//------------------------------// // In the Ensuing Years // Story: At the Twilight of Harmony // by Rammy //------------------------------// Day 6 of the new era Early morning, Hourglass City Phoenix Wave knocked on the door to He of Hourglass’ hoard chamber. “Enter.” Came the voice of He of Hourglass. Phoenix Wave sighed; what he was about to do was hard, but also easy. It was hard, because he knew that he had to essentially become a traitor to his country and species, but easy, in order to protect those that had been under his command, that were heading back. Having steeled himself as best as he could, he walked in. He saw that He of Hourglass was not alone, as Sentinel was there as well. Sentinel was curled up on the hoard bed, his tail twitching like a dog that was happy, and not particularly paying attention to anything. He of Hourglass, himself, looked like he had been leaning against Sentinel’s belly and reading a book. “What do you need, Phoenix Wave? The last airship to Equestria is about to leave…” He of Hourglass’s frown deepened as he saw Phoenix Wave’s reaction to his name, and the reminder that the last airship was about to leave. “I request asylum.” Phoenix Wave calmly stated, though he could feel his heart racing. “Why?” He of Hourglass asked, though he already had a feeling why. As much as he wanted the DragonWyrm Clan and Equestria to remain friends, he knew that was unlikely, given all that had happened. “Because, even though it was not your fault that the Nameless One destroyed Baltimare and killed the princesses, most ponies are unfairly going to equate dragons as vile and evil from the actions of that one dragon...  I have been living with this clan for some time, and spent some time with some of the dragons you brought in to help in the fight. While dragons are a bit ‘rough around the edges’,  they are not evil or vile…” Phoenix Wave became frustrated, as he found he was having a hard time speaking what he needed to. He was a battle hardened pony, and yet he couldn't simply explain something like why he needed ‘asylum.’ “Fear makes ponies do things they wouldn't do normally... Anger more so... They are going to think that we were somehow tricked, ‘brainwashed,’ or replaced by changelings who knows…? I’m hoping that by becoming a traitor, that maybe I can direct some of the blame away from them… And to make sure of that, I attacked the last transport personally… It left over an hour ago. I hated doing it, but I will do anything to protect the ponies that were under my command…” “Enough,” He of Hourglass stopped Phoenix Wave, “Secondclaw.” Phoenix Wave suddenly found himself face to face with Sentinel. Sentinel’s eyes bored right into him, and he had the distinct impression that Sentinel could see his every intent, motivation, and secret. He wondered if this was a test, just like before, when he was given the command of the now defunct Hourglass Guard. After what seemed like an eternity, Sentinel pulled away and made a series of grunts and growls. Before Phoenix Wave could do anything else, he found himself wrapped in the wings of Sentinel. He of Hourglass couldn’t understand all of what his secondclaw was saying, but he at least could tell that it was all good things; the hug only made it more clear. “Now, I can’t get as deep as Secondclaw can, but I can see that what you did hurt… hurt you badly… and you are probably right… though I wish you had come to me about this beforehand… but then again, you have been known to be insubordinate before, when it came to anything that might endanger those under your command… you would have probably done it anyway...” He of Hourglass sighed. This both complicated, and would make things a bit easier. He really wished Phoenix Wave had consulted what he was planning, before he had done it. But what was done was done. The only thing to do was to make the best of the situation. ““I shall grant your request, but I will not put the Bearers in any unnecessary danger… As such, you are not allowed to tell them about this. As far as they will know, you are the ‘traitor’ that you are.” “I understand.” Phoenix Wave did feel bad about doing what he did without consulting Firstclaw first, but he was not going to risk him saying no. “Come in, He of Hourglass.” Firstclaw called out, to the confusion of Phoenix Wave. He had not heard anyone approaching or knocking. Phoenix Wave was given his explanation for this, as He of Hourglass flew into the room. I’m glad I can call He of Hourglass Firstclaw now, as this would get ridiculous trying to not get confused between He of Hourglass the spark dragon and firstclaw of the clan, and He of Hourglass the black and greyish blue dragon formerly known as Twixt’d. “Firstclaw I… uh...” He of Hourglass started to talk, but floundered when he saw Phoenix Wave. “Okay, what is going on here? I was about to get ahold of you about the transport that just left. When it left early, I investigated to find out that it was attacked, but I see you have the culprit already…” “Phoenix Wave will be with us on a permanent basis… as a citizen.” He of Hourglass pinched his brow. He was not expecting that at all. “Clearly I’m missing something…” “Clearly… now kneel, He of Hourglass.” Firstclaw ordered, to the confusion of Phoenix Wave and He of Hourglass. For the moment, He of Hourglass felt that it would be best to follow his firstclaw’s orders. He began to panic, however, as his firstclaw started to stalk him. When Secondclaw joined in, growling in clear anger, he had to fight the urge to fly out of there. What the hell did I do?! During this, Phoenix Wave backed up against one of the bookcases. He was really worried by the way the two dragons were circling He of Hourglass. They looked like a pack of predators circling prey. Aren’t these three clanmates? Suddenly, Firstclaw and Seconclaw stopped, and Firstclaw calmly leaned down to whisper into He of Hourglass’ ear. “Es tevi iecelt Trešaisüaujathazs jo CktüisLežothīzs Zithts.” “Uh… what just happened?” Phoenix Wave dumbly asked as soon as Firstclaw stood back up from leaning in to whisper into He of Hourglass’ ear, hoping that whatever had just happened was really done, and that he wouldn’t suddenly see a headless dragon... “The clan has a new lapdog.” Firstclaw grinned. “Damn it!” He of Hourglass cursed when he realized he had been pranked. “I can’t believe I fell for it. I never needed to kneel, did I?” He of Hourglass’ widening grin only confirmed it for He of Hourglass, who only groaned in response. He clapped his hands together, startling both of them. “Phoenix Wave, meet our Thirdclaw.” “Thirdclaw?” “It’s a position of leadership, similar to mine or Secondclaw.” He of Hourglass explained to Phoenix Wave. “Thirdclaw here is in the process of restarting the Dragon Migration as his hoard. His migration will, by extension also be the clan’s hoard, as well. By appointing him as a leader in the clan, this will give him some authority that will make his migration a bit more legitimate in the eyes of other dragons.” Thirdclaw went slack-jawed in amazement and shock. He had not yet told his clan about his plans, as he was not yet sure when or if he could get it going again, if ever. He had only talked to a few of the dragons that remained after the battle, and out of the six he talked to, only four showed any hint of interest. “How…” “Your speech before you Choose, your name, your ability to get the griffons in line in the way you did…” Firstclaw counted on his claws. “Should I go on?” Day 10 of the new era Early Afternoon, Hourglass City The bearers were near Scorpion’s hoard, enjoying a late lunch. Fluttershy was chatting with some of the birds, excited to hear that the birds had such a wonderful caretaker in the dragon. Scorpion, who had not yet gone back to his normal sleeping schedule, was softly playing his ocarina, enjoying this rare opportunity. A scroll suddenly popped in front of Twilight. “Girls… it’s time.” Twilight whispered after she read the letter. “Please tell me you found a way to delay this!” Rainbow Dash begged. She wanted to spend more time with her scaly friend, especially now that he had wings. Twilight shook her head, sadly. She had gone into a frenzy when she learned of DragonWyrm Heart’s upcoming, extremely early, Slumber. Her dragon brother had forced her to make a Pinkie Promise to stop, and not ruin this time over something that nothing could be done about. “Delaying his Slumber could kill him…” Scorpion decided to stay behind, as for him, his firstclaw was merely taking a nap, and he would still be a very, very young dragon when he awoke, but for the ponies, it would be the last time most of them would get to see him. Besides, he had to prepare their transportation back to Equestria, as he would be taking them home. DragonWyrm Heart lifted his head and yawned heavily as he saw the Bearers, his ponies, walk into the library. He was struggling to remain awake long enough to say his goodbyes, but Dragon FireWyrm’s rumbling purr, which was massaging him, wasn’t helping. However, he wasn’t going to tell him to stop, as he was trying to keep tears from welling up, and the soothing purr was helping him remain calm. “Hello, my ponies…” DragonWyrm Heart weakly smiled as the Bearers gathered around him. “Sugarcube yah don’ forget us yah hear me?” Applejack sobbed out. “AJ, to forget such a beautiful gem that is your friendship would be criminal.” “Ah, shucks.” Applejack blushed. “Darling, your eventual mate will be the luckiest dragoness, with lines like that.” Rarity pulled out a tissue and tried to dab her tears away. “I learned only the best from my sweet, beautiful angel.” DragonWyrm Heart gently caressed Rarity’s cheek, and wiped away the tears that were messing up her makeup. “No frowny faces about us, you hear me? Only happy tears!” Pinkie Pie ordered. Somehow, she was wearing a fake military uniform. DragonWyrm Heart’s resolve to not cry was breaking, as he had to sniff. “I’ll… I’ll try…” “No trying!” Pinkie Pie impossibly stretched out, grabbed DragonWyrm Heart’s head, and pulled it forward, so that DragonWyrm Heart could only see a wall of pink in front of him. “Pinkie Promise me that you only smile when thinking about us!” DragonWyrm Heart struggled to not yawn through the Pinkie Promise, but he did manage to get through it, and, at the end Pinkie Pie, smiled and pulled a sapphire cupcake out of her mane and placed it on DragonWyrm Heart’s snout. DragonWyrm Heart went cross eyed trying to get a good look at the cupcake. In one quick motion, he lapped it up and moaned. It was the special birthday cupcake that he got every year, on his birthday. “Hey, no snacks before bedtime!” Twilight admonished DragonWyrm Heart. DragonWyrm Heart could only roll his eyes at his sister trying to scold him like he was still a hatchling. It might have had more effect if he hadn’t seen the twinkle in her eyes as she said it. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure that Scorpion gets the recipe.” Pinkie Pie conspiratorially ‘whispered’ to DragonWyrm Heart, a bit too loudly. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy quickly said their goodbyes, leaving just Twilight to go. Twilight knew that she would be around when he woke up, but it was still hard for her. She leaned in and whispered something into DragonWyrm Heart’s ear. “You promise?” DragonWyrm Heart whispered back. Twilight backed up and off the hoard bed and nodded “Yes.” DragonWyrm Heart smiled, looked at each of his lovely ponies, yawned one final time, closed his eyes, curled around his hoard bed, and then finally fell asleep. “That statue in the library wasn’t a statue…. it was you!” History Seeker exclaimed, jumping away from DragonWyrm Heart and pointing a hoof at him. “A statue?” DragonWyrm Heart scratched his head in confusion until he understood what History Seeker was talking about. He made a note to speak with his clan later, to find out how he Slumbered for so long, and why, of all days, he awoke today. He did have a suspicion that History Seeker and his clanmates’ egg had something to do with his waking and/or long Slumber. “Oh, I see! Yeah, I suppose a dragon in Slumber could be confused for a statue…” “I’m afraid that Phoenix Wave’s and Dragon FireWyrm’s predictions were correct.” DragonWyrm Heart became anxious over that statement; he knew that his ponies, besides Twilight, were long dead from, at minimum, old age. He really hoped that their lives were ones that were peaceful, or, at least, as much as possible for Bearers of Harmony, in ‘it must be Tuesday’ prone Ponyville. “The loss of the two Celestial Princesses by a dragon had a massive effect on the kingdom of Equestria… Twilight and the bearers struggled to keep things in check, but, in the end, it was merely a bandaid on a mortal injury. I’m not going to go into too many details, as the fall of Equestria is another story, for a later time… but...” “Rainbow Dash continued on a Wonderbolt, though there were numerous calls for her removal. In the end, she was relegated to less public roles. That, however, didn’t stop her from being true to herself and loyal to her friends and country. Sadly... she ended up as one of the final victims of what was known as the Bloody Spring… She died rescuing some foals from a burning building that had caught fire during the rioting.” “Bloody Spring? Rioting?” History Seeker asked. DragonWyrm Heart was really not liking the sounds of ‘bloody’ spring. He was at least happy that Rainbow Dash died being a hero. Though he was sure she would have have corrected him with a corny epitaph along the lines of ‘died in a blaze of glory’, before going on to say that it sounded twenty percent cooler then ‘died being a hero.’ “A period of unrest and violence in Canterlot and several major cities associated with nobility and the privileged.” Storyteller explained after a moment. He was a bit concerned about DragonWyrm Heart’s reaction, and needed a second to compose the answer in a way that he was hoping wouldn’t involve more soiled fur… “Let me guess...” DragonWyrm Heart clenched his jaw and claws. He had a very good idea who was the cause.. “Blueblood.” “Yes...” Storyteller deadpanned. “I hope Blueblood finally got his comeuppance.” DragonWyrm Heart growled out angrily; he remembered several times when he had been kicked just because he was a ‘beast.’ Blueblood had gotten out of punishment by saying he was merely startled, and merely reacted in fright, and not in a malicious manner. “He was dragged out in the streets and, in a rare display of gruesome violence by ponies, was tortured and skinned alive.” History Seeker violently threw up. “That is vile!” He snarled in revulsion as he wiped the bile from his muzzle. “If only you knew the extent of his crimes...” Storyteller shook his head. He decided to change the subject as History Seeker probably couldn’t handle the horrors of Blueblood. That and it was getting close to time. “Enough of Blueblood… back to the Bearers...” “Fluttershy struggled with what happened during the final battle for many years afterwards, even with help from her friends and Discord. The Bloody Spring did not help and she was rarely seen outside the area around her cottage at the edge of the Everfree. One day... she was in the Everfree and was…” “Was mauled by a creature within while trying to help an animal, right?” Storyteller’s awkward silence told DragonWyrm Heart everything. The dragon sighed sadly. “There was always that fear that one day, that would happen... but her kindness drove her to help. It's part of what made her so special...” Storyteller coughed to get rid of the silence that followed. “Pinkie Pie remained her old hyperactive self. Though, after the Bloody Spring, she kept mostly to Ponyville, not wanting to be around ‘big meanie pants.’ She eventually passed away from an illness. The thing was that no one knew about it… One day she sent out invitations to the entire town, as well as a special one for Scorpion, for a party the next morning. She then died in her sleep that night. When the guests arrived the next day for the party… they arrived to see the place set up for a party. And I quote a ‘Pinkie-Pie’s-Moving-to-Pasturelands-Goodbye-Celebration.’” DragonWyrm Heart couldn't help but laugh. It was so Pinkie. “Somehow that doesn’t surprise me…” “Rarity… to Rarity’s dying breath, she defended you as her little ‘Spikey-Wikey’ that wouldn’t harm a fly, no matter the personal and financial losses she invited because of her views. And it cost her. To protect her friends and Ponyville, she had to emigrate to the Crystal Empire.” DragonWyrm Heart turned beet red, and he rubbed his head spines. His hatchling crush always knew how to make him blush. History Seeker and Storyteller chuckled at his lovesick expression. “I predict your mate... will be a white dragoness with a curly purple head spines…” Storyteller cooed, knowing it would get a reaction out of him. History Seeker had to hold his sides from the pain. It was too much to see hearts coming out of the dragon’s eyes, and his tail spinning so hard as to lift him a bit off the ground. “Mmm dragon Rarity…” DragonWyrm Heart murmured, drooling.   That overloaded History Keeper to the point that he fainted from lack of oxygen. History Seeker awoke to DragonWyrm Heart’s snout right in his face. He scrambled back to get away from the dragon. “Don’t do that!” History Seeker yelled, trying to calm his pounding heart. “Now, where were we?” Storyteller spoke up before it got out of hand, again. It had been quite a while since he’d seen anyone pass out from laughter, and, as much as it was funny, time was running way too low. “You only had Applejack and Twilight left, Storyteller.” “Not much to say about Applejack, she lived a fairly quiet life on Sweet Apple Acres, raising her foals, grand foals, and great grand foals. She passed away of old age at one hundred thirty.” “You can talk to Twilight about her story yourself… but suffice to say, she left Equestria shortly after Applejack's death. She traveled the world and learned firsthand about nearly every culture imaginable...” “Now as for Discord,” Storyteller motioned for them to follow him; he wanted to show History Seeker the museum and forge before it got wild, “he has not been seen or heard from for a little over a millennium. He took Fluttershy’s death particularly hard. For a while, he cared for her animals and their descendants…then, when it became too hard for him, he began to travel the world. However, over time, he became more and more distant, even to those who knew him… until one day, he just vanished.” “Just vanished?” DragonWyrm Heart raised an eyebrow. He highly doubted the draconequus would just ‘disappear.’ “Yeah… we don’t think he’s passed away, he’s just gone reclusive… He might decide to come out of hiding, now that you are awake, or maybe he won’t…” “So where is Scorpion and Dragon FireWyrm?” And for that matter, Twilight? DragonWyrm Heart added to himself. She promised that she would greet me when I woke, if she managed to be in Hourglass at the time, and barring that, send a letter… Knowing Twilight, she would have put up a spell that would have notified her that I was awake; either that, or have one of my clanmates fire mail her the news... “I have no idea Firstclaw… Though, if I hazard a guess, Scorpion is going through last minute preparations… As for Secondclaw, who knows…” The group fell into a reflective silence for a few minutes, until Storyteller stopped and pointed out a building across the wide boulevard they were on. History Seeker and DragonWyrm Heart could see a metal bird’s nest embedded into the wall above the entrance of the museum. History could tell it was the museum, as there was a sign indicating that this was the ‘Medallion Memorial Museum.’ DragonWyrm Heart could tell it was her hoard, just becuase of the location, though he did note that the nest was the very nest that used to sit across the street. As Storyteller began to explain the bird’s nest to History Seeker, DragonWyrm Heart popped his head inside. The inside looked different then he remembered, as he could see many more displays and artifacts. This made him smile, Medallion would be proud of the work and care done. “This is a list of every dragon or clan that has contributed to the restoration of Hourglass City.” Storyteller pointed out two plaques that were on either side of the doors, as DragonWyrm Heart pulled his head back out. History Seeker noticed that the plaques had the same script that was on the dragon side of the memorial obelisk. Not surprising to him, but annoying. DragonWyrm Heart noted that he recognized a few of the titles listed, including Merc and Windjammer. Most, however, he had no idea who they were. He wondered if there was a ledger compiled on what each dragon contributed, and when. “Anonymous…” Storyteller replied to a question that DragonWyrm Heart missed while he had been too engrossed in his thoughts. “But not a single one went that way. To be associated with Hourglass City and the DragonWyrm Clan was a matter of honor and pride for many of them.” “So what happened to Phoenix Wave…?” History Seeker asked as they left the museum to head towards the forge. “You really want to know about him!?” Storyteller was taken aback so much that he momentarily stopped in his tracks. DragonWyrm Heart raised an eyebrow at this, but said nothing. “Of course.” “After a few years he became a Dragon Acolyte. Which, basically, is someone that doesn’t just follow the dragon code, but lives it fully, when possible. During the Bloody Spring, and in the months after, Phoenix Wave was tasked by Thirdclaw to keep an eye on the Bearers, and to protect them until things cooled a bit. During that time, Twilight discovered his identity, even though he did his best to mask who he was. Long story short, and many hoof slaps later, she fell in love with him, and the two got married in secret.” “Phoenix Wave would eventually return to Hourglass, as was his duty, but Twilight would, from time to time, return to Hourglass to visit her mate. He eventually passed away at ninety-eight…” “Okay, enough!” DragonWyrm Heart pinched his snout in irritation. ”I’m sorry Storyteller, but it’s driving me nuts with you speaking ‘Trixie.’” “Speaking Trixie?” History Seeker scratched his head in confusion. Trixie was a weird name for a language. “Trixie was a showmare unicorn that had an annoying habit of speaking in the third person…” Storyteller explained. “Okay… not really helping…” History Seeker groaned. “He is the one and only Captain of Hourglass Guard (of one) and Dragon Acolyte, Phoenix Wave.” DragonWyrm Heart answered, a smirk creeping onto his face. “But you said…” History Seeker began, before he was shocked to silence by Storyteller throwing off his cloak. What History Seeker saw confused him. Storyteller, or actually Phoenix Wave, if DragonWyrm Heart was to be believed, appeared to be equine in shape, but it clearly wasn’t living in the normal sense of the word. He looked like a strange metal golem automaton. He couldn't tell what kind of metal comprised his body, but, whatever it was, it seemed to have a strange rainbow sheen to it. He had a horn, just like a unicorn would, but it was made from a crystal that he assumed was a rainbow crystal. However, he had no mane or tail. “Well, at least I now know why you were always wearing that cloak, and never seemed to eat.” History Seeker quipped as soon as the shock faded enough for him to speak coherently. “Oh I ‘eat.’’ Phoenix Wave corrected. “I just don’t need to eat that often.” “So what do you eat then?“ History Seeker asked. DragonWyrm Heart was curious, himself, and decided to pay close attention to Phoenix Wave, in anticipation for what he was sure was going to be an interesting answer. Why would a golem automaton like him need to eat? “Crushed, almost to the point of powder, gems.” “Gems?” DragonWyrm Heart and History Seeker exclaimed in shock and wonder. “Well, gems help keep my magic level up, as without magic… my soul would fade away from this body, and I would die.” Phoenix Wave stopped as they got to They of Hourglass’s forge, which was a blessing for him, as they had only a short amount of time, if he was reading the sky correctly, and if they were still on schedule. “And this is They of Hourglass’ forge...” DragonWyrm Heart and History Seeker peered in. It was mostly dark, though there were shafts of light from a few skylights, and, of course, the forge itself, in which a small fire blazed away. “We kept the fire going in the forge.” Phoenix Wave answered the question he knew was coming. “Can I go in?” History Seeker wanted to see the hoard of the child he was supposed to take care of. That way, he could describe in great detail for him or her, if ever asked. Phoenix Wave gestured for History Seeker to go in. When History Seeker looked to DragonWyrm Heart, he got the same reaction. History Seeker slowly made his way inside. Beside the large forge and the expected blacksmithing tools, most of which were almost as large as him, he could see various weapons and armor scattered about. The same metal strip that adorned all of the buildings laid about in neat stacks. As he approached the back, he could make out a very large metal nest. “Mind if I climb inside? I want to see where this child was laid.” “Sure,” DragonWyrm Heart motioned his okay. “I don’t want the child to go through what I went though, if possible.” History Seeker nodded as he climbed into the nest. As expected, there was a layer of gems and coins at the bottom. He nearly flew to the ceiling when a white dragon suddenly appeared out of nowhere, growling. Unfortunately, he lost his footing as he tried to back out of the nest, and became trapped. The white dragon rushed him, and History Seeker shut his eyes, not wanting to see himself being ripped to shreds, nor see the flames that he knew would soon cook him alive. DragonWyrm Heart himself was startled by Dragon FireWyrm’s sudden appearance. He was sure that his hatchmate had not teleported in, and, even if he had, suppressed his sparks; his white scales should have been noticeable, even in the near darkness. He did, however, like what he saw. The years had helped Dragon FireWyrm’s scales. The pink staining, from what he could see in the low light of the forge, was gone, and unless one was looking really well, one could not tell that his side had been burnt by that dark flame ball attack. On his neck were two more horizontal scars, to go with the one that Thirdclaw gave him years ago. History Seeker shook, as he could feel heavy breathing on his back and feathers. Suddenly, the growling changed to a strange purring sound. He tensed up and took a sharp intake of air when he could feel a clawed paw touch his head. The paw started to stroke him, and he could feel all the tension melt away from his body. He had gone to spas before to help get the tension out of his muscles after exploring many a trap filled tomb or temple. It’s actually where he first saw his marefriend Belle Flower. He wouldn't admit it, but he went on several more ‘expeditions’ just so he could see her. The ponies that worked there were always good at massages, but they had nothing on this dragon’s claws. “Who is the master and who is the pet?” DragonWyrm Heart quipped over the sight of Dragon FireWyrm stroking History Seeker’s mane, while he was now splayed out on the ground, moaning in contentment. History Seeker immediately stood up, blushing a deep red from embarrassment. This only ended up causing the two dragons and golem to laugh uproariously.