An Alternate Arc

by Hye

A Different Outcome

Author's Note:

Warning: Spoilers for the original story near the end of the chapter.

As the resulting explosion blinded those watching, the two Heroes stared in disbelief as black blood exited her chest and was pulled into the spear, leaving her to hurl the spear away and Blinking the armor off before dropping to the ground and sobbing. Arc rushed to her and pulled her into a hug which she desperately returned, Ember quickly joining it.

From the confused and terrified group of stallions watching trotted up an Earth pony mare with a familiar rainbow mane, very light brown body, and green eyes.

“Heroes of Light and Tempest Shadow?’

To their semi-nervous nods, she secretly showed her Apple-shaped medallion with three ponies holding together an Apple, Orange, and Pear, respectively.

‘I would like to offer you three a drink. Family treat. First, to make a clean getaway…”

With a subtle scowl, the whole area was covered in freezing fog, allowing them to sneakily make their way downtown and into an Open Land Hotel. Straightening, the brother and sister receptionists activated the ‘Shadow Alarm’ as the mare on the right spoke.

“Miss Maker, Mr. Arc, and Miss Ember. We have the requested specialized equipment for Miss Shadow.”

Making subtle movements with her front hooves, the stallions in the back replaced the special anti-magic ring with light armor and a scarf. As they were carried out, the human, dragon, and unicorn trio were led by Weather to an old fashioned and charming restaurant to the right side of the entrance.

Being seated, they were given menus for drinks and food, the former two ordering some hearty meals while the latter two either observed or silently wept with a trembling grip on Arc’s chair. It was a testament to the chair’s construction that it wasn’t breaking from the strain being placed on it, even with the relaxing presence of Arc’s hand.

Trotting to them with a covered tray, irregular lumps on it, a unicorn mare with a red bow in her curly hair, red skirt, and white blouse bowed while keeping the tray aloft. Taking it off her back, she whipped off the fabric with a flourish, and with a dramatic twirl, transformed into-. CLONK! It was rudely interrupted with a bop to the back of the head by the real mare, leaving a rather unnerving abomination of Cami and her.

“Forgive my brother, but he doesn’t know when to be… Rational. My name is Close Listener.”

In response, he finished transforming into his Earth pony disguise, stuck his tongue out at her, then refocused on an astonished Shadow as he held the tray out. Hesitating while reaching towards the armor, he gently encouraged her to grab it, which was a sleek gold-silver combination of Day and Thestral. It was light enough to allow for flight; had camouflage, fire, and heat spells and runes engraved into it; and was reputed to be able to withstand the full force of Celestia herself blasting the poor soul wearing it out of Canterlot Castle while being severely damaged.

As she stared at it in disbelief, Arc gently tapped her shoulder, jolting her out of her trance. Bowing to Cami in thankfulness as she quickly wore the armor, he shook his head and tutted while lifting the long scarf. Grabbing it, she recognized that it was linked to the armor, being a fabric counterpart to the HoL’s rings and a flexible helmet. Finishing wearing the armor, she also wore the scarf and stared at herself in the mirror provided, tears of joy falling.

“H-how were you able to get into their good graces? There aren’t-.’

She grins and shakes her head at the realization.

‘Applejack. She had to claim that both of you were rookie Bodyguards, right? To be honest, I’m surprised that they’re-.”

Close Listener interjected with a smile as the food came and the couple began eating.

“Of course we, the MC’s, would. Why wouldn’t we want to show appreciation to Cherry’s saviors, the new owners of Dodge Junction, and the Heroes of Light?”

That brought deafening quietness crashing around them, the trio turning as one and staring at the other befuddled trio, Ember speaking up with a stutter as crumbs fell from her mouth.

“I-I’m sorry, but… ‘Owners’? How-?”

Cami spoke up while shapeshifting into Arc, standing up and pretending to fight while expertly keeping his balance.

“Cherry’s marriage was, in every sense of the word, legal. That joined her and Bill’s businesses together, and since he owned almost everything in D.J except for Filthy’s shop, that makes the two of you owners in all but name. Wha- you don’t know, then.

She was tired of everything going on in The Families, so she signed ownership of Cherry-Bill Corp over to the two of you this morning. Along with the money you two have from everything else you’ve done; I calculate that both of you have around 12 million bits… each.”

Once again, the silence crashed around them, Arc and Ember now turning towards each other and staring in shock. Stuttering, they tried to deny what they were told, but the small and non-apologetic smiles from the three family members told them otherwise. As the gears began turning in Arc’s head, he turned to Close Listener and asked.

“So… What does that mean for… us? We have no idea how to run a company, or a town, for that matter.”

Cami leaned until his upper body was parallel to the floor, staring uncomfortably at the duo. This prompted Tempest to forcefully cough while glaring at him. In response, he merely shifted to staring at her, which caused them to enter into a stare-off. Almost instantly, Listener grabbed her brother’s ear and twisted it until he transformed back and apologized. Accepting it, Tempest nevertheless felt like she needed to have the last word.

“Any time, any place, just the two of us.”

With a blink of surprise and a warm smirk, he accepted with a hoof shake and a nod, which she returned. After he transformed back into his usual disguise, he finally explained.

“The Family will take over the day-to-day aspects of running the business. You two will only be involved in the larger decisions. Sounds good?”

Thinking it over a bit, they hesitatingly nod. Suddenly, Close interrupted while flicking her ears to her right.

“Trouble on the coast. Foals are falling asleep and are unable to wake up. A few have almost drowned. Some suspect mermaids. Others, Changelings.’

She stood up while lighting up her horn to communicate with the rest of her family.

‘Lu? We’ll need your strength. Mom, your food spells. Bodyguards? Meet us at Beach Boulevard.’

Darkening her horn, she speaks to their guests.

‘You three are free to come and observe or enjoy the food.”

Looking as one at each other, they devoured the food and got up, armor appearing on their bodies as they did so. With a flash of her horn, the group disappeared from the restaurant and reappeared on the sidewalk of the aforementioned street. A moment later, another group of ponies appeared next to them.

As the foals were fed the food and awakened, Lu stood silently, ears twitching as they swiveled. Suddenly turning to the south, her strength lent itself to her speed as she left her escorting bodyguards in the literal dust. She was a speck to an astonished Ember, Arc, and Shadow as she leapt into the air and landed into the mouth of a barely noticeable cave.

As Lu fully entered, Listener’s ears began twitching and rotating aimlessly as her fur stood on end, eyes fully dilated and wide open. Cami noticed and produced a notepad, pen, and recorder.

“Mom?! Close is about to hear ‘The Other World’ again.

Arc, Em? Don’t freak out. You too, Ms. Shadow.”

[SPOILERS]

They first hear Luna’s and Twilight’s voices.

“Celestia.”

“Your sister?”

“She’s not-.”

That led to audible shock by everyone there, Listener struggling to stand. Just as quickly, they then hear Tempest’s and Dinky’s voices.

“You’re just like your father, Dinky.”

“How so?”

“He was one of the few stallions in my adult life to be able to look me in the eye without-.”

The two mentioned beings glanced at each other in surprise, curiosity, and shock, with Close falling to her knees. Dinky’s voice rang out again, followed by Cherry’s, Tempest’s again, then Apple Bloom, and ending with Cherry.

“Miss Cherry, are you ABSOLUTELY certain of this?!”

“Yes! I saw the whole thing happen! She stabbed your father with her horn before throwing him aside!”

“But why would she do that?!”

“I don’t know! Decimus- and the princess… she… she shot Arc with all her might!”

“That- doesn’t- sense! Everypony knows Princess Celestia is kind and honest!”

“Well, in that moment all I saw was a vicious ANIMAL!”

A sweating Close Listener finally collapsed while a snarling, denying, and trembling Ember hugged Arc protectively, almost everypony around them gasping and whispering denials. Then, a few more words rang out in a whisper.

“You’re not having second thoughts again are you, Big Brother?”

“Kinda. Like I said before, I do want to remember my life before this happened. But I’m still kinda worried that I’ll learn just how bad I really am.”

That threw the gossip ball through town, with ponies spreading the news and speculating what spells could have been cast to cause Arc to forget his life so thoroughly. The conclusion everyone independently came to was that it was the fault of the “busy” Princess Celestia, leading to Ember and Tempest shaking in near demonic and volcanic fury, their eyes glowing golden-green and red, respectively. While Cami tended to his sister, Lu came back with a Changeling over her shoulder, leading a crowd of ponies who were twins to almost everypony there.

It quickly led to panic as the fakes quickly disappeared and tried to flee, only to get stopped by the commanding voice of Cami. The localized roaring wind of Maker also knocked them to their knees and threatened to crush them into the cobblestone.

“I’ll give you five seconds to tell me where it is.’

Trembling, they refused.

“How can you threaten somelings that never existed? Three. COME ON, WRACK YOUR BRAINS! You might be able to come up with some lame excuse to go on living! In Two. On-!”

With a flash of their horn, one in the very back told him what he wanted to know, both siblings letting the crowd up and turning them over to The Family’s Police. Escorting the protective duo and graceful Arc back to Open Land, they offered to put them up in the nicest room they had to offer, which was accepted.

Ember and Arc washed each other in one bathroom while Tempest washed herself in another.

“I swear, nothing will happen to you as long as I live, Arc. Nothing.”