A Bridge Between Brothers

by Rammy

To Speak

ബഐബഐബഐ H.K. ബഐബഐബഐ

I looked around a bit confused. I suddenly had found myself standing in the middle of a forest, a forest that wasn't the Everfree, at night. Not someplace that I had expected to be... unless both dragons and ponies were off on what the afterlife was like. Which I highly doubt, so that meant I was pulled from the Astral Plane, and even in my weakened state only someone very powerful could have done so.

I puffed out a sigh. There wasn't much for me to do about it but to walk along a prey trail that went through the underbrush nearby. I could fly above the forest but that would expose me and until I knew more of what going on I wanted to avoid that. I just hope that whomever did this was benevolent. While I was capable of defending myself in most cases I was literally moments from death when I last saw Twilight, and if this was a mental plane I would be vulnerable at that moment. There was a lot I knew that in the wrong hands or hooves could spell the end of the world.

As I walked though the forest I began worry I could not hear nor see any sign of a single animal. This would only happen if something had scared or killed everything. My unease and concern only increased the further I walked. The silence was just way overbearing and it seemed like it would go on forever. I sighed in mild relief when I finally could make out what looked to be a clearing in the trees ahead. As I got closer I slowed down. This was mostly likely a trap. One that I really had no choice but to trigger, but I was not going to be caught unaware.

As I approached the meadow I examined it within the treeline for a few minutes but could not see anyone or anything so I stepped out. With me no longer under the thick canopy I could finally get a good look at the sky, or what little I could given that the only thing visible outside of the roiling thunderclouds was the constellation most commonly know as Draco. That helped me a bit on whom could have down this... I was either dealing with a dragon or one that identified with dragons in some way. It also meant I was most likely dealing with a dark magic user. Damn it.

I tensed, readying myself for anything, as the stars of Draco began to shift around then fall towards the meadow. It appeared that whomever had brought me here was about to make his or her appearance. As I has expected the stars plummeted to the ground on the other side of the meadow in a brilliant flash of light.

I blinked to clear my eyes to find that a male spark dragon was standing in place of the stars. A spark dragon I knew very well even though the glowstones had always masked his coloration. When his spade tail with its tip missing flinched into my sight it only confirmed it. My anger burned as I readied myself to fight. I don't what game was being pulled but I was not going to let whoever was doing this to dishonor my father in such a way.

However, my anger evaporated as soon as the dragon opened his mouth and spoke. "Sveiüi, tēls."(Hello, son)

I was stunned. No one could ever speak anything but the truth using Draconic, and only two beings could ever call me that using Draconic. I hesitated a second more before I rushed up to my father and began to nuzzle his foreleg, crying. It had been so long since I last saw him dying to shield Mother from their exploding mountain hoard. Life became really hard after that and as I tried and failed over and over to hatch my brother's egg it only got worse. I had lost all hope when the Oaths were originally agreed upon.

But then, it happened, my brothers egg had managed to be hatched. For the first time in a long time I felt like maybe I could have a normal life once again. That there was a light the end of a long tunnel. But, then... I should have paid better attention! If only I had...

I nearly choked up when I felt my father's head reach down and nuzzle the top of my head. "Father, it's been so hard without you and Mother I..."

"It's okay son, but, I am not your father... not exactly..."

I raised an eyebrow as I looked up. Father was not one to be this enigmatic. Actually, if memory serves he was never one for word puzzles or riddles. The only time he ever came close was because if he was trying to explain something obscure about dragons.

"I don't..."

I HAVE MANY NAMES AND TITLES YOUNG HARMONIOUS KNIGHT...

I shrunk back in terror. Never had I ever felt so much power and been in so much fear just from hearing someone speak. My father's voice had suddenly become like millions of voices speaking as one and yet I could hear every single one of them!

BUT THE ONE YOU MAY KNOW IS THE VOICE.

I breathed hard as I tried to collect myself once he was done speaking. I was in the presence of the equivalent of the dragon god The Voice! I was so not worthy of that!

"Relax." My 'father' once again spoke.

Relax?! How can I relax I was ? I'm not sure how much those stories of The Voice's might were truthful or not but after just a display of his power through his voice alone... Things only got worse as the the forest around us suddenly erupted into a towering inferno. While dragons were fire prove I was not but when I attempted to cast a fire proofing spell my magic was painfully short circuited by a claw on my horn.

"No, don't."

I gulped in fear but listened. Though I immediately questioned listening when a roar of a dragon echoed out. A feral roar filled with rage. It was as if it was coming from everywhere all at once. It means that flames could very well be dragon generated which was far worse then just regular flame and I was told to not do anything. I just hope this dragon could be calmed down without a fight, otherwise...

"Do you see him?" The Voice calmly questioned.

I squinted as I tried to pierce through veil of flames to see whomever The Voice wanted me to see. My jaw dropped when the flames shifted just enough to see a dragon within the flames. The dragon was white with round rainbow head spines and a purple and green trident tail weapon. This dragon looked just like a dragon version of me. I didn't know if I should be annoyed or flattered.

Why is he so ticked off? I idly wondered. As far as I could tell we were not in any dragon's territory. It was one of the first things I checked when I first suddenly found myself wherever this place is. The dragon strangely remained inside the flames, pacing and staring at me with hatred. Why? It was clear that he wanted to attack but it almost seemed like he couldn't walk past the wall of flames. How? The flames shouldn't stop him from coming after us. It was like he was trapped or something. Was The Voice protecting me and why was this dragon so mad at me of all dragons? As far as I knew I had done nothing wrong to him.

"From the moment he was born thousands of years ago he has been imprisoned in those flames, unable to escape." The Voice explained, answering one of my silent questions.

"What!?" I shouted, snapping my eyes up to The Voice who was merely stared off toward the still roaring dragon. "Who would do such a thing!?"

Without missing a beat The Voice looked down at me and answered with one word. "You."

"But that's imposs..."

"Tu, Harmonious Knight, ieslotzīti vithu." (You, Harmonious Knight, imprisoned him.)

I nearly collapsed in shock once The Voice reinforced what he said with Draconic. I couldn't deny it now. I had imprisoned a clearly innocent dragon for thousands of years! There was only one thing I could to absolved myself of my crime. I walked up as close as I could to the flames and laid down on my stomach splaying out my legs and making myself as flat as possible. I took a single long breath and waited. I just hoped this dragon would make it fast.

As soon as I had laid down I could hear the sounds of something, most likely the dragon, rushing towards me. I resisted the urge to cringe or shake in fear as a dragon roared right into my ear. I knew that excruciating pain would be next as the dragon had free reign to slash, bash, and tear me apart. What came next surprised me. Something, most likely the dragon, was nudging me, almost as to beckon me to rise. But I would not rise. To imprison a being like him, even accidentally, for no reason... Garble imprisonment was punishment this, this was just wrong...

"Only a dishonorable beast" Spike sneered in pure hate at me poking me the chest. "Would strip somedragon their name and torture them over something so minute!" Spike was right, I am just a beast...

A growl of annoyance came from whomever was trying to get me to rise. It made no sense to me as to why would he so quickly forgive me. I had imprisoned him since birth he was well within his rights to tear me apart while remained as limp as I could.

"Why don't you rise?" The Voice questioned me. His voice seemed so close that I he must have managed to approach without me knowing. Although to be fair, I was focusing very hard on keeping myself perfectly still.

I remained silent. Only a dishonorable beast... Spike's voice echoed in my mind once again. I almost didn't react when I felt the tail of the dragon worked his way around my barrel. I did, however, let him raise me up back onto my hooves.

"Open you eyes and see the truth."

I opened my eyes to see the dragon with the same green and purple eyes that I had staring right into me. That alone surprised me but what really got me was that the eyes that had before been filled with murderous rage were filled with joy. The dragon stared at me for a moment longer before blinking. With a huff and a light shake of his head he turned around and bounded off towards the forest, leaving me very confused. The actions of the dragon was a bit odd... but then, considering the length of his imprisonment... and the way too close for comfort parallels between us... I wonder...

"He only wanted to be free. That's all he ever wanted from you." The Voice noted as the white dragon faded from view.

I looked up at The Voice. Something about this screamed of a test. "Was this some sort of final test? That I had to prove myself a dragon... before you would escort me to the dragon afterlife?"

The Voice blinked at me for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Now why would I do that? You are my son, Harmonious Knight, you have already proven yourself worthy long ago when you managed to complete the Rite of Guardianship. Besides, you are not neither dead nor dying."

The only word that I could manage to think of was how? How am I not dead or dying? I suppose it could have been The Voice given how powerful he is, at least, according to Dragon Lore... Then there was that vision from the Spirits of the Stampeding Peoples... It bears repeating though, why can't anyone just let me die? I made sure that Twilight ascended giving the ponies a much higher chance to survive. What more could I have done, dying as I was? This was annoyingly confusing.

"Before you ask it was not I that saved you from death... it was your brother."

"How!?" I spurted out, even more confused then before. Spike had not Chosen he can not actively access his magic outside of his messaging fire!

"The gem necklace..." The Voice sighed out. "It's actually the only reason that you and I can speak..."

I gaped as The Voice said that. I knew the gem had powerful spells in it, but what??! I thought it couldn't it stop me from dying from the ash illness as that gem was one of the first things I had tried! If that wasn't enough, it also summoned The Voice as well!?

"I have a task for you Harmonious Knight..." The Voice seemed even sadder as he continued to speak. "And I must ask for forgiveness as well..."

The Voice... asking me for forgiveness?! What the fuck is going on?