“What am I supposed to do?!” Harmonious Knight really began to panic. He was no hero. He was reviled by them so how could he even have a hope to help the ponies? And what in Faust did the roc mean by the ponies weren’t in harmony!? As far as he could see the ponies seemed to be in ‘harmony.’ “I’m just an unwanted pony! How am I supposed to bring them back to harmony? I mean what does that even mean?!?”
“I’m sorry,” The roc hen coughed up a glob of blood. “My time has come to an end. You must find that on your own...”
“But I…”
“If you need advice,” The roc gulped and gasped, “ask the Council… of... Harm… ony...”
“The Council of Harmony?!” Harmonious Knight asked. He was still trying to save the roc but he knew very little medical magic much less how to deal with an injured roc. “Where is this council?”
“You’ve... al… already… been… there…”
* * *
“You will die if you don’t leave! Please!” Harmony begged. He didn’t know how much longer before the mountain exploded all together.
She of Glowgem Mountain reached out and lightly clamped Harmony’s muzzle. “Son, Please listen, your clutchmate has manifested.” She gently tilted the alicorn’s head downward so he could see a small purple egg.
An egg?! When… Son!? Harmony started to tear up as he realized exactly what she said and was asking. He looked up and nodded.
The dragoness smiled warmly at him. Then she lovingly lifted the egg.
Lirtzošs Tzirüsteles Tulsā Üas tot Cerīsu
After she was done singing she slowly laid down the egg at Harmony’s hooves.
* * *
“What are you doing with a dragon egg Acolyte?!” The yellow dragon questioned as he walked into his cave.
“He or She is my clutchmate.”
“That can’t be! I can get you being an acolyte but a clutchmate?! I know you know the dragon code on abandoned or orphaned eggs!” He of Flight started to pace. “Now I know you are a prey animal and may have an aversion to smashing the egg but it’s an act of mercy...”
“The same mated pair that made me an acolyte,’ Harmony interrupted and growled out in his anger, “adopted me when they sang the egg name:”
Lirtzošs Tzirüsteles Tulsā Üas tot Cerīsu.
“Oh…” The dragon ‘ohed,’ clearly stunned by Harmony managing to speak the draconic language, “but you realize that the same dragon code still applies about the egg.”
“Not if a clutchmate who knows the egg name and goes through the Rite of Guardianship. I made sure to surreptitiously find out a way to avoid that egg smashing code before I came to you as you are probably the only dragon I know that will initiate the rite for me.”
“Are you crazy?!” He of the Flight ranted as soon as he recovered from the shock of Harmony’s revelation. “That rite is extremely deadly! Very few have even a chance. Once you start you either pass or you die.”
“I. Don’t. Care!” Harmony snapped at the yellow dragon. “The egg is my clutchmate, my family, and he or she is the Dragon Keeper!”
* * *
“Luna this is not going to be helpful in keeping the ponies from losing their bowls around me.”
“But Harmony, having a commanding presence is better than a nauseating presence.” Luna countered holding imposing helmet in her telekinetic grip.
Somehow I don’t think she is getting the point… Harmony facehooved. “Oh, I’m sure that it will work wonders!” Harmony gushed with snarky roll of his eyes. “Hide the scary looking stallion with just as scary looking armor!”
“Come on cousin!” Luna gave the best filly pout she could muster. “Pppppplease for meeeee?”
“Fine!” Harmony whined. “And I’m not your cousin...”
* * *
"DON'T YOU 'KNIGHT’' ME! YOU SHATTERED HARMONY!"
“Your brother stole from my hoard!”
“Discord I have a special task for you…”
“Secondclaw?”
Harmony sighed. He wondered how the Bearers of his Elements will handle him. Here goes nothing. He thought as he prepared to teleport.
“Secondclaw?”
Sentinel snapped awake, panting. He was in complete shock from what just happened it was as if...
“Secondclaw are you okay?” He of Hourglass questioned when he noticed that Sentinel had finally regained enough consciousness to be able to hold a conversation. He was worried about the odd magic occurrence that had transformed everydragon and had knocked the Alicorn Keeper into the wall of the Council of Harmony. The transformation was luckily, he hoped, was temporary.
Sentinel stop panting and slowly and deliberately looked up at He of Hourglass. He of Hourglass was taken aback by the intensity of Sentinel inner fire as their gazes locked. The level of joy and pride slammed into his fire at such intensity that all his concern and worry was swept away. He didn’t think it was possible to have such an intense fire that wasn’t one of rage or lust or greed. He tried pulling away but he couldn’t.
Suddenly before him he could see three beings. Harmonious Knight and his constantly colour sifting fur was standing on his left. Next to him was Soul Fire in his alicorn from and beside him was also Soul Fire but in his dragon form and not stained pink by the blood of Legacy Chaser. He figured that one of the two Soul Fire forms was Sentinel and the other was Vorac.
He looked down to see that Sentinel’s glittering rope bond with him was pulsating so strongly and with so much power that it overpowered every emotion he had. A secondary cord appeared from seemingly nowhere and began to wrapped itself around Sentinel’s cord. He finally tracked it down to the dragon form which meant it had to represent Vorac. Harmonious Knight’s formally broken bond restored itself and twisted between the two bonds.
A THREE STRAND CORD IS HARD TO BREAK
Did… Did… I see correctly?! And who or what spoke?!
The vision faded away and He of Hourglass found that he was no longer in an eye lock with Sentinel. He looked down at Sentinel who was still beaming with joy and pride. The dragon was struggling to contain it all as his rumbling purr was very loud and his tail was flicking from side to side. Even with his gaze no longer direct on his eyes his inner fire was still shining through strongly.
“Secondclaw?” He of Hourglass nearly fell under the spell of the inner fire a second time as Sentinel looked up to him. “Do you have any clue as to what happened?”
“I’m glad whatever it the fuck it was had only been temporary...”
“Quartermaster...” He of Hourglass facepalmed causing all of the dragons to chuckle.
“Friendship magic…” Sentinel finally answered, “when our clans became hatchmates it broke the friendship barrier. When the… Uh, when did we get into the Harmony Council chambers?” He looked about in confusion for a second before he shook his head. Ask later, explain now. “When the wave hit me it caused my memories to finished its reinte…”
Sentinel explanation was cut of by a tight hug from He of Hourglass. “Secondclaw… When you Chose… and I ‘lost’ Harmonious Knight… And I…”
He of Hourglass stop talking as Sentinel rumbling purr calmed him. My hatchmate I know the feeling more then you know… Ugh… I wish it was the right time… but to have my memory fully integrated so quickly... and all those memories seem so strange... maybe because I’m dragon not alicorn… or maybe because of the fast reintegration… either way I’m glad I was a Dragon Acolyte for so long as I’m sure it would be really jarring otherwise.
“Firstclaw… You are one special dragon you know that?”
He of Hourglass blushed a bit but he also felt like strutting like a peacock at the same time. “Yeah I know… but I also know that I would not be as special without those around me.”
Sentinel rolled his eyes and was about to say something else when he realized something was wrong. Ever since his choosing he was never without his feral half. Maybe far in the background but never completely suppressed. When he found Vorac within him and saw what he had done even though it was inadvertently…
“Secondclaw?” He of Hourglass asked when he noticed that the joy had inexplicably been replaced by fear.
“I can’t sense him!” Sentinel nearly shouted in his rising panic.
“Who?”
“Vorac!” Sentinel growled through his gritting teeth.
Sentinel nearly yelped as He of Hourglass grabbed his face and bored his concerned eyes into his inner fire. He of Hourglass was going to attempt to try and find Vorac. He had not done this before as he knew that Vorac had trust issues just like at his and Sentinel’s choosing and the lack of the need to do so. Now though he didn’t care he was going to find Vorac, he had to!
He of Hourglass couldn't see anything but the swirling of the inner fire until he recalled the vision he had. A three strand cord... He wondered if he could look for Vorac’s somewhere around. Vorac please be here…
After sometime of searching he didn’t find any cord-like bonds but he did noticed a strange section of the fire. It didn’t seem to be like the rest. He wasn’t sure but it seemed weaker but also wilder at the same time. A strange combo but it was a lead none the less.
As he dive deeper into that section of fire he came upon what he hoped was Vorac. A curled up white dragon with rainbow horns and a tricolored trident tail weapon. He could tell for sure if the dragon was alive or not as he could see no signs of life. Do mental projections even ‘breathe’?
He shook the dragon softly. *Vorac?* At first he got no response so in a panic he shook much harder and roared.
*Enough!* Vorac roared in annoyance. Even though he was just within the mind at the moment he felt like he had been slammed by a mountain from all sides and being disturbed only made it worse. *Wait… you… you not Sentinel.*
*No… Sentinel thought he lost you. It looks like you must have gone comatose from the stress between what I assume is your holding of your own instincts back and the friendship wave hitting you both.*
Vorac nodded. *We grow?*
*No.*
*Good.*
*But you are the feral half…* Golden DragonHeart wondered. *You have every right and are suppose to push us to grow…*
*Course, but one. Only grow when both ready.*
*You are a strange feral drake…* Golden DragonHeart mentally shook his head. *Before I go, if you are one with your other half… why is my bond always only been with Sentinel?*
Vorac tilted his head as he looked at Golden DragonHeart. *Look again.* He spoke as he faded away into the inner fire.
He of Hourglass pulled out of Sentinel’s inner fire now that he was done. He broke his gaze, smiling. Vorac was just comatose from stress and with him waking him it should be any moment now that he was awake enough for Sentinel to notice.
“Vorac! Thank the Voice!” Sentinel shouted for joy as he sensed his feral half slowly stir.
An overbearing silence that came after the yell got Sentinel’s attention. He looked around to see the confused looks on Reward Seeker and Shipwright Sailor then the amused looks on his clanmates faces before he facepalmed and grumbled. “I yelled that out loud didn’t I?”
“Yes.” He of Hourglass snorted then fell into laughter at the reddening Sentinel.
Sentinel embarrassment only increased when Vorac began laughing which only made his laughter more boisterous along with causing the entire Hourglass clan to either snicker or roar in full blown laughter. Without any prompt from Vorac Sentinel curled into a ball, placed his forelegs over his snout, and used his tail to hide his face.
“Can some dragon please explain what is going on?” Reward Seeker grumbled in exasperation.