Returning to his room, Arc pulls the Rainbow of Light from his ring as he calls forth his armor again. Powering it up, a portal forms. After putting away the pedant and walking through he finds himself back on the sigil he made in the grove of trees. Mio gasps as he emerges.
“What the…?!”
Arc holds up the paper. “Here you are. One letter from Hammer.”
“But I…! How did you DO that?!”
“Do what?”
“Your portal there was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before!”
Ember rolls her eyes. “Probably because he’s so powerful.”
Scootaloo nods soberly. “Right.”
Mio frowns. “I know there’s more to it than that.”
She looks at the paper in his gauntlet before continuing.
“But that will have to wait for now.”
Arc extends the paper to her as she cautiously takes it. Reading it over her hands begin to shake as a tear rolls down her face. Auriel appears suddenly concerned for her.
“Miss, are you alright?”
Mio stammers. “I don’t… this can’t be…!”
Ember groans. “You’re not making any sense!”
“Brightwing help?!”
Mio looks to Arc with a bewildered look on her face.
“Where… did you get this?”
“From Hammer a little while ago. I watched her tear it out of her diary.”
Mio nods skeptically. “I see. Or did you yourself do that deed?”
Scootaloo glares at her. “The Hero would never…!”
Arc holds up a hand. “Easy there.”
He turns to Mio before continuing.
“I know this does look bad for me. But I was told to give you this as well.”
Pulling out the second note from Hammer, Arc hands it to Mio. She grabs it and steps back to read it. There is a long silence as she presumably reads the paper over several times. Eventually Brightwing speaks up.
“You read REALLY slowly!”
Auriel gasps. “Brightwing! Hush!”
“I… I just… it can’t be…”
Ember frowns. “What’s it say?”
Mio snaps at her. “That’s none of your business!”
Scootaloo takes a step forward with a wicked grin on her face. “Maybe we’ll MAKE it our…!”
Arc cuts her off. “Stand down!”
“But…!”
“What’s on that paper is for Mio’s eyes only.”
He turns to her before continuing.
“Now than, I held up my end of the bargain. It’s time for you to do your part.”
Mio nods silently for a few moments as if thinking something over. Eventually she looks to Arc.
“Very well. However the others need to leave first.”
Ember’s eyes grow wide. “What?!”
Scootaloo shakes her head vehemently. “No way!”
“I can send them back to the main road. That far enough back for you?”
Mio nods. “Yes, that will do.”
Auriel puts her arms over her chest. “And if it’s a trap?”
Brightwing gasps. “Friend will have to face danger alone then!”
Arc chuckles. “I can hold my own against Mio.”
Mio looks away as she speaks. “Doubtful.”
Ember sighs. “So what are we going to do, Hero?”
“Like I said before, head back to the road. I’ll catch up with you later.”
Scootaloo shakes her head. “You still shouldn’t be alone with her.”
“Brightwing stay with friend!”
Arc looks to Mio. “How about it?”
Mio shrugs. “I don’t see them being too much of a threat. Very well, I accept.”
“Good.”
With a nod he motions for the others to head out. Ember reluctantly does so as Auriel takes her arm. Scootaloo scowls but follows the women back the way they came. Mio watches as they step out of sight before turning back to Arc.
“Thank you.”
“What for?”
“Trusting me.”
“Brightwing still not sure about magic lady!”
Mio raises an eyebrow. “What do you know about magic, imp?”
“Lots and lots! Brightwing study magic and other things at castle!”
“Castle?”
Arc clears his throat loudly. “Let’s stay on topic here, Mio.”
He gestures to the remote in her hand.
“For starters, what is that thing?”
“It’s a long range portal generator.”
“Define ‘long range’.”
Mio smiles smugly. “Up to twenty miles. Round trip, that is.”
“So that’s how you got all the way out here?”
“Precisely.”
“But that doesn’t explain the why though.”
Mio grimaces. “I’m… doing some field research if you must know.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Brightwing looks around before speaking. “Brightwing understand! You doing work… in a field!”
Arc nods soberly. “Conveniently the same area where my ship opened a wormhole I might add.”
“Such things are of great scientific interest to me.”
“We both know that’s only half of it, Mio.”
“Fine. Cards on the table?”
“Right.”
Mio frowns. “Several things from that night don’t make sense to me.”
“Even I’m a bit at a loss on how we survived that.”
“However the part that interested me the most was your final escape.”
“Final…?”
Mio interrupts. “How you did… whatever it was you did.”
Arc folds his arms over his chest and shakes his head. “Sorry. That wasn’t part of the deal.”
“Very well. I’ll figure it out.”
Arc raises an eyebrow. “So you’re looking to replicate what we did?”
“Exactly.”
“I believe I already know why.”
“Brightwing no get it!”
Mio smiles wickedly “Then I’ll confirm your suspicions. I’m looking to reopen that particular portal so that I can find where you hide.”
Arc holds out his hands challengingly. “No need for that. Here I am. But I’m not actually the one you’re looking for, am I?”
Mio nods angrily as she clenches a fist. “Arc.”
“Arc?”
“Yes. You and him are quite… close. Considering that you came to his rescue in the park I’m assuming he’s close at hand to you at all times.”
“Something like that.”
“I find him and I get what I’m after.”
“Hammer?”
“Yes.”
“She doesn’t want to come back though.”
“Only because Arc has twisted her mind!”
Arc sighs. “And you think you can convince her otherwise?”
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
“Then why…?”
Mio interrupts. “Because that’s what family does! My sisters and I look out for one another!”
Brightwing flutters backwards nervously. “Woah! Scary!”
“I can tell you really care about her.”
“That I do.”
“Then why are you telling me?”
Mio sighs as she looks down at her feet. “Because… I… I feel as though I can trust you.”
“Even though I’m connected to Arc?”
“Yes.”
“Might I ask why?”
“Because you’ve proven yourself to me.”
“How?”
“Well, first off what happened in the cave. You didn’t kill me or leave me to die in there. And then there was the attack on our base.”
“Damocles Base, huh?”
Mio nods. “Right. Again, you could have killed my sisters and I. But you chose not to.”
Arc shrugs. “You were beaten. End of story.”
“And when my sister and I lured Arc out to that roadside rest stop. Your beast went after Stingray and could have killed her. But you called him off.”
“The fight was over as far as I was concerned.”
“Yet it would have still been simpler to finish her off. After all, you could certainly have done so and called it self-defense.”
“I don’t think that would have benefitted anyone.”
Mio shakes her head and smiles before continuing. “That attitude is why I trust you with this information. Because I feel that you’ll do right by me and my sisters.”
“I’ll certainly try.”
“That I am certain of. Now then, please follow me.”
Brightwing gasps. “Where you leading us?!”
“You’ll see.”
Turning around, Mio motions for Arc and Brightwing to follow her. Leading them toward the pond at the center of the grove she stops at the bank and looks out at the cold murky water before her.
“This is where you escaped. Right above this pool.”
“So you saw that on the news, eh?”
Mio sighs. “Not much else to do in the hospital other than watch television.”
“Sorry about that.”
“We brought it upon ourselves. More or less, I suppose. That and your forces were badly injured from what I saw. In addition to you, that is.”
She gazes out over the still waters before continuing.
“I’ve been studying this place. Looking for the answer to what makes it so special.”
“Have you now?”
Mio nods. “Yes. And I think I’ve figured it out.”
Mio turns and looks to him, grinning.
“I watched your interviews with Channel 7 News. You told Minerva Moore that you had come from another world, or something like that.”
Arc nods. “Right. But I’m originally from Earth.”
“At the time I thought you were just lying for attention, or something. However the data I’ve gathered from this spot proves that you might be telling the truth about that.”
“You doubted it?”
“Not anymore, no. You somehow opened a wormhole from this spot to that other world. My readings show how.”
“Do tell.”
“There’s some kind of strange energy surrounding this place. It’s magical in nature, that much is clear. But there’s more to it than that.”
“Brightwing feels energy too! This place… is nice!”
Mio makes a sweeping motion with her hand over the pond. “The energy signatures have a similar magical structure of that of a Barrier Spell.”
Arc folds his arms over his chest. “You’ve discovered what the inhabitants of the other world call the ‘transdimensional barrier’.”
“But you know how to pierce it.”
“Not personally, no.”
“What?!”
“Trust me, I’m not that smart.”
“Then how…?”
“Everything I’ve done to get to this point has been a group effort.”
Mio gasps. “You have your own organization?!”
“Something like that.”
Mio puts a hand to her chin. “I see. It makes perfect sense now.”
Brightwing gasps. “Scary lady figure it out?!”
“All your vehicles, weapons, gear, manpower… it had to come from somewhere. A united force of some kind. Something similar to The Organization in numbers and resources. Nay, perhaps even greater.”
“What makes you think my side’s greater?”
“Because you turned down our attempts to recruit you. I didn’t understand it at the time, naturally. But it was because you were already part of another phantom organization. They provided everything you needed and more.”
“It’s a lot more complicated than that, of course. However believe me when I say that we are MUCH different than The Organization.”
“How so?”
“Our overall goal.”
“To make the world a better place?”
Arc chuckles as he shakes his head. “We aren’t trying to do that at all.”
Mio appears surprised. “You’re not?”
Arc shakes his head. “No. The land beyond is already nearly perfect by human standards.”
“Then what are you fighting to achieve?”
“Ultimately… to maintain that state of peace and prosperity.”
“By attacking Damocles Base?!”
“Like I said, it’s a lot more complicated than that.”
“I know! That’s why I’m studying this place! Watch!”
She presses a button on the device in her hand. A low hum rings out as something the shape of an egg emerges from the center of the pool. It rises to the surface before opening to reveal its inner workings. Brightwing gasps.
“Big metal toy!”
Mio glares at her. “It’s not a toy.”
Arc raises an eyebrow. “Then what…?”
Mio grins broadly. “A device that I hope to use to pass through this so-called transdimensional barrier eventually.”
“To invade?!”
Mio shakes her head. “Not at all. The Organization doesn’t have any idea what I’m doing out here. This is purely a personal project of mine to travel to that other world and find my sister.”
“You want Hammer back that bad?”
“Of course. She’s my sister.”
“That may be. But what about what she wants?”
Mio sighs. “You said before that she was happy with Arc, I know.”
“Then why try to take her away from him?”
“All I want is to hear her side of the story. That and make sure she’s really okay.”
“No other reason?”
“Well… I also want to be the first one to travel from Earth to there.”
Arc points to himself. “Uh…”
Mio groans. “Okay, okay. The first WOMAN to do so.”
“Still not the first.”
Mio gasps. “What?!”
Arc sighs. “It’s complicated. But believe me when I say that humans have been to the other world before.”
“That fact changes nothing! I’m still going to find my sister! Now are you going to help me or not?!”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?!”
“As I said before, I don’t actually know how the science behind traveling between dimensions works. It’s just beyond me. Which is why I have others doing what they’re good at… which is just that.”
Mio falls to her knees in front of the device. She looks down at the ground before speaking again.
“It’s… really complicated. Truth be told this could take years. Decades even.”
Arc puts a gauntlet on her shoulder. “I... could set up a meeting for you. Bring Hammer back to see you at that pizza place, or something.”
Mio shakes her head. “It wouldn’t work.”
“Why not?”
Mio holds up the papers from Hammer as she speaks.
“Because of what she said here.”
“Oh?”
“The diary page, it… well, I’m sure you already know.”
“Actually I don’t.”
“Huh?”
“I didn’t read it before giving it to you.”
Mio sighs. “Maybe you should.”
Taking the page, Arc reads it silently. Eventually he looks back to Mio.
“This… this is worded like a bad breakup note.”
Mio nods sadly. “That it is. Hammer doesn’t want anything to do with Stingray or myself. Says her therapist told her to write us a letter. Didn’t matter if she sent it or not as it was the act of putting it on paper that really mattered.”
She groans and grits her teeth before continuing.
“And I know I have Arc to thank for that.”
“I’m sure he didn’t intentionally…”
Mio cuts him off. “Stop please. Just… stop.”
They are silent for a time. Eventually Brightwing flutters toward Mio and lands in the dirt in front of her.
“You… you miss friend?”
Mio nods sadly. “Yes.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because my sister and I did certain… things behind her back.”
“Mean things?”
“Mean things, yes.”
“Why can’t you just say you sorry?”
“Because it’s not that simple. This is a relationship that’s been broken beyond repair.”
“Brightwing not understand.”
Frowning, Mio looks around. Spotting a stick nearby she grabs it and holds it up to the creature before her.
“See this?! This was our relationship before!”
Holding both ends in either hand Mio snaps the stick in half before dropping them in front of Brightwing.
“That’s how it is now! Broken and unfixable!”
Brightwing picks up the sticks and looks them over for a few moments. Trying to put them back together along the seam as Arc watches.
“Interesting.”
“Huh?”
“Look.”
He points to Brightwing’s attempts to put the two halves back together.
“Even though there’s no solution in sight, she’s still trying to fix the stick.”
“But it’s impossible.”
“Maybe, yes. However it’s not so much the result that’s impressive as the effort.”
Mio scoffs. “What are you talking about?! There’s no point in trying to complete a task that has no solution!”
“Tell me, how much do you love Hammer?”
“With all my heart!”
“But you don’t believe your relationship is worth saving?”
Mio sighs. “You read the note. She never wants to see Stingray or I again. What more is there to be done?”
“An attempt.”
“It would fail.”
“Maybe. But then you could say that you at least tried. No regrets that way.”
Mio smiles sadly as she holds up a piece of paper. “Then you must not have read the second note.”
“You’re right. I didn’t.”
Mio holds it out to him. “Care to now?”
Arc takes the note and reads it silently. Sighing, he looks down at Mio.
“A farewell note?”
Mio nods. “Yes. While the first note was full of anger and vitriol, this one is calmer. Hammer just wanted me to know that she was done with Stingray and I. And that… and that she was happy in the other world.”
“But that wasn’t everything.”
“Right. Hammer asked me to tell you everything I was doing here.”
“And you did.”
“Only as a final favor to her. I know it won’t make up for everything Stingray and I did to her, but…”
Arc interrupts her. “Look, I’ll talk to Hammer about this. See if I can get her to change her mind about this whole disowning idea she has.”
Mio sighs. “I can’t stop you. But we both know you won’t succeed.”
“Well, I have to try.”
“Only one person could convince her otherwise at this point.”
“Who?”
Mio grits her teeth. “Ironically… Arc.”
“Then I’ll have him talk to her.”
“Thank you.”
Brightwing turns to Mio and paws at her foot before speaking.
“Friend? Brightwing has something for you!”
“What is…?”
In her scaly palm Brightwing holds the two halves of the stick. A long stem is meticulously coiled around the pieces and tied together at the center.
“Brightwing fixed your relationship! Hooray!”
Mio takes the stick and pats Brightwing’s head.
“Thank you, little one. But it’s not quite that simple.”
“It’s not?!”
Arc shrugs. “Kinda is.”
“Huh?”
“Think about it. While bad things did indeed happen between the three of you in the past, there’s no reason they can’t be worked through. Given enough time and commitment you and Hammer may yet see eye to eye again.”
“Do you really think so?”
“It’s up to you if you’re willing to put in the work needed though.”
He points to the stick before continuing.
“Your relationship, like this stick, took a bit of work to make whole again.”
Mio appears hopeful “Would you do me a favor?”
“What is it?”
“I’d like to send a letter to Hammer. But I don’t think the mail carrier could deliver it.”
“And you’d like me to see to it that she gets it.”
“You’re probably the only one whom could do that right now.”
“Very well. Where and when should we meet?”
“How about right here tomorrow at midnight? That will give me time to figure out what to write.”
Arc nods. “Alright. I’ll come back and ferry your message to the other world.”
“Thank you very much.”
“But in any case I need to be going now.”
“I… I understand. After all, I need to figure out what to write anyways.”
Arc motions for Brightwing to follow him. Taking flight, she flutters over to his helmet and perches atop it as Arc makes his way through the foliage and back toward the road. Standing there for a few moments looking at the rustling shrubs, Mio eventually walks over to a day pack and pulls out a notepad. Sitting down under a tree she begins to write. A strange looking bird watches her from overhead. It blinks silently as its eyes focus on the young woman and her task. Raising its head it looks at the device in the middle of the pond for a few moments before looking down to Mio again. Meanwhile, General Mustang sits in his office watching the feed with great interest. Diva walks in slowly and moves to join him in watching the screen.
“More birdwatching, sir?”
Mustang chuckles. “In the most literal sense, yes.”
Diva gestures at Mio. “I still don’t understand why you don’t just let me go over there and drag her back!”
“Because she has a job to do.”
“Kinda hard to do with her A.W.O.L. at the moment though.”
“Hardly. Mio is quite efficient. Even when she doesn’t know it.”
Diva folds her arms over her chest. “I’d call her a liability.”
Mustang looks over to Diva with a smile. “And you’d like to deal with this supposed loose end?”
“Of course!”
“And how would you go about doing that?”
Diva grins menacingly. “By slitting that little weakling’s throat!”
“But what would that accomplish?”
“It would stop her from conspiring with Arc, for starters!”
Mustang shakes his head. “Quite the opposite really.”
“What are you…?”
Mustang taps the screen. “In reality, he’s helping her.”
Diva frowns. “But why? After all, they’re enemies!”
Mustang smiles at her. “It’s how he operates. A bit of aid here, a favor there… and she’ll be eating out of his hand in no time.”
“All the more reason to get rid of her! She’s no longer an asset to The Organization!”
“Then what is she?”
“A liability!”
“I suppose that is true, yes.”
“So does that mean I can kill her now?!”
Mustang shakes his head as he presses a few buttons on his keyboard to zoom in on her device.
“Not yet, Diva. At the moment Mio is exactly where I want her to be.”