The Equestrian Odyssey - A Tale of Two Worlds

by Kamahido

Chapter 15 - Out of the Office

Arc awakens to the early morning sun hitting him in the face. Dinky is still snuggled next to him, smiling. He gently nudges his daughter.

“Dinky? It's time to wake up.”

She slowly opens her eyes and raises her head. “Dad? Is it morning already?”

Arc smiles and strokes Dinky's mane. “It would appear so!”

Dinky jumps out of bed, happily. “Great! Let's go on vacation!”

Arc laughs! “How about breakfast at Light's Hope first?"

“Well, okay. Let's wake up mom!”

The pair leave his room and find Derpy already up.

“You're certainly up early this morning Derpy.”

Derpy nods. “I like to get to work before the fillies wake up. It gives Matron Pommel and I time to prepare breakfast together.”

“I help too!”

Derpy laughs and pats Dinky's head. “Yes you do dear! But we’ll manage without you while you’re gone!

Arc thinks to himself. “Matron Pommel... I like the sound of that!”

Derpy smiles happily! “So do I! Oh Arc, you have to visit the Little Hooves Orphanage sometime! Everypony there is just so... happy! Coco Pommel included!”

“I'll do that sometime soon! But for now, Dinky and I should get to Light's Hope for breakfast before everyone else eats all the good stuff!”

Dinky nods happily! “Yeah! What he said!”

Derpy laughs! “There you go again thinking with your stomach, Arc! Well, have fun you two. I can't wait to hear all about your trip!”

The trio leaves the house and walks toward Little Hooves Orphanage. They arrive and part ways with Derpy.

“Bye mom!”

Derpy waves. “I'll miss you both! Be good, Dinky!”

She enters the orphanage while Arc and Dinky walk on to Light's Hope. As they enter the building Arc turns to his daughter.

“Dinky, why don't you join Ember in the cafeteria? I'll catch up to you in a bit.”

“Okay dad!”

Dinky trots over to the cafeteria as Arc heads over to Auriel's room. Arriving he knocks lightly on the door.

“Auriel? It's time for breakfast.”

The opens the door a few inches as Auriel peeks out.

“Is anyone else out there?”

Arc looks around. “No. Why do you ask?”

“No reason, I guess.”

Arc smiles at her. “Still a bit jittery?”

“Y-yes.”

“Well, don't worry about it. Come with me and you can try some pancakes!”

Auriel nods. “Thank you. That does sound nice!”

The young demon slowly opens the door and leaves her room with Arc. She stays very close and her eyes dart nervously around!

“Auriel? There isn't any reason for you to be afraid here.”

She looks down as she lessens her grip on Arc’s arm. “I'm sorry! It's just a habit now.”

It’s okay. Well, how about we get you some breakfast?”

The pair enter the cafeteria and head over to the buffet. Arc puts a pile of pancakes on Auriel's plate>

“These are pancakes. They're kinda a mix between cake and sweet bread.”

Auriel eyes the pancakes suspiciously. “This is what my father was so enamored with?”

“I know they may look a bit weird but trust me! This may be the only thing your dad and I agree on!”

Auriel sighs. “Well, alright.”

Arc and Auriel sit down with Ember and Dinky.

“So are you two looking forward to this trip?”

Dinky nods happily as she chews! “Yeah dad! This will be awesome!”

Ember laughs! “Gotta admit it. I'm looking forward to some time off, and not just because you're going to be there Arc!”

Arc chuckles. “Not quite sure how to take that Ember, but okay!”

Arc slowly turns to Auriel as he speaks. “Hey Auriel. How do you like the... Auriel?”

Auriel is frozen in place with a fork in her mouth. She does not even blink! Arc waves a hand in front of her face!

“Auriel? Are you... okay? Say something!”

Tears of joy streaming down her face as she whispers. “They're wonderful!”

Arc smiles at her. “Ah... I'm glad you like them! I'll be sure to pass it along to Saffron. Although I doubt she will believe someone could love her cooking enough to react in this manner.”

Dinky and Ember narrow their eyes as they look at Arc

“Really dad?”

Ember rolls her eyes. “Have you forgotten about cupcakes?”

“HEY! We're talking about pancakes here! Two totally different things!”

The group finishes their meal and stands up. Ember turns to Arc.

“So when are we heading to Dodge Junction, Arc?”

“Later this morning. But first I need help with something, Ember.”

“Sure Arc. What do you need?”

Arc looks around nervously. “I'd actually like to talk about it somewhere a bit more... private. How about we all go back to my quarters?”

Dinky looks to her father, concerned as they leave the cafeteria. “Dad, is everything okay? You're acting a bit... strange.”

“Don't worry Dinky. Everything will be explained in my quarters. Come along!”

Ember, Auriel and Dinky follow Arc to his quarters. He closes the door behind them.

“Now before we leave Auriel needs a change of clothes.”

Arc walks over to the couch and picks up some of his clothes. Walking back to Auriel he looks down at them.

“These are the first clothes Rarity made for me when I first arrived in Equestria. She didn't have her sewing tape on her at the moment, so she made them quite a bit too small! However, I think they should be a decent fit on you though, Auriel.”

Auriel nods. “Well, okay. If you really think so.”

She sets the clothes on the nearby end table and begins undressing! Dinky moves like lightning and jumps onto Arc's face! She wraps all four of her legs around him to obscure his vision!

Arc speaks in a muffled voice. “Good girl Dinky.”

Ember grabs Auriel’s claw! “AURIEL!!! You're supposed to get changed in the bathroom!!!”

Auriel looks confused. “But... it's warmer here in front of the fireplace.”

Dinky turns to the demon, her body still wrapped around Arc’s head. “Because you're not supposed to let stallions see your no-no parts like that!”

“My… what?”

Ember takes Auriel by the arm and leads her toward the bathroom. “Come on, Auriel. You can take a shower while we're in there.”

“Shower?”

Ember sighs! “Just come with me, all right!”

“Okay.”

The pair disappear into the bathroom together. A moment later the sound of running water can be heard

Dinky lets out a long sigh. “That was close!”

“Dinky. Can I assume Ember and Auriel are in the bathroom now?”

“Yes, dad. Why?”

“In that case, can you let go and let me breathe now?”

Dinky lets go and drops to the floor. “Whoops! Sorry dad!”

Arc pats Dinky on the head. “It's okay! Glad to see you're on your toes!”

Dinky looks confused. “Toes?”

Arc sits down on the couch. "Never mind. Well, I guess there isn't much we can do now but wait. We should get comfortable, as this could take a while. That is if demon females are anything like human girls."

Dinky jumps on the couch to sit next to Arc. “Do human mares really take that long to bathe?”

Arc nods. “They do.”

“But why?”

Arc puts an arm around Dinky. “Let me be honest with you, sweetheart. There isn't a man alive who can answer that question! Probably no woman either!”

They sit in silence for a few minutes.

“Anyways, I’m glad your mother had a talk with you about modesty and your… um… no-no parts.”

Dinky nods. “Yeah dad! She looked really embarrassed at the time though! There were a few things I didn’t understand, but didn’t want to ask her about.

“Really? Why not?

Dinks shrugs. “It was pretty obvious she didn’t like to talk about it. I didn’t want to make mom feel bad!”

Arc nods, understanding. “Well, how about you ask me your questions then?”

“Okay! For starters, she said that if anyone touched me, I needed to tell somepony I trusted right away! But she didn’t really say what exactly she meant by that!”

Arc nods. “Your mother meant if someone touches your no-no parts, sweetheart.”

Dinky thinks for a moment. “Why would anypony do that?”

“There are some sick individuals out there that would do bad things to your body, Dinky. Now, if anyone touches you in a place that makes you feel uncomfortable, you need to get out of there and run for help! Tell anyone that you trust right away! Me, Derpy, Ember, a teacher, anyone! That and if you see someone else doing that to another filly or colt, say something!”

“What would you do about it, dad?”

Arc frowns. “I’d get to the bottom of the matter! If they really were up to no good, I’d see to it they were punished severely! No one’s ever done anything like that to you, have they?”

Dinky looks nervous. “Well… kinda.”

Arc’s eyes grow wide. “Dinky. I need you to tell me about it right now!

“Well… mom took me to see Doctor Horse a week or so ago while you were gone. He did a bunch of things like looking in my eyes, down my throat and felt my belly. It… it made me a little uncomfortable. Then he had me stand up and raise my tail while he looked at my no-no parts!”

Arc gives a sigh of relief! “Okay. That was a physical examination, Dinky. The doctor just had to look at you back there to make sure you were healthy. Was that when your mother had that talk with you?”

Dinky nods, looking relieved. “Yes. It was on the way home.”

“Well, it’s okay if the doctor needs to look you over, sweetheart. Think about it this way. Doctor Horse looked you all over and ran a bunch of tests on you, right?”

“Uh huh! Some of them were kinda uncomfortable!”

Arc smiles at her. “Well, when a filly grows that big instantly like you did, it’s probably for the best that the doctor checks over everything! Did you have any other questions?”

Dinky shakes her head. “No, dad! Thanks for explaining that to me though! It made me feel a lot better!”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart. After all… this is what a father is supposed to do.”

Arc and Dinky sit on the couch together waiting. Dinky lays down in Arc's lap and he strokes her mane as the two of them enjoy each other’s company. Finally, after what seems like an eternity the pair emerge from the bathroom.

“Whew! Sorry for the wait you two! I got Auriel all cleaned up and then realized that I needed to shower too!”

Auriel steps out of the bathroom. The clothes Arc gave her seem to be a decent fit.

“Thank you for the change of clothes Arc. It does feel good to be clean again! Usually I was too busy in my lab to worry about things like personal hygiene! Um... can we keep that just between us please?”

Auriel looks hopeful.

Arc nods. “Don't worry. Your secret is safe with us. I'm sorry I didn't have anything a bit more... feminine. I'll take you to meet Rarity when we get back. She can make you something a little nicer to wear.”

“Thank you. That is very kind of you!”

Dinky looks at the dragon before here. "Um, Miss Ember? Are you going on vacation in your armor?"

Ember picking up her spear from against the wall. “Yup! I like to be prepared for anything!”

Auriel looks over at her nervously! “Are you expecting trouble?”

“Not really. But if my past with Arc is any indication, it's best to err on the side of caution.”

Arc grabs his satchel off a nearby table. “I'd like to say you're over-prepared Ember, but I know better. Well, we should probably get a move on. Is everyone ready to go?”

Dinky grins! “YEAH!”

Ember nods. “I'm all set!”

Auriel sheepishly looks over. “… I guess so.”

Arc and company step onto the sigil in his quarters, Arc calls forth Eidolon's Ward and activates the sigil, the four are teleported to Cherry 's basement. Auriel looks around.

“This Cherry Jubilee you spoke of lives underground?”

Arc shakes his head. “Nah. This is just her basement.”

They walk up the basement stairs to meet their hosts! Cherry meets them at the top! “Arc!

“Ember! It's good to see you again!”

Cherry trots up to Arc. He returns his armor to his ring and kneels down to give her a hug along with Ruby!

“Thanks for having us you two. It's been such a long time between visits! How are you feeling Cherry?”

"I'm feeling fit as a fiddle, thanks in no small part to you Arc! Congratulations on being chosen to become Equestria's next Hero of Light!”

Ember laughs! “And what a wild ride THAT has been!”

“Thanks. Oh, where are my manners?! Cherry and Ruby, this is Auriel. She's my reformed demon friend I told you about on the phone.”

Cherry walks up to Auriel with her sister and extends a hoof. “Pleased to meet you Auriel! Welcome to Cherry Hill Ranch!”

Ruby smiles! “We hope you will enjoy your stay with us!”

Auriel: cautiously shakes their hooves. “Th-thank you. But... aren't you... um... afraid of me?”

Cherry shakes her head. “No my dear! If Arc says you're a friend, then we believe him!”

She looks over at Dinky.

“Arc? I thought you were bringing your daughter Dinky with you. Who is this sweet looking filly?”

Arc smiles and nods! “That IS Dinky! It's really complicated, but the short version is that she’s really important to the future of Equestria. A... uh... really powerful ‘friend’ of this land used its power to bring her up to age in only a few minutes.”

Ruby looks at Dinky, mouth agape! “Incredible! How is such a magical feat possible?!”

Arc shrugs. “I'm told it's called ‘Chrono Magic’. It's a school of magic that, up until VERY recently, was thought to be only theoretical!”

Cherry walks up to Dinky and smiles! “Well, I'm very pleased to see you again, little one! And you're just as cute now as you were then!”

Dinky smiles! “Thank you ma'am!”

“Now why don't we all sit down in the living room and catch up?! I have plenty of food cooking, but it's going to take a bit longer for it to be ready.”

The smell of cherry-based dishes coming from the kitchen are enough to make even Ember's mouth water! She nods at their host as they make their way over to the couch!

“That food really does smell quite tasty!”

Cherry smiles! “Thank you Ember! Only the best here for you folks!”

Ruby sits down and looks at Dinky. “So tell me Dinky. Are you in school yet?”

“My mom tells me I will be this fall.”

Auriel appears confused. “What is ‘school’?”

Arc looks over to her. “Well, it's where you go to learn new things. You sit at a desk and the teacher instructs you on a variety of subjects. Don't they have school in Tartarus?”

“Well, kind of. We call it Battle Training. Needless to say, I was never very good at it.”

Ember nods. “Probably because your heart wasn't in it.”

Auriel sighs. “It was not. My heart is in my chest.”

Arc chuckles. “Ember's using an expression that means you just really didn't want to learn how to kill and maim.”

“Yes. I was more interested in reading the books in my father's library.”

Ember looks over to Arc. “We have GOT to introduce Auriel to Twilight! The two of them would be like peas in a pod! That means you would get along well, Auriel.”

“Oh... okay.”

“We’ll do that when we get back, Ember.”

Cherry looks to Dinky. “And how is your mother doing, Dinky?”

“Really well! She just got a job at the Little Hooves Orphanage as an assistant!”

“I believe I've heard of it. Isn't that in Vanhoover though?”

Arc shakes his head. “No, that's the New Beginnings Orphanage. It was... um... really badly damaged recently.”

Ruby puts a hoof over her mouth! “Oh my! How awful for the orphans! What happened?!”

Arc appears embarrassed. “I... may have done most of... okay all of the damage to the orphanage during my altercation with the matron.”

“What?! You were fighting with the caretaker?”

Ruby shudders! “That must have been quite the argument! How did it start?”

Arc bumps his fists together! “It started with my fist introducing itself to the Matron Tempest’s face!”

Dinky nods, angrily! “Yeah! And she deserved it after what she did to the orphans!”

She recalls the story of what happened at the New Beginnings Orphanage.

“...then my dad opened up a portal to Light's Hope. I led the orphans through it while my dad picked mom up and carried her through the portal after us!”

Ruby nods. “What a story! Is Derpy okay?!”

“Sure! My dad took good care of her and the orphans!”

Cherry smiles at Arc. “That's good to hear! I admit I was a bit concerned when you told me you were fighting a matron. But if what Dinky says is true, I think I would have given her quite the thrashing myself!”

The oven timer dings from the kitchen.

Ruby gets up. “Sounds like the food is ready! How about we continue this conversation over lunch?”

Ember jumps up! “You don't have to tell me twice!”

They make the short walk to the kitchen.

“Can I give you a hand serving the food, Cherry?”

Cherry shakes her head. “Oh no, Arc! You're our guest here!”

The food is served and they sit down to eat. Auriel looks at the food suspiciously.

“Excuse me, but what are these red-things?”

Arc looks at her plate. “Those are cherries.”

Cherry looks sadly at Auriel. “You've really never seen a cherry before, have you dear?”

Auriel shakes her head. “No ma'am. We didn't have such nice things in Tartarus.”

Ruby looks amazed! “What did you eat then?”

“Well… we had beetles, lizards, wild demons... things like that.”

Arc nods. “There aren't any plants that grow there. That and beetle meat actually doesn't taste all that bad. Assuming it's cooked properly, that is.”

Cherry laughs! “Well, I hope my cooking is a bit better than the Tartaran fare then!”

Arc nods fervently! “Indeed! This tastes divine!”

Ember laughs! “I gotta say, you two sure know how to cook!”

Dinky eats hungrily! “YUM!”

“So, what have the two of you been up to since... the last time I was here?”

“It’s mostly been just business as usual around here! Although I've got to tell you Arc. Ever since your battle with Buffalo Bull, his gang has been on their best behavior! Pretty much all of them have either moved on or gotten legitimate jobs!”

Ruby nods “It looked like they were trying to reorganize a while back, so the sheriff and a few stallions from town went to try and talk some sense into them.”

Ember scoffs! “They wanted to try and reason with those boneheads!? I bet that went well!”

Cherry laughs! “To tell you the truth, it did Ember!”

“That must have taken some serious negotiating skills! What did they say?”

Ruby grins! “Oh, they just calmly informed the gang that if they insisted on causing trouble here, the sheriff would have no choice but to call Ponyville and ask Hero of Light Arc to come back and break a few more legs!”

Dinky looks to her father, astonished! “A few… MORE?!”

Arc turns to Dinky. “There isn't always a peaceful solution to every problem, Dinky. Sometimes I have to... hurt someone to make them understand my point of view.”

Ember nods soberly. “I thought you were going to kill that stallion Arc! After what he did, he certainly deserved it though!”

Auriel looks confused. “What did he do?”

Ruby shudders! “He tried to force my sister to marry him! When Cherry tried to stop him from fighting Arc, he almost KILLED her!”

Ruby turns to Arc.

“I don't think anypony in town would have held it against you if you had finished him off right then and there!”

Cherry turns to Ruby! “Sister, please! Small ears!”

Dinky nods. “It's okay. I've already seen my dad do some pretty... violent things to protect others. I understand that he did what he had to do!”

“You're are wise beyond your years, Dinky! I'm very proud that you understand such adult concepts.”

Dinky winks at her father. “Thanks dad, I had a great teacher!”

Arc turns back to Cherry. “So... what DID happen to Buffalo Bull?”

“He was transferred from the hospital to Equestrian Prison. Somehow I don't think he'll be getting out anytime soon. He still can't walk without a limp though.”

Ember smirks. “If that's what it takes to keep him in line, I see it as a small price to pay!”

Arc nods. Yes, well… why don't we talk about something a bit more pleasant? Cherry, why don't you explain more to us about the Cherry Festival?”

“Oh, it's quite the draw! Ponies from all over Equestria come here to eat cherry dishes, play games, dress up in funny costumes, and shop for interesting items!”

Ember looks confused. “So it's like an open-air market all-you-can-eat costume party?”

Ruby nods! “Yes, but heavier on the ‘party’ bit! In recent years Buffalo Bull's thugs would make trouble during the festival. But with him out of commission I don't see that happening!

“Don't worry Arc. I didn't invite you here to make you work!”

Arc nods. “I understand. But don't worry! If someone wants to start something, I'll gladly finish it for them!”

He knocks his fists together!

“I don't foresee that happening, but thank you for the offer!”

The group continues their meal. Afterwards they stay at the table to continue their conversation.

“...so I shrank him down and helped him through the Gates of Tartarus.”

Cherry looks to Arc, amazed! “You actually let the King of Demons into Equestria?!”

“I did! Well, for about fifteen seconds anyways. Then the bombs went off, I grabbed him and leaped back through the barrier! My troops took that opportunity to rescue the mares and take them to safety!”

Ruby nods fervently! “I sure hope he learned his lesson!”

“Well, he didn't back then. I left him at that size to serve as a reminder that there were those in Equestria that were far more powerful than he was!”

Dinky giggles! “So was he still little when you saw him the other day, dad?”

Arc nods! “Yup. I guess none of the demons could figure out how to undo the spell.”

Cherry laughs! “What happened during your most recent visit to Tartarus?”

“Well, to make a long story short, his daughter helped me to foil his most recent plan to invade Equestria. She didn't feel as if she belonged in this land and asked me to return her to Tartarus and her father. When we entered that hellish place again, we were soon met by the Demon King and his soldiers. He informed her that he had no choice but to banish her from Tartarus. Although I'm sure it broke his heart... and his pride... he asked me to look after her.”

Ruby turn to Auriel! “Wait! Auriel! Auriel is the Demon King's daughter?!”

Auriel nods nervously. “It's true. I... I hope that isn't a problem!”

Cherry shakes her head. “I don't have any problem sharing a roof with you, Auriel. Now, while I've never actually met a demon before, you don't seem anything like what I imagined they would be like. You’re kind, caring, and timid. I always pictured demons as being quite the opposite!”

“Well, to be completely honest with you, every other demon in Tartarus is pretty much like you described. I'm... not exactly proud of my demonic heritage...”

Ember looks to her. “Auriel, you can't change what you are. But you can decide to walk another path and be the individual you want to be! Arc showed me that. Stick with us and we'll show you!”

Auriel smiles! “Thank you. I believe I will!”

Ruby nods and looks to Arc. “Is there any more to your story, Arc?”

“A little. I returned the Demon King to his normal size so he could hold his daughter in his arms one last time. They embraced for what felt like forever! In that moment, I understood something. As bad as King Malevolence was, to her at least, he was still her father. And he loved her very much. Afterwards, he told us both to leave as he himself returned to the capital city. I helped Auriel up and together we walked through the Gates of Tartarus.”

Everyone is silent for a time

Auriel sighs. “Well, that's my story. I'm sorry it didn't have a happier ending.”

“But Miss Auriel, your story isn't over yet!”

Auriel looks at Dinky, confused. “Huh? What do you mean?”

“Your story is still ongoing! It CAN have a happy ending someday... if you want it to, that is!”

She smiles at the filly. “Thank you Dinky! I do!”

Cherry stands up. “Auriel? Would you like me to show you where cherries come from?”

Auriel looks confused. The kitchen?

Cherry laughs! “No dear! Come with me.”

Arc stands up. “Why don't we all go! I haven't actually seen your orchard yet, Cherry.”

Dinky gets up and follows them. “Me either!”

Ember nods. “I too only caught a glance of it back then!”

Cherry laughs! “Follow me, everypony! We'll sate your curiosity!”

She leads everyone outside to the orchards. Several ponies are hard at work harvesting cherries. They seem a bit nervous at the sight of Auriel, but continue their task though.

“Hey, isn't that Arc?”

“It is! Him being here is sure to make Cherry VERY happy!”

The two mares giggle and wink at each other as the group approaches. Arc recognizes them from the saloon.

“Hello again you two.”

“Hello again Mr. Arc! Solve any interesting problems lately?”

Arc thinks for a moment. “Well... I did find a way to stop a rampaging, overpowered, invincible unicorn from killing Princess Cadance.”

Ember pipes up! “So you could say it's pretty much been business as usual.”

“WOW! What an exciting life you must lead, sir!”

Cherry nods! “Arc was just telling us over lunch about his latest battle with the Demon King of Tartarus.”

“Nothing can stop my dad!”

“Incredible! Is there anything you CAN'T do, Mr. Arc?!”

Arc smiles and looks to Cherry. “Well... I doubt I could run an operation as large as this by myself! To me, that's pretty impressive!”

Ruby nods! “That may be true, but the stakes are much higher in your line of work Arc!”

Ember smirks. “True. If Cherry messes up, somepony doesn't get their order of cherries. If Arc messes up... well, someone might... die!”

Arc shudders at the thought! “I try not to think too hard on that subject. It makes me nervous. In any case, it was nice seeing you two again.”

The mares wave as the group moves on.

“Take care!”

Cherry stops in front of the first tree they come to and puts a hoof on it. “This... is a Cherry Tree. About this time of year the cherries are harvested and shipped all over Equestria!”

Auriel looks up into the branches which are laden with plump cherries. “How do the cherries get on the trees?”

Ruby laughs! “The cherries are made BY the tree. We just pick them!”

Auriel nods, surprised! “Amazing! So... this tree thing is... alive?!”

Cherry puts a hoof on the tree trunk. “Yes! We take good care of our trees here at Cherry Hill Ranch! The better care you take of your trees, the better cherries you get!”

Auriel walks over to the tree and looks up at it. “So how do you like living here, Mr. Tree?”

Ember raises an eyebrow. “Uh Auriel? Trees can't talk.”

Ember quickly turns to Cherry.

“They can't talk, right?”

Cherry laughs! “No, they cannot!”

Auriel again appears confused. “But I thought you said they were alive.”

Arc nods. “Not everything that has the breath of life in it can talk, Auriel. Think of the beetles back in Tartarus. Can they talk?”

“Well, no.”

Arc smiles at Auriel. “But they ARE alive, aren't they?”

“Well, I guess so. I think I'm beginning to understand what you're saying.”

Ruby walks over and pats the tree with a hoof. “Well, if the trees COULD talk, I am sure they would be very happy here!”

“Follow me everypony! I'll show you our processing facilities.”

Cherry leads the group to a rather large building with a conveyor belt driven by a large wheel.

“Here's where we sort the different colored cherries. Red ones go in one basket, while the yellow ones go in the other.”

Dinky looks at the equipment. “Why do they need to be sorted?”

“Yellow cherries are a premium fruit! They cost a LOT more than what red cherries go for! Yellow cherries are a sign of wealth and status. That and the taste is much sweeter and deeper than the reds!”

Ember looks at the conveyor and wheel. “So, how does this work exactly?”

Ruby points to the wheel. “Somepony gets inside this wheel and turns it. That releases the cherries from the storage bin and runs the belt. The more sorters we have on duty, the faster the belt can be run. After all, we don't want to overwhelm the sorters!”

Arc looks the conveyor over. “Interesting. Can I try it?”

Cherry nods! “Sure!”

Ruby walks over to the wheel and steps inside it. “I'll run the wheel for you. Care to lend me a hoof, Ember?”

Ember nods. “Sure! This should be interesting!”

“Can I help too dad?”

Arc nods. “Sure! How about you and I sort cherries together?”

“Yeah, that sounds like fun!”

Ember and Ruby walk to the wheel and step inside it. They slowly start walking as cherries come down the belt.

Cherry stands with Arc and Dinky as a sorter. “Now this is really simple. Reds go in the first basket, yellows in the second.”

Arc and Dinky push cherries into the respective bins with their hands/hooves.

Dinky smiles widely! “This is fun!”

Arc nods. “Not a bad job!”

He turns to Ruby and Ember.

“Can you two go a little faster?”

Ruby nods. “Sure!”

She and Ember increase to trotting speed. The belt speed increases as do the number of cherries coming down it!

“We're pretty good at this, huh dad?”

Arc nods! “Yeah! You looking to hire some more help, Cherry?”

Cherry laughs! “Why? You looking for a change of career?”

“Just keeping my options open in case this whole Hero of Light thing doesn't work out!”

Dinky laughs happily! “Faster, faster!”

Ember and Ruby look to Cherry. She smiles and nods. The pair start to run! Cherries come down the belt at an insane pace and quantity!

Arc turns to his daughter! “Dinky, watch this!”

He steps back from the belt and extends both hands! His fingers move as if he were typing! Cherries fly of the belt into the correct bin at a manic pace as he uses his magic to expertly sort!

Arc laughs! “I think I'm winning!”

Dinky uses her hooves magic simultaneously, laughing! “Hey, no fair!”

Arc's bins are quickly filled!

“I win!”

He starts pushing cherries into Dinky's bin to continue sorting.

“Let me help you with that, sweetheart!”

Dinky laughs! “Thanks dad!”

Before long Dinky's bin is filled. The belt stops and Dinky jumps into Arc's arms! The pair enjoy a good laugh together as father and daughter!

“That was awesome, dad!”

“I couldn't have done it without your though, Dinky!”

Cherry walks over and smiles! “Wow! I truly am impressed! Even with a half dozen sorters we've never come close to running at THAT capacity, have we Ruby?! ...Ruby?

Arc, Dinky and Cherry turn around. They see Ruby and Ember sitting down on the floor in front of the wheel back to back, panting heavily!

“Sorry about that you two! Are you all right?!”

Ember pants! “Arc... I am... going to... hurt you! As soon as I can stand, that is!”

Ruby falls to the floor. She shows signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder! “The cherries... THE CHERRIES!”

Arc walks over to her. “Ruby?! Is there anything I can do to help?!”

She shakes her head weakly. “No. Just give me a minute to relax and catch my breath!”

Arc sits down on the floor next to Ruby. “I think I can help with that.”

He gently strokes Ruby's mane for about a minute.

“Better?”

Ruby lies on the ground. Her eyes closed and body relaxed. “Much. How do you DO that?!”

Cherry giggles! “I too would like to know the answer to that question!”

Arc grins! He raises his hands and wiggles his fingers. “Never underestimate the power of human hands... or fingers for that matter!”

Auriel looks at her claws, seemingly in deep contemplation. “Hmmm... I wonder...”

Ember looks to Auriel. “Believe me Auriel, our claws just aren't the same as Arc's hands!”

Cherry looks down at her sister. “If you're feeling better Ruby, should we continue our tour?”

“...do we have to? I'm enjoying this.”

Arc stands up. “Alright, enough of a good thing.”

“Awww... okay.”

Cherry leads the party into the next room.

“This is our Production Facility.”

Auriel looks around. “It looks like your Kitchen in the house.”

Dinky nods! “Yeah! Just... a lot bigger!”

“Indeed. This is where my sister and I preserve and process the cherries that aren't sent out fresh.”

Arc looks around. “It sounds like a lot of work!”

Cherry nods! “Oh, believe you me, it is! We usually hire on more help during the peak season to keep things running around here. We didn't have to this year because I had some very special help here.”

She looks lovingly over to her sister.

Ruby smiles! “Glad to be back! It had been far too long since we worked happily side by side!”

Cherry nods sadly. “Yes, it had been! Well, there really is only one last thing to see. This way!”

She leads the tour to the next room through a large overhead door.

“This is our warehouse. All our cherry preserves are stored here until they are sold to various customers all over Equestria!”

Auriel looks around. “These boxes are all filled with cherries?!”

Dinky stares at the many racks filled with crates! “There's just so many of them!”

Cherry nods! “Yes, well... it never hurts to be prepared!”

“How long will these preserves last before they spoil, Cherry?”

“Our preserves are magically sealed to maintain freshness, so they will last at least a hundred years as long as they stay sealed.”

Ember nods! “That's impressive!”

“I'm sure the folks back on Earth would love to have technology like this! Our own canning technology only keeps things fresh for a handful of years!”

Arc looks around the Warehouse.

“I'm sure you know what you're doing Cherry, but... isn't it really expensive to maintain this much inventory?”

“Well... yes and no. Yes, it is costly to process all these cherries. But at the same time no, as the alternative would be to let them rot on the trees! Should a disaster ever strike, or a war, Equestria would have great need of my stock here!”

Ruby sighs. “Business has been kinda slow these past few years. Equestria's economy isn't exactly booming right now.”

Dinky looks confused. “Why's that?”

Cherry shrugs! “Nopony’s really sure! There are currently only a few sectors that are booming. The banks, defense contractors, and... the pastry industry for some unknown reason.”

Dinky and Ember both look to Arc astonished!

Arc chuckles. “I'm sure it's just a coincidence!”

Ruby looks to Arc, hope in her voice! “Any chance you could do something about the economy, Problem Solver?”

Arc sadly shakes his head. “Sorry, but I think that one is a bit out of my league. Believe me, I would if I could!”

Ruby sighs. “Sorry. I... didn't really expect you to have a solution to that one. Wishful thinking.”

Cherry smiles at them. “If you find somepony who needs a truckload of cherries, do let us know though!”

Arc nods. “I'll keep that in mind.”

Dinky walks up to Cherry. “Miss Cherry? Can we pick some cherries?!”

“Of course you can dear! We can always use more workers around here!”

“YAY!!!”

Dinky and the rest of the party head back to the cherry orchard and Cherry 's employees.

“Girls. We have a few more sets of hooves... er hands... claws... whatever, that want to help us today. Can you show them how it's done?”

“Sure thing!”

One of the mares gives Arc, Ember, Dinky and Auriel each a gunnysack.

“Just follow my lead.”

The mare bucks the tree. The cherries fall to the ground and are picked up by the seconds mare with her magic.

Dinky helps the unicorn mare pick up the cherries with her magic. “This is fun!”

“Let me help you with the Dinky.”

Arc picks up Dinky and holds her up so she can pick the cherries in the trees with her little hooves.

Ember hovers above the others and picking cherries as she moves side to side! “Hey Auriel! I bet I can fill my bag first!”

“You're on!”

Dinky reaches her hooves toward the sky! “Look everypony! I'm flying! Weee!!!”

The group picks cherries until the sun begins to set. Cherry’s workers have all gone home, but Auriel and Ember are neck and neck in their competition!

Ember turns to Auriel, playfully. “Better hurry! I'm going to win!”

Auriel smiles! “Not if I can help it!”

Arc and Dinky sit in the grass together watching the pair flying around hurriedly!

“Thanks for bringing me here dad! Today was loads of fun!”

Arc smiles and nods. “I admit, I also had quite a lot of fun today! We should do things like this more often!”

“Yeah! But next time we have to bring mom!”

“You’re right, sweetheart. It really isn't the same without her here.”

“Dad? Can I ask you something?”

Arc looks to Dinky, concerned. “Sure Dinky. What's on your mind?”

Dinky looks to her father, nervously. “It's about you and mom. I can see that mom... really cares for you, and you for her. I guess what I'm asking is... do you... are you in love with mom?”

“I do love both you and your mother very much. But, it's more like the way an older brother loves his little sister. So I guess the answer to your question is both yes and no. Yes, I do love your mother deeply. But no I am not IN love with her.”

Dinky looks down at her hooves sadly. “Oh... I see.”

“I hope that's okay sweetheart. Has this been on your mind long?”

“Well... kinda.”

Arc nods soberly. “Have you spoken to your mother about it?”

“I have. She said that she loves you very much, but... well... she wasn't really sure how humans felt about the idea of love and marriage.”

“From what I have seen, it looks like ponies and humans treat love and marriage about the same way.”

Dinky looks up at Arc hopefully! “So... do you think you and mom might ever... you know... get married?”

Arc shakes his head. “I... don't think so Dinky.”

“Is it because mom’s a pony?”

“No Dinky, it's not that. It's just... look, can I tell you a secret?”

Dinky looks to her father surprised! “Sure dad! What is it?”

“You remember when we talked earlier about Buffalo Bull and how he almost killed Cherry?”

Dinky nods. “Yes, but what does that have to do with it?”

Arc sighs. “I'm sure you don't remember this but, after she got out of the hospital, your mother, Applejack, you and I escorted Cherry from Ponyville Hospital to back here. We had a great time eating and just sitting around talking the rest of the day. As night fell, she invited us to stay the night. We accepted and Derpy took you upstairs to bed shortly after Cherry and Ruby retired for the night.”

“Sorry dad, but I don't remember any of this!”

Arc nods. “I understand. You were very little at the time after all. In any case, I stayed downstairs sitting in front of the fireplace, just staring into the flames thinking.”

“What about?”

“Ironically, about the same thing you and I were just talking about. I just sat there for several hours thinking about Derpy and our relationship. About the time I came to a conclusion, there was the sound of hoofsteps coming down the stairs.”

“Was it mom?”

Arc shakes his head. “No. It was Cherry. She... wanted to talk to me about... our own relationship. And if I could ever think of her as my ‘special somepony’ as she put it.”

Dinky looks to her father, surprised. “Wait! So she told you she had feelings for you?!”

“Yes, she did.”

"And, what did you say?"

“I just told her that I already had so much to do that I didn't have time for a special somepony! And that was before I became the Hero of Light! Between you, Derpy and Ember... I really didn't want to have to split my attention any further than I was currently!”

Dinky looks down at her hooves, sadly. “Oh... I... didn't realize mom and I were such a burden to you.”

Arc puts an arm around Dinky’s small shoulders. “You're not! Listen to me, Dinky. I love you and your mother more than you can possibly imagine! You may see it as a burden, but I see it as just being there for my loved ones when they need me! Trust me, I've never been happier since I met the two of you!”

Dinky leans over to give Arc a hug! “Thanks dad! You make mom and I very happy too! There's just one other thing that bothered me about what mom said when we last talked about this.”

“Oh? What's that?”

“When I told her she should talk to you about this, she just kinda smiled at me and said she didn't mind if you... if you married somepony else! I just couldn't understand that! If she loves you so much, why would she be okay with that?!”

“Let me tell you something about love Dinky. Pay attention, because this is really important!”

Dinky turns her whole body to face Arc. “Okay dad! I'm listening!”

“When you truly love someone, you care more for them and their feelings than you do about yourself and your feelings. Now, I could be wrong about what Derpy is thinking but... knowing her like I do, I believe she would rather see me with someone else if they could make me happier than she could.”

“I... think I understand. But what about her?! What about her happiness?!”

“Derpy would be happy just knowing I was happy.”

Arc puts a hand on Dinky's head and pats it gently.

“If it makes you feel any better, with my current job and how busy it has me, I don't really have time to go out with anyone! But even if I did find someone else, that wouldn't change how much I love either one of you!”

Dinky nods happily. “Thanks dad! I'm really glad we had this talk! And I hope you find somepony who loves you as much as mom and I do someday!”

“And I feel the same way about you, sweetheart. I hope someday you can find a stallion who cares for you as much as I do. No hurry though!”

Dinky nods. “Yeah! I know what you meant dad! And if you want to marry somepony other than mom, like Cherry or something, I'm okay with that.”

“Who knows... maybe there is someone out there for me. Hey, how about Auriel?”

Dinky laughs. “Very funny, dad!”

Arc sticks his tongue out at Dinky playfully. “What? She's a very nice young lady!”

Dinky giggles. “Well, if she makes you happy dad, you have my permission!”

Both Dinky and Arc share a good laugh together.

“Well, I guess one never knows what the future holds.”

Dinky and Arc look over to Ember and Auriel. Their gunnysacks are about three quarters full.

“Dad?”

“Yes Dinky?”

Dinky turns to her father and grins mischievously. “I think it's about time you showed those two how it's really done.”

Arc stands up and picks up his own almost empty gunnysack. “Gladly.”

He walks over to a tree and kicks it hard. Nearly every cherry falls to the ground! Arc uses his magic to hold his bag upright as he concentrates and picks up nearly every cherry off the ground in a matter of seconds and drops them in the gunnysack! He closes the bag and carries it over to Auriel and Ember.

“I win.”

Ember and Auriel spin around and stare at the filled bag wide eyed.

“How did you DO that?!”

Arc grins! “Magic. You gotta love it.”

The four enjoy a good laugh together as Cherry and Ruby look on from nearby.

“They really are a nice little family, Arc and his friends, eh Cherry?”

Cherry nods. “Yes. I'm a bit jealous of them right now.”

“Really?”

“Yes. They're all so close to one another! I think Arc is the reason for that though. He just seems to bring everypony closer together just by being himself! I mean, look at us!”

Ruby sadly nods. “Yes. It is nice to be back together again after so many years.”

Cherry smiles. “I agree. Together without screaming at each other like we used to.”

“To tell you the truth, before when I visited here, I couldn't wait for it to be over! Now, I never want it to end!”

Cherry nods! “I feel the same way sister.”

She looks out at Arc and his little family.

“I do wish Derpy could have joined us. She's such a kind-hearted mare.”

Ruby looks over at her sister. “That's surprising! I would have thought you would have been glad she didn't come! Now you have Arc all to yourself!”

Cherry closes her eyes and smiles! “It's okay. Arc's the kind of individual who wants to be there for everypony. If I was in trouble, I know he would be here in a heartbeat! To tell you the honest truth... I don't know if there is a mare out there who is truly worthy of Arc's love! But that doesn't mean I'm just going to give up!”

The sisters are silent for a time.

“I know this might not be the best time, Cherry, but... about back then... the things we did to each other. What was said...”

Cherry puts her hoof in front of her sister's mouth. “Shhh... no sister. It's... it's in the past. I'm just so grateful to have you back!”

The sisters embrace.

“Thank you big sister. I... I'm just so happy to be home again.”

Comments

[Vapoure]

You use a lot of " ! " marks. It peeves me a little bit because you could do without so many, but I like the story regardless. Keep it up, your doing good.

[Kamahido]

9722364
Personally I don't much like Chronos either. But it's my wife's second favorite character, so I make a reference to it a few times throughout the story. Chronos was loosely based on Uatu from the Marvel comic series. It, like Uatu, doesn't play a very large role in the story, as they prefer to observe. Don't expect Chronos to take center stage at any point though, as it and Arc don't really hit it off very well.

[Kamahido]

9722992
Negative on the self levitation. Derpy is there to help his squad observe from a distance, because if she was left behind in Ponyville all she would do is worry. Dinky is there to act as a "plant". Much like how the police set up undercover officers to infiltrate criminal organizations.

[TundraicMagnus]

Dinky turns to the demon, her body still wrapped around Arc’s head. “Because you're not supposed to let stallions see your no-no parts like that!”

I summon the no no square

[Kamahido]

10302857
It was either that or a censor block.

[Snow]

As a small amusing note that Arc... probably isn't aware of: The hoof has several distinct parts. Among them are (but are not limited to): The frog, the inner portion of the hoof as distinct as the hollow area of the hoof; the 'wall' which is what we think of as the hoof itself, and is mostly keratin or a huge load-bearing fingernail; The 'heel', which is where most of the joints live; and the 'toe' which is the utmost tip of the hoof wall.

Dinky: Um, Miss Ember? Are you going on vacation in your armor?

D And, what did you say?

[Kamahido]

10579594
Fixed!

[GleamingKyler111]

Arc sits down on the couch. Never mind. Well, I guess there isn't much we can do now but wait. We should get comfortable, as this could take a while. That is if demon females are anything like human girls.

I'm feeling fit as a fiddle, thanks in no small part to you Arc! Congratulations on being chosen to become Equestria's next Hero of Light!”

Some more errors

[Kamahido]

11345643
Thanks. Fixed them.