Oww... what happened... Harmony winced as his head throbbed with pain. He slowly opened his eyes. His vision was blurry so he blinked a few times to clear it. As his vision cleared he noticed that he appeared to be lying within a forest in the twilight hours. The forest was one he didn’t immediately recognize. From the level of vines and overall creepiness it could be Everfree. Unfortunately, it was a bit too dark to get much in the way of clear details.
Harmony looked about trying to peer through the nearly pitch black forest. The canopy was so thick that he wouldn't be able to fly out. It also appeared that even if he could fly the clouds that were visible through gaps looked sinister. The sound of thunder rolled the through the forest and seemed to shake the core of Harmony’s being. That only confirmed it for him which meant he would have to walk anyway.
“Let’s get this over with.” Harmony grumbled to no one as he got up onto his hooves. Not knowing the correct way out he picked a random direction and started pushing through the underbrush.
The bushes and brumble irritated him as his fur became scratched and matted from squeezing through the undergrowth. There has to be an animal trail around here somewhere… As he stepped on a branch breaking it he saw the movement of a white rabbit. The noise he had made startled it into flight.
Why does this seem familiar? He pondered as he watch the rabbit scurry away. He hopped from bush to bush an it reached a trail where it quickly disappeared. Perfect.
The path was a vast improvement to bumbling around. As he walked down the trail the feeling of deja vu further creeped in. He just couldn't place how this seemed familiar. Soon he could see an opening in the trees ahead. Finally a clearing or meadow. Harmony happily chuckled at the turn of events.
Harmony trotted quickly through the break into trees to find himself in an idyllic meadow. It was so nice to finally be out of the claustrophobic forest that Harmony at first didn’t realize the danger. A draconic roar snapped him out of his jubilation. Above he could see in a clearing of the storm clouds. A flash of lightning illuminated the shape. It was a dragon shape and within was the constellation known is some parts as Draco the Dragon.
Draco? Harmony blinked in confusion. For some reason he also felt fear well up in him. It was as if he knew that Draco was angry and was about to attack. The stars comprising him even redden in agreement.
A yellowish-orange glow appeared in the corner of his vision. That could only mean one thing. Harmony eyes snapped back to the forest. Sure enough, the forest was engulfed in towering flames. He did a complete threesixty and discover that he was entrapped. The fire had encompassed the entire perimeter of the meadow. “How in Tartarus!?” He cursed. The flames reflected in the widening fear from his eyes. I have to figure out a way to escape!
Flying in stormy skies was dangerous but he didn’t just have stormy weather to deal with but the added dangers that flames and smoke could bring to flying. A death trap to even the most experienced flyers. Teleporting could be tried but as he didn't know where he was and the extent of the fire made that just as dangerous. Screwed no matter what. Harmony thought trying to shallow the continuing rise in panic. If I fly up just a little maybe I’ll find a spot where there are no flames and teleport out of this death trap!
Harmony flapped his wings slowly to try and calm himself down. Panicking in the air now would mean certain death. Once his heart stopped racing he began to take off. No sooner had he lifted off he was knocked down by a draconic roar. His wings instinctively locked up. He wasn’t too sure but he was positive that the Draco constellation just roared a challenge. How do I know that!?!
Harmony tried to fight the fear locking his wings to his sides but before he could do anything an ember landed on him. Out of frustration, fear, and now pain he screamed out “WHAT IS THE DEAL? IT’S LIKE EVERYTHING IS TRYING TO KILL ME BY FLAMBE PONY!”
Harmony immediately regretted doing that as he ended up breathing in an enormous amount of smoke and ash. With that he started coughing fiercely. His breathing had already started to begun restricted from the heat and now he could add coughing from smoke inhalation to the mix. He managed to concentrate enough to cast a minor healing spell which stopped the coughing. He gulped down what little fresh air there was near the ground trying to get enough oxygen to think.
A crackling explosion jarred him back to the fire problem. He looked up to see that one of the trees had exploded from the intense heat and was now lying nearby burning. He backed away from the increase in heat the burning tree chuck produced. Looking around he saw that he was running out of space, time and ideas.
He looked up at Draco in sky to see it twinkling at his fate. He gritted his jaw in fierce anger and vowed I will not give up! He brought his magic forth pulling the dirt around him into the air. His horn strained to hold the mass in the air. His concentration tried to wane from the pressure. He grunted as he surged his magic forward flinging the mass of dirt at the approaching wall of flames.
His jaw dropped when the dirt hit the fire and disappeared completely as if it was nothing. Not willing to give up just yet he pulled another, larger mass into the air, but he faltered and the dirt fell back onto him. He shook the dirt from him as he frantically tried to fight his loss of concentration and the lack of ideas to escape.
The fire took that moment to flare up pushing him back. Looking around he realized there didn’t seemed to be anything else he could do as the heat of the flames was driving him to the center of the meadow. He started coughing again but this time black gunk started pouring out of his mouth, choking him. The taste of what ever it was almost bad enough to cause him to retch. Even though he knew he was beaten he eyes still shone with anger and defiance. To bitter end then…
The fire rushed into the meadow the inferno nearly bringing Harmony to his knees. Embers landed all around lighting the tall grass. Harmony bore his entire sight towards Draco. His fur began to smolder and his feather withered. He tried to get his horn to light. Any spell any at all but the pain and lack of oxygen had lowered his ability to think locking away his magic.
His fur finally burst into flames. Harmony screamed from the pain of his flesh being seared but still he stood. The light in his eyes began to dim as between his burning flesh and black tar choking him took their toll on his weakening body. It took everything left in him to remain standing even as he was dying.
Suddenly he could feel a clawed hand on his withers.
“YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!” Harmony screamed. He shot up and hit his head hard on the ceiling. He was back in his home in Hourglass. There was no fire and black whatever wasn’t coming out of his mouth.
Harmony rubbed his aching head trying to calm himself down. That was the third time having that dream. Each time it was slightly different and each time he wasn’t aware he was dreaming. This alone was odd. He could dreamwalk just like Luna (although admittedly he was not as skilled) which would should have allowed him to be immediately aware that he was dreaming. Now if it was a vision it wouldn’t have bothered him being unaware midvision but thisㅡthis nightmare was definitely not a vision.
At least this time Luna hadn’t tried to interfere. He couldn't remember how many times he warned Luna to stay away from his dreams. There were things that he knew that he had to keep secret that could leak into his dreams. She knew this, and yet, every so often she would attempt to help. Not that she could enter anyway. Harmony had learned long ago how to keep her out. He made a mental note to teach Twilight to at least blockout dragon memories from her dreams.
He sighed as knew he wasn’t going to get anymore sleep. He grabbed a lantern and headed to the Council building. If he was going to be up he could at least get work done. With any luck He of Hourglass, the first one (it was going to get annoying with two He of Hourglasses), wouldn’t find out. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to have He of Hourglass see him up but that he didn’t want him to know about the recurring nightmares. He had enough to worry about without adding another thing to the list.
Murderer…
Harmony cringed when he heard the apparition's voice. He paused for a moment to wait it out. After a few minutes of silence he continued onward. After about twenty minutes of walking he made his way inside the council chambers.
Just as Harmony put down the lantern he started coughing. At first it just was a general dry clearing the throat type but then it evolved into a wet cough. Something vile came up and he quickly spat it out. The taste seem oddly familiar. He lifted up the nasty phlegm to examine it and noticed odd blackish particles suspended in it.
Is that ash? Harmony went wide eyed. But it was only a dream!