The Equestrian Odyssey - A Tale of Two Worlds

by Kamahido

*Chapter 8 - Ho Hum Life

Arc and Ember arrive back at the small house. Derpy, hearing them enter, comes to greet them. Ember sets their things down just inside the door as Derpy steps into the entryway.

“Arc! Ember! Welcome back! How was...?!”

Derpy suddenly notices the mare in Arc’s arms. Arc quietly walks to his room and puts Ruby in his own bed. He then returns to the living room and closes the door behind him before turning to Derpy.

“There. We can talk normally now.”

Derpy looks at him, confused. “Arc, who was that mare? Is she okay?”

Arc gestures to the couch. “Why don't we sit down? It's a rather long story.”

“Okay!”

Ember yawns. “Arc, if it's all the same to you, I'm going to turn in for the night. It's been quite the interesting past few days.”

“Alright. Good night Ember.”

Derpy waves. “Pleasant dreams.”

Ember quietly enters Arc’s room and closes the door behind her. Arc removes his armor and sits down on the couch. Derpy jumps up and sits down next to him as he attempts to collect his thoughts.

“Where do I even begin?”

Derpy smiles. “How about at the beginning?”

Arc shrugs. “A good enough place as any, I suppose.”

Taking a deep breath, Arc recounts his and Ember's adventures in Dodge Junction. How they saved Cherry Jubilee from the forced marriage with the help of her sister Ruby. Their harrowing meeting with the Dragon Lord and how Arc acquiring the Spear of Righteousness afterwards. He goes on to explain their return to Dodge Junction and how they found Cherry in critical condition before getting to the part about Arc's great financial sacrifice to get the train to come and take Cherry to Ponyville for emergency treatment.

“...and after she heard that her sister would be all right, she passed out. Ruby was able to stay awake long enough to tell us she had been awake since the incident days ago. I carried her here and, well, you know the rest. Sorry for all the trouble though. I guess I could have taken her to Sweet Apple Acres, as they have a guest room. But at the same time I didn't want Ruby to have to wake up with strangers.”

Derpy nods as she looks up to him and smiles. “It's alright, Arc. After all, any friend of yours is welcome in my home anytime. Although...”

She suddenly appears more serious before continuing.

“...I do worry about you. Remember, your last journey was just supposed to be a short trek to the Dragon Lands to receive guidance from the Dragon Lord and then back home again.”

Arc shrugs. “It seems nothing is ever that cut and dry for me.”

Derpy groans. “Tell me about it. For all intents and purposes, you saved Dodge Junction. Not to mention rescued one of their most prominent citizens from a forced marriage. Then proceeded to save her life. And that was after you earned the respect of the king of all Dragons. How does one accomplish that in just one meeting?!”

Arc smiles nervously. “Yeah... about that. The Dragon Lord was so impressed by what I had done that he showed me has horde. I've never seen so much gold and priceless artifacts in one place before. That and he said that I could take three items for myself.”

Derpy clops her hooves together and smiles. “So, what did you take?”

“You might think this a bit weird, but... there was an ancient magic tome and a strange ring that just seemed to be calling to me.”

“At this point, nothing you tell me sounds too far-fetched. And the third item?”

Arc tells her about finding the spear inside the large crystal and how he had been able to remove it successfully. He stands and retrieves the spear from near the door where Ember had left it and walks back to the couch. He hands the spear to Derpy as he speaks.

“Derpy, meet the Spear of Righteousness.”

“Wow! I can feel the power in this! Have you discovered how to access the power within it?!”

Arc shakes his head as he looks at the Spear of Hope that has returned to its place over the mantle. “Not yet. I'm sure it will come to me when the time is right though. Like your own weapon I would assume.”

Derpy sticks her tongue out at Arc playfully. “Who knows! Maybe you’ll be a Templar like me!”

Arc smiles back. “Maybe.”

He looks us at the clock before continuing.

“But we should probably get some sleep soon. Tomorrow's another day, after all.”

Derpy hops off the couch and runs to the corner of the room to grab something as Arc lies down on the couch.

“Here! Take this.”

She gives Arc the blanket he covered her with on that cold night so long ago.

“I never returned it. But it looks like you’ll be needing this back.”

The young mare walks over to her mat in front of the fireplace and lies down. Arc calls out to her.

“Derpy”

She looks up at Arc as he motions for her to join him. With the largest grin possible, Derpy returns to Arc and wiggles under the blanket with him. She quickly makes herself comfortable on his chest and lets out a sigh of contentment as she closes her eyes.

“Now I see why Ember likes this so much.”

Before long the pair are asleep. The next morning, Derpy awakens to hear a familiar voice above her.

“My, my… don’t we look comfy!”

Derpy opens her eyes to see Ember standing over her. She is quite embarrassed to be caught in such a position and instinctively cries out

“Ah! Ember! Have… have you been standing there long?!”

“Long enough.”

Derpy gets up quickly. She looks up at Ember sheepishly.

“Are you… mad?”

Ember laughs “Not at all! My father sadly will not allow me to take Arc as my mate. Although even if he had, the Dragon Lord often has several... consorts. You're off the hook.”

Derpy looks down at her hooves. “It still makes me feel a bit… guilty though.”

Ember kneels down to look the young mare in the eye. “Look Derpy, I know how you feel about Arc. I'm sure we both feel the same way about him, and that's okay. He's done so much for us both. It would probably be impossible for us NOT to have developed... feelings... for him by this point. That and I don't think we are the first, nor will we be the last, whom will fall for Arc.”

A slow clap can be heard behind them. They both turn to see Arc sitting up.

“Rather touching you two.”

Ember blushes slightly. “Um… how much of that did you hear?”

“Oh, I heard it all.”

Ember turns away, clearly flustered. “Wow... this got awkward fast.”

Arc stands up. “In any case... please tell me Ruby is still asleep. I would hate for her to have to listen to this.”

Ember turns back around. “She was sleeping soundly when I got up.”

Arc looks outside to the early morning light. “Hospital visiting hours will be starting soon. She'll want to be there by Cherry 's side. And, I must confess that I too would like to make sure she is alright.”

He walks over to the door and quietly opens it. Peeking inside his room Arc sees that Ruby is indeed still sleeping peacefully. Walking over to her, Arc gently shakes her. Ruby’s eyes slowly open and she looks into Arc’s face groggily.

“Arc? What… is it…?”

He smiles at her. “It's almost time to visit Cherry. I knew you wouldn't want to sleep through that.”

“Yes! Thank you! Just give me a few minutes.”

Ruby jumps out of bed and runs to the bathroom to tidy herself up as Arc returns to the living room to wait. Turning his head, he looks to Ember.

“You coming with us?”

Ember shakes her head. “Not this time, I’m afraid. I think I’ll stay here with Derpy. After all, we have a conversation to finish.”

Arc smiles. “I understand. Girl talk, huh?”

Derpy looks away nervously. “Something like that.”

A few minutes later Ruby returns from the bathroom. Walking over to Arc, she smiles.

“Ready to go?”

Arc stands. “Yes. Looks like it's just the two of us today though, Ruby. Shall we be off?”

Ruby nods. Arc grabs his satchel and the pair leave the house to walk toward the hospital. However, in their haste they do not notice a pony hiding nearby whom jumps out of the bushes as they leave. Meanwhile, Ember turns to Derpy.

“Now... where were we?”

There is a knock at the door. Derpy moves to answer it.

“Now who could that be?”

She opens the door to see an excited green unicorn on her doorstep.

“Hi there! The name's Lyra Heartstrings!”

Derpy is a bit taken aback by the visitor’s demeanor. “Yes, Twilight has mentioned you before. You're the one who helped the doctors save Arc when he first arrived in Ponyville, right? What can I do for you?”

“Well, as Equestria's premier anthropologist, I was hoping you could help me with my research! There are still so many things about humans that even I don't know.”

“Well, Arc isn't here at the moment. He went to the hospital to check on a friend.”

Lyra looks down the path in the direction Arc and Ruby went. “Yes, I know! I saw him leave just a few moments ago! Truth be told, I wanted to talk to you about your opinions on humans! Arc would be a bit biased, you know, him being a human and all!”

“I will try. Won't you come in?”

Derpy backs aside to allow Lyra inside. She enters the small house quickly and walks over to the table. Pulling some papers and a pencil out of her saddlebags she lays them out as Derpy looks to her.

“Would you like some tea, Ms. Heartstrings?”

“Thank you, I would love some. And you can just call me Lyra.”

Derpy turns to walk toward the kitchen. “Okay. Why don't you ask Ember a few questions while I make the tea then? After all, she’s been around Arc longer than I have.”

“Alright.”

Ember sits down at the table across from the mare. “Not sure how much help I can be, but I'll give it a try.”

Lyra picks up a pencil as she begins. “Hopefully we can either confirm or dispel some of the larger myths surrounding humans. Okay... so is it true that humans don't have magic?”

Ember thinks for a moment. “Not that I’ve witnessed, however…”

“What is it?”

“I have seen him use some rather extreme attack artes. At the time I thought it was just the power in the Spear of Hope though.”

She points to the spear over the mantle before continuing.

“…but then again, maybe not. I can sense something within him. Power of some kind. It definitely doesn't feel like magic, of course. But at the same time I can't quite put my claw on it.”

Lyra quickly takes notes. “Fascinating! I'll have to study this further. Now, can humans fly? There are a lot of conflicting accounts on this.”

Ember shakes her head. “No. I have seen Arc in several situations in which he could have easily gotten though with the power of flight. He can jump quite high, but that’s just probably the power within his armor.”

She points to Eidolon’s Ward in the corner as Lyra finishes her note.

“Thank you! You have no idea the contention that one question has caused in the anthropology world! Next, about his diet! What do humans eat?!”

Derpy returns to the table and pours tea for three as Ember answers.

“Well, I’ve seen him eat most of the same things you ponies eat. Apples, cherries, fruits and vegetables of all kinds. They certainly don't eat gems like we dragons do though.”

Derpy sits down and chimes in. “Oh! But when I offered him some Hay Fries one day he declined, saying humans couldn't eat things like that.”

Lyra continues writing as she speaks. “Uh huh! What about animal flesh? Humans are supposed to go crazy over it!”

Ember frowns. “Well, now that you mention it... back in Tartarus, the first time we went out hunting for food was a beetle hunt. It was one of our main food supplies back then. Arc attacked the beetles with such a hungry look in his eyes. And I recall him eating more beetle meat that evening than anyone else had previously. Looking back, he did seem a bit healthier when his diet included meat too. Perhaps he’s like dragons in that regard. If we don't eat meat regularly it can cause certain health and developmental problems.”

Derpy looks down at her tea, sadly. “Arc... he... never said a word about it.”

Ember puts a claw on Derpy’s shoulder. “Don't worry, Derpy. Now that we know, we can think of a way to get some meat into Arc's diet.”

“Thank you very much for bringing this to our attention, Lyra!”

“Glad I could help! Now...let's see... hands?”

Derpy appears confused. “What about them?”

“Well, humans seem to have much more dexterous appendages than we do. Have you seen Arc do anything special with them? Something no pony could accomplish with hooves, that is”

Ember shrugs. “I never really thought about it... Derpy?”

“Yes, there was one thing! One time when I was sad, Arc held me in his arms and whispered words of encouragement to me. It did help, but it wasn't until he stroked my mane that I really started to feel better. His hands and fingers contoured to my back as he stroked me. After only about five minutes of this my body felt like... well... a puddle. It was quite relaxing!”

Lyra grins. “Wow, I had no idea! I must study these hands more closely!”

Ember stands and walks over to Eidolon’s Ward. Taking one of the gauntlets she brings it back to Lyra.

“Take a look at theses.”

Lyra carefully examines the finger joints. “These are absolutely incredible! And these all move independently?”

Derpy nods. “Yes! Although I never really thought about it, human hands truly are amazing!”

Lyra gives back the gauntlet. “Next time I see Arc I’ll have to further examine his body! Who knows what other amazing parts he has!”

Derpy blushes as Lyra continues.

“How about physical strength? How strong are humans compared to, say, an Earth Pony?”

Derpy shrugs. “I admit, when I first met him, he did not strike me as being very strong. Since returning from Tartarus though, he seems to have gotten significantly sturdier!”

Ember nods. “You can say that again! I’ve seen him go toe to toe with an entire gang of stallions, three of the strongest warriors in the Dragon Lands, several of Tartarus' most powerful demons, and the Demon King himself. Although I'm sure some of that comes from his armor, if you want to know how strong Arc really is, you're going to have to ask him directly.”

“I'll do that. Alright, now then I’ve saved the best for last. What can you tell me about human's mating rituals?”

Both Derpy and Ember immediately turn a deep shade of red. Lyra smiles at them sheepishly as she speaks.

“Sorry for being so forward. I know, it must be a bit awkward to talk about. There are quite a few books written on the subject, of course. But it would be nice to have some eye witness accounts to add to the records.”

Ember looks at Lyra skeptically. “Exactly how much is known about this?”

“Oh, quite a bit actually. Just off the top of my head... human males reach sexual maturity at around thirteen years old. They have dozens, if not more, encounters with different females throughout their lives. A typical encounter can be as short as a few minutes, or as long as an entire night. They are so dependent on such lifestyles that they may turn on each other in a single-sex environment. This type of behavior exists in both genders. During such encounters, the male takes great pleasure in inflicting pain on the female. That, and they are not too picky on which hole they...”

Derpy suddenly falls backward with an extreme nosebleed while Ember can only stare at Lyra wide eyed and with her mouth open.

Lyra looks at them confused. “I’m sorry. You see I was under the impression this was fairly common knowledge.”

She looks to Derpy before continuing.

“If you would rather not talk about it, I understand. But for the sake of research I would love to hear about your experiences with Arc. Your name doesn't have to be part of the record if you’re not comfortable with it.”

Derpy sits back down and dabs at her nose with a tissue. “I... I've never actually done anything like that with Arc! He's my friend!”

Ember sighs. “Me either!”

She rolls her eyes and looks annoyed.

“...not that I haven't tried...”

Lyra grimaces. “I... I'm sorry! You see, I just assumed with the three of you living here, and there being only one bedroom... that's another thing I forgot to mention! Humans love threesomes!”

Ember shakes her head. “Wow…”

Lyra stands up quickly and grabs her notes with her magic. “My apologies! I guess I’ll just ask Arc about it next time he is home. Thank you both for the information!”

She quickly leaves the house. Ember points a claw at the door.

“That right there is more than I wanted to learn about humans!”

Derpy grimaces. “Should we... um... talk to Arc about this?”

“It probably wouldn't be a bad idea, Derpy. I admit, we don't really know a lot about his species, and there are other parts to that conversation other than the last bit that probably should be addressed. Like his diet. If he really does need to eat meat, we should try to find a source for him.”

“Agreed!”

Meanwhile, Arc and Ruby approach the hospital. Ruby looks at the building, apprehensively.

“I really do hope that this is the end of Cherry's troubles.”

Arc shrugs. “Considering all she’s been though, things can only get better from here.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

Arc winks at Ruby. “And if not, feel free to call on me. Your friendly neighborhood Problem Solver!”

Ruby smiles at him. “Thanks, but you’ve already done so much for us.”

The pair walk up to the desk. Arc looks to the nurse on duty.

“Excuse me ma’am, but is Cherry Jubilee able to have visitors?”

“Let’s see here…”

The nurse looks through a sheaf of papers before continuing.

“Yes, she is still quite weak from the surgery, but the doctor says she can have visitors.”

She gives them a room number and directions. Arc nods.

“Thank you very much.”

Ruby and Arc walk down the hallway and find the room. Arc stops in front of the door and looks at Ruby. “Um… if f you’d like some time alone with your sister, I completely understand.”

Ruby shakes her head. “Thank you for the thought, but you should be there too.”

The two enter the room together. Cherry is lying on the bed hooked up to a heart monitor. Ruby walks over and takes her sister’s hoof in her own. She looks down at her and speaks quietly.

“Sister... can you hear me? You're not alone anymore. Arc and I are here now.”

Arc takes Cherry 's other hoof in his hand as she slowly opens her eyes. Ruby looks down at her sister happily.

“Cherry!”

“Ruby…? Where… are we?”

“Ponyville Hospital, sister. You needed heart surgery after... the incident. Do you remember what happened?”

“I... remember... Arc was fighting Buffalo Bull. I... tried to stop him, but he hit me... I have a vague memory of... being carried...”

Arc chimes in. “That was me carrying you to the hospital, Cherry.”

She smiles up at him weakly. “Thank... you... Arc. What happened... to Buffalo Bull?”

“In the long run he'll be fine but, let's just say he won't be getting out of the hospital anytime soon.”

“Thank you Arc… for sparing his life.”

“It wasn't easy admittedly In any case, I'll head over to Sweet Apple Acres and let Applejack know you're here. She’ll most certainly want to come by and see how you are doing.”

“How did things... go for you... with the Dragon Lord?”

“Let's just say things started off... badly. We were able to come to an understanding though. He was so impressed in the end he gave me a couple items from his horde.”

Arc shows Cherry and Ruby the magic book and strange ring in his satchel. Ruby looks over the items.

“This is well beyond me!”

“I have to run it over to my friend Twilight Sparkle and see what she can make of it.”

Arc notices that Cherry appears to be weakening. He looks to Ruby and sighs.

“I think we should let your sister rest now. It looks like this visit took a lot out of her.”

Ruby squeezes her sister’s hoof. “I'll come back and visit again tomorrow morning.”

Cherry nods her head weakly. “Okay…”

The two quietly leave the hospital room and walk down the hall together. Ruby looks to Arc and smiles as she speaks.

“Thank you.”

“What for?”

“None of this would have been possible without your help. I'll make sure Cherry knows what you did for her when she’s stronger.”

“Thanks, but no rush there. I don't think she should get too excited anytime soon.”

They leave the hospital together. Arc looks to the north as he speaks.

“I should probably head over to Sweet Apple Acres now. Applejack would certainly like to know what happened to Cherry. Want to come?”

“Sure. It will be nice meeting a friend of Cherry's.”

Ruby looks down at her hooves, a tinge of sadness in her voice as she continues.

“That and I really don’t want to be alone right now.”

Arc smiles at her. “Not that my errands are too interesting, but you’re welcome to come along.”

“Thanks. After recent events, I need a little more normalcy in my life.”

Arc and Ruby walk to Sweet Apple Acres. Apple Bloom is the first to notice their arrival and calls out.

“Big sis! It’s Arc!”

Apple Bloom runs over to Arc as he kneels down to give her a hug.

“You being a good girl?”

She nods excitedly as Applejack walks up to them. “Uh huh! So how did your trip to the Dragon Lands go?!”

“If was certainly eventful.”

Applejack looks Arc over. “Hey there sugarcube! Glad to see a dragon didn't take a bite out of you! Uh… they didn’t, did they?”

Arc laughs. “Believe me, they certainly tried!”

Apple Bloom gasps. “How many?!”

“Three. Four if you include Garble, which I don’t. But where are my manners?”

He turns to Ruby before continuing.

“Ruby, this is Applejack and her little sister, Apple Bloom. Applejack and Apple Bloom, meet Ruby Jubilee, Cherry's sister.”

Applejack tips her hat politely. “Well howdy! I hope Cherry is doing well!”

Ruby’s ears droop. “Actually…”

Ruby recounts recent events leading up to Cherry being brought to Ponyville Hospital. Applejack gasps.

“What a story! Will she be okay?!”

Ruby nods. “The doctor says she should be fine with some rest. We just visited her before coming over here. Although she still needs to do a lot of healing, my sister will be up and around soon enough.”

Applejack appears relieved. “Thanks for letting me know! I'll go visit her later this afternoon!”

“I'm sure my sister would be happy to see a familiar face.”

Arc looks over to Applejack. “Well, we should probably let the two of you get back to your chores.”

Applejack walks after them as they leave and waves. “Don't be a stranger, ya hear?”

The two sisters say their goodbyes as Arc and Ruby walk back toward town and head for the Golden Oaks Library. Ruby looks to Arc and smiles.

“Applejack seems like such a nice pony. I can see why Cherry spoke so highly of her.”

Arc nods. “Yes indeed. You can always count on her to lend a hand, er… hoof. In fact, it was her who helped me to the hospital when I first arrived in Equestria.”

“Oh? What happened?!”

“An Ursa Minor tried to take a chunk out of me with its claws. Let's just say that if Applejack and her friends hadn't acted so quickly, things may have ended quite differently for me.”

“Oh my! Is your life always so dangerous?!”

“Only since coming to this land. Who knew a peaceful country full of rainbows and unicorns would be so riddled with peril.”

Arc points ahead as he continues talking.

“There it is. The Golden Oaks Library.”

Ruby looks at the library quizzically. “It's... a tree? How very... unique.”

“Yes, it's almost as unique as the pony who runs it.”

They knock on the door. Spike answers.

“Hey there, Arc! Come on in!”

He turns his head to call for Twilight.

“Arc’s here, Twilight!”

A few moments later Twilight comes trotting in to greet them. “Hi Arc! Who’s your friend?”

“This is Ruby Jubilee, Cherry Jubilee's sister. Ruby, this is Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight extends a hoof and the pair shake. “Nice to meet you. How is Cherry doing?”

Ruby informs Twilight of the recent events in Dodge Junction. Twilight looks both sad and amazed at the same time.

“I'm so sorry, Ruby. If there is anything I can do to help please let me know!”

“Thank you, but Arc has already taken care of everything.”

Twilight looks over to Arc and smiles. “Wow Arc! You're becoming a regular knight in shining armor!”

“You flatter me, Twilight. However, right now I need YOUR help.”

“Oh? What with?”

Arc hands Twilight the strange ring he received from the Badlands. “I have a couple of items I received from the Dragon Lord. Perhaps you can shed some light on what I have here.”

Twilight looks the ring over carefully as she holds it up with her magic.

“This is a Magic Ring. Unicorns of old used to imbue them with powerful spells to increase their magical abilities. I've only ever seen these in books as the secret to making them was lost centuries ago.”

Ruby looks at the ring. “How did they work?”

“Well, first a spell or enchantment would have to be cast on the ring. Then the unicorn would put the ring on their horn. When they cast the spell, the ring would activate and aid them in casting very complex spells. This particular ring is an especially powerful example.”

Arc looks at it wide-eyed. “What kind of magic does it possess?”

“Unfortunately, the ring's original power has been lost to time. While powerful, the spells will fade over the centuries if not used regularly.”

“Can you put a new spell on it?”

Twilight shakes her head. “I don't think there is a pony alive who remembers the ancient methods of enchanting magic rings. I'm sorry, but that is all I can tell you. I wish I had better news.”

Arc reaches into his satchel and pulls out the ancient magical tome. “What about this?”

Twilight looks at the book. There is a sudden intake of breath as she flips through the pages.

“This... this is a reference guide on ancient magics! It probably has instructions on how to enchant magic rings! Aha! Here it is...!”

She reads a page or two before returning the book to Arc.

“This is actually pretty advanced stuff! I'm sorry to say this Arc, but I think you are going to have to find an actual Enchanter to complete this task.”

“It's all right Twilight. You’ve already been most helpful.”

Arc looks over to Ruby.

“I think I had best take you back to my place so you can get some more rest. One good night's sleep wasn't enough.”

Ruby looks at him a bit tired. “Thank you Arc. I think you’re right.”

The pair leaves the library together as the sun begins to set. Entering Derpy's small house Arc and Ruby are greeting by the smell of supper cooking. Arc smells something familiar but can't quite put his finger on it.

“That smells delicious, you two!”

Derpy turns from the pot on the stove. “Supper should be ready in a few minutes.”

Ember grins. “We made something special for you Arc.”

“Oh? What is it?”

Derpy looks over at him apprehensively. “You'll… just have to wait and see.”

Ruby walks over to the kitchen. “Is there anything you need help with in here?”

Derpy shakes her head. “Nope. Why don't you two have a seat at the table? Are you alright, Ruby?”

“Yes, just a bit tired.”

The table is set and the food brought over. Ember sets a covered bowl in front of Arc as Derpy sits down with a bottle for the filly in her hooves. She looks over at him squeamishly.

“This... is for you, Arc.”

Any uncovers the bowl and begins to salivate. “Is this… what I think it is?!”

Ember laughs. “Yup! Fish soup!”

Arc eats heartily. “It tastes great! So, where did you two find fish?”

Derpy looks to Ember as she feeds Dinky. “It was actually Ember. She found another use for her spear.”

“That was rather enjoyable. Although I admit we weren't quite sure how to go about preparing these. Dragons aren't much for cooking their kills before eating them.”

As Arc finishes his bowl he looks to Derpy.

“Well it was pretty tasty. At least I think it was. Perhaps I shouldn't have eaten so fast.”

The meal continues as the conversation moves to Cherry 's condition. Derpy looks over to Ruby happily.

“I’m glad your sister is doing better, Ruby.”

Ember nods. “It really was touch and go for a while there.”

Arc smiles at Ruby. “I'm sure Cherry will be up and around in no time though.”

“Thank you, everypony. You have done so much for me... however, I think I need some rest now.”

Arc nods understandingly. “Go ahead and sleep in my bed again, Ruby.”

Ruby yawns as she heads for the bedroom. “Thank you Arc. That is very Kind of you.”

Arc turns to Derpy as the bedroom door close behind the mare. “So... was your day eventful Derpy?”

She blushes. “Well, it was certainly... enlightening.”

Ember looks over nervously. “Right after you left with Ruby a pony named Lyra came by. She wanted to ask us some questions about humans.”

Arc chuckles. “Well, I'm sure you both did fine. She's been wanting to interview me since I arrived in Ponyville, but... well... to be completely Honest, I've been intentionally putting it off. It's not that I didn't want to help, but I just feel like a lab rat when she’s around. I'm sure she means well.”

Derpy giggles as she puts the empty bottle on the table. “You’ll be happy to know that both Ember and I gave you a glowing review.”

Ember chuckles. “We learned a few things about humans from her as well.”

Derpy looks uncomfortable. “Like that you need meat in your diet to stay healthy. And... a few other things.”

Arc raises an eyebrow. “Like what?”

Ember looks to Derpy and chuckles. “Well… it’s complicated, but…”

Derpy’s face flushes red as she continues. “Um... let's just say I hope you’ll set the record straight with Lyra on human's... mating rituals as she called them.”

Arc appears embarrassed. “Wow... I think her and I need to have a talk, sooner rather than later.”

Ember walks behind Arc and wraps her arms around him. “Don't worry Arc. I'm here for you if you need anything.”

“Um... thanks? I think. What have I gotten myself into?”

Derpy attempts to change the subject. “Why don't we get these dishes done, Ember? Give Arc some time to himself.”

Arc chuckles as he gestures to his satchel. “Well, I do still need to look over this book I got from your father, Ember.”

Ember appears a bit disappointed. “Alright.”

As Derpy and Ember leave to tidy up after supper, Arc sits down on the couch to read the magic book. He flips through the pages and takes notes on page numbers on a notepad.

“Promising.”

Comments

[lainverse]

Ruby looks at the building, apprehensively. “I hope this is the end of Cherry Jubilee's troubles.”

Ugh, even as sisters they still using full names to mention each other. That's just wrong. Especially when you yourself address them as just Ruby and Cherry most of the time. At least Cherry called Ruby just that later in the chapter. Would be extremely awkward otherwise.

[TundraicMagnus]

“Oh, quite a bit actually! Just off the top of my head... human males reach sexual maturity at around 13 years old. They have dozens, if not more, encounters with different females throughout their lives. A typical encounter can be as short as a few minutes, or as long as an entire night! They are so dependent on such lifestyles that they may turn on each other in a single-sex environment! This type of behavior exists in both genders. During such encounters, the male takes great pleasure in inflicting pain on the female. That, and they are not too picky on which hole they...”

r/holup anyone?

[dar88]

Derby nose bleed lol I would love to see a picture of that 🤣

[Silentwoodfire]

If Twilight was thinking, she wouldve asked for the book so copies could be made and distributed

[Kamahido]

10797868
At the very least she should have made a copy for the Golden Oaks Library, I believe. It's doubtful there's much interest in that book from the general public however, as enchanting is not something that is done in Equestria anymore. Think of it kinda like cooking. Back in the old days every family had their own secret recipes. However today that is very rare.

[Raziel80]

So are Ember and Arc done or what?