A Bridge Between Brothers

by Rammy

To Reason

ബഐബഐബഐ Twilight ബഐബഐബഐ

"Do you think I can't tell when you are hiding Oathbreaker!" H.K. hissed at Princess Celestia. "I knew the moment you walked in right before I started my 'ladies and gentlecolt line.'"

The sudden change and the insults out of left field... suddenly made sense. However, I can get being angry and letting your mouth run, Rainbow Dash does that all the time, but using me as a proxy is entirely different! "You were insulting her through me!?"

"I... " H.K. stammered before wilting a bit. "Mostly, I was also spouting generalities of ponies in general. You, however, are one of the few ponies that I have met that have managed to overcome most of your races shortcomings... Though if I had to guess it was your experience not only growing up with but also raising Spike that had more to do with it than anything else..."

"Fine, I understand." I grumbled at his non apologetic explanation, something tells me that it is the best I will get right now. "But next time don't use me as a proxy!"

H.K. looked at me with a neutral expression before nodding. "And what has you smirking?"

I was wondering that myself. Princess Celestia seemed really proud all of a sudden. I don't know why, if I had H.K.'s sword pressed up against my neck, I wouldn't do anything to aggravate him.

"I was right..." Princess Celestia smiled as she shifted ever so slightly. "It could be done..."

"Right about what?" H.K. questioned. "I never doubted that it was possible for a pony to raise a dragon... but only to a certain point. Once his dragon instincts awakened it would be too dangerous for him to be around non dragons until he learned how to handle the urges around those that would not understand why he had to do things a certain way..."

"But Spike hoarding stopped with help of his friends and..." Princess Celestia interrupted. Her smug smile fading only slightly as H.K put more pressure on her neck.

"You ignorant... you stupid little..." H.K. choked out as a black goo suddenly started to gush out of his mouth.

I was about to rush over when H.K. put a shaky hoof up. It looked just like that black goo from the Empire... Did Sombra do something to him in the attack just like he did with my brother's horn? Could this be related to his 'pending' death? After a moment of deep shaky breaths his head rose once again and stared right into Princess Celestia's eyes.

"You have the gall to ignore my expertise?" H.K. deadpanned. "Tell me can you cast zebraian magic? How do the minotaur magic tattoos work? Here is an easy one, how about the Elements of Harmony?"

I THINK I KNOW HOW DRAGON MAGIC WORKS CONSIDERING I'VE BEEN ONE FOR NINE MILLENNIUM!

I practically slammed into the ceiling in fright from H.K.'s sudden use of what was known as the Canterlot Royal Voice. That faded a bit when the black goo vomit began once again though, H.K., like before, quickly recovered.

"Oooh, surprised, aren't you?" I shrunk back from the evil grin that H.K. was giving over Princess Celestia's shocked face. I am really beginning to regret not having the girls come with me.. or some guards, or both. "I was adopted many thousands of years before you even asked about a way to get the dragons and ponies around Equestria to stop aggravating each other."

"So... I will say this one more time, but not for your benefit, Oathbreaker, but Twilight's. Dragon instincts aren't just biological but magical in nature, going right down to the soul itself. You can only suppress it from awakening. Once awakened, the dragon will have no choice but to follow said instinct to its conclusion..."

"We can always find a way to remove or..."

"Suggest that one more time, I dare you." H.K. whispered, pushing the sword in his hooved grip into Princess Celestia so hard that I could see blood beginning to drip. "It was that exact type of thinking that led your people to nearly destroy this world! Which I've spent the last nine and a half thousand years trying to fix, to atone for."

"What are you talking about?"

"Ten short years..." H.K. growled out. I wasn't sure what that had to do with my question, but, after everything I have seen, I was not going to test his patience by interrupting. "All it took was ten short years for your stubborn idiocy to unravel more of my work then every other dark magic user I have ever faced. I had hoped that living through the final horrific years of the Elder War would make you never want to risk doing anything that could cause another like it... But it seems I was merely dreaming..."

"Elder War?" I questioned after a few second of silence.

"A horribly, bloody war that saw the loss of tens millions of lives and reduced the three elder races to six individuals Discord, Oathbreaker, Luna, my birth mother, pregnant with me, and my adoptive parents..."

I turned pale. A war that cost not only the lives of millions but in essence wiped out three races as well! I almost joined H.K. when he started vomiting massive amounts of goo again. Thankfully it didn't last very long, much to my stomach's pleasure.

"Please tell me that you are wrong, please..." I begged, not wanting to think about the enormity of what he said. I even looked over to Princess Celestia in hopes that maybe it was an exaggeration, but one look told me that H.K. did not.

"I... can't...." H.K. gasped out between ragged breaths, showing for the first time signs of weakening and only further confirming the horror that I could feel rising up in me.

I quickly turned away as the blood, vomited black goo, and now the thought of all that death became too much for my stomach to handle and I ended up spewing the contains of my stomach all over the floor.

"Now..." H.K. suddenly perked up as I turned back, much to my surprise. I had no idea how he could keep going like he was. I know when I got sick like that I struggled to do anything much less hold a long winded conversation, mixed with shouting, while keeping a sword pressed up against somepony's neck... Not that I would ever do the sword part... I swallowed hard to shove down the bile that was already beginning to rise again. "Since we got the history lesson behind us.... what is the real reason you are doing here, Oathbreaker?"

"Discord..." Princess Celestia managed to gulped out as H.K. had one again pressed the sword into her neck constricting her ability to breath much less talk. "The Elements... they...

"What about them!?" H.K. growled out. "Come on, speak up!"

"The Elements aren't working!" I yelled out in panic. H.K. was putting so much pressure on Princess Celestia's neck that she was now bleeding quite heavily. If I didn't get him to stop she would die! "When we tried to stone Discord recently not only did they not stone him but he managed to gather their magic and aimed it at Princess Celestia! If we don't get them working again then what Discord doesn't destroy the dragons will!"

"So Discord used the Elements magic how interesting..." I gulped at the look he was giving me. It almost seemed like he was happy to hear the news. At least he stop cutting into Princess Celestia's neck. "The mistake you made is equating harmony for order... Wait... did you say you tried to stone him!?"

"Uh, yes..." I slowly squeaked out. Instead of shock he was glaring at me with almost the same force as when insulted Princess Celestia through me.

"Why?"

I gulped. I suddenly felt like my next words could very likely be my last. "He broke out of his prison... and then caused chaos all across Equestria! Making it rain chocolate milk from cotton candy clouds... Bunnies with long hooved legs stampeding over ponies and eating all of our crops... The ground becoming soap... The grass checkerboard patterned... Sent chucks of Ponyville into the sky... Had buffalo dance in tutus... And he even warped the personalities of a lot of ponies including those of my friends, turning them into jerks when we tried to stop him..."

H.K. blinked at me for a moment, stunned. He then turned and roared at Princess Celestia, splattering the black goo all over her muzzle. "DAMN YOU!! I OUGHT TO KILL YOU RIGHT NOW! SCREW WHAT THE PONIES WILL THINK! And to think Twilight call me a monster!"

"That's because you are!" I snapped then immediately shrunk back when I realized that I snapped at a very angry pony wielding a sword. A sword he was clearly not afraid to use given that he had no problem making her bleed.

"Oh for the love of...." H.K. facehooved. "Enough! Do not presume to lecture me on dragon customs when it comes to how we punish! Dragons are not herbivores nor are they pacifists! Incarceration would mean very little to a dragon they take hundred year naps like it was nothing and spend most of their time awake lying on or next to their hoards! Maybe a fine! O wait, dragons don't have currency, they eat currency... How about community service! No that won't work, there isn't a centralized hub of culture. Dragons generally are solitary so no community to serve. And don't say the Migration as that only occurs every hundred years or so and its to help dragons find mates to he, he... It was a miracle you found specifically caldera that you did otherwise... well... I don't think I need to paint you a picture of that, do I?

No you don't... I thought as I felt my face burn. I can't believe that we could have stumbled upon something like that! Just the thought of it... I NEED BRAIN BLEACH!!!!

"I don't mind if you questioning of the ways of dragons, Twilight." H.K. sighed, either ignoring or not noticing my extreme embarrassment. Even Princess Celestia had redden from the revelation that H.K. gave. "I would be more then happy answer them but you need to ask to learn, to understand, not judge... It's bad enough that you ponies have a tendency to spout that all life is sacred but then become hypocritical to the point of condemning a carnivore to die a slow and painful death because their biology requires they eat meat."

"But we wouldn't..." I immediately countered. I mean had no problem with Owlowiscious and I knew that he needed to eat mice and other small animals when I adopted him from Fluttershy.

"Zecora told me she was ostracized and shunned just because of the way she looked."

"But that is not the same!" I protested. This was about the torture of Garble not the shunning of Zecora...

"Is it? What if she had been a friendly carnivore instead?" H.K questioned, his eyebrow raised. "Don't answer that! I know you know the answer, so I leave you to answer this one. Zebras are a herd race, and like all herd races they need to be around others. To be alone can cause mental degradation and insanity. It can be mental torture for them. And take it from someone who knows, mental torture is far worse then physical. So tell me, Twilight, what did your high and mighty pony town do to Zecora? What pain did she have to endure before a little filly stepped up to do the right thing?"

"I..." I stopped after a single syllable as I realized the enormity of what we did... and even though I was initially not alarmed by her I let my friends to... Oh by the stars! Why would Zecora... but we... I

It was at that very moment that Zecora entered the tree weighed down by a overflowing saddle bag. My thoughts spiraling even more. "Zecora! I am so sorry I... please forgive me...I..."

"I know not why you need forgiveness from me. You have done nothing wrong to me that I see..."

"Well you see... That is... well I..."

It was then that whatever was keeping H.K. going ended. He collapsed with a thump, his sword clattering to the ground next to him. "Thank you... for coming... Ze... cor... a..."

"Do you know what is going on with H.K.? He has been vomiting up this vile black goo." I asked as Zecora rushed over to inspect H.K.

"I know what is the goo, but the answer might make you go to the loo."
Zecora shook her head sadly before she looked up and noticed Princess Celestia. Her face morphed to one of pure hate.
"Get out you bucking princess bitch, or I can't heal without a hitch."

I was stunned at not only the venom in her voice but the cursing as well. Zecora was never like this before. Princess Celestia seemed to be shocked as well, her mouth half opened. For a moment I thought she was going to protest but she calmly she walked out without a word.

"My dear friend you should leave as well; I need concentration to make all go swell."

"She... stays..." H.K. muttered out before passing out.

Author's Note:

Annoying chapter you wouldn't believe how much I had to cut, rewrite, or move to the next chapter.