//------------------------------// // Reawakenings // Story: Dragons of Hourglass // by Rammy //------------------------------// I did nothing! SPIIIIIIIKE!!!!! Some Keeper of Harmony you are…. You broke harmony... I could have saved him... No. You killed him. SPIIIIKE!!!!! Murderer… No. Yessssss!  MWAHAHAHAAAAA! Harmony nearly lept out of bed. Cold sweat poured down his head, dripping into his eyes. He blinked hard to get the salty sweat out of his eyes. Once his vision cleared he could see that he was in the small house that he had been using as a base of operation in Hourglass. Sitting calmly on the wall was Discord reading a book and wearing squarish reading glasses on his muzzle. A small fire crackled in the fireplace. “How long this time?” Harmony shoved the blankets off the dampness of them chilling him. He gazed upwards to see that at minimum night had fallen. Discord snapped the book and glasses away before speaking, “Three days.” “Do they know?” Discord jaw moved but he seemed to not be able to respond. Harmony was not happy with the delay so he forcibly pulled Discord towards him with his magic, “Do they know!?” Harmony started coughing. Discord face scrunched up in worry. Harmony had used magic too soon after recovering from his most recent burnout. This was not good if the dark magic from Garble accelerated the disease this far again. “No.” Discord finally responded as Harmony fit died down. “They just think the dark magic knocked you out and not the Magic Wasting Disease resurfacing from the strain.”   Harmony breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. Keep it that way.” Discord was getting annoyed. Harmony was doing it again. “I don’t think you should hide this.” “They are going to have enough to worry about don’t add my health to it.” Harmony didn’t like hiding it either. It was like a war within him. It hurt to not be honest with them. Kindness told him that it would be unwise to needlessly worry them. Without a dragon to help (unlikely given the way they were) there really was nothing that could be done. Joy went with Kindness and Loyalty sided with Honesty. The remaining two stayed silent. For the moment Harmony put those thoughts to the side as a more pressing matter was at hand. The matter of Garble and the dark magic. It was no ordinary dark magic for it couldn't be dispelled. Very few magic users would know how to properly do a spell like that. Then to get it to linger on a magic resistant species was a feat of extreme power. Sombra could have produce the level of dark magic for the dark smoky aura. Of course Sombra was long dead so that left him out. The Crystal Heart made sure of that. Still… He would need to have the lands surrounding the Crystal Empire searched, again. That left the dark magic that was oozing out his wounds. He could think of a multitude of things that could have caused it. Most likely a dark magic infused weapon over something like an amulet... Which would mean a search spanning the entire world. “There just isn’t enough of us.” Harmony mused, frustration etched upon his face. “I know, Harmony. It was never meant for this to happen…” Discord sighed heavily. “It is going to make our task all the more difficult. All the more for you to stay alive!” Harmony’s anger flared up to the point that he was now standing on the bed. “Don’t remind me Discord! Why must we go through this everytime!” “Because you keep going out of your way to get yourself hurt!” “Because we are stretched thin! Why do you think I did what I did with the Elements? I didn’t just think one day I wonder if I could put my harmony magic into six bobble for kicks! What could possibly go wrong! I was stacking the deck! Hoping for a Hail Mary! Anything to give us the advantage in the coming war!” Discord’s face suddenly appeared clownish, “Schemers trying to control their little worlds. I’m not a schemer. I try to show the schemers how pathetic their attempts to control things really are…” Harmony immediately saw through that one. He was not in the mood for it. “Really of all times you decide to do a fourth wall reference!?!?” Discord quickly wiped off the makeup. “If that is what it takes! Harmony plans can go awry. Not everything will be in a neat orderly package. Alicorns are beings that thrive on order; draconequus on chaos. You can’t have complete order just like you can’t have complete chaos. It doesn’t work that way.” Not the Chaos Order argument again!  Harmony growled in frustration. Discord concern for his health blinded him to the big picture. Typical. “I know that. War may be chaotic but they are won on order. To win you must press every advantage and turn disadvantages around or minimize them… seeing movements in the battlefield knowing when where and how to strike and retreat and knowing how your opponent will do so.” Discord face remained blank so Harmony pressed on. “A chess game can seem chaotic but both players are planning ahead trying to figure out the moves before they happen… order… a chaotic mind can’t effectively play chess. Nor can they win wars outside of luck, pure chance. We can’t save this world by playing on pure chance… chance is part of it true but you and I aren’t willing to leave it to pure chance! The risk is too high!” “Chess!!? War!!? What are you blabbering about?!” Discord bellowed. After the heat of his angry outburst subsided he stammered out, “Why hasn't the Chaos Bringer left his prison?” “Finally you are thinking! I don’t know and I don’t like it.The Seal, as I understand, should have broken at He of Hourglass’ Choosing.” Harmony answered. A thought occurred to him. “What do you know of Hydra Hourglass?” Discord rubbed his temple trying to massage his headache away. “Not much I’m afraid. Between the chaotic leyonic magic and the endless storms... I never could get close enough to get a good look.” “Same here… I am not sure if its because it is always like that or the magic of It’s prison… Which makes it difficult to see if there is a reason for the Dark One’s delay. Let’s just hope that its only finding a way out of the storms and not biding It’s time.” Neither one had anything more to add. The fight had drained them. When they got into fights. Discord always went overprotective while Harmony always seem to take on the ‘role’ of wild carefree brother. Not that Harmony was wild or carefree. He just always felt like he was being treated as such. He wasn’t carfree or wild if anything remotely like that. Harmony was more protective than Discord was Discord knew this. He lost many a decade of sleep over worry. His charges had shorter lives than those of Discord’s so he had to learn early on to only give them nudges in the right direct and hope for the best. Of course it didn’t stop him from protecting them from the largest dangers. Dragons, rouge diamond dog packs, changeling invasions to name a few problems he stopped before they could get to Equestria. Not that he was able to protect them completely. He was only one pony and Equestria was quite large after all. “Look Discord I understand. You have have lost nine keepers already…and the lost of… I know you can’t stand another one. But...” Discord had a tear in his eye, “I’m not the only one but...” Both Discord and Harmony turned away trying to hide their respective pain. Discord knew exactly who Harmony’s the pain was for as Harmony knew Discord’s. Harmony knew his was coming but still went headlong into it. Discord didn't have that luxury... Discord wanted to envy that but knew it didn’t make the pain any easier if anything it could make it worse. Discord only hoped that it would not lead to grief induced madness. He knew of that all too well. Harmony was the first the end the awkward silence. “I have a task for you Discord.” “Oh how wonderful!” Discord sarcastically exclaimed in delight. He managed to turn around to see Harmony roll his eyes in reply. “I need you to head to the Fire Ring Mountains then the Chimney Arch Desert.” “Why those locations?” Discord knew not to ask ‘why him’ he knew exactly ‘why him.’ Time was not on their side and Harmony needed to rest before going anywhere much less to those far away locations. He of Hourglass also would not go given that the defenses failed when the shadow demons showed up. Somehow he suspected Harmony had yet to fix the issue. Why me!? Harmony pulled out some parchment from the desk next to his bed. He wrote something down mumbling a bit to himself. Handing off his work to Discord he added, “Based on distances from those locations and the time to fly here given his injuries those are the two most most likely areas where the Dragon Migration was at the time of Garble’s attack.” “And you want me to investigate to see what if anything has happened to the Dragon Migration?” Discord was not going to like liking what he knew was going to be Harmony’s response. He never like dealing with dragons and if the Dragon Migration was attacked he really didn’t want to deal with it alone. The power alone to do so would be immense. Dark magic on top of that...He shuttered. “Exactly, unfortunately Garble has been unconscious so that the only hint I have is the dark magic. If the Dragon Migration was really attacked the scattered dragons may be leery and hiding… Do not try and find them. Just find out anything you can in those spots and report back as soon as possible.” Discord seemed to unsure of leaving. Harmony had the habit of over doing whenever left to his own devices. Harmony put a reassuring hoof on Discord shoulder, “Stay safe. The dark magic that infected Garble is quite powerful. I will do everything possible to not overdo it.” Discord slowly nodded then in a flash was gone. Harmony laid back down he had a lot to dwell on. As he really didn't want to fall asleep again he stared at the ceiling. A single word in his mind echoing. Murderer…