For days Spike sat next to Harmony, hoping that he would survive. The only rest from his vigil was when Scorpan and Twilight left the lab to get something to eat or to rest and Scorpan dragging him away leaving either one of the girls or Discord to watch over him. Most nights Somepony would discover Spike fast asleep and would have to cover him up.
On the fifth day of his vigil Discord caught Spike uttering something unintelligible to Harmony. "Spike you been at this for four days now. You need to take a break."
"But..." Spike pleaded.
"No buts..." Discord groaned. "Oh, help me. I'm starting to sound like you, scolding Twilight..." seeing that Spike was still unsure of leaving or not he reassured him "Don't worry, I'll watch him and will let you know if anything changes right away."
Spike reluctantly got up, stretched, his joints cracking loudly. Harmony stirred a bit, groaning softly. Spike sheepishly froze and after a moment or two Harmony went silent again. Discord silently snapped on a nurses outfit and gently put a thermometer in the sleeping alicorn's mouth.
"Go on." Discord whispered waving with his hands not looking at Spike.
Spike’s stomach growled softly as he left the den he went down the hall and into the kitchen to grab a sandwich and a few gems. After making his sandwich he walked out and decided to eat by the water.
Splashing his feet in the cool water, his mind wandered to another problem that had been plaguing his mind. This problem had been plaguing him for years and had only recently been partially answered. The dangers of the past few weeks only made the urgency of solving it more pressing.
"A name is the sign when a dragon becomes an adult. This name, translated, is known as a Hoard Name. This name has a meaning that is similar to the meaning of a pony's cutie-mark though not completely...
You are a dragon that acts like a pony. This is in complete conflict with being a dragon...
You want to protect those you love but you can't do that as a hatchling. This is a conflict that must be resolved."
Harmony was right. Even though he would never admit it publicly, as he got older it got harder to behave in a pony fashion. Harmony helped him smooth out some of the rougher edges of being a dragon but he always acted a bit different then most colts. One of the things about the Hoard Name that made sense that was lately he had the urge to hoard but not in the way on his birthday.
When he had his ‘growth spurt’ on his birthday he wanted everything that he saw. Everything was things, objects to have. There was no rhythm or reason to it. The more recent... urges.. was different, it was as if there was something specific he needed to hoard but he knew not what. Something, however, that Harmony said to him last seem to touch on this.
"You want to protect your friends ... your family right? To protect them from harm? And what does a dragon protect?"
Choose wisely, he had said, but he wasn't sure how to do that, yet. How do you pick a name that says he wanted to protect his friends and family without coming off as some sort of brutish dragon that treated ponies with disdain or worst... This of course meant to choosing a name that was less dragon-like and more pony-like. He so wanted more help from Harmony but with him deathly ill that option was out. Twilight was also out as she knew just as much as he did.
He thought that maybe seeing some happy memories would give him some ideas, and if not it could at least get his mind off of the current events. That would require getting into the Plane of Harmony which he was unsure how to get in there. The last time he got in there was an accident. There had to be a way of doing it again but this time on purpose.
He closed his eyes and thought back to how he did it before and tried to repeat that. After a bit nothing happened. So he thought harder and his features crunched up from the increase and still nothing happened. It wasn't until he inwardly shouted that he needed advise that something happened. He could feel the air around him cool, the breeze stopped.
Tentatively opening his eyes he found that instead of the Plane of Harmony he had managed to get back to the same place that he discovered Discord and Harmony fighting.
"Okay not where I wanted to go but I guess this will work for now... The only problem is where am I?" Spike wondered out loud his voice echoing slightly.
The Council of Harmony meeting chambers. What is the answer you seek. What advice do you need? Several voices chanted in unison echoing loudly.
"Ouch." Spike covered his ear from the sudden loud, chanting voices. "Who said that?"
When no one answered he shrugged thinking it was the stress causing him to think he heard voices. Better not tell Twilight that.
The last time he was here Harmony and Discord were arguing he didn't get much of a chance to figure out where here was. Looking around, he could see twelve white marble thrones in a semi circle. Nine of them had sparks floating around them. Between each one he saw a window and outside he could see what he was sure to be the Plane of Harmony. It looked like he could enter the plane from a set of two very large double doors larger than the ones at Canterlot Castle. However, the sparks seemed to grab his attention. Going up to one of the thrones he tried grabbing one. His claws however seemed to go right through every spark.
"Must be magic." He mused. "Why, though, are they not around three of the thrones?"
The three without have Keepers that are full of life. Came the chant again.
"That figures." Spike rubbing his spines. "Guess that means the chanting voices must be magic too."
It seems to answer questions that I pose which means...
"How does a dragon choose a Hoard Name?" Spike tried to ask the question on his mind.
The answer you seek must come from a dragon.
Spike rubbed his ear frills trying to get the ringing out. "Okay maybe that was a poor question let me try another. What are some examples of Hoard Names?"
The answer you seek must come from a dragon.
"I need more then 'The answer you seek blah. blah, blah.' Uh.. What is the real purpose of a Hoard Name?"
The answer you seek must come from a dragon.
"How is a dragon hoard related to its Hoard Name?"
The answer you seek must come from a dragon.
"I'm beginning to wonder if you know anything about dragons.’ Thinking inwardly he mused. For that matter, anything but the same sentence over and over. “Who should I ask about Hoard Names?"
The answer you seek must come from a dragon.
"I see that you wanted a headache, asking for advice from the Council." Discord leaned down to whisper in a gossipy manner. "The trick is knowing the right question to ask."
Spike just pinched his brow with his claw trying to ease the headache that he was developing. "I'm done playing twenty questions with them. The only answer I can see to pry out of them is," speaking in a mocking manner, "'The answer you seek must come from a dragon.'" Suddenly bouncing up and down in anger he shouted, "I am a dragon!"
"Alas, Harmony is the resident dragon expert. I'm more of the chaos expert."
It was at that moment that Spike realized that Discord was, one with him, and two was talking to him. "Wait a minute! Why are you here? Is Harmony okay?"
"He is fine. The problem is that you disappeared. Next time you try coming here at least let me know so you don't get everyone up in hoofs trying to find you.”
"Sorry. I just..."
Discord just waved off Spike's apology.
"Say... " Suddenly Spike had a thought, a most delicious one at that. " I wonder...."
Discord looked down at him initially unsure of what Spike was thinking. Then it hit him. He was such an idiot! Giving a key to Spike like that! He was sure now what the question Spike was going to ask and he didn't want that answered. Before he could stop Spike, however, Spike had already begun to ask the question.
"Hey! Answer this!" yelling in the direction of the lights, "Why would Discord and Harmony know each other and why is a self proclaimed being 'chaos' be allowed in a place that's is all about harmony?"
Yep he asked. Discord silently cursed himself.
The first question is answered by the second. The chant began. The one called Discord is the Chimera Keeper of Harmony.
Spike stared at Discord, then at the council then back at Discord mouth wide open.
Here it comes...
"BWHAAHAHAA!" Spike roared in laughter clutching his already aching sides. "That, that is the funniest thing I've ever heard!"
See this is why I never tell anyone I'm a Keeper. Discord shook his head, his head cupped in his hands.