//------------------------------// // An Awakening // Story: A Bridge Between Brothers // by Rammy //------------------------------// ബഐബഐബഐ Twilight ബഐബഐബഐ Zecora calmly was sipping on her tea as I paced in her hut. I know her calm demeanor was masking her irritation for the trench that I was creating in her floor but I just couldn't calm down. After that what happened in that cave... I was just on edge. When Spike slammed that gem onto H.K. and they were enveloped in the magic pouring from the gem... I thought I had lost Spike. But when the magic faded away leaving a knocked out Spike and a revived, though unconscious, H.K. I sighed in relief, if only for a moment. I figured that Spike probably was just passed out from mana overload just like what happened to my friends and I when we first used the Elements of Harmony. It was H.K. that I was most concerned about as he was at death's door when we found him. I quickly took both into my magical grasp and did a series of teleport jumps to Zecora's hut. She was the only one that I would trust to help Spike and I doubt anypony but Zecora could help H.K. It wasn't until I had laid H.K. down in Zecora's hut and had a moment to collect myself that I noticed that the scar on H.K.'s shoulder was gone. I became really curious when instead of fur covering the shoulder it was covered with pearl white scales. He also was no longer emaciated. The change in him was eerily familiar to what happened to Luna... Unfortunately I knew I wasn't going to know exactly what happened to him until he woke up. Hence why I was pacing. I needed to know that I wasn't responsible for... I needed to know that H.K. was truly okay. I flew to the ceiling in fright when H.K suddenly awoke and sat up with a large gasp. "H.K.!?" I stuttered out as H.K. looked around. I immediately regretted opening my mouth as H.K. spun towards me growling. I shook in fear as H.K. stalked towards me. I had seen this kind of look before from the predators in the Everfree. He was looking at me like I was a meal. However, just as fast he stopped and blinked, the feral animal look fading from his eyes. "Thesējs tho Tzirüstele Atülāja?" H.K. questioned... I think. He spoke in a language I did not know outside of the last two words and had no idea the meaning of those two. "H.K.?" I squeaked out not sure what to think. Between the unknown language and the 'you tasty' look I wasn't sure if H.K. was okay or not. I really hope that my concern about brain damage was wrong and H.K. was just disorientated. "Are you okay?" "Jā." "H.K. in riddles you speak, a different spoken tongue is what we seek." H.K. blushed. "Sorry... I... trouble talk now... give moment..." Even though my head was swimming with questions I nodded my understanding. While I waited I decided to check on Spike. He had been out for quite some time now and I wanted to make sure that he was still merely passed out. I knew that with mana overload it could take up to several hours for the pony, or dragon in this case, to wake up. The problem I was facing was that dragons naturally napped for long periods of time which could mean that Spike could be out for days... or maybe not, I didn't know. I really wish I knew more about dragon biology. "What happened?" H.K. suddenly asked after I finished examining Spike. I was stunned by him asking that question as I was going to ask that! But I dared not to answer him as I had seen first hoof how much of a temper H.K. had. If he found out that I had told Spike... "I am not mad at you for telling Spike..." I eeped in fright, backing away a few steps instinctively. H.K. had figured out the truth without me saying a single word. I struggled to believe H.K.'s assurance. I had witness how easily he angered, especially when someone went back on their word. I flinched when H.K.'s wing wrapped around me. "Please relax thesējs tho Tzirüstele Atülāja if you had not told Spike I would not be alive and well right now... He healed my ash illness... something I had for thousands of years and tried over and over to heal and was never able to do so. I just need to know what happened to better understand how." I fought hard to calm myself down, but I just couldn't. I kept flashing back to when H.K. had Princess Celestia slammed up against a wall, his sword pressed to her neck. Except instead of her it was I with the sword pressed to my neck. "Atcktūsties thesējs tho Tzirüstele Atülāja" H.K. whispered and I immediately relaxed, much to my confusion. "I was already dying, nothing you did changed that..." "I know, but I tend to panic and jump to wild conclusions..." I blushed as I remember both the time I created a friendship problem and the time I went back in time. "It's okay, just start from the beginning." "Okay." I gulped before quickly going through the calming technique that Cadence taught me. "Well it began the moment I left the Astral Plane. I had to do something to try and fix what I thought I had done so I teleported to Spike who was with Garble and confessed... Spike he... he ordered me to find you like before... which I was surprised when it worked... I was about to get Zecora when Spike stopped me saying that you had whispered out something but all he could get from you was 'use me.'" "Wait..." H.K. gaze slammed into me, his eyes widening in shock. "He heard 'use me'? Are you sure?" "Yes... I was unable to hear you, but... he seemed sure...." "Interesting..." H.K mumbled as he turned away rubbing his chin with a hoof. "H.K.?" I inwardly groaned when H.K. responded to my concern by waving his hoof dismissively. Why am I not surprised? H.K. always seemed to leave me hanging. "Spike should awaken soon. Using the gem in such a way for the first time clearly was a bit overwhelming for him... Make sure that he keeps the necklace on at all times..." My eyes narrowed has H.K. stood up. It was clear from what he said and the way he said it that he was about to leave. "Whoa, whoa, no. You are not running out on him again." I stepped in front of H.K., blocking his way out of Zecora's hut. I knew him enough to know what he was doing, and I was not going to stand by again and let him. I just hope that he doesn't use his magic to bypass me... or his sword... "What do you need?" H.K. grumbled. "I have something that requires my attention." "What of Spike your brother!?" I snapped, gesturing towards Spike. "What of him? He's right there behind you! Why must you be such a coward?" "DON'T TEST ME Thesējs tho Tzirüstele Atülāja!" H.K. roared at me. I gulped when I saw the telltale sighs of dragon flame forming in the back of his maw. What happened to him? First the scaled shoulder and now flames from his maw? It was like he was biologically becoming more and more dragon. Just as quickly H.K.'s expression soften. "It is not safe for me to be around pr- ponies right now..." "Then you can stay with Garble." I countered his feeble excuse. "Spike needs you around, especially if what you said about hoarding was correct. He had nightmares for weeks after his hatchday and I don't know how to help him other then support him. Also with you now alive you could help with the coming war..." "I am aware of Spike's struggles which is why he needs the gem necklace... it will guide him to where his heart already is." I rubbed the bridge of my brow in frustration. As was typical with H.K., he was being infuriatingly unhelpful, but I had a feeling that it was probably all that I would be able to get out of H.K, at least about that. The war on the other hoof... "And the war?" "For now, I will have to leave that to you and Spike. I have other things to do that are just as pressing." "How is imminent genocide not the most pressing matter?" "Which is exactly why I other matters to attend to..." What!? Can you for once not be enigmatic H.K.!