However, many questions yet remain. Will Equestria and the ogre’s be able to continue to coexist? Will Smolder eventually warm up to Arc? Will the Ursa Minor be able to lead a normal life? Will the princesses be safe from future attacks? Would Arc truly make a better ruler as Hawthorne suggested? Will lasting peace be attainable for all nations? Why did Sunset take Kane as her mount? More so, what was her angle for infiltrating the summit? And where was the Dark One when his forces attacked Light’s Hope? But most importantly… will Arc and Rarity decide to become an official couple?

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