//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 - International Intervention (Part 4) // Story: The Equestrian Odyssey - A Tale of Two Worlds // by Kamahido //------------------------------// Sometime later Arc, Ember (whom has returned to her dragon form), and Hammer lie on the pillow mountain together. Both women cling to him happily in fresh clothes while Arc wears his royal raiments. Sereb looks Arc over and chuckles. “If Miss Rarity could see you now.” Arc shrugs. “She’d be fine with this.” “I was talking about the outfit.” “Oh… right.” Ember grins. “She’d freak out to see you lying here with it on. That’s for sure.” Hammer appears confused. “Why?” Arc sighs. “Because it’s getting wrinkled.” Sereb nods. “She is a true professional in her field. Like whomever designed those pillows.” Hammer pats one with a hand. “Gotta admit, I never thought lying on cushions like this would be so comfy.” Arc chuckles. “Now I know what a housecat feels like.” Ember grins as she turns to him seductively. “Meow!” Hammer laughs. “This makes coming along on this trip totally worth it.” Arc turns to her. “Glad you’re having fun. “A blast actually! More so if somepony comes after us!” Arc appears confused. “Some…pony?” Hammer gasps. “Opps! I meant ‘someone’!” Ember laughs. “Looks like someone’s really getting into the pony vernacular.” “It’s a really cool culture! I mean, three races living in perfect harmony? What’s not to love and admire?!” There is a light knock at the door. Arc stands and straightens his raiments as Sereb moves to answer the door. She turns to him and hisses. “Quick! How do I look?!” “Uh… fine.” “How about my hair?!” Ember raises an eyebrow. “What’s with you all of a sudden?” “We’re having breakfast with royalty, remember?!” Arc snickers. “Apparently you didn’t.” “I was too busy getting close to you!” Ember smiles. “At least you have a great excuse.” Sereb calls out from the door. “If you three are done fooling around, we should open the door.” Arc nods. “Yes, you’re right. Go ahead, Sereb.” Using his magic, the large wolf turns the knob and opens the door before stepping aside to allow the monarchs to enter along with their guards. Felix is the first to speak. “I’ve just received word that breakfast is served.” Fiona gestures with a wave of her paw. “Please follow us to the Dining Room.” Leaving the room, they walk down the corridor together. Hammer marvels at the architecture. “Nice place you got here!” Felix smiles at her. “Thank you, Lady Hammer. It was built many years ago by my great-grandfather.” Arc turns to him. “Oh?” Fiona sighs. “Yes. But as you can see from our small stature, we’re not much for construction work.” Sereb nods understandingly. “How was such a feat possible then?” Felix frowns. “With the aid of our nation’s allies at the time, the Griffon Kingdom.” Fiona nods sadly. “That was apparently quite some time ago. Long before my husband and I were born, of course.” Arc turns to the king. “Does anyone alive remember those days?” Felix shakes his head. “Sadly, no. All we have are the accounts contained in the history books sadly.” Hammer puts a hand to her chin thoughtfully. “Griffons, huh? Well, why not.” Fiona raises an eyebrow. “I beg your pardon, Lady Hammer?” Ember quickly steps forward. “You’ll have to forgive her, your highnesses. She’s still quite new to this land.” Arc nods. “Yes. Until recently she believed that Pegasi, Unicorns, griffons, and felines that can talk to be mere fantasy.” Sereb chimes in. “It was not meant as a slight though.” Felix smiles understandingly. “No offense is taken. After all, before Lord Arc came it was assumed that humans were mythical as well.” Cherry calls out to them. “It is easy to prove something exists. Proving it does not is the hard part.” Fiona frowns. “Is it really?” Felix puts a paw to his cheek. “After all, if you can’t present evidence that something exists does that not prove it doesn’t?” Arc shakes his head. “Not really. You’d have to watch every spot on the planet simultaneously to actually do that.” Ember shrugs. “Or planets if you want to get technical.” Hammer stops along with the others. “How does someone realistically get to the point where they admit something CAN’T exist though?” Cherry sighs. “I suppose it takes a bit of faith. Believing something to be true, or not true as the case may be, without perfect scientific evidence to either support or refure it.” Arc chuckles. “Twilight would love this conversation.” Fiona raises an eyebrow. “Princess Twilight?” “Yes. She’s a good friend of mine.” Ember nods. “First one you made when you came to Equestria, right?” “Right. She’s the one whom accidently brought me here too.” Felix appears surprised. “Forgive me for being so forward, Lord Arc. But are you on a first name basis for all the princesses?” “All except Princess Celestia, yes. Sadly, at the moment her and I don’t see eye to eye. In fact, that’s what we came here to talk to you two about.” Fiona nods and gestures down the corridor. “Very well. But let us enjoy a meal together first.” Arc and company are led into the well-lit Dining Room as attendants stand around the perimeter waiting for a chance to serve. The king motions for his guests to sit as the queen takes her place at his side. Looking to the servants and guards, he motions for them to leave before turning to Arc again. “Please enjoy the culinary bounty that our land has to offer.” Fiona nods happily. “Yes. It’s quite an honor to provide a meal to you and your group, Lord Arc.” “Thank you. This all looks delicious.” Hammer grins. “I’ll say!” Sereb looks over the table. “You’ve been able to do so much with fruit!” Felix smiles as he takes a salad for himself and his queen. “Yes, indeed. But this is all thanks to Lord Arc’s Generosity.” Fiona nods heartily. “Indeed. Our land probably wouldn’t be here today without it.” Sereb sniffs the air. “Pardon me, but is that fish I smell?” Ember looks around. “Yeah. Where’s it coming from?” The king nods and lifts the silver cover off a nearby serving tray to expose several large fish sausages. Felix nods sheepishly. “Forgive us. Our staff was supposed to be instructed not to cook any meat for breakfast today.” Fiona smiles nervously. “We were unsure of your party’s dietary needs, Lord Arc.” “Not to worry there, as all of us do enjoy such things. Although I must admit that I’ve never had fish sausage before.” Felix chuckles. “Then you should all indulge.” He rings a nearby bell to summon an attendant. Instructing them to bring a platter, they quickly do so. Arc and his group each take a sausage and cut into it before taking bites. Arc is the first to speak. “Very nice flavor!” Hammer grins. “I’ll say! It’s perfect!” Ember speaks between bites. “Delicious!” Arc picks up a sausage and gives it to Sereb. The wolf returns to his Cub Form and devours it hungrily. “Most impressive!” Fiona smiles. “Then it’s unanimous.” Felix picks up a sausage and holds it up. “This dish is a favorite among our citizens since it’s invention.” “Yes, we can hardly produce enough fish to meet the demand.” Hammer chuckles. “Well, you just be careful not to overfish the coast. After all, it’d be awful to deprive future generation of this kind of food.” “No worries there.” “Yes, our fishing industry is rather small thanks to the larger aquaponics farms we’ve been able to set up.” Hammer frowns. “There’s that word again. What exactly are ‘aquaponics’.” Arc turns to her. “It’s the idea of growing food without soil.” “Is that even… possible?” Sereb grins toothily. “It must be, as we’re eating food grown that way.” Ember nods. “Yeah. I saw it myself the last time I was here, and even I don’t believe it.” Felix gestures toward a large window at the endless sea of sand. “You see Lady Hammer, our land is very arid and dry. Very little rain falls here with which to grow crops.” Fiona nods. “For many years we were forced to rely on fishing and importing our food from our neighbors in the Griffon Kingdom.” “Yes. It was a source of great stress for us and our citizens.” “A year or so ago we were beset upon by a vile pirate gang whom robbed our nation without mercy. When we could no longer pay for our imported food, we were left to succumb to a slow and painful death of starvation.” Hammer grimaces. “Arc mentioned that on our way here.” Sereb nods. “And how he brought in food from Equestria.” Ember sighs., “Not my favorite memory of this place.” “That I did. However, after that my crew and I went after the pirate stronghold some distance away.” Hammer clenches a fist. “I hope you taught them but GOOD!” “They’re all dead.” Sereb quickly adds. “But not by Arc’s hand.” Fiona sighs. “Yes. The Storm King, as he called himself, chose to kill his own forces and destroy the base himself rather than be taken in by Lord Arc. I only know this because I was there to inform him of the danger he was in.” Hammer narrows her eyes. “Wait a second. You mean to tell me that you were TELLING the guy, who was starving your citizens, that someone was coming for him?!” Fiona nods sadly. “I did, yes. He told me that my people would suffer horrible deaths if I didn’t comply.” Arc clears his throat loudly. “In any case, we’ve been able to move past that time and work together to provide for the Abyssinian’s culinary needs via aquaponic farms.” Felix nods. “Getting back to the original question, well… um…” Sereb motions to the door with a wave of his paw. “Perhaps it would be simpler to just show them what these devices are.” Fiona smiles. “That would probably be for the best.” Arc chuckles as he takes a handful of various berries. “After this wonderful meal though, yes?” Felix laughs. “Yes, indeed.” A short time later Arc sits back in his chair and sighs contentedly. “Quite the meal there, your highnesses.” Sereb grins. “Yes, it was wonderful!” Ember pats her belly. “Yeah. I’m stuffed!” Fiona smiles. “Thank you, everyone.” Felix nods. “We’re glad you liked it.” Hammer looks toward the door. “Yeah! But I’m anxious to check out what this whole aquaponics thing is all about!” Sereb turns to the monarchs. “You must forgive Hammer. She is very… focused.” Arc turns to the king. “That’s true, yes. But I’m also interested in seeing these larger farms for myself.” Felix stands. “Right this way.” “Dear, why don’t we head to the gardens first though? It would be easier to explain this matter via small scale first.” “Agreed. We’ll do just that.” Taking a short walk deeper into the palace, they come to a large double door. Opening it, they squint as the hot sun nearly blinds them. The king and queen lead them over to a good sized greenhouse. Entering, they walk over to a large tank as the queen turns and begins to speak. “These are where some of the fish we had for breakfast came from.” Hammer grins. “At least they were fresh.” Sereb chuckles. “Any fresher and they’d still be swimming.” Arc motions to the massive pool before them. “Right. But this tank doesn’t have filters anywhere on it.” Hammer raises an eyebrow. “Then how do the fish not poison themselves?!” Felix looks up at a timer overhead. “This is how.” A small motor turns on and begins pumping water from the tank into the surrounding pipes that hold the plants as Fiona continues talking. “As you can see, the plants are watered from the tank. The fish’s… defecations are the perfect fertilizer for the various plants here. “ Felix points to a loop in the pipe which dumps back into the tank. “By the time the water returns to the tank it’s been cleaned by the plant’s roots.” Arc nods. “That and the motion of the water dumping back into the tank also puts air back into the water for the fish to breathe. Sereb looks down into the water. “A very symbiotic relationship.” Ember sighs contentedly. “And oddly satisfying to watch.” Fiona motions around her. “Indeed. The plants here grow especially fast due to them receiving these nutrients numerous times a day. And the fish grow big and fat in the tank from the plentiful food of their own.” Hammer looks all around. “This is incredible! Arc, don’t you realize that this could end world hunger back on Earth?!” “I suppose it could, yes. That and it’s already in use back home.” “It is?” “Yup. If we ever go back there I’ll show you some videos of them in action on YouTube.” Sereb turns to Arc. “I don’t understand. If this is something that already exists back on Earth, why is there still hunger?” “A lot of reasons. Climate, war, political upheaval, and whatnot. That and some people are content to keep things as they are for their own selfish gains.” Ember grits her teeth. “And some folks just plain being stubborn.” Felix frowns. “We understand that completely.” Fiona sighs. “The Griffon Kingdom was most pleased to keep us indebted to them.” Sereb bats at the water with a paw. “Well, you will never have to worry about that again.” Arc nods. “Right.” Hammer turns to the king. “So if this is small scale… does that mean you have bigger farms elsewhere?” “Oh yes. Would you like to see them?” “Yes, please.” Leaving the gardens, they walk through the palace until they reach the rear of the building. Exiting via a back door, the king gestures with a wave of his paw. “These are our main greenhouses. “ Before them stand several very large buildings. Arc marvels at their construction along with his friends. Bidding them to enter, the queen leads them over to a massive in-ground pool with shoulder to shoulder plants floating in smaller grow trays. “This is a more efficient version of the system you saw earlier. Felix, would you please?” “Of course, dear.” Lifting the tray, he exposes a complex set of roots growing through the holes of the tray. “As you can see, this plant is extremely healthy and vibrant.” Hammer looks it over. “What is it?” “Watercress. Would you care for a bite?” “Sure! Taking a leaf, Hammer partakes. Grinning, she turns to the others. “Tastes like mustard.” Ember raises an eyebrow. “Mustard?” Arc chuckles as he takes a spring himself. “Yeah. My mother used to make something called ‘Aioli’ with it. I used to make sandwiches with it.” Sereb tilts his head to one side, confused. “What was in it?” Arc counts on his fingers as he speaks. “Watercress, mayonnaise, eggs… I can’t remember the rest. But it was pretty tasty.” Felix chuckles. “We cultivate it for the extreme nutritional value.” Fiona nods. “Yes, it’s very high in vitamins A, C , and K.” “In addition to potassium and a host of trace nutrients.” “Our citizens have never been healthier!” Hammer grins. “That’s wonderful!” Sereb makes a gesture with his paw. “Are there fish in these tanks too?” Ember looks around. “I don’t see any down there.” Felix shakes his head. “No. They’re housed in another building. Right this way.” Leading the group outside, they come to a large building which is mostly comprised of one massive tank. Fiona speaks as they enter. “This is our fish house. All the other buildings are fed from this one tank.” Sereb sniffs the air. “Forgive me, but I assumed that it would smell… foul.” “The plants see to it that the water stays clean.” Hammer marvels at the size of the operation. “Is this the only facility of its kind in Abyssinia?” Fiona shakes her head. “Oh no. Every major city has its own version of this system.” Felix nods. “They’ve very similar, but grow plants the citizens request.” Hammer grins. “What happens if you grow too much though?” Ember chuckles. “Then they just eat more meals.” Fiona giggles. “That too. But we’ve developed a system of preserving food from a book Lord Arc sent over some time ago.” Felix puts a paw on a nearby guardrail as he gestures toward the horizon through one of the massive windows. “Each city has a food stockpile of their produce in case of some kind of unforeseen event occurs.” “Starvation will always be a possibility in this region. However, we’ve done what we can to mitigate the risks.” Sereb looks around. “But isn’t all of this very expensive to build and operate?” Felix nods. “Initially, yes. However we project that in the next few years they will have paid for themselves.” “And we’ve been able to drastically lower the cost of food for our population. It makes for a happy public.” Arc nods. “Well, it sounds like you have quite the system here. Tell me, have you considered selling some of the excess product internationally?” Felix frowns. “Yes. Such an idea was proposed only a few months ago.” Ember raises an eyebrow. “Was there a problem?” Fiona sighs. “There was. But we should return to the palace to speak of it.” Heading back, Arc and company are lead to a posh Day Room. The king calls for numerous platters of fresh fruit and vegetables to be brought to them as they sit on comfortable cushions on the floor. Motioning for the servants to leave the room, he turns to Arc. “In answer to your question, yes it was suggested as a way to help fund these food growing projects.” “We even approached the Griffon Kingdom to see if they were interested in a business arrangement.” Sereb appears surprised. “And they weren’t?” “Oh no, they were. However they recently signed another treaty with Equestria.” “This one joined them militarily.” Hammer grimaces. “And you’re worried about them invading?” “Not really. However, we have heard of the incidents recently in your land, Lord Arc.” “Oh?” Fiona sighs. “How a new Hero of Light has been appointed and the new policies he’s implemented.” Sereb nods soberly. “You’re referring to the lockdowns?” Felix grits his teeth. “Yes! Holding citizens as virtual prisoners disgusts us!” “We had wondered why you hadn’t stepped forward to address this issue. That is until we heard Princess Celestia’s speech the other day.” Arc sighs. “The one declaring me a criminal?” “That’s the one, yes.” Ember clenches a fist. “Well, all of that is nothing but a lie!” Hammer nods fervently. “Right! Arc didn’t attack Ponyville! In fact, he was the one who saved the citizens and brought them aboard his ship to safety!” Sereb growls. “Decimus is the real criminal! Not Arc!” Fiona appears relieved. “And the attack on Canterlot?” Ember smiles nervously. “That.. was partially true.” Arc nods. “You see, I had planned to fly straight from Ponyville to Canterlot in an effort to confront Princess Celestia regarding the treatment of the citizens and Decimus’ policies. However I was turned away by airships from the Griffon Kingdom.” Felix appears hopeful. “Were you planning a coup, Lord Arc?” “Not exactly. A coup is when power is seized unlawfully. As the Hero of Light it’s literally my job to prevent an out of control princess from harming the citizens.” Fiona grimaces. “By what methods?” “Whatever I deem appropriate. My plan was to approach Celestia and see to it she was aware of the plight of the citizens.” Ember smacks her claws together. “Failing that… pow!” “And you would again take control of the nation as the Lord Regent?” Arc shakes his head. “No. That’s only the case if there is no other princess able and willing to take the throne. Had I needed to remove Celestia I would have immediately appointed Princess Twilight as ruling monarch pending the return of Princess Luna and/or Princess Cadance.” Fiona makes a circular motion with her paw. “And what are their thoughts on this… exchange of power?” “Princess Cadance was the one whom originally notified me of the problems in Canterlot. She is all for me doing my duty and trying to resolve this situation with her aunt. However, Princess Luna has gone into hiding and is not available for consul.” Felix nods soberly. “And now we come to the reason for your visit. Our aid?” “With the arrival of the airships from the Griffon Kingdom, I’m unable to get inside the city to confront Celestia. As things stand, I’ll need help.” “Military aid?” “Possibly.” Felix sighs as his head droops. “Lord Arc… while we sympathize with Equestria’s plight, we both know that Abyssinia is in no position to send troops abroad.” “As you know, it wasn’t so long ago that we lost nearly all our standing forces to the Storm King.” Hammer stands up, enraged. “What the heck?!”” Sereb turns to her, surprised. “Hammer?” “Ever since we arrived in your country, I’ve heard nothing but how much Arc and Equestria’s helped you and your citizens! But now that they need your help, you suddenly can’t be bothered?!” Arc puts a hand on her arm. “Hammer, please.” Felix sighs. “It’s not that we don’t want to help, Lady Hammer.” “Right. But we have very few soldiers to send.” “And sending them away would leave us vulnerable to attack.” The king turns to Ember. “I would be interested to hear what Dragon Lord Ember has to say on this matter however.” “Yes. I’m sure you can spare quite a few warriors to help Lord Arc.” Ember sighs. “My father has decided not to involve the Dragon Lands.” Felix raises an eyebrow. “Really? No offense intended, but we thought he would have been delighted to partake in such an endeavor.” “Normally, yes. However, I too signed a peace treaty with Equestria recently which prevents unprovoked attacks. My father insists that we uphold it, as a dragon’s word is their bond. I myself am only here because I’m not technically the Dragon Lord yet.” Sereb grits his teeth. “My own tribe has a similar stance. We do not involve ourselves with such matters other than in the pursuance of our rider’s Life Pact.” Arc turns back to the king. “Which leads me to you, your highnesses.” “We cannot provide troops at this time, Lord Arc. However, there are other ways we can help you.” “Oh?” “You discovered our submarines on your way here. They could be useful if you needed to establish a beachhead when returning to Equestria.” Fiona nods. “We are also willing to offer shelter and a safe haven for you and the citizens of Ponyville here in Abyssinia.” “Can we assume that you also are in need of provisions?” Arc nods. “Kinda, yeah.” Ember turns to him. “But isn’t your ship full of supplies, Arc?” “It is, yes. However they will go quickly with the extra troops we took on from Ponyville.” Sereb sighs. “An army fights with its stomach.” Felix puts a paw to his chin thoughtfully. “If the ponies aboard your ship will agree to help with making our preserves, we will donate all that they produce to your efforts at no charge to you or Equestria.” Fiona adds quickly. “In addition to a fair wage paid to them for their labors. We aren’t asking anyone to work for free, after all.” Hammer narrows her eyes. “But what’s the catch?” “My queen and I have quite the personal and political debt to repay to Equestria.” “In addition to Lord Arc personally, that is.” “While I appreciate the offer of a place for the citizens of Ponyville to stay, that might prove problematic. After all, there’s an entire town’s worth of ponies along with the orphans.” Felix appears confused. “Orphans?” “Oh my! Were their parents killed in the attack?!” Arc shakes his head. “No, no. Ponyville housed the country’s orphanage down the path from where the peace summit took place.” Sereb sighs. “Both foals and griffon younglings call it home.” Felix raises an eyebrow. “Griffons?” Arc nods. “As per our treaty with the Griffon Kingdom, yes.” Ember grins. “They’re really sweet.” Sereb turns to the king. “Mostly because they’ve not been raised to think like the griffons you know.” Hammer looks to Arc. “It really would be best to leave the ponies here when we attack the mainland. A warship is no place for them during a battle.” Fiona nods. “We can have temporary structures built to house everyone.” “It won’t be what they’re used to, of course. But it will be safer here than with you when the time comes to fight.” Arc appears hopeful. “And the younglings?” Felix sighs. “We will allow them to enter our land temporarily with the rest of your citizens, Lord Arc.” Fiona nods. “While they may not be accepted as warmly as their pony counterparts, we will still provide them with all the same basic rights and privileges given to the equines refugees.” “Thank you. I’ll bring your offer before Mayor Mare and the citizens.” Felix appears remorseful. “I’m sorry this is all we can do for you, Lord Arc.” “It’s appreciated nonetheless.” Ember looks to the queen. “Yeah. I’d have thought you’d be against the younglings coming into the country.” “Normally, yes. However since Lord Arc vouched for them, we shall accommodate.” Sereb turns to the monarchs. “Perhaps you can learn something from each other’s cultures.” “It wouldn’t hurt, I suppose.” “We will make the effort, Lord Arc. This we promise you.” Hammer sighs. “So I guess the real question now is… where do we go from here?” Ember puts a claw to her chin thoughtfully. “I’d say we need more allies to attack the capital!” Sereb groans. “Indeed. But where would we find them?” “How about the ogres beneath your city of Vanhoover?” “Or Prince Rutherford of Yakyakistan?” Ember grins. “Maybe even Lord Gestal would help. Covertly, of course.” Sereb growls. “He should, considering how many times you’ve ‘saved’ his daughter, Arc.” Arc sighs. “I admit that any of those suggestions would bolster our chances of success. However, the more we talk about this, the more worried I get about the fallout should this fail.” Fiona appears confused. “Lord Arc?” Hammer frowns. “You mean the repercussions?” “Right. If Celestia and Decimus were to win, anyone whom helped me will be their next targets.” Felix appears hopeful. “We’d be willing to say that our aid was forced through coercion.” Hammer shrugs. “It might work.” Sereb groans. “But it also might not.” Ember sighs. “Well, if that’s not an option, what’s the plan, Arc?” “There’s only one way to protect everyone.” “What is that?” “By me challenging Celestia directly.” “How?” Sereb growls. “The Equinox is certainly capable of transmitting to Canterlot.” Hammer raises an eyebrow. “But how will we be sure the message makes it to the princess?” Arc puts a hand to his chin. “It’ll have to be the perfect delivery vehicle.” Fiona appears hopeful. “And you have one?” “Yes.” Ember smiles as she looks to Arc. “And what is it?” “Twilight.”