The Equestrian Odyssey - A Tale of Two Worlds

A few days pass. Arc steps onto The Equinox’s Bridge with Spitfire and Tempest following closely behind him. They walk over to the captain’s chair where Tight Ship is going over a clipboard dutifully. Arc is the first to speak.

“Good morning, captain.”

Tight Ship turns to him. “Likewise, sir. Have you come for an update on the status of the ship?”

Arc nods. “That I have.”

Tight Ship gestures with a wave of his hoof. “Every station is green all across the board. The crew worked late into the night getting things to this point.”

Spitfire raises an eyebrow. “Why is that? Was there a lot to do?”

“Repairs, no. I ordered everything checked anyways though, since we didn’t really know how the former crew treated this ship.”

Arc chuckles inwardly. “And what did they find?”

“Just a few loose ends mostly. Extremely minor in nature.”

Tempest looks to the helm. “So are you saying that the ship is now ready for takeoff?”

Tight Ship nods. “That it is.”

He turns to Arc before continuing.

“But I would like to ask that you allow the crew a bit more time to sleep. As I stated before, they did have a late night.”

Arc shrugs. “Very well. We still need to load supplies anyways.”

He turns to Spitfire before continuing.

“Can I assume that Platinum Valve has had time to go over the ship’s supplies?”

Spitfire nods as she holds out a clipboard. “That she has. I have the list of her suggestions right here.”

Arc takes it from her. “Very good.”

Tempest shrugs. “It’s probably not complete though, since we don’t really know what the details of your plans for the future are.”

Arc speaks as he reads the papers on the clipboard over. “An international flight, for starters.”

Tight Ship gestures toward the window. “So we’re heading east then, sir?”

Arc nods as he looks up from the paperwork. “Yes, captain. The next step in my plan involves us flying across the sea in order to bring the fight to the griffons.”

Spitfire frowns. “I’d like to point out that it would probably be easier to take on the Abyssinians first, sir.”

Tempest smirks. “They do have a much smaller military, after all. Both in numbers as well as height.”

Arc sets the clipboard aside. “That is very true. However, you have to understand that since they’ve been able to go paw to talon with the griffons for this long, it stands to reason that they must be very skilled.”

Spitfire shakes her head. “More along the lines of stealth and traps than actual combat though, sir.”

Arc walks over to the map on the wall and points to the Griffon Kingdom. “Nevertheless, I feel as though the griffons would be easier to deal with than the felines right now.”

Tempest raises an eyebrow. “Are you saying that you have additional intel on them, sir?”

Arc shakes his head. “Just my previous experience dealing with them actually. A bit more than most have, I would imagine.”

Spitfire frowns. “In any case. How many troops will you be bringing with you, sir?

“Just the ones we liberated from Luna Bay Prison.”

Tempest raises an eyebrow. “That’s really not that many though.”

Arc chuckles. “True. But they’ve been training in Light’s Hope these past few days. And no one can say that they don’t know what they’re doing.”

Spitfire nods soberly. “I’ve watched them spar. They have moves that aren’t exactly taught at the military academy.”

Tempest frowns. “Then where did they learn them?”

Arc folds his arms over his chest. “Prison, most likely.”

Tight Ship sighs. “That would make sense, sir. Fighting down there wasn’t exactly what I would call fair or honorable. It’s all about winning using whatever means are available to you at the time.”

Arc clenches a fist. “Any advantage we can get over there I’ll take.”

Spitfire stomps the floor with feeling. “But I have to point out that none of our forces know how griffons fight, sir!”

Tempest turns to Arc. “Very true. However, by the very same token, the griffons also don’t know how Equestrian’s do battle either.”

Arc smirks. “Agreed. With any luck I can change that though.”

Spitfire frowns. “Care to let us in on that plan, sir?”

“Nothing really to say at this point. After all, I won’t be able to come up with a plan until I get over there and have a chance to take a look around.”

Spitfire raises a hoof. “I have real world experience doing recon for intel and supplies, sir. Take me with you.”

Arc shakes his head. “Thank you for the offer, but I’d like you to stay here and keep things running smoothly while I’m gone, colonel.”

Tempest steps forward. “How about me then? I’m pretty good at moving behind enemy lines unseen and striking silently when needed.”

“While I’m sure that you would be helpful, Tempest, I’d also like you to stay here at Light’s Hope with Colonel Spitfire.”

“But why?!”

Arc looks out the window at the base nearby. “For the same reason I gave the colonel. This base needs to be both guarded and run properly. And I need you here to carry out that task.”

Tempest sits down on her haunches and folds her fetlocks over her chest. “Fine.”

Spitfire walks over to her. “Why don’t you go over our base security and look for any weaknesses. I’ll be along after I finish going over a few more things with the Hero of Light.”

With a snort, Tempest turns and leaves the Bridge. Spitfire picks up the clipboard and turns back to Arc.

“Shall I run this over to the supply depot for you, sir?”

Arc nods. “Yes, I’ve also penned in a few extra supplies that we’ll need as well.”

Spitfire sighs as she turns to the door. “I’ll tell Platinum Valve to get right on it.”

“Colonel?”

Spitfire looks back. “Yes sir?”

“I just wanted to say that while I do value your devotion to this cause, and to me as the Hero of Light, you and Tempest really are needed here to make sure that we have a base to come back to when this is over.”

Nodding, Spitfire leaves the Bridge with the papers. Tight Ship looks to Arc.

“The crew has seen to it that the Mid Deck is ready for occupancy, sir. Lemon Hearts and Moon Dancer will take care of securing our supplies as they are loaded.”

“Good. Please notify me when all preparations are complete.”

Tight Ship steps toward him. “Sir, might I know more about what it is that we’re going to be doing over there?”

“As I told Colonel Spitfire earlier, I don’t really know yet. We’ll be going full subterfuge at first though. Once we’re in the air I’m planning to tell the crew and troops aboard what it is we’ll be doing to start with. Until then, it needs to stay a secret for security reasons.”

Tight Ship salutes. “Yes sir.”

Arc turns and leaves the Bridge. Walking to the Observation Lounge at the end of the long corridor, he looks out the window at the sea of stars stretched out all around them. Sighing, he sits down as Cherry calls out to him.

“Feeling a bit overwhelmed, Arc?”

Arc sighs. “Kind of, yes.”

“Why though? I mean, this certainly won’t be the first operation you’ve led.”

“True. But this one is definitely going to lead to fighting.”

“How can you be so sure of that though, Arc? I mean, you’ve been able to sort out most problems in the past by talking things through.”

“True. But this is a country actively at war with Abyssinia and technically Equestria. They’re not going to just lay down their weapons and give up so easily.”

“You’re still going to try and keep casualties to a minimum though, right?”

Arc nods. “Of course. After all, a bunch of dead griffons won’t help anyone.”

Gazing out at the stars, he continues.

“It’s all so small.”

Cherry sounds confused. “Arc?”

Arc gestures toward the land below. “This world, I mean. In the grander scheme of the universe, that is. Just one small planet in an ocean of stars.”

“Do you suppose there are other beings living on other planets out there?”

Arc chuckles as he shrugs. “Who’s to say? I mean, if someone had tried to tell me that there was a planet of ponies, griffons, felines, dragons, and whatnot else before I came to Equestria, I’d have thought they were nuts.”

“If they do exist, they probably have their own customs and whatnot though.”

“Most likely, yes.”

“And problems too.”

Arc sighs. “Every nation has them.”

“The problems facing Equestria might be vastly different to those in the Griffon Kingdom and Abyssinia though.”

“It would make sense, yes.”

“By that logic, should we really be doing this then, Arc?”

Arc raises an eyebrow. “Doing what?”

“Invading another nation.”

Arc frowns. “Kinda has to at this point.”

“There are always alternatives though.”

Arc sighs. “Such as?”

Cherry sounds rather uncertain. “I… don’t really know.”

“You know that I’ll do my very best to keep casualties on both sides to a minimum though.”

“But some will still die!”

“Such is war, Cherry.”

Cherry groans. “Yes, well… I don’t really have to like it.”

“That makes two of us.”

Turning away from the window, Arc opens a portal and steps through. Reappearing in his quarters inside of Light’s Hope he heads for the door. Leaving his room, Arc hears a voice behind him call out.

“Hey.”

Turning, he spots Spike walking toward him. Meeting the young dragon half way, Arc speaks.

“Something wrong?”

Spike looks over his shoulder at a door nearby. “Kinda. I… uh… was just visiting Rarity and Applejack.”

“How’s she doing?”

Spike sighs. “About the same, I’m afraid. No new progress on her condition.”

“I figured as much.”

“There is something I need to tell you though.”

“Oh?”

Spike fidgets as he continues. “I… might know where Rarity’s Element is.”

Arc raises an eyebrow. “You do?”

Spike nods. “One time, long before all this mess happened of course, I was helping her move a piece of furniture in her room from one wall to another. As I pushed it away from the wall though I happened to see a loose earring that had fallen behind a dresser. When I gave it to her, she was really happy. Guess it had been missing for a long time, or something.”

“While I’m glad for Rarity, what does that have to do with her missing Element?”

“Well, after I gave it back to her, she walked over to her closet and pulled open a massive drawer that had a false bottom in it. Removing the panel exposed a multitude of little dividers with really expensive looking earrings and other jewelry in them. While she found the matching one fairly quickly, I’m pretty sure that I saw the Element of Generosity in one of those slots.”

“Back in her room at Carousel Boutique?”

Spike nods. “Yes sir.”

“If we were to go over there could you show me this secret drawer?”

Spike sighs. “Normally I wouldn’t even consider doing such a thing. At least not without Rarity’s permission, of course. But, considering the circumstances at the moment, I think I should.”

Arc motions for the dragon to follow him. “Then let us be off.”

Spike raises an eyebrow. “Now, sir?”

“No time like the present, after all. That and we really do need to secure the Elements at all costs.”

“I suppose that’s true. But how will we get there? To Ponyville, I mean.”

“Follow me and I’ll show you.”

Arc leads Spike to the Main Hall. Stepping toward the stallion on duty at Raven’s desk, he points to a spot on the map.

“We need to go here.”

The stallion nods. “Right away, sir.”

Calling forth his armor, Arc steps onto the pad. Gesturing to an empty spot next to him with a wave of his hand, Spike takes his place at Arc’s side. The stallion looks to Arc and speaks.

“Ready over here, sir.”

“Go ahead.”

Pressing a few buttons on the console, Arc and Spike vanish from sight together. Reappearing inside of Sugarcube Corner, Spike looks around.

“How did we…?”

Arc chuckles as he heads for the door. “Teleportation.”

Spike raises an eyebrow. “With a machine? I didn’t even think such a thing was possible.”

Arc shrugs. “Stranger things have happened.”

The pair step out into the darkness and head down the path. As they walk, Arc looks to Spike.

“So… how did you, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom survive in the Everfree Forest after Zecora… disappeared?”

“They stayed at the hut and built a number of traps while I foraged for nut and berries in the woods. When things like that petered out, I started supplementing their food with animal flesh.”

“But they were aware of that, right?”

Spike nods. “Yeah. I was completely up front with them about my idea. They didn’t like it, of course. But when they got hungry enough Apple Bloom came up with the idea of mixing it into a soup.”

Arc smiles. “Less chance of tasting it that way, huh?”

“That and they could drink it down quickly as well.”

“I’m assuming that was a major part of it.”

“Yeah. Naturally, they were really grossed out about doing it at first. It got better with time though.”

“They needed to keep their strength up to make all those traps.”

Spike shrugs. “I dug the holes with my claws while they carved sticks into spears to put on the bottom of them.”

“Have much trouble out there?”

“A couple times soldiers came around. They always fell into the pits though.”

He looks around nervously for a few moments before continuing.

“Uh… how safe is it out here?”

Arc taps his helmet with a gauntlet. “There’s a reason I’m wearing my armor.”

Spike grimaces. “Then let’s hurry on.”

Arriving at Carousel Boutique, Spike leads the way up to the second floor. Entering Rarity’s room, he looks around for a few moments before sighing.

“It feels like forever since I was last here.”

“A lot of memories, eh?”

Spike nods as he heads for the closet. “Yeah. But there isn’t time for that right now.”

Opening the closet door, he steps inside and heads for a drawer. Pulling out a few bedspreads, Spike removes the false bottom to expose a myriad of expensive looking jewelry. After looking them over for a few moments he reaches inside and pulls something out. Holding it in his palm for a few moments, he eventually turns to Arc and holds it out.

“Here it is. Rarity’s Element.”

Arc picks up the Element of Generosity and looks it over himself for a few moments. Looking back to Spike, he nods.

“Thank you. I’ll see to it that this is safely stored away back at Light’s Hope.”

“Can I watch?”

Arc appears confused. “Watch what exactly?”

“It being secured.”

“I suppose so. At this point it seems the least I could do. Considering how you told me about its location and came here to retrieve it with me. But there is one thing we need to do first.”

A short time later the pair reappear on the sigil in Light’s Hope’s Main Hall. Walking down the corridor together they eventually come to a door. Knocking lightly the pair wait patiently. A few moments later Apple Bloom answers it. Spike smiles at her as he speaks.

“Hey there, Apple Bloom. Is Rarity up for some company?”

Apple Bloom nods. “Sure. We were all just talking to her about the past. Come on in.”

Pushing the door open wide, she allows them to enter. Arc and Spike walk over to the couch where Applejack, Rarity, and Sweetie Belle are sitting. Applejack is the first to speak.

“This is a surprise.”

Sweetie Belle appears confused. “Yeah. We thought you’d be on your way across the sea by now, sir.”

Arc nods toward a window. “The Equinox is still being loaded with supplies at the moment. That and I was following up on a lead from a very reliable source.”

Holding out the Element of Generosity to Rarity, Arc allows her to pick it up. She looks the Element over for a long moment before speaking.

“What is this?”

Apple Bloom points a hoof at it. “That’s your element!”

Sweetie Belle nods. “It’s the Element of Generosity, Rarity!”

Applejack taps it with a hoof. “As you can see it’s got your cutie mark on it too. Just like mine.”

Rarity sighs as she hands the Element back to Arc. “I still don’t remember this thing.”

Arc nods as he accepts it. “That’s fine. After all, we can’t rush these things.”

Spike groans. “But how is Rarity supposed to do her duty as an Element Bearer if she can’t even remember anypony?!”

Sweetie Belle puts her front hooves on the arm of the couch. “Something will come up!”

Apple Bloom hops down. “Right! It always does, after all!”

Applejack pats Rarity’s fetlock. “We’ll just have to keep telling her about life in Ponyville. Try to jog things along in her mind as best we can.”

Spike folds his claws over his chest. “That’s not enough though considering what’s at stake here!”

Arc turns to the young dragon. “Do you have any ideas then, Spike?”

Spike shakes his head. “That’s the worst part about all of this. I know that we need to do more. But at the same time, I don’t have a clue on what more could be done.”

Rarity raises a hoof. “Um, excuse me.”

Sweetie Belle appears confused. “Rarity?”

“Spike, was it? Maybe you could help.”

Spike appears surprised as he points a claw at himself. “Me?”

Rarity nods. “The Hero of Light could probably use a dragon’s aid in his travels. Why not go with him?”

Spike thinks about it as he speaks. “I… guess I could use it as a chance to help both you and Equestria. That is, if he’ll have me.”

Arc nods. “Sure. I’m actually heading out to do something a bit… clandestine though.”

Apple Bloom tilts her head to one side, confused. “Something what?”

Sweetie Belle puts a hoof to her chin thoughtfully. “I think that’s supposed to mean ‘secret’.”

Applejack grimaces. “Maybe we shouldn’t talk about it then.”

Arc nods. “Right. But I might need someone big to use for the intimidation factor at some point.”

Spike bows his head. “I’m… really not that good at being scary though.”

Rarity smiles at him. “You’ll do fine, I’m sure.”

Arc looks to the door. “In any case, I should probably get back to the ship and see how preparations are going over there. You’re free to come with me, Spike. But don’t feel obligated to do so if you really don’t want to.”

“It’s okay. I’ll do what I can to help.”

Turning to Rarity, Spike continues.

“You just rest and try to sort things out on this end.”

Rarity smiles at him. “Thank you. I shall.”

Arc and Spike leave the room together. They walk down the corridor side by side and head for the vault. Opening it, Arc puts the Element of Generosity on the shelf next to the Element of Honesty. Stepping back, he looks at Spike whom silently nods. Turning back, he closes the vault door and heads for the Main Hall. Together he and Spike leave the base and make their way over to The Equinox. As they walk up the gangplank though Spike turns and looks back toward the base.

“Be well, Rarity.”

Arc smiles at him. “You really like her, don’t you?”

Spike nods. “Ever since coming to Ponyville, yeah.”

“Rarity is a very welcoming mare.”

“She wasn’t even fazed that I was a dragon back then. Or when she met me again earlier.”

“The Rarity you knew is still in there somewhere, you know.”

Spike groans as they again begin walking. “I’m still wishing she would come back.”

Arc nods soberly. “As do I.”

Entering the ship, they head to the Bridge. As they do so Arc makes his way over to the captain’s chair. Tight Ship stands as he does so and salutes.

“Sir.”

“I’m back to see how the supply loading is going.”

“Very well, sir. We should be fully loaded in about an hour.”

“Good.”

Arc gestures to Spike with a wave of his hand before continuing.

“We’ll have an additional guest aboard ship for our little trip across the sea. This is Spike. He’ll be helping me with the upcoming task.”

Tight Ship nods. “I’ll have a room prepared for him then.”

Arc turns to Spike. “Is there anything you need to get before we leave?”

Spike shakes his head. “No, I… don’t really have anything left.”

Tight Ship raises an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“When I left Ponyville that day, I was forced to abandon everything I owned back at the library.”

Arc looks to the door. “Why don’t you get something to eat in the base’s cafeteria before we leave, Spike?”

Spike sighs. “Yeah, I think I will.”

He leaves the Bridge as Arc turns to Tight Ship.

“When the ship is ready have all the crew meet outside at the base of the gangplank.”

Tight Ship raises an eyebrow. “Everypony, sir.”

Arc nods as he turns to leave. “Everyone, yes. I’ll say a few words before we get underway. But right now there’s something I need to do.”

Sometime later Tight Ship and the rest of the ship’s crew stand at the base of the ship together. They are joined by what appears to be the entire base’s population as well. Arc steps out of Light’s Hope with Spike by his side. Walking over to the ship he and Spike part ways as Arc takes his place at the front of the group. Clearing his throat, he speaks.

“Everyone. Thank you for all your hard work. I know it can’t have been easy to do what you did in such a small amount of time. Especially after what you all went through since the sun stopped shining. Together we can bring things back to normal. But it will be a long and hard battle. One which starts today. Let us begin the process of bringing this matter to a close.”

Everyone clops their hooves happily as Arc turns toward Tight Ship and continues.

“Is everyone accounted for, captain?”

Tight Ship nods. “Yes sir. The ship was emptied as per your orders.”

“Good.”

Holding out his hands, Arc casts the Matter Compacting spell and the mammoth ship begins to shrink down in size. Before long it returns to its earlier smaller form. Arc picks the ship up and holds it in the cruck of his arm as he opens a portal with the other. Looking to those assembled he nods to it.

“All crew and support staff will now proceed through here to the landing zone.”

The group steps forward as the base personnel and the civilians all salute, wave, and cheer at them as they do so. As the last few pass him, Arc looks up to see Sunset Shimmer approaching. She calls out as she does so.

“I’ll be coming too.”

Arc raises an eyebrow. “But I thought…”

Sunset Shimmer interrupts him. “Please, sir. We all have our reasons for wanting this. That and the base has more than enough ponies to look after it in the meantime.”

A familiar voice rings out some distance away.

“Don’t forget about me!”

They look over to see Daring Do running out of the Light’s Hope. She approaches and adjusts her pith hat before speaking.

“I’m coming along too!”

Arc groans. “You as well?”

“Come on! You’ll need all the help you can get out there!”

Sunset Shimmer nods soberly. “Indeed. This will be a long fight.”

Daring Do grins as she heads for the portal. “So we’d best get started.”

Sunset Shimmer follows her though the swirling energies. Arc sighs, shrugs, and does the same. Reappearing on a large concrete pad with the others he walks to the center, sets The Equinox down, steps back, and casts the Matter Compacting counter spell on it. Returning the ship to its normal size Arc turns to the others.

“Everyone please board the ship now. I want to take off as soon as possible.”

Nodding, everyone present files up the gangplank and enter the ship. Arc is the last one in. Closing the door behind him, he turns to Sunset Shimmer, Daring Do, Auriel, and Spike.

“Follow me.”

He leads them to the Observation Lounge. Pointing out the window, he continues.

“Do you all see those lights out there?”

Auriel looks outside. “That looks like a pretty big city to me.”

Spike squints. “Is that Manehattan?”

Arc nods. “Yup. Mayor Shining Armor gave us permission to use one of the city’s airship landing pads to come and go as needed.”

Sunset Shimmer grins. “It’s good to have such an ally as him.”

Spike sighs as he sits down. “Yeah. “

A few minutes later the engines come to life and the ship takes off. They look outside to see themselves flying into the clouds east. Arc touches his earring and speaks.

“Arc to Lemon Hearts.”

“This is Lemon Hearts, sir. I read you loud and clear.”

“Thank you for linking me up to the ship’s radio. Are you sure that this signal is secure though?”

“Very, sir. It appears that your earring is taking care of that detail though. It’s really an amazing bit of technology.”

“Are we on course?”

Thunderlane calls out from the pilot’s seat. “Yes sir. We’ll stay above the clouds for the duration of the trip and arrive tomorrow.”

“Is the cloaking device ready?”

Moon Dancer nods from her station. “It is, sir.”

Wrangler shrugs. “We just finished going over it one more time.”

Arc nods. “Good. Active it at will.”

Tight Ship sighs as he looks to Moon Dancer. “Go ahead.”

Pressing a few buttons, Moon Dancer looks over her console at the various energy level readouts. A few moments later she calls out.

“We have successfully cloaked, sir.”

Tempest looks outside. “This is just plain weird. I can’t even see the wings out there!”

Sunset Shimmer shudders. “It’s a very… interesting feeling.”

Daring Do shrugs. “I’ve seen stranger things.”

Auriel nods approvingly. “A scientific marvel, to be sure.”

Arc continues. “Very good. Now then, I want the ship to stay cloaked until further notice.”

Soarin raises an eyebrow. “What about when we arrive, sir?”

“We stay cloaked even then. It’s all part of my plan.”

Tight Ship nods. “I’ll see to it, sir. Will there be anything else?”

“Yes, I’d like to address the crew now. Tell them of our mission.”

Lemon Hearts chimes in. “If you’d like, I can link your earring to the ship’s intercom, sir.”

“That sounds good. Make it so.”

“Yes sir. It will just take a few seconds. Go ahead and start talking when you hear a small beep.”

A couple moments later Arc hears the beep. Clearing his throat he speaks.

“Attention everyone. This is Hero of Light Arc. We’ve reached our traveling altitude and are currently flying east over the Celestial Sea. I’d like to take this opportunity to brief you all on the reason for this trip.”

He walks over to the window and looks out before continuing.

“Some time ago, an Equestrian town known as Dodge Junction was invaded by a small group of griffon soldiers. They had sought to plunder the abandoned town for resources with which to continue their war with Abyssinia. I, along with a small group of volunteers, were able to stop their troops and send them packing without anything other than the food and water which they needed to get home again. While we haven’t heard of them attempting such a brazen act since that time, the fact still remains that the Griffon Kingdom may take the opportunity to attack Equestria at some point in the future when we storm the capital. The purpose of this mission is to find a way to stop them from interfering when that time comes. To take away another variable from the grand equation. Please understand that the point of this excursion isn’t invasion, but mitigation. We will do all in our power to keep casualties on both sides low, so as not to cause lasting strife between our two countries. Everyone should use this time to train, rest, and otherwise prepare for whatever comes our way. Thank you all for coming and have a nice night.”

He touches his earring, severing the connection. Daring Do grins wickedly as she speaks.

“We’re finally taking the fight to those bird brains.”

Sunset Shimmer sighs. “So it would seem.”

Auriel grimaces. “But is such a thing really necessary?”

Sunset Shimmer shrugs. “While such a task is indeed distasteful, the Hero of Light is right though. We can’t just ignore the fact that they invaded our country.”

Spike frowns. “Doesn’t this make us just as bad as them though? I mean… now we’re going to be doing the same to them.”

Arc sighs. “Admittedly it kinda does, yes. But this has to be done, Spike.

He looks to the others before continuing.

“Now then, everyone head to your quarters and get some rest. We’ll need to be bright eyed and bushy tailed for that which is coming.”

They all nod and file down the corridor. Everyone enters their suites and closes the doors behind them. However, Spike holds back a bit. Turning to the young dragon, Arc puts a gauntlet on his shoulder.

“You doing okay?”

Spike sighs. “Yeah, I… it’s just… I kinda have trouble sleeping these days.”

“Oh?”

Spike groans as he looks out the window. “The world’s just so different these days. I don’t really recognize it anymore.”

Looking down at himself, Spike grunts.

“And that includes me too.”

Arc joins him at the window. “We’ve all had to adapt in order to survive, yes. No one has been spared that as far as I know. But you need to at least try to rest.”

Motioning to a door, Arc beckons Spike to follow him. Pushing it open, Arc turns on the lights to illuminate the room for him. A posh suite stretches out before them. Spike looks around sadly as Arc closes the door and walks over to the bed.

“I think you’ll be very comfortable here.”

Spike shrugs. “Yeah, I guess I probably will be. It’s kinda my first time away from my friends though.”

Arc smiles. “Feeling a bit of separation anxiety?”

Spike nods. “Back when we were living in Zecora’s hut I still had Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle with me. But now…”

Arc nods soberly. “Now you’re just amongst strangers in a strange new ship.”

“Right. It’s all a bit overwhelming.”

“Well, I may have something that might make you feel a bit better.”

Spike turns to him. “Oh? And what’s that?”

Reaching for his ring, Arc pulls something out and hands it to Spike. The young dragon’s eyes grow wide as he looks it over.

“This… this is… my old basket?!”

Arc nods. “Right. I know it isn’t much, but I wanted you to have something from the Golden Oaks Library.”

Spike smiles sadly as he looks the basket over. “I’m a bit too large for this thing now though.”

“I thought so too. So while I was there, I decided to grab something else for you.”

Reaching again for his ring, Arc pulls out a pillow and blanket. Handing them over to Spike, he grins.

“Is this what I think it is?!”

“Twilight’s bedding. It’s still a bit small for you, of course. But I figured it might help.”

“It does, yeah. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Now then, I should probably let you get some rest now.”

“Thank you again.”

Arc leaves the room and closes the door behind him. Spike walks over to secure his door and turns off the lights before lying down on the bed. Grabbing the pillow, he puts it under his head before covering himself as best he is able with the blanket. Bringing it up to his chin, he inhales deeply as he muses to himself.

“Twilight… I miss you so much!”

Meanwhile, Arc walks down the way to his own quarters. Entering them, he is surprised to see Sunset Shimmer standing at the window looking out. As he closes the door behind him, she turns and speaks.

“I’m sorry for barging in like this.”

“It’s fine. Is something wrong though?”

“Nothing specifically, no. I just wanted to come by and apologize to you.”

Arc raises an eyebrow. “Apologize?”

Sunset Shimmer nods. “For just kind of inviting myself along. Daring Do and I probably should have asked first verses merely announcing that we were coming along.”

“Don’t worry about it. After all, I really have no idea just how much help I’m going to need on this mission. But as long as you’re here, do you mind if I ask you some questions?”

Sunset Shimmer appears confused. “Questions?”

Arc nods. “I just want to better understand whom I’m working with.”

“Ah! That… sort of makes sense, I suppose.”

Arc gestures to the table. “Then let’s have a seat.”

They both sit down across from one another as Arc continues.

“Why don’t you start with how you came to be in Mayor Shining Armor’s service?”

Sunset Shimmer shrugs. “There’s not really much to tell there. When the sun went down for the last time I was in Manehattan doing my studies. Outside was pandemonium like I had never seen before. Everypony was just kinda running around aimlessly or sheltering in their homes.”

“But not you.”

Sunset Shimmer shakes her head. “I did initially shelter inside the library, of course. But a day or so later I heard news that the mayor of the city along with the entire council had vanished.”

Arc raises an eyebrow. “Wait a minute. Vanished? As in they were kidnapped?”

“Either that or they fled to some kind of safehouse somewhere.”

“So then Shining Armor stepped in?”

Sunset Shimmer nods. “He had been sent to the city in order to do some kind of investigation into the mayor actually. Kind of ironic now that I think about it.”

“So maybe the original mayor and council thought he was getting too close to something or other and decided to use the chaos to make their escape.”

“That is likely, yes. So when I heard that there was nopony running the city I went to volunteer.”

“To do what though?”

“Anything, really. It was easy enough to convince him, as I’m a graduate of Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns.”

“So what did he have you doing?”

“At first I was tasked with gathering information of the situation at hoof. But I also came up with a number of solutions to fix the a fore mentioned issues.”

“Can you give me some examples?”

“To restore water to the city when the power plant went offline, I designed a workaround system by strategically redirecting emergency power from around the city’s structures. Things like City Hall, the library, guard shacks, public transportation and whatnot.”

Arc frowns. “But aren’t those also important to power?”

“They are, yes. Which is why I was able to divert just a small amount of power from each of those locations. Meaning that the lights and other electricity using devices were very slightly weaker, but still able to function without impairment.”

Arc puts a hand to his chin thoughtfully. “Interesting workaround.”

“The exact words from the mayor were ‘this way we can have our cake and eat it too’.”

“And you were able to hold your own at the power plant as well.”

Sunset Shimmer smirks. “You might say that my background is very… well-rounded.”

“Yes, it is.”

“I was kind of expecting to just weather the storm in Manehattan until Mayor Shining Armor transferred me to the Lunar Resistance.”

“Are you happy here with us?”

Sunset Shimmer nods. “Very. I feel as though I can have a real impact on the fate of the country here with you and the rest of the resistance.”

“Very admirable. You’re clearly very qualified for such tasks as well as those that go off the rails as well.”

“Not everything goes according to plan, sir. Sometimes you have to come up with a workaround on the fly.”

Arc stands. “Agreed. Which is why I’m glad that you’re here right now.”

Sunset Shimmer appears confused. “Sir?”

Walking over to the window, Arc looks outside at the star filled sky. Sighing, he speaks.

“This mission… doesn’t actually have a hard plan yet.”

Sunset Shimmer raises an eyebrow. “You mean…?”

Arc nods. “I’ll be making it up as I go, yes.”

Sunset Shimmer frowns. “But that would imperil our forces.”

“No. Just me.”

“I’m afraid that I don’t quite get your meaning there, sir.”

“In the early stages we’ll be focusing on intel gathering. Stealthily, of course. That will involve us cautiously seeking out the current situation in the Griffon Kingdom and compiling it on board to keep track of.”

“Similar to what the guards do when investigating a crime?”

Arc nods. “Something like that.”

Sunset Shimmer puts a hoof to her chin thoughtfully. “I may be able to help with that. You see, I used a very similar method to track my experiments years ago in school. It helped me find issues in my methodology as well as backtrack effectively if problems were to arise mid-experiment.”

“Good. I may just call on you to handle our information cataloguing when things get underway.”

“You can count on me, sir.”

“Thank you for that. And the talk too, of course.”

“As long as we’re speaking of such things, might I ask you something as well, sir?”

Arc turns back to face the mare. “Certainly. What’s on your mind?”

“It’s… about the princesses. You’ve spoken to them all in the past I would imagine.”

Arc nods. “That I have, yes.”

Sunset Shimmer appears hopeful. “Did Princess Celestia… ever mention me?”

“No, I’m afraid that she didn’t.”

“Are you certain?”

“Positive. Your name has never come up in a conversation between Princess Celestia and myself. Why do you ask?”

Sunset Shimmer sighs. “I was just curious, that’s all.”

“From your time at her school I imagine?”

“Yes. You see, I was a very fast learner. But I’ve taken up enough of your time, sir.”

Arc nods as she stands and salutes before leaving the room. Sitting down on the couch, Arc frowns and muses to himself.

“She’s hiding something.”

Cherry groans. “But what, Arc?”

“Probably her involvement with General Mustang on Earth, for starters. It’s an even money bet that she still had some sort of contact with him in this alternate world.”

“I get the feeling there’s more to it than that though.”

Arc raises an eyebrow. “What else could be so…?”

Cherry cuts him off. “Sunset Shimmer said that she was a very smart student at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns.”

“And that’s important how exactly?”

“Only the best and brightest are allowed to attend that particular school. And those whom do well are generally given important government jobs around Equestria.”

Arc looks to the window. “Maybe that’s what she was doing in Manehattan then.”

“It’s possible, yes. However, she also stated that at the time she was already a graduate.”

Arc frowns as he puts a hand to his chin thoughtfully. “You’re right, Cherry. Why would someone whom had finished school still be studying at a library?”

“It’s always possible that she was in some sort of a researcher role and was searching for something specific in those old books. But I do think you’re right about her having contact with General Mustang back on Earth.”

“Where else would she have learned how to fight, after all?”

“Such a thing is a rather large hole in her story, yes. After all, I don’t think combat is exactly something a student would be taught at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Not that I’ve ever been there myself, of course.”

Arc shrugs. “I guess the only way to get those answers would be to ask her directly.”

“Do you really think she’ll answer truthfully though? Or at all for that matter.”

“It’s not likely. That and I don’t really have any way to verify any explanations she would give me.”

“So what are you going to do, Arc?”

Arc stands and stretches. “At this point, nothing.”

Cherry sounds confused. “Nothing?”

“Sunset Shimmer hasn’t really done anything that would warrant suspicion, after all. For all we know this world’s version of her could be completely innocent of any and all wrongdoing.”

“What if you’re wrong though? She could jeopardize the mission.”

“If she were planning to betray us, this would not be a good time to do it.”

“Oh?”

Arc turns to look out the window. “Think about it, Cherry. We’ll be on another continent tomorrow morning. Not just that, but one that is hostile to Equestria at this point in time. If Sunset Shimmer were to do anything that could be seen as counterproductive to the mission, she’d be branded a traitor and a criminal.”

Cherry gasps. “Meaning that she’d have no way back to Equestria and be stuck in a land that is rather unfriendly to ponies at the moment.”

Arc nods. “Exactly. She hurts us or our mission and she hurts herself. Worse probably.”

“I suppose that would be quite the incentive for her to stay loyal.”

Arc chuckles as he heads for the bathroom. “Right. So until she does anything suspicious I’m just going to let her continue helping the Lunar Resistance.”

He bathes and heads for bed. However, early the next morning Arc is awakened by his earring chirping. Sitting up, the young man touches it and speaks.

“Arc here.”

“Sir, this is Lemon Hearts. We’re approaching the shores of the Griffon Kingdom. What course shall we set?”

Arc stands up quickly. “I’ll come to the Bridge now and we’ll figure that out.”

Dressing hurriedly, Arc leaves his quarters and heads to the ship’s Bridge. Arriving, he spies Tight Ship and Soarin going over a large map on the wall. Joining them, Arc speaks.

“What’s our status, captain?”

“We are roughly an hour away from the coast of the Griffon Kingdom, sir.”

Soarin points a hoof. “The cloaking system has kept us invisible up until now. But we’ll need it more than ever to avoid detection soon enough.”

Tight Ship gestures to the map. “Commander Soarin and I have been looking for a suitable place to land and set up our base camp, sir. But without knowing exactly what it is that you have planned we’re just flying blind.”

Arc points to Griffonstone. “Our ultimate destination will be the capital city, of course. But going there directly wouldn’t work out so well for us.”

Thunderlane looks over. “Even if they can’t see us, it’s likely that the sound of the engines would give us away.”

Moon Dancer sighs. “Or at the very least let them know something was amiss.”

Arc turns to Lemon Hearts. “Anything on the airwaves?”

Lemon Hearts shakes her head. “So far I’m not picking up any radio chatter regarding anything other than normal civilian broadcasts.”

Wrangler grins. “So we still have the element of surprise.”

Arc looks back to the map. “Are there any smaller towns along the way? Or villages?”

Soarin taps a hoof on the map. “There are a number of coastal towns that dot the shoreline, sir.”

Tight Ship looks to Arc. “Small settlements which rely on fishing for food and trade from what I understand, sir.”

“We could land near one of them then.”

Thunderlane turns around confused. “Uh… how near are you talking, sir?”

“Close enough to be within walking distance. Far enough that they won’t hear us landing though.”

Moon Dancer grimaces. “Such a thing may be more difficult than you think though, sir.”

Wrangler nods. “Right. We’ll also need a fairly secluded place to land as well.”

Arc raises an eyebrow. “But we’ll still be cloaked.”

Lemon Hearts shrugs. “True. But that won’t stop leaves, branches, and animals from climbing on The Equinox.”

Tight Ship looks to the comms. “Lemon Hearts is right, sir. We can’t rely on the ship’s cloaking device to keep us hidden from everypony once landing.”

Soarin gestures out the main window. “Perhaps we should just stay hidden in the clouds then, sir.”

Arc turns to the captain. “Would that potentially be an option?”

Tight Ship nods. “Yes sir. Chief Engineer Stellar Flare tells me that the ship can stay in the air nearly indefinitely.”

Arc nods soberly. “Then that’s the route we’ll have to take.”

Soarin points a hoof at the coast below. “The infiltration team could fly down under the cover of darkness and scout out the town for you, sir.”

“While I do appreciate that, I’ll be going solo for the initial contact.”

Moon Dancer looks him over quizzically. “But how will you get down to the surface safely, sir?”

“Leave that to me. Notify me at once when we are in visual range of the closest remote town.”

Tight Ship nods as Arc heads for the door. As he leaves, Soarin turns to him.

“What do you suppose the Hero of Light is planning here, captain?”

Tight Ship shrugs. “I have no idea.”

Moon Dancer puts a hoof to her chin thoughtfully. “I’m more concerned with how he plans to get safely to the ground without wings.”

Lemon Hearts looks to Wrangler. “He must have some kind of plan though.”

“Agreed. His tone of voice hinted that he had at least that much figured out.”

Tight Ship heads back to the captain’s chair. “Then we have no choice but to trust in his abilities and support him as best we are able.”

Meanwhile, Arc walks down the corridor alone. Cherry calls out to him telepathically as he walks.

“You were pretty cryptic back there, Arc.”

“Kinda had to be.”

“Don’t you trust the crew?”

“It’s not a matter of trust, Cherry. But I Honestly don’t really know what I’m going to do down there.”

“But, uh… you do have a way to GET down there, right?”

Arc nods. “That much I do, yes.”

Cherry continues as Arc heads down the steps toward the Mid Deck. “Then where are you going, Arc?”

“To the cafeteria.”

“Well, I suppose a good meal is in order. Considering what’s coming, I mean.”

Arc chuckles. “That and I kinda forget to eat last night before going to bed.”

Cherry sighs. “And I forgot to remind you.”

“Guess we’re both getting a bit sloppy here.”

“I’ll try to do better in the future then, Arc.”

Arc nods. “Me too. But I don’t think it’ll help much.”

Sometime later Arc steps out of the Cafeteria. Patting his belly, he walks down the corridor and burps lightly. Cherry giggles.

“Feeling better, Arc?”

Arc burps. “Much. It’s amazing what a good meal can do.”

“I’ll say.”

Arc’s earring chirps. Touching it, he speaks.

“Arc here.”

“This is Lemon Hearts, sir. We’re approaching a small village on the coast of the Griffon Kingdom. Shall we hold position?”

“Assuming the captain agrees with that course of action, yes.”

Tight Ship sounds confused. “Sir?”

“As long as we’re in the Griffon Kingdom’s airspace I want you to do whatever is necessary to keep The Equinox from being detected. If that involves flying around then do that. Or if you believe that it would be best to simply hover in place then that works too. It’s up to your discretion.”

Soarin frowns. “But what if you require aid, sir?”

Arc shakes his head. “Under no circumstances can our presence be detected. So we can’t have Pegasi taking off from the flight deck.”

Wrangler grits her teeth. “That seems like a pretty big risk to me, sir.”

Moon Dancer shudders. “Yes, you’d be completely on your own.”

“It has to be this way for the moment. Now then, plot a course if necessary and I’ll head down to that village.”

Tight Ship sighs. “Yes sir.”

Lemon Hearts chimes in. “I’ll be sure to only use encrypted channels when communicating with you from now on, sir.”

“Good. All of you, take care of the ship while I’m away. Hopefully this initial contact won’t take too long though. Now then, before I get underway, is there anything else we need to speak about?”

Tight Ship shakes his head. “No, sir. I think that pretty much covers everything.”

“Alright. Let me know if anything back in Equestria changes or if there’s some kind of emergency aboard ship that requires my immediate attention. Arc out.”

He touches his earring, severing the connection. Turning, Arc begins walking. As he approaches the Main Hatch however Cherry calls out to him telepathically.

“So… how are you getting down there, Arc?”

Arc shrugs. “I was just planning to jump.”

“That doesn’t exactly sound safe.”

“You want to stay here?”

“Not a chance!

Arc chuckles as he calls forth his armor and dons a magic cloak. “I thought you’d see it my way.”

As the door opens, Arc steps out onto the deck. After forcefully closing the door behind him, he walks to the bow and looks around. Seeing nothing but clouds below, Arc puts both hands on the guardrail. Taking a deep breath he looks up at the moon. Changing into his Crimson form, Arc hefts himself up and over the railing. As he begins to fall through the clouds, Arc turns into a mist and by doing so is able to slow his descent considerably. Looking around (quite a feat without eyes, I must say) Arc spies the lights of the a fore mentioned village. Drifting down to the water he makes his way across it as Cherry calls out to him telepathically.

“That was amazing!”

Arc chuckles. “Agreed.”

“I wonder if that’s what it’s like for a Pegasus to fly!”

“Probably close to it I would imagine.”

Drifting over to the docks, Arc makes his way over the rooftops again to get a better view of the village. Sighing, Cherry calls out.

“Guess it’s still a bit early.”

Arc smirks. “Just like I planned.”

“Oh?”

“I wanted to come around before too many griffons got up if at all possible.”

“You might have gone a bit too far though, Arc. After all, I don’t see anypony anywhere.”

“With luck we can find someone…”

He trails off for a few moments before continuing.

“We might have hit the jackpot here.”

Cherry sounds surprised. “You saw somepony?”

“A bit of movement beyond the tree line, yes.”

“Should we check it out?”

“Definitely.”

Making his way towards the area in question, Arc flattens his misty self against the ground as he advances. Spotting a pair of griffons lying together under a small tree he watches them silently for a time. After a few moments the male speaks.

“It’s almost morning, Gail.”

The female nuzzles her companion as she sleepily calls out.

“Just five more minutes, Gregory.”

Gregory smiles at her. “You said that twenty minutes ago.”

“This time for real then.”

Gregory shakes his head as he slowly stands up. “Come on. We both need to be getting back home. Don’t want our parents to get suspicious now.”

Gail groans as she too gets to her feet. “Yes, I know. But I do wish that I had the courage to tell them the truth.”

Gregory sighs. “Me too. But you know how they both are. Stuck in the past, and all.”

Gail rolls her eyes. “What happened was generations ago though. I don’t get how they can still be upset about something from before even they themselves were born.”

Gregory puts a talon on Gail’s cheek and smiles at her. “Eventually we’ll both save up enough money to be able to leave this place together.”

Gail bows her head. “But at the rate we’re going, that will take years.”

“As long as we can be together someday, I can wait if you can.”

Gail giggles as she pushes Gregory onto his back and leaps on top of him. “In the meantime we’ll have to be content with the occasional nightly rendezvous.”

The pair nuzzle one another affectionately. Arc smirks inwardly as he muses to himself.

“Perfect.”

Cherry calls out warily. “What are you going to do, Arc?”

“Gather intel.”

Drifting into some bushes across from the couple, Arc calls out quietly.

“Griffons.”

Gail raises her head fearfully. “What the…?!”

Gregory looks around. “Who’s there?!”

“I… I am what you would call the spirit of this land.”

Gail gasps. “The stories are true?!”

Gregory scoffs. “Impossible!”

Leaping toward the bushes, he tears his talons through them. Ripping the plants apart in vain the young griffon looks around as the mist moves to another bush across from them.

“You cannot harm me, Gregory.”

Gregory frowns as he quickly returns to Gail’s side. “How did you know my name?!”

“Nothing is hidden from my sight, young one.”

Gail grimaces as her eyes dart around nervously. “What… what is it that you want from us?!”

“Merely to help you, young one.”

Gregory appears skeptical. “How?!”

“I can offer you two the means by which you might realize your dream.”

Gail gasps happily. “Of being together?!”

Arc chuckles. “Yes.”

Gregory rolls his eyes. “You mean to tell me that a spirit can provide all of that?”

“I can, yes.”

Gail nods excitedly. “What do we have to do?!”

Gregory turns to her. “Now wait just a minute, Gail! We don’t know anything about this so-called spirit! Or whatever it really is!”

“But it couldn’t hurt to listen, right Gregory?!”

Gregory frowns as he sits down on his haunches. “Fine. Let’s hear your offer then.”

Arc clears his throat. “Very well. As I said earlier, I can provide you two with the needed gold by which you might leave this village.”

Gail turns to Gregory. “That’s all we need to start our lives together in a new place somewhere!”

Gregory nods soberly. “True. But I can’t imagine anyone, even a spirit, just giving two strangers gold without wanting something in return.”

Arc chuckles. “Very astute. In truth, I do want something from the two of you.”

Gail leans forward excitedly. “Name it!”

“Turn your eyes up into the branches of that tree in front of you.”

Gregory looks up. “I don’t see anything.”

Gail squints. “Me either. It’s too dark.”

Arc rematerializes nearby and removes his helmet. “Now look straight ahead.”

Doing so, they gasp as Arc’s red eyes meet theirs. Gail opens her beak to scream but Arc holds it shut with a quick Telekinesis Spell as he speaks.

“Both of you are now under my control. Step forward so that I might look you two over in the moonlight.”

They wordlessly do so. Arc looks the pair over for a few moments before speaking again.

“You both appear a bit… thinner than the other griffons I’ve seen. Why is that, Gail?”

Gail speaks in a monotone voice. “There is little food in our village.”

Arc raises an eyebrow. “No food in a fishing settlement?”

Gail nods. “Nearly everything we catch is taken by the powers that be in Griffonstone in order to feed the troops fighting in the war.”

Arc looks to Gregory. “If that is the case, then why aren’t you fighting on the front lines?”

“Because I’m the mayor’s son. He pulled strings to get me declared unfit for military service.”

Arc smirks. “Interesting. So you mean to say that there are no other males in the village?”

Gregory shakes his head. “No one young. Only the elderly and very small.”

Arc folds his arms over his head. “Tell me of this war, both of you.”

Gail sighs. “It started shortly after the sun stopped shining.”

Gregory frowns. “The Abyssinians crossed our borders looking for food according to the state news.”

Arc chuckles. “Do you believe their story though?”

Gail shakes her head. “The news is known for its lies.”

Gregory shrugs. “There is no way for us to know for certain though.”

Arc turns his head and looks inland. “And the rest of the country is just going along with all of this?”

Gail nods. “We are forced to, yes.”

Gregory points a talon east. “All resources have been diverted to fighting. We are left with only enough to scrape by.”

Arc frowns. “Then what did you hope to accomplish by fleeing to another town?”

Gregory looks to Gail. “We have heard rumors of independent settlements in the middle of nowhere.”

Gail returns his gaze. “If we can find one, we hoped to be able to use our money to buy our way into it.”

“Just for the record, you don’t actually know where they are, right?”

Gregory shrugs. “We don’t. No one does though.”

Gail nods. “It’s how they stay alive.”

Arc sighs. “Is the situation the same in other towns?”

Gregory nods. “Yes. Every town produces something that can be used to fight the war. So resources are very scarce.”

“Is there anyone not affected by that?”

Gail puts a talon to her cheek. “The nobles in Griffonstone. Or so we hear.”

Gregory shrugs. “I’m told that they pay heavy taxes to help fund the war though.”

Arc facepalms. “Even they aren’t spared.”

Gail sighs. “None of their younglings are sent off to fight though.”

Arc raises an eyebrow. “Wait a moment. Younglings are being sent to war?”

Gregory nods. “If they can hold a weapon, they are conscripted into the military to fight.”

Arc frowns. “It sounds as though the current situation is desperate for the Griffon Kingdom.”

Gail shakes her head. “Maybe not. All the news reports say that we have the Abyssinians on the run.”

Gregory sights. “But at the same time the need for more resources for the war machine never stops.”

Arc looks off into the distance. “How about your nation’s leadership. Are they all in favor of the war?”

Gail nods. “I believe so, yes.”

Gregory shrugs. “If anyone is not, they are smart enough to keep such treasonous thoughts to themselves.”

“Yes, it does not end well for those whom dissent.”

Arc groans. “Prison time for them?”

Gregory shakes his head. “Public execution.”

“Anyone foolish enough to risk it?”

Gail puts a talon to her cheek thoughtfully. “The only one’s I know of are a rebel faction based somewhere in Griffonstone.”

Gregory turns to her. “They were around before the war started though.”

Arc grins. “The rebels in the capital city. Now that’s in interesting concept. I figured they would have been wiped out early on.”

“King Guto and the Council of Lords have tried.”

“But they can never seem to find more than one or two at a time.”

Arc shudders. “Can I assume that they’ve tried… intensive interrogation?”

“The news doesn’t talk about them much, so we don’t really know.”

Gregory looks toward the village. “My father says that they always die fighting rather than be taken alive.”

Arc sighs. “That’s probably for the best though, huh?”

Gail shudders. “I suppose so.”

Arc turns to Gregory. “And how about public support? Do the rebels have the backing of the citizens?”

“I’m told that many in the capital secretly support ending the current regime through any means possible.”

Gail bows her head. “Any system would be better than what we have currently. As it stands no one has any food, no resources, and no real future.”

Arc smirks. “How would someone get in touch with these rebels?”

Gregory shrugs. “No idea. Since the king’s agents can’t seem to locate their hideout it’s not likely that one could contact them.”

Gail nods. “You’d have to get their attention and be found by them instead.”

“I see. Thank you very much you two. You’ve been very helpful.”

Pulling a good sized bag of bits from his ring, Arc sets them down on the ground in front of the pair. Returning to his mist form he draws back to the bushes and continues speaking.

“Now then, neither of you will be able to remember what I looked like. Other than an ethereal and incorporeal voice, that is. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“We will do as you say.”

Arc chuckles. “Now then… awaken.”

The pair shake their heads as if to clear their thoughts. Looking around for a few moments, Gail calls out.

“Are you… still there, spirit?”

“I am, yes. Do you see the bag in front of you?”

Gregory nods. “Yes. What of it?”

“Open it.”

The pair step forward and cautiously do as they are told. Untying the mouth of the bag they see the multitude of coins within. Gasping, Gail calls out.

“Where did this come from?!”

“It is a gift from me to you two.”

Gregory raises an eyebrow. “For what though?!”

“Doing as I asked.”

Gail appears confused. “Looking up into a tree?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes.”

Gregory frowns. “But… but where are we supposed to say it came from?!”

Gail looks over her shoulder at the village behind her. “By now the rest of the village should be up and noticed that we’re missing!”

“Tell them… that it was a gift from a great and very old spirit of this land.”

Gregory groans. “They’ll never believe that though!”

“Those gold coins will be proof enough that I exist. Now then, return to your village. Or, if you prefer, make good on your plan to leave and start a new life together elsewhere. The choice, as it always has been, is yours.”

The pair nod as Gregory picks up the bag. Taking Gail’s talon in his, the pair turn and run quickly back towards their village. As they do so Cherry calls out to Arc telepathically.

“So now we know that things are just as bad here as they are back in Equestria.”

Arc sighs. “If not worse.”

“Are you sure you did the right thing back there, Arc.”

“Which part?”

“Telling them you were a spirit, for starters. And giving them all that money too.”

Arc shrugs. “I had to give myself some kind of identity though. That and it looked like they could use the money.”

“They could tell others about you though.”

“Just that alias though. They don’t know who I really am.”

“So what’s our next step then?”

Arc turns and drifts upward. “We’re going to head inland.”

“To do what though?”

“See how things are there. And, with any luck, locate the leaders of whatever resistance is active in this land.”

Cherry gasps. “Wait! You mean…?!"

Arc cuts her off. “Yes, Cherry. If things go the way I hope they will, our forces will be lending aid to this alternate world’s rebel faction.”