Xenos and Viktor frown.
“That’s Diva alright.”
“Yeah.”
Auriel talks through clenched teeth. “Can I stop now?”
Arc nods. “Yes, Auriel. Thank you.”
She removes the cloak before handing it back to Arc. Ember turns to him.
“If we’re done wasting time, can we get down to business here?”
“Sure.”
He turns to Xenos.
“While I’m sure you have a good reason, big guy, why are you here?”
Dinky turns to her father, confused. “I thought he and the others lived here, dad.”
“Normally, yes. But I sent him, Max, Hugh, and Rose out camping. Only Viktor was supposed to stay home.”
Viktor sighs. “I can explain that, sir. You see, Cybil needed some help moving some second-hand furniture into her new apartment.”
Xenos nods sheepishly. “We actually forgot that she asked for our help the other day.”
“Right. I radioed Max to ask what to do. He suggested sending Xenos back in the Jeep to lend a hand.”
“Right. And don’t worry, sir. Rose, Max, and Hugh are still there.”
Ember rolls her eyes. “You guys forget that Rose could have done that job without you for a few hours?”
Viktor shakes his head. “No, but… we didn’t want to disobey the commander’s orders any more than we already were.”
“Thanks for that. It’s fine though.”
Xenos sighs. “I had just gotten back here and headed downstairs to see if Viktor needed anything from the store before I took the Jeep again.”
“That was when Miss Auriel came downstairs. You already know the rest.”
“I suppose so. So did you get Cybil moved in alright, Xenos?”
“Yes sir. She really just needed a second set of hands to help move a few pieces of furniture in. Luckily the place already had major appliances.”
Viktor chuckles. “I was imagining the big guy trying to move a refrigerator.”
“Nah. We just had to bring up a couch, mattress with box springs, a few bags of clothes, and a some toiletries.”
Dinky appears concerned. “What about food?”
Viktor shakes her head. “We offered to give her some. But she said she had today off and was within walking distance of a local store.”
Cherry sighs. “No Jeep?”
Xenos shakes his head. “No, Miss Cherry.”
“Did you move anything else, Xenos?”
“No sir. That was it.”
“I see. Do you have the address?”
Viktor points to the kitchen. “It’s written down along with her phone number on the fridge, sir.”
“Good. Dinky, want to pay her a visit later?”
“Sure!”
Ember raises an eyebrow. “What about our reason for coming here?”
Arc shrugs. “We can’t do anything until the others figure out a timetable of arrivals for the base.”
Xenos nods. “Rose thinks that should take about a week.”
Auriel sighs. “That’s not too bad.”
Arc turns to Xenos. “You guys see anything yet?”
“They get one standard military truckload of goods a day.”
Ember grins. “Perfect!”
“Agreed. Xenos, I’ll drop you off with the others and keep the Jeep here.”
“Yes sir.”
Ember frowns. “You’re going to just leave them out there?”
Arc shrugs. “We’ll bring them supplies.”
Dinky looks worried. “What if we have to go back to Equestria, dad?”
“Then I’ll let Viktor drive over and get them.”
He calls forth his gauntlet and opens a portal.
“Back you go, Xenos.”
“Yes sir.”
He turns to Auriel.
“Again, I’m very sorry, miss.”
“It… it’s okay.”
Xenos steps through and vanishes. Arc closes the portal and turns to Dinky.
“Ready to go?”
“Now?”
“Sure, why not?”
“Okay! Just let me grab my coat!”
Arc chuckles. “I think it’s warm enough to go without one, sweetheart.”
“Oh… right.”
Arc turns to Auriel and Ember. “You two ladies want to come?”
“I… don’t know.”
“Come on, Miss Auriel! You wanted to see Earth, right?!”
“Well, yes… but…”
Ember chuckles. “You probably should go. After all, if you’re going to be infiltrating that base you’ll need to know as much about human culture as possible.”
Arc nods. “Right.”
Auriel speaks nervously. “I suppose that’s true.”
Arc smiles at her. “We’ll show you everything you need to know. You just need to trust me.”
Auriel nods. “Okay.”
They head for the back door. Arc puts his hand on the doorknob, but stops.
“Dad?”
“I just thought of something.”
Auriel appears confused. “What is it?”
“I’m the Hero of Light and the former Lord Regent of Equestria. Well, everyone knows that someone as important as me shouldn’t have to do their own driving.”
He looks over at Viktor with a mischievous grin.
“But who’ll look after things here, sir?”
Ember chuckles. “I’ll sit in the basement and keep an eye on… what did you call that thing again?”
“The police scanner. Sir, I have to point out that Ember doesn’t know all the police codes and terminology.”
“I suppose not. But when was the last time something of importance actually came across it?”
“Not since the Shards were taken, sir.”
Dinky giggles. “So you don’t really need to be watching it all the time.”
“I guess not.”
Arc turns to Ember.
“Radio the guys that I’m back in town and to call me on my earring if something comes up.”
“Sure! Have fun!”
They leave as Ember heads for the basement. She grabs the scanner and heads back upstairs to plop down on the couch.
“Good luck, Auriel.”
There is a scratching at the front door. Frowning, Ember stands and walk over to it. Opening the door she spots Sereb on the front porch.
“What are you doing out there?!”
“Taking a walk.”
Ember steps aside. “Get in here.”
He walks inside as Ember closes the door. They sit down on the couch together.
“Want to watch some TV?”
“If you would like.”
Ember grabs the remote. “I’d like to check out that action channel Arc mentioned the other day. You?”
“I will watch whatever you’d like to.”
“Something bothering you?”
Sereb sighs. “A bit, yes.”
“What is it?”
“Well, you see…”
Meanwhile, Arc and company get into the Jeep.
“Would you like to sit next to the window, Auriel?”
“I… suppose I should.”
Dinky grins. “Okay. I’ll sit up front then next to Mister Viktor.”
Arc turns to Dinky. “Huh?”
“You should be back here to point things out to Auriel that she doesn’t understand.”
Viktor nods. “She makes a point, sir.”
“Fine.”
Viktor starts the Jeep and heads down the street. Auriel looks nervous.
“This is… somehow both similar and different than I thought it would be.”
Arc turns to her. “Is that okay?”
“Yes… I think.”
Viktor looks in the rear view mirror. “It won’t take us long to get the Cybil’s apartment, sir.”
“Let’s make a detour.”
“Sir?
“Head to the mall.”
Dinky grins. “To get Auriel some clothes?”
“Oh, you don’t need to go through all that trouble, Arc.”
“You’re going to be here awhile, Auriel. While I’m sure Ember doesn’t mind you wearing her stuff, you need a few things of your own.”
“How about me, dad?”
Arc nods. “Yes, you need some summer clothes, Dinky.”
Dinky sticks her tongue out. “Don’t you mean Daisy?”
Arc chuckles. “Right.”
They pull onto the highway. Auriel marvels at the number of vehicles.
“This is incredible! They all look so different too!”
Arc nods. “Humans like variety.”
“We’re going so fast as well! Is this safe?! I mean… someone might crash into us!”
Viktor shakes his head. “Not as long as everyone stays in their lane, ma’am.”
Arc turns to her, reassuringly. “We’ll be fine.”
A short time later they pull into the mall’s parking lot. Auriel gasps.
“THIS is a MARKET?!”
Arc nods. “Pretty much.”
Dinky giggles. “They have almost everything you could think of!”
“That they do.”
Viktor parks the Jeep and gets out. He turns to help Auriel out.
“Th-thank you.”
Dinky runs over and grabs her father’s hand excitedly.
“I just love coming here!”
“Why’s that, sweetheart?”
“There’s just so much to see!”
Arc turns to Auriel.
“Are you okay?”
Auriel nods. “Yes, just a bit… rattled.”
“Maybe she should hold your other hand, dad.”
“I don’t know if Auriel would…”
“Truth be told, I would. This place kinda scares me.”
“Oh. Um… okay.”
Auriel slips her hand into Arc’s as he leads them into the mall. Entering she gasps.
“This architecture is amazing! There’s… just so much to take in!”
Dinky giggles. “That’s what I thought the first time my dad took me here!”
Viktor turns to Arc. “Where to, sir?”
“Clothing first.”
Heading to a store, Arc leads them to the ‘Womens’ section. Auriel looks to Arc.
“There’s just so many garments to choose from!”
Viktor appears somewhat nervous. “That there are.”
“Viktor, why don’t you go pick out some summer clothes for you and the guys. You remember everyone’s sizes, right?”
“We’re all the same. Other than Xenos, that is.”
“That’s easy to remember. Get some shorts and t-shirts.”
“Yes sir.”
He hurries away. Dinky looks to her father.
“What was that all about?”
“Most guys don’t like hanging around this section. It makes us a bit wary.”
Arc turns to Auriel.
“Now then, what kind of clothes would you like?”
“I… don’t know.”
Dinky looks up at her. “How about something like your lab coat?”
Arc nods. “Dresses?”
Auriel shakes her head. “I… think I’d like to try something a bit outside my comfort zone.”
“Oh? Like what?”
Auriel shrugs as Dinky turns back to her father.
“I have an idea! Why don’t I pick out a few things for her, dad? She can try them on and see if we’re on the right track!”
“Okay. Go ahead, sweetheart.”
Dinky hurries away as Arc gestures to a nearby bench.
“Why don’t we have a seat?”
“Thank you. But I don’t think we’ll have long to wait.”
Arc chuckles as he sees Dinky grabbing clothing left and right. “I believe you’re right.”
A short time later the little girl walks over with an armful of different garments. Arc leads Auriel over to a large changing room.
“Dinky will help you try these on.”
Dinky grins. “Yeah! It’ll be fun!”
“What about you, Arc?”
“I’ll be out here when you two are finished.”
Dinky closes the door and locks it before turning to Auriel.
“Now then, why let’s get started!”
“Yes! Let’s!”
Meanwhile, Arc sits back down on the bench. Cherry calls out to him telepathically.
“How long do you think they’ll take?”
Arc groans. “Forever. Now I wish I’d brought a book, or something.”
Cherry giggles as Arc hears several familiar voices behind him. The blood drains from his face as he muses to himself.
“It… it CAN’T be!”
Cherry calls out to him hurriedly. “There’s a newspaper under the bench!”
Leaning forward he grabs the periodical and hastily opens it as Stingray, Hammer, and Mio walk by him toward the changing rooms. Stingray turns to Mio.
“You just wait! I’ll look stunning in these!”
Mio chuckles. “Maybe. But you’ll never have my frame. I’m the only one who can pull off this look.”
Hammer frowns. “You two are both nuts.”
Stingray rolls her eyes. “Says the one who’s just ‘window shopping’.”
Mio looks her sister up and down. “I for one think you’d look very nice in a low cut skirt, Hammer.”
“Yeah? And you’d look great in a clown suit, Mio!”
Stingray groans. “You should at least try on SOMETHING!”
Hammer shakes her head. “Nah. You two have your little competition in there. I’ll wait out here.”
Stingray and Mio walk into a large changing room together. Arc frowns as Hammer looks around presumably for a place to sit. He mutters to himself nervously.
“Please don’t come this way. Please don’t come this way. Please don’t…”
Cherry gasps. “Here she comes!”
“Great.”
“Should you run?!”
“I can’t. Then she’d really notice me. That and I can’t leave Auriel and Dinky.”
Hammer stops in front of Arc.
“Excuse me. This spot taken?”
“Um… no. Go right ahead.”
“Thanks!”
She plops down heavily on the bench and stares up at the ceiling for a time. Cherry gasps and calls out to him telepathically.
“Wait! Hammer’s never seen you before, Arc!”
“You’re right! She only knows the Hero of Light!”
“Yes. You should be safe from all three of them.”
“What a relief.”
Eventually Hammer gets bored and turns to Arc.
“Say, don’t I know you from somewhere?”
“I don’t believe so, no.”
“You sure? I’m getting some really strong vibes.”
“Pretty sure, yes.”
She extends a hand.
“Well in that case, name’s Hammer! Nice to meet you!”
“I’m… uh… Arc.”
They shake hands. He notices Hammer’s grip is like a vice as she speaks.
“So… you here with someone?”
Arc nods as he looks toward the changing room. “Y-yeah. My daughter is in there with a friend of mine.”
Hammer grins. “Girlfriend?”
“Kinda. I mean, she’s more than a friend but less than a girlfriend.”
Hammer raises an eyebrow. “That don’t make a lick of sense! Do you like her or not?!”
“Oh, I do. But just not romantically.”
“Ah! So you got your eye on someone else, huh?”
“Well, sorta.”
Hammer frowns. “Man, it’s hard to get a straight answer out of you. Scared of commitment?”
Arc sighs. “Let’s just say I was involved with someone a while back and it ended very, VERY badly.”
“Crazy ex?”
“No. She… passed away.”
“Oh. Sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“You’re still trying to get over it, huh?”
Arc shakes his head as he looks up at the ceiling. “I think I’ve come to terms with what happened. It’s only recently that I’ve been able to even think about seeing anyone else though.”
Hammer smiles at him. “Time heals all wounds, my friend. You’ll find happiness again with someone. As good looking as you are anyways.”
“Thanks. But I really don’t think I’ll every fully be able to forget her.”
“She your first?”
“Actually, yes.”
“You’ll move on. Just give it some time.”
“Those girls you were talking to. They your friends?”
“Sisters. Why?”
“Imagine one or both of them dying.”
“That’s pretty dark”.
Arc sighs. “Remember, I went through it.”
“Sorry. What’s it like?”
“To lose someone you care about?”
“Yeah.”
“Like… like the ground under your feet suddenly breaking away. You can flail around trying to grab something all you want, but there isn’t anything to slow your fall.”
“What happens when you hit the bottom?”
“That’s when all the pain that you’ve been carrying on your shoulders finally meets reality and crushes you.”
“Sounds awful!”
Arc nods. “It is. But there is an upside to it.”
“There is?”
“Yes. From there, the only way to go is up.”
Hammer nods soberly. “Recovery, huh?”
“More like ‘acceptance’.”
“This is a pretty deep conversation to have with a stranger.”
Arc shrugs. “Sometimes those are the best people to talk to.”
“What do you mean?”
Arc turns to her. “Think about it. I don’t know you, and you don’t know me. We could tell each other our deepest darkest secrets and it wouldn’t matter. After all, who would we tell? I mean, it’s not like we’ll see each other after today, right?”
“Makes sense. Now then, you told me your secret, so it’s only fair I tell you mine.”
“Oh?”
“I’ve been really worried about my sisters lately. You see, they’re both head over heels in love with the same guy.”
Arc raises an eyebrow. “That sounds especially dangerous to me.”
“You know it!”
“Is he dating one of them?”
“Nah. In fact, he already has a girlfriend.”
Hammer frowns as she continues.
“She’s not the kinda gal you want to cross either, mind you.”
“Sounds like you’re kinda jealous.”
Hammer groans. “Maybe a little. That and he really is good looking too.”
“Tell me about him.”
“Well, like I said, he’s a real sharp looker. Smart too. Probably a genius! Has a good job in… uh… management, as well as a real nice place to live, and a high paying job.”
Arc grins. “Sounds like the full package to me.”
“He is. But, well…”
She is silent for a time before continuing.
“…I don’t really know why, but I can’t help but feel like he can’t be trusted.”
“He has them wrapped around his finger?”
“Right!”
“What about you?”
Hammer turns to Arc, confused. “What about me?!”
“You said you were a bit jealous. Are you sure you don’t just want the same guy they do?”
“I… um… guess that might be it. But what can I do?”
“Have you talked to your sister’s about your concerns?”
Hammer nods. “A number of times. They just think I’m being paranoid. How can I convince them that I’m just worried about their feelings?!”
“You can’t make them believe anything they don’t want to. Gather evidence to support your claims, wait for the proper time and place where the three of you can be alone without interruption. Then present your findings in a calm and collected manner.”
“Do you really think that will work?”
Arc shrugs. “Maybe. But if they won’t listen to hard evidence there’s nothing more you can do.”
“Then what?!”
“Nothing.”
Hammer frowns. “Nothing?!”
“They’re adults, and are free to pursue anyone they want. And if he’s the one they want, that’s their choice.”
Hammer sighs. “Thanks for the talk. You’ve given me a lot to think about, Arc.”
“No problem.”
The door to the changing room opens and Dinky leads Auriel out. She is wearing a skirt along with a fairly revealing top. Arc stands and meets them halfway.
“What do you think, dad?! Doesn’t Auriel look nice?!”
“Yes, she does.”
Auriel smiles shyly. “I do admit this outfit does feel very comfortable.”
Dinky grins. “We picked out a few more for her and me!”
“Good. Why don’t you take Auriel over to the racks and grab her some undergarments?”
“Okay, dad. I need some too.”
Hammer stands up and walks over. “Hey, now Arc! Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friends?!”
“Oh sorry. Hammer, this is my daughter, Daisy.”
“Hi there!”
“And this is my friend, Auriel.”
“H-hello.”
“Nice to meet you two! Uh… you look familiar. Have we met?”
Auriel shakes her head nervously. “N-no. Truth be told I’m rather new in town.”
“Were you keeping my dad company out here the whole time?”
Hammer gives her a thumbs up. “Sure was!”
“Thanks. It can’t have been easy waiting for us.”
“Daisy, when you two are done, why don’t you take Auriel on a quick run through the rest of the isles to make sure she has everything?”
“Okay.”
She takes Auriel’s hand as the pair walk away. Hammer turns to Arc.
“Your daughter’s adorable! But I gotta say, she doesn’t look much like you.”
Arc chuckles. “Yes, well… I adopted her. She’s actually my cousin’s daughter. Takes after her mother in terms of appearance.”
“Well, it looks like you’ve got a really sweet girl there. But your other friend seem a bit shy.”
Arc shrugs. “She’s new to this country. Hasn’t quite figured out our customs yet.”
“You’ll teach her, I’m sure.”
Hammer reaches into her pocket and pulls out a small notebook. She writes something quickly before ripping the page off and handing it to Arc.
“What’s this?”
“My cell phone number. In case things don’t work out between you and that scrawny girl. In any case, if you’re up to it, I’d like to continue this conversation over supper some night.”
She winks at him as he looks over her shoulder.
“Um… sure. Well, I’d better catch up to those two before they buy the whole store.”
“Yeah! Take care, Arc!”
She waves after him as he moves to rejoin his friends. Sometime later Stingray and Mio step out of the dressing room together. They make a beeline to Hammer, arguing as they do so. Stingray reaches her first.
“Hammer, please tell Mio that this outfit is MUCH more beautiful than that rag she has on!”
Mio scoffs. “You wish! I’m sure Hammer can see that I’m pulling this outfit off perfectly!”
Hammer does not respond. Stingray walks over and snaps her fingers a few times.
“Hammer! Wake up!”
“Huh?”
Mio giggles. “What’s the matter? Did you see a cute guy, or something?”
“Actually, yeah.”
Stingray laughs. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am!”
Mio scoffs. “Really, Hammer. Mannequins don’t count.”
“I’m being serious here! Look, that’s him walking out right now!”
She points to Arc, Viktor, Auriel, and Dinky’s backs as they leave the store. Stingray frowns.
“That guy?”
“Yeah!”
Mio rolls her eyes. “The one holding that thin girl’s hand?”
“They’re just friends!”
Stingray grins wickedly. “Sure, Hammer. We always hold our friend’s hands when we’re in public.”
Mio nods. “And they appear to have a child with them.”
“That’s his cousin’s kid!”
Stingray puts a hand on her sister’s shoulder. “It’s kinda cute how naïve you can be sometimes, Hammer.”
Mio laughs. “Yes. Thinking a cute guy like that would be interested in someone like you.”
Hammer frowns and storms off.
“Whatever…”