Arc and Ember reappear on the sigil in his quarters aboard The Equinox. They look up to see Max and Xenos carefully laying Aloe and Vera down on their backs. The mares look around nervously as Arc approaches them and turns to Xenos.
“Tell the Bridge that we’re aboard and to retrace our previous course to return to Abyssinia at once.”
“Yes sir.”
He runs out the door as Arc turns his attention back to Aloe and Vera. Kneeling down, he looks them over before turning to Hugh.
“Think you can get those chains off them?”
“That I can, sir.”
“Do it.”
The stallion produces a lockpick and gets to work. Sometime later the chains and locks sit in a pile in the middle of the floor. Aloe and Vera lay there shakily and look around.
“Please don’t hurt us!”
“We’ll do whatever you want!”
Ember chuckles. “Easy there. You’re safe with us.”
Aloe looks to her. “How can you say that?!”
Vera nods. “Aren’t you a prisoner too?!”
Ember raises an eyebrow. “Uh… no.”
Arc smiles as he holds up a hand. “That whole kidnapping ruse was just a plot to get my magic ring back. That and I decided to get both of you out of there as well.”
Max grins. “Right. The commander had us under orders to go along with that plan.”
Viktor looks around. “Uh… where’s Hammer?”
“Right here!”
She decloaks causing the mares to cry out in terror. Arc groans.
“Hammer!”
“Sorry about that.”
Ember looks at the young woman. “Why don’t you and I grab a shower?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Arc stands and looks around. “Good work out there tonight everyone. A solidly executed plan.”
He turns to his squad.
“You four hit the showers and get some rest.”
They salute and leave the room with Hammer and Ember. Arc turns back to the mares on the floor.
“Why don’t you two get cleaned up as well?”
Aloe grimaces. “S-sir?”
“Prison’s a dirty place, after all.”
Vera nods. “Yes sir. We’ll do as you say.”
Arc gestures to the bathroom nearby. Aloe and Vera walk into it and close the door. Sighing, Arc touches his earring.
“Arc to Bridge.”
Lemon Hearts voice rings out. “Go ahead, sir.”
“Anything on the radar?”
Moon Dancer shakes her head. “A small transport ship is on a direct course with Luna Bay Prison, sir.”
“That must be Decimus. How far out is he?”
“Several hours.”
Wrangler grins wickedly. “We could double back and shoot him down before he gets there though.”
Thunderlane turns around. “Shall we, sir?”
“Negative, Thunderlane. Follow my previous orders and get us back to Abyssinia. There’s much work to be done.”
Soarin nods. “Yes sir. I’ll see to it.”
“Thank you, captain. Anything else out there to report?”
Lemon Hearts sighs. “The prison’s sent out a general alarm.”
Soarin shrugs. “We’ll be long gone before reinforcements arrive from the capital though.”
“So nothing we need to worry about?”
Wrangler shakes her head. “No, sir.”
“Very good. Let me know if that changes. Arc out.”
Touching his earring, he severs the connection and sits down on the couch. Sighing, he muses to himself.
“Sorry, Spitfire. You’ll take the blame for this. But it had to be done.”
Sometime later Aloe and Vera walk cautiously out of the bathroom. Arc stands and walks over to them.
“Feeling better?”
“Yes sir.”
“What are your orders?”
“Follow me.”
He leads them out the door and down the corridor. A short time later they arrive at the Infirmary. Redheart steps out of her room a few moments later groggily.
“Do you need help, sir?”
Arc nods as he gestures to Aloe and Vera. “I need you to do a full checkup of these two.”
“Anything specific I should be looking for, sir?”
“No. But be very thorough.”
She gestures to two hospital beds.
“Both of you lie down and we’ll get started.”
Aloe takes a step back. “Will it hurt?”
“A few of the tests will be a bit uncomfortable, yes. But I’ll do my best to make them quick as well as warn you before we start them.”
Vera grimaces. “How long will this take?”
“An hour or so for each of you, I’m afraid. There’s quite a bit to do. Now then, who wants to go first?”
Aloe raises a hoof. “I’ll start.”
“No, sister. You’re exhausted. Let me go first.”
“Okay. But I’ll stay awake to watch over you.”
Arc sighs. “Get some rest, Aloe. Nothing bad is going to happen to Vera.”
“Yes sir.”
Arc turns to Redheart. “Mind if I crash here too?”
“It’s your ship, sir. Do whatever you like.”
Arc flops down on a bed and lays back as Redheart gets to work. In what feels like only a few moments he feels someone gently shaking him. Rolling over, he spots Redheart’s hoof on his shoulder.
“Sorry to wake you, sir. But the tests are complete.”
“Did you find anything?”
“Both patients are a bit underweight, but otherwise fine. Blood samples showed nothing out of the ordinary and every physical test shows them to be relatively healthy. I did take the liberty of giving them both a bag of IV nutrients though.”
“Thank you, Nurse Redheart.”
He turns to Aloe and Vera.
“Please follow me.”
Arc leads them down a corridor. Aloe looks out the window at the rising sun.
“Beautiful.”
Vera sighs happily. “It’s been a long time since we saw that.”
Arc turns to them. “Oh?”
Aloe speaks but does not look over. “The prison walls are so high that we can’t actually see the sun until midday.”
“I see. Well, you can view it better from here.”
He gestures to a door. Unlocking it, Arc pushes it open to reveal a very posh room. They gasp in amazement. Aloe turns to him.
“What are we doing here, sir?!”
“You’ll be staying here for the time being.”
Vera gasps. “We will?!”
Arc nods. “Yes. Now then, shall I order some food brough to you?”
Aloe shakes her head. “No thank you, sir.”
Vera yawns. “We’re still really tired.”
“So am I. Now the two of you are still prisoners, so you can’t leave this room unaccompanied. They’ll be guards stationed outside to escort you wherever you want to go.”
Aloe raises an eyebrow. “You mean we won’t be locked in here?”
“No. You’re free to go to the Cafeteria, Game Room, Library, Observation Deck, and whatnot. But you must be accompanied at all times. Cause any trouble and these privileges will be revoked. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes sir!”
“We understand!
“Good. Sleep well.”
Arc turns and leaves the room. Aloe and Vera sigh contentedly as they climb into their beds and fall asleep looking at the sunrise. Meanwhile, Arc touches his earring.
“Arc to Bridge.”
Lemon Hearts voice rings out. “Go ahead, sir.”
“Have Wrangler assign around the clock guards to watch VIP suite number one. The mares within are to be escorted to any non-restricted area aboard ship they wish to go.”
Wrangler nods. “Yes sir, I’ll see to it.”
Soarin calls out. “Is there anything else we can do, sir?”
“Not right now, no. As soon as the guards arrive though I’m going to be taking a portal to visit someone though.”
Lemon Hearts grins. “Shall we enable radio silence with you, sir?”
“That won’t be necessary. Let me know if I’m needed and I’ll return, post haste.”
Wrangler chuckles. “Aye, sir.”
He touches his earring, severing the connection. A few minutes later several guards approach and salute him. Reiterating his earlier orders, Arc returns to his room and looks out the window for a few moments.
“I need to do this.”
Opening a portal, Arc takes a deep breath and steps through. Reappearing in a small hospital room he looks around. Steel Hammer, Silver Hammer, and Platinum Valve are just finishing their breakfast.
“Sorry, is this a good time?”
Steel Hammer motions for him to approach. “It’s always a good time for you, old friend.”
Silver Hammer nods. “Yes, please join us.”
Platinum Valve grins. “My parents are doing a lot better these days!”
Arc smiles nervously. “That’s good.”
He turns to Silver Hammer.
“How… um… are you…?”
Silver Hammer sighs as her ears droop. “My… back half doesn’t work anymore.”
“I’m really sorry to hear that.”
Steel Hammer nods sadly. “No more than I myself am.”
“I had to keep you safe, dear. We’ve always had each other’s backs in the past, after all.”
“This time literally.”
Platinum Valve puts her hooves up on her mother’s bedside. “It was broken badly. But the doctor says mom will be able to walk again with a wheelchair similar to the one Stellar Eclipse uses.”
Silver Hammer sighs. “Not for a long time though, I’m afraid.”
“I’m really sorry about all this, you two.”
Steel Hammer appears confused. “Arc?”
“You got in trouble for defending my good name.”
Silver Hammer shrugs. “All we did was speak the truth.”
Steel Hammer appears hopeful. "Yes. Nopony knew it would lead to this. But what about you, Arc?"
Platinum Valve nods soberly. “We all heard on the radio that you kidnapped Princess Twilight and burned Ponyville to the ground along with everypony there.”
Silver Hammer frowns. “All lies, we assume.”
“I didn’t have anything to do with what happened to Ponyville. The truth of the matter is that I went back there to save everyone.”
Steel Hammer gasps. “Are they alright?”
“Yes, everyone was relocated to Abyssinia. They’ve even built a town there in the capital called ‘New Ponyville’.”
Platinum Valve smiles. “Is it nice?”
“Not as much as the old town was. But everyone’s safe, yes.”
He shifts uneasily before continuing.
“The part about Twilight is… mostly true.”
Steel Hammer raises an eyebrow. “You kidnapped a princess?!”
“Well… it was more or less consensual. I wanted to use that act to get Celestia’s attention.”
Platinum Valve looks him over. “They said on the news that you were taken prisoner!”
“I was. Broke out when Sunset Shimmer framed me for killing the warden.”
Silver Hammer gives him a smile. “It sounds like you’ve had a hard time lately.”
“Not as hard as you two.”
Steel Hammer sighs. “We can heal and rejoin the others. You can’t as things stand.”
Silver Hammer nods sadly. “Right. You’re a fugitive now.”
Platinum Valve grits her teeth. “Which is totally unfair!”
“I know. But I’m working on something that will even the odds.”
Silver Hammer appears hopeful. “Oh?”
“We need to stop Celestia and Decimus soon, before anyone else gets hurt.”
Steel Hammer grins. “Remember, you’re above the law.”
“And I’ll need to use that to my advantage in the coming weeks.”
“You mean…?”
Arc nods. “Our enemies aren’t playing by the rules when they should be. So in order to fight them, I need to be willing to do the same.”
Steel Hammer nods understandingly. “Not everything Silver and I did was strictly… morally right.”
“However we did what needed to be done for the greater good of Equestria.”
Platinum Valve smiles. “We still believe in you, sir.”
“Thanks. Right now I need all the support I can get.”
Steel Hammer looks hopeful. “Is there anything we can do to help?”
“Just rest and get better. Platinum Valve needs you both.”
Silver Hammer giggles. “As does Princess Luna, I’m sure.”
Steel Hammer looks to Arc. “How is she?”
“Luna left Canterlot some time ago. She’s staying with the Nightborn for the time being, I’m assuming.”
Silver Hammer grimaces. “That’s not good.”
“Oh?”
Steel Hammer sighs. “She told us once that they were her failsafe.”
Platinum Valve appears confused. “Failsafe?”
Silver Hammer nods. “Her private army. She confided in us that they would be the ones to help her cleanse any evil from the land should the need arise.”
Steel Hammer shudders. “Their summoned monsters are about as temperamental as a bull in a china shop though.”
Silver Hammer groans. “Right. So any help they could give would probably also destroy anything they were trying to defend.”
Platinum Valve gasps. “Doesn’t Princess Luna care that she might destroy that which she’s trying to save?!”
Steel Hammer shrugs. “She believes in the ‘scorched earth’ method.”
Arc puts a hand to his chin. “Better to destroy it yourself then let the enemy have it?”
“Exactly.”
Arc frowns. “I’ll have to see to it things don’t get to that point then.”
Steel Hammer nods approvingly. “We know you can do it, Arc.”
“Thanks. The only down side is that I don’t really know where to go from here.”
Platinum Valve gasps. “I might have an idea!”
“Oh?”
Platinum Valve points a hoof to a stack of newspapers lying on the floor nearby. “I’ve been reading to my parents every morning. Helping them keep up with world events as they’re reported.”
Steel Hammer smiles. “And what do you think, Platinum Valve?”
“That Decimus is going to try something very soon.”
Silver Hammer nods. “I agree. But what?”
Platinum Valve picks up a paper. “Remember what dad said this morning about Decimus wanting to control the masses?”
Silver Hammer nods. “Yes. What about it?”
“I believe he may be trying to do that literally.”
“Oh?”
Platinum Valve holds out the newspaper to Arc. “Well, this would certainly help him do just that!”
Arc looks the paper over, clearly confused.
“A… statue?”
“It’s to commemorate Princess Celestia’s return to Equestria.”
Arc shrugs. “I don’t understand. How could a statue do anything?”
“Because of this!”
She points at the orb in the statue’s hooves.
“I still don’t get it.”
Platinum Valve frowns. “It’s going to be centrally located, have its own power source that’s independent from the local power grid, and the orb will be made out of pure crystal!”
Silver Hammer puts a hoof to her chin thoughtfully. “Where have I heard that before…?”
Platinum Valve continues. “A long time ago King Sombra used a similar item to control his slave troopers. The light it emitted brainwashed everypony in the Crystal Empire in just a few minutes!”
Arc gasps. “Everyone would be in his grasp!”
Steel Hammer frowns. “This could just be a test run.”
Silver Hammer shudders. “And if it works they’ll probably look into building and deploying these to every town in the nation!”
Platinum Valve grits her teeth. “Right! Decimus would win without a single life lost!”
Arc frowns. “Very clever of him. He expects me to be looking for a sizable military force. When in reality his weapons will have won over the hearts of the citizens with the push of a button.”
Steel Hammer looks to Arc. “He has to be stopped!”
Silver Hammer sighs. “But how?”
Arc clenches a fist. “I’ll head over there and see about this whole statue thing.”
Platinum Valve shakes her head. “You wouldn’t know what to look for though!”
Steel Hammer nods. “Right. Something like this requires a very specialized eye.”
Arc looks to them. “Got anyone in mind?”
Platinum Valve raises a hoof and grins. “How about a Magitek Engineer?”
Silver Hammer raises an eyebrow. “You, dear?”
“Right. I know what to look for, can fit in small places, and nopony will look twice at a filly.”
Steel Hammer chuckles. “You could always just say you were lost, or something.”
“Right.”
Arc shrugs. “Well… I suppose you could help with the planning and initial investigation. But what about your parents?”
“Silver and I will be fine.”
“Right. After all, we’re being looked after by the finest medical staff in the Crystal Empire. That and Equestria needs everypony to do their part, especially right now.”
Platinum Valve giggles. “I’d love to help!”
Arc nods. “Alright. But you need to give me your word that you’ll do whatever I tell you to, no questions asked.”
“Sure! I promise! What are we going to do first?!”
“Head back to New Ponyville and talk this over with the others.”
Steel Hammer raises an eyebrow. “Others?”
“My squad and friends.”
Silver Hammer frowns. “Be careful in that regard, Arc. They don’t have the same legal protections as you do.”
“I’ve already gone over that with them. Everyone’s in agreement that this can’t be done alone and are willing to take the risk.”
Steel Hammer sighs. “We understand that, Arc, and know that you’ll do the right thing. But be sure that they realize that only YOU can legally approach Celestia to do what needs to be done.”
Platinum Valve looks to her father. “But if she’s so bad, why does it matter who stops her?”
“It’s important for the history books.”
Silver Hammer nods. “Right, dear. If anypony other than the Hero of Light were to dethrone a princess, it would be recorded as just another internal power struggle. One pony trying to take the land over another.”
Steel Hammer gestures to Arc. “That’s the role of the Hero of Light. Their entire reason for existing.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Platinum Valve nods soberly. “We both will.”