The Equestrian Odyssey - A Tale of Two Worlds

by Kamahido

Chapter 1 - Back to Work

The next day, as the sun hangs in its midmorning position, Arc walks into Carousel Boutique. Sassy Saddles looks up from a display as he enters.

“Good morning, Arc.”

“Morning.”

He looks around the shop.

“Uh… are we alone?”

Sassy Saddles nods. “Yes. Is something wrong?”

“I was actually hoping you could tell me. Rarity was more of less okay when I left yesterday. How did she look this morning?”

“Just fine. Better than that actually.”

“What do you mean?”

“She seemed like a brand new pony. Like she didn’t have a care in the world. What happened the other day?”

Arc sighs. “Sorry, but you’ll have to talk to Rarity about it if you want that story.”

“Well, whatever you did it really took hold of her. Thank you very much!”

“It was my pleasure. Say, where is she this morning?”

“The weather’s so nice she wanted to walk Sweetie Belle to school. Frankly, I think she was just looking for an excuse to get out of here for a bit.”

“Uh oh. You two not getting along now?”

“Oh, no! Nothing like that! Rarity’s been cooped up in the shop for quite some time.”

“Working on some big order?”

“I don’t actually know. She spent most of her time in the back room. Hopefully this is the end of that.”

“Yes indeed. I…”

The door opens and Rarity trots inside happily.

“Good morning, Arc! What can we do for you today?”

“Hello Rarity. Rose wanted me to come over here and ask for your help with the upcoming peace summit.”

“Me?”

Arc nods. “Yes. I know this sounds kinda strange, but Canterlot has authorized me to hire as many experts as needed to make this work.”

“I can run the shop if you’re needed, Rarity.”

Rarity smiles. “Thank you, Sassy Saddles. But what would I be doing exactly, Arc?”

“Managing the décor at Light’s Hope. Each of the leaders will need special… uh… accommodations.”

“But I don’t know anything about foreign nations.”

“Twilight has that covered. She’s doing research into their customs and needs as we speak. The problem we have is that she isn’t much for layout and details. You’ll be the artist and she’ll dictate the general scope of work.”

“Well, if you put that much faith in me, than yes I’ll help.”

“Thanks. Canterlot will pay you for your time and expertise, of course.”

“Oh that’s not really necessary…”

Arc holds up a hand. “It will be. Trust me, this is going to be a LOT of work.”

“If you say so. Well, when would you like to get started?”

“As soon as possible.”

“How about right now?”

“That works for me.”

Rarity turns to Sassy Saddles as she levitates her saddlebags over.

“Take care of things here while I’m gone.”

Sassy Saddles smiles. “I will. Call me if you need a hoof.”

Rarity nods to her as Arc opens a portal. “I will! Wish us luck!”

The pair step through and vanish. Sassy Saddles giggles to herself.

“That talk yesterday must’ve truly been intense for Rarity to change so drastically literally overnight.”

She walks back over to the display and gets to work.

“I do wonder if… maybe she and Arc spent last night together? Rarity didn’t look like she got much sleep, after all. But then again Sweetie Belle was here. I can’t imagine them doing anything like that with her right down the hall.”

Sassy Saddles continues with her work as she muses to herself.

“Well, I’ll have to ask Rarity all about whatever it was later. I certainly want all the juicy details!”

Meanwhile, Arc and Rarity reappear on the sigil in the Main Hall of Light’s Hope. Guards are hurrying around everywhere. Rarity looks around.

“Oh my! This place is certainly busy!”

Arc nods. “Yes. And it’s only going to get more hectic. Follow me.”

He and Rarity head for the War Room. A large table is covered with blueprints and papers. Guards hurry in and out from Arc’s office.

“Busy here too?”

“Yes. Lieutenant Flash Sentry is coordinating security sweeps and drills from the office.”

“Drills?”

“Emergency preparedness. We need to be ready for anything.”

“It’s a bit noisy here. Might we move to the Conference Room?”

Arc shakes his head. “Captain Shining Armor is there briefing a platoon of Royal Guards.”

“Are they yours?”

“No. They’re reinforcements he brought over this morning. Can’t be too careful, or so he keeps saying.”

“Do you disagree with that?”

“Not really. But I’m not much for all this activity. If it doesn’t bother you we could head to my quarters. That’s probably the only quiet place in the base right now.”

Rarity smiles. “That would be just fine with me.”

“Alright. Let me just check up on my lieutenant and we’ll be off.”

Arc enters his office. Rarity trots in place happily.

“This is going to be SO much fun! Planning a peace summit for Canterlot AND spending time with Arc! I should have put on something nice!”

A few minutes later Arc returns.

“Sorry about that.”

Rarity smiles. “It’s no bother.”

“Well… little problem. Flash Sentry tells me Twilight is going over some books and papers in my quarters. We’d be disturbing her.”

“How about the Cafeteria?”

“Applejack and Pinkie Pie are working out menu option over there. Not that it’s ever quiet over there, mind you.”

Rarity puts a hoof to her chin thoughtfully. “We could go back to my shop. It’s not much, but I have an empty kitchen table.”

“Normally that would be fine. However Shining Armor was pretty insistent that these blueprints and other papers always be in a secure location. If he found out we had them at your shop he’d have a fit.”

“Oh my. This is quite a problem. What should we do?”

“There’s one more place we could go. That is, if you don’t mind a bit of a walk.”

“That’s fine with me.”

Arc picks up several blueprints and a stack of folders and puts them in his ring. He turns to Rarity.

“Well, shall we get going?”

“Lead the way!”

Arc leads her out the door and down the corridor back to the Main Hall. Rarity turns to him as they head out the front door.

“Where exactly are we going?”

“Another secure location just outside.”

They step out onto the front lawn. Arc points to his right.

“This way.”

Rarity stops as she lays eyes on The Equinox. As expected, her jaw drops.

“Wha… where did this come from?!”

“Canterlot originally.”

“That doesn’t look like the Lunar Destiny!”

“It’s not. This is my personal flagship, The Equinox.”

“Oh my! Is it okay for me to be there?”

Arc nods. “I should hope so. Like I said, this is my ship after all. Now the crew is doing about the same aboard ship as the guards are in my base. But my quarters should be quiet at least.”

Rarity squeals with delight as they walk up the gangplank. “This should be an adventure and a half!”

Arc leads Rarity into the mammoth ship and to his quarters. He opens the door and allows her to enter first. She trots happily into the room.

“This is much better!”

Arc nods as he closes the door behind them. “Yes. We can actually hear ourselves think.”

The pair walk over to a large table as Rarity removes her saddlebags.

“So how can I help?”

Arc unrolls a blueprint. “Let me show you what we’re up to here.”

He points to the Main Hall.

“During the summit, access will only be allowed through the front door.”

“For security?”

“Right. This is going to be the first thing our guests will see after they step inside. Right now my base looks alright, I suppose. But it still looks kinda military. For this summit we need it to look more… uh… what’s the word?”

“Homelike?”

“Something like that. The Main Hall will probably need to be completely redecorated for this purpose. You’re free to take whatever liberties you feel would be appropriate other than knocking out walls.”

Rarity pulls a pad of paper and a pencil out of her saddlebags. “Any idea what direction I should go with this?”

“I’m not sure about the details right now. Twilight’s working on some ideas to mesh with the various cultures that are coming. Truth be told, she’ll be of more help than me when she gets done with her research.”

Arc flips to another blueprint.

“We can start with this.”

He points to a stretch of land in front of the building on his blueprint.

“Canterlot is sending heavy equipment over later today to clear this section of the forest.”

“What for? Security?”

“Not quite. You see, my Chief Engineer has voiced concerns about The Equinox being parked on the lawn like this for long periods of time. We’re going to build a permanent landing pad out front. Not sure what exactly we can do to beautify the grounds from the front door to here.”

“Where are the edge of the grounds exactly?”

Arc picks up a pencil and draws a few lines.

“We need to stay around here and here. You can do anything you want with this space. Just be aware that the ship’s engines will knock over anything that’s not bolted down, tied up, or in some way secured.”

Rarity nods as she makes notes on her pad. “This might be harder than I thought. But I’ll do my very best.”

“I know you will. Now I’ll show you the next phase.”

“Alright.”

Arc flips to another blueprint showing the VIP suites in his base

“These are the rooms our guests will be using. Each one will need to be customized to make the representatives feel more at home here. Again, Twilight’s working on what exactly each culture will want to see.”

“Is Canterlot really going through all this trouble for just one summit?”

Arc nods. “Yes. To the best of my knowledge this has never been done before. So if it goes badly, they’ll remember for quite a while.”

Rarity sighs. “No pressure, right?”

“I’m not trying to make you nervous, but this really is important. You can start on the outside while we wait for Twilight to advise us further on interior decorations and proper bedroom accommodations.”

Arc looks over at Rarity as she writes.

“Are you okay?”

“Y-yes. I might not have slept much last night though.”

“You and Sweetie Belle spent some quality time together?”

“We did. It just felt so good to finally be able to tell her the truth!”

Arc gestures to the couch. “Why don’t we sit down so you can rest?”

“Well… just for a bit. I have a lot that needs doing to get your base just right.”

They walk over to the couch and sit down together.

“So, are you really all right?”

“I’m better than that. Sweetie Belle took the news much better than I ever imagined!”

“That’s good to hear. How’s she taking to calling you ‘mom’?”

Rarity shakes her head. “Oh no, nothing’s going to change in that regard. I told her she’s free to call me whatever she wants. And she chose ‘Rarity’.”

“Are you okay with that?”

Rarity nods. “Yes. Just like when she was a newborn, she’s still the sweetest filly I’ve ever seen! And I’m fine with our relationship staying just as it is.”

“If that’s what the two of you want, I’m happy for you. I hope you both have a happy future ahead.”

“I’m already thinking about that. The bits I get from this job are going right into the bank for her future education.”

“Fashion schooling?”

Rarity sighs. “If that’s what she want to do, then yes. But I’m prepared to accept the fact that might not be her calling in life.”

“I guess we’ll see. In any case, I know I can trust you to be able to take care of her as well as this matter.”

Arc gesture to the blueprints on the table.

“I’ll do my very best! But I’m sure there’re plenty of more qualified ponies for this task than I. The big names in Canterlot would certainly do a better job than…”

“Maybe. But I need someone I know I can work with. Right now we don’t have time to hunt down someone else, verify their credentials, run a background check, pull their employment history and all that.”

Rarity appears surprised. “You did all that already on me?”

Arc shakes his head. “No. I just told Shining Armor you were my friend and to add your name to the list of authorized civilian personnel.”

“And he just accepted that?!”

“Pretty much. I vouched for you and the others already.”

“So you’re putting your reputation on the line here?!”

Arc chuckles. “I think you, Twilight, Pinkie Pie and Applejack can all be trusted not to try and assassinate our guests or cause an international incident.”

Rarity smiles up at him warmly. “Thank you, Arc.”

“What for?”

“For putting so much faith in us. And for not giving up and walking away.”

“Why would I do that?”

“It’s often easier to just abandon a problem than it is to try and fix something that’s broken.”

She blushes heavily.

“Such as a half-crazed mare coming on to you in front of Applejack.”

“It’s okay Rarity. We all had a bad week there. Let’s just try and move past that.”

“Alright. But it’s certainly not easy. Especially after what happened to me at that party years ago! I’ve been tormented by bits and pieces of memories from that night for years now! And then I… I almost became a rapist myself! Right in front of Applejack no less!”

Arc puts his hand on her shoulder. “You’re not a rapist. There wasn’t anything you could have done to stop yourself. If anything, you were a victim as much as I was. And I don’t hold that against you in the least.”

“You’re very Kind, Arc. But I still feel as if I need to make up for what I did.”

“You don’t have to…”

“Oh, but I have to do something! It’s the only way I can see to move past this! How about I cook you a nice dinner at my place one of these nights?”

“Well, I suppose that would be fine.”

“Wonderful! How about later this week?”

Arc thinks for a moment.

“We should have a bit of a lull in activity around here this weekend. I’ll see if we can make it work with both our schedules.”

Rarity yawns. “That shouldn’t be too hard… what with both of us… working at Light’s Hope.”

“Agreed. But you should get some rest now. I think you’re about to fall asleep right here.”

Rarity says nothing as Arc looks down at her.

“Rarity?”

Arc sees that his friend has dozed off with her head resting on the end of the couch. Shrugging he picks her up and lays her on the bed.

“Take a load off, Rarity.”

Turning, Arc leaves the room and heads for the Bridge. Commander Soarin is sitting in the captain’s chair. He stands and salutes as Arc approaches.

“Sir! What can I do for you?”

“I wanted to check on the security status of the ship.”

“The additional guards from Canterlot have just finished their patrols. Their commanding officer is currently reporting their findings to the captain.”

“In his office?”

“Yes sir.”

“I think I’ll see how things went.”

“Right this way.”

Soarin escorts Arc into the captain’s office. Several Royal Guards stand at attention as Arc walks over to the desk.

“Hello again, captain.”

Tight Ship stands and salute. “Good day, sir. The lieutenant was just giving her report.”

Arc nods as he turns to her. “How did things look, Lieutenant Trixie?”

“Trixie found a number of security vulnerabilities, sir. An easily bypassable porthole design, several hinges on the corridor side, and a number of faulty locks among other things. I’ve already submitted a full report to the captain.”

Tight Ship nods. “I’ll see to it these design flaws are ironed out as soon as possible, sir.”

“Good. How’s the technical side of things going?”

“Chief Engineer Stellar Flare reports everything running smoothly down in Engineering. All the ship gremlins were taken care of during our maiden flight the other day, sir.”

“Perfect. I need this ship ready to move out when everything is ready.”

“Yes sir.”

Arc turns to Trixie.

“You’ll be in charge the additional forces aboard ship under the direct command of the Captain Tight Ship until further notice, lieutenant.”

Trixie salutes. “Yes sir.”

Arc turns back to Tight Ship. “Is there anything else you need?”

“No sir. I believe the ship and its crew will be more than ready for this summit.”

“Good. Lieutenant, I’d like a word with you before I leave.”

“Yes sir.”

Trixie turns to her Royal Guards.

“First shift start your patrols. Standard rotation. Everypony else get some rest. Let’s make the Hero of Light proud.”

They salute and leave the room. Trixie follows Arc down the corridor to his office. She turns to him as he closes the door.

“Did I do something wrong?”

Arc shakes his head. “No, Trixie. In fact, it sounds like you’re really doing well here. Tell me, why did Shining Armor assign you to this job?”

Trixie looks embarrassed. “To be honest with you, it’s because I’m very good at finding fault with others.”

“That makes you the perfect candidate for finding holes in our defenses.”

“Shining Armor said as much. This is also the first time Trixie has been given soldiers to command though.”

“Nervous?”

“Very much so! But I’m also pretty good at hiding my fear.”

“Can you keep the ship secure?”

“Yes. Shining Armor taught Trixie everything he knows about leadership. Trixie also taught him a few things.”

“About what?”

“The subtle nature of manipulation.”

“Explain.”

“Trixie figured it out in the aqueducts under Vanhoover. You don’t necessarily have to be stronger than your opponent. Sometimes just making them THINK you have the advantage is enough.”

“I’ve used such tactics in the past myself in fast-talking. After all, it’s usually better to try and talk rather than fight.”

“Trixie agrees.”

“As long as I have you here, there is one other thing I wanted to talk to you about.”

“More security?”

“No. I was just wondering if you knew how things were going between Shining Armor and Princess Cadance.”

“Trixie is not fully sure. But he seems quite happy when she is around. The princess reciprocates from what I can tell.”

“I see.”

“Is there something wrong?”

Arc shakes his head. “No, no. I just wanted to be a bit nosy. After all, their happiness brings order to this realm.”

“That is true. Um… can Trixie tell you something?”

“What is it?”

“Trixie… I just wanted to say thank you. For giving her the chance to do something right for a change.”

“You’re welcome. And I’m glad to see you took your second chance and made something of yourself.”

Trixie sighs.

“Sadly, my parents don’t approve of this arrangement.”

“Why not?”

“As Trixie mentioned in Tartarus, she was enrolled in Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Unfortunately they believe she should be in a much more prestigious position than a lowly lieutenant.”

“I suppose every parent wants their child to be a bit better off than they were. Have you spoken to Shining Armor about this?”

“Trixie has. He offered to fast-track me to some officer training. But that isn’t what Trixie wants.”

“Wait. You don’t want to be promoted?”

Trixie shakes her head. “No. Trixie is very happy where she is now. Protecting others by her friend’s side. Making a difference, however small, is… new to me. It is a nice feeling.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“Trixie does not know right now. But all of us have a job to do here. Not much time to think about it at the moment.”

“I suppose not. Well, if you need someone to talk to about it, I or Shining Armor will be around.”

“Thank you.”

Trixie salutes as Arc walks towards her and kneels down.

“How about this instead of a salute?”

Arc gives Trixie a hug which she returns.

“Thank you, Arc. It means a lot that you have an open door policy.”

“It’s worked for the princesses all these years. I’m just continuing with that tradition. After all, sometimes we all just need a chance to talk it out.”

Comments

[Booster Spice]

Trouble with decorations etc, what do you do when the so called visitors decide to denigrate all your work as they believe it gives them a position of power? Especially if they have little to none?

Faulty locks are always fun, when they are so large old keys you can work them with a coathanger, and if theyre single block Yales or electric its credit card time?

Portholes on water based ships low down have horrendously heavy glass, steel storm covers, hinges and locking mechanisms because theyre trying not to be the weak spot in braced inch thick steel sheet hull?

[Kamahido]

10525144
True. But I believe you'll see that there will be a much more frightening presence at the summit than the guests.

[Booster Spice]

10525405

Ah.

YOU'RE GOING TO PARTY.

[Kamahido]

10525432
It's a bit more complicated than that. In fact, the summit doesn't even occur in this volume. Originally I had planned for the summit's conclusion to be the Volume Finale. However a much larger event came to me. Something my wife had been wanting me to write for several volumes. I do believe you'll enjoy it.