//------------------------------// // That Sings // Story: A Bridge Between Brothers // by Rammy //------------------------------// ബഐബഐബഐ ??? ബഐബഐബഐ "Spike..." Silver whelp spoke for first time as sun was setting. "It's getting dark we should head back..." "Knock yourself out." Spike shrugged. "Spike only the library is warded against..." "So? I am not going back..." "Spike be reasonable." "I DON'T CARE!" Spike roared spewing fire at whelps. "I'M NOT GOING BACK THERE!" Was then that one with bent horn... not sure what name was... Wasn't paying attention to part of conversation... saw me. I was surprised took this long for whelp find me. Not been trying to hide just stay enough away until figure out what do next. Least now getting easier to think, words both spoken and thought coming faster, though head still pounded. "What are you doing here?" "I... will pro...tect him." "Like the way you 'protected' him by throwing him away?" I growled swiping tail at whelp. He saw coming as he dodged it. He was not able to dodge wing smacked him on chin from below. "I am not H.K.!" I hissed building fire in back of throat. "Twixt'd" Garble whispered, one of his claws on whelp with bent horn shoulder. "Don't push it... Something tells me who ever this dragon is he far outclasses us." "If you hurt him like H.K..." I grumbled as I turned away to Spike. I will never be like H.K.! I will never be like H.K.... Spike sniffed and shifted a bit. That was the first time since the whelps left at sunset that Spike had moved or made a sound. Was he starting to fall asleep or... Humming? That I was not expecting. Why humming? I know I'm probably better off with Twi' Than havin' a brother who didn't know What he had when he had it And now I only have scars that you gave me Never again, I just wish I could forget you were never alive I wish it wasn't midnight, standing in the cold Saying to myself, you tried everything you could When only thing to do was keep hoping. And here in the middle of the night I can still hear you But now I miss you, and I just wished you were a better brother Because I never get to say goodbye to you But why do I bother? But now I miss you, and I just wished you were a better brother A better brother I know I'm probably better off with Twi' Than also needing a brother who ran away at the sign trouble And it’s always on your terms I hung to every single word Hoping it might turn sweet Like I had always dreamed of But your cowardice, I can hear it now When you walked away from me like you’ll always be around You pushed me away like I was worthless of your time Boy, you never thought you’d die... Spike singing faded to sobs much to my confusion. It was clearly Spike's soul was pouring out in song form so why stop when it was clearly far from over? I've never seen a soul song end abruptly like this unless something interfered or... oh... And here in the middle of the night I can still hear you But now he misses you, and I just wished you were a better dragon Because he doesn't know why you had to go Like the phoenix flame And he misses you, and I just wished you were a better dragon A better dragon Better brother You held onto your pride because in the end it’s all you had And he gave you his best and we both know you can’t say that You can’t say that I wish you were a better dragon I wonder what we would’ve become If you were a better dragon We might've become a family If you were a better dragon You would’ve had treasure If you were a better dragon Yeah, yeah And here in the middle of the night I can still hear you But now I miss you, and I just wished you were a better brother Because I never get to say goodbye to you And like phoenix flame He does miss you, and I just wished you were a better dragon Better dragon I wonder what we would’ve become If you were a better dragon We might've become a family If you were a better dragon You would’ve had treasure If you were a better dragon Better dragon "So are you H.K.'s sick idea of a replacement?" Spike finally spoke after a long pause. "Yes and no." "Well you got the talking cryptic part down pat." Spike snorted in fake amusement. "Now all that is left is to leave in the same way... which I really hope you do." I sighed. I wasn't trying to be cryptic but how does one say that yes I am in a way his replacement but that it wasn't H.K.'s idea... If anything he fought against it much to my frustration. "I am not H.K.'s sick idea of a replacement." "You should go back the disjointed speaking. It makes it easier to be cryptic and lie by omission two of your favorite ways of talking." I groaned in exasperation. Thanks to H.K.s cowardice Spike's trust of him and thus me was non existent. '...a blank dragon soul was to be birthed within you then over time the two would resonant to the point that they essentially become the same. It was then, and only then, like sand in an hourglass, the essence from the alicorn half would fall away...' Though I only understand parts of it myself and I had no idea how to explain it without confusing him more... I have to try. "There is a magic ritual known as the Rite of Guardianship. Its purpose is to give a sibling the ability to hatch a sibling..." "Newsflash Twilight hatched me and unless 'magic surge when I got a cutiemark' is the dragon way of saying 'Rite of Guardianship.'" Cutiemark? What is a Cuitemark? Whatever that is doesn't matter because whatever that is I know it has nothing to do with the Rite... I think... "Yes, our sister Twilight hatched you, but..." "Twilight is not 'our' sister." Spike snapped at me. "The giving of your egg for the Oath was out of desperation. H.K. had been trying for centuries before hand to hatch you. I know because I witnessed every soul crushing attempt." "Oh yes he was also desperate to hatch me that it was soul crushing... then explain why he allow the Oathbreaker to manipulate him into giving me up..." "I don't know why..." I was always okay with Twilight. It was one of the few things he got right with Spike... giving him into her care... But then why he didn't end Oathbreaker's life then like he should or at least kept a much closer watch? Instead of a expected snarky response from Spike all I heard was the soft sound of snoring. It seems that Spike had finally fallen asleep. I'm surprised he managed to remain awake this long. I suppose this gives me time to figure out the missing information and maybe rebuild some trust so that he is receptive to the truth of who I am, how I came to be, and the ultimate fate of H.K. Izvēlies! The Voice's final word to me echoed in my mind again and I think, now, I know how to respond. H.K. and I were the same in one way, we loved our brother. If only H.K. had done better job at demonstrating that... better at being a loving brother... "H.K...." You held onto your pride because in the end it’s all you had I softly sung as I nuzzled Spike who was still crying even though he was sleeping. And Spike gave you his best and we both know you can’t say that You can’t say that I wish you were a better dragon I wonder what we would’ve become If you were a better dragon We might've become a family If you were a better dragon You would’ve had treasure If you were a better dragon Es Izvēlies Tvēsele Uzuthszrēüs.