At the Twilight of Harmony

by Rammy

Like Pieces on a Chessboard

38 days since the Nameless One’s escape

12 days since the fall of Traxti City

Plane of Harmony, Harmony Council Chambers

---

“...the dragon that attacked Hourglass and Equestria is, or more accurate was, Quartz."

“Damn it.” He of Hourglass softly growled, pinching the the bridge of his brow.

Sentinel eyed He of Hourglass and his reaction. The way he said that and the body language. Sentinel frowned as he walked right up to his firstclaw. He was not liking the implication if what he saw was what he saw. “What have you been withholding from me?” Sentinel waited a second for a verbal answer but got his answer from the silence. “You knew didn’t you… The night that Sombra was defeated. HE CHOSE THAT NIGHT DIDN’T HE!?” By this point Sentinel’s horn was glowing white hot. “I can understand not telling Harmonious Knight but to not tell me...ME! YOUR SECONDCLAW. And someone I might add that knows more about Quartz then you do!”

With that a magic missile slammed right into He of Hourglass. A plume of green flame came right at Sentinel who casually slid to the side to avoid it. Sentinel fired a volley of magic missile blindly in the Dragon Keeper direction. The blur of a dragon’s tail came at Sentinel head through the smoke so he ducked.

“But I thought that dragons besides you Sentinel don’t retain memories after a choosing. How would you having any knowledge of Quartz be of any use?” Twilight called out, hoping that the shields the she had put up to protect the girls behind her would hold if it got more out of hoof then it already was.

“True.” Sentinel spate out the word like it was something vile. He cast a shield as another plume of fire came at him. “BUT A DRAGON’S PERSONALITY IS CARRIED OVER! And I’m going to guess that he taunted you… DIDN’T HE!?”

“How...” Came an angry growl though the magic smoke.

“I made you a promise that any memory of great importance I would share… I have not violated it yet and need I remind you ten thousand years is a lot of memories to sort through! I prioritized the ones like fighting and spells and anything that I could grab onto the would help us in this war… even then… He never was just thinking about one thing for two but sometimes five or six things at a time! And none of them would be related!”

“AND IF YOU HAD SAID SOMETHING I WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU EVERYTHING RELEVANT ABOUT QUARTZ!”

“ENOUGH!” Celestia bellowed blowing all the smoke away with the force of her magic induced shouting. To her credit she didn’t even flinch at the rage filled glare from the fighting keepers. “We are in the middle of a war! one that will take cooperation to merely survive never mind win I will not have you two…”

“I can’t believe this! The similarities!” Discord mock laughed.

“Discord…” Twilight warned him, knowing full well Discord’s skill at making matters worse.

“Shut it. Twilight I know what I’m doing.”

“Discord!” Sentinel slipped into using Discord name in his irritation, “if you wish to still have a way with the ladies please don’t beat about the bush.”

“The parallels are not exactly the same but we got the fatherly scholar He of Hourglass as Celestia and the dark brooding military minded brother slash second in command Sentinel as Luna. Though I think we all agree the stakes are higher this time...are they not?”

“Yes… yes, they are.” Sentinel nearly whispered seeing exactly what Discord was going after.

“Let’s get this meeting going? I don’t know how long Scribbles can keep the guards guessing where we are for too long.” Celestia smiled.

“The joys of running a nation…” Sentinel chuckled. ”Glad I’m not in that game anymore.”

“Says the dragon that’s second in command of a dragon clan.” Luna mused.

“Clan being the operative word.” Sentinel countered. “I don’t see the Hourglass Clan getting anywhere near the size of Ponyville much less Equestria.”

“What I want to know... “ He of Hourglass spoke up trying to get the meeting going. “Is why you think three hundred ponies in Hourglass, a dragon city, is a wise move?”

“Ponies!” Quartermaster barked. “You want three hundred ponies who have no understanding of our culture and ways wandering the streets of Hourglass! A security risk not only from within but without! How and why should we be responsible for the safety of these ponies that were so easily beaten by my son!?”

“Walk with me Quartermaster.” Sentinel motioned for Quartermaster as he opened the council doors. “NOW! Quartermaster.” He snapped when Quartermaster hesitated.

“Yes, Secondclaw.” Quartermaster finally moved and quickly followed his secondclaw.

He of Hourglass rubbed his face as he watched his clanmates leave the council chambers. “This is going to be a logistical nightmare…”

“Which is why, Twilight, you will be going along.”

“What!?!?” Both Twilight and He of Hourglass exclaimed. Neither one could understand why. Twilight was worried about the breaking up of the elements at a critical time and He of Hourglass, though he would be glad to have some face time with her, felt that it could potentially cause her position in the eyes of the ponies to diminish at a time when the ponies needed solidarity.

“Celestia forgive me when I say this… But are you nuts! Without me the elements are next to useless!”

“Which is why you will only be there seven days.”

“It’s several days either direction! That means something along the lines of two weeks!”

---

“You and your mate are probably one of the premier forgers, metal workers, and blacksmiths in the world. Tell me Metal Claws what good is swords and shields and armor and spears…”

“Get to the point Soul Fire!” Metal Claws grumbled angrily, not in the mood for dancing around the issue. “Because I don't see how this is convincing me to have anything to do with three hundred ponies in Hourglass.”

Soul Fire rubbed his head trying to end the pain from his headache. “Do you know how a great warrior is remembered by the masses? Sometimes by the deeds but more often it’s their sword or armor…”

“There is a museum in Canterlot… popular by colts known as the Equestrian War Museum… One of the scariest and the most awe inducing pieces in the entire museum much to the chagrin of my younger self is his ceremonial armor and sword. The pieces are known publicly as belonging to the ‘Warrior King.’ That armor and sword has done more to fast track colts into wanting to join the royal guard or the military then the Wonderbolts ever did.”

“Hated that armor…” Soul Fire muttered before shaking his head to rid himself of the memories, “Anyway... the armor has been on display for well over a millennium. Can you imagine how many colts stood there in awe over the years and because of the armor and…”

“Are you saying that my work could…” Metal Claws looked at Soul Fire for a second before staring off into distance. “The dreams and aspirations of young ones being started and…”

This is the dream of any dragon! To have their hoard be the awe of anyone who sees it…

Soul Fire flew up to whisper into Metal Claws ear. “It will be globe spanning… And given your long life it won’t just be the colts and other younglings but also the warriors when the weapons or armor you created…”

The rest of what Soul Fire was whispering was lost to Metal Claws as he felt some warm build inside. They will know that it was my work that save them my work that ended the lives of their enemies. That is was me. My hoard is mine but I shall have my hoard used so that all know that it is mine.

At the last ‘mine’ Metal Claws greed soared to heights that he hadn’t felt since he mated with MetalEtched Claws. The greed this time was not for his mate but for his hoard. And just like with his mate he knew there was no going back. He couldn’t believe how ungreedy he had been. He really couldn't wait for the chance to create armor and weapons for three hundred ponies now if he could get hundreds more. There would be no end to his hoard he would make sure of that.

So this is how a mature hoarder feels… “I understand now…”

“Metal Claws?” Soul Fire questioned, though he had an inkling.

“You lied when you said you weren’t being greedy. You ‘nudged’ Twixt’d to give you your title then you ‘nudged’ me to adopted him. You set us both up just so you could have the best hoard possible.”

“As a mature hoarder,” Metal Claws didn’t even flinch that Soul Fire figured out that he was a mature hoarder, “you should know better then to tell me how to hoard!” Soul Fire growled angrily. “You know that I can not do anything to harm my hoard and you and Twixt’d are both apart of my hoard…” Soul Fire expression softened and he chuckled. “However, you are right about one thing, I am quite greedy about my hoard Metal Claws, very greedy. As all mature hoarders are and should be.”

“Having said that, I never set you two up. Twixt’d already consider me a hatchmate. Just as he did with my younger self. Twixt’d was a street urchin, Metal Claws, and in street urchin culture giving someone a secret nickname is like making them a brother. Someone who you trust explicitly. He gave me the ‘name’ Knight shortly before we ran into Medallion.”

“I told him now that I had chosen that if he did something like that again it would become more than a verbal agreement of brothership but a magical one. One that would literally make us brothers, hatchmates.”

“This place we are in is known officially as the Plane of Harmony though to some it’s been called the Plane of Memories. The reason is the plane can show memories… for example the one in which I told Twixt’d, your son, how a whelp slash hatchling can become hatchmates with an adult dragon.”

---

Once the council doors closed the Sentinel turned to face Twixt’d. “Twixt’d remember when I said that my hoard can’t grow unless the clan grows? That’s only partially true. My hoard name limits me to family, but there are ways for dragons be be a family outside of the clan structure.”

“When you gave him the title ‘Knight’ you and him agreed to be brothers in a verbal agreement. But it was more then that wasn’t it?”

“Yes,” Twixt’d admitted. “I really thought of him as my brother. True, the name thing was a street thing… but the truth is... I wanted more than a street thing. And when you Chose I thought… I thought…”

“Which is why I wanted you to find a new title for me. When you and he agreed to be your brother by accepting that title you become brothers by agreement. Which is all that whelps can do. If you do it now we would really would become brothers. Hatchmates in fact. Do you still want to be brothers?”

“Yes… you really would want me as hatchmate?” Twixt’d questioned. “Does this mean you you could never not call me brother like you said?”

“Yes…” Sentinel rolled his eyes. It seems I was right I was going regret telling him that...

---

Soul Fire for once could not read Metal Claws expression. That was rare. Metal Claws prided himself on looking and acting the part of being tough, unreadable, but he was usually so easy to read. He was the easiest of the entire clan to read. Now his mate on the other claw was much more difficult. She was actually the only one in the clan he couldn’t get a good reading out of. Not that he went out of the way to try he valued the privacy of his clanmates. That and reading the emotions and expressions only went so far.

“As for you adopting him… You were already thinking about it…”

Another memory popped up, one that Metal Claws recognized.

---

“...The only thing he has for him is his wonderful talent for cursing.”

The last sentence got Soul Fire wondering. There was no hint of sarcasm in the remark if anything there was pride in it. Why would Metal Claws praise Twixt’d for his skill at cursing? That was something only close drakes would do… Soul Fire then voiced what he thought was Metal Claws’ real problem. “You're not angry at him but at yourself! You see yourself in him, and you don’t want him to make the same mistakes you did. Do you have the courage to do what is right? Don’t wait until he saves you from a rage dragon!”

---

The last memory faded away. Neither dragon spoke for a while. Metal Claws had a lot to process while Soul Fire mind remained virtually blank. The last week was extremely taxing and he knew it was only going to get worse. The last thing he wanted was more to think about.

Soul Fire sighed heavily. “As I said before, I didn't have you work together for any reason other than I wanted to make sure that the silo could handle him. I’m a warrior not a builder. You on the other claw, know about metal and would know exactly how to construct a metal support structure. I knew of Twixt’d’s desire for a family for quite some time. What I didn’t know was that you admired him until you said ‘wonderful talent for cursing.’” With that Soul Fire began to walk towards the council chambers not far off.

Metal Claws hmphed then shoved his snout right into Soul Fire's face. “Who says we were fucking done?”

“I do.” Soul Fire stated, ignoring the fact that Metal Claws had just used a minotaur curse (probably picked up from his son) as he continued to head towards the council chambers.

Metal Claws’ speared tail blocked Soul Fire. “We need to better your hoard first.”

“What did I say about telling me how to…” Soul Fire snarled before stopping when Metal Claws blew some of his flame onto his tail making it look like it was a torch. A wide, greedy smile crossed Soul Fire’s face as he quickly changed back to his dragon form.

---

“Nope, not happening!” Sentinel shot down Celestia insistence for him to stay in Equestria while Twilight was in Hourglass. “The dragon has his eyes set on me. If I stay I’m only putting Equestria in more danger than it already is…”

“Sentinel please be reasonable this is a great way for the ponies to get to know that dragons are...”

“YOU DON’T KNOW HIM!” Sentinel roared stopping Celestia. He was not going hoof coddle the ponies into liking dragons. After the war, maybe, but not now. “Celestia don’t play shrew politician! Politicians NEVER win wars.”

“And rage and revenge filled warriors die before their time.” Celestia angrily countered.

Celestia yelped as she was slammed to the ground on her side. Sentinel harshly whispered into the now frightened Celestia. She could feel the fire from his maw. “Need I remind you that I am still the Alicorn Keeper DON’T make me pull rank Celestia.”

“Enough!” He of Hourglass roared, pulling Sentinel off of Celestia. “What is going on with you two? I have never seen this much animosity between the Sun Princess and him. What has changed?!”

“For me? That twice damned dragon!” Sentinel spat. “For her? 1,384 plus dead.”

He of Hourglass pinched the brow of his snout. This is becoming a disaster. He motioned Sentinel to the back of the council chambers near the thrones.

“Let me make myself clear Sentinel,” He of Hourglass hissed at Sentinel once he was sure they were out of earshot, “it’s one thing to fight with me or another dragon about differences of opinion. But I do know enough of pony culture and diplomacy that what you just did with Sun Princess went too far. I also know that ponies don’t hoard, but if what the Ascended One says about her is correct the ponies could almost be considered her hoard.”

“Hmph…” Sentinel snorted. “She immature about it… She is scared out of her mind and acting irrational.”

“And your rage... is it causing you to act irrational?” He of Hourglass questioned, trying to figure out what got his Secondclaw worked up so badly. “There is a reason for it to be this high…”

Sentinel opened and shut his mouth unsure if he should tell him or not. Between the fact that the dragon name was ‘Tortured Screams’ and his assertion they were similar. He was also angered by the pony deaths just like Celestia. He was the Alicorn Keeper it hurt that his charge was attacked by a dragon of all beings...

“And your rage?” He of Hourglass slowly reiterated lifting Sentinel head so he could gaze into his eyes. Sentinel didn’t even resist. Behind the cold fury and rage that He of Hourglass saw was a fear that could cause an ice dragon to shiver.

“He told me his name.” Sentinel broke down for the care and love coming from his hatchmate.

He of Hourglass paled. Hoard names are very revealing and to know the dragon’s name… No wonder he was on edge and fearful. “I see…” He put a comforting wing around his clanmate. After a minute or two he pulled the wing off and walked back to the rest. Sentinel slowly walked after him.

“Everything alright?” Twilight asked as soon as the two dragons returned.

“Sun Princess Sentinel is to return to Hourglass. End of discussion.” He of Hourglass gave Celestia such a look that she was unable to resist the urge to gulp.

Sentinel sighed, putting a paw to his face before gazing at Luna. “Luna gather a team of unicorns and pegasi and head to Griffonstone. There is a relic of the Roc Keeper that might get the scattered and disenfranchised Equestrian Griffons unified. It is known as the Id…”

“Idol of Boreas! I’ve read about that!” Twilight interrupted excitedly. Sentinel groaned and facepalmed. Twilight then realized that she got too excited and had cut off Sentinel. “I… uh… sorry.”

Sentinel waved it off. “Yes, it was lost when Arimaspi fell into the Abysmal Abyss some time ago. I saw no reason to retrieve it with other more pressing matters taking up my time. Now, however...” He exhaled heavily. “Luna lead a team and retrieve that relic. That should get the griffons to reunite and into a military alliance with Equestria.”

"Very well," Luna grinned. "Alicorn Keeper."

"Luna!" Sentinel grumbled while Celestia stifled a giggle. The white dragon just rolled his eyes. “Okay, then... We have delayed this as long as we could... He of Laughter what happened that got you so worked up?”

Discord flinched. “I found out, at least in part, who was responsible for the attack on Traxti city. I was not successful in finding out how… At least one rogue diamond dog pack and as Sentinel correctly surmised earlier a dragon. The rogue pack is dead as for the dragon I have no idea who or what the dragon is. All I know is the the dragon is not the Chaos Bringer, too young.”

“What did the dragon look like?”

“All I saw was a silhouette.”

“How about a voice?”

“Yes... I heard his voice…”

“Go on... let’s hear the voice of the dragon He of Laughter.”

Discord slowly nodded. He walked to the center of the group and placed a recorder and pressed the play button.

Idiots! That is no mere chimera! That is a draconequus and a KEEPER OF HARMONY!!

No one spoke a word. The reaction from both Sentinel and He of Hourglass was enough for everyone to know who that voice belonged to. The voice from the caves was ‘Quartz.’

“Damn it.” Sentinel cursed. He was really hoping that his suspicions were wrong. “I think it’s clear how he managed to get enough power to attack Hourglass and Equestria in the way that he did.”

Twilight gulped. “That would have taken a lot of coordination! He would have had to have help. And no offense to diamond dogs the sophistication of the dome points to someone with more skills than most diamond dogs are able to muster.”

“The Dark One?” Luna wondered. ”Could he be involved as well?” ”

“No, I don’t think so.” Sentinel shook his head. “At least not yet… Inspiration and hero is how the dragon described the Nameless One not master or brother…”

“I… I… I’m afraid there is is more…”

“He of Laughter relax. Take a few breaths and then tell us.”

“It’s just that I’m frightened by the three of you.”

“I don’t understand” Sentinel was lost. Not atypical with Discord but it was rare nonetheless.

“Because of what I found two days ago…”

Sentinel walked up to Discord who nearly flinched when the dragon put a paw on his shoulder. “Discord, relax, we need to know. No matter how bad.”

“O...Okay.” Discord took a couple of cleansing breaths once Sentinel moved off to give him space. “I found something two day ago… something that makes the Migration massacre seem like it was nothing…”

Sentinel and He of Hourglass paled while Quartermaster maw glowed and his claws were clenched in anger.

“TALK!” Quartermaster roared becoming impatient at the delay.

“QUARTERMASTER!” Sentinel roared as he forcibly slammed his head down. The red dragon's tail thrashing around violently. Sentinel got right up into Quartermaster’s face. “I get that you are angry at what he is implying but whatever he saw is scaring him to death and you roaring at him is not helping. Need I remind you that we are not in Hourglass anymore and that he is a Keeper? If you threaten him like that again while we are in the Council of Harmony, Keeper territory,” he leaned in to whisper, “I don’t care if you are my hatchmate or not I will do more than ‘roar’ at you!”

Sentinel stared at Quartermaster a moment longer before he let him go. “He of Laughter please continue.”

“Dark magic, fifty seven dragon bodies destroyed left in the the way of a dishonors along with six smashed eggs…” Discord stopped as he could feel the mana in the council spike to dangerous levels.

Sentinel also felt the mana pressure build. He almost didn’t catch it as his rage had skyrocketed. With his magic he slid everyone non dragon to the edges of the chambers. He recognized who’s mana was building up. “Quartermaster STOP HE OF HOURGLASS!”

This snapped Quartermaster out of his own rage induce stupor. He looked about to see that His firstclaw sparks had begun extremely dark. It was clear from the posture that he was about to explode. With practiced ease he slammed his claw right in front of He of Hourglass only slightly startling the dragon. He of Hourglass slowly turned to face Quartermaster. The look of cold rage in his eyes.

“Oh no you don’t Firstclaw.” Quartermaster growled and backhanded the smaller dragon. The purple dragon tumbled hard into a throne. Quartermaster didn’t give the dragon a chance to recover before he grabbed him by the neck and roared right into his face. The roar lasted for well over a minute before Quartermaster slammed He of Hourglass roughly to the floor.

Quartermaster leaned to whisper into his Firstclaw ear. “I told you I would beat the rage out of you…” He eyed the him for a second before he helped him to his feet.

“Feeling better He of Hourglass?” Sentinel called out, still holding everyone to the walls.

A single nod from the purple and green dragon was all Sentinel needed to know that indeed the dragon had calmed down so Sentinel let go of everyone.

“Couldn’t a simple ‘calm down’ do?” Rarity snapped as she tried to calm herself down.

Sentinel stomped right up to her with fire in his eyes. “How’d you feel if you came home to Ponyville to find the entire town slaughtered every stallion, mare, and child? Bodies mutilated in pieces out on display for everypony and scavenger to see. Heads on spikes entrails used as ropes to hang torsos. You tell me if you how you feel to somepony who told you to ‘calm down or there there’” The entire mane six went green and a few like Rarity starting violently losing their stomachs.

“DON'T! “ Sentinel slammed Celestia mouth shut with his magic before she could utter a word. “EVEN. THINK. ABOUT. IT. Our little dark dragon wendigo tamer would have found that a merciful action on his part.”

At that even Celestia and Luna struggled not to retch themselves. They both had been action in war Luna more so than Celestia and they had never known even the griffons and minotaurs warrior races doing that to their most hated enemies.

“Art thou saying that the foul dragon that attacked Equestria did this as well!?” Luna questioned as soon as her stomach settled enough to talk.

“A dragon graveyard in a random location is not his calling card… too impersonal. No… No. Everything about him is personal.” Sentinel paced. “He want’s you to know it was him. Relishing in pain and suffering that he causes and all the more when one knows the sources of said pain and suffering. He could have easily ran away after the wendigo induced blizzard, but he didn’t.” Sentinel stopped for a second before resuming. “Didn’t he? No... he waited for my arrival. He of Laughter has been,what, two days?” Discord nodded. “No there can only be one that could have done it.”

“The Dark One.” Luna darkly answered.

“The one and only… There is an expression among the elite minotaur slingers never shoot a griffin unless your stone can ‘kill two birds with one stone...’”

“I’m familiar with the expression but what does that saying have to do with a ‘dragon graveyard?’” Celestia puzzled. Harmony and now Sentinel had the tendency to pace and either think out loud and it was sometimes difficult to figure out where he could be heading.

“Can’t say for sure… but you don’t just gather dragons, kill them, and then display them like they are dishonored for no reason. There is no way he is only killing them and leaving the bodies in the dishonored as an act of revenge. Leaving fifty seven bodies in a dishonor state in the same area?! He’s sending a message to every drake around I’d bet that message is if you don’t talk you die and I’m guessing he’s asking… well demanding more likely for information...”

“What kind of information do you think he could be looking for?” Celestia wondered, knowing that if Sentinel had surmised that ‘The Dark One’ was sending a message that he would have already made an assumption on what the message would be.

“He’s after information on the one being that that could stop him. The longer it takes to find this person the more powerful this person becomes…” Sentinel stopped and turned completely around to face Celestia. “I give you one damn guess who the ‘Nameless One’ is after.”

Everyone turned to face He of Hourglass.

Author's Note:

Longest chapter yet... I hope I got all o the mistakes