King Malevolence and Auriel look to one another and shrug. Daring Do rolls her eyes.
Hammer and Rarity fall asleep shortly thereafter. However Arc lies there staring up at the ceiling for several hours. He muses to himself silently.
“Rarity. Hammer. Everyone else too. They all want me to have sex with them so bad. Is this normal for ponies? Should I just… give them what they want? I mean… I do want it too, but…”
He sighs before continuing.
“…but they’re all just so… so CUTE! And they deserve someone whom can give them each the attention they deserve. After all, with so many wives…”
Arc puts a hand over his face and groans slightly. Frowning, he Blinks out of bed and over to the window. Resting his arm against the glass he looks out across the darkened terrain that lies before them.
“I’m starting to wonder if I can truly make any of them happy. Much less all of them.”
Standing there for a time, he eventually turns and grabs his pants. Putting them on Arc leaves his quarters and begins walking. Coming to the Observation Deck he spies someone there already. Walking over he spots Applejack’s signature hat. Clearing his throat in an effort to get her attention she turns around and looks to him, confused.
“Arc? What are you doing up?”
“Just taking a walk. And you?”
Applejack looks away nervously. “I’ve… got a lot on my mind.”
“Would you like to talk about it?”
“Kinda would actually.”
Arc sits down next to her and waits for her to speak.
“First off, I’d like to say ‘thank you’ for what you did earlier in getting me out of a very… embarrassing situation.”
“No problem.”
Applejack sighs. “Pinkie means well, of course. But sometimes goes a bit too far.”
“Completely understandable. After all, I don’t want anyone to be pressured into doing something they don’t want to do.”
“That’s… actually what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Oh?”
“I… think I need to just come out and say it.”
Arc waits patiently as Applejack considers what to say.
“Arc?”
“Yes?”
“I… I… uh… I love you.”
“And I love you too, Applejack.”
“You do?”
Arc nods. “Yes. Does that surprise you?”
“Kinda, yeah. I mean… after I showed reluctance to get into bed with you earlier I kinda thought… you know.”
“It’s just fine, Applejack. We all need to go at our own paces here. And if you’re not ready, you’re not ready.”
“That… wasn’t the problem.”
“Then what is?”
Applejack groans. “I just… feel so out of it when you’re around. Like there’s butterflies in my stomach. More so when we’re with the others for some reason.”
She turns and looks Arc in the eye before continuing.
“Arc… I want to be totally honest with you about something.”
“Honesty’s the best policy after all.”
Applejack nods. “All I ask is that you take everything I have to say here tonight seriously. And to keep it to yourself.”
“Sure thing.”
“I never told anypony this before, but… I have a dream.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Not sure if you know this, but Granny Smith raised us after our parents died. She was like a mother and father at the same time.”
“You all always seemed so close to me.”
“She gave all of us lots of advice. From how to best tend to the orchard to how to pull flavor from a dish. It just always seemed like there was nothing she didn’t know.”
Applejack wrings her hooves before continuing.
“She also… pulled me aside the day I got my cutie mark to have a conversation about a few things.”
“Family secrets?”
Applejack shakes her head. “No. She talked to me about… sex.”
“The birds and the bees?”
“What?”
“It’s what humans call the conversation where a parent tells their kid about that sort of thing.”
“She taught me about how to recognize if a stallion liked me. How to make myself look especially fetching to them. And… um… not to lift my tail to just anypony.”
Arc nods. “Sounds like good advice.”
“Yeah.”
“But what does that have to do with your dream?”
“I… didn’t realize it until I was a fully grown mare, but… everything granny taught me wasn’t just to prepare me for life as an adult. But to show me how to be a proper wife and mother someday.”
She is silent for a time.
“And I’d like to show her that those lessons were well learned.”
“How so?”
“By settling down and getting married.”
Arc raises an eyebrow. “I get the feeling there’s more to it than that.”
“You’re right. I… um… would really like to bear you a foal, Arc.”
Arc blushes slightly. “What?”
“My dream… is to bear a foal with the one I love and stand with him as Granny Smith holds the newborn for the first time.”
Applejack puts her hoof on his hand.
“She won’t live forever, and I don’t want her to die before she gets a chance to see her great-grandfoals.”
“And you’d like to do that with me?”
Applejack nods as she smiles nervously. “Very much so, yes.”
“That’s actually pretty surprising.”
“Oh?”
“Forgive me, but I’ve always seen you as the most… conservative of the group.”
“Is that… bad?”
Arc shakes his head. “No, no. In fact, I find that very… I don’t really know how to put it into words, but it’s a good thing.”
“So… you’re interested in having a foal with me?”
“After getting to know you, and the others, yes.”
Applejack sighs. “Granny Smith may not have that much time.”
“I’m sure Auriel could find a way to make it work.”
“She said as much when we talked. But also that it would take years of research potentially.”
Arc shrugs. “I don’t think there’s really anything we could do to speed it up either.”
Applejack puts a hoof to her chin. “Maybe. Then again… maybe not.”
“You have an idea?”
“Yeah.”
Standing, Applejack hops off her chair. She beckons Arc to kneel down to her level as she lowers her voice.
“This would have to be kept just between us, of course.”
“Applejack?”
Turning around, she lifts her tail to expose her flank and looks over her shoulder.
“My idea… is to just go for it.”
“And you want me to…?”
Applejack plants her front hooves firmly against a nearby table. “Yes. Put your seed in my belly.”
Arc sighs. “The initial tests all said that it won’t work. Incompatibilities with DNA.”
“I’ve never been much for science, sugarcube. So if you’d like to make something happen right now, I’m totally willing to…”
“Applejack?”
“Yes?”
“Please put your tail down.”
Sighing, she does so before turning around and bowing her head.
“Did I come on too strong?”
“Kinda.”
Applejack groans. “Sorry. I just… wanted my dream to come true so badly. I know we all agreed that Rarity should go first, but…”
“Have you talked to her about this?”
“No. I haven’t said a word to anypony else. Just you.”
“That’s not a good thing, Applejack.”
“Oh?”
“If you all want to be sister wives, the last thing you should be doing is to go behind their backs. After all, it’s not exactly Honest.”
“I suppose not. But what would I even SAY to them?!”
“Start with the truth.”
“Huh?”
“Tell them how you feel and get their opinions on the matter. They may not agree, of course. But that’s still better than what would happen if they find out you’re going behind their backs on something like this.”
“I’ll… try that when we all have a moment.”
“Perhaps on the trip home there will be time.”
“But we don’t exactly know when that will be.”
Arc shrugs. “True. But you could still talk to them anytime. This is really just a suggestion of mine. The final decision is still yours to make.
“Okay. Um… th-thanks for the talk. And, uh…”
She looks around and lowers her voice before continuing.
“Sorry about… being so forward earlier.”
“It’s fine. But can I be honest with you about something, Applejack?”
Applejack nods fervently. “Y-yes! Always!”
Arc kneels down in front of her. “I just want to say that I’m looking forward to going out with you at some point.”
Applejack blushes and looks away.
“I… I’m looking forward to that too.”
“That and I do think you’re really cute.”
Blushing deeper, Applejack looks to him.
“Really?”
“Really.”
Applejack smiles and allows Arc to wrap his arms around her. He pulls her into an embrace which she reciprocates. Arc removes her hat and gently kisses the top of her head which elicits a slight moan from her. Pulling back, he gives the hat back and smiles at her.
“Feeling better?”
“Much! But what were you doing up?”
“Just a lot on my mind.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Arc shakes his head. “Not right now. It’s just the situation we’re in as a whole.”
“Alright. But you can always talk to me if you need to. Any of us really.”
“Thanks. I might just take all of you up on that offer later.”
“Well, I’m going to head back to bed now. You coming?”
Arc turns to look out a window. “I need a bit more alone time. Think I’ll step out onto the deck and get some fresh air.”
“You sure about that? I mean, this place might be dangerous.”
“I suppose so. Guess I could put on my armor though.”
“That’d probably be for the best. But you should probably go with somepony.”
Arc chuckles. “That would kinda negate the whole ‘alone time’ advantage. But I’ll walk you back to your room.”
“Okay.”
Heading down the corridor together, they come to Applejack’s room. She smiles at him and heads inside. However no sooner has Applejack closed her door than another one opens. Auriel steps out into the corridor with her father. Seeing Arc, they head over to him. Arc is the first to speak.
“Couldn’t sleep either?”
Auriel shakes her head. “We’ve been just sitting in our room talking.”
Malevolence puts a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “I’ve been telling Auriel of our land’s rich history and traditions. Sadly most were abandoned when we were relocated to Tartarus.”
Auriel sighs. “Hopefully our archives survived.”
Arc appears confused. “Archives?”
The king grins. “They hold the collective knowledge of our race. Things that have been forgotten can be rediscovered there.”
Auriel smiles. “I look forward to reading any tomes that may yet still exist. But what are you still doing up, Arc?”
Arc motions down the corridor. “Truth be told, I was just heading outside to get some air.”
“Might we join you?”
“We might be able to see the old palace from the deck.”
Arc nods. “I… suppose.”
Auriel takes Arc’s hand as they walk. King Malevolence follows the pair out the Main Hatch and onto the deck. Arc looks around, confused.
“It’s… so warm here.”
Malevolence chuckles. “Our race has always enjoyed the warmth of the tropics. When we were sent to Tartarus the first thing we noticed was just how dry the air there was.”
Auriel giggles. “But now, with the introduction of trees and other vegetation, the air is often laden with humidity.”
“Yes, it’s a welcome change.”
The king inhales deeply and sighs contentedly.
“But nothing compares to the smell of vegetation that has grown from thousands of generations of plants. From seed to sprout to full grown plant to death and finally to decomposition. From them grow new seeds and the process begins anew.”
Auriel turns to her father. “Yes, I was astonished at such a sight when I came to Equestria originally. That’s what drove me to create the artificial sun, father.”
“And succeed you did my dear.”
“With a lot of help from Twilight.”
Arc puts an arm around Auriel. “That really was impressive work you did back…”
King Malevolence suddenly bears his teeth.
“We are not alone out here!”
Auriel gasps as she looks to Arc. “Did you allow anyone else to leave the ship?!”
Arc shakes his head. “No, just us three. What do you see?”
Malevolence points a claw. “A pony just ran inside the palace!”
Auriel gasps. “I saw that too!”
Arc calls forth his armor and looks around before turning to the pair.
“Are you sure?”
Malevolence grits his teeth. “Yes! That was NOT an animal!”
Auriel grimaces. “What should we do?!”
“Let me call the Bridge.”
He touches his earring.
“Arc to Bridge.”
“Soarin here, sir.”
“Have you detected anything in the area?”
“No craft within range, sir.”
“What about something on the ground?”
“Like what, sir?”
“A pony or other lifeform.”
“Our scanners can’t pick up anything that small reliably, sir. Might I ask where you are?”
“I’m out on the deck with King Malevolence and Auriel. They say they saw something out here.”
“Scanning for something that small would be hard to do on open ground, much less this jungle.”
Auriel looks to Arc. “What should we do?”
“Captain, I’m going to head into the ruins with the king and Auriel now.”
“Might I send you with backup, sir?”
Arc shakes his head. “Not at this time, no. Just the three of us will stick together though.”
“Yes sir.”
“If we’re not back by first light though send a team to look for us.”
“I’ll see to it, sir.”
“Good. Arc out.”
Arc touches his earring, severing the connection as he turns to the pair again and gestures to the palace.
“Ready?”
Malevolence clenches a fist. “Very.”
Auriel nods as she squeezes Arc’s arm. “Me too.”
Arc carefully pushes Auriel towards her father.
“Stay close to the king. I need freedom of movement right now.”
Malevolence nods. “He’s right, my dear. Don’t worry though. I’ll keep you safe.”
Arc Blinks down to the ground as the king and Auriel flap their wings and glide down to join him. Looking around, Arc slowly advances toward the ruins before him. Walking up the silent stone steps before them he leads the way inside and looks to King Malevolence.
“Which way?”
Malevolence points to the right. “The archives are this way.”
“But how do you know that’s their target, father?”
“Break-ins were common when we lived here originally. But one thing was always the same. It was always to steal something from there.”
Arc raises an eyebrow. “They were after your books?”
Malevolence shakes his head. “The Archives were home to more than just tomes, Arc. As they were the most secure location in the castle we would store our valuables there as well. In addition to some very… powerful magic artifacts.”
“Dark Magic, father?”
“Well, we ARE demons, my dear.”
Arc sighs. “I’d guess that after this long there since abandonment there would be nothing left worth taking. Either taken already, destroyed by the elements, or time itself.”
Malevolence grits his teeth. “Either way, we must find out what they’re after! This way!”
Leading the group to a large room they look around. Massive bookshelves line the perimeter. Auriel gasps.
“Oh my! So much knowledge!”
She turns to walk toward a shelf but her father grabs her arm, pulls her back, and puts a hand over her mouth.
“We are not alone here.”
Looking all around he bares his claws and calls out.
“I know you’re here! Show yourself!”
Silence again reigns through the room. Auriel pushes her father’s hand away and looks up at him.
“It may have been nothing, father. For all we know it could have simply been a…”
Arc interrupts her. “No one move.”
Frowning, Arc looks around the room. Hearing something, he whirls around and holds out a gauntlet.
“I’VE GOT YOU!”
A gasp rings out as he casts a Telekinesis Spell. Walking forward he kneels down and begins feeling around. Pulling at something, Arc removes a cloak to expose a pony lying face down on the floor. King Malevolence and Auriel hurry over as the king glares at the intruder.
“Who are you?!”
The pony grits their teeth angrily. “I’ll never talk!”
Auriel gasps. “What are you doing here?!”
“What part of me not talking did you not understand?!”
Arc shakes his head. “I’ll let you up now. But if you try to get away, you’re going right back down on the ground.”
Growling, the pony rolls over and looks up at them as Arc releases her. Auriel casts a weak Light Spell to illuminate the room. The pony looks around at their captors before their eyes rest on Arc’s armor and his Crest of Light. Gasping, their eyes grow wide.
“YOU!”
“What about me?”
“Hero of Light Arc?!”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“What are you doing with these monsters?!”
Malevolence seethes. “Monsters?!”
The king steps forward angrily, but Arc puts up a hand motioning for him to stop.
“Wait. I want to hear her out.”
Turning back to the pony, he frowns.
“We’re here on a bit of an archeological expedition. But first I want to know who you are.”
The pony sighs and nods before speaking.
“The name’s Daring Do. You’ve probably heard of me.”
King Malevolence and Auriel look to one another and shrug. Daring Do rolls her eyes.
“What?! Have you two been living under a rock, or something?!”
Arc chuckles. “They kinda have. But I’ve been all over the world and never heard of you. Now then, what are you doing here?”
Daring Do sighs. “I don’t normally explain myself to others. But… my current employer left standing orders that we’re supposed to help you if asked.”
“Employer?”
“Princess Luna.”
Auriel gasps. “The princess sent you here?!”
“Yeah.”
Malevolence narrows his eyes. “For what purpose?!”
She turns to Arc and sighs.
“I’m here to collect a very dangerous artifact.”
Arc looks around. “Well, if the state of this place is any indication that relic is long gone.”
Malevolence glares at her. “Which one, thief?!”
“I… shouldn’t say.”
Arc points a thumb behind him. “You can trust them. They’re with me.”
Daring Do looks over to the pair. Auriel smiles and waves nervously as her father crosses his arms over his sizable chest and glares at her. Turning her attention back to Arc, Daring Do raises an eyebrow.
“You can’t be serious, sir.”
“I am. Tell me, what did Princess Luna say?”
“That we should help you in any way we can.”
“And why is that?”
“Because she trusts you I would imagine.”
Arc nods. “Right. Now answer my earlier question about the artifact.”
Daring Do groans. “Fine. I was sent here to retrieve something called the ‘Telepathy Ball’.”
Malevolence appears ready to explode. “WHAT?!”
“Father?”
“This little harpy CANNOT have our nation’s greatest treasure!”
Arc eyes the Pegasi. “What is it? Some kind of secret weapon?”
Daring Do shrugs. “No idea. Princess Luna didn’t exactly say what it did. Just that I shouldn’t touch it with my bare hooves.”
Malevolence scoffs. “She was right about that! Outsiders cannot handle its power!”
Arc frowns. “Again… what is it?”
“Something she should not have!”
Arc rolls his eyes. “That… didn’t really clear it up.”
“It is a sacred object that has been passed down through the generations from king to king!”
Auriel gasps. “So it’s of great historical significance?!”
“Very!”
Arc frowns. “Why can’t non-demons touch it though?”
“Because of its dark power! Anypony other than a demon would be instantly corrupted by it!”
Daring Do nods soberly as she speaks to Arc. “That might be why Princess Luna wanted it, sir.”
“To keep it out of demon hands?”
“Exactly. She told me that it had to be recovered at all costs.”