Deep down in the dark archives of the council, Spike was still searching the protocols and records of uncounted past centuries for any information. On all records predating the first record he had found, Sirrush's name was present as well... and always standing next to it was Nithhogr's. No matter how much he searched though, he only always found their names. At some point, the writing became so faded that nothing could be deciphered from the crumbling pages anymore.
"Damn it! None of this makes any sense!" Spike put aside another record with a sigh and let his gaze travel over the countless records spread out in front of him, "Who were you, Sirrush?"
"Sirrush, the Wingless..." a hollow voice spoke up behind him, making Spike whirl around in surprise as the purveyor silently stepped forth from the dark shadows and into the poorly-lit archives, "I have not heard that name for a long time..."
The purveyor stepped up next to Spike and observed the records Spike had been going through, "It seems you are finally asking the correct questions."
Spike carefully etched back from his shadowy form a bit, the purveyor's mere presence enough to make him shiver in the silent archives, "You? Where's Twilight?"
"Upstairs, attending to the necessary protocols and documents required for her new position." the purveyor quietly picked up one of the parchments and inspected it, "She has accepted my offer and will become my mediator."
"Your what?" Spike asked with a baffled expression.
"She will explain it to you once she is done, I am sure..." he placed the parchment on the table again, "Right now, I am certain that there are more pressing questions on your mind."
Spike gave the pieces of parchment a short, tentative glance before turning back to the purveyor, "You knew of these records, didn't you?"
"I did..." his reply was impassive.
"How come I never found this name in any of the books in Canterlot?" Spike asked carefully.
"The story of Sirrush far predates Equestrian history... it even predates the birth of Celestia and Luna." the purveyor spoke, "Neither the alicorn sisters, nor any other race remembers him."
"But his name his written right here!" Spike protested, "How wouldn't they know?"
"Because the dead are of no concern to those that rule here. If the memories of the past hold no power... they remain forgotten. Even the so-ancient dragons have forgotten his name..."
"Wait..." Spike paused, "You said that Nithhogr was here, surely he could tell me?"
"You are right." the purveyor replied, "But you should be wary of approaching him without knowing the full story. Nithhogr has done much to make sure that Sirrush was forgotten... and he would do anything to make sure it stays lost from the memories of his race."
Spike gulped, "Why?"
"A long time ago, after the old gods of the dragons had passed from existence, the dragons were torn apart by a struggle for power unlike any they had witnessed before. For without their gods to unify and guide them, their society started to fall to pieces in a matter of years..."
The purveyor trailed a hand over the countless scrolls, letting the memories of those years pass before his inner eye... it had been an interesting era to watch, and the countless deaths of young dragons had certainly done their part to add to the energy he had been collecting for all these years.
"During this what may well be called a civil war, two notable things occurred; One was the founding of what would later become the capitol of the growing alicorn nation and the other, was the appearance of two figures... Nithhogr, flame of the East, and Sirrush, the Wingless."
Spike's eyes widened, "Flame of the... they were dragons!"
"They were." the purveyor replied, feeling slightly irritated at being interrupted.
Zaeres held up one of his hands with the palm facing upwards and as Spike watched in wonder, shadows started to collect above it, taking the form of a winged dragon. "Even though young, Nithhogr had already made a name for himself as a ferocious and cunning fighter... someone that the youths of the breaking dragon empire would gladly follow. However..." the image fell apart again, "The elder dragons would not... for they feared that he was still too inexperienced."
The shadows above his hand started to realign themselves to form a new image, this time showing a wingless dragon. "Sirrush on the other hand, was quite a different story..." the purveyor paused for a moment, "He was born without wings."
"Just like me..." Spike whispered.
The purveyor gave a short nod, "To be born as a dragon without wings in such times... but in spite of his lacking physique, Sirrush had a gift that no other dragon had carried before..." he turned his gaze towards Spike, "His fire was filled with magic."
Spike gave him a curious look, "So... he could send letters too?"
A small frown passed over Zaeres' face, "No... It seems you have yet to grasp the meaning of your own capabilities and the potential behind them." he shook his head with a sigh, "Sirrush's flame contained pure magic, a feat thought impossible for a species that is naturally born highly resistant to it. Sirrush was the first dragon actually capable of real magic."
"Real magic? You mean he could do spells like a unicorn?"
"Magic fire is much more intricate than that..." the purveyor watched the dragon's face sag, "Sirrush, unable to fly spent his life hidden away in the dark... engrossed in his studies and mastering the secrets of his fire. When he finally stepped out into the world, his magic flame allowed him to stand on par with any dragon... and his wise and patient appearance especially impressed the elder dragons."
"Alone by themselves, both were already capable. But together..." the shadows fell apart, the image faded away and the purveyor curled his hand into a fist, "They became more powerful than any of them had anticipated. In ten years, Nithhogr and Sirrush unified the shattered dragon empire, either by forming pacts and making amends... or by sheer force and betrayal where necessary. Five years after the last clan had finally subjugated itself, Nithhogr and Sirrush had become the leaders of a new empire."
"Okay... so now I know who Sirrush was." Spike scratched his head, "But how do I fit in this? What happened next?"
"Shortly after the unification of the dragon empire, Sirrush, becoming more and more aware of the growing power of the alicorns brought into life what would later become known as the first council." the purveyor sighed, "The alicorns were an arrogant race, obsessed with their power and full of spite towards what they considered to be the lesser races..."
"What?! But princess Celestia is nothing like that!" Spike rebuked.
"Celestia is a very special case, Spike. Her history and experiences served to that end." the purveyor replied, "Do you remember Nightmare Moon?"
Spike shuddered, "How could I not..."
"Then imagine a whole race like her and you will have a slight understanding of what the alicorns were at that time..." the purveyor paused, "As a result, Sirrush became increasingly wary of them. Within a mere century, his tone in the councils became increasingly sharp and disapproving, until his open hate for the alicorns brought the two nations to the brink of war."
Zaeres took a moment to study the disbelief in Spike's features, "And this brings us to the concern of your history..."
Unknowingly, Spike had taken a step backwards from the purveyor... Something in his voice was troubling him more than the young dragon wanted to admit and the darkness throughout the archives only deepened his dread.
The purveyor continued, "As both sides became increasingly aware of the war looming above them, Nithhogr, unknown to Sirrush made a deal with the alicorns to avoid the war... a deal that sealed Sirrush's fate."
Spike gulped, "Why? What did they do?"
"Sirrush had become a rebel to his own race, his hate for the alicorns brought nothing but disharmony to his own kind... So, in order to prevent a war with the alicorns and to make sure their nation would not fall apart again, Nithhogr killed Sirrush and took from him the power of the magic flame. But Nithhogr did not stop at this..." the purveyor paused, "In order to make sure he would reign supreme and unchallenged, Nithhogr tracked down all of Sirrush's bloodline... and with them, wiped the very name from existence."
"That's terrible! How could they do something like that?!"
"For you it may seem terrible, but in those days and among feuding dragons such things were nothing unheard of... For them, it was a simple demonstration of power." Zaeres replied coldly, "While Nithhogr's mastery of the magic fire was nowhere near that of Sirrush, he was still able to use it to his advantage. As time passed on Sirrush's tale vanished from all memories and Nithhogr, flame of the East became known as Nithhogr, dragon emperor and deity of the magic flame."
The purveyor paused, a slight feeling of exhilaration passing through him as he remembered those years of power... it had been a fascinating thing to watch. He returned his attention to Spike, "But as all things are, there is always a small chance for surprises. Among crashed and blood-soaked lairs, some of the eggs carrying Sirrush's blood remained intact... left to die in the cold... I am not sure what it was that made your case different. Whether it was your magic that held you frozen or if it was Twilight's magic that acted as a catalyst..."
"Sirrush was my father..." Spike whispered as he finally fully grasped the story.
"He was one of your ancestors." the purveyor corrected him, "Sirrush had more than one mate over the time... but you carry his blood nonetheless, and most importantly, his magic as well. And now, Spike..." he took a step towards Spike, making the dragon flinch as the shadows started to dance around him, "There are two things you should be aware of."
"I don't know if I can stomach any more surprises..." the shadows around them twitched slightly at this, sensing the purveyor's anticipation.
"Two things..." he repeated, "If Nithhogr ever became aware of your existence... he would kill you. Simply because you are a part of his past he wishes forgotten." he paused, "Also, simply killing Sirrush alone would not have given Nithhogr the magic flame... he needed someone capable of raw magic for this task... do you remember the pact I told you of? The one between Nithhogr and the alicorns?"
Spike's eyes widened, "They?"
"They did..." Zaeres answered the unasked question, "But you will soon see the marks of this story for yourself..." he saw Spike's puzzled expression, "You will understand when you accompany Twilight... Now that you know of your past though, I am curious to know what you plan for your future."
"My future? I... I don't even know what I am supposed to think now..." Spike sat down with a heavy sigh, "Does Celestia know this?"
"She does not. Her time began long after the events surrounding Sirrush's death."
Spike gave a short nod, "He'll really kill me if he finds out?"
"I have no doubt."
"This wasn't what I had hoped for..." Spike mumbled to himself and let his head sag onto his arms.
"Things are rarely as you wish them to be." the purveyor replied, "One day Nithhogr will become aware of your existence... and I have no doubt both Twilight and Celestia would do anything to protect you... but they would spark a war in the progress."
"I could hide."
"You are a dragon, you will continue to grow until no castle or dungeon can hold you... how many gems do you think the ponies can afford to feed you each day?"
"So that's it?!" Spike shouted at the ground with tears in his eyes, "Am I supposed to just run away then, or hide in the dark until he finds me?! I can't have anypony die for me! I'd sooner just die here right now!" Spike sniffed, "I'm not even strong enough to fight for myself... and all my fire does is send letters."
"Then allow me to make you an offer..." Spike raised his gaze to look into the polished glass of the purveyor's mask standing above him, "As you are now, you are weak. But I can give you power... and I can give you the knowledge you need to master your fire..."
The purveyor held out an open hand towards Spike, "What you do with that power will be entirely up to you... protect your friends or seek vengeance from the ones that gave you a life in uncertainty... Whatever your desires will be, you will have the power to reach for them. All I ask in return, is something that you can easily spare..."