//------------------------------// // Shattered Bonds // Story: A Different Kind of Treasure // by Mechawrecker //------------------------------// Flitter grabbed a length of rope and started tying the captured swordsmens’ wrists behind their backs. She tensed her legs in preparation of an escape attempt, but the demoralized dragons didn’t put up any resistance. As she marched them into Sky’s apartment, her hoof knocked against something hard that rattled across the pavement. Glancing down, her eyes widened as she noticed the familiar triple arrow pattern of Sky’s cutie mark emblazoned on a busted piece of metal. “Oh no… I hope Sky can fix it. I know how attached some ponies can get to their equipment.” She touched her bow with a hoof before continuing, “I’d better bring it back to him. Plus, maybe this will give me a chance to clear up the awkwardness from our... misunderstanding.” After securing the captives in Sky’s living room, Flitter backtracked to the rooftop where he was healing Cloud’s wounds. As she flew, snippets of the battle flooded her memory. The way her arrows had glowed blue and pierced heavy armor, Cloud’s shining beam of power, and Sky’s incredible shield toss made her wonder just how powerful these founders of Equestria were. “I need to do some more research with Sky about those powers if we want to stand a chance against Dragon Lord Torch.” Blushing at the possibility, she mumbled, “And who knows? Maybe during one of our study sessions, we’ll cuddle up together while reading from the same novel… his hooves wrapping around me as his enchanting voice whispers sweet nothings into my ear~” Giggling at her imagination, Flitter landed on the former battlefield and glanced at where Sky’s glowing hooves traced over Cloud’s body. Not wanting to break his concentration, she approached them quietly as the ethereal healing came to an end. Just when she was about to make her presence known, Cloud’s cocky voice floated through the air. “Oh, shut up! Can’t you just take the thanks without being so smug?” Before Flitter could do more than open her mouth, Cloud’s lips moved forward and planted themselves upon Sky’s unsuspecting muzzle. A shard of ice pierced Flitter’s heart as her sister's lips greedily ravished his, leaving long strands of saliva dangling between their mouths. The shock and betrayal coursing through her veins intensified when Sky wrapped his hooves around Cloud’s neck and deepened their lip lock, only coming up to take a quick breath before resuming his feast. The world around her began to swim as a red haze tinged her vision. The shaking of her sweaty hooves loosened the grip on Sky’s shield until it broke free of her grasp and clattered to the ground. The two lovers broke apart and whipped around, disentangling their hooves from each other in an attempt to feign ignorance, but Flitter had already seen enough. With the fury of one thousand manticores, her face contorted into an infuriated growl as she shrieked. “WHAT THE BUCK!?” Once again, the three ponies sat in silence around a coffee table. As the tense atmosphere descended on the room, even the hostage dragons started to grow uncomfortable. Sky and Cloud averted their gaze towards the ground while Flitter breathed heavily into her hooves. After several uncomfortable moments, Sky raised his head and mumbled, “S-so, should we start interrogating them?” Flitter glared at him with a look of fury. “I don’t know. Will you and Cloud be able to separate lips long enough to ask any questions?” Sky lowered his gaze in shame before Cloud came to his aid. “Hey, back off, sis. We were just…” Flitter rounded on her backstabbing sibling. “Just what, Cloud? Are you actually going to try and say you weren't sucking face with him?” Cloud’s mouth opened and closed like a goldfish out of water, but no words escaped her muzzle. Seeing her sister had no valid excuse, Flitter stood up and stormed out of the room with one last look of betrayal and hatred, slamming the door behind her. The sharp sound of Flitter's exit caused Cloud to jump as tears started forming in the corners of her eyes. Covering her face with a wing, she desperately tried to hide the pain her sister’s reaction had caused. Sky felt awful seeing the wrench he had thrown into the sisters’ relationship. Trotting over to Cloud’s shaking form, he wrapped a caring wing around her barrel and whispered, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…” Cloud buried her head into Sky’s chest and wept. With a shaky breath, she stuttered, “I k-knew… I knew she l-liked you… I even teased her about her crush when we f-first met…” His eyes widened at the shocking confession, but he withheld his questions in favor of embracing her body with his hooves. As her breathing slowly returned to normal, Sky pulled back from the embrace and stared at her tear-stained face. Cloud’s eyes were dull and watery, the usual confident fire that burned inside them had been extinguished, only to be replaced by the smoldering ashes of shame and regret. Seeing the usually feisty mare crumble in defeat, Sky desperately thought of any way he could make things right. As bad ideas and even worse actions ran through his brain, the striking gold of his irises glowed bright for a moment before fading away as all the confusion and panic that had settled into his mind seemed to float away. With a determined gaze, he steeled his nerves and worked to wipe away the guilt currently eating the broken mare alive. “Cloud, your and Flitter’s bond is strong enough to withstand anything. You two are family, the only family you have left.” He kicked himself for bringing up the sensitive topic before continuing, “You two have withstood so many challenges together, and you’ve never backed down from a fight just because it was difficult.” He rested a reassuring hoof on her shoulder. “You and Flitter are the closest, most amazing mares I’ve ever met. From the first moment I saw you two, I knew there was nothing that could ever break the sacred connection you both shared.” He smiled wryly and quipped, “I mean, if I hadn’t gotten Hooflepuff’s Goblet first, I’m sure you two would have worked together to escape instead of trying to decapitate me and turn my skull into a shower head’s spray nozzle.” Cloud’s muzzle twitched as she gave a little chuckle. Wiping her tears away, she gazed into his golden eyes and mumbled, “Thanks, Sky. You’re a really good guy… I just wish we had met under better circumstances.” He nodded in agreement. “Hey, it's not like we’re trying to snuff each other out anymore! Besides, if anyone needs a new introduction, it’s Flitter.” He turned to look at the room where Flitter had secluded herself. “I’m not sure if I’ll be able to talk to her now that she’s so distraught. We might want to give her some time to cool off.” Cloud shook her head before standing up. “No, I can’t leave her like this. The longer we wait to talk, the more she’ll resent me and the less she’ll listen. I need to clear the air with her right now.” Sky’s eyes widened. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I’m more than a little concerned about what she’ll do to you right now…” Shuddering at the possible outcomes, Cloud mumbled, “I’m worried too considering it’s my flank on the line, but you were right. I need to talk to Flitter before she hates me forever.” Glancing back at him, she joked, “If I don’t come back out in twenty minutes, stop Flitter from mutilating my corpse, okay?” He snorted into his hoof. “Sure, Cloud. If Flitter does manage to get her hooves on you, I’ll be sure to write you an epitaph.” Sky watched as Cloud knocked on the bedroom door. When no response came, she tried to turn the handle and blinked in surprise when it actually opened. With one last apprehensive glance, she entered the lion’s den and shut the door behind her with a snap. Now that he couldn’t see her, Sky’s mind started panicking again. He knew Flitter wasn’t a violent pony, but after that look she gave Cloud, anything was possible. Thirty seconds passed, but he had yet to hear any noise come from the bedroom, which could either be very good or very bad. Just as he was about to start pacing, a new voice called out to him from the living room. “You’ve got it bad, man.” Sky whipped around in surprise at the masculine tone. A fairly large gray dragon stared back at him with amusement written all over his face. “I mean, a lot of guys would kill to be in your situation.” A frown formed on Sky’s face as he growled, “Those stallions clearly don’t care enough about their partners to want this heartbreak drama. It’s not all it’s made out to be.” The gray dragon chuckled, “I get it. It’s not about how many partners you can attract. It’s about finding the one that’s right for you. The one that you could imagine spending the rest of your life with and never get sick of each other. The one that makes you get out of bed every morning and think, ‘I’m so glad I can see her again’.” Gazing out the back window, he continued, “But just when you think you’ve found the one, another comes along and throws a wrench into your plans. Suddenly, you can’t imagine a life without either of them. No matter how much you love one, you’ll never truly be happy if you don’t have the other too.” He fixed Sky with a knowing look. “That’s what you’re thinking, right?” Sky blinked in surprise before raising a suspicious eyebrow. “Who are you? Are you some sort of mind-reading magician or something?” “The name’s Spark,” he said with a wave of his tail. “And no, I’m not a mind-reader. I’ve been where you are now, so I definitely get what you’re going through.” Sky raised his eyebrow. “Is it common to have multiple partners among dragons? It’s not unheard of in Equestria, but it's not really something we ponies brag about." Spark reached into his breast pocket with his teeth and pulled out a picture of himself with two female dragonesses hugging him from both sides. “I’ve got two amazing girls waiting for me once I get out of the military,” he said, pocketing the picture. “I just thought I’d let you know that before you all start interrogating us.” “We’re not going to kill you!” Sky balked, horrified that execution was the first place Spark’s mind had gone. “We’d never stoop that low! Even captives and prisoners of war deserve some level of respect and dignity.” “I wish our own military thought that way,” Spark noted dryly. “When we get back to the Dragonlands, we’re all going to be court-martialed and sentenced to prison for failing our mission.” Sky saw the rest of the captured dragons sniff disdainfully or shake their heads in disapproval. Turning to Spark, his eyes flashed gold as he noticed the lucrative opportunity. “That's rough, buddy. I hope you don’t mind that we beat up your general.” Spark gave a bark of laughter. “Hah! Why would I mind? If anything, I should be thanking you. That fat bastard made our lives miserable.” The other dragons nodded and mumbled their agreement. Sky blinked in surprise as Spark explained, “Every dragon in our unit didn’t actually want to be soldiers. In order to keep up the strong military presence on the border, The Dragon Lord started conscripting men into the army.” One of the smaller dragons raised his voice. “Yeah, I was a hot spring cleaner before I was forced to join this unit. I can’t wait to get out, even if it means going to jail.” Sky’s muzzle curved into a grin. “Well, if you guys really want to get out of service that badly, there is something you could do that would accomplish just that.” The five dragons stared up at him before Spark asked, “What might that be? If you think you and your girlfriends can beat Dragon Lord Torch’s armies by yourselves, you’re wrong. There are thousands of well-trained and equipped guards and patrols all over the Dragonlands.” “Actually,” Sky smirked, “if we knew the exact location of The Dragon Lord's palace, we might actually be able to take him down.” Seeing their disbelief, he pointed towards the closed bedroom door. “You saw what those girls can do. Flitter can literally see into the future. That’s how she predicted your archers’ first strike. Cloud is no slouch either with that broadsword of hers. Did you all see her duel your general? She cut through his reinforced sword and armor like butter and blasted him into the side of a mountain in a single strike!” The dragons widened their eyes as he concluded, “And don’t forget about me. I might not have any offensive abilities, but any kind of damage or injuries the girls sustain won’t slow us down as long as I have a say.” Sky raised his hoof and pressed it onto Spark’s bleeding arm. Instantly, a golden light showered the injury and sealed the wound within a matter of seconds. With one final grin, he said, “Of course, all these abilities won’t mean a thing unless we know where The Dragon Lord is. If only there were some deserting dragons that could help us out…” Spark blinked in surprise before turning to look at his fellow soldiers. All four of the swordsmen were nodding their heads frantically while the runty hot tub cleaner whispered, “Do it, Spark! We’ll never get another opportunity like this! It’s either accept his deal or be court-martialed and sent to prison.” Sighing in resignation, Spark leveled his gaze and mumbled, “Fine… I guess we don’t have much of a choice. I’ll guide you to where the Dragon Lord’s palace is and help you get past the security, but after that you’re on your own. If we get caught near there, we’ll all be sent to the gallows for treason.” Sky started untying his new allies. “Glad to have you aboard. Just remember, you all promised to take us to The Dragon Lord, and we don't take kindly to those who don’t hold up their ends of the deal.” The four swordsmen rubbed their wrists and made their way to the kitchen to find something to eat, but Sky stopped Spark with a hoof. “Hang back a second, man. I need to talk to you.” Once the rest of the dragon unit was busy stuffing themselves with his stash of meat, Sky whispered, “I… I was just wondering if you could give me some advice on fielding two different girls. I really like both of them, but I’m not sure how they’d react if I suggested what you have with your partners.” Spark gave him a confused smirk. “What’s so complicated? When I suggested it to my girls, they were all for it! They even said it made our time together much more... interesting.” Sky grimaced and lowered his voice until it was almost inaudible. “Yeah… I don’t think I’m going to get the same response. They’re sisters. Spark’s face scrunched, “Oh… yeah… maybe not the best idea.” He rubbed his nose with a claw. “Well, the only advice I can really give you is to be honest. In situations like this, once you make a choice, you’re committed. After you choose one of them, the other likely won’t ever forgive you or the other sister. You need to be totally confident in your answer, or else you’re going to regret it for the rest of your life.” “Yeah, I figured as much,” Sky groaned, stomping his hooves nervously. “Thanks for your advice. I guess we should start going over our plan for the attack now.” A cocky grin broke across Spark’s toothy maw. “You know, if you do manage to get them both on board, I have a bunch of bedroom tips for dealing with two girls at the same time.” A scarlet blush flooded Sky’s face as he spluttered, “W-What!? I’m not planning to do anything like that!” Spark raised an eyebrow and flashed him a disbelieving eye roll. Finally, after several seconds of awkward glaring, Sky flattened his ears in embarrassment and leaned in. “So? What do you recommend?”