The Last Keeper of Harmony

by Rammy

Crouching Spike, Hidden Claw

The sun had yet to break above the tree tops when everyone gathered near an all too familiar cave in the depths of the Everfree. Fluttershy was attempting to make herself as small as she could behind Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash meanwhile yawned, clearly annoyed about being up so early. Spike and Twilight were the most nervous. They were sure they had been here before and had been chased away from a very angry dragon.

Nearly an hour went by and no sign of Harmony could be found. Discord had forbade them from going anywhere and would not speak on why exactly they were out here.

“What is taking him so long?” Rainbow spoke repeating the same question she had been stating every minute for the last hour.

“Rainbow must you always be this impatient?” Rarity coolly stated annoyed at the constant moaning.

“Listen you…” Rainbow started but stopped noticing movement coming from the cave.

Harmony walked out of the cave and greeted everyone. "Good morning everyone." Everyone, however, were staring at him as he looked disheveled and his mane looked like it got singed in a fire. The usual white of his mane was grey from ash.

"It won't be good for long," Discord spoke what everyone was thinking. " Please at least tell me he is in a decent mood this morning."

"He is in a great mood, actually. Don't let my mane fool you." Harmony responded shaking his mane a bit to get the soot out.

"Please tell me we are not going in there the last time I was in there the dragon nearly killed me." Spike twisted his claws in worry.

"Well you learned a lesson in not stealing from another dragon's hoard and to ask before eating." Harmony chuckled.

"I don't find that funny, Harmony." Twilight fumed, ready to smack him.

Rarity seemed to agree with Twilight but she went one step further and actually gave him a good whack. With a humph she turned around and joined Spike and Fluttershy at the back of the group.

"Perhaps..." Harmony spoke not even flinching.

They stood there in silence for a moment as tempers cooled a bit. Harmony's expression suddenly went dark gaining everyone's attention but also giving them all a bad feeling in the pits of their stomachs, "There are some things we need to go over before we enter. One, never show fear to a dragon. So, Bearer of Kindness... GET. OVER. IT. The only dragons that ever consider eating ponies are under the effect of one of the two growths. This dragon will not eat you at all. Your fears that control you will one day get you and those you care for killed. Period."

Fluttershy eeped then cowered even further. Rainbow, however, got angry, no one hurt her friend.

"Enough! can you see you are hurting Fluttershy?" Rainbow flew up getting right into the face of Harmony readying a hoof to strike him like Rarity.

"Bearer of Loyalty, can it". Harmony angrily responded to Rainbow's get-in-the-face reaction. "As Bearers of Harmony you all have to deal with things that threaten harmony here in Equestria. Some of those threats WILL KILL YOU WITHOUT THOUGHT! Dragons are the least of what could come your way. Take a look at the sky.” Everyone looked at the darkening clouds that were gathering in the sky. “Those ominous clouds that you have been unable to dispel are a sign of what is coming. Buck up."

Harmony began to pace, anger coming off him in waves. "This is not some walk in the park, 'Friendship is Magic' will fix it. Now while I'm thinking on this,” He stopped for a moment to look at Rarity, ”Bearer of Generosity I don't think I need to remind you that letting your greed take over will get you killed. You got lucky last time with Smokey. If he had been fully awake..." Harmony, Spike, and Rarity all shuttered slightly, a horrified expression upon everyones face.

Harmony soften his expression slightly but a bit of the hardness still remained. "Second, do not talk unless spoken to. If and when you address him address him as He of Everfree. Third, do not try to defend Spike or me from any possible attacks real or otherwise, verbal or physical. Dragons are very honorable and don't attack without reason. Interfering with what you may perceive is an attack is extremely dishonorable and dangerous. Given your past experience with him you do not want to be dishonorable again."

“Past experience? Then it wasn’t my imagination...” Twilight gulped slightly remembering that night vividly.

Spike grabbed his tail and wrung it slightly he didn’t want a repeat of the last time. No amount of gems were worth it,

“I believe you remember this cave Spike and Bearer of Magic? It was here that Spike ran away to and gorged on gems. This was before he found out that he was in the cave of a dragon and that he was eating said dragon’s hoard. You nearly got killed over I might add.”

“Eep.” Fluttershy squeaked then took cover behind Rarity.

Harmony dragged her roughly out from behind her. “What did I just say!?”

“To.. ttttoo not… Show…” She barely stuttered out shaking violently.

“...Fear.” Harmony finished for her. Fluttershy gulped heavily leaning on Rarity for support.

"Now I'm going to use a thought linking spell so you can ask questions without speaking out loud. It will also allow you to talk amongst yourselves. Talking to each other is considered rude and dragons have very good hearing." Harmony looked at Fluttershy. Although he could still see fear in her eyes there was also a resolve to protect her friends. "Good. I see you are fighting through your fear. Discord, Bearer of Loyalty, Generosity, stay near her to give her some support."

With that Harmony beckoned them into the cave. They had only barely gotten inside when Harmony stopped. "He of Everfree, we humbly ask for an audience to right a wrong." He called out his voice echoing.

"He of Harmony, you and your charges may enter, but do not touch my hoard." A deep, gravelly voice answered.

Harmony nodded for them to continue. They soon could see a large pile of gems and a very familiar, green, fully adult, dragon standing guard nearby.

"He of Harmony why do you bring that hatchling into my hoard?" The dragon spat glaring at Spike. "He is a dishonor to dragonkind for he is a thief. He should be skinned alive for what his has done."

How barbaric! Rarity spat through the mental link.

Maybe by pony standards. Harmony reasoned. And thanks for remembering to use the thought link.

"He of Everfree, Spike has lived among ponykind all of his life and is not aware of the ways of dragons. He meant no front as he wasn't aware of your hoard being yours."

"Is that so? Then it’s time for his first lesson. Defend yourself!"

"What!" Spike yelped while the same word echoed through the link from the Bearers. Rainbow clearly wanted to defend Spike but remembered the look in Harmony's eyes from when she tried to defend Fluttershy.

He of Everfree roared then opened his maw and a wave of heat poured out. Harmony moved out of the way leaving Spike to receive the full onslaught. Spike responded with fire from his own mouth. The adult’s fire quickly overpowered Spike’s.

What are you doing Spike needs your help! Twilight cried out with approval from Rainbow Dash who had to have Applejack hold her down.

No that would be interfering. Spike dishonored himself when he took those gems and fled. Dragons do not steal from another dragon’s hoard. That alone is bad, but the fact that the Bearer of Magic and an owl helped... If a dragon desires something from another dragon’s hoard they must fight for the right to take from that hoard. Depending on what the dragon desires and how the defending dragon feels about said 'request' the duel could be to the death. Spike must take whatever punishment that comes his way if he is to restore honor to himself. You are here to learn dragon culture and ways. Not Spike. He will know soon enough the ways of dragons. Do you want to become friends with him or not?

Spike by this point has throwing gems at the older dragon trying to hit his eyes to blind him. He of Everfree only laughed and blocked the assault with his tail. Spikes popped out of his tail in a retaliatory attack. Spike tried to dodge but was hit. A groan escaped his lips as pain coursed through him from being thrown down across the cavern.

He quickly trying to extract himself from the rubble that surrounded him but the pain was too great. Spike collapsed in defeat.

Spike! Twilight yelled through the link.

Wait. Harmony said putting a hoof out.

At the sight of Spike the green dragon stopped and growled angrily, smoke poured out of this nostrils. He started making clicking and chittering sounds. Harmony responded in kind. Everyone else looked at each other confused on what was going on.

*Remind me again why we are doing this pointless exercise? You have already restored his honor though the right of substitution... You know as well as I do that the hatchling will gain the Dragon Heritage Memories at the time of his Choosing.*

*Yes, I know, Hidden Claw. You were the one that told me of the details of the changes that a dragon goes through. We are here so that his clutchmates understand what it means to be dragon so that when it happens it will be easier for them to accept it.*

*Hmph. I still don't understand how a dragon would ever consider ponies as clutchmates...* Hidden Claw growled slightly at that *So are they aware of the memory wipe?*

*Yes, but Spike does not.*

*As it should be.* Hidden Claw shifted to look more proud like, growling threateningly at the unconscious Spike.

Uh, Harmony, what is going on? Please tell me that what I'm hearing is not the changeling language.. Twilight nervously asked.

Nothing you need to worry about, and as for the language its is not the changeling language although it is similar. You can go get Spike now. I can see that he will need help to get up. Harmony answered back.

A flash of lighting and the roll of thunder echoed into the cave stopped everyone.

"Harmony..." Discord suddenly spoke up, concern and fear in his voice and eyes.

Everyone, even Hidden Claw, stared at Discord. Fear rose in all of them. If a dragon was in fear it was never good.

Harmony turned back to Hidden Claw. "He of Everfree, I fear that we have ran out of time, but we can not flee until we retrieve the Elements of Harmony."

Twilight managed to break through her fear but forgot to mentally speak." We can't do that!! If we remove the Elements from the Tree of Harmony it will die and the plunder vines could take over again."

Harmony looked sympathetically at Twilight. "Bearer of Magic, when you successfully opened that Seed Chest and grew the palace the tree died."

Author's Note:

A proud Dragon and Discord being spooked? Not good.

Revision 2.0

I can always use an editor...

Comments

[Trevor12300]

I hope Spike becomes really strong

[DX-1118 C]

The tree died? That ain't good.

[Rammy]

4770665

Considering the difference between a normal unicorn pony and an alicorn pony what do you think?

On a unrelated note my first negative YAY!