//------------------------------//
// Preface - Volume 31 - Love and Hate 
// Story: The Equestrian Odyssey - A Tale of Two Worlds 
// by Kamahido 
//------------------------------//

In our previous volume, Luna and Shining Armor inform Dinky and Twilight of Arc’s apparent death at the hooves over Celestia. Dinky takes the news hard and has to be carried away by Twilight. Meanwhile, Arc awakens to immense pain surrounded by unfamiliar voices. As he attempts to free himself a deep, gruff voiced stallion hits him with a surgical tray. As a rainy day passes through Ponyville, Twilight and her friends speak about Arc and what he meant to them as they sit around the table in Carousel Boutique. Heading upstairs in an attempt to console Rarity, they find her crying on the bed. Confessing her carnal desires to them, Rarity is surprised to find that they too wanted to have sexual relations with Arc at some point.

Awakening strapped to a bed, Arc scares the crap out of a nurse. As the doctor returns with the stallion whom claims to have found him, Arc realizes he cannot remember whom he is. Unable to pay his hospital fees, the stallion is unable to take possession of Arc. The doctor informs him that he will be put in a cage and used as a guard for a time. Meanwhile, the entirety of Ponyville ushers Arc’s casket to a small plot behind Light’s Hope. Luna and Cadance deliver a short eulogy before the squad lowers the coffin into the ground. A twenty-one gun salute rings out before the princesses themselves lay flowers at the grave. Stepping back, they allow the others to approach the grave one at a time. Eventually they are along again as Derpy and Dinky stand silently before the stone. Tempest appears and pays her own respects to Arc’s memory before departing as quickly as she came. Luna asks Cadance to return to the Crystal Empire to protect her from Decimus’ reach. Twilight and her friends agree to remain in Ponyville and not take action against Decimus or Celestia for the time being. As night falls, Arc’s squad ferries Derpy and Dinky safely home.

Awakening late that night, Derpy sits up as she wakes from a dream. Dinky looks over to her mother and confesses that she herself was having a nice dream about the good times she had with her father. Getting up for a bit, Derpy finds Arc’s squad lying in front of her fireplace. Informing her that they were there with her permission, Derpy looks out the window at the falling rain before falling asleep at some point. Rising, she and Dinky find the squad cooking breakfast. They suggest she rests, but Derpy informs them that doing so would only make her more depressed. Meanwhile, Arc sits in the cage back in Knothole Village. After receiving a number of items to make himself some clothes, Arc sees a handful of memories regarding Rarity and sewing. As night falls, Snowflake joins him in watching for Crimsons outside the cage.

Luna enters the Audience Chamber and approaches her sister. Attempting to tell her of Decimus’ treasonous actions (presumably again), Celestia brushes her off and leaves the room. As she is escorted down the corridor, Captain Decimus himself approaches. Speaking for a few moments about the actions in the reports regarding Arc, Decimus informs the princess that Lady Ashe has been found in the dungeon. Hurrying to meet with her in an effort to stave off any further international complications, Celestia is surprised when Ashe requests the position of ambassador. Admitting to not having any qualifications for the job, she is able to convince the monarch by telling her of her desires to one day see the Griffon Kingdom run more like Equestria. Meanwhile, Arc sits in his cage in Knothole Village on late night guard duty. Luckily Snowflake joins him in an effort to keep him company. As they talk, she suddenly hears a rustling. Looking up, Arc spots a flying creature going right for her. Reaching out through the bars, he punches it in the face knocking it out in one blow. Calling for help, Shadow and a large portion of the town run outside to investigate. The Crimson is dragged off to Shadow’s basement as his wife runs over to inform him that the their daughter is missing. Snowflake emerges from the hay pile inside the cage and faces her parents. As everyone leaves, Arc finds that the filly has accidently peed in his hay.

Auriel enters the Library with a scroll from Cadance. Reading it, Twilight informs her that it’s love advice. Eventually the conversation turns to orgies as Aurora appears (somehow) from the basement. Meanwhile, back in Knothole Village, Shadow announces that he’s officially paid for Arc’s medical bills and leads the young man back to his land with Snowflake in tow. Sleeping in the barn that night, Arc hears Snowflake enter as the sound of breaking glass rings out from the cottage. Telling him that her father is drunk, Arc lets her have the makeshift bed and heads to the other side of the barn.

Awakened the next morning by Shadow, Arc bathes for the first time since his stay at the hospital. Meeting father and daughter at the cottage, he finds them waiting clad in leather armor. Giving Arc a staff to defend himself, they set off into the wood. Shadow instructs Arc to pick whatever Snowflake points out to him. As they stop for lunch Snowflake argues with her father about the amount of food Arc gets. Hearing a roar nearby, Shadow orders Arc to get Snowflake to safety before returning to help him. Throwing the filly up into a tree’s branches, he hurries back to aid Shadow whom is fighting a Manticore. However as the beast sees him, it turns and runs away. Hearing Snowflake calling out for help, they run back to find her beset upon by Timberwolves. Arc falls to his knees as memories again fill his mind. As the wolves move to finish him off however he counters with a massive blow with his staff. Lighting a torch, Shadow uses it to set their parts aflame before driving off the rest. Returning home, Arc takes Snowflake behind the barn and bathes her, robe and all.

After her bath, Arc and Snowflake head back toward Shadow’s workshop. He gives Arc the cockatrice and tells him he will be helping guard the village from the cage tonight. Snowflake helps him start a fire before gutting the bird and seasoning it. Later that night Arc spots Snowflake entering the family shop. A few moments later the Crimson from the other night rushes outside. Arc raises the alarm, but it is too late. Shadow enters his shop to see what’s happened, but returns with only an unconscious Snowflake on his back. The mayor insists that Snowflake be locked up after what she’s done. However Shadow convinces them to let Arc serve as her guardian instead. Returning them to the barn, he locks them in for the night. As the night wears on Arc awakens from dreams of Derpy and Dinky along with Snowflake. He informs her of what happened and their fate. Promising to protect her, Snowflake gives Arc a new name… Big Brother.

Dinky finds her friends in town and confesses to them her plan to go searching for the truth regarding Arc’s death. They agree to accompany her, and do so very late that night. Meeting at Arc’s memorial, they are met by Sereb, whom has returned to Equestria. Enlisting his aid, they teleport via the Crusader’s magic to Arc’s room in Canterlot Castle. Taking a magic cloak from the closet they walk down the corridor until they come to the scene of the crime. Looking around for clues, Dinky discovers that her father was blasted out the opposite window the report claimed. Teleporting down to the ground below, they look around the lake as Sereb searches in the water. He emerges with Arc’s sigil gauntlet in tow. Deciding to make camp a little ways away, the group pitches their tent and fall asleep.

Arc awakens the next morning next to Snowflake. She sits up with him as Shadow unlocks the barn door. Sunshine rushes in to hug her little filly as Shadow tells them of the need for a full time protector. He assigns Arc to stay with Snowflake at all time. Ordering him to demonstrate his abilities, Arc shows he is able to fully subdue the filly without hurting her. Meanwhile, Dinky and her friends rise and begin walking the river bank. Coming to a deep spot, they eat and prepare to ford. As Dinky, Apple Bloom, and Sereb step out of the water, they look back to see Sweetie Belle struggling. Sereb bounds back into the water to save her. Admitting she can’t really swim, nor do anything else survival-based, Dinky and Apple Bloom encourage her to not give up looking for her special talent.

Derpy along with the Mane Six search Ponyville for the missing fillies. Finding nothing, they head for the Little Hooves Orphanage. The fillies and younglings report nothing out of the ordinary, but offer to help look for their friends. Twilight and the others take Derpy home to rest and in doing so find the note Dinky sent through a portal via her father’s sigil gauntlet. Learning that Dinky and her friends have found some evidence, they head to Canterlot to investigate on their end. After being stopped by the guards at the gate, Twilight convinces the guards to let them see Princess Luna’s assistant, Sandstorm Mirage. He gains them an audience with the Princess of the Night, and they plead their case before her. Upon hearing that Arc’s daughter is among those missing, Luna asks for more information.

Telling her all they know, Twilight and her friends along with Derpy learn that Celestia has not been herself lately. Refusing to see others as well as turning over control of her safety to Captain Decimus. Luna asks Twilight to write a letter for her as she dictates. Allowing the mare to add her own personal remarks to the letter, she seals it and turns it over to a stallion whom arrives shortly thereafter. Fluttershy reads a newly arrived letter from Cadance regarding a coded message to Luna. After learning that the records regarding the events leading up to Arc’s death are missing, Luna sends for Sandstorm Mirage whom has been listening in to her conversation via a secret microphone.

Twilight and her friends meet in their room with Luna to go over their parts in that night’s secret mission. Rarity and Fluttershy go out first to distract the guards around Ashe’s office. As they do so Rainbow Dash and Derpy knock the guards out. Finding their keys, they enter the office and wreck it. Meanwhile, Applejack does her own bit to distract the guards at the Archives to allow Twilight, Rose, and Pinkie access to the records. Applejack pretends to be a guard trainee as she watches out for trouble with Sandstorm Mirage. Convincing Captain Decimus that they’re on the level, Twilight and the other emerge from the room. As they head back to their room to meet up with the others Sandstorm Mirage puts the guards into a very compromising position before awakening them with a pitcher of water.

Returning to the room, Luna greets them and asks about their mission. Informing her that they were successful, she opens a dark portal and returns them to Light’s Hope. From there they walk back to their homes. Derpy tries to sleep, but is unable to. Getting up she walks out the door and down the path into town. Looking around at the dark houses, she spots a familiar one with a light on. Approaching, she knocks. Rarity greets her and allows Derpy inside. They confess their similar life situations as well as confessing their feelings to each other for Arc’s happiness. Agreeing to stay with one another, Derpy and Rarity fall asleep in one another’s arms. Meanwhile, Arc and Snowflake try their best to sleep over the racket downstairs. Suggesting they sleep in the barn, Arc jumps out the window before helping Snowflake down. Heading to the large outbuilding, they lay down together on the makeshift bed. Snowflake does her best to reassure Arc that he’s not a bad creature. Arc continues to struggle with the knowledge that he’s taken lives in the past.

Twilight and her friends do their best to find something of interest in the files taken from the castle. Failing at that, they take a break for breakfast before returning to their task. Meanwhile, Dinky and her friends awaken to a cool and misty morning. Walking along the back slowly as not to miss anything, they come to a large log on the bank. Spotting a muddy stick, Dinky washes it off to reveal the glean of Arc’s guardanium knife. Sereb is able to reconstruct the events leading up to Arc’s supposed demise. Announcing that Arc may have been dragged into the forest, Dinky leads everyone away from the river and into the forest.

Continuing to go over the files, Twilight and her friends give up on the dead end lead from the files. A note from Dinky arrives via portal. In it she tells her mother how and where they found Arc’s dagger. Agreeing to travel to Canterlot and begin a search for the fillies, Twilight and her friends along with Derpy and Rose head out. Waking to Sunshine opening the barn door with their breakfast, Arc and Snowflake sit up. Telling her daughter of Shadow’s plan for them to go foraging without him, Sunshine nervously allows the pair to set off together. As the fillies walk, they find a torn piece of Arc’s tunic. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle argue loudly over what to do next as Dinky look at the scrap in her hooves. Telling them that she promised to find her father, they continue on by her side. Twilight and the others arrive at Canterlot Castle later that evening. After being escorted to Luna’s room, the princess motions for Twilight to go with whatever she says. Forcing a conversation, she invites everyone to the bathroom for a long talk. After pretending to enter the room, she casts a Silence Spell to give them privacy. Telling the others that she has a plan, Luna announces her intentions to use Twilight to bait her sister. The rumor to be put forth is that both she and Twilight are now lovers.

Luna and Twilight practice how to pretend to be lovers before heading to dinner in the Dining Room together. Although difficult for her, Twilight is able to stomach the ordeal long enough to get back to Luna’s room. As the pair ready themselves for bed, Luna insists that they sleep together to keep up appearances. Suggesting that Twilight snuggles up to her, they prepare to be found in the morning by the Hoof Maidens.

Dinky and her friends make camp for the night. As she heads into the wood, Sereb approaches her. Advising the young filly not to let herself be consumed by her task, they return to their camp site. As they sit around the fire, Wiseman appears to give them some life advice based on his own experiences. The next morning Twilight’s friends are flown to the base of the mountain to begin their search for the fillies as Twilight herself stays with Luna. They split up to explore both the Foal Forest and Northern Hayseed Forest. Meanwhile, Dinky and her friends rise and talk around the remains of the campfire. Each of the fillies heard something the previous night, and set off to find out what it was. Several hours later they come to two ancient looking bat pony statues. Wiseman appears and identifies them as Crimsons. Offering to trade them Sweetie Belle’s saddlebags for a large sack of food, they agree on the condition that he also tell them about the statues. Informing the fillies that they can activate them with their magic, Wiseman vanishes. Doing as instructed, Dinky and her friends power up the statues and vanish. Later that evening Wiseman returns to the statues. Ripping the bags in half, he teleports one with the statue’s power before tying the other to the base of the other statue.

However, many questions yet remain. Will Twilight and her friends be able to overcome this new life’s hurdle? What of Rarity, whom was the closest of them to Arc? To say nothing of Derpy and Dinky. How was Decimus able to cover up the past year’s records? Why isn’t Celestia listening to those around her other than Decimus? What’s Snowflake’s dad’s problem? Why did Snowflake release the Crimson from her family’s shop? Why does Luna’s attitude shift anytime she learns the Arc in involved? Who is this ‘Dark Lady’ Sandstorm Mirage mentioned… again? Will the two guards from the Archives get their coffee? (we’re assuming yes) While I think we all know exactly what’s happening… what are Shadow and Sunshine REALLY doing at night? Luna and Twilight… how is THAT believable?! Why did Wiseman help the fillies but insist only on a pair of saddlebags?

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