A Bridge Between Brothers

by Rammy

For Nightmares

ബഐബഐബഐ Twilight ബഐബഐബഐ

I ignored the five pairs of eyes watching me as I paced the library. I know why they are here but I need to pace... I do my best thinking when I pace.... that and I'm just really, really worried. To begin with Spike left Equestria to go find H.K. two weeks ago and I have not heard from him since. To makes matters worse I had no way of contacting him back... in my mini relief that Spike could send me scrolls I had forgotten that it went two ways... I had no idea how Princess Celestia was able to send Spike scrolls in return.

Even knowing that it would tick off Spike I thought about contacting with the Princesses and was about to make a trip up to Canterlot until I saw this mornings headlines. I had stopped some time ago reading them as I got tired of reading the doom and gloom and the speculation with the coming war... or not war, depending on the paper... But this time it got my attention.MASS FOALNAPPINGS: The dragon's first move or another changeling invasion? Discord must be reveling in all the chaos he caused...

"I can't take it anymore!" Rainbow yelled. "Will you stop pacing!"

"Rainbow Dash!'" Applejack admonished the prismatic pony before turning to me. "Twi' Ah know yah worried about Spike but you can't just stay in here pacin' and mutterin' all the time..."

"I'm trying to figure that out..." I gestured to a map of Equestria I had tacked onto the wall along with all the information I had on the foalnappings. "I'm sure it's not dragons... All three incidents were in daylight and in areas that would be hard for dragons to sneak in and out of without being noticed... It also doesn't seem like something a dragon or group of dragons would do anyway..."

"I knew it was those damn bugs!" Rainbow Dash growl while punching on hoof into another.

"The evidence seems to point to that possibility but I'm not completely sure... I just don't have enough data..."

"Well we can't just stand around here doing nothing!" Rainbow grumbled. "What about your spell?"

"It hasn't been tested! It wasn't like there was any living changelings in Equestria after Shinning Armor managed to recast his spell and that is assuming it is the changelings!"

"Girls..."

"Well we can't just do nothing at least cast that spell over Ponyville."

"Girls..."

"I can't produce that shield for very long..." I rubbed my forehead as I was beginning to get annoyed at Rainbow Dash inability to see I'm trying but had nothing as of yet, "a few hours at most, especially over the entire town..."

"But you said your magic is stronger now." Rainbow Dash argued now getting into my face.

"Yes, that's true..."

"Then do it!" Rainbow Dash roar right in my face.

"And when I collapsed with mana exhaustion after six point three five hours?" I yelled, shoving my own muzzle back at her. "Ponyville is not Canterlot or the Crystal Empire both lie over a ley nexus and... both cities were built to help the defenses cast and maintain spells like that!"

"GIRLS!!!"

I spun to stare at Fluttershy who was clearly regretting shouting to get our attention as she was trying very hard to shrink behind her mane.

"WHAT!?" I flinched as I realized I had just snapped at Fluttershy. "Sorry... what is it Fluttershy?"

"Um, a phoenix just flew in the window."

"A phoenix?" I wondered. "Maybe its a summons from Princess Celestia for us to help in dealing with the foalnappings... or a spell... or maybe..." I blinked when I saw the phoenix siting on a windowsill. Odd, I don't remember having a window open. Also, even more curious, it was clear that it was not Philomena.

"Ain't tha' Princess Celestia's pet phoenix, Philomena?"

"No this phoenix is more masculine then Philomena..." I answered narrowing my eyes to see if I could recognize it (not that I knew that many) or figure out why it was here.

"Pee Wee then?"

"No, that is a mature phoenix... phoenixes don't reach maturity until they are three or four years of age..." I was sure it also wasn't Pee Wee's father but I had only seen him from a distance when Spike returned Pee Wee to his parents' care so I could be wrong. I looked over to Fluttershy in hopes she could figure out why the phoenix was here. "Fluttershy can you find out why he is here?"

"Um, I can't... he has a scroll in his beak."

I mentally facehooved at not seeing that he had a scroll in his beak. How did I miss that? The phoenix then flew off the windowsill and circled the room a few times before landing on the stallion bust, fluttered his wings, and stared at me.

Okay... Not creepy at all...

I began to become truly uncomfortable as the phoenix continued to stare me down. Suddenly he bobbed his head once then twice, both in my direction. Was he trying to give me the scroll? I mouthed 'me', putting a hoof to my chest. Sure the phoenix had entered the library which was where I lived but it was possible it was trying to deliver the scroll to one of my friends who happened to be in the library right now, like Fluttershy. I got my answer, however, when he bobbed his head again.

I raised an eyebrow as I took the scroll from the phoenix. Who would send me a scroll like this? My curiosity quickly turned to horror as I read the very short message within.

Prepare thyself, Thesējs tho Tzirüstele Atülāja, I shall be entering your dreams soon. You have much to answer for.

"I... I... need to lie down..." I managed to speak out before I slowly walked up the stairs and to my room only vaguely aware that my friends were protesting my leaving them. I wanted to help but there was nothing I could think of... And now with H.K. contacting me in the way he did and the wording... I had seen his anger first hoof and even though it would be in my dreams... I'm going to need a lot of Zeccora's calming tea, a cold compress, and some time alone...

---

I hummed lightly wrote worked on a difficult equation on one of my chalkboards. If I managed to get this figured out I will have proven...

*Snap*

"Drats... Spike could you get me a new piece of chalk?"

"He's not here..."

I yelped as I was not expecting any company. I turned to see that it was H.K. "H.K.!? You scared me what are you doing here?"

"I'm here because you failed me." H.K. frowned lightly before it morphed into a sinister grin."For that I'm going to kill you."

This is a dream...

"But I think I should pluck your wings one feather at a time... and stuff them into a pillow!" H.K. hissed as his rushed forward and slammed me onto my back.

Thesējs tho Tzirüstele Atülāja... you are not in danger...

"You know I've always wondered what pony flesh tastes like..." I cringed as H.K. licked my face with his long serpentine tongue.

Think Thesējs tho Tzirüstele Atülāja does this seem real?

I looked away in disgust trying not to look at H.K as his saliva dripped down off his sharp teeth and out of his open maw.

"Oh come now my treat. I am a dragon I need to eat."

Think Thesējs tho Tzirüstele Atülāja. Does this seem like H.K.?

The strange voice was right this wasn't the H.K. I knew... what little I knew of him... A viscous sadistic killer, yes, but a rapist, no. With that realization I realized I was in a dream a nightmare of a dream and... I'm going to be sick...

Banish the image Thesējs tho Tzirüstele Atülāja.

I closed my eyes and took a slow breath like Cadence taught me and when I opened my eyes I was sitting alone in the library with nothing out of place.

"H.K.?"

Yes Thesējs tho Tzirüstele Atülāja, it is I, and we are going to have a little talk.

Comments

[RadicalDishonesty]

Augh! The cliffhanger!

[Rammy]

8327759
Yeah sorry about that but it was either cliffhanger hanging from a cliff or a 3k long chapter...