//------------------------------// // Chapter 10 - Proactive Posturing // Story: The Equestrian Odyssey - A Tale of Two Worlds // by Kamahido //------------------------------// As the early morning rays of light shine through the window Arc awakens. He looks down to see Fluttershy still in his arms. Looking at the clock and raises a hand to start the sun on its daily journey. Looking back to Fluttershy he gently strokes her mane and back for some time before she awakens, lifts her head, and looks around. “Where… where am I…?” “The Four Seasons Hotel.” She turns to him, nervously. “Did I do anything… odd last night?” Arc shakes his head. “Nope. But then again I was pretty tired and just kinda fell asleep. Sorry about that.” Fluttershy appears confused. “You’re sorry?” “Yeah. I had kinda wanted to cuddle with you for a while.” “Oh?” “Your mane’s really soft and silky.” Fluttershy smiles shyly. “Thank you. But shouldn’t we get back to the castle?” “I suppose so. If we don’t, they’ll probably get worried.” The pair stand up and stretch as Arc calls forth his gauntlet. Opening a portal, he extends a hand to her. “Ready?” “Arc?” “ “Yes? Motioning for him to come down to her eye level, she looks at him happily for a moment before leaning forward and wrapping her hooves around his neck. They stay like that for a few moments before Fluttershy whispers in his ear. “Thank you very much for last night. It was absolutely magical.” Arc nods and continues to hug her. “I had a great time too.” Eventually they break off the embrace. Arc takes Fluttershy’s hoof and together they walk through the portal. Reappearing back in his room inside the castle, they head for the door. Arc turns to her. “The others should be in the Dining Room. Hungry?” “I am actually. Um… but…” “Something wrong?” Fluttershy looks suddenly nervous. “Do you… do you think you could keep what I told you about my diet last night a secret?” Arc smiles at her. “Sure.” “Thank you. It’s not something I’m proud of, after all.” Leaving the room they hurry down the corridor together hand in hoof. Arriving at their destination the guards salute and push the doors open for them. As the pair pass they grin to one another and nod approvingly. The rest of the Mane 6 along with Ember, Hammer, Scootaloo, and Platinum Valve are sitting around the table eating. They smile and stand as the couple walks over to them. Applejack is the first to speak. “There’s the two lovebirds now! Rarity giggles as she puts a hoof to her mouth. “We were just talking about you two.” Pinkie bounces around them. “Have a good time?!” Rainbow Dash grins slyly. “Of course they did! After all, they stayed out ALL… NIGHT… LONG!” Twilight clears her throat loudly. “You two look hungry. Please, sit down and we’ll get two more plates.” She motions to the servants to do so as Arc and Fluttershy sit down. Hammer leans forward. “Nice time, Arc?” “Yes, we had a lot of fun.” Fluttershy smiles. “Arc took me to a very special restaurant and then to an indoor garden!” Ember frowns. “Indoor… plants?” Arc nods. “Yup. They keep it warm so that the citizens can enjoy nature all year round.” “Whatever floats their boats.” “Fluttershy really liked the animals there.” “Oh yes! And Arc even learned how to talk to a squirrel!” Twilight gasps. “Wait, what?!” Platinum Valve raises an eyebrow. “Is that even… possible?” Scootaloo grins. “If it could be done, Big Brother would figure it out.” Arc shrugs. “It’s not so much a skill as it was magic though.” Twilight puts a hoof to her chin thoughtfully. “I’m not familiar with any spells like that. Can you elaborate, Arc?” “Yes. Remember these gems in my body?” Rainbow Dash shudders. “Who could forget your Crystal Poisoning?!” Hammer raises an eyebrow. “Poisoning?!” Arc turns to her. “It was a long time ago, Hammer. I’ll tell you all about it later.” “Darn well better!” “Well, when I started being able to understand the squirrel, Fluttershy noticed that the pink gem in my chest was glowing through my tunic.” Rarity gasps. “So you used the power of just one gem?!” Ember pokes his tunic. “Normally it’s all of them.” Arc nods. “Right on both accounts.” Pinkie smiles hugely. “So you’re like Fluttershy now?!” “Not exactly. She can do it on command without help. I need the aid of this crystal.” Twilight sighs. “This is a very puzzling situation. If we weren’t going to be so busy, I would have liked to study them again.” Fluttershy grimaces. “Oh? Did something happen while we were gone?” Rainbow Dash shrugs. “Kinda.” Applejack sighs. “We received reports of unrest in Manehattan.” Hammer nods. “The population is rather split on the events of that night at the Mare Statue.” Rarity groans. “About half the citizens believe that Arc and the others acted in the best interests of the populace by stopping Decimus and that ceremony.” Arc appears hopeful. “So they believed me when I said that there was a mind control device in the torch?” Platinum Valve grins. “Yes. Their own forensics teams have confirmed that from the wreckage.” Applejack bows her head. “The bad news is that the other half now believes that both you and Twilight here are nothing more than usurpers of the throne, terrorists, and traitors after what was done to Decimus.” Pinkie grits her teeth. “They’re just being meanies!” Arc puts a hand to his forehead. “I was afraid that would happen.” Hammer nods soberly. “Me too. That’s why I ensured that the broadcast kept going. Uh… at least from that end.” Platinum Valve looks to Hammer. “Not to worry. Reports say that everypony in the city heard everything in its entirety.” Scootaloo puts a hoof to her chin. “I don’t get it. If that’s true, why are some ponies against Big Brother and Princess Twilight?” Arc frowns. “Because part of that is true.” Rainbow Dash raises an eyebrow. “It is?!” “Yes. Remember, we DID overthrow the capitol to install a new leader, after all.” Applejack gasps. “But she’s the rightful ruler with Celestia gone!” Fluttershy grimaces. “Yes, but there are rumors that Arc and Twilight made her disappear intentionally.” Ember clenches a fist angrily. “What?! They would never…!” Arc turns to her. “Ember, calm down.” “But those are just LIES!!!” “I know. But if we fly off the handle it will just make us look more guilty. Like when I publicly ordered The Equinox to fire on the statue’s torch.” Hammer grunts. “That really did make him look like a terrorist.” Platinum Valve raises a hoof. “We can help change public opinion by ending this matter quickly though. Scootaloo groans. “How though?” Twilight stands and puts her front hooves on the table. “By retaking Light’s Hope and… capturing Princess Celestia.” Rainbow Dash grins and takes flight. “Great! Let’s move out!” Hammer shakes her head. “We can’t, blue.” “Why not, cupcake?!” Twilight frowns. “Because of the scout’s reports on the status of the base.” Arc groans. “Let me guess. He raised the shields?” “Right. And we don’t currently have any way of penetrating them.” Applejack gasps. “So you’re saying the situation is hopeless?” Platinum Valve shakes her head. “Not exactly. After all, no power source or mechanical device can stay online forever.” Hammer grins. “Right. At some point they’d have to take it offline for either maintenance or repairs.” Twilight looks to Arc. “Assuming it doesn’t run out of energy first.” “So what’s the plan?” “The best known method would be to wait for the magical energy to run out. That would cause the shield to fall and the base to be vulnerable.” Rainbow Dash taps a hoof impatiently. “Well, how long would that take?!” Platinum Valve sighs. “We’ve looked over the manifests of goods heading over to the base since Decimus became the Hero of Light. It looks like quite a large amount of magical batteries were sent over before the capital’s fall.” Applejack grits her teeth. “Almost like he knew it would.” Pinkie nods angrily. “Right! This stallion plans for EVERYTHING!” Rarity turns to Twilight. “How long will the barrier last?” Twilight sighs. “Six months at least.” Hammer clenches a fist. “He’s playing the waiting game.” Ember grits her teeth. “I HATE THE WAITING GAME!!!” Fluttershy appears confused. “But what would that gain him other than time?” Scootaloo nods. “Right. In the end the base would still fall.” Arc frowns. “Politics.” Platinum Valve frowns. “Most likely.” Ember raises an eyebrow. “I don’t get it.” Twilight looks out the window as she speaks. “While they’re safe and sound inside Light’s Hope, Decimus or Princess Celestia could organize others to carry out various events throughout the country that we would be forced to respond to.” Scootaloo groans. “That would deplete our resources and even make us look bad if we handled them wrong.” Arc nods. “Exactly. If they could turn enough cities against us in the interim, by the time the shield falls Equestria could be embroiled in a full-scale civil war.” Ember shakes her head. “Not happening!” Rainbow Dash grins. “Yeah! We’ve just got to hold things together until then!” Hammer fist bumps her friend. “Right, blue!” Applejack bows her head. “That may not be possible.” Rarity grimaces. “Eventually somepony is going to get a bit… impatient and take matters into their own hooves.” Twilight looks around soberly. “They’ve already tried that and failed once.” Pinkie turns to her. “Twilight?” “Think about it. Arc was flying toward the capital when three buildings in Baltimare were destroyed. Our enemy must’ve hoped to turn that city against us.” Fluttershy nods. “But the opposite happened.” Arc clenches a fist. “Right. However they probably were hoping that I would have just continued on in an effort to take the capital.” Scootaloo gasps. “It would have made you look as if you didn’t care!” Platinum Valve grimaces. “Or even that you committed the deed yourself.” Rainbow Dash smiles smugly. “So much for that!” Ember grins. “Right. Arc’s forces saved a lot of lives that day.” Arc sighs and pulls something from his ring. Looking at it for a long time he sets it down on the table before them. Platinum Valve looks at it before speaking. “What’s that?” Hammer frowns. “That filly’s teddy bear?” Arc nods as he remembers the filly. “Toola Roola. She told me to watch him… before she died.” Rainbow Dash slams her hoof down on the table, clearly furious. “THIS is the kind of crap our enemies are doing?!” Hammer grits her teeth. “They’re merciless!” Fluttershy appears hopeful. “Could we find her parents and give them the bear? I’m sure they’d be grateful if we could…” Rarity bows her head. “They’re dead too.” Arc sighs. “Right. Toola Roola was the only one still holding on when I found her.” He looks at the bear for a long moment before continuing. “They’re together now. But this isn’t the end of the matter.” Ember nods soberly. “Not by a long shot!” Applejack looks around the table. “Right! But what should we do?!” Pinkie seethes. “Stopping these meanies would be a start!” Scootaloo shakes her head. “I wish we could, yes. But they’re beyond us at the moment.” “Arc?” “Yes, Twilight?” “There… is something that we can do right now. It won’t help the situation at hoof right this second, but still…” Rainbow Dash rolls her eyes. “What could POSSIBLY be more important than…?!” “I’d like you to go to Cloudsdale and see about turning the townsponies to our side.” “But what about the other mind control devices in Las Pegasus and Fillydelphia?” Hammer grins as she gives him a thumbs up. “Our scouts reported that construction on them has ground to a halt with the failure of the Mare Statue plan in Manehattan.” Ember shrugs. “They probably just don’t have anything to power them now that Arc took their crystal.” Twilight nods. “Agreed.” Fluttershy appears confused. “But why Cloudsdale?” Applejack shrugs. “Well, it is centrally located.” Ember put a claw to her chin thoughtfully. “And could be used as a possible staging ground for attacks against the capital.” Twilight nods. “That is true, yes. However, Colonel Flash Sentry pointed out to me yesterday that it does have a strategic significance due to its facilities.” Rainbow Dash gasps. “The Rainbow Factory!” Hammer raises an eyebrow. “The what, blue?” Fluttershy looks to Hammer. “It produces clouds and helps control the weather of Equestria.” Applejack grits her teeth. “They could use it to alter the normal weather patterns and make life difficult for any town that isn’t under their banner.” Ember groans. “Probably hard to grow crops with flooded fields.” Platinum Valve nods soberly. “Or dry ones.” Rarity shudders. “A frightening thought.” Scootaloo frowns. “So what’s Big Brother supposed to do? Conquer the city?” Twilight sighs. “Frankly I’d like to avoid something like that. Nopony wants to see their homes damaged, after all.” “I’ll go with you, Big Brother.” Arc smiles at Scootaloo. “Sure. Someone will have to watch my back, after all.” Ember stands. “Like me?” “Uh… I guess so, yes.” Rainbow Dash jumps up onto the table. “You’ll need a guide!” “I will?” “Yeah! Remember, that’s my hometown!” “It is?” Hammer shrugs. “Makes sense to bring along a liaison of some kind.” Rainbow Dash grins. “He won’t need a… whatever it was you said, cupcake! I’ll be there!” Rarity clears her throat loudly. “Yes, well… the rest of us will stay here and monitor the situation, gather information, and help Twilight govern the nation.” Applejack nods. “Right. This isn’t a one pony job, after all.” Arc thinks as he speaks. “Okay so it’s Rainbow Dash, Ember, Scootaloo, and myself on this one.” Ember grins. “And Sereb.” Arc nods. “Probably would be a good idea to bring him along on this one. Where is he anyways?” Applejack gestures to the doors. “He’s helping patrol the castle grounds. Says he wants to sniff out trouble before it gets too close.” Platinum Valve stands. “I’ll go let him know about the mission before heading back to Lead Sage Sunburst’s office.” She leaves the room as Arc turns to Twilight. “I’ll do my best in Cloudsdale, of course. But it may not end the way you want it to.” “Yes, well… we can’t just sit around waiting for the land to fall around us. I’ll get our best and brightest busy trying to come up with a way to pierce the barrier sooner, of course. If Equestria is going to survive we need to act swiftly and decisively.” Pinkie grins. “Nice speech, Twilight!” Applejack chuckles. “Yeah! I feel all inspired now!” Scootaloo looks around the table. “She’s right too. If nothing changes, our enemy will be able to just steamroll us when they do make their move.” Ember brandishes her claws. “Either way they’re going to have to act eventually.” Rarity sighs. “Agreed. But how hard a fight they are forced to face is completely up to us.” Fluttershy looks up at Arc. “I… kinda wish I could come with you. But I know I’d just be in the way.” “Did you grow up in Cloudsdale too, Fluttershy?” “Yes. Like I said last night, my father is one of the higher-ups in the Rainbow Factory.” Rainbow Dash grins. “Him and my dad are friends. That’s how Fluttershy and I met.” Fluttershy nods. “He might be able to help you too, Arc.” “Yeah! My dad and him go way back!” Ember turns to him. “That might be worth looking into.” Hammer gives him a grin and a thumbs up. “Right. You’ll need allies to help support your cause.” “Alright. When we get there, I’ll be sure to look up Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy’s dads.” Rainbow Dash does an aerial backflip. “Awesome! It’s been a long time since I went home!” Ember frowns. “Just one little problem. Only Pegasi can go to Cloudsdale.” Hammer raises an eyebrow. “I thought the Hero of Light could do anything!” Twilight sighs. “Except violate the laws of physics, yes.” Scootaloo appears confused. “Princess Twilight?” “Cloudsdale, like the name suggests, is made entirely out of clouds. Only those of the Pegasi race can walk on them. Anypony else would just fall through.” “And dragons, right?” Twilight sighs. “Be happy you can fly, Ember. But even you can’t hover forever.” Rarity raises a hoof. “Fortunately there’s a spell for that.” Applejack gasps as she remembers. “There is! Remember that time we all went to Cloudsdale together in Twilight’s hot air balloon?!” Pinkie bounces around happily. “That was AWESOME!!!” Fluttershy nods. “She cast a spell on all of you that allowed you to walk on clouds.” Twilight bows her head. “Indeed. But I won’t be there this time to cast it.” Arc looks to Twilight. “Think you can teach it to me?” “I could, yes. But I should be getting to audiences soon. However I could lend you a spell book so you could learn it on the way there in The Equinox.” “That would work. Anything else I need to know?” “Don’t fall off the edge of a cloud without being ready to Blink back up there. The spell just lets you walk on clouds, not ignore gravity.” Scootaloo shudders. “I think I’d better stay extra close to you, Big Brother.” “Yeah. So now all that’s left is to determine when we leave.” Hammer nods. “The Equinox probably needs to restock before she can fly again. Uh… where is Cloudsdale anyways?” Rarity points a hoof toward the window. “About an hour’s flight northwest of Canterlot.” Ember frowns. “You don’t think they’d try to stop us from docking though, right?” Applejack shrugs. “Anything’s possible considering they’re siding with Princess Celestia, after all.” Arc sighs. “And they might not be too happy about what I did to one of their own.” Twilight raises an eyebrow. “Did?” “Lieutenant Spitfire. She found a way aboard The Equinox and tried to assassinate me on my last trip.” Hammer draws her gun. “We took care of her though!” “Yes, well… Redheart’s prognosis isn’t too good. She’ll never walk properly again and won’t likely fly again. By now she’s been transferred off my ship and to the castle’s Infirmary.” Ember nods soberly. “It needed to happen though.” Scootaloo turns to Rainbow Dash. “Will they have heard about it though?” “Maybe. After all, there are any number of Pegasi here in the castle. Any one of them could have called home to tell them what they saw.” Arc shrugs. “Well, all we can do about that is to not try and hide it further. That and be honest if asked.” Hammer frowns. “And if they’re upset?” “Then we cross that bridge if we get to it.”