The Equestrian Odyssey - A Tale of Two Worlds

Turning, the pair leave the audience chambers together. As the doors close behind them, Auriel puts a claw against a wall as she breathes a sigh of relief.

“That… was terrifying!”

Arc raises an eyebrow. “It was?”

Auriel nods. “Yes. I’ve never had the courage to stand up to my father before.”

“Must be your desire to see your mother again.”

“Truth be told, it would actually be the first time.”

Arc gestures away from the door. “Shall we get moving then?”

Auriel grimaces. “Yes. Let’s.”

They make their way back to the entrance of the palace. As they step outside, Auriel turns to Arc as she raises a hood to obscure her identity.

“Um… can I ask you something, sir?”

“Sure. And my name is Arc, Princess Auriel.”

“Okay. But please just call me ‘Auriel’.”

“If that’s what you want, then alright. But what’s your question?”

“Was what you told my father true?”

Arc raises an eyebrow. “Huh?”

“About my mother’s fate.”

Arc nods. “Yes.”

“Forgive me, but it was a very hard to believe tale.”

“Then why did you believe it?”

Auriel looks back toward the palace. “Because I read the reports made by those whom examined my mother’s laboratory. The schematics she left behind did point to some kind of transmogrification being attempted.”

Arc raises an eyebrow. “You… you mean you knew?”

Auriel sighs. “Yes.”

Arc folds his arms over his chest. “I kinda got the feeling that you weren’t supposed to though.”

Auriel grimaces. “You would be correct. My father sealed any and all information surrounding my mother’s disappearance long ago. However, some time ago when I was in the archives looking for some information on another topic, I… may have decided to take a peek.”

“That along with me knowing your mother’s name was enough for you?”

Auriel shakes her head. “Truthfully, I never actually knew her name. My father didn’t like talking about her very much.”

“He must miss her terribly.”

“Yes, I would assume so. But we should get underway now.”

“Not quite yet.”

Auriel appears confused. “You have other business to attend to in the city?”

Arc nods. “That I do. You see, the land of Equestria is that of darkness and chaos at the moment. Before going to the palace to see your father, I went to a certain apothecary here in town in order to secure medical supplies for our group.”

“I’m sure that didn’t go to plan.”

“Kinda did.”

Auriel gasps. “How though? I mean, everyone knows that dealing with the Equestrians is an offense punishable by death.”

“True. But some things are worth the risk.”

“I’m afraid that I don’t get your meaning.”

Arc chuckles. “You’ll see soon enough. But in any case, let’s go see if my order is ready yet.”

Making the walk back toward the apothecary shop, Arc and Auriel turn a corner to see a number of the thugs from earlier that day. Arc looks to them evenly as he speaks.

“Hello again.”

The one appearing to be the new leader seethes.

“YOU?!”

Arc clenches a fist. “Want to try and extort me again?”

“I’ll…!”

The punk stops talking as he sees Auriel standing nervously behind Arc and the new insignia on his armor. Backing up slowly, he grimaces.

“N-no need! You’re free to go, sir! Please, forgive us!”

They all quickly draw back from the pair and allow them to pass. Arc turns to Auriel as they continue on.

“That was a nice surprise. Them cooperating for once, that is.”

Auriel turns to him. “You’ve dealt with their kind before?”

Arc nods. “I have, yes. Gave them a bit of a beating earlier today actually. Sorry for not taking a different route. But I kinda figured that they would have learned their lesson from earlier and moved on.”

Auriel sighs. “It’s fine. After all, they knew what would be coming for them if they didn’t cooperate with your orders.”

“What do you mean?”

Auriel turns and taps the insignia her father gave Arc. “This badge marks you as a royal agent. Its sight is something that every demon is taught from an early age. Everyone knows that ignoring an order from an agent of the king is a crime punishable by death.”

She looks around before continuing.

“That and they knew about the other agents all around us.”

Arc raises an eyebrow. “Other agents?”

Auriel nods. “My father does let me leave the palace with him and a contingent of guards from time to time. On one occasion, when a bar fight broke out as we were passing by, they got a bit too close to my entourage. The guard assigned to protect me whistled and pointed at them. And before I knew what was happening, my father’s shadow agents were slaughtering them mercilessly.”

Arc glances behind him. “And you think they’re all around us even now?”

“I guarantee it. Which is why that mugger was suddenly so nervous when he saw me and you clenching a fist.”

Arc chuckles. “He probably thought I was going to have him turned into hamburger meat?”

“Well, the situation certainly could have gone that way, yes. After all, everyone knows that my father would never allow anything bad to happen to me here in his city.”

She sighs before continuing.

“But once we leave this place we’ll be totally on our own. Something I’ve never actually done before.”

“Guess we’d better get moving then. Wouldn’t want those agents to get bored.”

Continuing on their way, Arc and Auriel reach the shop. Arc pushes open the door and allows Auriel to enter first. Glancing around, he spies a large crate in the center of the floor. Walking over to it Arc looks inside to see a large number of jars filled with a strange looking substance. Auriel joins him and picks up one of the jars. Sniffing around the cap she turns to him.

“This would appear to be healing balm.”

Arc turns to her. “Is it the good stuff?”

Auriel nods as she continues sniffing. “It smells like it is, yes.”

Arc folds his arms over his chest. “Good. I’d like to think that I bought the best. Even though I have absolutely no idea just how much money I gave this shop owner.”

Auriel raises an eyebrow. “That doesn’t sound like it was thought out very well.”

Arc shrugs. “Well the way I figured it was if I got ripped off all I’d have lost would have been the money I took from those thugs earlier.”

“You may have though.”

“Oh?”

Auriel points to the crate again. “The shop keeper could have easily put another layer of jars in here.”

Arc groans. “Yeah, about that.”

The sound of footsteps approaching them rings out. A curtain separating the back room from the shop is pushes aside as Esther walks in carrying Rebme. She sets him down next to the crate as she looks to Arc and speaks.

“Here is your order, sir.”

Arc nods. “Yes, we were just looking it over.”

Looking over at the hooded figure, Esther turns back to Arc.

“It is okay to speak in front of them?”

“Yes, she’s with me.”

Esther breathes a sigh of relief. “Good! For a moment there I thought we were in trouble.”

She puts a claw on the side of the box before continuing.

“As agreed, I’ve made as much salve as I could with what you gave me. How will you be paying in the future?”

“It’ll have to be something other than money, as I don’t exactly have a steady supply of demon currency.”

“I’d be willing to trade for gems and precious metals. Those are the easiest things to barter with here in Vengeance.”

“Then that’s what I’ll bring next time.”

“Good.”

Looking down at Rebme, she sighs as she picks the little demon up. Smiling at the little one, she looks to Arc pleadingly.

“Might I have a few moments with her before you leave?”

Arc nods. “Sure. I can wait a while.”

Carrying Rebme over to the counter, Esther sets her down. Taking the child’s claws in hers, Esther speaks.

“You’re going on a little trip, Rebme.”

“Where to, mommy?”

“A magical land filled with yummy food and clean air.”

Rebme looks suddenly excited. “I am?! How?!”

Esther points to Arc. “This customer and his friend will be taking you there.”

Rebme frowns. “What about you, mommy?”

Esther looks away nervously. “I… mother need to stay here and run the shop.”

Rebme gasps. “But… but who’s going to read me bedtime stories and give me hugs then?!”

“Well… I’m sure someone over there can do that for me.”

Arc nods. “Yes, there are a number of younger foals there whom would be your friends.”

Rebme appears confused. “What are ‘friends’?”

Esther stammers. “They’re… um…”

Arc interrupts her. “Individuals whom play with you and make you laugh and help you feel at home.”

Rebme smiles. “That sounds like fun!”

Esther picks her daughter up and hugs her. “You be good over there, Rebme.”

Rebme hugs her back. “I will, mommy!”

Walking over to the crate, Esther lays her daughter on top of the jars before picking a sack from the counter. Laying it next to the young demon, she again speaks.

“I put your clothes in there, little one. And your toys too.”

“YAY!”

Esther picks up the wooden top and looks down at her child.

“But right now we have to play a little game.”

“What kind of game, mommy?”

“It’s… like hide and seek. You see, to get to this place you have to hide first. And mommy already got you the best hiding spot ever. Inside one of her shipping crates.”

Rebme looks around. “But I’m not allowed in your crates, mommy!”

Esther smiles sadly. “You can this once, dear. Now then, be a good little demon and don’t make a sound until the crate is opened again.”

“You’ll come later, right mommy?!”

Esther nods as a tear courses down her cheek. “I… I’ll do my best to visit when I can.”

As she moves to put the cover on, Auriel steps forward and speaks.

“Um… excuse me. But what exactly is going on here?”

Esther sighs as she looks to Arc. “This is just his part of the deal.”

Arc nods. “I’m to bring her daughter to Equestria.”

Auriel looks to Esther. “What about you though?”

“There’s too much debt in my name for me to be moving around. Were I to try, those watching me would retaliate against my little one and this shop to leave me with nothing.”

Arc sighs. “She’s going to be working from here for those of us back at base to make medicine for our…”

Auriel interrupts him. “I don’t understand the logic of this arrangement at all. Wouldn’t it be significantly more efficient for her to come with us? She could make the medicine there instead of you having to transport it to and fro.”

Esther shakes her head. “Like I said, my debtors wouldn’t allow such a thing.”

Auriel gasps. “So you’re just giving up your child?!”

Arc puts a hand on her shoulder. “To give her a chance at a better life, yes. Kinda like what your father is doing for you, Auriel.”

Esther appears confused. “Auriel? As in… P-P-Princess Auriel?!”

Lowering her hood, Auriel looks to the demoness as Esther stumbles backward into the medical crate. Rebme puts out her small hands to help her mother stay upright as she stammers.

“Y-your highness! I’m…! To what do I own this extreme honor?”

“Equestria’s Hero of Light and I will be leaving Tartarus very soon along with your daughter. But answer me this. Would you like to come with us as well?”

Esther nods fervently. “Yes, your majesty! Moreso than anything else in the world! But as I said earlier, I am held to this place due to my extreme debt!”

Auriel nods soberly. “I see. However, if you were to stay close to me, I am certain that those whom are tasked with keeping you here would not dare approach.”

She turns to Arc before continuing.

“Wouldn’t you agree, my protector?”

Arc nods. “Right. And if they do, I’ll have them taken care of.”

Esther bows respectfully. “That would be wonderful, your highness! I would be willing to give all that I have in my possession to your cause upon resettling in Equestria should you have need of it!”

Auriel shakes her head. “As we don’t have servants to carry our baggage that would not work very well. Please pack light, as we have a long walk to the Gates of Tartarus.”

Arc chuckles. “That will not be necessary.”

Esther appears confused. “Sir?”

“Is there anyone else here at the moment?”

Esther shakes her head. “No sir. Just Rebme and myself.”

Arc opens the front door. “Everyone step outside please.”

Esther picks up Rebme and carries her outside as Auriel puts up her hood and follows them. As Arc closes the door behind them, he takes a few steps away from the building before turning around and holding up a gauntlet. The building quickly begins to shrink until it is roughly the size of a watermelon. Kneeling down, Arc carefully picks it up and stows the building safely in his magic ring. Auriel and Esther gasp.

“Sir, how did you…?!”

Rebme looks to her mother. “Mommy, where did our house go?”

“I don’t really understand it myself, dear!”

Auriel looks to Arc’s ring. “Shrinking magic and a pocket dimension.”

Arc nods. “You know of such things?”

Auriel grins as she looks to his gauntlet. “That I do. And it seems that there is more to you than meets the eye, sir. Who are you really?”

Arc shrugs. “Like I told you before, I’m Equestria’s Hero of Light.”

Esther bows respectfully. “We shall follow you then, oh great Hero of Light.”

“Alright. But it’s just ‘Arc’ though.”

Looking to Auriel, he continues.

“Now that we have Esther and Rebme though, I’ve done nearly everything came here to do.”

Auriel appears confused. “Oh? But what else…?”

Arc cuts her off as he turns to leave. “You’ll see.”

Making his way back to the main boulevard, Arc and his companions come to the city gates. However, as they do so a number of angry looking, burly demons suddenly block their way. Arc looks to them cooly as he motions for Auriel and Esther to stop. Turning his attention to those whom now block their path he speaks.

“Something I can do for you?”

The leader points to Esther. “Your party has a female whom is currently under contract!”

Arc folds his arms over his head. “Oh really?”

The demon points to Esther. “You will return to your shop at once!”

“But, I…!”

Arc interrupts her. “Please know that I understand your position here and your place in this city. However, at the same time you also need to understand that this young demon has agreed to work for my… organization.”

“You will not leave this city!”

Arc frowns. “Is that your final answer on this matter?”

With a flick of his gauntlet, Arc pushes aside his cloak to expose the insignia King Malevolence gave him before continuing.

“Sure you want to do this?”

The demon scoffs. “Clearly a fake.”

Arc clenches a fist. “Wanna find out?”

Auriel steps forward and lowers her hood. “It’s real though! My father gave it to him personally!”

Chuckling, the demon looks to Esther. “You really went all out with this charade!”

Esther grimaces as she steps behind Arc. “Look, all I want to do is leave the city with my daughter. Can’t you just let us do so in peace?”

“Sorry. But I have my orders. Now then, turn around and walk home… now.”

Arc sighs. “Oh well. I tried to be reasonable.”

Pointing a finger at the demons blocking their way, Arc whistles loudly. Arc and company watch as a number of shady looking guards leap from nearby buildings, alleyways, and even from within the crowd. Esther pulls Rebme close to her body to shield the little one’s eyes as the opponents are quickly slaughtered to the last. As the guards finish their task, they quickly return to their places in the shadows. Arc looks to Auriel and grimaces.

“Uh… should we get a mop, or something?”

Auriel sighs. “No need to do such a thing. The palace will send out a cleanup crew shortly.”

Esther turns to Arc with a claw still over Rebme’s face. “We should probably move on though. sir.”

Arc nods. “Agreed. This way.”

Leading them out through the city gates, Arc and his cohorts make their way to the Vile Tribe’s base. Banging on the doors with a gauntlet, he looks up to see the sentries peeking over.

“It’s again.”

The sentry nods stoically. “Mythic Honor is waiting for you at the Town Hall.”

Arc frowns. “Then open the doors and let us in.”

Shaking his head, the sentry points a hoof at Auriel, Esther, and Rebme. “You can Blink up here. But your… companions will need to stay outside.”

Arc shakes his head. “Are you joking? It’s not exactly safe out here.”

“It’s for security purposes.”

Arc draws the Spear of Righteousness from his ring and points it at the gates. “I don’t have to simply go over them, you know! Through is also an option here!”

“You’re bluffing!”

“Am I?!”

The sentry gasps. “But that would endanger everypony here!”

“Then might I suggest that you simply open them like I told you to?!”

There is a tense few moments as Arc and the sentry stare each other down. Eventually Arc breaks the silence.

“Look, we can all just stay inside the entrance and be surrounded by your guards if you’d like. But you need to understand that I am NOT leaving these three out here all alone!”

“But…!”

Arc stomps his foot angrily. “END OF DISCUSSION!”

Sighing, the sentry pulls his head in and disappears from sight. A few moments later the gates slowly open and innumerable guards point their weapons at the group. Rebme buries her face in her mother’s shoulder as Arc positions himself in front of the trio. Walking slowly inside the walls, Arc and company see what appears to be the entire population of the Vile Tribe have gathered to watch. As the massive gates are closed behind the group, Mythic Honor makes his way through the guards to stand before Arc.

“Well now, this sure is a surprise! More guests! You just missed some big fellah a few hours ago!”

Arc frowns. “I did?”

Mythic Honor nods. “Yup!”

“What did he look like?”

Mythic Honor puts a hoof to his chin. “Well, he was really tall, and walked on his hind legs! That and he had on some really scary looking armor too! Kinda like what you’re wearing.”

Arc rolls his eyes. “Are you talking about my first visit?”

Mythic Honor gasps. “That was you?!”

Arc groans. “Yes, it was. Now then, as I stated previously, I came back to hear what you came up with regarding my earlier proposal.”

“Uh… which one would that be?!”

A sentry calls out. “I believe he’s talking about us leaving Tartarus, sir.”

Mythic Honor gestures to the town. “What?! But who would want to leave all this behind?!”

The sentry sighs as he looks to Arc. “We called a town meeting after you left to tell everypony about the offer.”

Mythic Honor grins. “Oh right! That meeting!”

Arc appears hopeful “And what was the consensus?”

Mythic Honor shakes his head. “We’re all staying here!”

Esther gasps. “What?! But your lives are most certainly terrible in this place!”

Mythic Honor shrugs. “It sorta seems bad at first! But after a little while you grow to hate it!”

Auriel motions to the gates. “Then come with us!”

A curious sentry steps forward to get a better look under Auriel’s hood. “Wait a moment!”

Mythic Honor raises an eyebrow. “What?! Does she have something from lunch on her face?!”

The sentry gasps and turns to Mythic Honor. “Sir! This individual is none other than Princess Auriel! King Malevolence’s daughter!”

The rest of the sentries step toward Auriel as Arc gently pushes her behind him and calls out menacingly.

“Hey! All of you back off!”

Mythic Honor waves his hooves. “Wait a minute! That’s Princess Auriel! Why didn’t somepony say something?!”

Another sentry growls. “What is she doing here?!”

Auriel grimaces. “I just… um…!”

Arc cuts her off. “She’s with me! That’s all any of you need to know!”

Pulling his guardanium knife from his ring, Arc slashes cleanly and effortlessly through several of the sentry’s spears closest to him as he continues.

“If you want to get to her, then you’ll have to go through me first!”

The disarmed sentries slowly back up as Mythic Honor looks to Arc.

“Well… getting back to the matter at hoof, nopony here volunteered to leave. So I think you might be wasting your time and our spears at this point!”

Arc looks around at the ponies nearby. “Is that really how all of you feel?”

They nod silently as Arc sighs and taps his chin thoughtfully.

“Alright, I do understand where all of you are coming from. Equestria is a land in turmoil right now. So how about I offer an alternative?”

Mythic Honor tilts his head to one side. “What did you have in mind?!”

“A trade deal. The Equestrians will be in need large quantities of body armor that is tough, easy to produce, and moves quietly. And in return we can provide items that you don’t have here. Professionally made furniture, record players, books, reagents, and maybe even some tools.”

Mythic Honor grins. “That sounds like and even better bargain than the ones we made with the beetles!”

Arc appears confused. “What deal would that be?”

“Well, we can use them for food, to make armor, and pull wagons! And in return…!”

He taps his chin for a few moments, thinking. Eventually, Mythic Honor shrugs.

“You know, I can’t remember what it is that we give them in return!”

Arc rolls his eyes. “Yes, well… in any case, this will all be contingent on the leadership of our organization agreeing to these terms. So how about we trade for a single suit of armor so I can show them what they’d be getting?

Mythic Honor grins. “What’ve you got to trade?!”

Thinking for a few moments, Arc pulls a few books from his ring. Holding them out to Mythic Honor, he speaks as the stallion takes them.

“Here’s a book on engineering, one on various animals of the world outside of Tartarus, another is a medical textbook, and I’ll throw in Daring Do’s latest book for good measure.”

Mythic Honor appears confused as he looks up. “Daring… what now?”

“It’s a book about… you know what, you’ll just have to read it for yourself. So, do we have a deal?”

Mythic Honor grins as he motions to the warehouse. “Sure! We’ll give you two suits of chitin armor for these! Somepony go get those!”

Arc nods to Mythic Honor as a different stallion runs to carry out the orders. “Anything in particular that you want in the future to trade for?”

“Top priority…! Cord!”

Arc raises an eyebrow. “Cord?”

Mythic Honor nods fervently as he pulls a pony-like figure out of his robe and holds it up proudly. “For macrame, of course!”

A sentry steps toward Mythic Honor. “Sir, might I suggest something that the entire tribe could use?”

“We can all use macrame though!”

“Perhaps something to make our lives more comfortable.”

The rest of the ponies nod as Arc chimes in.

“How about real mattresses?”

Mythic Honor raises an eyebrow. “Uh… what are those?!”

Arc rolls his eyes. “Something soft to sleep on.”

“Never heard of them! Are they edible?!”

Arc facepalms. “I’ll bring one by to show you what I mean.”

A sentry from up on the wall suddenly calls out.

“Mythic Honor! A great number of demon soldiers have just left the capital!”

Mythic Honor shrugs. “No reason to panic over something like that! They’re probably just on maneuvers, or something!”

“They’re heading this way, and fast!”

“Never mind! This is a perfect time to panic!”

Auriel looks to Arc. “It’s most likely because I went inside the Vile Tribe’s base. My father probably thinks I’ve been captured.”

Arc grimaces. “We’d better get moving then.”

Turning to Mythic Honor, Arc continues.

“I’ll come back with some stuff for you to look over in a day or so when I have some time.”

Mythic Honor grins. “We’ll be waiting!”

Turning, Arc watches as the gates open. Stepping outside the walls with Auriel, Esther, and Rebme, they are quickly closed behind them. Making their way back to the main path, Arc motions for them to stop.

“We should wait for those soldiers to get here.”

Esther appears confused. “Why sir?”

“To reassure them, and the king by proxy, that Auriel here is just fine.”

Auriel nods. “A simple but important task.”

A short time later the demon guards approach the group. The commanding officer walks over to Auriel and kneels respectfully.

“Lady Auriel, are you well?”

“Yes, I’m just fine.”

Arc points to the Vile Tribe’s base. “We just had some business to conduct in there.”

“What kind of ‘business’.”

Arc narrows his eyes. “The Equestrian kind. Which I do not believe has anything at all to do with you, the king, or the city of Vengeance.”

The pair stare each other down as Auriel steps between them in order to intervene.

“In any case, you can report to my father that I am fine and that we will be heading to the Gates of Tartarus now.”

The officer salutes. “We shall escort you there, Lady Auriel.”

“Very well. Let us be off.”

The demon guards join Arc and his allies on their trip to the Gates of Tartarus. As they arrive, the officer in charge turns to Auriel and salutes.

“Here we are, Lady Auriel. But what business could you possibly have way out here in the middle of nowhere?”

Auriel nods to the officer. “Thank you for the escort. However, I need to carry on without you now.”

“Lady Auriel?”

Stepping toward the Gates of Tartarus, Auriel looks through them for a long moment before taking a deep breath and stepping forward. The demon guards assembled gasp as she passes through them unhindered. Turning back around, she holds out a hand toward Esther whom follows her through with Rebme. Arc looks to the guards and breaks the silence.

“Tell the king that his daughter has made it safely to Equestria. I’ll take it from here.”

The officer cries out. “Wait!”

Arc turns back to him. “Yes?”

“The king sent us here to bring Lady Auriel back to the palace after she was supposed to be stopped by the barrier!”

Arc raises an eyebrow. “But he knew where we were going.”

“He simply assumed that there was no escape and had hoped to instill that into his daughter, sir! What am I supposed to tell him now?!”

“Just what I told you to. That we’ve departed Tartarus and Auriel is safe.”

Turning, Arc himself walks through the Gates of Tartarus to join Auriel, Esther, and Rebme on the Equestrian side. Rebme is the first to speak as she looks around.

“So this is Equestria?! It looks just like Tartarus to me!”

Esther turns to Arc. “Where exactly are we now?”

“In a cave in the middle of nowhere. The exit is right over here.”

Leading the group toward the mouth of the cave, Arc steps outside and takes a deep breath as he continues.

“Ah! Much better!”

Auriel gasps as she looks around. “Is this…?!”

Arc nods. “Yes. This is Equestria.”

Esther looks around, clearing astonished. “It’s so warm even though it’s night!”

Rebme points a claw at the ground. “Mommy! What’s that?!”

“I… don’t really know, Rebme.”

Arc looks over to them. “It’s called ‘grass’.”

Rebme reaches out toward the ground with both fingers. “Can I touch it?!”

“Sure.”

Esther leans over and sits down on the ground with Rebme. The young demon cautiously steps down onto the green grass before getting down on all fours and rolling around.

“This feels great!”

Esther sits down with her daughter and rubs the grass with a claw. “That it does.”

Auriel looks to Arc. “What exactly is ‘grass’ though?”

“A number of small plants that make the ground softer and act as food for some animals.”

Auriel kneels down to inspect the grass. “So we can eat it?”

Arc shakes his head. “Can, but probably shouldn’t.”

Rebme looks up at the sky. “When will it be morning?! I wanna see that thingy in the sky from the fairy tales!”

Esther giggles. “You mean the ‘sun’.”

“Yeah, that!”

Arc sighs. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to wait. The sun doesn’t rise over Equestria anymore.”

Auriel raises an eyebrow. “Oh? Why not?”

“We’re not fully sure. But it has to have something to do with the trouble in Canterlot. That’s the capital of Equestria, mind you.”

Esther pats the grass next to her. “So, are we going to rest here?”

Arc shakes his head. “No, we should probably get back to our base. You three can rest there.”

Holding out his gauntlet, Arc opens a portal. The three demons instinctively step back. Auriel is the first to speak.

“What is that?!”

Arc points to it. “A portal that will take us to the base.”

“Is it… safe?!”

Arc nods. “Oh, yes. I’ve taken any number of them over the years. It’s a very smooth ride.”

Rebme grins. “Let’s go then!”

Before anyone can stop her, the little demon bounds through as her mother gasps and runs in after her. Arc looks to Auriel as she hesitates.

“Come on. It’ll be fine.”

Auriel grimaces. “A-alright. If you say so.”

Stepping forward nervously, Auriel puts a claw into the swirling energies. Feeling cool air on the other side, she steps through as Arc follows close behind her. They find themselves in the Main Hall of Light’s Hope with every stallion and mare staring at them nervously as Rebme runs over to a nearby window and presses her face to it excitedly.

“Is that Equestria out there?!”

Arc nods. “Kinda. It’s more than just our country.”

Auriel turns to Arc. “There’s more than one country?”

“Yes. The Dragon Lands, Abyssinia, the Crystal Empire, and the Griffon Kingdom. Amongst others, that is.”

Esther joins her daughter. “So we’re high up in the sky then?”

“On the moon actually. “

Auriel gasps. “The moon?!”

Arc shrugs. “It’s the one place that we’re safe. At least for the time being, that is.”

He turns and motions for them to follow him.

“But in any case, let’s head to my quarters. We can sit down and talk there.”

Turning to the stallion behind the desk, Arc continues.

“Have the base’s leadership come to my room as soon as possible for a full debriefing.”

The stallion salutes as he picks up a phone. Leading them to his quarters, Arc pushes the door open to allow them entrance. Esther gasps as Rebme’s eyes dart all around the room.

“This is a very nice room, sir!”

Rebme nods. “It sure is big!”

Auriel smiles at Arc. “Fitting od someone important, I would imagine.”

Arc chuckles as he closes the door behind them. “It’s actually the simplest room in the place. I’m not much for fancy surroundings.”

Motioning to the table, Arc continues.

“Have a seat everyone. Should I call for something to eat?”

Rebme nods happily. “I’m starving!”

Esther gestures to her daughter. “She can have mine.”

Arc shakes his head. “No need for that. We have plenty of food here.”

Looking to Auriel, he smiles.

“And you?”

Auriel shakes her head. “Nothing for me, thank you.”

Arc picks up the phone. “Alright. I’ll have something brought here.”

A short time later there is a knock at the door. Arc opens it with a Telekinesis Spell as he finishes talking on the phone. Cherry, Spitfire, and Tempest enter together. Looking to those around the table for a moment, Tempest calls out to Arc without taking her eyes off of them.

“I’m nearly afraid to ask this, but why are there demons outside of Tartarus, Hero of Light?”

Arc walks over to the table to stand between Auriel and Esther. “Because they were able to walk out of there.”

Spitfire frowns. “Fine and dandy. But what are they doing here?”

Arc sighs. “Help.”

Cherry appears confused. “Help?”

Arc nods. “Yes. But I suppose introductions are in order.”

Gesturing to Esther, Arc continues.

“This is Esther, an apothecary of sorts from the Tartarus capital city of Vengeance.”

Esther bows her head respectfully. “It is an honor to be here, your highnesses.”

Cherry smiles nervously. “Oh! Um… th-thank you, but we’re not royalty.”

Arc nods. “Right. They’re just in charge of the base and this organization.”

Spitfire shrugs. “More or less, yeah.”

Tempest rolls her eyes. “Whatever.”

Arc continues. “This is her daughter, Rebme.”

Rebme smiles. “Hi!”

“And this is Auriel. Daughter of King Malevolence.”

Tempest raises an eyebrow. “The king of… Tartarus?”

Auriel nods nervously. “Yes. My father rules over that land.”

Cherry gestures toward the window. “And you just kinda… walked out of that place?”

“That I did. You see, I was born in Tartarus rather than being banished to that place for a crime of sorts.”

Cherry puts a hoof to her chin thoughtfully. “I suppose that makes sense.”

Spitfire frowns. “What you say may very well be true. However, how do we know that we can trust you?”

She turns to Esther before continuing.

“That goes for you as well.”

Auriel shrugs. “I suppose that at this point in time you can’t.”

Spitfire raises an eyebrow. “Eh?”

“Neither of us have had time to do anything good or bad yet.”

Esther chimes in. “But I’d like to be given the chance to show my skills.”

Auriel smiles. “We both would.”

Rebme giggles. “My mommy is really smart! She can treat pretty much anything!”

Cherry looks to Tempest. “That could be helpful. After all, we don’t have any kind of medical staff around here.”

Tempest snorts. “True. But that doesn’t mean we should trust the first individual whom comes by though.

Spitfire nods matter of factly. “Right. For all we know she could be working for Canterlot.”

Arc folds his arms over his chest. “That seems kind of unlikely. What with her being in Tartarus her whole life up until recently.”

Cherry nods. “Yes, they both should be able to prove themselves. And we do really need the help right now.”

Esther Admittedly, I’m not actually a doctor. My customers back in Tartarus would generally get a diagnosis from a medical practitioner before coming to me for the proper herbal concoction. But I can treat various health issues with the compounds found in my shop.

Arc removes the shrunken crate from his magic ring and sets it down on the floor. “Here’s what I bargained for earlier today.”

Casting the Matter Compacting counter spell, Arc brings the crate back up to full size. Opening it he pulls out a jar and sets it in the middle of the table.

“Medicinal salve.”

Tempest looks it over. “That could be very useful for those injured in the field.”

Spitfire turns to Esther. “How good it is?”

“It cuts the recovery time down to around half as well as preventing infections.”

Cherry picks up a jar and opens it. “Smells a bit… strange to me.”

Auriel shrugs. “Well, it was made with reagents found in Tartarus.”

Tempest nods. “I suppose that makes sense. But at the same time, can I assume that you don’t have any knowledge on how pony herbal remedies work?”

Esther shakes her head. “No, we only had information that’s been passed down from generation to generation. And that was strictly on demon physiology.”

Cherry taps the jar on the table. “We should probably have this tested by somepony knowledgeable in such things.”

Spitfire frowns. “Who though?”

Cherry puts a hoof to her chin. “A chemist. Perhaps in Baltimare or Manehattan.”

Tempest nods as she picks up the jar. “I’ll run this over and see about finding somepony to analyze it.”

Arc turns to Esther. “Please understand that this is only to make sure that a pony patient won’t have any kind of adverse effects to your treatments.”

“I completely understand, sir.”

Cherry smiles. “We should probably have anything else you make tested as well before putting it into stock.”

Tempest stands with the jar in her hoof. “I’ll see about getting this ball rolling.”

Spitfire looks to Arc as Tempest leaves the room. “So what’s your plan for these… newcomers?”

Arc gestures to Esther. “Well, the original agreement I had with her was that she would make us medical supplies in exchange for goods from Equestria as long as I took her daughter, Rebme, out of Tartarus when I left.”

Esther nods. “However, that changed when I was able to escape along with them.”

Auriel smiles nervously. “I was able to convince my father to allow me to leave in order to find my mother. The guards took care of the demons whom tried to stop Esther from leaving with us.”

Cherry gasps. “Wait! What’s this about a demon queen?”

“My mother disappeared one day when I was just a baby. But Arc here has told me that he knowns roughly where she is.”

Arc nods. “Right. She’s currently somewhere in the Dragon Lands.”

Spitfire raises an eyebrow. “Might I ask how you found this out?”

“Sorry. Trade secret.”

Cherry clears her throat loudly. “In any case, we should probably assign our new guests quarters away from the general public for the time being.”

Spitfire nods. “Agreed. It’ll take some time to get everypony used to seeing demons walking around the base too.”

Arc gestures to the door. “I could give them a VIP suite together. Last I knew there were still several left.”

Esther raises a hand. “Excuse me, sir?”

Arc turns to her. “Yes, what is it?”

“I would be comfortable just living in my shop.”

Cherry appears confused. “Your shop?”

Arc puts a hand on his ring. “Yes, I shrunk down her business and brought it with us before we left the city of Vengeance. Figured that the reagents inside would be useful.”

Rebme sighs. “Aw…”

Esther looks to her daughter. “What is it, dear?”

“I thought I was going to get to sleep in a real bed.”

Spitfire raises an eyebrow. “Where do you sleep now?”

“Mommy and I snuggle together in a corner of the shop near the stove.”

Cherry smiles at the small demon. “Well, I think we can spare a couple mattresses and blankets.”

Esther nods. “Just one please. My shop really is small, after all.”

Cherry sighs. “Are you certain that you wouldn’t like a room inside the base though?”

Esther shakes her head. “No, thank you. I’d prefer the familiarity of my own home. But I do appreciate the offer just the same.

Arc nods. “Very well. I’ll set up your shop just outside the doors of Light’s Hope. That’s the building we’re in currently.”

Esther gasps. “So close to the palace?!”

Spitfire frowns. “Palace?”

Esther looks outside. “This is your central point of government at the moment I would assume.”

Cherry shrugs. “Kinda is, yes.”

“So wouldn’t it be proper for us to be moved some distance away from it?”

Arc shakes his head. “It’s my base though, and I say that you’re welcome to be just outside the entrance. Both for your convenience as well as those whom need your help.”

Esther nods. “Very well, sir. I will do as you say.”

“Very good.”

There is a small knock at the door. Spitfire walks over and opens it. A guard with a cart comes into view and speaks.

“The Hero of Light’s lunch, ma’am.”

Spitfire looks over her shoulder at Arc. “You order room service?”

“Just for Esther and Rebme. They haven’t exactly been eating the best.”

Nodding, Spitfire accepts the cart and pulls it into the room. Picking up the two plates from under the warmers, she sets them in front of Esther and Rebme before Arc speaks.

“There you are. A bit of a late breakfast.”

Rebme looks confused. “What’s this?”

“Pancakes.”

Auriel looks the plate over. “My father told me about those. Wheat flour, sugar, milk, eggs, and sweet syrup for garnishment.”

Esther sniffs them. “It certainly does smell nice. But Rebme needs the nourishment more than I do.”

Arc gestures toward the door. “We have more in the kitchen. So please eat your fill.”

Cherry smiles at the young demon. “That and if you’re going to be working with us you need to be properly fed.”

Esther smiles. “Thank you, ma’am. Um… are you the mayor?”

Spitfire shrugs. “Kinda is, yeah.”

“Then I thank you for your help.”

She picks up a fork and knife before getting to the task of cutting the pancakes for Rebme. The little demon quickly goes to work more or less inhaling their food as their mother begins eating from their own plate. Arc stands and heads for the door.

“I’ll see about setting up your shop outside while you eat.”

Cherry moves to follow him. “And I’ll have Platinum Valve stop over there to see what you need to stay comfortable and healthy.”

As Arc and Cherry leave the room together, Spitfire turns to the demons and muses to herself.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

A short time later Arc returns and enters his quarters again. Looking to Esther, he speaks.

“Your shop is ready. Cherry and Platinum Valve are setting up a small cot in your back room with a number of blankets as we speak.”

Esther bows respectfully. “Thank you, sir.”

Turning to Auriel, Arc continues.

“Now that just leaves the matter of getting you a room.”

“Anything would be fine, yes.”

“I’ll see to it that you get a VIP suite for privacy’s sake.”

“Thank you.”

Spitfire turns to Arc. “It’s all well and good that you found us such… help. However, if I recall correctly, you were supposed to be out there looking for a suitable power source for our electrical needs.”

Arc sighs. “The demon king has something called the ‘bloodstone’ which could be used for that purpose. My plan was to try and get it from him in exchange for some information. However, he wouldn’t give it up unless we can return the queen to him.”

Auriel raises a hand sheepishly. “Um… sir?”

Arc looks to her. “Yes, Auriel?”

Auriel grimaces. “I… um… need to tell you something.”

“What is it?”

Sighing, she reaches into her pack and pulls out a small box. Setting it on the table she looks to Arc.

“This is for you.”

Taking the box, Arc opens it to reveal the bloodstone. His eyes wide, he looks to Auriel.

“Where did you…?!”

Auriel cuts him off. “I took it from the vault before leaving the palace.”

Spitfire gasps. “So you stole it?!”

Auriel shakes her head. “Not really. I mean, as the daughter of the king I’m authorized to take whatever I require for my projects from the vault. “

She turns to Arc before continuing.

“And judging from the conversation you had with my father, it sounded like you really needed it.”

Arc looks the bloodstone over. “Then why did you wait until now to show us this?”

“A bit of an insurance policy just in case you weren’t actually on the level. I was planning to bury it somewhere so that you’d never find it if all of this was nothing more than a big hoax. But I’ve seen nothing but kindness and understanding from you and your followers since I arrived.”

She gestures to Rebme whom is dozing in Esther’s claws before continuing.

“You were willing to spend precious resources and space on those whom were your enemy up until this day. That’s not something I thought I’d see from an Equestrian official. Or anyone else in such a position, that is.”

Arc nods. “Thank you for your trust, Auriel.”

Turning to Spitfire, he continues.

“Looks like we have our power supply issue figured out.”

Spitfire gestures out the window. “Tempest and I got some equipment from the Wonderbolt’s Academy. Platinum Valve said she’d have to look over whatever you found to power it all though.”

Arc stands. “Then I suppose we should head over to Esther’s shop and see her about it then.”

Auriel turns to Arc. “Might I wait for you here in the meantime? I’d like to have a few minutes to call my father. Let him know that I arrived safely.”

“Sure. We won’t be long.”

Making his way out the door, Arc leads the group outside. Esther’s shop sits perpendicular to the entrance of Light’s Hope. Entering, they find Cherry and Platinum Valve just stepping out of the back room. Cherry is the first to speak.

“We cleared a space for the cot and got it all set up for you.”

Platinum Valve points a hoof at the sleeping demon in Esther’s hands. “Looks like we did it just in time too.”

Arc clears his throat. “Yes, well… why don’t you two get some rest now? We’ll get to work figuring things out for you two tomorrow morning.”

Esther bows respectfully.” Thank you, sir. You’ve already been more than generous to us already.”

She disappears into the back room as Arc and Spitfire leave the shop. Laying Rebme down on the cot, Esther joins her and covers them both with blankets left behind by Cherry and Platinum Valve. Nuzzling the top of Rebme’s head, she whispers to the sleeping child.

“Things will be better here for you, my little one. And I’ll do whatever it is that is asked of me to keep you safe and provided for.”

Meanwhile, Arc and Spitfire re-enter Light’s Hope with Platinum Valve and Cherry. Spitfire frowns as she sees the new shop through a window.

“I don’t like this.”

Cherry looks to her. “The new apothecary?”

“She’s a security risk!”

Arc folds his arms over his chest. “Like everyone here is, I might point out.”

Platinum Valve nods soberly. “Right. Civilians living in a military base is practically unheard of.”

Spitfire grimaces. “But she’s a demon!”

Cherry raises an eyebrow. “What’s wrong with that, Colonel Spitfire?”

“They’re not ponies!”

Arc shrugs. “Neither am I.”

“That’s different!”

Platinum Valve raises an eyebrow. “How so? I mean, they’re both similar in stature.”

Spitfire points a hoof at Arc. “The Hero of Light has proven himself to be an ally to our cause! She hasn’t!”

Cherry sighs. “I believe that, given the chance, she will though.”

Arc nods. “Agreed. That and it’s extremely likely that we’ll be in dire need of her skills at some point here.”

Spitfire groans. “Fine. But I’ll be watching her.”

Cherry shrugs. “As is your duty, colonel.”

Returning to Arc’s quarters, they see Auriel just putting away her communication device. She smiles as they enter.

“My father was very relieved to know that I arrived in Equestria safely. Well… Equestrian territory, that is.”

Arc chuckles as he nods toward the window. “I think we’re a bit outside of that at the moment though.”

Auriel sighs. “That we are. But I didn’t want him to worry about me though.”

Cherry steps forward. “On the upside, Esther is now settled into her shop and resting comfortably.”

“Good. Her little one really needed a nap from what I saw.”

Spitfire nods soberly. “That just leaves the matter of what to do with you now.”

Arc quickly chimes in. “The colonel means getting you a room of your own.”

“Thank you, I’d like that. But I do feel as though I need to do something more at this point.”

Cherry smiles. “What did you have in mind?”

“Someone mentioned an engineer whom was going to try and get power restored to this building. I believe their name was ‘Platinum Valve’.”

Spitfire nods. “Yes. What about it?”

“I think I can be of help in that regard.”

Cherry appears surprised. “Are you mechanically minded?”

Auriel nods. “I am, yes. Just like my mother, I’m told.”

Arc appears hopeful “So you think you could help Platinum Valve with wiring up those generators to the bloodstone?”

“Most likely, yes. That and I’d really like to learn how Equestrian technology works as well.”

Spitfire narrows her eyes. “For what purpose?”

“A thirst for knowledge mostly. I’ve always been interested in figuring out how things work. And how to make them better if I can.”

Arc nods. “That’s fine with me. Cherry?”

“Agreed.”

“Thank you. Now then, when can I meet this engineer.”

“She’s right here.”

Stepping aside, Arc gestures to the filly behind him as he continues.

“This is Platinum Valve.”

Platinum Valve smiles nervously. “Um… hello.”

Auriel gasps. “A filly?”

Cherry nods as she steps toward the filly. “I know she’s small. But Platinum Valve here has already proven herself to be a capable mechanic.”

Auriel smiles at her. “Then I will do my best to help you with your work as I learn.”

Platinum Valve points a hoof at the bloodstone. “I’m pretty new to the whole magical item manipulation idea though.”

“It’s actually pretty simple when you know how. First, you have to make sure the energies are siphoned evenly from the item in question so as to avoid magical buildup. Then it just boils down to attuning the siphons to the particular wavelength of the…”

Platinum Valve interrupts her. “That sounds like the opposite of simple!”

Arc chuckles. “Well, I’ll let you two get to it then.”

Holding out the bloodstone to Auriel, he puts it in her claw before continuing.

“I’m sure the two of you can figure it out together.”

Cherry nods. “Yes. Just be sure to let us know if more supplies are needed.”

Spitfire groans. “Anything to get the lights back on.”

Platinum Valve grins as she heads for the door. “We’ll find a way to get it done.”

Auriel smiles. “That we will!”

They leave the room together as Cherry looks to Arc.

“It seems we have one problem handled now.”

Spitfire sighs. “A permanent power supply for the base will make us one step closer to being self-sufficient.”

Cherry appears confused. “But we don’t really need to be. Do we?”

Spitfire shrugs. “Kinda should. I mean… who’s to say just how long this whole mess is going to last?”

Arc folds his arms over his chest. “She’s right. While I hope we can settle everything quickly, it could take months or even years before we have that chance to end this.”

Cherry sighs. “That does make sense.”

She turns to Arc before continuing.

“All things considered, you should probably get some rest then.”

Arc raises an eyebrow. “Oh?”

Cherry nods. “After all, you went out to find us a power source this morning and came back with one, an apothecary, their young foal, their shop, and the demon king’s daughter whom is apparently well versed in machines. All in all, I’d say you’ve done more than your fair share of work for the day.”

Spitfire shrugs. “That and rest is going to be a precious commodity in the future.”

Arc sighs. “Well… I suppose I could use a nap, after all.”

Cherry smiles at him. “You do that and we’ll see you at supper.”

She turns to Spitfire before continuing.

“That goes for you as well.”

Spitfire raises an eyebrow. “Ma’am?”

“You and Tempest found the generators for us and got them back here.”

“I… guess I could go for a nap too then.”

Arc chuckles. “Then I guess it’s settled.”

Cherry nods. “Yes, and I’ll see about giving Platinum Valve and Auriel a hoof with their task too. After all, I’ve certainly had to do my share of repairs back home.”

She and Spitfire head for the door as Arc makes his way to the bedroom. Lying down on his back, he stares up at the ceiling as Cherry calls out to him.

“That was quite a busy day we had!”

Arc nods. “Yes, it was. And it’s not over yet either.”

Cherry gasps. “You want to do more?”

“Kinda. After all, the sooner we fix this world’s mess the sooner we’ll be headed back home to our Equestria.”

“So what do you think happened?”

“In regards to what?”

“How things went wrong in this world.”

“Well… I’ve been going over that in my mind for a bit. And it got me thinking about something Twilight told me a long time ago.”

“Oh?”

“She said that, before I was brought to Equestria, Nightmare Moon came back after a thousand years on the moon. However, she was defeated by Twilight and her friends with the Elements of Harmony and returned her to her original form of Princess Luna.”

“And you think that in this world Twilight and the others weren’t able to defeat her?”

Arc shrugs. “It seems to be the case, yes. After all, the whole eternal night along with Canterlot being cut off would lead anyone to believe that the monarchy had been overthrown.”

“So the princesses are prisoners then?”

“Most likely.”

“And the Element Bearers?”

Arc sighs. “It’s possible that after their defeat by Nightmare Moon they were taken into her custody. Whether or not she decided to keep them around though really is anyone’s guess.”

Cherry gasps. “You think she may have killed them?!”

Arc shrugs. “Such a thing would make sense from a tactical standpoint. After all, only Twilight and her friends could use the Elements of Harmony. Which means that only they would be able to stop Nightmare Moon. Well, as far as she knows.”

“And you have a plan, don’t you?”

Arc nods. “At this point, Nightmare Moon will assume that she’s won and that no one can stand up to her.”

“Except for the Hero of Light.”

“That’s probably why she went after Platinum Valve’s parents.”

“And you too eventually.”

Arc clenches a fist. “Bring it on. I’m ready for her.”

Cherry sighs. “Please don’t take any unnecessary risks, Arc. Well, any more than you already do, that is.”

“I’ll have to face her eventually, you know.”

“With others by your side, I would hope.”

“Maybe. But they won’t be able to harm her.”

Pulling the Dagger of Eternal Slumbers from his ring, Arc continues.

“After all, I’m the only one whom can deal the killing blow. Both from a physical and legal standpoint, that is.”

“With luck though it won’t come to that.”

Arc nods soberly as he returns the dagger to its place in his ring. “True. But at this point in time, I don’t think there’s any other option.”

“Although there’s always the chance that you could find a way to break through to Princess Luna. Talk her down from this madness.”

Arc closes his eyes. “And I’ll certainly try to, of course. But I’m not getting my hopes up for such a thing.”

Sometime later there is a knock at his front door. Getting up, Arc walks over and opens it to find Cherry standing there.

“Hi. Sorry, did I wake you?”

Arc stretches. “Yes, but it’s fine. I needed to get up anyways.”

“I just came to tell you that Platinum Valve and Auriel have successfully wired in the necessary equipment as well as that stone you brought.”

“The ‘bloodstone’, yes.”

Cherry looks up at the lights overhead. “They should have everything up and running in just a couple…”

The normal lights all turn on as cheers ring out throughout the base. Cherry giggles as she continues.

“I guess they’ve got it.”

Arc nods. “Yup. And a good thing too.”

“Oh?”

“Now the base’s hot water heaters will begin working again.”

“Platinum Valve said she’d begin connecting it to the moon’s water next.”

Arc raises an eyebrow. “Come again?”

Cherry points a hoof down at the floor. “Apparently there are a number of underground rivers below us.”

“Huh… that’s handy.”

“Not sure if that’s something Princess Luna and the Nightborn did in preparation for such an emergency, or if it’s just a naturally occurring phenomenon.”

“In any case, have her look into the sanitation system as well.”

Cherry appears confused. “The what?”

“Light’s Hope has an emergency sanitation system for times like this when the base is cut off from normal utilities. It filters, disinfects, and otherwise purifies the backup water supplies for consumption again.”

“From what I’m told, the moon isn’t in any danger of running out though.”

“While we may have plenty of water, I also have to point out that we don’t have any place to dump the sewage at the moment.”

“I’ll inform her of this. Hopefully it’s not too complicated to hook up.”

Arc shrugs. “Probably just a couple switches and some valves to turn. But I’ll leave that up to her to figure out.”

Cherry grimaces. “Um… I’m almost afraid to ask this, but where has all of our… um… water been going?”

“Storage tanks to be cleaned and recycled since there’s no sewage hookup.”

“That’s a bit unsettling. But I do understand the idea behind it.”

“As long as you’re here, I was wondering if there was anything else we needed?”

“Well…”

A voice rings out, cutting Cherry off.

“Got good news!”

They turn to see Tempest walking toward them. She continues as she holds up a familiar looking jar.

“My contact in Manehattan took a look at this stuff and says it’s some of the most potent salve they’ve ever seen!”

Arc grins. “Safe too I would assume?”

Tempest nods. “Completely.”

Cherry sighs. “Hopefully we won’t need it. But it’s good to know that we can treat injuries now.”

Arc looks to Tempest. “It would be nice to add a doctor to our ranks though.”

“Agreed. However, all of them have fled to larger cities where it’s safest.”

Cherry looks to Arc. “Baltimare, Manehattan, Las Pegasus and our Lunar Base are currently the four major sanctuaries in Equestria right now.”

Tempest nods. “That are officially known about, yes.”

Arc puts a hand to his chin thoughtfully. “And I’m guessing they wouldn’t want to leave those big cities for our little spot.”

Tempest shakes her head. “It’s not likely, no.”

Cherry sighs. “I know some basic first aid. But I’m a far cry from a real physician in terms of what I can do.”

Arc looks around. “We don’t have much in terms of medical facilities here either. However, even having someone here would still be a big help in diagnosing any sicknesses that creep up.”

Tempest holds up the jar. “That apothecary you brought in could probably treat a sick pony’s symptoms while they rest.”

Cherry shudders. “But if complications set in…?”

Tempest cuts her off. “We could, in theory, take them to either Baltimare or Manehattan for treatment at the city’s hospital. However, they’re full to bursting lately largely due to the influx of refugees.”

Arc folds his arms over his chest. “It would also be another large step towards independence.”

Cherry bows her head. “True. But we have bigger problems at the moment.”

Tempest chuckles. “It’s definitely not a supply problem, that’s for sure.”

“Actually, it is.”

Arc appears surprised. “What are we low on?”

Cherry shrugs. “Nothing yet. However, we need to be able to keep supply levels high. And one thing that is clearly finite at the moment is food.”

Arc sighs. “The base’s stores are certainly well stocked. However, assuming we’re in this for the long haul, it’s not going to be enough.”

Tempest looks to Cherry. “What do you suggest?”

“We need to figure out a way to start growing crops somehow.”

Tempest frowns. “Not really an option though, as we lack tillable soil.”

Cherry groans. “I know. But as it stands, we’re in a unique position up here on the moon. After all, unlike down in Equestria at the moment, we’re the only ones whom have sunlight.”

Tempest taps her chin thoughtfully. “Could we bring up soil to grow things?”

Arc sighs. “It would have to be a LOT of soil to grow enough food to feed everyone up here though.”

Cherry turns to Tempest. “What about down below? How are the other strongholds feeding the masses?”

“They’re going through canned goods and military ration packs. However, when I was there earlier I overheard talks of switching over to eating fish.”

Arc shrugs. “Well, Manehattan and Baltimare are on the ocean.”

Cherry puts a hoof to her belly and groans. “I for one would have to be VERY hungry to eat a FISH!”

Tempest nods soberly. “It’s probably going to come to that though.”

Arc looks to Tempest. “Do they have fishing vessels?”

“Not really, no. Duke Carleon of Baltimare has ordered a couple larger ships to be modified for that purpose though. They’re still putting together the equipment needed to do the deed from what I could tell.”

Arc smirks. “Fish might help us out though.”

Cherry makes a face of disgust. “I certainly hope you’re joking!”

“It’s part of a larger plan. I’ll need some paper to sketch it out though.”

Tempest points a hoof. “Why don’t we continue this in the office then? More privacy there too.”

Arc nods. “Good idea.”

Heading down the corridor, they enter the War Room and make a beeline for the adjoining office. Spitfire is going over some files as they enter and calls out.

“Time for another meeting already?”

Cherry nods. “The Hero of Light has a plan of sorts to secure future food.”

Arc nods. “That I do. But everyone can just call me ‘Arc’ though.”

Spitfire frowns. “That’s against military protocol!”

Tempest shrugs. “So is ignoring an order from the Hero of Light.”

Cherry quickly chimes in. “I think that if they want to be called something else that we should honor their wishes though.”

Spitfire sighs. “Fine, fine. Now what’s this idea for food?”

Arc looks to the door. “First we should call for Platinum Valve and Auriel. I’ll need their input on this too.”

Cherry picks up the phone. “I’ll page them.”

A short time later Platinum Valve and Auriel enter the office together. Platinum Valve is the first to speak.

“Everything is running just fine in the mechanical room.”

Auriel nods. “Yes, it’s quite the sight to behold!”

Arc smiles at them. “Good job you two.”

Tempest clears her throat loudly. “We called you here to talk about some new idea that the Hero of… that Arc here has.”

Cherry slides him a piece of paper and a pencil. “Perhaps you should draw it out like you said earlier though.”

Arc nods as he takes the pencil. “Yes, I think that will help. Now this is what’s called an ‘aquaponics system’.”

Sketching a number of diagrams as he talks, Arc walks them through his idea. An hour later he steps back and looks around.

“Any questions?”

Platinum Valve raises a hoof.” I get the basic idea behind this system, being a symbiotic one between the plants and the fish. But the climate here on the moon isn’t exactly good for farming.”

Auriel sighs. “It is rather cool outside the base. And I would imagine that the plants as well as the fish like it warm.”

Arc nods. “Right. That’s where the second part of the plan comes into play. This system would have to be built inside of greenhouses to keep the temperature up as well as the humidity levels.”

Tempest raises an eyebrow. “Greenhouses? Here on the moon?”

Cherry puts a hoof to her chin thoughtfully. “I remember learning about those in school as a filly. Never actually seen one though.”

Spitfire frowns. “So, first we’d need to get ahold of some building materials. Wood, nails, glass, that sort of thing.”

Tempest points a hoof toward the window. “Baltimare has plenty from what I’ve heard. The main problem would be finding a way to acquire these things, as we don’t really have that much in the way of money right now.”

Platinum Valve grins. “How about we work out some kind of trade then?”

Auriel looks to Arc. “That would probably be the only way such a thing would be possible without currency.”

Cherry sighs. “Other than outright theft, I suppose.”

Tempest nods to Arc’s Crest of Light. “He could just go in there and order them to turn over whatever we need.”

Spitfire frowns. “Under normal circumstances, yes. However, that’s a bit complicated at the moment as the Hero of Light’s authority technically comes from Canterlot.”

Arc bows his head. “Which I’m guessing isn’t exactly high on the list of places to be obeying at the moment, I suppose.”

Cherry shrugs. “It stands to reason that they’d probably just ignore you at the moment. And that’s at best.”

Platinum Valve sighs. “And try to arrest you at the very worst.”

Auriel nods. “So the idea of a trade is probably the best one right now.”

Tempest groans. “But we don’t really have anything of value with which to spare at the moment.”

Arc puts a hand to his chin thoughtfully. “Well… I guess that’s true. But maybe we could figure something out with the leadership over there. Duke Carleon is known for being fair in his dealings as far as I know.”

Auriel appears hopeful. “Have you dealt with him in the past?”

“That’s classified, I’m afraid.”

Tempest shrugs. “Makes sense. So what’s the plan then?”

Arc walks over to a map on the wall. “Tomorrow morning I’ll teleport over there and talk to him about this. At worst, I’ll see about getting us some supplies to start growing small scale produce. Even if that means dirt and pots.”

Platinum Valve raises a hoof. “And seeds too, I would imagine.”

Arc nods. “We can get some of those from Barnyard Bargains in Ponyville. Assuming the store still has some, of course.”

Spitfire smirks. “Those can be taken freely by you, as the town is abandoned.”

Tempest turns to Cherry. “But it’ll take more than just greenhouses and seeds to make this plan work.”

Cherry nods. “Right. We’ll require reservoir tanks for the fish, beds to grow the crops, pipes to connect everything, pumps to move the water, live fish, food for the fish, and tools to build the system.”

Platinum Valve taps the table. “We have basic tools for construction back at my parent’s shop. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind me taking them.”

Auriel turns to her. “What kind of shop is it?”

“They were the town’s blacksmith and jeweler before this mess happened.”

Auriel turns to Arc. “I could really use their facility to build things up here if you could move it like you did Esther’s shop.”

Platinum Valve appears hopeful. “Is that an option?”

Arc shrugs. “I don’t see why not. After all, it worked out alright with Esther’s shop. We just have to be kinda careful when moving it to prevent damage.”

Cherry nods. “If this all of these ideas work out, we’ll theoretically have unlimited food and water.”

Tempest grins. “And to that end things with which to trade for what we need with other towns. After all, with the sun being down all of the time, food is going to become very scarce at some point in the near future.”

Auriel looks to Arc. “Such a thing would meet all of our basic needs. But I’d also like to remind you that the entire reason I came out here was because I wanted to find my mother.”

“And we’ll find a way of getting to the Dragon Lands to looks for her soon enough.”

Turning to Cherry, he continues.

“What do you think about that teleportation device taking us there and back?”

Cherry shakes her head. “Sadly, no. Its range only allows for domestic teleportation.”

Spitfire looks to Platinum Valve. “Could its power output be increased to fix that problem?”

“It’s a lot more complicated than that. Such would require a full rework of the inner systems which would take more tools and expertise than we currently have here on hoof.”

Auriel sighs. “While I haven’t looked the machine in question over, I’m guessing it would also take quite a bit of time to figure out as well. And longer still to make sure that it’s safe.”

Cherry nods. “Right. The system here was invented and perfected hundreds of years ago, if not longer, by the Nightborn of old.”

Spitfire appears hopeful. “Maybe they could help us.”

Arc puts a hand to his chin thoughtfully. “Now that you mention it, I haven’t seen Moonlit Dusk since I first came here.”

Tempest nods toward the window. “He’s most likely in the Nightborn Citadel with the rest of them right now.”

Platinum Valve shrugs. “They don’t come up too often.”

Auriel appears confused. “Up?”

Cherry nods. “Right. Their citadel is found deep within the caves under the moon’s surface.”

Spitfire shrugs. “We’re allowed to stay up here and do whatever we want, more or less. But they don’t generally allow anypony not a member of their ranks to enter the citadel.”

Arc sighs. “So we’ll have to find another way of crossing the ocean.”

Tempest frowns. “Not sure what that would be at the moment though. After all, we don’t have any boats available to us.”

Cherry looks to a nearby map. “What about Baltimare? They have a very large harbor.”

Tempest shakes her head. “No ships are going out as far as I know. At the moment, the Griffon Kingdom and Abyssinia are patrolling the waters with their airships, ocean vessels, and undersea ships. So nopony is willing to risk it.”

Spitfire shrugs. “Even if they wanted to, there’s no real reason for anypony to be leaving the Equestrian shores right now.”

Auriel gasps as she looks to Arc. “Then how are we going to get there?!”

“Not to worry. I know of a secret alternative way of getting to the Dragon Lands. But we need to get the food situation figured out before I can focus on anything else.”

Auriel frowns. “I understand what you’re saying. However, until you hold up your end of our agreement, I can’t do any more for you or these refugees.”

Spitfire glares at her. “But you’ll still be eating our food!”

Tempest seethes. “And sleeping in our nice, warm, secure base!”

Arc holds up a hand for silence. “Auriel does make a very valid point. After all, I already made a deal with King Malevolence to escort his daughter to the Dragon Lands to locate her mother. And since I’ve… uh… inadvertently already been compensated for that task with the bloodstone which now powers our base, I can’t really demand her to do anything else until I do what I said I would for her.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“You can stay here at Light’s Hope while I head over to Baltimare tomorrow and see about getting this ball rolling. After that, I’ll return to make sure construction starts out right before leaving for the Dragon Lands with you.”

Auriel nods. “That sounds fair enough.”

Cherry looks to Arc. “In the meantime, I suggest that you get a good night’s sleep so you’re ready for the day ahead then.”

Arc heads for the door. “Yes, I think I’ll get some supper and head to bed.”

Spitfire turns to Arc as she and the others follow him. “What do you think the chances of success are, sir?”

Arc sighs as they step out into the corridor. “Sadly, there’s no real way of knowing that.”

Tempest frowns. “Pretty low if my gut is any indication.”

Platinum Valve appears hopeful. “The Hero of Light will figure something out though. After all, he’s already shown us that he’s resourceful and smart.”

Auriel nods. “Agreed. But those two things might not be of much help in securing building materials.”

Arc groans. “I’ll do my best, of course. However, no matter what happens, we need those supplies.”

He frowns before continuing.

“And I’ll do whatever needs to be done in order to make sure that we get them.”