//------------------------------// // Chapter 10 - Therapy // Story: The Equestrian Odyssey - A Tale of Two Worlds // by Kamahido //------------------------------// Arc reappears in the basement along with the others. Ember grins. “Something smells good.” Brightwing licks her lips. “Tasty!” Scootaloo smiles and looks toward the stairs. “Must be suppertime.” Ember turns to Brightwing. “Guess so. Um… we should probably be getting back to Equestria though.” “But why, Dragon Lord?!” “Because Arc needs to get back to his date.” “You really do need to spend more time with the family, Big Brother.” Arc nods soberly. “Yes, you’re right.” He looks to Ember and Auriel before continuing. “Ready to go back?” “Yeah. But do me a favor.” “What is it, Ember?” “Don’t trust Mio any further than you can throw her. And get with Hammer on this as soon as you can.” Auriel nods. “Right. She deserves to know.” “I’ll head back to Equestria later tonight when everyone’s in bed and speak with her.” Scootaloo chuckles. “Good idea.” “Just one thing, you two. Don’t tell Hammer about this yet.” Ember raises an eyebrow. “Um… you know she’s going to ask just as soon as I get back, right?” Arc sighs. “Just tell her that I’ll explain everything when we talk tonight.” “Fine. But don’t be surprised if she calls you first.” Scootaloo raises an eyebrow. “Is she really THAT impatient?!” Arc shrugs. “Sometimes, yes. But we should hurry upstairs to join the others.” Reaching into his ring Arc pulls out the Rainbow of Light. Channeling his magic into it a portal forms. Ember grins as it does. “That’s sexy.” Auriel licks her lips. “I agree.” Arc sighs. “Don’t see how.” “Brightwing stay here, Dragon Lord?!” “I don’t really see why you’d need to…” “Brightwing can feel if lady trying something new with her metal box!” “She does have a point, Big Brother.” Auriel shrugs. “I guess. We only noticed something was off when Brightwing said something.” Arc puts a hand to his chin. “Well… I guess you can stick around then.” “Hooray!” Ember groans. “Fine. Be good.” “Yes, yes!” Ember and Auriel give Arc a quick kiss before hurrying through the portal. Arc closes it as Scootaloo heads for the stairs with Brightwing. Together they walk upstairs where Derpy and the other girls are waiting around the table patiently. “Sorry I took so long everyone. Mio wanted to talk something over.” Derpy smiles. “That’s okay.” “We just finished setting the food out a few minutes ago dad.” Sweetie Belle shrugs. “It needed to cool down anyways.” Apple Bloom pulls Arc’s chair out for him. “Have a seat!” “Thanks.” “Brightwing have some too?!” Derpy giggles as she pulls another plate from the cupboard. “We wouldn’t leave you out, little one.” “YAY!” They sit down together as Arc begins serving the food. He turns to Scootaloo. “Good job earlier.” “Huh?” “This afternoon, I mean.” “But I didn’t even do anything.” “You were there though.” Dinky giggles. “I’m guessing most of it was pretty boring though.” Apple Bloom raises an eyebrow. “How?!” Sweetie Belle grins. “I always thought most of Arc’s adventures were pretty exciting!” Derpy turns to him. “Is that true, Arc?” Arc shakes his head. “Not at all. In fact most of the time is just spent talking.” Brightwing gasp happily. “Like friends?” Scootaloo sighs. “I did notice that.” Arc looks to her. “Did you now?” “Yeah. You often times try to diffused the situation with words, Big Brother.” Derpy grimaces. “And when that doesn’t work?” Scootaloo makes a small fist. “Then we start cracking skulls!” Dinky frowns. “That’s one way to put it.” “Hey, sometimes they need to see a more forceful version of reason!” Apple Bloom sighs. “I guess that’s true.” Sweetie Belle groans. “But that just sounds so… mean.” Derpy looks to them. “Now girls, Arc does things for Equestria that no one else can. So it stands to reason that his methods may have to be that which you don’t really like.” Arc nods. “Right. However violence is typically a last resort for me.” “That’s good, dad. After all, those whom you fight might have families too.” “Usually not. But there’s not always time to figure that out before things get real.” They continue with their meal. Apple Bloom turns to Arc. “So what did this Mio human want?” “She’s Hammer’s sister. Ultimately she just wanted to make sure Hammer was doing okay.” Sweetie Belle’s eyes grow wide. “Did you tell her about Equestria?” Arc shakes his head. “Not by name, no. I just referred to it as another world.” “Why’s that, dad?” “I’m a bit nervous telling her any particulars about that place.” Derpy shudders. “Because she’s not a nice human?” “More along the lines of her affiliation with the group that held Princess Celestia for over a year.” Scootaloo grits her teeth. “We really should be taking them out, Big Brother!” “Kinda agree with you on that. However I can’t just waltz in there and start blowing things up.” “Why not?!” “Because we’d have the entire military after us.” Dinky nods soberly. “Again.” “Not a fun time. What I did last time was really pushing it in terms of diplomacy.” Apple Bloom appears confused. “Diplomacy, Arc?” Sweetie Belle gasps. “Are Earth and Equestria trying to have peace, or something?” “What I meant was any actions taken against the military here would be perceived as an attack by a foreign government. They might try to find a way to Equestria to prevent future attacks.” Derpy grimaces. “But they can’t get there, right?” “Probably not. After all, if they could I believe they’d be marching troops through by now.” Dinky looks to her mother. “But there has to be a way. After all Sunburst made that machine that can do it.” “And that item that you used to bring us here earlier as well.” “Brightwing do it too!” Sweetie Belle puts a hand to her chin thoughtfully. “And that mare Rarity saw at the peace summit. What was her name again?” Apple Bloom clenches a fist. “Sunset Shimmer.” “Right. She must know a way to travel back and forth between worlds.” Scootaloo sighs. “If there’s so many ways to travel, why haven’t they invaded yet?” “The only thing I can think of is that these methods only allow limited numbers of people, or ponies, to travel through a given point. Sunset Shimmer can probably only transport herself to Equestria and back to Earth.” “Or just one more like Brightwing did with the Dragon Lord earlier!” Derpy smiles. “So many methods, but each have their limits it seems.” Arc shrugs. “Other than my Rainbow of Light and Sunburst’s S.P.E.A.R., that is.” Dinky look to her father. “That second one was limited to the Elements of Harmony for a power source though.” Apple Bloom grins. “Right. So even if they did build one it wouldn’t matter since they couldn’t use it.” Sweetie Belle looks to his ring. “What about the… what was it called again, Arc?” “The Rainbow of Light.” “Is it something only you can use?” “I don’t think so. Not that I’ve asked anyone else to try it, but all one supposedly has to do is to power it up with their magic.” “So even I could do it?” Arc tousles her hair. “If your magic was powerful enough, probably.” Brightwing giggles. “Friend could try!” “Maybe another time.” Derpy appears hopeful. “So you believe Equestria is safe then?” “As safe as it can be, I suppose. As it stands no one is in any position to travel between the dimensions whom isn’t already doing so.” Scootaloo shudders. “Mio’s machine was putting off some really weird magical energy though, Big Brother.” “Yeah. It didn’t feel anything like the S.P.E.A.R or the Rainbow of Light to me either.” Apple Bloom grins. “But isn’t that a good thing, Arc?” Sweetie Belle nods. “Like she’s on the wrong track.” “Probably. After all, Mio doesn’t really have anything to work off of as a template.” “Maybe you should speak to Sunburst about this, dad.” “I was planning to call him after supper and have him scan that area around the pond.” Brightwing grins. “Why not now, friend?!” “Well… I suppose I could get him started on it.” Arc touches his earring and calls out. “Arc to Sunburst.” “Sunburst here, sir.” “I need you to scry a patch of ground here on Earth.” “Is it the same place Ember mentioned to me a little while ago?” “Probably. Did you find anything?” “Yes sir. The readings we took indicate that the machine in question is reacting to the transdimensional barrier.” Dinky gasps. “That’s why you could feel it there in Equestria and here on Earth!” “Exactly. However only those magic users attuned to that particular type of magic could feel it.” “So not every Unicorn in Equestria then?” “Just those whom have traveled between the worlds, sir.” Sweetie Belle giggles. “That’s why I could feel it!” Dinky nods. “It’s because we know what it is!” Apple Bloom points a finger. “But Scootaloo doesn’t have magic and could sense it!” “You forget that I have my Crimson Powers. They’re very similar to magic in their own regard.” Derpy looks to the creature anxiously lapping up her food. “What about Brightwing though?” Arc frowns. “Right. She hasn’t been to Earth before.” “Brightwing has too!” Dinky gasps. “You have?” “Right!” Derpy raises an eyebrow. “What for?” “Food here tasty! And found in large amounts in metal boxes that move very fast!” Scootaloo raises an eyebrow. “Large metal… boxes?” Derpy puts a hand to her cheek. “That move fast?” Dinky shrugs. “I don’t get it.” Arc sighs. “Brightwing means semi-trucks I would imagine.” Apple Bloom looks to Brightwing. “How do you get in those boxes?” “Brightwing Blinks inside, eats her fill, and Blinks out again!” Arc facepalms. “Please tell me no one saw you do that.” “Is that… bad?” “Kinda. If anyone caught a glimpse of you they’d probably call the military. Or at the very least animal control.” Scootaloo looks Brightwing over. “That and you’d be very valuable, being the only one of your kind here on Earth.” “Brightwing… valuable?” Arc nods. “Probably, yes. But so are you, Scootaloo.” “I am?” “Very. How many Pegasi do you think Earth has?” Scootaloo shrugs. “I dunno.” “Two.” “TWO?!” “Yup. You and Derpy.” Derpy giggles. “We’re mythical creatures here.” Arc nods. “Like humans in Equestria.” Brightwing rubs her claw together slyly. “Where can Brightwing go to sell self then?!” They all laugh together heartily. Finishing their meal Arc stands and begins to clear the table. Scootaloo looks to him. “Big Brother?” “Yes, Scootaloo?” “I know what you’re thinking.” Derpy looks over. “You do?” Scootaloo nods. “It’s part of the master/thrall relationship dynamic. I mean, he could always just cut me off. But generally speaking Big Brother doesn’t usually do that.” Arc smiles nervously as he turns away. “R-right. Just sometimes.” Apple Bloom tilts her head to one side, confused. “When do you cut her off, Arc?” Sweetie Belle giggles. “During top secret thoughts?” “Nothing quite that… um… important.” Dinky smiles nervously. “We should probably leave it at that then.” Derpy blushes slightly. “Right, sweetie. Now then, why don’t we start the dishes?” “Okay mom.” Apple Bloom steps forward. “I’ll help.” Sweetie Belle raises a hand. “Me too.” Arc looks out the window. “I, uh… think I’ll go call Shelly’s room then. See how she’s doing.” Scootaloo frowns. “Why not just go over there, Big Brother? After all, you DO have a sigil on the roof over there.” “Well… yes, but…!” Derpy calls out from the sink. “Go ahead, Arc. I’ll watch the girls for you.” “Are you sure?” Dinky nods. “Yeah dad. She really needs you right now.” “Alright then. I’ll be back in a bit.” “Can I come too, Big Brother?” “I… guess so.” Derpy waves. “Have a nice time you two.” Arc nods and calls forth his gauntlet. Opening a portal he and Scootaloo step through it. Reappearing on the hospital roof Arc Blinks them down to ground level before leading the young girl inside. He turns to her as they walk down a corridor together. “You doing okay?” Scootaloo nods, clearly confused. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?” “Everything that’s happened since we met.” “What about it?” “I’ve just been wondering if you’re okay with your life now.” Scootaloo grins. “Are you kidding?! You’re the best thing to ever happen to me, Big Brother!” Arc sighs. “I still have my doubts.” “What are you talking about?! My life back in Knothole Village was terrible!” “But at least you were safe there.” “And I’m safe here too.” “Are you?” “Yeah. Who’s gonna come after me?” “Well… I have involved you in more than a couple really dangerous escapades.” “But I like it!” “I’m just remembering a time when you hated going out foraging with your dad.” “That’s because I didn’t have the confidence to stand up to something bigger than I was.” “It still seems like Shadow could have taught you that better.” Scootaloo frowns. “He wasn’t the best teacher.” “And I am?” “The best, actually. You taught me so much just by being yourself.” “Guess I should be glad of that fact.” Scootaloo grins. “Trust me. When you came into my life things improved for me DRASTICALLY!” Arriving at Shelly’s room they find Lily sitting next to the bed as she and Shelly watch Jeopardy. Hearing them enter Lily stands and mutes the television. “Well this is a surprise!” Shelly smiles at them. “Hello again you two.” Arc chuckles as Lily walks over to him for a hug. “Nice to be back.” Lily takes his arm and leads him over to the bed. Shelly raises a hand as he nears. “So what brings you here tonight?” Arc smiles as he takes her hand. “Scarlet and I just wanted to come by and see how you were doing. How do you feel?” “Okay, I guess.” Lily points to an empty IV bag. “Shelly just finished her supper a little while ago.” Shelly giggles. “It doesn’t have the same taste as real food though.” She looks to Lily before continuing. “Which reminds me. You need to eat something too.” “I will later.” “Now, now. Don’t dawdle on my account.” “Why don’t you take her to the Cafeteria, Big Brother?” “I’m not sure if it’s still open.” Lily nods. “For a few more hours actually.” “Then I’ll pop over there with you and buy you something.” “That’s alright. I’ll get something later.” Shelly smiles. “Better take him up on his offer, Lily. You forgot your purse at home, remember?” “Oh! I completely forgot about that!” Arc chuckles. “Come on, Lily. My treat.” “Well… all right. But I don’t really want to leave Shelly alone.” Scootaloo raises a small hand. “I can stay with her.” Shelly nods. “Yes. We’ll have a nice chat while you two are gone.” Lily smiles. “Okay.” Arc takes Lily’s hand. “Be back soon.” The pair leave the room together. Shelly looks to Scootaloo and motions for her to approach the bed. “Why don’t you have a seat next to me, little one?” “Oh, um… okay.” Doing as she is told, Scootaloo takes Lily’s vacated seat. “So how are you enjoying your time here in Angel Grove?” “It’s okay.” “Miss your homeland?” Scootaloo shakes her head. “Nah. Not exactly the best memories over there.” “I heard a bit about your past from Arc some time ago.” “It’s not something I like to think about.” “That’s fine.” “Big Brother… told me that he and you grew up together in an orphanage.” Shelly nods. “We did, yes.” “What… was he like?” “As a kid?” “Yeah.” “Pretty much the same as he is now. Just a bit smaller.” “I don’t get it.” Shelly smiles. “What I mean is that Arc was always the one whom wanted to help others feel more at ease in their situation.” “That I’ve witnessed firsthand.” “Oh?” “My dad used to do really bad things to my mom. Big Brother always did his best to protect me from that though.” “How did he do that?” “By helping me get away from the house when things got bad.” “That does sound like something he’d do.” “My life’s been pretty hard as long as I can remember. But since meeting him, things have been bearable.” “Let me guess. He showed you that everything was going to be okay by looking at things from a different point of view.” Scootaloo raises an eyebrow. “Right. How did you know that?” “Because that’s what he did for anyone whom had problems when them came to the orphanage. Sat down and listened to their story before pointing out the good that came from it. You see most kids whom were taken from their parents were abused and scared when they arrived. He helped them understand that they were safe from their old life there with him and the others.” “So he was like the leader there?” “No, that was Frank. But mostly because he was the biggest and had more charisma.” “Well, he’s certainly been a focal point in my life since the day we met. I’m really grateful that he takes such good care of me. However I still feel like I should be doing something to repay him.” “Arc doesn’t really care much about getting something in return for his troubles. To him the reward is in seeing someone happy again.” “Happy…” “Scarlet?” “Oh, it’s nothing.” “Are you sure?” “Happiness is something he taught me how to feel.” “He did something similar for me too.” “Did he show you how to be happy?” “It was more along the lines of giving me hope.” “Hope?” Shelly sighs. “Unlike a lot of the other kids my age whom were orphaned, I actually remembered a few things about my parents. The sound of their voices and how they would always tell me just how special I was to them.” “Anything else?” “Not much. I mean, I overheard a lot of other things that they said. But I didn’t understand any of it. Lots of big words that I assume were part of their careers.” “And you were too young to be involved in that?” “Pretty much.” “My parents taught me about their jobs. My mom was an herbalist and my dad was a wildcrafter and scavenger.” “Sounds like they would have worked well together.” “It wasn’t like that though. My dad was an alcoholic and my mom just let him do whatever to her.” “I’m sorry you had to go through that, Scarlet.” “So am I. But Big Brother told me that he understood what I was going though. His mom was an alcoholic too.” “He told us the same. I never really understood his feelings for her though.” “What do you mean?” “Whether he liked or didn’t like her.” Scootaloo raises an eyebrow. “You don’t know?” “Sometimes he’d tell us of the good memories of him and his mother doing things together happily. Other times he’d talk about her being so drunk she’d forget to bathe for days at a time.” “I feel the same way about my mom too.” “Do you now?” Scootaloo nods. “Part of me liked how she did her best to care for me. While the other part hates her for not standing up to my dad when he did things to her.” “Life might not have been kind to either of you. But there was something Arc would always say when this scenario came up.” “Oh? What’s that?” “It’s in the past. You can either choose to hold onto the bad and let it eat you up inside or talk it out in an effort to start moving on.” “Did it work?” “Most of the time. But it wasn’t an overnight thing. We all had to heal at our own speed. But he was right there for us when we needed him. Sometimes it was to lend a word of encouragement while other times he just gave us a shoulder to cry on.” “Which did you need?” Shelly sighs. “Mostly the first thing. But everyone needs to cry sometimes. Just let it all out.” “The last time I did that was when my parents died.” “And you promised yourself you’d be strong.” “Something like that. But how did you know?” “A lot of kids had the same thing happen to them. They wanted to be strong and make their deceased parents proud. However Arc had to convince them not to try and bottle things up inside. That eventually the pressure would be too much and burst forth.” “So they had to do what exactly?” “Cry.” “I don’t understand why that’s so important.” “It’s a mental release of sorts. With all that emotional baggage weighing you down you can’t begin to move on. Ask Arc and he’ll tell you just that.” “I’ll do that.” “Good. After all, a sweet little girl like you needs to be able to live her life free of her past. And Arc can show you how to do that.” Meanwhile, Brightwing lifts a ceiling tile and looks at the pair below. Frowning, she lowers the tile back into place and continues on her way. Finding a pharmaceutical storage room she drops down into it and looks around. “Hooray! Brightwing find treasure room!” Taking flight, she looks all around the shelves. Grabbing a bottle, she grins. “This look important! Will help Brightwing finish potion!” Snatching up a couple more she grabs one final bottle in the cruck of her tail before concentrating and reappearing on the floor of her office in Canterlot Castle. Blinking up onto the desk she lines up the bottles in front of her other implements and grins slyly as she rubs her claws together and stares at her potion. “It won’t be long now! Soon Brightwing show EVERYONE just how smart she really be!”