//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1: In the light of a candle 
// Story: The Reader 
// by GnollReader 
//------------------------------//

In the Canterlot library, a figure loomed over a table basked in the flickering light of a single candle. Sitting on a stool seemingly far too small for its bulking form, huge paws with sharp claws carefully turned the pages of a small book lying on a table.

"Th...the pony sss... the pony is eaaating an abbbll... mmm," the figure scratched its chin as it hunched closer over the book, engrossed in the seemingly endless words. "The pony is eating an... aaaappe..., aaep..." 

"Apple." a female voice stated from behind. 

The figure nodded "Mmmh, yes yes, APPLE! The pony is eating an apple!" the figure grinned at its success, showing a set of huge canine teeth. Suddenly realizing that it was not alone it jolted up and whirled around, eyes wide in shock and surprise.

There before it and almost a head smaller stood princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria and deity of the sun. Before Celestia stood something which looked akin to a diamond dog, but its hind legs were longer and straighter, the arms not as thick and the head more resembled a wolf than a dog. In addition its sheer size and almost straight posture dwarfed the hunched appearance of any diamond dog. Between the deep-black fur two red eyes stared at the princess, almost hidden beneath the dirty and ragged hood of its torn and tattered shirt. 

And so the two creatures stared at one another, one in shock and one in wonder. Celestia was the first to break the silence, "Your 'shirt' is on fire..." she flatly stated. 

The wolf, suddenly realizing that his shirt had gotten too close to the candle and indeed was on fire frantically started to pull it off. "Nononono..." he cursed as he ripped off his shirt and started beating it on the floor to extinguish the flames. And then it hit him. 

He stopped and turned his head to look at the princess again, who was now giving him with a very strange look. "Your back… what happened?"

"No..." it was almost a whisper and his instincts finally took control. With a strong flex of two powerful legs he made a wild dash for the nearest window, his speed shaking the books on the shelves as he passed. Just as he was about to reach the window though he suddenly stopped in mid-air and slowly started to drift back towards the princess, a faint white glow surrounding him and the alicorn's horn.

"NO!" he started to struggle wildly against his holds, but to no avail as he drifted closer towards the princess. "NO! LET IT GO! IT HAS DONE NOTHING WRONG! LET IT GO! LET IT..." his mouth was forced shut by the glow as he was now hovering before her. 

"I mean you no harm, gnoll." his eyes squinted in surprise, how did she know what he was? "I only wish to talk with you, after that I promise to let you go unhindered. Is that alright?" he looked at her with doubt, but what else could he do? He slowly nodded, maybe he could try to make another dash for the window. "And when I set you down, please do not immediately try to run again." this time his reaction was different, a threatening rumble escaped his throat as his hair stood on all ends. "Do not worry, I did not enter your mind and I will not do so... unless necessary. All I wish to do is to talk with you. But know this, I will know if you lie." he had somewhat relaxed but still looked at her with weary eyes.

The aura disappeared, and his shirt drifted toward him. He grabbed it out of the air and held it close, inspecting the damage of the fire. "You have been hurt..." he looked at her, "Both mentally judging by your reaction and physically judging by the scars on your back. Who did this to you?" He was quiet at this, and simply put his shirt back on, all the time keeping an eye on her. "Please tell me, I need to know what happened." 

"It learned..." he quietly stated as he started to pick up the books that had fallen on the ground during his attempted escape. "It first learned in cage, pony would make it work, if not work hard enough then work by whip or stick. Then it ran, and ran, until paws bleed..." he paused to look at his paws absent minded, there were scars on them. "Back then paws much smaller..." he placed another book in the shelf. 

"Then many pony hunt it, say it kill little pony... it did not, but ponies no care. It hungry and dumb, so it went in cage again..." his breath became a bit heavier. "Pony think it know where little pony, so they get magic pony... and magic pony... rip mind... many times many nights... then it ran again... pony hunt with fire... and burnt it." he looked at her, she seemed motionless but her eyes showed her inner turmoil.

He shook his head and continued, "But it learned, it learned much..." he turned to her again, "No trust pony, no trust magic..." his eyes drifted towards the window, "Sun come soon, it leaves." he started to walk towards the window. 

"Why did you come here?" 

He stopped and looked back at her, "First it watched from forest, then it smell books... and it remembered there be signs in them. No pony ever come here, and it is good at climbing, so it come. It hid in forest when sun there and came when sun gone. It learns to draw and speak pony signs." 

"Why?" 

"So it can be more than just it." 

There was a pause as the two once again looked at one another. He huffed once, "It go now." he turned towards the window.

"You may come again if it is your wish. I will make sure that no pony will be here at night. I would like for you to come again to learn and talk with me." he turned to her in surprise, "You will come again?" He didn't answer, he only looked at her in wonder for a few more seconds. Then, without a sound he vanished through the window and into the night.

Celestia stood alone for a moment as she lingered where he had disappeared. Could her own subjects be capable of such cruelty? There had been only truth in the gnoll's words, but that only meant he believed it to be true. She remembered a time when creatures such as him still had been a common sight, and before she set off herself to raise the sun and to see her sister she whispered to herself, "I hope..."