//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 - Accidental Altercation // Story: The Equestrian Odyssey - A Tale of Two Worlds // by Kamahido //------------------------------// Arc awakens early the next morning. Derpy’s head still lies on his chest where she was the previous night. Gently stroking her mane, he calls out to her. “Derpy?” Slowly opening her eyes, she looks up at him. “Arc?” “Yes?” “Thank you.” “What for?” “Last night. Waking up like this… it’s amazing.” “I had a great time too. But we should probably get back to Abyssinia now.” Derpy sighs. “Yes, I know.” As he moves to sit up Derpy leans forward and pushes him back down. “Arc, I… just wanted to say something before we go.” “What is it?” “You know my past. How I was… used by Moonlit Dusk.” She smiles and blushes slightly before continuing. “Whether he tried to or not, he… put his seed in me. Even now I can remember that warm feeling inside me. Arc… while I admit that I wasn’t in love with him, that feeling was still amazing.” “So you want me to…?” Derpy nods. “Yes. Even if you can’t give me a foal I’d still like to feel you inside me someday.” “I admit, that does sound really nice. But it might not be for a while.” Derpy smiles. “Yes, I understand and can wait.” Allowing him to sit up, Arc stands and walks over to the large window. Holding out a hand, he lowers the moon and raises the sun as Derpy looks on. Turning back to her he smiles and extends a hand. “Shall we go?” Derpy nods. Arc takes her by the hoof and opens a portal. Leading her through it they arrive on the sigil in front of the New Ponyville Town Hall. Sereb sits up and stretches as Derpy looks up at him and sighs contentedly. “Thank you for the date, Arc. I had a great time.” “So did…” He is cut off as his earring chirps. “Excuse me.” Touching it, Arc speaks. “Go ahead.” “Arc, it’s Twilight!” “What’s wrong?!” “We’ve just received a transmission from Redemption Village! Auriel says she needs to see you there right away!” “Any idea why?!” “She didn’t want to talk about it on the radio, but said it was extremely urgent! I’m sorry to interrupt your break, but you have a sigil there and are already authorized to deal with whatever the matter is at hoof!” “I’ll look into it.” Twilight sounds relieved. “Thank you. I’m sending The Equinox there as we speak. It should reach the town in about an hour. Scootaloo, Ember, and Hammer will also be aboard to help.” “Alright. I’ll head over and see what I can do.” “Be careful!” “I will. Arc out.” He touches his earring, severing the connection. Turning to Derpy he sighs. “Sorry.” Derpy smiles. “It’s okay. I know you have a job to do.” Nodding, Arc opens a portal as Sereb silently approaches it. “Take care of Dinky while I’m gone.” “I will.” Walking through, Arc finds himself on the outskirts of Redemption Village. Calling forth his armor and spear he jumps on Sereb’s back and hurries toward the Town Hall. Noticing the lack of anyone on the streets, he frowns. “This isn’t good.” Sereb growls. “Agreed.” Arriving, Arc enters the building and calls out. “Anyone here!” Auriel steps out from behind a machine and hurries over to him. “Arc! Oh thank goodness you’re here!” “What’s going on?” “The townsponies think that the demons are trying to escape Tartarus!” “Are they?” Auriel looks away sheepishly. “Kinda.” “Auriel, if you know something…” “It’s… complicated. Right now we should go see my father. He can probably explain things better.” Sereb frowns. “And the citizens?” Auriel points toward the door. “Everyone is in the cave preparing to defend Equestria.” Arc groans. “Oh boy. Let’s go!” Heading to the Gates of Tartarus they find everyone clad in their old armor and holding weapons. Mythic Honor sports his old blue cloak and stands at the head of the town’s forces. Arc and Auriel hurry over to him. “Arc! Glad you could make it!” Arc sighs. “Me too. What’s going on?” Mythic Honor nods toward the Gates. “Not much at the moment! Personally I think this is all a bunch of nonsense!” Auriel gestures to the citizens. “Then why mobilize everyone like this?” “Because this isn’t your normal everyday nonsense! This time it’s SERIOUS nonsense!” Arc facepalms. “I won’t even pretend to understand.” Auriel sighs. “Me either.” Arc turns to Auriel. “We should probably head in there and investigate.” “Agreed.” Arc thinks for a moment. “Um… actually that’s going to be a bit of a problem.” Mythic Honor appears confused. “How?! You’ve done this more times than I’ve washed my robe!” “I used my cape to negate the barrier in the past. But it was pretty much destroyed when… you know.” Auriel gasps. “So there’s no way in?!” “Well… let me think for a second.” Putting a hand to his chin thoughtfully, Arc considers the problem for a few minutes before snapping his fingers. “I got it!” Mythic Honor cackles. “Dermatitis?!” Auriel smiles. “An idea?!” Arc nods. “Yes. Well… to the second thing anyways. But I’m going to need to call in for reinforcements.” Heading outside the cave, Arc touches his earring and speaks. A few minutes later he returns to the others. “Okay, it’s all set up.” Auriel frowns. “What is?” Mythic Honor shrugs. “Jell-O, perhaps?!” “My backup plan to get into Tartarus.” Mythic Honor looks around. “Did you leave a spare key under the mat, or something?!” “In a manner of speaking.” Reaching for his ring Arc pulls out his pocket watch and looks at the time before speaking again. “We just have to wait for five more minutes.” Mythic Honor grins. “For the oven timer?!” “You’ll see.” Five minutes later Arc calls forth his gauntlet and opens a portal. A few moments later Twilight steps out and turns to them. Everyone gasps and hastily bows as she approaches Arc. “Glad you could make it.” Twilight sighs. “I wish it was under better circumstances.” Auriel nods soberly. “So do I.” “Are you doing alright here, Auriel?” “Yes, Twilight. But not as well as back at the library.” Twilight nods as her ears droop. “I miss those days too. Maybe one day we can go back to the way things used to be.” “I’d like that.” Arc clears his throat. “Sorry to interrupt, but we should probably get this underway.” “Yes, you’re right.” Her horn aglow, Twilight casts a strange spell. A wormhole opens as she turns to Arc. “There you are. One portal to Tartarus.” “Thanks.” Raising a gauntlet, Arc opens a portal of his own. “And here’s your return portal to Canterlot Castle.” “Thanks. Be careful in there you two.” Auriel smiles. “We will.” Arc nods. “I’ll let you know when we figure something out.” “Please do.” Arc and Auriel, along with Sereb, step through the wormhole as Twilight takes Arc’s portal back to Canterlot Castle. The pair quickly find themselves inside the large temple-like building. Heading for the door, Arc turns to Sereb. “You ready for a bit of a walk, big guy?” “Always.” Auriel hurries to stand in front of him. “Uh, Arc?” “Yes?” “There’s something you should probably know before we go on.” “What is it?” “The demons of Tartarus have made quite a few… improvements since you were here last.” “Is that a good thing?” “I think so.” Sereb motions to the door. “We’ll see for ourselves shortly.” Grabbing the handle, Arc pulls it open and looks across the expanse. Gasping, he stands there wordlessly for a long moment. Eventually Arc turns to Auriel. “A FEW improvements?!” Auriel shrugs. “Well, it’s no longer barren.” Arc gestures with a sweeping motion of his gauntlet. “This place looks like a bona-fide forest!” “It kinda is. If you’ll follow me though I’ll explain on the way.” “Please do.” As they hop onto Sereb’s back and walk down the path Auriel pulls a hand drawn map from her pocket. Unfolding it she holds it out to him and points. “We’re here at the temple. This road will take us through the forest to the jungle. From there we take the crossroads toward the farmland. That’s where the Enclave is. And as you know it’s in view of Vengeance.” Arc looks at the map as he speaks. “But how did all of this come to pass?!” “I could tell you. However I think I’ll let Aurora do that.” “She’s here?!” “Kinda. Watch.” Taking a deep breath Auriel calls out. “AURORA!!!” Her voice echoes through the trees. A few moments later a small whirlwind of leaves appears before them as Aurora materializes from it. “Hello again, Auriel.” She looks to Arc and smiles. “And it is good to see you again too, Arc.” “How are things going around here?” “It is an… interesting time from what I gather.” Auriel appears nervous. “Any changes?” Aurora shakes her head. “None at the moment. But I’m sure your father will be happy to see you again. At least on this side of the Gates.” She joins them in walking down the path. Arc turns to her. “So… how did all this happen?” “Aurora does not understand the question.” Arc gestures to the trees around them. “I do remember having seeds sent over, of course. But nothing like this!” “They were sent by our caretakers.” Auriel puts a hand on Arc’s shoulder. “Twilight and I sent a case of nearly every type of common seed imaginable. That and a book on what each looked like.” Aurora nods. “It was a simple matter to grow samples and collect seeds from them to create offspring.” Arc looks around again. “I guess you’ve both been busy then.” Auriel sighs “More so than I thought I would be. Aurora too, of course.” Aurora nods. “Yes, the demons here have started calling us a very strange name.” Auriel giggles. “It’s a title actually. Some demons now call Aurora the ‘Green Goddess’.” Arc raises an eyebrow. “Worship?” “Think of it more like great respect.” Aurora shrugs. “Yes. But might I offer quicker transport to the capital?” Auriel frowns. “What did you have in mind?” Aurora turns and looks to the tree line. She stands there for a few moments before three large beetles hurry out and over to them. Auriel falls over backwards in fear. “What are…?!” “Creature indigenous to this land.” Arc chuckles as he helps Auriel up. “I remember the Vile Tribe used to domesticate them for transporting things.” “These are their descendants. Shall I ask them to carry us to our destination?” Arc pats the saddle before him. “I’ll stick with Sereb, thanks.” Auriel nervously looks the creatures over. “Well I admit, it would save a lot of walking.” Aurora: Very well. Turning to them, she makes several strange movements. The beetles line up before them and kneel down to allow themselves to be mounted. Aurora quickly does so and motions to Auriel to do the same. Auriel appears skittish at the concept. “Maybe I’ll just fly behind you two.” Arc shrugs. “I guess if you want to.” Aurora speaks up. “There is another option.” “Oh?” “If you are put off by these creature’s appearance perhaps you should sit on Arc’s genitals for comfort.” Arc gasps. “Wait, what?!” Auriel blushes. “I don’t really see how that would help.” Aurora tilts her head to one side, confused. “We witnessed such a thing being done by the demons to their offspring though.” Arc gulps as the blood drains from his face. “I… really don’t know if I want to figure this one out.” “The young ones seemed to be enjoying themselves at the time.” Sereb groans. “That actually makes it sound worse!” Auriel gasps and snaps her fingers. “I think she means they were sitting on their mother’s laps, Arc.” “…oh.” Aurora nods. “Yes, that’s it. In any case, Sereb could carry the two of you if that would help, Auriel.” “It would, actually. Arc?” “Fine with me.” Helping Auriel up into the saddle, Arc climbs up in front of her. Sitting down he looks over his shoulder. “You might want to hold on to me.” Nodding, Auriel wraps her arms around Arc’s midsection as Aurora mounts her own beetle. Patting it, they lurch ahead. In no time they reach the capital city. Arc looks around as they head for the palace. “Green everywhere.” Sereb nods. “Even on the buildings.” Aurora smiles as she inhales deeply. “Yes, the demons say they like the sights and smells of the plants so much that they want them everywhere.” Arc looks to their hostess. “But how do they survive? I mean, it doesn’t rain down here.” “The plants in the city require manual watering.” Auriel frowns. “Water is a fairly precious commodity here though.” “To keep up with demand the king ordered more wells to be dug and pumps constructed based on the design used to maintain the Enclave. We did help with that too.” Arc puts a hand to his helmet. “It’s definitely more humid here now.” Auriel grins. “My father was telling me about that recently. Apparently the nights aren’t as cold either. At least within the city limits.” “Natural insulation.” Aurora smiles as several demon young wave to her happily from their homes. “Yes. It’s a symbiotic relationship between the plants and demons. They tend to them and in turn their dwellings are kept at a more amicable temperature.” Reaching the palace the trio dismounts. Arc helps Auriel down as Aurora motions for them to follow her. Going up the steps the guards at the top stand aside to allow them entrance. Walking down a massive corridor they arrive at an equally large double doors. Auriel turns to Arc soberly. “Ahead is the Throne Room where my father holds audiences.” “I figured as much considering the size of this place.” “No one can see him without a summons though.” Aurora appears confused. “Oh?” Arc raises an eyebrow. “Not even you, Auriel?” “Other than me, I suppose. But I don’t typically bother him with things.” She looks down at the floor nervously before continuing. “That and he doesn’t actually know I’m here.” Arc frowns. “Is that a problem?” “Maybe. After all, he did tell me to keep what happened between us.” “What DID happen?” “I should probably let him tell you that.” Entering, they see King Malevolence sitting on a large podium as several smaller demons stand around him. As the trio approaches the demons present part, bow, and allow them to pass. The king calls out to them. “LEAVE US!” Scurrying out of the room, the massive doors are shut behind them. The king steps down from his place as Aurora raises a hand to him. Slowly but surely he shrinks in size until the demon is only a foot or so taller than Arc. Holding out his arms to Auriel she steps forward and gives her father a hug. “It is good to finally see you again, father.” “Likewise, Auriel.” Aurora appears confused. “But you see each other every day.” Auriel sighs. “Looking through the Gates of Tartarus is not the same thing.” “How so?” Arc nods. “For starters, they can’t hug.” “While we do not understand this concept of ‘hugging’ it is likely that we should move on to the matter at hand.” Arc sighs. “Very well.” He turns to the king. “What seems to be the problem?” “As our new goddess told you just a few moments ago, Auriel and I speak nearly every day at the Gates along with Aurora.” Auriel smiles. “Living so close in Redemption Village has made such a wonderful thing possible.” Aurora nods. “I come along to shrink him down as I did a few moments ago. Auriel says it makes the time more… personable.” Auriel giggles. “That and more private.” “My normal sized voice does tend to reverberate. This allows us to speak in tones more suited to our conversations.” Arc shrugs. “It sounds good.” The king lowers his voice. “And it is. However earlier today we had a… a bit of an incident.” Aurora sighs. “We would not have used that word, but it was certainly… interesting, to say the least.” Sereb frowns. “Something bad happened?” “Not… bad, no. However…” Auriel interrupts her father. “We didn’t want to cause problems with Equestria. Especially after all the trouble that you went through to help us.” Arc smiles at her. “Very commendable. So why don’t you just tell me what happened and we’ll see what we can do.” King Malevolence turns to his daughter. “Very well. Auriel?” Auriel takes a deep breath. “Okay… as we said, my father and I have been speaking pretty much every day at the Gates. Mostly about how my inventions or research are going.” “She’s a bright young thing.” Arc nods in agreement. “That Auriel is.” “Today we were talking about my mother and how she just vanished. It was a… difficult conversation for my father especially.” Malevolence sighs. “It has been a long time since I saw her.” “He became very… emotional regarding the matter, so I decided it was a good time to part ways for the day.” “As per our custom, she put her hand on the barrier to signal that she needed to go. I did the same.” Auriel grimaces. “Right. However… this time was different.” “How so?” “When my father put his large hand on the barrier to touch it… I felt his warm palm against mine.” Arc gasps. “Wait! You mean…?!” Malevolence nods grimly. “Yes. At that moment my hand passed through the barrier to rest on Auriel’s.” “He was as surprised as I was, of course.” “I quickly pulled my hand back in case anyone was around to see, naturally.” “My father whispered to me to return to the village and get in touch with someone. I did so immediately, of course.” Arc sighs. “That’s when you contacted the castle?” “I hoped to speak to you, of course. However they said you were out of the capital at the time.” “Yes, I was in Manehattan. “ Sereb looks to Auriel. “But why didn’t you just call him directly on his earring?” “That would have been more prudent, yes. However I… wasn’t exactly thinking clearly at the time. Reaching the castle operator, I told them that I had information about a potential issue with Tartarus and that I needed to report it to someone of importance right away.” Malevolence frowns. “Whom did they connect you with again? I’m not familiar with their name.” “Princess Twilight Sparkle. Remember, she’s the one I lived with back in Equestria, father.” “The purple mare?” “Yes.” “She was a princess?!” Sereb shrugs. “It’s a recent development.” Arc chuckles. “Right. Promotions, and all that.” Auriel continues. “Anyways, I explained the situation regarding the potential failure of the barrier to her. She told me that you’d be notified at once, Arc.” “And here I am.” Malevolence grins. “I was hoping you would come.” “Oh?” “You have a reputation for Honesty and an impartial nature, Arc. Whether that comes from the fact that you are neither a pony nor a demon though is beyond me.” “Thanks, I think.” Arc puts a hand to his chin thoughtfully before continuing. “This is quite interesting.” Aurora appears confused. “How so?” “I’ve been told that to date no demon has ever been able to pass through the Gates of Tartarus. In fact the Vile Tribe, now knowns as ‘The Redeemed’, were the first to actually leave. Even by artificial means that’s a landmark occasion.” Malevolence chuckles. “If memory serves correctly, you yourself were the first to penetrate the barrier, Arc.” “Probably, yes.” Auriel sighs. “Or my mother.” Sereb nods. “Equally possible.” Malevolence looks to Arc. “Now that you are here though, we need your council on this matter.” “On whether or not to leave Tartarus?” “Not exactly.” Auriel sighs. “As it stands, the Vile Tribe’s village is just outside the cave on the others side of the Gates. Should a demon attempt to leave they would certainly attack.” Aurora puts a hand to her forehead and closes her eyes. “Indeed. Even now many equines stand at the Gates with their weapons pointed at it. A great many more as of a few minutes ago.” Malevolence raises an eyebrow. “More?” Arc nods soberly. “Princess Twilight asked me to come here and see what was going on. As I did so she ordered troops from Canterlot be deployed here in the event there was some kind of a jail break, or something.” Auriel gasps. “But leaving via the Gates is the proof of repentance!” “I understand that, Auriel. But she probably just saw this potential threat as another escape attempt.” Malevolence sighs. “There have been many over the centuries, certainly. Her actions were indeed warranted.” Sereb frowns. “But that doesn’t address the core issue.” Aurora looks to Arc. “Which is what exactly?” “What to do about demons potentially being able to leave Tartarus at will.”