//------------------------------// // That Ponders // Story: A Bridge Between Brothers // by Rammy //------------------------------// ബഐബഐബഐ Silver ബഐബഐബഐ I shivered as I tried to warm up by rubbing my arms, even with the fire I found myself cold. I had thought that nights in the Untamed Wilds could get cold but, here, in the Everfree Forest, it makes those nights seem warm... I felt a bit jealous of Spike who not only had a blanket but was also sound asleep. How can anyone sleep so soundly with it this cold? Speaking of that... I looked over to see Twixt'd leaning against a natural stone pillar some distance from the fire, staring off into space. He didn't look even a tad bit cold. How could he not be cold by now? He had to have been leaning against that pillar for some several hours now. I sighed. Speaking even more of the cold, things had been icy between Spike and Twixt'd ever since their fight after Garble and the white dragon left in the middle of the night without warning. In the week since then I think they have only exchanged maybe a dozen words each. With Equestria, according to Spike, only a few hours away... I breathed slowly before I got up and walked over to Twixt'd. "Mind...mind if I join you?" Twixt'd shrugged but said nothing. I smiled nervously as I stood next to Twixt'd looking everywhere but at him. "The stars are so different here..." I lamely whispered after a few moments of silence. "Yeah..." I groaned inwardly. This is going to be harder then I thought... "And you just let him go!?" Spike yelled, waking me with a start. I looked over to see him waving his arms at an annoyed Twixt'd who was leaning back with his arms crossed. "I don't have the gem necklace anymore! So I have no way of tracking where he could have gone." "So? You don't need him. He's not just a jackass he's a manipulative jackass that's using you. He doesn't care for you, at all." "You think I don't know that!? Do you think that this is the first time he's done this? Or worse?" Spike snapped poking Twixt'd in the stomach. "Did Garble ever tell you why he is scarred the way he is?" I admit I too was curious as for why. Given the extensive and meticulous scarring I had figured it was some botched attempt to emulate a shaman's scale carvings but the way Spike was talking it sounded like it was something else. "H.K. carved him up using Leafcutter for trying to incite me to smash a phoenix egg and then trying to attack me when I refused." I gulped, hard. Killing a phoenix was a capital offense. No exceptions as far as I knew, and while he didn't kill one the fact that tried to incite another to kill a phoenix... How is Garble still alive? And why was he allowed to be in the company of the very one that he tried to get killed!? "And as much as I'd like to tie him in unbreakable chains and throw him down the deepest, darkest pit in Tartarus to rot for all eternity Equestria needs him." "Bullshit." "You just don't get it." Spike shook his head. "We are not talking about the streets of Traxti City! We are not talking about the griffon eyries or the minotaur tribes, both of who understand or like violence. We are talking about peaceful violence shunning Equestria that has not seen a war in centuries! The only reason the recent invasion by the changelings failed because was Chrysalis couldn't help but to monologue like a comic book villain. Then you add that dragons are highly resistant to pony magic!" By the end Spike was crying and when Twix'td tried to reach out Spike flinched and backed away. "Without H.K., or whatever he is now, They will be slaughtered... My friends, my family nothing but ash..." "Spike... I..." "Let's just go..." Spike whispered, not even looking up. "There is no point staying here..." "Do you know what he told me?" I blinked in confusion as Twixt'd's sudden question pulled me out of my thoughts. "I'm sorry?" "Do you know what he told me?" I racked my brain but I wasn't even sure exactly who 'he' was much less what 'he' told him. Did I miss more then 'Do you know what he told me?' Has Twixt'd been talking for a while and I only just now noticed? "Uh... no..." "That I saw him as mine..." I blinked, hard. Okay... not following... Even as an orphan living on the street I would have thought he at least heard a few rumorsof how dragons are possessive. But then again this was the first time that he's opened up like this and I was not going to shut him down by stating the obvious or asking a stupid question. If he need time to express his thoughts I could wait. Though I hope it wouldn't be too long, because as much as the cool air was helping my shoulder I didn't need to be numb everywhere. "It wasn't a 'mine' the way he said it was like Spike was just property... a slave." I flinched at that. Slavery was considered appalling and dishonorable, to be one or to own one. Something that no dragon would do to another... except... I got the impression that there was an extreme upon extreme circumstances that would allow it... Maybe that is what happened to Garble... "You are my friends... Spike, Garble, you... You guys aren't my slaves or minions, to boss around and do with as I please..." Twixt'd sniffed, I could see tears glistening down his face. "I just remember cruelty of the streets... Life was hard enough doing whatever you need to survive, to not starve, to not get too sick, to get enough shelter from the weather, to see the next sunrise because you were, in the eyes of the city, worthless garbage to be thrown out and be forgotten..." What could I say to all that? I understood a bit of where he was coming from but I never had to worry about my next meal... or shelter and while I was picked on I never was in that much danger of my live being taken... well until Hourglass City. How did I not know about that city before?! "But then..." Twixt'd started up again but where he was sad before he was now angry, a slight growl in his voice, "you got those that preyed on the weak because they could and... and H.K., white dragon guy, whatever he is is just like them..." Twixt'd voice faded away into an uncomfortable silence, a silence I had no idea how to end. It was clear that Twixt'd really cared about Spike he just made a mistake. But I knew that anything I said would been seen as hollow. Unfortunately the cold was starting to really get to me as my teeth began to chatter. At least it would give me a flimsy excuse to change to topic to something a bit less depressing. "How can anyone stand this cold?" I muttered as another shiver racked my body. "This is nothing," Twixt'd chuckled. "Traxti City is a port city along the Northern Sea, it could get really cold... I remember a few bad winters when it was not uncommon to find someone frozen solid and fused to the ground by morning. Or buried by snow so deep as to not to been seen for months when it finally warm up enough for the body to smell..." Okay, not a better topic...