The Equestrian Odyssey - A Tale of Two Worlds

by Kamahido

Preface - Volume 19 - Media Misadventures

In our previous volume Arc, Ember and Sereb rush an unconscious Frank Fontaine to the hospital. After dropping leaving him with the hospital staff, Sereb and Ember returned home to shower and rest as Arc left for Shelly’s Kitchen. Waking up his friends Shelly and Lily he informs them of Frank’s poor health as he drives them to the hospital. A nurse escorts them to Frank’s room where Doctor Rieper informs them of the severity of Frank’s health.

Returning to Canterlot Castle, Arc, Ember, and Sereb meet with Sunburst about the strange substances they had recovered from the gas station and safety deposit box. Sunburst announced that the substance from the gas station was a potent nutrition drink. And that the chemicals from the safety deposit box, once properly mixed as per the accompanying instructions, become a dangerously powerful ability enhancer. The knife from Lord Gestal was revealed to be capable of channeling magic to increase its power. Lastly, the sample of rock from the southern temple was discovered to have been treated with anti-magic properties. Surmising another hidden structure lay in or near Stableton, Arc decided to return to Tempest’s hometown. Rose and Spike volunteered to accompany him.

Ember, angered that Arc intends to leave her out of the expedition, leaves in a huff. Spike chases after her and, after calming her down, returns to Sunburst’s office with her. Ember announces her idea to have Spike accompany Arc in her place. He begrudgingly agrees. Returning to Ponyville, they head for the Golden Oaks Library to inform Twilight of their idea. She is frightened at the thought of Spike being in danger, but agrees not to try and stop him either.

Arc, Spike, and Rose travel to Stableton. However upon approaching Tempest’s house Arc is attacked and knocked through a building. Rose jumped forward to engage Tempest as Spike went after Arc. Returning to the pair duking it out, he forced them to stop. After explaining their reason for coming the group was invited into Tempest’s house. Finding the she had been hunting an errant squirrel that had found its way inside, Spike was able to speak to the creature and lead it out the front door. Arc and company spent the rest of the day searching the town for clues. Finding nothing they decided to return to Tempest’s house.

Insisting they stay for supper, they enjoy a meal together. Spike and Rose retire for the evening as Tempest speaks privately with Arc. She inquires as to whom knows about her lustful behavior on her previous visit. Arc was able to assure her of his intentions before heading to bed. However, he awoke later that night to a strange sound outside that only he and Spike could hear. Waking Tempest, they headed outside to search for the source of the disturbance.

The trio walk along for some time before coming to a cave. Entering they find a large steel door that opens to allow them access. Exploring the facility inside, they find the remains of what appears to be a fallback shelter. Delving deeper, they come to another large steel door. Tempest and Rose’s combined might being unable to budge the door, Arc steps forward. However, before he can even attempt to force entrance the door opens to a black maw.

Entering, the group finds themselves surrounded by numerous inactive machines. Arc and Spike are drawn toward a pad some distance away. As they walk toward it Tempest and Rose are attacked by numerous drones. As they engage their mechanical opponents Arc and Spike reach the pad. A crystal emerges from the floor, causing them to fall asleep. The drones deactivate and retreat from whence they came as the barrier drops. Tempest helps Rose over to the unconscious pair. She scans them to find they are merely asleep. A strange looking mechanical stallion approaches them. RD-001 recharges Rose and helps them revive Arc and Spike. He then takes them on a tour of the facility. Teleporting to another area, they are greeted by a truly remarkable sight.

Before them stand numerous glass tubes that at one time held living dragon specimens. Confessing, RD-001 tells the others about the experiments of the past and how he had mesmerized Arc and Spike. Without further orders, the metallic stallion decided to try and make right what they had done. Rehoming many of the specimens in what is now the Everfree Forest, save for two. Upon meeting the facility’s last two temporary residents they discover them to be none other than the Ursa Major and her Ursa Minor cub. Spike is able to translate for them and extends an offer from Arc to the Ursa Major to come to Ponyville. Offering her cub medical treatment, they part on somewhat friendly terms. RD-001 gives Tempest the data he’s collected regarding the disappearances from Stableton. As they leave the facility he quietly presents Rose with a parting gift. The tip of a purple unicorn’s horn. Arc and company return to Tempest’s house for what remains of the night.

Arc and Rose return to Earth together. Max relays a message from Shelly asking if Arc is coming by later for their traditional outing. Calling the restaurant he finds that Shelly is not well. Heading over to care for his friend, Arc calls his squad to help Lily in the diner. Deciding that Arc and Lily will go out together, they head home so Arc can properly dress for the evening.

Returning to the now closed restaurant, Arc, Ember, and Max head upstairs. They greet Shelly as Arc gives her a traditional bouquet of flowers. He heads to Lily’s room to do the same. After saying goodbye to Shelly and the others, Arc and Lily drive out of town to their normal diner destination, Roberto’s Pizza. Arriving, they find the restaurant completely devoid of customers. Showing them to the private dining room he explains that a group of bikers has been frequenting his business, not paying, and chasing away the customers. The bikers arrive and Roberto hurries out to serve them. Arc tells Lily to hide in the bathroom while he calls the Hero. Putting on his armor, Arc Blinks outside and walks in the front door. After politely asking the bikers to stop terrorizing the pizzeria, they refuse as things escalate. Blinking outside, the thugs follow and prepare to fight.

Arc and the bikers tangle, but the odds are not in their favor. As they fight a news van drives into the parking lot. Minerva Moore gets out with a cameraman and begins a live broadcast of the fight. As an out of control bike flies at the reporters Arc Blinks over and saves Minerva and her cameraman from certain death. Minerva approaches the gang’s leader to see if he’s okay. Standing, he grabs her and puts a knife to her throat. Arc uses a Telekinesis Spell to pull the knife from the leader’s hand. He then Blinks to Minerva, grabs her, and Blinks her to safety. The bikers ride off as Arc leads Minerva, and the local onlookers, into the pizzeria. Roberto sells the gang’s order by the slice as Arc Blinks back into the Dining Room to get Lily. The pair leave together as Minerva muses to herself.

The pair return to Shelly’s Kitchen later that night to drop Lily off and pick up Ember, Max, and Sereb. Returning home, Arc’s squad reports their findings in regards to the biker gang he tangled with earlier that evening. While there are similarities to The Riders and the Shard’s antics, there does not appear to be any further correlation. Heading to bed Arc is awakened a few hours later by a visually upset Ember. Inviting her into his bed, Arc, Ember, and Cherry meet in the Sanctuary to talk. Ember confesses to feigning illness to get away from Shelly and Max. She tells Arc how the pair had been flirting that evening. Fearing Arc would be angry at Max, she had originally intended to keep the matter quiet. Arc assures her that he is not upset, and the trio heads into the farmhouse to do some baking. Waking up the next morning Max bursts into to bedroom to find Arc and Ember in a very provocative position. Stammering, he is barely able to tell them that there was a call from the hospital in regards to Frank.

Heading to Shelly’s Kitchen, Arc and Ember pick the pair up and rush to the hospital. Finding Snake, Jackal, and Wolf in the Waiting Room they head to see Frank together. In his waking moments Frank speaks gibberish. The Shard trio ask Arc to set up a meeting with the Hero. Shelly and Lily agree to allow them to use their restaurant’s back room for some privacy. The three report that Stingray, Hammer, and Mio have taken over the Shards and are forcing the members to do rather strange errands such as driving loaded trucks to obscure locations before returning to the base, empty. They also report that Stingray has been seeing a number of bikers at the Shard Base lately.

Not knowing where to turn next, Arc and Ember, in their armor, pay a visit to Channel 7 News. Speaking to one of their reporters, Minerva Moore, they make a deal to trade an exclusive interview with her for a copy of all the data she has on them. The pair head to Roberto’s Pizzeria to wait for her in the reserved private dining room.

Minerva arrives with her cameraman and the interview begins. After answering all of her questions, Arc and Ember are presented with a flash drive containing all of Minerva’s research. She also gives them the address of The Rider’s base. Arc and Ember return home to inform the squad that they will be moving against the base that very evening.

Arriving at The Rider’s base, an abandoned hospital outside of Farburg, Arc, Ember, and Sereb waste no time gathering up the motorcycles out front and setting them ablaze in the back of the building. Minerva and her cameraman watch from the relative safety of the nearby foliage as they provide live coverage and commentary for the ensuing battle. Hammer arrives to aid The Riders and their leader, Bloodletter. After making short work of the gang, Hammer is radioed by someone to take more drastic action. Throwing a strange looking grenade, the grounds are bathed in a strange gas the revives the gang whom attack. Appearing to feel no pain, Arc and his friends find themselves on the defensive. Ember, using the latent power within her spear, dives at them and causes a massive magical explosion. Arc puts the now unconscious Ember on Sereb’s back and opens a portal to his home. As he does so, Hammer wakes up and injects Bloodletter with a syringe from his leather jacket. He wakes up screaming as Hammer drops the empty syringe and flees. They watch helplessly as Bloodletter turns into a monster similar to a werewolf.

During the battle, the beast is able to remove Arc’s helmet and throw it aside. Minerva finds it and displays it during the broadcast. Putting it on she spots a mysterious blue robed figure standing on top of the hospital apparently watching the battle unfold below. Unable to find any weaknesses other than the monster’s energy, Arc opens a portal to allow Rose along with his squad to join the battle. They use strike and retreat tactics to tire out the monster before Arc is able to deliver the final blow. Minerva and her cameraman end their broadcast and return to their news van with the helmet. Putting it on, Minerva glimpses a visage of a very angry Cherry. Meanwhile, Arc uses the last of his energy to open a portal to the hospital to drop off the now human Bloodletter before opening a final portal to take them home. His squad carries him to bed before taking the Jeep back to the hospital to search for Arc’s helmet.

Arc’s squad return empty handed. Upon learning this Arc, weak but determined, tries to stand but is unable to. Ember returns to her dragon form to quickly recover from her illness. Together, she and Sereb return to the abandoned hospital. Sereb leads her to the last known locations of Arc’s helmet. Following tracks, they find the trail leads toward Angel Grove. Wiseman appears and assured the pair that Arc and Cherry will be reunited and not to worry.

Ember and Sereb return to Arc. They report their failure to find Cherry at the site of the battle. Attempting to go himself, he is convinced by Ember and Sereb to rest. Helping Arc downstairs and over to the couch they catch the news. Minerva’s broadcast from the previous night plays out including the part when Arc’s helmet rolled over to her. Attempting again to go after Cherry, Arc is again convinced to allow Ember and Sereb to go in his place. Rose cares for Arc in their absence. She feeds him chicken noodle soup while they wait and warms him with her body heat. Minerva awakens to find the helmet across the room on its side. She stows it in her bedside drawer for safe keeping.

Ember and Sereb return and report no sign of Minerva at her office nor anywhere in the building. Sunburst notifies the group of his analysis of the grenade that was sent over earlier. It’s chemical properties appear to push the human body past normal limits. He sends over a blood drawing kit to retrieve samples. Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Minerva sits at her desk going over potential interview questions. Hearing a tapping sound coming from her bedroom she discovers the helmet attempting to move. Shoving a pillow in next to the helmet, she pins it against the side of the drawer and returns to work. A short time later she hears weeping coming from her room. Discovering the sound is coming from the helmet she attempts to make contact with it. Cherry returns her attempts at contact. Minerva convinces Cherry to help her with the mayoral interview in returns for telling the Hero where he can find his helmet. Rose returns from gathering blood samples from Bloodletter and his gang at the hospital and sends them to Sunburst back in Equestria.

Arc’s condition continues to deteriorate. Meanwhile, Cherry and Minerva work on the interview questions. Minerva reveals her admiration of an old news anchor, Walter Cronkite, and her desire to follow in his footsteps. As the sun sinks, Arc awakens next to Ember. Contacting Sunburst, he reports having no additional advice on how to treat Arc. Ember helps Arc up as he orders Sereb to carry out a risky plan in a last ditch effort to save him.

Much has happened in this volume. However numerous questions remain unanswered. What is wrong with Frank? What are the Shards truly making? What truly happened to the residents of Stableton? What other secrets does RD-001 contain? Will the Ursa Major take Arc up on his offer of aid to her cub? What of the Riders’ involvement along with their bedridden leader? Was Max truly flirting with Shelly? Are the Shards and The Riders truly in cohorts? And what was Hammer doing there? What will become of Cherry and Minerva? And will Arc and his squad recover from their illness?

Time will tell. Sooner or later… time will tell.

Comments

[Booster Spice]

Eventually there will be a collection of review chaters and a review chapter, making overall story notes? 8}

[Kamahido]

That's what the Preface chapters are for. A bit of a review before starting the next volume. Think of them as the previous volume's cliff notes.