//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 - Head On! // Story: The Equestrian Odyssey - A Tale of Two Worlds // by Kamahido //------------------------------// Later that night Arc begins to stir. Putting a hand to his forehead he slowly sits up. “What the…? Where am I?” Eidolon’s Ward stands and puts a gauntlet on Arc’s chest as she pushes him back down. “Easy there. You had quite the evening.” Arc looks to his left and right as he feels movement. “Arc?” “Dad?! Are you okay?!” Arc nods weakly as he continues to rub his temples. “I… think so. What happened? That last thing I remember is… um…” Arc bolts upright. “That griffon! Where…?!” Derpy puts a hoof on his shoulder. “Easy there, Arc. Frank and Ember took care of him.” “They did?” “Yeah, dad. He’s out cold aboard The Equinox.” Arc grimaces. “But he could’ve woken up by now!” Eidolon’s Ward shakes her helmet. “Not likely. I… might have backed Ember up in pretending I was you.” “What?” Derpy sighs. “She needed Redheart to put him in a medically induced coma. It was the only way we could think of to keep him down. You’re not too upset by that, are you?” Arc Blinks out of bed and in front of his armor. “Well, I suppose under the circumstances it was okay. But I’d like to see for myself that he’s still out.” Derpy looks to him, nervously. “You really should rest, Arc.” “Right dad. That bad griffon poisoned you!” “He did? How?” Eidolon’s Ward sighs. “We think he put something in either your food or drink.” “Well, now that I think about it, the Apple Juice tasted especially good. But we should get moving.” Walking quickly to the door Arc opens it and steps out into the hall. He looks around, confused, as Derpy and Dinky follow him. “Um…” “Something wrong?” “This looks like Rarity’s place, Derpy.” Eidolon’s Ward nods. “I brought you here after you passed out.” “Why?” “That griffon was only after you, dad.” Derpy shudder. “Yes. It was scary!” Dinky yawns as Arc kneels down to her level. “I think I should probably let you and your mother get some more sleep.” Derpy nods. “Yes, that’s probably for the best.” Arc takes his gauntlet and opens a portal. Derpy and Dinky embrace him momentarily before heading toward the swirling energies. “Be careful, Arc!” “Yeah dad!” Arc smiles at them. “I will. Have a good day you two.” The pair vanish as Arc closes the portal and turns to his armor. “We should hurry to The Equinox.” “Agreed. But I’m sure you want to say goodbye to somepony else first.” Arc sighs. “It’s kinda early to be…” Eidolon’s Ward gestures to the stairs. “I think I can hear her sewing machine running.” “Huh? What’s she doing up at this hour?” Eidolon’s Ward giggles. “Only one way to find out.” Together they head downstairs. Finding the shop floor dark they turn toward the back room where a light shines under the door. Opening it, Arc sees Rarity sitting at her usual place, working. Eidolon’s Ward steps back as Arc enters the back room quietly and closes the door before walking over to her. “Rarity?” She lets out a small yelp and falls over backwards. Reaching out Arc catches her as he sits down on the floor. Rarity looks up at him sheepishly with bags under her eyes. “I… I’m sorry, Arc. I must look a fright right now. Are you feeling better?” Arc smiles. “You look just fine to me. And yes, I’m alright.” Rarity blushes. “That’s good. It’s nice to have somepony around to catch me when I fall.” Arc pulls her into his lap. “And it’s nice to have somepony special in my life.” Rarity appears confused. “I’m sorry, what?” “I just said it’s nice to have someone…” “No, no! You said ‘somepony’ a moment ago.” “Did I?” Rarity nods. “Yes.” “Oh. Sorry about that.” Rarity smiles. “Don’t be. It just means pony mannerisms are rubbing off on you.” Arc chuckles. “I guess I have been in Equestria long enough for that to happen.” Rarity stretches her neck to rest her muzzle on his cheek. “I have to confess I find this new aspect of yours very sexy.” “Well, I aim to please. But why don’t I take you to bed? It’s very late after all.” Rarity yawns. “Very well. But I was just planning on stretching out on my couch here. Derpy and Dinky are asleep in my room, after all.” “I sent them home prior to coming down here.” Rarity bats her eyelashes. “Well then, why don’t you and I head upstairs together? I’d love to fall asleep in your arms again.” Arc shakes her head. “Sorry, but I need to get going. The griffon that attacked me needs to be dealt with.” Rarity sighs. “I see.” “Sorry.” She shakes her head. “Oh no, I understand that this is your job. Truth be told I was really just looking for an excuse to get close to you again.” Arc chuckles. “I’d like that too, Rarity. Just not right now. Can I take a rain check?” “Of course. Anytime you want a bedmate, I’ll be there.” She suddenly blushes fervently. “That… could’ve been worded better.” Arc smiles at her. “I knew what you meant. And I… um… I really liked last time too. But I think I should carry you to bed now. You’re almost falling asleep as it is.” Rarity nods. Arc picks her up and slowly carries her upstairs. Reaching her room he lays her on the bed and covers her with the blankets. “Comfy?” “Oh, yes. Thank you.” “Good night, Rarity.” He leans down and gently kisses her lips. Stepping back Arc leaves the room and softly closes the door behind him. Rarity rolls over and giggles to herself. “I can’t wait for our next… encounter!” Meanwhile, Arc sighs as he steps down the hall. “Arc? Aren’t you going to open a portal?” “I will in a moment, Cherry. There’s something I want to do first.” Stopping in front of another door Arc slowly opens it and peeks inside. He spots Sweetie Belle lying on her side shivering. Stepping quietly inside he carefully covers her with the blanket. She rolls over and mumbles in her sleep. “Thanks… dad.” Smiling, Arc kneels down and gives the sleeping filly a quick kiss on top of her head before returning to the hallway and opening a portal. Stepping through Arc finds himself in his quarters aboard The Equinox. However instead of heading for the door he sits down on the couch and looks out the window. “Arc?” “Hm?” “Would you like to talk about it?” “I… I don’t know.” “If you’d rather not, I understand.” “No, that’s not what I mean.” He sighs before continuing. “I feel… conflicted. Back there… it was like that time Dinky said the same thing.” “Oh?” “Sweetie Belle really is a nice young filly. She just wants a father to look up to.” “And you’d like to be the one to fill that role?” Arc nods. “I do. But… as it stands…” “…you don’t have time.” “Right.” Cherry sighs. “You’ve said that quite a few times before. How you’re too busy for a marefriend. Too busy to be a real father. Too busy to settle down and…” Arc stands up suddenly. “I know!” He puts a hand on the glass and sighs. “Sorry.” “It’s okay.” “Part of me wants to just forget this whole quest. Let someone else rescue Princess Celestia. After all… haven’t I done enough?” “I don’t believe anypony could say you hadn’t. But who else could bring our lost princess home?” Arc shrugs. “General Virtuous Lance probably could. He’d have the entire might of the Equestrian army behind him.” “And what would they be going up against? You’ve said yourself that humans are very good at war and killing. Would they survive?” “Not all of them.” “Agreed. While I don’t want you in harm’s way, I believe in your strength, intellect, tenacity, and power, Arc. You CAN do this! In truth, you might be the only one.” Arc nods. “You’re right, Cherry. I’m just feeling a bit… overwhelmed by this whole thing. Mounting a rescue back on Earth, and now the rebels coming after me here in Equestria…” “It is a bit much to take in.” “Yeah. But I need to deal with that griffon, and soon.” “We took him to the ship’s Infirmary. He should still be there with Ember and Frank.” “I thought you said he was out.” “Yes. But Ember told us she wanted to exercise caution in this matter. Frank offered to join her.” “Well, let’s see for ourselves.” He heads for the door and down the corridor. Cherry speaks as they walk. “Are you worried the griffon might wake up?” “Worse. That her and Frank might throw down.” Entering the Infirmary, Arc spots Ember dozing in a chair near the griffon’s bed as Frank looks out the window at the moon. He turns at the sound of Arc’s footsteps. “Feeling better, my friend?” “Yeah.” He looks down at the unconscious griffon. “I hear you and Ember took care of this little… problem.” Frank nods soberly. “Somehow, yes.” “He gave you two some trouble?” “A bit. Ember stabbed him, and he… regenerated.” Arc frowns. “Just like Tempest.” “Who?” “A unicorn mare with a broken horn whom I’ve run into several times. She’s as strong as she is ill-tempered.” Frank looks down at the griffon. “Do you think she’ll come here looking for this one?” “I doubt it. She and her so-called Council of Shadows aren’t involved with the rebels. At least I hope they aren’t.” Ember stirs as Frank clears his throat loudly. She turns and sees Arc. Getting up quickly she storms over to Frank. “I thought I told you to wake me up if something happened?!” “Nothing did.” Ember points a thumb at Arc. “You call Arc showing up nothing?!” Frank shrugs. “You’re awake now.” Ember rolls her eyes as she turns her attention back to Arc. “Feeling okay?” “Yeah. I woke up at Rarity’s next to Derpy and Dinky a bit woozy.” Frank turns to the bed. “So… what should we do with this creature?” Ember brandishes her claws. “Take care of him permanently is my vote!” Frank sighs. “You already tried that at the Town Hall, remember?” Ember grins wickedly. “I’ll do better this time!” Arc rolls his eyes. “I was thinking more along the lines of Canterlot dungeon.” Frank turns to him. “Do you think they could hold him?” Arc shrugs. “Probably.” Ember frowns. “And if Tempest shows up to break him out? I see a lot of dead Royal Guards in the castle’s future.” Frank sighs. “So we just leave him here?!” Arc shakes his head. “Probably not a good idea.” “Okay. What then?” Arc grins. “Not to worry, Ember. I have a plan.” A short time later The Equinox takes off. As the mid-morning sun shines onto the Bridge the shores of the Griffon Kingdom loom in the distance. Arc turns to Tight Ship. “That was a bit faster than normal.” “Yes sir.” Moon Dancer smiles. “It would appear the Chief Engineer’s modifications worked.” Thunderlane grins uncontrollably. “Yeah! The engines are running at about twenty-five percent higher capacity as it stands!” Wrangler laughs. “Like greased lightning!” Soarin approaches. “Sir, you’ve yet to hail Griffonstone and tell them of our unexpected arrival.” Arc sighs. “Yes, well… that’s mostly because I wasn’t able to come up with a way to explain this visit.” Ember shrugs. “So?” Lemon Hearts turns to Ember. “They could see it as an act of aggression if we don’t announce ourselves soon, sir.” Tight Ship clears his throat. “While prudent, we still have unlimited flying rights in Griffon Kingdom airspace. However, in the name of diplomacy, we should contact The Aviary before we’re spotted.” Arc sighs. “Alright. Lemon Hearts hail the Council of Lords and tell them I’m coming.” “Yes sir. What reason should I give?” “Tell them that I wish to… speak with them about something important regarding their rebel problem.” Frank grins. “That would intrigue any politician.” Ember rolls her eyes. “Great. Maybe we won’t have to wait days for an audience this time.” Arc shrugs. “Worst case scenario, we drop him off with the guards and let them handle him.” Moon Dancer looks up from her console. “Captain. There’s a small vessel approaching from the port side.” Soarin shrugs. “Well, we are getting close to shore.” Wrangler frowns. “It’s on a direct course, sir!” Tight Ship turn to the comms. “Lemon Hearts! Hail them!” “Aye sir. Unidentified griffon vessel, this is the Equestrian airship, Equinox. You are on a direct course with us. Please adjust your heading.” Several moments pass. Eventually Thunderlane calls out. “They’re still coming!” Moon Dancer grimaces. “Not only that, but they’ve increased speed!” Tight Ship turns to Lemon Hearts. “Hail them again and state our intent.” “Yes sir. Equinox to unidentified vessel. We have authorization from the Council of Lords to enter your land in addition to defending ourselves with appropriate force. Disengage at once.” Again the radio is silent. Arc turns to the crew. “Could they be having radio trouble?” Ember looks out the window and squints. “Even if they were, there’s no way they couldn’t see us.” Wrangler grins. “Shall I send them a message of my own, sir?” Tight Ship frowns. “Bring the ship up to red alert.” Wrangler nods. “Aye sir.” An alert klaxon goes off all over the ship. Frank turns to Arc. “Is your life always this… eventful?” Arc sighs. “You have no idea.” Soarin turns to the comms. “Lemon Hearts! Anything on the radio?!” “Nothing!” Wrangler looks up. “Weapons ready!” Tight Ship turns to Arc. “Sir. Do we have your permission to fire on a civilian craft?” Ember nods fervently. “Darn right!” Arc shakes his head. “Negative.” Frank raises an eyebrow. “What?!” “It could be seen as an act of aggression.” Thunderlane calls out. “But we have permission from…!” “I mean to the general public. They hear about us shooting down an unarmed ship, and we’ll be the bad guys to them.” Moon Dancer grimaces. “Impact in one minute!” Arc turns to Wrangler. “Can the ORB protect the ship?” Wrangler nods. “Assuming they don’t have some kind of massive payload aboard, yes.” Frank appears confused. “Orb?” Ember shrugs. “The Orbital Remote Barrier. It’s some kind of magical machine, or something.” Thunderlane turns to Arc. “Their speed says the ship’s empty, sir.” Moon Dancer nods. “Sir, I’m not detecting anything of concern aboard their vessel.” Arc walks over to Wrangler’s console. “Let’s do this.” Putting his hands on the two spheres, Arc concentrates and pours his magical energy into the system for several seconds. Wrangler nods. “That should be enough, sir.” Nodding, Arc stumbles back. Ember hurries over to him. “You okay?” Arc gives a thumbs up as he breathes heavily. “Y-yeah. I guess I’m still a bit worn out from whatever happened last night.” Frank frowns. “We told you to nap earlier.” Moon Dancer turns to Wrangler. “Collision in fifteen seconds!” “Activating ORB!” Soarin grits his teeth. “Maintain speed and heading, Thunderlane.” “Aye, sir.” Lemon Hearts calls out into her intercom. “All crew brace for impact!” A moment later the ship shudders slightly. Moon Dancer turns to the captain. “The enemy ship is going down, sir.” “Any damage?” Ember grins. “To us, or them?” Arc frowns. “Both.” “Our shields took the hit, sir. No damage to The Equinox. However that small ship was pretty much destroyed.” Thunderlane turns his head. “I can see what left of it falling to the ocean, sir.” Lemon Hearts looks over her instruments. “No other ships in the area.” Frank sighs. “They must have been acting alone.” Arc nods soberly. “Hopefully, yes. Thunderlane, can you double back and hover low over the wreckage?” Thunderlane raises an eyebrow. “Sir?” “I want a look at that vessel.” Tight Ship sighs. “Considering our shields and their ship’s size, it’s very unlikely anypony aboard survived the impact.” Moon Dancer nods. “A ship like that wouldn’t have much of a crew anyways.” Soarin shakes his head. “Hopefully it was just a lone pilot.” Arc turns toward the door. “We’ll find out soon enough. Hover as close to the water as you can, Thunderlane.” “Shall I land, sir?” Ember raises an eyebrow. “In the water?!” Soarin nods. “Yes. The ship can safely submerge the lower and mid decks leaving only the top third of the ship above the waterline.” Arc grins. “That might make this easier. Let’s go with that, Thunderlane.” “Aye, sir.” Ember and Frank follow Arc off the Bridge as the crew looks to one another, confused. Lemon Hearts looks to the captain. “What do you suppose that was all about, sir?” “Most likely just a citizen who didn’t approve of our two nation’s signing a treaty.” Moon Dancer shakes her head. “Well, it wasn’t worth their lives!” Wrangler grits her teeth. “Maybe it was to them.” Lemon Hearts sighs. “Yes. A shame though.” Thunderlane frowns. “That little ship didn’t stand a chance. Shields or not, they had to know there was no chance of victory for them.” Soarin puts a hoof to his chin. “Perhaps wining wasn’t their goal.” Moon Dancer looks confused. “What else could they have wanted?” Tight Ship looks out over the horizon. “To make a statement.”