//------------------------------// // Double Returns // Story: Dragons of Hourglass // by Rammy //------------------------------// “Hello,” Harmony looked kindly at the brown rabbit glaring up at him. “I take it she is hiding a bit because of the dragon in town?” Harmony gazed upward and mused, “Not terribly surprised…” The rabbit started to thump his foot impatiently. Harmony blinked as he realized he had drifted off again. He sighed inwardly as he noted that he was doing it a lot more lately. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the return of the ‘Dark One’, his cutiemark, or if was the effect of recently losing family and friends… Though he didn’t remember being like this after the death of Spike’s biological and his adopted parents. It was thousands of years ago so maybe he was like that than as well but time had faded those memories. Harmony kneeled down to make himself less imposing. “May I come in? I would like to see her for something important. I promise to be a gentle as I can.” The rabbit looked up at him thoughtfully before slowly nodding. Harmony nodded his thanks as he walked into the cottage. Fluttershy, not surprisingly, was nowhere to be seen. Harmony slowly walked around calling out her name. With any luck he would be able make out where she was hiding without spooking her further. A slight tugging on his cloak got his attention. He looked down to see the brown rabbit pointing to the second floor. Harmony again nodded his thanks as he made his way to the second floor and opened the first door he came to. It was a bedroom and from the looks of it appeared to be the master bedroom. He could just make out the sounds of pony panic breathing. Harmony leaned down to peer under her bed. “Bearer of Kindness please come out.” Fluttershy responded by trying to cower further. A small glint coming from between some strands of hair told Harmony that she was fully aware that it was him in her bedroom and was watching. “He of Music will not harm you at all… he is as gentle as Spike was.” Fluttershy still showed signs of being frighten but she at least no longer was trying to curl into a ball. Harmony waited for a while as he watched her slowly started to relax further. “I would like you to gather all of your songbird friends.” “W-why?” “Because I would like to bring life back to Hourglass.” Fluttershy stopped shivering, her curiosity overpowering her fear for the moment. Harmony sighed, glad that she was almost out of her spooked shell. With any luck he could get her the rest of the way. “You have my word I will not let any dragon to harm them. I’m not going to bring back all the animals that once roam the city as it would be too much of a temptation for Quartermaster. I will not force any of them to come. I do have a way to weed out those that may be too scared to go. You will not have to be outside when He of Music is here, okay?” “Okay.” Fluttershy squeaked before she finally came out from under the bed. A flash of blue could be seen by some ponies wandering the streets near Sugarcube Corner.  Most just shrugged it off figuring it was either Pinkie being Pinkie or her working on one of her cannons again. None even gave the thought that it could be from a dragon. Eternal Beats was laughing at one of Pinkie Pie’s jokes and was caught off guard by the incoming mail and Pinkie Pie got a face of his neon blue fire. “Opps, sorry Pinkie!” EB cringed hoping that he didn’t anger her. He made a note to later smack Harmony for his bad timing. Pinkie Pie smiled as she shook hard to rid herself of the ash. EB was a bit taken aback at how she managed to shake the ash off like she did. EB couldn’t see a trace of ash on her and he couldn't see any singeing. He shrugged, figuring it must be just her unconscious use of soul song magic. Pinkie Pie seemed not to be remotely annoyed as she bounced up and down excitedly “OOOoo You got a letter! I wonder who its from? Is it for you or maybe its for me! I hope it’s about frosting!” EB ruffled her mane before he went about breaking the seal. He of Music, I need you at the Bearer of Kindness’ cottage (Just ask where Fluttershy lives). Harmony “Pinkie I need to head out as Harmony needs me. Do you by chance know where…uh…” EB glanced at the letter again to make sure he got the name correct. “Fluttershy’s cottage is?” “Fluttershy’s? Are you sure?” Pinkie Pie tilted her head to the side. She knew that Fluttershy was a shy pony, and while she was getting better dragons still badly frightened her. EB handed the scroll over to Pinkie. Pinkie started to read but as she read a look of confusion came over her. EB looked over to see that she was trying to read the scroll upside down. He tried not to laugh as he corrected her mistake. “Hmmm that makes more sense…Okie dokie lokie! Follow me. I’ll show you the way…” Pinkie Pie casually jumped off her balcony to the shock of the dragon. “Pinkie!” He yelled as he ran to the edge of the balcony. Looking downward he saw his pony friend giggling while bouncing down the street. He smacked his face before smirking. When with ponies do as the ponies do I guess… He mused before he to jump down from the balcony scaring a few ponies. “Hey Pinkie! Wait up!” He called out before running to catch up. A few minutes later they were approaching Fluttershy’s cottage. He of Music noticed that there was evidence that animals of all types congregated around the area and more so then they should in the wild. “Overhere!” Harmony called out from a field next to the cottage. Harmony was surrounded by flocks of birds either perched or flying about him. “What do you think?” The alicorn nodded off towards the dragon. He of Music looked at Pinkie for help but she shrugged also confused. He really didn’t know what to think of the alicorn’s question. Clearly it was about him but not directed at him. Also adding to his confusion was the fact that Harmony was without his cloak. “Only go to him if you are absolutely sure.” “Harmony?” The dragon called out as some of the birds flew over to him. A few even landed on his shoulder. He resisted the urge to shoo them away as he was sure that Harmony had arranged this and he was curiosity as to why. “Bearer of Kindness ready fifty birds for the move!” Harmony called out. A moment later he could hear the sound of a tap on the window. “I’m just glad we got here just before egg laying time.”  “HARMONY!” He of Music roared scaring the birds around him and Harmony. He cringed when he realized he had scared the birds. He lowered his voice to nearly a whisper before he asked, “What exactly is going on?” “All of the birds that encircled you are now yours to care for.” Some of the birds returned to He of Music who gently knelt down and even picked up some of the birds who decided to rest at his feet. “Okay…” He of Music pinched the brow of his snout with his free hand. This was only giving him more questions then answers. “And what makes you think I wanted birds?” “They are songbirds He of Music.” “Songbirds!?” Okay he could see that given his title… and he would love to have the sounds of songbirds. They would make a great additions to his hoard. The question was why would Harmony do this... “Of course.” Harmony answered, shrugging as if it was nothing big. “Why?” Harmony so wanted to tell him… to tell him of Nova and Spike. He would give anything to see them one last time but he knew that would never happen in this lifetime. But if he was to also to be honest it was because he wanted to… Ever since his Joy cutiemark returned he could feel the pull of the others on his psyche. The dragons of Hourglass to him also had sort of become like the Bearers were to each other: best friends. Even Quartermaster who always tried his patience was special to him. He would do anything for He of Music and Golden Heart. If he could just get through to Quartermaster... “Hey, Harmony,” He of Music pulled Harmony out of his inner musings, “Why do you have another spot on your flank that is unmoving?” Harmony conjured a mirrored a mirror to take a look. Along with the light blue flame symbolizing joy he now had a green flame. “Hmmm, it seems that Generosity is back…” Harmony’s horn glowed for a moment and in a flash Fluttershy appeared in the field. Before she could figure out what happened Harmony started speaking, “Bearer of Kindness make haste for Zecora’s. It’s a matter of life or death and tell her ASH CURE. Do you understand?” “Eppp.” Fluttershy cowered at not only suddenly not being in her house but that Harmony was ordering her into the Everfree. “Remember your training!” Harmony yelled. “Zecora. Ash. Cure!” Fluttershy spouted out before she took off towards the Everfree. “Are you going to be alright?” He of Music asked Harmony while he looked off in the direction of the Everfree and the zooming pegasus. He was not sure what to make of the complete turnaround of the pegasus. Are all ponies like this? Flipping from one extreme to another? “To honest? Not sure. This was the one things Scorpan and myself had no way of testing so I don’t know if I will get an episode or not… The last time it did but not until after… after…” “Harmony?” The dragon turned to face Harmony worried because Harmony had not only sounded off toward the end of his explanation but never finished it. Spike… Harmony fell to his knees tears flowing. His vision already blurred from the tears become more distorted and faded as he lost conusiconious. The last thing he heard was He of Music screaming his name. It was so odd, even after walking through the forest for some time now he still didn’t have a clue where he was…The forest had both seemed foreign and familiar. It was true he had not visited some forests in ages but even then he should have at least an general idea where the forest could be… He finally managed to spot an opening in the forest ahead. With any luck he get could get his bearings there. He walked off the game trail he was on and into the underbrush. He grunted as he pushed past downed branches and prickly bushes. A final push and he found himself in a small meadow. Now he could get a good glance of the sky above. Harmony frowned. The only stars he could see was the constellation known to most as Draco as every other inch of the sky was covered in a roiling mass of storm clouds.  Why only Draco? Harmony rubbed his head hoping to stem off the building headache. A single constellation was not going to be enough. The smell of pine, smoke, and ash assaulted his nose. Smoke? Ash? He dropped his gaze to see that all around was fire. His knees buckled at the sight. How in tartarus? He could not understand how a fire could creep up on him like this. A sudden gust of wind sent a cloud of hot ash and smoke right into Harmony. He coughed hard as he attempted to clear his lungs. He blinked hard and rubbed his eyes. His vision blurred badly. Pain racked his body and he nearly collapsed. The sound of someone or something approaching caught his attention. “Hey!” A voice called out. Harmony spun around and again blinked and rubbed his eyes. Please tell me its just from all the smoke getting into my eyes. There standing in front of him was a purple and green dragon hatchling. This is impossible! He Choose! “Spike?” The dragon hatchling smiled and waved. “Hello, Harmony.” Harmony shot up. At least this time he managed to not scream. He looked around to see that he was sitting on a bed. He was not sure but given where he passed out he was most likely in Fluttershy’s cottage. The sounds of muffled argument could be heard through the door. Harmony slowly slid off the bed unsure how weak he would be. After making sure that he wouldn’t collapse under his own weight he slowly made his way to the door. “Try me if you dare shaman.” Harmony could hear He of Music’s muffled voice though the closed door. “Your threats are nothing. Come back when they mean something.” The rhyming told him it was Zecora. Harmony sighed it seemed that he was going to have to break up a zebra and a dragon and if he had to guess it probably had something to do with him. He slowly opened the door to see that he was right. Both the of them were angrily in each others face. “He of Music, Zecora please.” “Harmony!” Both of them nearly fell back at seeing Harmony. He of Music went red in embarrassment. “Do you have the ash cure?” Harmony addressed Zecora giving He of Music time to recover. Zecora nodded and handed over a vial filled with a sickly green goo that appeared to be glowing. “Did you bring more?” Zecora nodded and handed another vial over which Harmony promptly drank as well. Zecora nearly fell to her haunches in shock at what she perceived as a foolish move by Harmony, “Double dose! Are you mad? Twice drunk could be double bad!” “And the biggest magic flare that a pony can get is at getting a cutiemark. I am not taking any chances! Need I remind you that I’m full blooded alicorn unlike the Bearer of Magic or the Princess of Love?” Zecora had nothing to say in retort. “Speaking of the Bearer of Magic where is she?” “Downstairs…” He of Music pointed towards a door off of the living room. “Have you notified He of Hourglass yet?” Harmony asked Zecora who had to stop on the steps. She was heading down to speak with the girls before heading back to her hut now that Harmony was awake and appeared to be out of danger. “Uh… no…” “He of Music?” He of Music immediately turned away his scale reddening. Harmony had to suppress the urge to facehoof at He of Music’s silent negative answer. Oh boy… this could turn out to be ugly for both of them if I dont be careful. He took a deep breath to give him a second more to figure out how to deal with the latest development. “Okay… first things first we best get to the Friendship Council Chambers. Zecora, I’m sure you have things to do but I shall speak with you later about some possible changes to the formula...”