The Equestrian Odyssey - A Tale of Two Worlds

by Kamahido

Preface - Volume 36 - Home for the Holidays

In our previous volume, Arc, Scootaloo, Derpy, and Dinky relocated to Earth in an effort to keep Arc safe. Entering his house, he leads everyone upstairs to change into humans and clothe themselves. After she is dressed Arc begins the process of teaching Scootaloo how to walk like a human. When their pizza arrives he is surprised to see Jackal on his front steps holding it. Telling the man that he will visit Frank at the old hideout that evening, he heads back inside with the food.

That night Arc, Scootaloo, and Sereb head to the old Shard hideout. Finding it surrounded by cars and with the lights on, Arc orders Sereb to bark. Doing so he summons Jackal. The man leans them inside and to Frank’s room. Telling his old friend of their new plan, Frank reveals to him that they all now have magic from their time in Damocles Base. Showing him a book of spells left to them be Wiseman, the mysterious man appears with them. He informs Arc that Damocles Base and General Mustang are still operating. Hesitant to get involved with anything that might reunite him with Hammer, Frank volunteers himself and the Shards to aid him when the time comes. Frank tells Arc of certain trouble Shelly and Lily have been having. He promises to go see them the next day.

Telling Derpy and Dinky what Frank said about Shelly, they decide to go see her first thing tomorrow morning. Dinky and Scootaloo come to Arc’s room for advice on how family and different cultures work before falling asleep with their father. The next morning they head to Shelly’s Kitchen in a stormy downpour. Lily is overjoyed to see them again and takes the group upstairs to see Shelly. Carrying her to the Living Room, Arc sets her down in her chair and introduces Scootaloo. Snake, Jackal, and Wolf enter the apartment to report for work. Heading downstairs together they leave Arc and Shelly alone. He asks how she’s holding up after Max’s honesty. Shelly admits to still having feelings for him, while at the same time glad that he did not come too.

Arc returns home with the others. As they do so he receives a mysterious transmission over his earring. Finding it to be the Mane Six, sans Twilight, and Auriel they tell him about Decimus’ tightening grip on Ponyville. The also inform him of Rose leaving town without saying a word to anyone. Suggesting that Auriel take her machine and relocate to Redemption Village, he signs off and heads to the grocery store with his family. Buying food, they return home, put it away, and head out again. This time to the local park. After putting Sereb on a leash he sits down on a bench while Dinky goes to play with Alex and Mia. Sometime later Derpy asks to play on the swings. Arc takes her over to them and swings with her awhile. As they do so Scootaloo sits with Sereb. Expressing a desire to play too, she informs him that she’s too scared of not making Arc proud of her.

A month or so passes. Arc sits on the couch with his family watching the news. Agreeing with Derpy that they need to think about the filly’s future, Arc suggests going to the library to find some books. Driving there, he escorts them to the children’s section for some early chapter books. Leaving them to find something from the young adult section, Arc suddenly hears Scootaloo’s voice in his head. Telling him that three powerful magical powers are approaching the building, Arc lies in wait to see whom it is. Gasping, he spots Stingray, Hammer, and Mio enter the building. Quickly putting on his anti-magic ring, he watches them part ways. A few minutes later Mio accidently sneaks up on him. Immediately recognizing him, she Blinks them to the woods outside and uses her magic to slam (and hold) Arc against a tree. Admitting that he dumped Hammer because she deserved better, Mio relents and releases him. Playing his hand, Arc attempts to blackmail Mio with the pictures he took of her during the investigation Hammer sent him on. Telling her to meet him the following night in front of her apartment building, Mio returns to the library to rejoin her sisters. After they leave Arc enters the library again to meet up with his family. Checking out their books they head for home. Once there Arc explains the situation and his desire to meet with Mio to talk about Hammer and the current state of Damocles Base.

The next night Sereb allows Mio to chase him into an alley. As she tries to catch him, Arc grabs her from behind. Telling her to close her eyes, he opens a portal and pushes her through. Arriving at Roberto’s Pizza, they sit down to a meal together. Refusing to eat anything, Arc asks her a number of questions. Trying to stab Arc, Scootaloo knocks Mio over as Sereb grabs the knife. As she does so, Mio gets a looks at Scootaloo’s Crimson face. Getting her back in the chair, Arc tells her of his intention to help Hammer get over him. Conscripting Mio into his plan, he gives her instructions on what she has to do for him.

Mio heads to Hammer’s apartment the following night. Blinking through the door she finds the apartment a mess and Hammer lying on her bed in filth. Trying to talk to her results in only anger and defensiveness. Suggesting he check her email for a message from Arc Hammer does so. Finding one it gives her the strength to continue on. Brining to Hammer’s attention that both her and the apartment are a mess, Mio agrees to help clean it up if Hammer will shower first. Meanwhile, Arc and his family get the notification that his message was opened. A chirp from his earring rings out as Rainbow Dash’s voice reverberates in his head. Asking to speak to him privately, Arc goes to him parent’s room. As Rainbow Dash talks she tells Arc of her feelings of inadequacy when compared to her friends. Arc convinces her that she’s beautiful inside and out in her own way.

Heading downstairs, Arc meets Derpy along with the two girls heading up to bed. After helping her tuck them in the pair sit on the couch. Arc asks Derpy about her thoughts on joining his herd. Admitting that she’s had his eye on him for some time, Derpy confesses that she didn’t say anything until then in order to not come between him and the others. Meanwhile, Scootaloo and Sereb head to Dinky’s room to talk to her. Asking to learn more about family, Dinky does her best to tell her what she knows about it. As she does so her father heads for the show. As he cleans himself he speaks to Cherry about how he didn’t notice Derpy’s affection toward him. Cherry reminds him how she told him some time ago of this. Heading to his parent’s room, Arc finds Derpy on the bed waiting for him. Asking to sleep with him, he agrees. They talk about what he did to Hammer as well as considering if the woman had been abused as a child.

Arc meets Mio back at Roberto’s Pizza several days later. She reports that Hammer is much improved since Arc now e-mails her daily. Doing his best to convince Mio that he only wants to do what’s best for Hammer, the pair part ways. Returning to the basement via sigil, Arc drops off Sereb and Scootaloo before taking the sigil to Minerva’s apartment. Talking to her via his Sanctuary, he and Cherry inform her of the political upheaval in Equestria. In return she tells them that Damocles Base is still operational. Wanting to get to the bottom of the matter, Arc confesses that he would rather give the information to the authorities than deal with it himself this time.

After a breakfast at Shelly’s Kitchen, Arc and his family head for the park together. As he and Derpy watch the girls play he receives a transmission from Equestria on his earring. Going to the Jeep to take it, he hears Applejack’s voice. She tells him that Rose has indeed returned, but has decided to do some traveling since being denied the opportunity to see her mother in Canterlot. Voicing her concern regarding the fillies in her household, she tells Arc that they are acting as if they are already married. Encouraging her to speak to them on the matter instead of trying to bury it, Arc gives her some pointers before signing off. Meanwhile, back at Damocles Base, Mio approaches Stingray. Telling her sister the truth about how Arc has returned and is now forcing her to help him get back in contact with Hammer, the pair conspire to stop Arc once and for all. However, unbeknownst to them, Hammer herself listens in on their conversation as she holds her toolbox on her lap.

A week later Arc calls Mio on her cell phone for another meeting. Asking him to come to a roadside park outside of town, Arc agrees to do so at midnight. Stingray calls for The Riders to join her in lying in wait for Arc. Knowing that meeting is a trap, Arc’s friends beg him not to go. Insisting, Arc lays out his plan. Arriving at the park, Arc attempts to tell Mio what he knows about The Organization’s past deeds. Not believing him, she motions for Stingray and her ilk to come forward. As they do so Arc calls for Scootaloo and Templar Derpy to join him. Before they can fight though Hammer arrives and joins Arc’s side. As The Riders approach with Stingray in the lead, Arc motions for help. Sereb and Eidolon’s Ward run toward them and join the group. As the bikers lose their nerve Hammer’s tank, the Charger II drives itself over the hill and toward Hammer. Taking out a remote, the young woman aims it at the group before them. The gang understandably flees in terror leaving Stingray and Mio to face Arc and his friends alone. As Stingray moves to attack, Sereb pounces and chomps down hard on her arm. Bleeding badly, she pushes Mio aside in an effort to go after Arc again. Meeting Hammer’s fist she falls to the ground. Playing possum, she pulls her knife to herself and throws it at Arc. Derpy pushes him away as the knife grazes his shoulder. Scootaloo dives forward and knocks Stingray out as Hammer tells Mio to get her some help. As the young woman drags Stingray through a portal Hammer turns to Arc and announces her intention to stay with him and the others.

However many questions still remain. How will the Shards deal with their new powers? Will Shelly really be alright? Will Max and Shelly be able to make things right between them? How long will it take for Scootaloo to adjust to her new life. What the heck was Arc THINKING when trying to blackmail Mio?! Will Rainbow Dash be able to come to terms with whom she really is? How will Hammer react to Arc’s return? Is Hammer really THAT mentally unstable? Will she really want to stay with Arc when she learns the truth?

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

Comments

[Malory]

How will the Shards deal with their new powers?

However they do it, it's going to be Chuckle City.

Will Shelly really be alright?

No.

Will Max and Shelly be able to make things right between them?

Probably, it hinges on Arc not being distracted or passive.

How long will it take for Scootaloo to adjust to her new life.

Longer for some reason.

What the heck was Arc THINKING when trying to blackmail Mio?!

Gonna be honest, Kama, I am no longer certain if Arc thinks about what he's doing.

Will Rainbow Dash be able to come to terms with whom she really is?

I'm gonna skip questions relating to the harem because honestly I'm focused on the mystery and the action and the harem stuff feels a little superfluous.

How will Hammer react to Arc’s return?

Better than expected, worst than she should.

Is Hammer really THAT mentally unstable?

All three of the terrible sisters of "we care about each other, honest, swearsies" are absolutely damaged. Comes with being ponies or sirens that got turned into humans and brainwashed.

Will she really want to stay with Arc when she learns the truth?

I was under the impression she already figured it out since he wasn't exactly good at hiding his secret identity.
Then again, despite everything, no one knows where Arc lives for some reason. Despite living in his house. The house that has his name on it.
No one is a good detective here honestly, despite having all the information before them they have trouble drawing conclusions because it's convenient if they get surprised by Decimus and his Alabaster Plate.

[Theresa]

Personally I'm wondering if they will think that good of the world doesn't mean hurting other thinking feeling beings if they ever find out the whole truth.

[Kamahido]

11079883
It's the age old dilemma... do the ends really justify the means?