//------------------------------// // That 'Protects' // Story: A Bridge Between Brothers // by Rammy //------------------------------// ബഐബഐബഐ Garble ബഐബഐബഐ "Twixt'd if you just let me..." "Will you shut the fuck up!" Twixt'd growled. "It's hard enough to concentrate with this cursed magick causing me to glow and itch I don't need you whining like a new born pup clambering for his bitch's milk." "And if you let me, you know the only one not glowing and itching, investigate we might find where Spike is faster." I snapped back. "You know maybe... maybe we should go back and check the library?" "NO!!!" Twixt'd roared at Silver who shrunk away. "For all we know they are responsible not only for this magick curse but his disappearance!" I shook my head. I get that he had a distaste for magic ,'or magick' as he calls it, but that was not reason to get his nuts all twisted up in a bunch. Silver is probably right. Spike probably got hungry and the white dragon led him back to the library and we just somehow miss them. Gah, now I'm thinking like an old fart! Maybe it would have been better for Dragon Lord Torch to kill me... "Hey, where the hell are you going?" "To check out the library." I called back. Unlike the paranoid Twixt'd I was not worried about the white dragon running off with Spike. "What matters more my brother?" I managed to round the pile of gems just in time to see the white dragon put a claw under Spike's chin and lift his head, clearly to his discomfort. "The who, the what, the how, and the why of the Dragon Lord or the vengeful conflagration that is about to consume your home, your friends, your everything?" "YOU LEAVE HIM ALONE!" I nearly jumped at the sound of Twixt'd roar. Where did he come from?! The little sneak must have managed to tail me all the way back without me knowing. "Hey!" I yelled out as I was nearly bowled over by what I assume was Twixt'd as I doubt the mass of black was Silver. I managed get back onto my feet in time to see that it was really was Twixt'd and he was about to do something very stupid. In that brief moment that I nearly lost my balance the white dragon had wrapped Spike tightly around in his tail, hunched his back up and was flaring his wings. It was something I had seen before... Back when I was a hatchling my sire once took me out to teach me some of the finer points of hunting manticores when we ran into a mother and her cub. She was doing the same thing as the white dragon was doing. My sire told me this was a warning form the mother one that I had to heed unless I wanted to be serious hurt. It was strange to see him act like a feral creature and not a dragon. Twixt'd clearly didn't know or see the signs I saw as he didn't even slow down. Worse still was while Twixt'd was fast the white dragon had to be way faster. As fast as H.K. was or is... I'm not really sure what exactly the dragon was... All I knew was that H.K was dead and yet alive through what I assume was some weird reincarnation rebirth, or something... I figured that he would tell us in good time or not... If he was anything like H.K.... I winced as in the next motion the dragon had punched Twixt'd in the stomach then grabbed him by the neck. It looked like he was squeezing quite hard as Twixt'd was only weakly fought against it. Between having all of his air violently expelled followed by being choked I would think it would make it very hard to put up a fight. "I would think very hard about accusing me of hurting what is mine again." The white dragon hissed before he slammed Twixt'd to the floor. I reflexively traced the scars on my arms. Twixt'd got lucky... "Twixt'd!" Spike yelled, squirming out of the dragon's grasp and running to Twixt'd. "Are you okay?" Twixt'd managed to nod between alternating bouts of gasping and coughs. "What in Tartarus is wrong with you?!" Spike roared angrily, stomping right up to the white dragon who didn't even flinch. "You could have killed him!" "Protecting what was his..." The shaman commented before turning away and walking into the hallway that lead towards the back of the library. I raised an eyebrow, something about those words seemed familiar but in what way? "And he's gone after giving a half baked answer why not?!" Spike grumbled as he facepalmed. "'Protecting what was his' and 'hurting what is mine...' Let's be clear 'not H.K. but is H.K.' I AM NOT 'YOURS!'" The white dragon sighed heavily. "If you haven't eaten do so now we've got a long flight ahead." "And what makes you think I or anydragon would go with you!?" Spike snorted, crossing his arms. "The Wasteland dragons are preparing to select a new Dragon Lord and if H.K. prediction holds they will attack shortly after that. Now I admittedly may be personally indifferent to Equestria's fate but you are n..." The white dragon suddenly paused and looked hard at Spike. "Where is your gem necklace?" "I don't know..." Spike shrugged. The white dragon narrowed his eyes. "You don't know?" "Spike..." "I threw..." Spike sheepishly rubbed the back of his head as he looked at me. "I threw it into the layonic vortex." "YOU DID WHAT?!?!" I shouted in shock. I knew Spike had mix feelings about the gem necklace but to just throw it away?! "How... Why would you do that!?" "Let it go Garble..." The white dragon ordered. "But..." I objected could tell that it hurt him to have Spike lose the gem necklace like that. "I said let it go." The white dragon snapped before he walked away, leaving just Spike, Twixt'd, and myself alone. "You don't have to come..." Spike repeated for the third time as we made our way out of the library. "And leave you with him!?" Twixt'd snorted. "Not happening..." "But..." Twixt'd held a claw out then put it to his lips. It was then that I could hear the muffled sounds of a conversation. As we approached the outer door the voices became clear. "How is your shoulder?" Came the white dragon's voice. "A bit stiff..." Silver's voice answered, "but I think it will go away with some flying." "Good, it's a week or more to Equestria." What? Silver is heading to Equestria? Why? "Wow... I'm not sure that..." "Done eating?" That made us jump in surprise. He found us out? I am I know we weren't that sneaky, but still... "He fucking did it again!" Twixt'd whispered. Both Spike and I snorted in amusement much to Twixt'd's annoyance. I looked to Spike to see what he wanted to do. He looked at me for a moment before shrugging and walking out. Okay then. I stepped out to see Silver and the white dragon standing near the entrance. Silver seemed a bit apprehensive while the other seemed to be almost bored. "Done eating?" He asked again, scratching his ear like a dog. "Yes." Spike growled, rolling his eyes. "Then let's fly. Silver in front." "What?!" Twixt'd exclaimed, shocked. "He is the weakest flyer, no offense, especially with his injury." "Exactly." At that Twixt'd starting to blubber trying to get a syllable out. I would have teased him for acting like a dumb fish except I was doing the same thing. Having the weakest flyer in the front would not only slow us down it could hurt Silver! He needs to be in the back or in the middle which would allow him to ride the wake making it easier for him to fly. Spike was the first to manage to spout out something coherent. "Are you trying to hurt him!? His injury hasn't healed fully!" "I have a question for our hunters in this gang. When you go out hunting for prey... Do you go after the herd or the one that is lagging behind or breaks off from the rest?" Spike blanched as the white dragon explained. I shook my head. One of these days Spike I'm going to get that out of your system. I don't care if we can eat pony food and gems only, sharp teeth are for meat not for grazing in the grass with your ass in the air. "From what I have seen, war is the same... and if we want to get out of it alive then we must do as prey do only better. Also Silver is native to the Untamed Wilds and know its dangers intimately. Now fly, we are wasting daylight." "But the obelisks!" Silver objected, his wings clamped tight onto his back. I could feel myself tense up... I remember how fast those obelisks shot Silver out of the sky. "Are not working, now fly."