Twilight and Spike step out of the portal and look around.
“The Equinox?”
Spike nods approvingly. “Now THAT’S portal range!”
Twilight turns to Arc. “So we are…?”
“In Abyssinia.”
Arc gestures to his largest window. Twilight walks over with him. Looking through, she gasps.
“We’re here?!”
Spike grins. “It really is Abyssinia!”
“Yup.”
Twilight turns to Spike. “How did you know that?!”
“I’ve been here before.”
“When?!”
“I stowed away on the Lunar Destiny a while back.”
Twilight puts a hoof to her forehead. “Oh… right. Now I remember.”
Arc clears his throat. “In any case, we should find the others. I’m sure they’ll be very happy to see you.”
Coco Pommel gestures with a hoof. “They should be helping out with the orphans today on the Observation Deck.”
Spike grins. “Let’s go see!”
Coco Pommel leads them, along with Twilight’s guards, out the door and down the corridor. Twilight turns to Arc.
“So… what’ve you been up to?”
“It’s a crazy long story.”
Spike turns to him. “I wanna hear it!”
“How about after supper? It’ll make for a nice bedtime story.”
“I’ll hold you to that.”
Twilight giggles. “Me too!”
Entering the Observation Deck, they spot Rainbow Dash, Pinkie, Applejack, and Fluttershy going over lessons with the younglings. Pinkie’s ears flop strangely. Looking up, she gasps.
“TWILIGHT!!!”
Running over, she is joined by the others whom giggle and nuzzle her. Twilight smiles as tears flow. Applejack is the first to speak.
“What’s wrong, sugarcube?”
“I… I thought all of you were dead!”
Pinkie appears confused. “Why would you think that?!”
“After I saw what happened to Ponyville, I just assumed that nopony survived the fire.”
Rainbow Dash sighs as she rubs her tender wings. “Yeah. We heard Celestia say that in her speech.”
Fluttershy sighs. “But we hoped she was wrong.”
Twilight bows her head. “Sadly she wasn’t. Everything was burned to the ground.”
Pinkie gasps. “Everything?!”
“Even Sugar Cube Corner, yes.”
Pinkie puts her head in her hooves and sighs.>
“I can’t take much more of this!”
Arc steps forward. “Don’t worry, Pinkie. Buildings can be rebuilt as can livelihoods.”
Rainbow Dash grins. “Yeah! But at least nopony died!”
Applejack nods. “Right. They can’t be replaced like things though.”
Twilight smiles. “I’m really glad everypony’s okay though.”
She looks around, confused.
“Um… where’s Rarity?”
Coco Pommel shakes her head. “In the Infirmary.”
“What happened?!”
Rainbow Dash gestures to the bandages on her wings. “The same thing that happened to me.”
Applejack groans. “Rainbow Dash got caught and tacked in front of Carousel Boutique. Then Decimus’ thugs charged into her place.”
Arc clenches a fist. “I was just calling her at the time. She was crying out about how some stallions were breaking into the shop. Next think I heard was her and Sweetie Belle screaming.”
Coco Pommel nods soberly. “The guards rounded up everypony in town and brought them to the orphanage. I still remember seeing them drag Rarity up the stairs, unconscious.”
Spike gasps. “WHAT?!”
Applejack removes her hat and looks down. “They locked her in a storage room on the second floor with Sweetie Belle. It was awful to watch!”
Twilight looks to Fluttershy. “How badly was she hurt?!”
“Pretty seriously. There’s a reason she’s still in the Infirmary.”
Pinkie nods sadly. “We should bring you there to see her, Twilight.”
Spike appears hopeful. “Me too?!”
Applejack smiles at him. “Of course!”
Twilight looks away nervously. “I… we should probably let her rest.”
Arc raises an eyebrow. “Twilight?”
“That and she probably doesn’t want to see me.”
Rainbow Dash tilts her head to one side, confused. “Why wouldn’t she?”
“Well… it’s kinda my fault she got hurt. If I had just been there, maybe everypony’s businesses and homes wouldn’t have been…”
Pinkie cuts her off. “Woah, woah, woah! This is NOT your fault, Twilight!”
Applejack grits her teeth. “Right. Decimus is just a scum sucking varmint!”
Fluttershy frowns. “He’s the guilty one here, not you.”
Arc puts a hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “Right. There’s nothing for you to apologize for.”
Twilight nods sadly as she turns to Arc. “Could you please tell her I’m here?”
“Sure. Would you like to wait in the hall?”
“I would, yes.”
Arc turns to the guards. “Why don’t you guys head to the Cafeteria for a bit to eat?”
“But sir, we have to guard…!”
Twilight interrupts the stallion. “I’ll be fine in Arc’s care. Please get some food and await further orders.”
They nod and leave the Observation Deck. A short time later Arc leads his friends back down the corridor. As agreed to earlier, Arc enters the Infirmary with the others as Twilight waits outside. Walking over to Rarity’s bed he smiles down at her as she slowly sits up.
“Easy there, Rarity.”
Pinkie puts a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “Careful! You’ll get all dizzy again!”
Rainbow Dash grins. “How’re you feeling today?”
“A bit better. At least the room isn’t spinning at the moment.”
Fluttershy appears hopeful. “Any idea when you can get up?”
“A day or so. Redheart tells me that I’m getting better, but will need to take things slow for a while.”
She turns to Arc.
“But enough about that. How is everypony else doing?”
“Just fine. In fact, I brought you a visitor.”
“Oh? Who?”
Arc turns to the doorway. “Come on in.”
Twilight sheepishly enters with Spike on her back. Rarity squeals and lets out innumerable happy noises.
“Twilight! Spike! It’s so good to see you two again!”
Spike hops off of Twilight and hurries to the bedside. “How’re you feeling?! Anything I can do for you?!”
“Oh, that’s all right, Spike. Nurse Redheart just says I need rest at this point.”
Twilight sighs. “Hi, Rarity.”
Rarity appears confused. “Whatever is the matter?”
Pinkie sighs. “She thinks you’re mad at her.”
“What?!”
Applejack frowns. “Pinkie!”
Pinkie shrugs. “It’s the truth!”
Arc sighs. “I suppose it is. But would you please tell Twilight how you feel, Rarity?”
“Honored that you would take time out of your busy schedule to come see me mostly.”
Twilight raises and eyebrow. “You… are?”
“Why, of course! What makes you think I’m angry?”
“Because I didn’t stop Decimus, for starters. Tell me, is Sweetie Belle okay?”
Rarity nods. “Oh, she’s fine. Redheart just kept her here for a day under observation.”
“And you?”
“Just some bumps and bruises mostly. That and a few cuts.”
Spike grimaces. “Are you sure that’s all?”
“Well, there was some trouble with my head. That’s technically what’s keeping me in this bed.”
Twilight gasps. “What happened to it?”
“A guard… may have hit me.”
Twilight grits her teeth. “Did you get his name?! I’ll see to it he’s sent to the dungeon for LIFE!”
“Oh, no need to do that, Twilight.”
Spike clenches a fist. “Oh, yes there is!”
“Not to worry. Arc’s forces already killed the traitors.”
Twilight puts her hooves up on the bed as she looks into Rarity’s eyes.
“Rarity, if there’s anything I can do to make this up to you, I will! There’s no excuse for what was done to you!”
“Well, if you really want to do something, help Arc fix the country.”
“That… might be a bit of a tall order.”
Rainbow Dash grins. “Yeah. But he’s the only one who can do anything about it!”
Twilight nods soberly and turns to Arc. “What can I do?”
“I need you to arrange a meeting with Celestia.”
“You want to… talk to her?”
Arc nods. “Yes. She and I have a few things to say to one another.”
Rainbow Dash seethes. “Yeah! With his fists!”
Spike gasps. “What?!”
Applejack groans. “Rainbow Dash!”
Fluttershy bows her head. “She’s right, you know. This will probably end in violence.”
Pinkie grins wickedly. “But Arc can take her!”
“Maybe. However I’d like to try and convince her to change things back to normal herself.”
Rarity appears nervous “And if she won’t?”
Arc shrugs. “Then I’ll do what I can to make her death as painless as possible.”
Twilight frowns. “You can’t kill Princess Celestia, Arc!”
“I can if she’s a threat to the country.”
“Then I’m not helping!”
Rainbow Dash groans. “Come on, Twilight! This can’t go on!”
Applejack grimaces. “She’s right. What if Decimus were to lead his forces on another town? A big one like Manehattan.”
Fluttershy shudders. “They might not be as lucky as Ponyville was.”
Spike turns to his friend. “Twilight… ponies could die next time. This really needs to happen.”
Twilight nods soberly. “I… understand. But there’s something I need from you before I help, Arc.”
“What is it?”
“The Dagger of Eternal Slumber.”
Rarity’s eyes grow wide. “What?”
Pinkie tilts her head to one side, confused. “But how would Arc fight Princess Celestia without it?!”
Applejack sighs. “He wouldn’t be able to take her down.”
Rainbow Dash grits her teeth. “It’d be like fighting a brick wall!”
Fluttershy turns to her friend. “Please, Twilight! We all need to…!”
Arc interrupts. “Fine.”
He removes the dagger from his ring and holds it up. Twilight reaches forward to take it, but Arc pulls back.
“However I need you to do something for me too.”
“What is it?”
“You will bring this weapon with you during the confrontation. Keep it secret, and keep it safe.”
Twilight nods. “Agreed.”
Extending the weapon to her, Arc releases it. Twilight looks it over for a moment before giving it to Spike to hold onto.
“Now then, what do you want the message to say?”
Arc removes a scroll from his ring. “I’ve actually already written it.”
Rarity’s eyes grow wide. “You have?!”
Arc nods. “I knew Twilight would go along with this if I asked her nicely, so I chose to be proactive.”
Rainbow Dash shrugs. “Roughly speaking, it’s a ransom note.”
Pinkie gasps. “You kidnapped somepony, Arc?!”
“Not really.”
“Then who…?!”
Applejack rolls her eyes. “It’s Twilight.”
Pinkie raises an eyebrow. “He didn’t kidnap her!”
Fluttershy nods. “But Princess Celestia doesn’t know that.”
Arc chuckles. “Right. In a few hours I’m sure someone will be sending a platoon to see why Twilight didn’t come back yet.”
Twilight smiles nervously. “Um… about that. I… may have said that I didn’t want any interruptions.”
Rainbow Dash groans. “So it could be a while until somepony comes looking for you.”
“Right. Sorry, everypony.”
Arc shrugs. “Oh well. That gives us time to spend here together.”
Applejack grins. “You have a plan on what you want to do, Arc?”
Rainbow Dash looks to Arc seductively. “I can think of a few things.”
Rarity blushes slightly. “Me too.”
Pinkie shakes her head vehemently. “You’re injured, Rarity!”
Fluttershy giggles. “Don’t worry. We’ll take good care of Arc for you.”
Twilight gestures toward the window. “While you’re all doing that, I’d like to take this opportunity study Abyssinian culture. I’m told it’s quite different from what we’re used to back in Equestria.”
Arc sighs. “About that… you probably shouldn’t leave the ship, Twilight.”
“Why not?”
Cherry calls out. “Somepony might kidnap you for real.”
“And we don’t want word getting back to Canterlot that fast.”
Applejack smiles. “That’s a refreshing attitude, Arc.”
“Huh?”
Spike nods. “Yeah. Usually you’re all gung-ho to get to work.”
Rainbow Dash swishes her tail side to side. “So you really do want to spend time with us, huh?!”
“Of course. But this is more to make sure everything goes well for the citizens of Ponyville. The monarchs here have volunteered to house our Ponyville refugees while we head to Equestria to figure this mess out.”
Fluttershy blushes nervously. “But… will there be time for something fun in the evenings?”
Applejack sighs. “Not sure we’ll have the energy after working all day. So when does that project start?”
“It’s already underway. Everyone who isn’t cooking meals or caring for the orphans is out there working.”
Applejack motions with a hoof. “Then let’s get moving!”
Rainbow Dash grins. “Yeah! We’ll get this done so we can laze around again!”
Arc calls out. “The monarchs have also offered jobs in their agricultural sector for everyone.”
Pinkie giggles. “It doesn’t sound like we’ll have much time to lay around!”
Twilight sighs. “I wish I could help.”
Spike turns to his friend. “Well, why don’t you stay here with Twilight, Arc?”
“I suppose I could. After all, someone needs to guard her.”
Twilight smiles. “We could keep Rarity company.”
Fluttershy nods. “That’s not a bad idea.”
Rainbow Dash motions for the others to follow her. “Let’s go everypony!”
Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Rainbow Dash hurry out the door. Rarity giggles weakly as they do so and turns to Arc.
“I’m actually feeling a bit tired at the moment.”
Spike gasps. “You should take a nap then, Rarity.”
“While I do, why don’t you spend some time with Twilight, Arc?”
“Oh?”
Twilight appears confused. “What for?”
“Well, if we’re thinking about a herd, everypony should get to know each other better. No reason to waste an opportunity after all.”
Spike raises a claw. “I’ll stay with Rarity. In case she needs something, I mean.”
Twilight turns to Arc. “That does sound nice. What do you think?”
“Sure. As long as Spike’s okay hanging out here, that is.”
Spike puffs his chest out. “No problem. Leave it to me.”
Arc leads Twilight out of the Infirmary as Spike turns to Rarity.
“So… can I… fluff your pillow? Get you another blanket? Fetch you a warm glass of milk?”
“No thanks, Spike. I just need to rest.”
“Oh… uh…”
“Are you tired?”
“Not really.”
Rarity pats the mattress under her. “That’s fine. I was just thinking that there was plenty of room up here, and you really should be comfortable during our…”
In the blink of an eye Spike tosses the Dagger of Eternal Slumber onto the bedside table and dives under the covers to rest his head on the pillow next to Rarity’s.
“Pleasant dreams!”
Rarity smiles as she lays back and closes her eyes. “Likewise, Spike.”
As Spike snuggles up to her and closes his eyes Rarity muses to herself.
"Have a nice time, Twilight."