//------------------------------// // Chapter 21 - Love Triangle // Story: The Equestrian Odyssey - A Tale of Two Worlds // by Kamahido //------------------------------// Arc awakens early the next morning to the sounds and smells of food wafting into the Living Room from the Kitchen. Sitting up from the couch he slowly stands and stretches. Sereb rises and does the same. “I so need a new sofa.” Sereb grins toothily. “There was certainly ample room in Ember’s bed.” “Yeah, well… I kinda felt like I needed some time alone.” “Still blaming yourself?” Arc nods as Sereb shakes his head. “You must stop looking back, or you will never move forward, Arc.” “I know. But that’s much easier to say than do.” Walking toward the Kitchen the pair find Arc’s squad hard at work preparing breakfast. Max salutes. “Good morning, sir.” Viktor grins. “Sleep well, sir?” “I’ve had better nights.” Xenos nods soberly. “We saw you on the couch, sir.” Hugh grins sheepishly. “Max told us to keep it down, but…” Arc sighs as he sits down at the table. “Cooking’s kinda hard to keep quiet.” Sereb nods as he sniffs the air. “Indeed.” A few minutes later Ember descends the stairs. She sleepily walks over to the table and sits down. “Do you guys have to start cooking this early every day?” Max nods. “As long as the commander’s here, yes.” Xenos laughs. “You know better than any of us that he likes to get an early start.” Ember facepalms. “Yeah, well… he only wakes up when he smells the food.” “Usually, yes.” Arc looks around. “Where’s Rose?” Viktor points with a spatula toward the basement stairs. “Doing research on the Internet.” “Oh? What about?” Max shrugs. “We’re not sure.” Hugh calls over from the sink. “Right But she was at it when we all got up earlier this morning.” Ember shrugs. “She’ll tell us when she’s good and ready.” Arc sighs. “I suppose.” Hugh turns to Arc as he puts the food on the table. “I bet this is a nice way to start your morning, sir.” “Yeah…” Ember turns to him. “Something up, Arc?” “Huh? Oh… sorry. Just the events from yesterday.” Sereb looks up at Arc. “Minerva will be fine.” Ember nods. “Yeah. She just needs a little rest.” “Probably.” His squad serves the food. Arc looks to the platters soberly. “Give me Minerva’s plate.” “Sir?” “I’ll run it up to her.” Ember nods soberly. “You want some time to talk to her, huh?” “Yeah. And to apologize.” Ember frowns. “What about YOUR food?!” “I won’t be long.” They nod as Arc heads upstairs with the plate. Viktor turns to Max. “The commander’s taking this really hard.” “It’s to be expected. Had he not involved Miss Moore, theoretically none of this would’ve happened.” Ember frowns at Max. “You’re not saying this is his fault, are you?!” “No. But try telling him that.” Sereb sighs. “Max is correct. Perhaps they can talk through this matter together.” Meanwhile, Arc reaches the top of the stairs. Setting the plate of food momentarily on a nearby end table Arc removes his mask from the ring and puts it on. Picking the food back up he takes a deep breath and quietly opens the door. Looking toward the bed he sees Minerva lying on her back motionless. Eidolon’s Ward sits in a chair by her bedside. She looks over to him as he approaches. They keep their voices low. “How is she?” Eidolon’s Ward sighs. “Scared mostly. She was restless half the night.” “Nightmares?” “I believe so, yes. Minerva seemed to settle down a bit when I whispered words of encouragement and held her hand though.” “Thanks for staying with her last night, Cherry. But we should wake her up to eat now.” “Must we? She could probably use the rest.” “True. But who knows when she ate last.” “I suppose you’re right.” Taking the young woman’s hand in her gauntlet, Cherry quietly whispers to her. “Minerva? It’s morning.” Slowly she opens her eyes and groggily calls out. “Are you sure, Cherry? It’s still dark out.” “Yes. The suns already up.” Minerva puts a hand to her face before blinking a few times and looking around. “Oh… right.” “The Hero brough you some breakfast.” Arc steps forward. “Yes. You should eat before it gets cold.” He sets the plate in Minerva’s lap. The woman sighs. “I was kinda hoping this morning would be different.” Arc looks to Minerva. “Are you in a lot of pain?” “A bit, yes. Mostly just bruises. But that’s not the biggest problem.” Eidolon’s Ward nods and turns to Arc. “When Minerva woke up in the shower last night, we found out she’s blind.” Arc mutters to himself. “He said I wouldn’t like how he did it.” “Huh?” “I… nothing.” Arc looks into Minerva’s eyes for a moment. “There doesn’t appear to be anything physically wrong with them. I’m guessing the big flash last night overloaded your senses.” Minerva nods. “I kinda remember that. But I was too afraid to close my eyes.” “Can anything be done for her, Hero?” “I’ve heard about welders experiencing similar symptoms if they weld without eye protection.” Eidolon’s Ward gasps. “Is it… permanent?!” Arc shakes his head. “No. Their vision would come back after a day or so. How do your eyes feel, Minerva?” “They hurt pretty bad.” “How about I get you some eyedrops from the Bathroom?” “Oh, would you? I’d appreciate it.” “I’ll be right back.” Rising, Arc quickly walks to the medicine cabinet. Spotting the familiar bottle he grabs it and returns to Minerva’s side. “Here we are.” He puts the bottle in Minerva’s hand. She unscrews the top and tilts her head back. Giving the bottle a small squeeze a few drops emerge and fall. However they land on her forehead uselessly as Minerva sighs. “This is harder than I thought it’d be.” Arc leans down. “Do you want some help?” “Yes, please.” Minerva again tilts her head back. Arc carefully puts the drops in her eyes. She winces in pain. “I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?” “My eyes feel like they’re on fire!” The armor turns to Arc. “Maybe we need to get her to a doctor.” Arc sighs. “If you want me to, I could take you to the hospital.” Minerva shakes her head fearfully. “Please, no!” “They could at least give you some prescription-grade eyedrops.” “I can handle the pain!” Eidolon’s Ward turns to Arc. “Is there anything else we can do for her?” “Closing the shades would help. Keep it as dark as possible in here.” Eidolon’s Ward stands and quickly closes the curtains around the room. Minerva sighs contentedly. “That does help a lot.” Arc sits down on the bed. “Minerva, do you remember anything from last night?” “Very little. Mostly just that I was terrified.” Eidolon’s Ward looks to Arc “What happened over there?” “Wiseman showed up.” Minerva frowns. “Who?” “The man in the blue cloak.” Eidolon’s Ward nods. “He was at the apartment fire.” Minerva thinks for a moment. “Wiseman, huh?” Arc raises an eyebrow. “You know him?” “I know OF him. Truth be told, he saved me when I was mugged not that long ago.” Eidolon’s Ward gasps. “When was that?!” “Do you remember the night I came home and… and put you in that drawer?” “Vividly, yes.” Minerva tells her story of how two thugs tied her up and stole her purse. Arc nods. “And then Wiseman just kinda showed up, right?” “That’s just how it happened, yes. How did you know that?” Eidolon’s Ward shrugs. “He has a habit of doing that to the Hero and I.” Minerva smiles at Arc. “Originally when I saw you in your blue cloak in my apartment, I… I thought he was you.” Arc shakes his head. “Nope. Not I.” “Did Wiseman take care of that horrible Diva?!” Arc frowns. “Um… yes and no.” Minerva appears confused. “What does THAT mean?” Arc sighs. “Let me explain…” He tells the pair of last night’s visit by Wiseman downstairs, along with the message he’d brought. Minerva appears skeptical. “So you really think he’s telling the truth?” Arc sighs. “No reason not to. After all, if he’d wanted to hurt us, he’d have done so already.” Eidolon’s Ward nods. “A fair assumption. But how exactly did he convince Diva to leave Minerva alone?” “No idea. But to his credit, Wiseman does have an extremely high success rate. That and he had no reason to lie to us.” He turns to the woman lying there. “You can stay here for the time being. What happened to you was my fault anyways.” Minerva shakes her head. “Thank you. But like I said back then, I wanted to help. Remember, taking risks to expose the truth is what us reporters do.” She sighs. “Although I think I’ll sleep at the office for a few days after I get out of here.” Minerva gasps. “The office!” Arc sighs. “Let me guess. You’re supposed to be at work, right?” “Kinda. Today I was supposed to go over the stories that air tonight as they come in. The editor is on vacation this week and it’s my day to fill in.” Arc raises an eyebrow. “But how are you supposed to do that as you are?” “I… don’t know.” Eidolon’s Ward looks to her friend. “Can I help?” “Do you know how to type, Cherry?” “How to… what?” Arc shakes his head. “They don’t have much in the way of computers when Cherry’s from. But my… uh… friends could certainly help you with that.” “Those robed figures that joined you at the hospital?” “Yes. They’re quite capable.” Eidolon’s Ward nods. “He’s right. After all, they do the research on this end all the time.” Minerva sighs. “Well, as it stands, I don’t really have any other choice but to accept. Um… can I ask you something?” “Me?” “Yes, Hero. Why did you give Diva the laptop? After all, didn’t you need the information on it?” “I did, yes. But letting you take the fall for my information lead wasn’t something I was okay with.” Minerva blushes slightly. “I… um… thank you.” “No problem. Well, I should probably let you eat now.” He stands and heads for the door. Eidolon’s Ward turns to Minerva as Arc closes it behind him. “You should eat.” Minerva nods. “Yes. It’s been awhile.” The young woman fumbles for her silverware on the plate. Locating it she feels around for the food for a few moments. Eidolon’s Ward sits back down and looks to her. “How about I help you?” Minerva nods. “Thanks. This is harder than I though.” Taking the silverware from Minerva, Eidolon’s Ward cuts the food into bite sized pieces. She puts them to her friend’s mouth one by one. “My, you’re hungry.” Minerva nods as she swallows. “That horrible woman took me before I could eat supper. Tell me, do you really think she’ll leave me be?” “If the Hero believes it, so do I.” “How can you be so certain?” “Because I know that even if he’s wrong, he’ll come for you.” Minerva blushes. “That I do believe.” “But you still haven’t talked to him about it.” Minerva shakes her head. “I tried to a couple times.” Eidolon’s Ward puts down the fork and sits on the bed. “Minerva. You need to be honest about this.” Minerva wrings her hands. “Yes, I know. But what I don’t understand is why it’s so hard to say.” “How about ‘will you go out with me’?” “But we did!” Eidolon’s Ward sighs. “You two going to Roberto’s Pizza together to talk business wasn’t exactly what I would call romantic.” Minerva nods sadly. “Thanks for helping me pick out something to make him notice me.” “I’m sorry it didn’t work.” Minerva puts a finger to her chin. “I was wearing a nice skirt that night. Maybe he’s not into legs. I knew I should have worn the low cut blouse.” Eidolon’s Ward nods. “You could have, yes. However, the end result would have been the same.” “What does he like then?” “Personality. Remember, he liked me as a pony.” “So, should I find a way to turn into a mare?” “No. I meant he’s less concerned with outward appearance and more interested in a mare’s mannerisms.” “What should I do then, Cherry?” “Just be honest. Tell him how you feel and just be yourself.” Minerva shakes her head. “There’s got to be more to it.” “Not really. He’s a simple human, but knows what he wants.” “Is he a… um… how to put this…” Minerva thinks for a moment before continuing. “A… a hit with the mares where you’re from?” “Truth be told, very much so.” “How does he feel about them? Anyone special to him?” “Well, there is one mare that recently turned his head.” “Tell me about her, Cherry.” “Sure. What would you like to know?” Minerva grins. “Everything!” “Oh… well I’ll try.” She thinks for a moment. “Starting at the beginning, they met very shortly after he arrived in my homeland. She helped look after him when he was released from the hospital.” “Hospital?!” “A wild animal attacked the town. He tried to fight it, but failed.” “So heroism’s in his blood?” “Kinda. I already told you everything he’s done for me.” “Yes indeed. So they became quick friends?” “That they did. You see, she’s a fashion designer. He needed clothes custom made to fit him. She saw to it he was always well supplied with garments.” Minerva grins. “Sounds like a good friend to have.” “Right. But that’s all they were until a certain… incident.” “Oh?” “There was some kind of magical experiment that another friend of his was performing. She was trying to make him fall for her.” Minerva raises an eyebrow. “Is that… possible?” “Kinda. Without going into too much detail, the side effects caused every mare whom came into close proximity to him to quickly fall… ill.” “So he inadvertently made those around him sick?” “Yes. But after the initial symptoms hit, the mares went into an uncontrollable heat!” Minerva blushes. “Heat? You mean like… you know…” Eidolon’s Ward nods. “Every one of them offered their bodies to the Hero back then. Two of them simultaneously.” “Cherry, when I saw you in, what did you call it again? The dream world?” Eidolon’s Ward nods. “The Hero calls it his Sanctuary. What about it?” “Well, when you showed me your true form, were you roughly that size back then?” “Size?” “In relation to me, that is.” “Oh, yes.” “And I assume you were fully grown?” “Of course. What are you getting at?” Minerva blushes. “Sorry, I just… I was trying to picture… the size difference between a human and a mare.” “Humans are almost twice as tall as a pony. But why is our size important?” “I was just kinda wondering if those mares backsides were okay. After they… um… had relations with the Hero.” “Oh no, no, no! He didn’t take any of them up on their offers!” Minerva appears surprised. “Really?” “It’s true. Instead the Hero put them to sleep with a spell and had them transported to a local hospital. At the time he thought they were suffering from some kind of undiscovered illness.” “Are they pretty?” “Very. But we’ve gone a bit off topic. You see, after they were cured, several of the mares saw him in a new light.” “How so?” “Not being violated showed them he was somepony special. One of them even confessed her love shortly thereafter.” Minerva looks confused. “So why are you helping me with this then? He has someone back there who…” “He turned them down.” “Oh.” “However, very recently he started having certain… feelings for another of his friends. She invited him over for supper one evening in an attempt to make up for her behavior back then.” Minerva smiles. “A dinner date?” “Precisely.” “Were you there?” “No. The Hero left his armor home that night.” Minerva raises an eyebrow. “So you let him go see her alone?!” “It was my idea.” “That doesn’t make any sense, Cherry! Why?!” Eidolon’s Ward giggles. “So he’d see other mares. I had a good feeling about her intentions.” “Did the date go well?” “Better than I expected, yes.” “What can you tell me about my… um…” “Competition?” “Yes.” “Like I said, she’s a fashion designer in the town the Hero lives in. She owns her own business, Carousel Boutique. It’s probably the most unique building in town. Very… artsy and fancy.” “Is she pretty?” “Extremely. Probably one of the best looking mares I’ve ever seen.” Minerva sighs and looks down sightlessly at her lap. “What hope does someone like me have against that? I can only assume they’re now an item.” “Not… exactly.” “Huh?” “Truthfully, he really does want a relationship.” “With her?” “With someone, yes.” “What’s stopping him then?” “His mission here.” Minerva sighs. “That again? Still looking for someone?” “Something like that.” “Can’t you tell me, Cherry?” “Sorry, but no. Nopony back in my world knows about his mission either. Except the princesses, that is.” “Princesses?” “Our land is ruled by them.” “No king or queen?” “No. Just the princesses.” “Kinda surprising. And the Hero takes his orders from them?” “Nopony tells him what to do.” “Then why is he here? Who sent him?” “The Hero of Light is above the princesses’ authority. He does what he wants. And he volunteered to find somepony who’s missing.” “That mare whom turned his head?” “No, she’s safely back home. But I’m sure he would if need be.” “What else can you tell me about that mare?” “She has a filly named Sweetie Belle. They’re really cute together.” “So she’s a single mother?” “I suppose you might say that.” “Um… can I assume her… filly… um… is the Hero’s daughter?” “Certainly not! She’s… well, it’s complicated. Why are you so interested in her?” “Because…” Minerva sighs. “…I wanted to know about her in hopes of using that information to make the Hero notice me.” “Ah! Well, just be kind and honest. He doesn’t like deception in the least.” “What’s that mare’s name?” “Rarity.” “A very… interesting name.” “Frankly I think it suits her. After all, she’s certainly a very… um… unique mare.” They are silent for a time. Eventually Minerva speaks. “Jealous, Cherry?” “No, not at all!” “Really?” The armor sighs. “Well… a bit, I suppose. But I need to do what’s best for him. It’s the only reason I’m still here.” “Still here?” “After my death.” Minerva nods. “I see. But I don’t understand one thing. If you’re jealous of that Rarity mare, why are you helping me?” “To make sure the Hero is happy.” Eidolon’s Ward takes Minerva’s hand. “In return all I ask is that you do your best to make him happy in the event he chooses you.” Minerva smiles and nods. “I will. And that’s a promise I can keep!”