//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 - Comparing Notes // Story: The Equestrian Odyssey - A Tale of Two Worlds // by Kamahido //------------------------------// The pair leave the restroom together and walk down the hallway. Rose turns to Arc. “So we’re going to keep the nurse’s clothes?” Arc shrugs. “They belong to the hospital, but yes.” “Why?” “Just an ace in the hole.” “Huh?” “It means in case we ever need them again.” “Oh.” The pair make their way toward the Security Office. Rose looks to Arc, confused. “What are we doing back here?” Arc pulls the nurse’s badge out of his pocket. “We should probably turn this in.” “Do we have to, Arc?” “Might as well.” “But… um…” “What is it, Rose?” “Maybe we should keep it.” “Uh… why?” Rose shrugs. “Just like the clothes, it… might come in handy later.” “I suppose that’s not a bad idea. And she could always get another one.” Rose grimaces. “Admittedly I didn’t really like doing this.” “Which part?” “Stealing.” Arc sighs. “Neither did I. But we kinda had to.” “I don’t understand. My programming says that deception is a bad thing.” “Normally it is. But this time we really didn’t have much of a choice. Other than walking in there and getting violent, that is.” Rose frowns. “I think I would have liked that even less.” “As would I. But if this bothered you, why did you still help me?” “Because I trust you, Arc. You’ve always done the right thing by everyone as far as I’ve seen.” “No one’s perfect though.” Rose smiles at him. “True. But I’m sure you do your best.” They leave the hospital and return to Arc’s Jeep. As he starts the engine Arc reaches into his ring and pulls out the package of Frank’s things. He hands them to Rose as she looks to him. “All this work for so little. Why, Arc?” “Because without his cell phone Frank and his guys can’t call me, or anyone else, for help should the need arise.” “I suppose that makes sense.” “That and this whole situation has to have been very traumatic for Frank. The familiarity of his suit and phone might help a bit.” Arc drops Rose off at his house before heading out of town. Arriving at the old house he parks and heads inside. “I’m back.” Wolf looks over from the couch and frowns. “Whoopee.” Arc tosses the clear hospital bag to Wolf. “I got Frank’s stuff. How’s he doing?” “Sleeping.” “Well, probably the best thing for him right now. What about the others?” Wolf rolls his eyes. “Snake’s out foraging for berries, or whatever. Jackal said he was going exploring.” Arc points to the cell phone in the bag as he turns to leave. “Have Frank call me when he wakes up.” “Whatever.” Arc heads back to the Jeep and gets in. Cherry calls out to him as they drive away. “That human sure has a lot of nerve!” “I’ll admit, he doesn’t have the best personality. But then again, none of the Shards seem to.” “Why do you suppose that is?” “Probably because no one ever really showed them how.” “How to what?” “Live, I suppose.” “I don’t understand.” Arc thinks for a moment. “Well… whether we like it or not, most of what we know comes from being taught or learned by watching others. Most of these guys never had that growing up. At least that was the case with most of the early members.” “That’s… really sad.” “Yeah.” They are silent for a time as Arc drives. “Do you want to talk about it, Arc?” “About what?” “I know how you feel.” Arc sighs. “Nearly half my childhood was spent at the Farburg Orphanage. But unlike quite a few of the others, I actually remembered my parents.” “Oh?” “Many of them were given up for adoption or taken by the state at birth.” “By the state?” Arc nods. “Yes. If both parents are deemed to be unfit, the state can take a child out of their home and put them in an Orphanage.” “Can you explain how that would happen?” “Sure. Let’s say a young child is left home alone for hours or days at a time. That’s called ‘child endangerment’. Or if a parent is physically or sexually abusive they can be removed as well.” “But that wasn’t the case for you.” “No. I was sent there because they couldn’t find my father, and I didn’t have any other living relatives.” “I see. And how do you feel about that?” “Part of me is happy with how things turned out. I was able to meet Shelly and Lily, after all. And Frank too, I suppose.” “And the other part?” Arc frowns. “The not knowing. I mean… where the heck did my dad GO?! If I knew for a fact he was dead, I’d at least have some cloture in this matter!” “Perhaps something prevented him from caring for you back then.” “Maybe. But would it have killed him to send a note explaining why?!” “I honestly hope you have your answer one day, Arc.” “So do I.” Returning to the house, Ember greets him at the door. “Everything go alright?” Arc nods as he closes the door behind him. “Yup. Mission accomplished.” “Good. I knew you could handle it.” “Rose was there too, you know.” Ember nods. “Oh, I know. She just seemed kinda… confused when you dropped her off.” “Something wrong?” Ember shrugs. “I doubt it. But did anything happen at the hospital?” “Well… it was the first time she’s seriously questioned me.” Ember raises an eyebrow. “What are you talking about? She asks you things all the time.” “No, no. Questioned as in disagreed with my methods.” Ember lowers her voice. “Should we talk to Twilight about this?” Arc shakes his head. “Nah. Rose is free now, remember?” Ember frowns. “I’m still not sure about your decision to do that. After all, she was pretty much free to begin with after all.” “No, she wasn’t.” “You never ordered her to do anything!” “True. But she was still a slave to her programming. No free will means no freedom in my book.” Ember sighs as she follows Arc over to the sofa. “I sure hope you’re right. After all, it’s not every day one’s offered a perfect lover on a silver platter.” Arc frowns as they sit down. “And what is that supposed to mean?” “I’m just saying Twilight designed Rose to be yours.” “But she didn’t have a say in that.” “Maybe not. But I saw the way she looked at you back then. From where I stood it always appeared she wanted to please you in whatever way she could.” “I saw that too.” “But now she doesn’t have that same look in her eyes.” “What do you mean?” “She’s more… uncertain these days.” Cherry sighs. “Like a certain dragon whom wants what she sees?” “Actually… yes.” Arc frowns. “Huh?” Ember puts a hand on Arc’s knee. “She wanted you back then. Just like I do. But… I don’t know. All I can say for sure is that Rose isn’t the same anymore.” “Well, what am I supposed to do about it?” “That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out myself.” Arc sighs. “I suppose I could try talking to her. See if she needs to…” They are interrupted by the sound of the telephone. Arc stands. “I’ll get it.” Walking over to the phone he picks up the receiver and puts it to his ear. “Hello?” “Arc? It’s Lily.” “Hi, Lily. Is everything okay?” “Um… kinda. Kinda not.” “Do you want to talk about it?” “Well, Shelly and I were talking this morning over breakfast when she told me about a strange dream she had.” “Oh?” “She dreamed that Frank was visiting us yesterday. Remember, she was asleep when Frank and his gang showed up.” Arc nods soberly. “She must’ve heard us talking in the Living Room and just thought it was something her subconscious dreamed up.” “Right.” “What did you tell her?” “The truth, of course.” “How’d she take it?” Lily sighs. “Okay, I suppose. But she’s been worried about Frank all day.” “Worried?” “That he’s really okay. I told her you took him somewhere he’d be safe. But she’s still fretting.” “Why don’t I come down there and talk to you two about what happened?” “Would you? I’m sure it would help put both of our minds at ease.” “Sure. Just let me…” The phone beeps. Arc looks down at the caller ID. “Just a minute, Lily. Frank’s trying to call me.” “Okay. I’ll wait.” He pushes a button before speaking into the receiver again. “Hi Frank. Feeling better?” “Not really. I’m still quite tired.” Arc frowns. “Even after all that sleep?” “So it would seem.” “If it were anyone else, I would say you should go to the doctor.” “Normally I would agree with you. However recent events have made me highly averse to such places.” Arc sighs. “Makes sense.” Frank chuckles. “I just called to thank you for getting my things back. The suit however was a nice surprise.” “No problem. But we should probably work on finding your errant lieutenants.” “Agreed. Jackal is looking forward to doing his part regarding that. However, I’m rather skeptical that even a canine’s nose could sniff out whatever rock our adversaries are hiding under.” “If you have a better idea I’d love to hear it.” Frank sighs. “Admittedly, I don’t.” “I know it’s a long shot, but it’s all we have.” “Very well. When would you like to start?” “As soon as possible. How about I drop my dog off in about an hour?” Frank chuckles. “That should make Jackal happy. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, he has a thing for dogs.” “Yeah. “Well, I’ll see you in a bit.” “Bye.” Arc presses a button on the phone. “You still there, Lily?” “I am.” “Sorry about that. Like I said, it was Frank.” Lily sounds nervous. “Is he okay?!” “Yeah. He just wanted to thank me for helping him out.” “That’s good to hear. Are you still coming by?” “Sure. Just let me run a couple errands for him and I’ll be right over.” “Thanks. I’ll let Shelly know you’re coming.” “Okay. I’ll be there shortly after suppertime.” “We’ll be waiting. Bye.” Arc hangs up the phone and turns back to Ember. “I’m going out again. You want to come?” Ember shakes her head. “No thanks. I think Shelly and Lily aren’t up for any extra company right now.” Arc nods soberly. “Maybe not.” He clears his throat. “Sereb?” The sound of paws walking upstairs can be heard. A moment later Sereb enters the Living Room. “Yes?” “I need that nose of yours.” “Oh? What is my target?” “Diva. Or any of Frank’s former lieutenants, that is.” Ember raises an eyebrow. “Isn’t that sort of a lost cause?” “I admit it’s kinda like searching for a needle in a haystack. But if you’re successful, we’ll have some kind of a lead.” Sereb nods. “Very well. I’ll need their scents though.” Ember rolls her eyes. “And how were you planning on getting that, Arc? Walk right into the Shard base?” “Actually, yes.” “You can’t be serious.” “I’m going to drop Snake off so he can keep us up to date on what’s going on over there. He can give us something with their scent on it.” Sereb sighs. “While I do not like this plan, I will do my best to carry out your instructions, Arc.” “Thanks. Let’s get going.” Ember appears nervous. “You don’t think they’ll… try anything, do you?” Arc shakes his head. “Nah. Snake says they’re pretty much harmless without someone to lead them. No one’s really doing much of anything at the moment.” Sereb growls. “If anyone tries, I’ll make them regret it.” “Fine. Just don’t take any unnecessary risks, okay?” Arc nods as he heads for the door. “No problem. Besides, I want to be in and out so I can get over to see Shelly and Lily before it gets too late.” Ember walks over to the door with them. “Take care you two.” She closes the door behind them and sighs. “I don’t know what I’m worried about. After all, those losers don’t pose any real threat to Arc or Sereb.” Ember heads toward the basement stairs. “Well, let’s see if the guys need some help.” Meanwhile, Arc and Sereb get into the Jeep and drive to the old house. Arriving, they head for the front door. “Sereb, bark a couple times.” The wolf looks to him with a confused look on his face. “Trust me.” Sighing, Sereb does as he is told. A few moments later Jackal hurries out of the house happily. “Doggie!” He kneels down to Sereb’s level as Snake joins them. “What is with you and dumb animals?!” “He not dumb! He furry!” Snake rolls his eyes. “Right. How did I miss that?” Arc clears his throat. “You two ready to go?” Jackal looks up. “Go?” “You want to walk my dog, right?” “Sure!” “Then we should get going.” Arc turns to Snake. “You still want to do this?” Snake frowns. “Not really. But let’s go.” They jump into the Jeep. Arc starts the vehicle and they head down the road. “So you’re clear on the plan?” Snake shrugs. “What’s there to know? I hear about something interesting, I call the boss. A child could do this.” Jackal scratches his head. “What I do again?” “After Sereb has the scent, you just walk around town with him.” “How I know if he smells something?” Snake frowns. “Right. The mutt can’t talk.” “He’ll growl and look in the direction of the scent.” Arc tosses Jackal a pencil and notebook. “You just write down any locations he indicates.” “Okay! I can do that!” Snake rolls his eyes. “We’ll see.” A short time later they arrive at the Shard Base. Driving toward the main entrance Arc turns to Snake. “Uh… no one’s going to try stealing my stuff… right?” “No promises.” Jackal calls out. “I stay here with doggie. Make sure no one takes nothing.” “Thanks.” Arc and Snake get out and enter the building. They walk down a corridor together. Snake frowns as Arc turns a corner. “Where the heck are you going?!” “This is the way to the nicer quarters. Why?” Snake narrows his eyes. “How’d you know it was that way?” “I’m a founding Shard lieutenant, remember? This place building was suggested to Frank by me.” Snake scoffs. “Whatever.” They arrive at a well-kept corridor. Arc turns to Snake. “Which rooms were theirs?” “Those three rooms there were the lieutenant’s.” “Thanks.” Arc enters the rooms one at a time. He emerges with three pillow cases as Snake taps his foot impatiently. “Got what you needed?” “Almost. What about Diva’s room?” “She didn’t have one.” “Where did she stay then?” Snake shrugs. “No idea. Frankly, she was always working on something. No one ever saw her rest.” “She probably slept elsewhere.” “Or that, yeah.” Arc thinks for a moment. “Where did she spend the most time?” “The boss’ office. This way.” “Lead on.” They come to Frank’s office. Arc opens the door and the pair step inside. “What do you hope to find in here?” “Something with her scent.” Snake rolls his eyes. “Such as…?” Arc looks around. “That might be a bit tricky. Nothing around here would hold scent very long.” He thinks a moment before turning back to Snake. “Diva worked in this room exclusively?” “Yeah.” “Did she sit at the desk?” Snake nods. “That’s the only place I ever saw her.” “Good.” Arc walks over to the desk and looks it over. Eventually his eyes rest on the office chair. “Do you have a knife?” Snake pulls out a switchblade. “Yeah, always.” “Let me borrow it for a minute.” Looking confused, Snake hands over his weapon. Arc presses the button and the blade springs out. He kneels down to the chair and cuts out a large piece of the seat. Snake gasps. “What the heck…?” Arc shrugs as he rips the cloth from the chair. “Scent is scent, right?” “I suppose.” They leave the room and head down the corridor together. Snake grimaces as he looks to Arc. “Let’s get you out of here.” “Worried I’ll cause trouble?” Snake glares at him. “As far as I’m concerned, you already have!” “How?!” “From what the boss told me, Stingray wouldn’t have been able to take over if you hadn’t left the gang!” “Probably not.” “So this is YOUR fault!” “I guess it kinda is.” “So what are you planning on doing to fix this?!” Arc holds up the pillowcases and chair cloth. “Find the lieutenants and make them pay for what they did to Frank.” Snake appears skeptical. “And how are you planning to do that?! You’re no match for those four!” “By telling the Hero of Light where he can find them. He’s got a score to settle with them too. Especially Diva.” “What’s his part in all this? I mean, I thought he was out to GET us! Not HELP us!” “He’s not helping the Shards.” “Could’ve fooled me after what he did for us in that mine. Had he let Diva finish us off back there he wouldn’t have had any more trouble from any of us, after all.” “The Hero saves people. He doesn’t leave them to die underground.” Snake shakes his head. “I just don’t get him OR you! What does he have to gain by doing all this?!” He just wants to make the world a better place.” “Like the boss?” Arc shakes his head. “No. He follows a different path.” “But they both lead to the same place!” “And where would that be?” “A place for everyone in a better world.” “I doubt it.” Snake scoffs. “What are you talking about?! Where else could it lead?!” “At best, a dead end.” Snake rolls his eyes. “And at worst?” “Off a cliff.” They return to the Jeep and head into town. Arc pulls over on a side street and lets Jackal and Sereb out. “This gonna be FUN!” Arc tosses Jackal a collar and leash. “Make sure to put this on him. Leash laws, and all that.” “I will!” Jackal kneels down and puts the collar and leash on Sereb. Snake turns to Arc. “Why not keep that collar on him all the time?” Jackal nods. “Yeah! In case he gets lost!” “He, uh… really doesn’t like the collar or the leash. Now you just let my dog lead and he’ll do his best to pick up the scent. You still have that notebook and pencil?” Jackal nods as he pulls the items from his pocket. “Right here!” “Good. I’ll drop Snake here back off at the base and pick you two up in a few hours.” Snake frowns. “How are you supposed to find them?!” Arc thinks for a moment. “Be downtown in three hours. I’ll drive down the main street looking for you.” “Okay!” Arc looks down at Sereb and grins. “Have fun.” Sereb growls lightly as the Jeep pulls away from the curb. Jackal reaches down to pet him. “There, there! I know you’re just nervous being separated from your master! But don’t you worry about a thing! I’ll take extra good care of you!” Sereb sighs as the pair set off down the street. He muses to himself as they walk. “How humiliating.”