//------------------------------// // Chapter 17 - Moving Forward // Story: The Equestrian Odyssey - A Tale of Two Worlds // by Kamahido //------------------------------// Waiting in the Jeep, Arc and Hammer sit there in silence for a long time. Eventually Hammer breaks it. “So... Max has a thing for your friend?” “Yeah.” “Um... she DOES know he’s a pony though, right?” Arc shakes his head. “Not a clue.” “Sounds like it could go badly for them.” “He tried to tell her the truth some time back, but...” Arc sighs before continuing. “...but she just thought he was making things up.” “Admittedly it is kinda far-fetched. When was that?” “The night we attacked Damocles Base.” “So quite some time back.” Arc groans. “Still feels so recent to me.” Sometime later Max returns to the Jeep. Sliding into the back seat he looks to Arc as he closes the door. “Sorry for taking so long, sir. I was doing a favor for Lily.” “It’s fine, Max. But what did Lily want?” “For someone to stay with Shelly while she went to get some supper.” Hammer looks at her watch. “At this time of night?!” Max nods. “She kinda lost track of time too.” “Something wrong?” “No idea, sir. She didn’t say.” Hammer facepalms. “Then why not just check her chart?!” “I did. But you have to understand that I don’t actually have any medical training. So it was all gibberish to me.” He points to his badge before continuing. “I made sure Viktor took some screenshots of every page though.” Arc smiles. “Good idea. We can have Doctor Knowles go over them for us.” Hammer looks to him. “Think she’ll do it.” “She’d better. After all, she’s staying in the castle rent-free.” “And we gave her amnesty.” “That too.” Starting the Jeep, Arc pulls out of the parking lot and makes the return trip home. Arriving, he heads for the basement with Hammer and Max. The others stand and hurry over to them. Hugh is the first to speak. “Perfect deception, sir!” Xenos grins. “Yeah! No one over there suspected anything!” Viktor holds out several printouts. “Here’s Shelly’s current readouts, sir.” Arc nods as he accepts them. “Very good. I’ll take it from here.” Putting them in his ring, Arc turns back to the group. “Nice job, all of you. Now then, get some rest and be ready for whatever comes next.” Hammer appears confused. “Like what?” Arc shrugs. “I dunno. But we should be ready energy-wise anyways.” Pulling the Rainbow of Light from his ring he opens a portal and steps through with Hammer. Looking around, he spots Ember sitting on his couch in front of the fireplace. Walking over to her, he chuckles. “You’re up late.” Hammer throws up a hand. “Hey, Ember.” “Evening. Um... I actually really need to talk to Arc right now.” “So what’s stopping you?” There is a deafening silence as Ember folds her arms over her chest and narrows her eyes. Hammer motions toward the door. “And that’s my cue to leave. I’ll head back to my quarters and relieve Auriel.” Arc nods. “Alright. And thanks again for helping with this.” Hammer smiles. “No, Arc. Thank YOU!” Ember raises an eyebrow. “Did I miss something here?” “Without Arc I never would have been able to help right the wrongs I did a while back. But I’ll let you have your conversation in peace.” Heading for the door, Hammer leaves as Arc turns to Ember. “Something wrong?” Ember looks away nervously. “Kinda. Can we talk?” “Um... I guess so.” Sitting down next to her, Arc waits for Ember to collect her thoughts. “It’s about... the herd.” “Oh?” “You were right. We all need to make sure everyone’s compatible.” Arc smiles. “It wouldn’t do to get married and then all be miserable with one another.” “Twilight’s been doing her best to keep the country going along with Luna. She doesn’t have much time to commit to relationships though.” “I suppose she wouldn’t. I sure didn’t as Lord Regent.” “She came up with an idea though.” “Twilight’s pretty good about solving problems. What did she come up with?” “Herd meals.” “Eating together?” Ember nods. “They don’t always last as long as we’d like and often get interrupted for things that come up. But we’ve really been bonding over them.” Arc raises an eyebrow. “So... what’s the problem?” “We’re missing one crucial component.” “Oh?” “You.” “Me?” Ember nods soberly. “We need to be whole at mealtimes for that to fully work.” “But I’m pretty busy right now.” “That was the topic of today’s supper. Your schedule.” “I can’t just let...!” Ember interrupts him. “We know. But the others wanted me to touch base with you about meals and let you know that they’d like you to attend as often as possible.” “That’s fair. As long as they understand that I’m still quite busy these days.” “They do. Heck, Twilight’s been learning how to use her new Alicorn Magic to do some pretty cool stuff lately to help out.” “Like what?” “Princess Luna showed her how to make portals like her and the other princesses do.” Arc grins. “Like my gauntlet?” “Right. But they don’t need a sigil to connect to.” “Portals 2.0, huh.” Ember raises an eyebrow. “Um... what?” “It’s a human reference. What is Twilight doing with this new magic though?” “Allowing Derpy, Dinky, or whomever herdmate is free in Ponyville at the time, to join us for later lunches or early suppers as they’re able.” “That was a good idea. She’s probably more busy than I am.” “A few times we’ve even had meals in Coco Pommel’s office together. Twilight calls it a ‘business meeting’ so Kibitz doesn’t throw a fit.” “Perfect.” “So just kinda stop by if you’re around, okay?” “I’ll do that. Um... but what about Luna and Celestia?” “What about them?” “Don’t they eat in the Dining Room too?” “Yup. We’re including them too though.” Arc grimaces. “I’m... not sure that’s the best idea.” “I thought so as well. But Twilight wanted her mentor there so she can hear what’s going on. It was recommended by Emerald Dream to help her come to terms with the herd idea.” “Everyone’s keeping a lid on the whole sex idea in front of her though, right?” “We’re not bringing that up per se. But sometimes Celestia does chime in about that.” Arc groans. “Great...” “That’s why Luna is there.” “Oh?” “To tell Celestia to button her lip if she goes too far.” “And how often does that happen?” “Just a couple times. Once Celestia started lecturing the others on the fact that intercourse is for foal-making.” “So she’s against us having sex?” Ember shrugs. “More or less. But Luna reminded her of what they were taught themselves as fillies. That sex is also for pleasure and to show your mate how much you want them to feel good. Something like that anyways.” “Other than that, how’s her behavior been?” “Both Doctor Whooves and Emerald Dream say that she has a long road ahead of her. However she appears to be taking their advice and trying to make an effort to move on with her life.” “Good. While what happened to her was certainly terrible, she also can’t let it hold her back forever.” “That’s about what she was told. However I honestly believe that Celestia’s now trying to help Twilight’s idea of a herd work.” “That’s a relief. Any idea what caused this change?” “I’m guessing it’s what she saw of you and Applejack in the Celestial Realm. While I wasn’t there, I can just imagine how you treated your date.” Arc smiles. “I just did my best to act natural. We both had a blast too.” “It’s been talked about at length. And everyone now wants to do the same.” “Go into the Celestial Realm?” “Not quite. The idea of extended alone time is really quite...” Ember appears to be looking for the right word for a time. Eventually Arc fills it in for her. “Romantic?” “Something like that. Judging how things went for you two though, cohabitation for one-on-one seems like the way to go.” “Yes. I need to step back from my duties to be able to do that though.” “Um... they did have another idea in that regard.” “Oh?” “Actually going into the Celestial Realm again.” Arc narrows his eyes. “What?!” “It’s to help save time. You could fit a week into around six hours then.” “And let Celestia see everything?!” Ember shrugs. “I admit, it’s not a perfect plan. But it is an option.” “Fine, I’ll talk to the others about it over a meal one of these days.” “With an open mind?” Arc sighs. “Yes.” “Good. Don’t want you going down the same path as Celestia did.” “If that’s what they all really want, we can try to see what can be done there.” Ember grins. “I’d be satisfied with just having you throw me on the bed, lift my tail, and...” Arc interrupts. “Really, Ember?” “You know I want to get to know you better, Arc. But at the same time I also want you inside of me.” “Try to control yourself.” Ember groans. “What do you think I’ve been doing?! It ain’t easy keeping my hormones in check without release!” “I... don’t know how to respond to that.” “Normally I go spar with Sereb when the need strikes me. It helps me burn through my... desires.” “Maybe you need to talk to Emerald Dream yourself.” Ember scoffs. “Trust me. This is a normal female dragon thing. My body may not be ready to make eggs, but we go through this for practice.” “Practice?” “Think of it kinda like a warm up before the real thing. Gets our bodies used to being filled up with hot, sticky, steaming, oozing...” She stops talking and quickly stands up before continuing. “I need to go spar now!” Arc sighs. “Please do.” Ember hurries toward the door but turns back as she puts her claw on the handle. “That is... unless you’d like to do the deed now.” Arc rolls his eyes. “Have a nice spar.” Ember smirks. “Can’t blame a dragon for trying.” Opening the door, she runs through. Arc stands and walks over to it as well. Heading down the corridor toward Auriel’s room he spots light coming from under the door. Knocking lightly, he waits patiently. A full minute later Maria herself opens the door. “Good evening, Arc.” Arc raises an eyebrow. “Um... hi. Dare I ask why you’re still up?” “There’s much work to be done.” “I suppose there is. But might I come in?” “Please do.” Stepping aside, she lets him pass before closing the door behind him. Arc spies Auriel lying on the floor surrounded by papers. A blanket covers her sleeping form. Maria smiles as she gestures to the sleeping woman. “My daughter is very dedicated to this project. Even though it was so late when Auriel returned, she still wanted to keep working.” “Guess Mio tired her out. After all, it isn’t actually THAT late.” “While the spirit is indeed willing, her flesh is weak.” “And you?” Maria smirks. “Let’s just say that I’ve had more all-nighters than you can imagine.” “Don’t burn yourself out. Remember, you’re the only one whom can fix this mess.” “Potentially, yes. However I doubt you came all the way over here just to make sure I was resting properly.” “True. I actually came to show you this.” Reaching into his ring, Arc pulls out the screenshots. Handing them to Maria he frowns. “These are some more recent readings on Shelly.” Maria accepts them. “Thank you. But I don’t recall asking for these.” “Think of it like extra credit.” “Very well. I’ll...” She stops talking as her eyes scan the top document. “When were these taken?” “An hour or so ago. Why?” Maria frowns. “This is not good.” “Talk to me! What’s...!” Maria sits down at the table and points to the nightstand. “Bring me the readings from your first visit.” Arc Blinks over to the nightstand, grabs the papers, and Blinks back next to Maria. Setting the papers on the table in front of her she lays them out along with the new records. Looking them over for a long moment she turns to Arc. “I have some bad news.” Arc groans. “Just say it.” “It would appear that my earlier theories might not be holding up.” “Meaning...?” “Some outside force is at work here.” “Outside force?” “Something not on the records.” “What makes you say that?” “Her condition is not deteriorating like it should be.” Arc rolls his eyes. “Isn’t that a good thing though?” “Not necessarily. According to the data you brought me previously, her organs as a whole were severely in decline.” She picks up one of the papers Arc brought before continuing. “However this shows her heart strengthening.” “Again, isn’t that good?!” “Normally I would say it would be. However there’s a tradeoff for this.” “Elaborate.” Maria points to another paper. “Her lungs and digestive tract are weakening faster than projected.” “One problem fixed and two more left to go.” “There’s more though. These readings show that her endocrine system is at the center of this new development.” “Endocrine?” “It regulates the hormonal levels in the body.” “So she’s... what?” Maria frowns. “You don’t know what I’m talking about, do you?” “Admittedly, biology wasn’t my best subject.” “Hormones are the means by which the body regulates itself.” “Like production of estrogen?” Maria sighs. “That is but one type of hormone, but yes. Now then, hormones are used to help maintain balance in the body and to keep everything running smoothly. Too much of a hormone will cause an imbalance which can adversely affect the body. Conversely, a deficiency can be just as destructive if left untreated.” “But if it’s just hormonal couldn’t the doctors just give her supplements of some kind?” “According to what I’ve read from her files they have indeed tried such methods, yes. However supplements can only do so much.” “Like a bandage on a broken knee.” “Precisely. Now then, the reason she’s been slowly getting worse is due to the fact that such imbalances are very hard on the body as a whole. The very methods being used to try and help her are also causing their own problems.” “So what should be done?” “To help Shelly would require her body to be able to, ultimately, right its systems via the proper hormone levels. There are more underlying problems, naturally. But this is at the heart of the matter. Both figuratively and literally.” “How can I help?” “I need to know more about her physical characteristics currently.” “Want me to head back to the hospital?” Maria shakes her head. “Just tell me how she looked when you saw her.” “I didn’t.” “Oh?” “This information was gathered by one of my soldiers whom is very... intimate with Shelly’s plight.” “Very well. Call for him then.” “He’s back on Earth.” “And?” Arc sighs. “Point taken.” Touching his earring, Arc calls his squad. A few moments later Viktor answers groggily. “Yes sir?” “Sorry to wake you up, Viktor. But I need some help with something.” “What can we do for you, sir?” “I need Max to report to me immediately. Wake him up and I’ll open a portal to bring him to me.” “Yes sir. Standby.” The line goes dead for a time. A few minutes later Viktor returns. “He’s up and ready to move, sir.” “Very good. I’ll open the portal now.” Pulling the Rainbow of Light from his ring, Arc channels his magic into it. A portal opens and Max steps though. Arc closes it and turns to the young man. “Reporting for duty, sir.” “Very good. Now then, this is Doctor Knowles. She’s the one who’s helping us figure out what’s going on with Shelly.” Max nods respectfully. “Ma’am.” “We need some information on Shelly’s physical condition.” “What do you want to know, sir?” Maria speaks up. “For starters, did she physically appear any different when you last saw her?” “A bit... gaunt, yes.” “Did you by any chance touch her?” Max looks at the floor. “I... did hold her hand momentarily, yes.” “How did it feel?” “Normal skin contact, ma’am. But there was one thing that surprised me.” “What was that?” “When I took her hand she closed her fingers around it.” Arc raises an eyebrow. “Meaning she sensed your presence and held you back?” “Yes sir. However the force by which she did so was very... intense. It wasn’t painful, but at the same time I wasn’t aware that she could muster that much energy in her current state.” Maria puts a finger to her chin thoughtfully as she looks over the papers again. “Interesting. This coincides with a spike in progesterone and estrogen levels. However it still shouldn’t have allowed her to do such a thing.” She looks at Max before continuing. “Tell me, how well do you know Shelly?” “We were kinda dating a while back.” “Now then, this is VERY important. I need you to tell me about her breasts.” Arc raises an eyebrow. “Um... what?” “Were they larger, smaller, or about the same as before?” Max blushes. “I... um...” Maria continues. “If you don’t recall that is also a viable answer.” “...it’s just...” Arc puts a hand on Max’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Max. Just answer honestly.” Max nods and takes a deep breath before speaking. “They were... um... let’s just say... noticeably larger than I remember them.” Maria frowns. “Are you certain?” “Yes, ma’am.” Arc grits his teeth. “What does that mean though? Breast cancer?” Maria shakes her head. “According to the notes here, no. While there are certain drugs that would do that as a side effect, she doesn’t appear to be on any of them.” “Then explain why...!” “There could still be a reasonable explanation for this, Arc. No need to panic just yet.” “What other information would you need to make an educated guess?” “A more detailed physical examination of the patient.” Max turns to Arc. “We could drive her over there, sir.” Maria nods. “Yes, I’d be willing to...” Arc shakes his head. “Doctor Whooves said that you shouldn’t be exposed to extreme changes in temperature.” “Well, I need to be able to see the patient to gain that information.” “Did you say ‘see’?” Maria nods. “I did, yes.” “Tell me, are you strong enough to take a short walk?” Maria nods. “I am, yes. However the corridors are quite cold these days. And like you said...” “Trust me. I’ll keep you from catching a chill.” “Very well. Lead on.” Arc pulls the Rainbow of Light from his ring again and channels his magic into it. A portal forms as he turns to Maria. “Shall we be off?” “I suppose. But where are we going?” Arc grins as he motions for Max to go ahead of them. “Back to my place.”