The Ponyville library reminded Mute of the central spire in the Hive. This was not due to its size, the spire was far greater, nor was it due to its color since the spire was black. No, the thing that reminded Mute of the spire was the many ponies that visited the library to obtain knowledge. He had seen many praetorians and archivists enter the central spire several times a day. They had gone there to take part in its great collection of scrolls. Many more had gone to visit the hall of echoes and pray. A privileged few had gone to see Arachia’s needle.

Though unlike the central spire all were welcomed in the library. And unlike the central spire, the Ponyville library seemed much more welcoming and warm. The library used no artificial lights to create this effect, it glowed beautifully under Celestia's sun. Mute was quite certain she would have loved to have seen the central spire under sunlight. She would have loved it even more if it had welcomed all who wished to seek knowledge.

“Focus, Mute! We can’t stand around all day. We have to go and bribe the princess’ pupil before she tells the town about my military blunders!”

The changeling would shake off the old memories with a laugh and walk through the propped-up front door. A few ponies inside clung a bit closer to the bookshelves as he entered but he simply gave them a bow of his head. That seemed to somewhat calm them and they carried on with their book searching.

“We seek the one called Twilight Sparkle! I wish to administer bribes!” Zarathon yelled.

The ponies present gave them more weird looks and Mute couldn’t help but snort in amusement. Quiran honesty would always be funny to him.

“Just give me five minutes!” came a call from the upper floors of the library.

Zarathon blistered. “She intends to make us wait? We’re hardly at a high-class dinner.”

Mute shrugged and eyed his surroundings. The library had been built inside the trunk of a large tree and as such had rounded walls. The bookshelves were placed against this wall and therefore Mute was surrounded by books on all sides. He read the back of a few books and realized the library had everything from children’s tales to basic lessons on magic. Though it seemed the library had a few new additions as well. Mute spotted quite a few books on history that all seemed focused on the same age of Equestria's history. ‘Sombra, a history of evil’, ‘The great kingdom of stone’, ‘The history of slavery in Equestria and beyond’, and ‘Fire-king Zarathon the Evil’ were just a few of the titles he read. Zarathon seemed to do the same and scoffed at the titles he saw.

“Fire-king? Call me Lord of Cinder if you have to translate it you buffoons…” the pebble muttered.

While Mute empathized with Zarathon’s annoyance he would admit that ‘zaivuria’ was not an easy word to pronounce. If Mute had been able to speak he was pretty sure he'd be unable to pronounce it correctly. Quiza was not an easy language to read, much less speak. He could still vividly remember Zarathon's lessons. 'There is always emphasis on the second syllable, Mute!' 'That is not how you write daizika, Mute!' The changeling felt exhausted just remembering it.

Eventually, their waiting ended and Twilight Sparkle descended the stairs. The purple unicorn held a stack of papers and a quill with a magical grip and she held such a gleeful smile that Mute felt a bit worried. The energy that radiated off the unicorn was the same that he got from Zarathon whenever the pebble saw large weaponry.

“We can go down to the basement! I have sooooo many questions!” Twilight said with a grin.

"Not even a hello or introduction? Should we share no pleasantries, scholar to scholar?" Zarathon asked.

Twilight stopped mid-step and gave them a sheepish smile as realization hit her. "Of course, I'm sorry I got a little bit too excited. We've met before but that was hardly a proper introduction. I am Twilight Sparkle, I'm a student of Princess Celestia and librarian of Golden Oak library."

Mute bowed his head at the pony in return.

The pebble behind Mute's horn mimicked the changeling's movements with his flame. "I am Zarathon of House Holtam, I am a lord of cinder and shade hunter under Celestia's employ. With me I have Mute, my fellow lord of cinder and shade hunter. Now we are acquainted and as such we must partake in hearsay and tales! I must know everything!"

Twilight laughed at Zarathon's words. "Well, I wouldn't say I have many tales or hearsay to share."

Zarathon let out a snort. "Nonsense! A student of the sun goddess with no tales? That is unthinkable."

"Sun goddess? Princess Celestia is no goddess," Twilight said.

"How many other creatures have you seen that can move celestial objects in the sky?" Zarathon deadpanned.

"Point taken, but the princess has said on many occasions she is not a goddess. Oh! I could give you a book on the subject! Celestia helped write it herself! It tells about her childhood and what she thinks about gods!" Twilight said and rushed over to one of the bookshelves.

Mute eyed the pony with a small amused smirk. This book was gonna be trite, wasn't it?

As Twilight returned she held a thin booklet that bore Celestia's golden sun on the cover. The title read: 'On the question of divinity'. Mute eyed it with some curiosity and he felt Zarathon have a similar inclination to the booklet. Perhaps it would be an interesting book? Even though it was written by the rather foolish sun goddess.

"Princess Celestia talks a lot about how she and Princess Luna grew up as ordinary ponies and it was only through great deeds they became as powerful as they are. She even discusses other beings that have claimed to be gods and disproves those claims! Now when I think about it you might be mentioned in here somewhere..." Twilight mumbled and flipped through the pages of the book. "Here it is! 'Though the fire-king of the west was formidable he was never divine as he had made his people think. Through subterfuge and lies, he made them believe him a god, and as such, he became one in the eyes of his people. But he was defeated by the elements of harmony all the same.' That is what it says."

Zarathon let out a gasp at her words. "A god!? A liar!? I may have been arrogant once or twice in my lifetime—"

Mute failed to hold back a laugh at that.

"—but I never claimed myself a god! Nor did I ever tell my people I was one! That is all hogwash! The fire I wield holy, I am not! This piece of divinity I hold has been passed down through my family for generations! We are guardians, not gods! To even claim I would lie about such a thing is such an insult... I... I am just very disappointed!"

Twilight blinked for a second before she came to again. "You're saying Princess Celestia was wrong?"

"Yes! What is written in that book is not true in any regard! And I would even go so far as to say she lied to you about her connections to divinity! She is as close to divinity as we get on this rock! And she used that power to enable a liar and traitor for the sake of her power and prestige!"

The ponies in the library gasped at his words and Mute slowly removed the pebble from his horn and placed him on a nearby table. The changeling took a step to the side so the Zarathon and Twilight could speak face to rock. Mute wanted no part in the verbal fight.

Twilight looked confused and walked up to Zarathon. "What are you talking about? She would never do something so horrible!"

The pebble laughed. "You are young and easily impressionable like your for-bearers. Your population desires peace and stability. Most of all they desire strong leaders, leaders that they can look up to. If they don't have leaders with greatness and prestige then your people fall apart due to infighting. Celestia knows this and as such, she knows that she must do everything in her power to make herself look good. Always being the hero against an evil world is one such way."

"She is not like that! I have known her since I was a filly and she is kind and wise! She would never hurt anyone! You don't know her!" Twilight said with a glare.

"Neither do you."

There was an awkward silence in the library and the other ponies slowly crept away. Mute watched the tense stand-off between Zarathon and Twilight and he pulled out his notebook. He wrote down a few words and then held the paper between them. 'Let us return to pleasantries and Miss Sparkle's many questions. We can avoid sore subjects for all parties, no?'

Zarathon sighed. "My compatriot is right. I am making a fool of myself before the commoners. I apologize for my harsh words, Miss Sparkle. The princesses and I have never seen eye-to-eye. Our cultures and beliefs were always different, especially so when we became neighbors. But I should be above such petty anger. I will tell you why I see that book as factually incorrect and many other such things without shouting."

Twilight eyed the pebble wearily before she gave a tense nod. "I'm sorry I shouted as well... It's just... Please don't insult the princess."

"I won't."

"Good. Would you mind joining me in the basement? I do have a lot of questions I want to ask you."

“What about your clients, Miss Sparkle?” Zarathon inquired with a lot of amusement.

Twilight looked around at the empty library and cringed. "It seems we scared them off... But we might get more..." She would turn her head to the stairs, "Spike! can you watch the library for a few minutes?”

Spike hurried down the stairs. “I got it!”

The unicorn smiled before she hurriedly ran to a door at the back of the room. She opened it and ran down to a basement below “Come! Come! Oh, I am so excited!”

Zarathon chuckled. “I believe I will quite like befriending this one!”

Mute couldn’t help but agree and he followed Twilight into the basement. Once down in the underground room he noticed the amount of scientific equipment and books Twilight stored in the basement. He saw machines that measured all sorts of magical and non-magical values, vials and beakers for chemistry, and a few charms meant for good luck. Mute was so taken aback by the equipment he hardly noticed Twilight preparing a table for them. The unicorn seated herself opposite Mute and pointed to a chair in front of him. He sat down and placed Zarathon on the table.

“Alright, so I have many questions for you two! Just let me get the list ready…” Twilight said and picked up her stack of papers.

Though Mute quickly realized that it wasn’t a stack of paper as it began to unfold and it hit the floor. The list unfolded underneath the table, pushed back Mute’s chair, and continued to a corner of the room. Mute wondered if the paper was sentient as it tried to continue unfolding against one of the walls.

Zarathon scoffed at the long list. “My friend and I came here today to offer you our bond of friendship, not to answer every question you have on that list. We would also like to request that you stop telling the town about my past.”

Twilight smiled at that. “Oh, this is great! Not only can I tell Princess Celestia I've befriended you, but you can also tell me so much about the past! Why would you want me to stop talking about it? The age you lived in is one of the most mysterious periods in Equestrian history!”

“Mysterious seems correct… I read the titles of the books you keep on the subject and I can only assume you have been telling outright lies.”

Twilight dropped her quill in shock. “Lies!? Those books were written by some of the best historians Canterlot has!”

“That doesn’t mean that they’re not lies. The Great Kingdom of Stone? Your historians understand nothing of Quirani culture and history. My ancestors were accomplished stonemasons, that much is true, but they used mostly wood for construction after they spread out from the mountains. Only a few castles and military installations were made entirely of stone. Our kingdom should be known for fire, not stone.”

Mute just leaned back and eyed the brewing storm between the pebble and the unicorn. This would be fun. Hopefully…

“They called it the kingdom of Stone because the Quirans had skins made from stone!” the unicorn huffed. “And that is one of my questions! Did your ancestors really have stone skin?”

“To answer your question: Yes. Now I have to say they might as well call it the ‘kingdom of copper horns’ if they—”

Twilight gasped. “Your people had horns made from copper?”

Zarathon grumbled in annoyance at the interruption. “Yes. We used to decorate them with strips of cloth and gems and a few carved patterns into them. I carved the flames of the First-Fire on my horns in my youth together with a few unseemly symbols concerning war and lies to spite my father. I regretted that quite a lot as zaivuira. I covered my horns with a cloth when in presence of the traveling court.”

Mute couldn’t help but laugh at the idea of Zarathon as a young quiran carving obscene markings onto his horns just to make his father angry. Though he quickly shut up as Twilight glared at him. It seemed it would be dangerous to interrupt the interview.

Twilight returned her focus to Zarathon and her eyes shimmered with glee at all the information he gave her. She pulled a notebook from a desk and wrote down his words. “What is the First-Fire? Why were those symbols seen as unseemly? And if you had horns that means you were quiran once, why are you a pebble? What does zaivuira mean? Why did your court travel?”

Zarathon chuckled at her enthusiasm. “Many questions… But I will answer a few. To explain the First-Fire would take some time, but see it as the predecessor of the power Mute and I share. As for my title? Zaivuira would roughly translate to ‘ruler of the holy remains’ but I have always translated it as Lord of Cinder. I could not call myself king since there was only one king on the continent: King Guto of the griffons. When the griffons were mighty and they held land in the east one listened to their proclamations. And if King Guto said he was the only king on the continent then you listened.”

Twilight nodded with an attentive look and continued to write down what Zarathon said. “I never knew the griffons held that much power back in the day... Yet your race was mighty too, weren't they? Why submit to another king by only calling yourself a lord?"

"Submit? Guto never ruled over my people. No, my people were masters of the arcane and statecraft. Efficiency for the sake of the crown was desired above all else. But while we mastered magic and how to run a government Guto's people mastered war... It was glorious miss Sparkle. Have you ever seen a hundred thousand griffons marching to war? Their home across the sea allowed them to become martial, unlike all others before them. Imagine a peninsula protected from the north and the south where the people of that peninsula could fight for hundreds of years. I can not imagine a better environment to forge a kingdom more efficient than all others in matters of war. This strength gave them the ability to unify all of their people under one banner. And with all of their people united they conquered all in their path.

"You see all the east was once controlled by Guto and even dragons coveted his lands and respected his strength. That is why there was only one King. The king of the East. If I had proclaimed myself the king of the West that would have been very foolish. Guto would not have understood the meaning of zaivuira seeing as my people always perplexed the griffons, but he would have understood if I called myself a king. Of course, it did not help in the long run. War was destined to happen between our people from the moment the griffons landed on the eastern shores. It was a war my people won thanks to our magic, but it was crippling. I would even say our war with Guto is what brought me to this moment. Things would never have happened as they did if not for the war..."

Mute eyed Zarathon with the same interest as Twilight as he told the tale of the griffons. Mute knew Zarathon had seen many important events, but it began to dawn on the changeling just how much power Zarathon had once wielded. The pebble had clashed with titans and sent ripples through the world. Twilight seemed just as transfixed and she wrote down Zarathon's account. Though Mute detected quite a lot of discomfort as Zarathon described the martial and war-like nature of the griffons.

Ponies did love their peace.

"I know some things about the griffons, but to have a firsthand account... I must take you to the Canterlot Museum of History and introduce you to the historians there. Princess Celestia is always elusive with that period of our history for some reason, but you could tell them so much!" the unicorn mare said excitedly.

Zarathon hummed. "Perhaps. It would annoy the sun goddess... I promise to tell these historians of yours a clear recollection of those years."

Twilight let out a giddy laugh and snort and got up to dance in happiness. Mute eyed the display with a quirked brow while Zarathon laughed.

Twilight stopped and calmed herself with a deep breath. She gave them a sheepish smile and sat down once more. "Let us return to my original questions. Why are these holy remains so important? Is it because of the shades?”

“You are indeed correct. It is with the remains of the First-Fire that Mute and I can kill shades and purge them from the ponies they possess. And before you ask just know that shades are evil parasites spawned from the Darkness. These creatures have been a threat to my people for generations and they must not be taken lightly. They reproduce and feed by possessing sapient races and they hate all life that is not subservient to them. And no, do not ask me how they reproduce. Just know there are two ways and both are horrifying.”

Twilight swallowed thickly. “And— And if we get back to the symbols and your court? And your current predicament of course!”

Zarathon’s flames flowed from side to side before he spoke. “I won’t go too far into detail on what symbols I used—I would rather not teach you profane imagery and insult the Ember—nor why my current form is the way it is. I will tell you that quirans value honesty and truth. Truth is holy to us. Lies poison the light and warmth of the Ember and it gives the Darkness strength. Omissions and half-truths are what we used when doing politics. To outright lie was always taboo. Or at least it was before our people became so enamored with the other races. A pony could lie and her village would be fine. A quiran could lie and open himself up for corruption. Sin manifested itself physically among our ancestors as a black fire that oppressed them for generations. That black fire only came to be thanks to lies and greed. To keep away such Darkness one must speak the truth."

Twilight wrote down his words and then placed a hoof on her chin. "But you said this changed, right? Your people began to lie more?"

"It became more accepted over time. Normalized. Many quirans saw that lying posed no danger to other races, and as such, they thought themselves safe. But shades would always find liars more easily possessed than honest quirans," Zarathon said.

Mute took out his notebook and wrote down a question within: 'Tell her about the possessions.'

Twilight beamed at the changeling. "Yes! I want to know more about the shades and possessions!"

Zarathon let out a small chuckle. "Well... Shades possess one of the sapient races by attaching themselves to a limb—they do this using their teeth—and then turn into smoke. This smoke will enter through the mouth, nose, or ears and will attack the brain and soul. This is where most creatures are immediately possessed as they lose quickly to a shade. But a few with strong minds and honest souls can fight against this possession. If they are powerful enough they can outright throw the shade out of their mind. But should you fail to fight the shade it will take control of your body and it will lock you away within your mind. It's a harrowing experience."

Twilight eyed Zarathon with wide focused eyes as he spoke but she wiggled in discomfort as he described the possession. "And how do you free them from possession?"

"By burning the shade with the holy fire. There is no other way. Once I could do so with a touch of my hand but now I rely on Mute and wards to do it. Once Mute's training is complete he will be able to free possessed ponies with a touch as I once did."

Twilight looked to Mute with curiosity. "You're not done with your training? But I've seen you defeat a ginormous shade!"

Mute shrugged and drew a ward into his notebook. He placed his hoof onto it and closed his eyes. He pulled on his connection to the Ember and tried to focus arcane energy into the ward. Yet nothing happened. He opened his eyes and shook his head.

Zarathon sighed. "Mute cannot use the Ember's magic without me. I theorize it is due to the state of his horn and because he has only been connected to the Ember for a short time."

Mute rolled his eyes at that. Three years was not a short time.

"Do not roll your eyes at me, young one. I needed a decade before I properly harnessed its power. You have made significant progress in a third of that time. Be proud of how far you've come, but do not mistake progress for mastery."

Twilight looked at Mute's horn with sympathy. "You've tried to heal his horn, right?"

"Every morning for three years have we drawn up wards meant to heal severe wounds. Every time it fails. But we cannot afford to give up," Zarathon said. "We've also visited pony doctors and other changelings. None knew what to do."

"Well, the princesses might—"

"No!" Zarathon said. "No, we are not talking to them about this."

Mute nodded in agreement. It would be daring and bold to ask the princesses to heal him, and it would give them leverage. If they could hold a cure for his injuries over his head then Mute was certain he'd end up as their servant. They would wedge their cure between him and Zarathon to deprive Zarathon of any allies. Mute would not allow that to happen. He was not an oathbreaker.

Twilight sighed at their stubbornness but she nodded. "Fine, you don't need to ask them now. But I want you two to think about it. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are both very kind. You and Mute have helped Ponyville with the shades for a few weeks now, they would most likely reward you for that."

'We've chosen another reward,' Mute wrote into his notebook.

"Like what?" Twilight asked and tilted her head at Mute.

Zarathon chuckled. "A noble title for Mute; a place at Celestia's court where he may observe and learn necessary skills. I can not teach him politics with books and conversations, he must see it for himself."

"Why would you want to get involved with all of that? All the politics and scheming the court do is just so barbaric and gross," Twilight said and shuddered.

'I must know how to rule if I am to be a lord of Cinder,' Mute wrote.

"Furthermore, there are many things I do not know of your modern institutions. With Mute granted a title I may learn new ideas for the sake of creating an effective shade-killing bureaucracy."

Twilight gave them both a skeptical look. "And it is not just because you want power?"

"My duty has always been first and foremost to eradicate shades. If I must have my friend attain a powerful position to do so then so be it," Zarathon mused. "Not that I complain about the power and responsibilities. I have been removed from the machinations of state for far too long."

"I don't think Princess Celestia wants you anywhere near the court, Zarathon..." Twilight deadpanned. "Considering your past deeds and reputation you are not a good leader."

The pebble gasped and his fire flared in shook. "Not a good leader!? Silence your blasphemous words! I had an incredibly successful kingdom. My actions were for the good of all, even if ponies can't understand it."

"Slavery was for the good of all?" Twilight asked with a glare.

"It was. My indentured servitude was not Sombra's ineffective and cruel torture, but a way for the poor to help the kingdom. The poor could sign away their will for a few hours a day and help build critical infrastructure and manage farms. In exchange, they were given food and housing. It was a far better system than the griffons who simply let their poor waste away or the ponies who coddled their poor and refused to push them onto the right track. A few of servants could educate themselves in exchange for their labor," Zarathon explained.

"Then why was it necessary to remove their free will if this program was so good?" Twilight asked and took more notes.

Zarathon let out a deep sigh. "To work on public works often meant repairs to the fortifications around the Blackpit or general work in the Everfree and surrounding area. It was a dangerous job where workers could become possessed. As long as the collar was active the worker would be resistant to shades, but it also meant they would not abandon their job should shades come, which they often did. They would do exactly as ordered and as efficiently as their bodies allow. But many did fall prey to shade attacks."

'Sometimes what one race sees as evil another sees as good. My people are strict when it comes to castes and positions within society. One can not move between castes or choose a path outside of the castes. It is a rigid but stable system. Ponies would choke under the pressure of such social weights,' Mute wrote with a scoff.

"Anyone would be crushed by a system like that," Twilight replied. "And Zarathon, you said the workers were safe with the collars?"

"Not safe, more resistant. It was less likely they would become possessed but it was still possible. And once a shade had a hold of a sapient's mind then the collar became useless. You could not control a possessed worker."

Twilight added it to her notes and put down her quill. "There's so much I want to know about the quirans. How they thought, how they reasoned, and how they viewed themselves and others. The same goes for changelings. But I don't think we'll have time to go over it all in one afternoon."

Zarathon hummed. "Let us make a deal, Twilight Sparkle. I shall return with Mute every few days and regale you tales from my people's ancient past. I will tell you why we do certain things and how those practices came to be. I shall also tell you about the Ember, how it feels to wield its power and what it is. In return, you shall accept our bonds of friendship, stop telling the town about the false me from your books, and help us with befriending the other element bearers. Miss Fluttershy was easily swayed by removing our surveillance pigeons—"

Twilight blinked. "Your what?"

"—And Miss Pie has shown great understanding for Mute. The others, however... They will need convincing and I am afraid they dislike me. And Mute can only write so fast."

'I will not be able to argue with them using paper," Mute wrote down with a small smile.

"So that is where you come in! You help us befriend them and I will tell you my people's history," Zarathon said. "In fact... Ready your quill and notes, I shall tell you the tale of the First-Fire and the birth of my people!"

Twilight gasped and hurriedly prepared her notes as Zarathon began to speak. The unicorn sat attentively and leaned in close to listen as Zarathon spoke of the first quirans and their history with the fire and black lake. Once the story was over Twilight looked at them with a wide grin.

"What happened after that?" Twilight asked and held up her notes, ready to write down more details.

"That we will save for another time, young unicorn. "Mute and I must rest before the hunt tonight."

"Ah, well another time then. And I accept your offer! I will happily help you befriend the girls if it means you tell me more stories," Twilight grinned. "Though... What about Mute? Could he also tell me some stories?"

Zarathon's fire shook from side to side. "No. The fact he told you about the castes is quite generous. He is sworn not to say too much about his kind."

'I can tell you a few things, but most of it must be kept secret for the safety of my people," Mute wrote and put away his notebook.

Twilight nodded at that and she led them up from the basement to the front door. "I understand. I'll be glad for anything you can share with me."

Mute bowed his head to the pony as a farewell and he left the library with Zarathon behind his horn.

"That went surprisingly well, wouldn't you say?" Zarathon hummed.

Mute nodded. For once things seemed to go well for the two of them. In fact that made him worry about the coming hunt. Hopefully, their good luck would continue during the night.

I hope you enjoyed it! This one is a bit lighter to balance out the flashback chapter preceding it.