//------------------------------// // ...The Ultimate Price // Story: At the Twilight of Harmony // by Rammy //------------------------------// 51 days since the Nameless One’s escape 25 days since the fall of Traxti City Evening, Near Chimney Arch Desert Eternal Beats had some difficulty but was finally able to read the letter from Golden DragonHeart. We need to pick up the pace Legacy Chaser, Hourglass was attacked. “Is everyone okay?” Legacy Chaser questioned as she picked up her speed to match her brother’s. The sense of urgency from her not only came from what he revealed but from the power of his voice. It was getting better but he was still able to pull on her if now only subtly. No… twenty guard ponies were injured one critically. An uneasy silence came over them. Both were anxious to get back to Hourglass. Medallion was hoping that Sentinel would do as He of Music assured her: go through the very difficult steps to become mates. He of Music hoped that the ponies, more so then Medallion, would be okay… a lot of things in his hoard were created by ponies not to mentioned he had one as a friend and fellow Soul Song natural Pinkie Pie. The ground ahead was starting to redden signalling to Medallion they were approaching a dangerous spot. “Aren’t we getting close to the Chimney Arch Desert?” Yeah... we are... We should bank to the west then to avoid it. They had just managed to put the desert behind them when a shiver went up Medallion's spine. “Something feels wrong…” The cap on He of Music’s headphone ears opened so he could hear more. Something was off about the song in the area… then it hit him what it was. Dark magic! FLY! They surged forward. He of Music kept listening, trying to get a gauge of the type of dark magic, it’s direction and distance. The wind rushing past made it difficult but he was still getting fleeting hints. He just needed to keep at it and hope for the best. Keep your eyes open for anything! “Will…” Medallion’s eyes widened as he saw a drake approaching from the ground at a high rate. A dragon that the entire clan knew of. A sickly looking white and yellow young dragon with scars all over. “It’s him!” FLY FLY FLY WE WILL FLY WE SHALL LIVE TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY! FLY FLY FLY WE WILL FLY “He’s still gaining!” Medallion called out. Damn it… He of Music cursed as even the influence of the Soul Song wasn’t enough. Then we fight. Both turned and hovered to face the evil dragon. “Well, well, well,” the dark drake grinned as get got close, “if it isn't the lap dogs of the Dragon Keeper.” Medallion and He of Music growled angrily. They were no lap dogs and He of Hourglass considered them as equals, not to be lorded over in some sick and twisted master pet relationship. It was clear this dragon was trying to bait them. It would be harder after they had to deal with wendigos given that they had to control their negative emotions else strengthen them. “I wish he wasn’t part of your little herd...” The drake suddenly looked upset, “I like the Alicorn Keeper.” He of Music shot off a warning shot at the creature. No dragon slighted their clan much less either claw and to say that this… this creature would like his secondclaw was infuriating. “Hoo, hoo, testy much?” The drake chuckled. “With those instruments on your neck and back I wouldn’t take you for a feisty one… Maybe in the nest… but not where it really counts... in battle.” That was too much for He of Music. I am going to enjoy killing you! He roared as he lunged at the drake who used his superior agility to spin out of the way. “Ah I never forgot my first kill it was…Nah!” The dark dragon waved a claw dismissively. “You don’t want to hear that...” All I want to hear is your dying breath! “Ah, come now! We both know you don’t have the stomach for such a messy affair you’d end up losing your lunch of oats and hay!” The dark dragon roared in laughter even as he blocked, redirected, or avoided the blasts of flames from He of Music. Medallion, this time, added her own. From there the battle got chaotic and hard to follow. *        *        * He of Music dodge a plume of dark flame before retaliating with his own neon blue flame. Medallion added her own pink flame as she flew over him. *        *        * The dark dragon laughed as he casually rolled to the side of another attack. *        *        * “Come on the Alicorn Keeper fights better then you! And he’s half prey!” The drake’s expression became dark. “Pathetic.” *        *        * Medallion! He of Music screamed as a dark tendril hit her from the sky. He of Music dove after her ignoring the hits he was taking hits from the dark dragon. Suddenly, something hit his head hard and he black out. Pain racked his body so he knew he was still alive. He of Music eyes fluttered open. His sight momentary focused so he could see where he was. Medallion was on the ground nearby and so was the dark dragon walking towards her. He tilted his head and peered over at him, smirking. “Oh, don’t worry…” The dark magic dragon turned his attention back to the dragoness. He slowly stalked closer to Medallion knowing that doing so would be torturing for He of Music. “this won’t take long my dear, not long at all…” He of Music tried to reach out but couldn’t get the strength to move more than a single claw.   Medallion! He of Music thought as everything went to black. 52 days since the Nameless One’s escape 26 days since the fall of Traxti City Just before sunrise , Somewhere north of the Chimney Arch Desert Secondclaw… A distant voice echoed. Secondclaw! The voice roared, no longer sounding like it was echoing or distant. Sentinel finally looked up to see an extremely worried Twixt’d. “She… She’s gone…” That was all he said before he went back to staring at her. Of course, Twixt’d looked worried to his best friend. It took him nearly ten minutes to get a response out of him. He was horrified when he finally caught up to Sentinel and saw what he thought could be Medallion violently murdered and He of Music injured and battered to the point unconsciousness nearby. Twixt’d caught sight of two large bodies on the ground. He could also smell smoke, ash, and blood in the air. This was a scene of a vicious battle. A good spot as any to hopefully find Sentinel. As he got closer he could see something that he was sure that would haunt him the rest of his days. Even his time on the streets couldn’t prepare Twixt’d for what he saw. Twixt’d’s stomach violently protested and he dry retched. Thankfully, it had been a while since he last eat or drank. Medallion’s body was mutilated beyond recognition the only thing that clued him in to her identity was the pink scales and the close proximity to He of Music who was nearby by. He could not tell just yet if He of Music was still alive. He landed next to He of Music and walked up to Medallion. There he finally saw Sentinel who was next to her. He hadn’t see him before as his normally white scales were pink from smeared blood. “Sentinel?” Twixt’d called out as he approached. “ Secondclaw?” Sentinel gave no indication that he heard Twixt’d at all. He had become dead to the world. Twixt’d stood near him for a moment before turning to check on He of Music. It became clear as he moved closer to the much larger dragon, larger then he remembered, that the drake was still alive. His chest was slowly moving up and down, but he had no idea what to do as he had zero medical training. He, like Medallion and Sentinel, was covered in blood, but it was impossible to tell if the blood on him was his, Medallion’s, or whoever did this. Now that he saw that He of Music was alive, if unconscious, he went back to Sentinel who had yet to move. He was still staring at the mess that was Medallion body. His stomach churned for a second time as he gazed on the mutilation of Medallion. “Sentinel…” Twixt’d wasn’t as close to Medallion as Sentinel was but even he couldn’t deny she was family. Twixt’d life on the street,however, made him a bit more immune to the sadness of death even for those he was only marginally close to. One couldn’t survive long if they didn’t pick up the pieces immediately and move one. The problem was this wasn't the streets and Sentinel was way more than marginally close. He was his best friend, a big brother in ways. He also knew that Sentinel considered the entire clan his hoard, dragons to keep close and to protect. He had to try and comfort him as best he could. “I… I’m sorry…” “He... IT KiLled HeR!” Sentinel and Vorac roared in unison. Twixt’d fell back shaking in terror. He could feel the mana pressure in the area skyrocket. It was so bad that he struggled to breath. He knew of He of Hourglass’ rage condition as he was briefed on what to do when that happened. He was also told what would happen if He of Hourglass was allowed to remain in rage. No way he would allow that to happen to his best friend. But what could he do against Sentinel!? He knew there was no way he could smack it out of him. Sentinel was way too strong in the fighting department. Ja es üātreiz atrast vithal es cktieviethot vithu vitha uzürāt tat vithu thozalithāt! YoU HEar ME! Sentinel and Vorac vowed, screaming at the top of their lungs. Ja es üātreiz atrast juls es sūs cktieviethot juls jūsu uzürāt tat tevi thozalithāt! At that Sentinel collapsed back onto Medallion, sobbing. Twixt’d remained where he was, still shaking violently. What the buck just happened?! He slowly tried to get to his feet. It took several attempts as his legs felt like jelly. “Sentinel… We need to get help or something…” “Not, yet…” Sentinel shook his head negatively. “I need… your… help…” “With what?” Twixt’d would do anything to help Sentinel and He of Music. “We can’t leave her body like this…” He couldn't see how they could dig a large enough of a hole. A mace and trident are not exactly useful in digging and the ground around here appeared to be quite hard. Sentinel could use magic but as he was a whelp he couldn’t so why would he need his help. “Uh…” “Dragons don’t bury their dead…” Sentinel answered Twixt’d’s unspoken question. That meant that they must cremate their dead. He wondered how. Dragon scale was quite fire resistant even to dragon’s fire. It would take a lot of effort to get a pyre going. Sentinel tried to start a flame but he couldn’t as he started to sob again. Twixt’d put a wing over his secondclaw ignoring the blood. “Look... I may not have know Medallion all that well but she clearly was special to you. Then you must for her sake and yours make sure she gets the uh… ‘proper send off.’” Sentinel nodded his thanks and understanding. He took a few cleansing breaths and prepared once again to light his flame. This time he managed to produce a roaring flame. Twixt’d joined in and a stream of white mixed a grayish blue fire fell over the body. The usually magic resistant scales had become brittle in death and lapped up the magic fire like it was dry and brittle grass. “May your voice be added to the honor of The Voice.” Sentinel whispered as he watch the white and grey blue flame consume the body of Medallion. A warmth rose along his back scales. He knew that it meant that the sun was rising. Ironic considering everything that happened. Sentinel continued to watch long after Medallion’s body was nothing but ash. A wind picked up momentarily picking up the ash and carried it on the wind. Goodbye, Medallion, sister. “Secondclaw, Sentinel…?” Twixt’d slowly put a claw on Sentinel's shoulder. “I know you may need more time but He of Music really needs help…” Sentinel finally took notice of He of Music. He could see that he was bruised and battered badly but would most likely survive. A glint in the moonlight made him eye the instruments, instruments that looked way different than before. The scorpion ocarina had now become like its namesake and the chain that once was used to hold it on his neck was gone as the legs were doing that job by being interlocked on the back of his neck . He also noticed that the guitar which was hard for him to see was no longer attached by straps. Suddenly something occurred to him. Wait he is covered in injuries and blood and yet I don’t see a drop of blood or a dent on either one! How The Voice is that possible!? Sentinel finished his cursory examination and judging from the injuries He of Music would be out cold for days… Though one injury really concerned him. He of Music’s upper neck and near his vocal cords was severely bruised. Normally that wouldn’t be a problem for any dragon the problem here was the fact that he was a natural at soul song magic and if his voice was damaged... He was going to need Scorpan and his tonics to have any chance of a full voice recovery… the rest would take care of itself in time. He grabbed Medallion and He of Music’s satchels and searched them. Damn it! The ink bottles are missing! Further rummaging got him the tokens that he had them take. Four he found in Medallion’s satchel and two in He of Music’s. One was missing… clearly the one that it took to contact him. The only other thing he found was Medallion's journal. A flip through indicated that any blank pages were ripped out. It had taken everything else of value. Sentinel sighed stifling a choking sob. With only himself and Twixt’d it was going to take a lot of magic to get He of Music back. *I help.* Vorac whispered. Sentinel changed into his alicorn form and his dragon from ‘light armor’ appeared. Twixt’d blinked at the look of Sentinel. He had never seen him like this before… maybe it was a way for him to use both forms of magic he wasn’t sure. Sentinel ignored the curious look on Twixt’d’s face as he conjured a series of ropes which he slid halfway under various parts of the down drake then tied the ends of the ropes in a way so that the ropes could be used to hold the drake up. He gave one to Twixt’d, the one to hold up He of Music’s head. “Stay with me Secondclaw!” Twixt’d yelled as he struggled to remain in flight from sudden increase in weight. “We have to get He of Music back to Hourglass and I can’t do it alone.” Twixt’d frowned even as Sentinel increased his flapping thus easing the strain of the increased weight. This wasn’t the dragon he knew. In the year and half that he knew him he was a dragon/ alicorn of strength. Even in the face of numerous health scares and battles never once did he question that. But after today... It was sunset as Sentinel and Twixt’d managed to get He of Music back to Hourglass. Twixt’d collapsed from exhaustion as soon as he touched the ground near the museum. Why Sentinel wanted him to land here was clear. Sentinel said nothing as he landed. He switched slowly back to his dragon form. Twixt’d managed to get back onto his feet just as He of Hourglass came bounding around a corner. He stumbled in shock at the prone figure that was He of Music. Both He of Music Sentinel was covered in smeared and dried blood but He of Hourglass couldn’t see any visible cuts or abrasions. Twixt’d seemed fine if only out of breath. He couldn’t see Medallion anywhere. “Secondclaw what hap…” He of Hourglass voice died in his throat as his eyes locked with Sentinel’s. The eyes of Sentinel were glazed over, dead and lifeless. Sentinel only kept up the gaze for a moment before he broke it and began to walk slowly down the street. “What happened?” Twixt’d said nothing as he was unsure himself how to explain the horror that he saw. He of Hourglass shook Twixt’d trying to get him to respond. He needed to know what happened that got Secondclaw in such a state. “Twixt’d! Tell me what happened!” “Medallion is…” Twixt’d gulped. He knew the condition that He of Hourglass had. And the rage that Sentinel poured out was terrifying he did not want see one coming from his firstclaw. “Medallion has been killed and all I know is that ‘he’ killed her…” The world slowed down as He of Hourglass fell to his knees and the bond he had with Medallion shattered. He watched through blurring eyes Sentinel slowly opening the doors to the museum and entering.