683196
Rapid returns the kiss in full, pouring every bit of love and affection she had for him into it as well. When finally they are forced to end it, she immediately snuggles against him more, nuzzling happily into him, without a single work being spoken. She could feel the love, knew that he could too, and nothing needed to be said.

They stay in each other's embrace for a long, long time, just glad to be together, now and forever.

683252
"I suppose we are both guilty then." Kamau laughed lightly. "Umm....is it alright if I ask you something, Dear Faultless?"

683302
"Have you...umm...talked to Friend Abana lately? Has she been doing well?"

683360
"Umm.....Maybe...I do not know...." Kamau muttered out."Normally, I would have tried to contact her already, but the look she gave me at the Scorpion that day."Kamau shudders at the memory." I am not sure how she will react if I saw her again."

683400
Kamau laughs a little." That sounds like something Friend Abana would do...But that look. It was fear. I know it. I have never seen her scared before, much less to that extent."

683451
"I....see.I think." Kamau says, slightly confused."I hope that it truely plays out like she wishes. Do you think we should look for her now, Dear Faultless? Or should I wait for her to seek me out?"

683494
"Maybe you're right, Dear Faultless. Maybe you're right." Kamau said squeezing the mare a little bit closer.

683494
[[ so you want to bring them together now?]]

683549
[[ LEZ DEW DIS!!]]

Suddenly, a low growl echoes through the library."Umm....Sorry. I believe I may be a lot hungrier that I thought. How does the Scorpion sound?"

683574
"Well then."Kamau said while letting go of the mare and rising up to his hooves." It is is best not to cause her unnecessary grief. Let us be off."

683593
[[who should start? you or me?]]

Nervously, Ferris wandered through the towering aisles of literature, more than a little humbled in the presence of such knowledge. Here, he knew that the thoughts of thousands upon thousands of beings had been recorded. Some were but simple insights into the author's imagination, a story to tell with friends, while others were books filled with miraculous ideas on medicine, on philosophy and the inner workings of the mind. Poetry would almost assuredly have its own place here as well.

This place was a true bastion of knowledge and imagination. And how could it be anything else? To Ferris, the written word seemed to be one of the most powerful tools in all of creation. it was the best way to ensure that future generations would see what their ancestors once dealt with, and how they had survived. The scent of old paper filled the air, carrying with it a sense of subtle power. Here, in this library, Ferris could understand why so many had devoted their lives to studying naught but their contents.

Smiling sadly, he took one of the books down from the shelf, and opened it to reveal its contents. The very moment he did, though, the letters and symbols on the pages seemed to swirl about uncontrollably, only moving faster when Ferris tried to focus on them.

He sighed, unsurprised and yet saddened at the same time. This was how it always was whenever he attempted to read anything, even his own language with its complex symbols and characters. He replaced the book on the shelf, and merely settled for scanning through the books in an attempt to find any interesting portraits or pictures.

698993
Broken Horns was leaning back in his seat, a large book held in his hands as his one eye scanned its pages quickly. Sighing, he set the book down and noticed Ferris nearby, looking for a book himself. Smiling a bit, the minotaur called out, "Oy, Ferris, how ya doin' mate?"

Twilit sighed as she entered the library, her armor left back in her room at Oliva and Cato’s manor, though she had brought Spina along, the staff slung comfortably across her back. Her greaves rested in her saddlebags, along with her enchanting tools since they were in need of repair from her latest battle. She had left her hair unbound, allowing it to cascade down the sides of her neck since she knew she wouldn’t be fighting today. Twilit had come to the library today, as it was her old standby for when she was depressed or troubled. The habit dated back to her childhood, when her parents had ignored her in favor of more ‘important pursuits.’

She was, admittedly, both slightly depressed and somewhat troubled after her loss in the Unity Games. Her battle had been going well at first, but in the end, her casting speed caught up with her. While proficient at hoof to hoof, or in this case, hoof to claw, Twilit was at a major disadvantage without Spina. Since she was unable to use magic without glyphs, and hadn’t had the time to draw them, it had only been a matter of time once she was disarmed. So here she was, looking for more glyphs to take her mind off of her loss. Not that it was doing much good.

Twilit grumbled to herself as she looked at the meager selection of books on glyph-craft presented in front of her. “Well, this is disappointing. I’d expected them to have a few more than this. Hay, I’ve got all of these at home…”

Glancing around the rest of the section in an effort to find something else to at least keep her occupied, Twilit’s eye was caught by a few books next to the ones on glyphcraft. Though the titles were in the changeling’s language, Twilit was fluent enough in it to understand that they were about runes. “Well, I suppose this could be interesting. Worth a glance at least.”

She plucked the books (which were few in number) off the shelf and made for a nearby table. Upon reaching it, Twilit un-slung Spina from her back and rested the staff against the table before beginning to look through the books.

718624
Shortly into her perusal of the book, more hoofsteps echoed dully through the rows of tomes, acompanied by the quiet swish of cloth. The producer of both sounds appeared in short order, his steps measured and sure, making his way to the tomes on runes with practiced ease. He was no simple browser of the books, and this became even more clear as he pulled one from the shelves with his magic and cracked it open, fanning through the pages until he reached a blank one near the end.

Another book that the changeling wore on a sash along his side soon joined the one from the shelf, the two books open side by side. Contrastingly, the pages in the second book seemed overly full when compared to the ones in the library book, filled with additional hoofnotes and symbols.

His hoof light with magic, and he gently stamped it to the page of the over-full pages. The magic on his hoof flashed brightly for a moment before he pulled it away and quickly stamped it onto the blank page of the other book. Without and ink or quill, the page began to fill itself with the information from the other book, organizing itself neatly and discarding any information that was inaccurate or scribbled out. In second the library book held in its pages a concise and clear copy of the runic symbol and all its attributes from the changeling's book.

His tome once more fell in at his side while he looked over the freshly drawn page, nodding in satisfaction. Pleased, he shelved it once more, and then scanned the shelf as if looking for another. His brow furrowing in curiosity when he did not find it at its usual place, he finally seemed to notice Twilit as he turned his gaze to the table she was at in search of the book.

The confused scowl faded immediately as he smiled to himself, walking over to the table. "A fine evening, dear lady. Though I admit this isn't such a common place to spend it," he said with a polite laugh. "Or a subject most ponies would spend it researching. I have never known a unicorn to take such interest in runeforging," he admitted.

718674

Twilit looked up from her book as the changeling spoke, having been completely engrossed in her reading. It was taking more effort than usual, being not as fluent in Changeling writing. Her eyes widened. “Oh! I didn’t expect to see anyone else here. A fine evening to you as well.” Looking back down at her books and at the changeling again. “I tend to spend a lot of time in libraries when I need something to distract myself as I have today. As for the subject matter…” Twilit shot a glare over at the books on glyph-craft. “I found the section of glyph-craft rather lacking. Not even one book I don’t already own.”

Twilit looked down at the book she had open on the table. “Runeforging is something I’ve been meaning to look at for quite a while now, and given the lack of other decent reading material... Now is as good a time as any.” Looking down at the book, Twilit smiled, and a gleam entered her eye as she spoke again. “The similarities to glyphs are astounding, and as far as I can tell, the only difference is the method of execution. It’s quite fascinating really, though I’d never be able to use them.” She sighed as she finished speaking, and the gleam left her eye. “But I’m sure you didn’t come here to listen to me ramble on about glyphs.”

Twilit looked up at the changeling standing in front of her, eyeing the robe he wore, and thinking back over the newspapers and other sources of news on changeling culture she had read, trying to remember where she might have seen the outfit. “You seem familiar for some reason. Oh! We’ve been talking for several moments and I haven’t even introduced myself. I’m Twilit Blaze.” She said, rising to offer a hoof to her momentary companion. “Might I ask yours?”

718745
"Kith Varal," the changeling replied with a smile and a flourish that swept his feathered hat from his head and into a sweeping bow. "At your service. It's a pleasure to meet someone so interested in these subjects, particularly a lovely lady such as yourself," he added, returning his hat to his head, a charming smile breaking in the shadow beneath its wide brim.

"I am sorry that our collection is lacking where glyphs are concerned, Twilit. There is still much we have yet to collect from the Zebras, and they are very careful with their information. Rightfully so. Still, the collection is only about as large as our collection on runeforging in this age," he said with a sigh. He expression changed very suddenly as he remembered why he had come to the library in the first place.

"Having mentioned it, that reminds me... May I see that tome you have there? I need to append an entry on page fifty seven," he asked pleasantly, gesturing to the book Twilit was reading.

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Twilit’s eyes widened. “Kith Varal? The Ven'kanyr? Oh, wow!” Realizing that she was indeed in a library, Twilit restrained her voice to a lower tone. “Very nice to meet you!” She replied, a light blush spreading across her face as she lowered her hoof uncertainly. The blush was both from his slight flirting, and the potential snafu she appeared to have committed.

Looking at the book she was reading, Twilit flipped to the page in question and hoofed the book across the table to Kith. “I wouldn’t worry about your collection on glyphs not being very large. I can tell you from experience that finding new books on the subject is rather hard to do, outside of traveling to Zel’Kanai. Even Princess Celestia’s School’s library doesn’t have much more than this, and that’s one of the largest libraries in Equestria. I’ve found it easier to collect the books myself. Or write them, though those are more of journals and notebooks than anything else.”

She paused for a moment, looking at the shelf where the books on glyphs rested again. “I actually went to Zel’Kanai myself and studied under a shamaness there for several years. It was the only way to get more information. Are you having trouble getting the Zebra’s to share information on glyphs? Or have you just not found anypony to ask?”

718786
"A little of both" Kith chuckled. "So many of the enchanters of their kind are travelers, for business is better abroad, and the world is much in need of their services," he admitted, pulling the book he kept at his side forward once again. As he had done before, he used magic to transfer the information he desired from one page to the other, but from this angle Twilit could see the process at work.

Lines of small runes raced across the page from top to bottom slowly, the green symbols flashing anytime they encountered something which Kith desired to move to the other book. Once the runes faded from the original page, he repeated the process on the one he was changing. All tolled it took little more than a few seconds.

"I can understand how difficult it can be to find material, perhaps better than anyone," he chuckled, putting his book away, and sliding the other back to Twilit. "The only books on runeforging that are in this library are the ones I have written myself, and so I can't speak too highly of their quality," he admitted, smiling to show that he didn't mind a joke or two at his own expense. "But there is simply so little we know from our old ways, before we limited ourselves to basic spellcraft. Runes are where our power originated, and runes is where it will return to one day," he explained quietly.

"As for your studies in glyphs, Lady Twilit, I can say with certainty that whoever trained you did a fine job, and yourself even finer still with what you've learned since. Your progress in the Games was extraordinary; for a unicorn to use glyphs in such a way was a truly spectacular sight," he congratulated, his tone sincere.

"They're hardly meant for combat, yet you managed to achieve so much despite their limitations. Pony magic generally serves a much different purpose, and through such a complex medium your success is truly noteworthy," he finished, smiling wider as if he knew something of her inner troubles. In truth he could feel little more than her slight disappointment, but being clever and having kept tabs on the Games, he could easily guess what her discomfort might be. However, nothing in his tone let on that it was anything more than sincere adulation. "You must be proud to have done so well."

((So... anyone on who wants to RP?))

724835 ((I would, but both of my OC's are in Canterlot. I suppose I could try CC, but at this point, she has no reason to be in Vemn Enox.))

724854
(( Gah, I'm sorry. My family is going out to eat in thirty minutes, and I have to get ready. Sorry about that.))

724871 ((S'all good, I need to do physics ))

718798
Twilit’s mouth parted slightly as she watched Kith work in awe, analyzing how he used the runes in the back of her mind as they continued talking.

Twilit blushed harder at the praise, becoming visible even from under her dark fur. “Thank you, Kith. Is it alright if I call you that? Or would you prefer your title?” She paused for a moment, and then continued. “If I were able to use more than glyphs, I don’t think I would have lost. Or at least use them faster. Still, I am proud of myself for making it as far as I did. As for my use of glyphs… Well, limitation was the right word. I assume you are aware of how ponies use magic by drawing it from the world around them. I was born with a rare condition that prevents my body from processing the magic properly, leaving me unable to do more than simple telekinesis. Even that took me till my late teens to use successfully. As much as I love glyph-craft, taking it up wasn’t a choice if I ever wanted to use magic in the first place…” Twilit trailed off for a moment, and then shook her head as if to clear depressing thoughts away.

“Well, anyway. Perhaps if King Aurus hosts another tournament, I’ll do better. Now, you said you are having trouble finding an enchanter willing to help gather knowledge? I learned from Shamaness Neytiri, and I’m sure she would be willing to help. You could even tell her that I sent whomever you send, if you want. Though it is quite a ways away. Or… Well, I suppose I could help. I’m an enchanter myself, though still not at Neytiri’s level. Of course, I don’t know of anyone that is.” Twilit glanced over at Spina, reaching over to run her hoof down the etched side. “Still, I was good enough to make my Spina here. I actually have my personal journals with me if you wanted to look those over at some point.”

725078

If Kith was at all fazed by her blushing, or the things he said to cause it, it certainly didn't show. He simply kept on smiling, not a fang in his grin insincere. "Kith will do nicely. And I absolutely agree; with even minor changes to your usage of the symbols, I think you would perform even more spectacularly," he admitted.

At the mention of her teacher, Kith nodded. "If you know of a way to contact her, that would certainly be useful. Though their magics are very different in nature, glyphs and runes are incredibly similar in their overall principle. Changeling runes are the more versatile of the two, yet also the more complex. One can do almost anything with a rune, if they can find out exactly what rune it is they need to forge. And then the process is only so simple for basic runes. Large patterns, or interwoven ones are even more difficult to memorize and uncover."

He sighed, but the sigh turned into a laugh, as if he were making light of the troubles ahead of him. "Zebra glyphs have been around for thousands of years, yet they're still younger than runes, as near as we know. Even so, they may yet prove the key to unlocking the major mysteries holding back my research because of their similarities." He dipped his head suddenly, the feather very nearly brushing her face in his hasty bow. "While I wait for word from your Shamaness, might I look over your journals?" he asked, coming back up from his bowing request.

"Of course, I wouldn't ask to see them for free," he said, his charming smile becoming an almost devilish smirk. "I would be happy to tell you how to decrease your glyph inscription time... possibly even by as much as half or more," he mused, putting a hoof to his chin and tapping it there.

725542 ((I wouldn't want my speed decreased...unless it was by half, as you said, which is the same as increasing it twofold.))

725542
Twilit managed to get her blush to go down somewhat as Kith spoke, once again becoming invisible amongst her purple fur, though it did threaten to make a reappearance for a moment. The gleam from earlier returned, and grew a bit stronger as she began speaking. “I do in fact know a way to contact her. Several years ago, I created a scrying array, not unlike the one that I used in my first match, though that one was admittedly rough. It allows me to contact whomever I need to, at any distance. It shouldn’t take long to draw it out. Maybe an hour or so, as it is rather intricate, or perhaps longer if you wish me to make it more permanent. I just need a place to do so.”

Twilit nose twitched as the feather on Kith’s hat tickled it, turning her head to the side to sneeze cutely. “Excuse me. As for my journals…” Twilit lit her horn, opening her saddlebags, and withdrawing five journals, each labeled on its spine with a number and several glyphs filling up the rest of the spine. She set them on the table beside her. “I have no problem with lending them to you, so long as I get them back before I leave from Venm Enox. The glyphs on the spines are for preservation, set to power themselves from ambient magic. Now… You said something about a way to improve my speed on glyph inscription speed?” The gleam that had been growing in her eyes flared again, almost seeming to make them shine as her grin threatened to split her face as she grew more excited. “Please, do tell!”

((I think you may have typo'd on the 'decrease your glyph inscription speed' thing. Eh, I know what you meant.))

725694
Kith took the journals with his magic, then carefully set them aside on the table for perusal in a moment. First, he owed Twilit an explanation.

"I've seen you use your staff in battle. Quite the unique weapon that. However, I think you could use it to create your glyphs, rather than just to fight. For example, if you are able to control the energy formation on a very intricate level, you could create something similar to a hammer, but with a face in the shape of the glyph you wish to print. However, I admit I don't know how much sway you have over the shape of the weapon, but it could be possible if your level of control is great enough. In that case, think of it like a stamp of your glyph, rather than an actual inscription," he mused, smiling as he finished his explanation.

((Apparently this is how I spend my lunch break.))

729011

Twilit’s smile slowly faded as Kith spoke, though not out of a loss of excitement. Rather, her smile faded as her jaw slowly dropped open. As he finished speaking, Twilit realized that her mouth was wide open and quickly closed it. She looked at Spina, leaning innocuously against the table, and slowly lit her horn. The glyph designs etched into the staff flared, standing out from where they were interwoven with the thorny vines that gave the staff its namesake. A shape snapped into existence from the side of the staff, forming a glyph in midair.

Twilit grin grew as the glyph flowed, changing shape to another simple one. She went through several glyphs of varying size and difficulty, well known to her through the ease of long practice, before she cut her horn off. Twilit looked back at Kith, her eyes nearly glowing with excitement. With a semi-muffled squeal of delight, she surged forward and engulfed the changeling before her in a hug, only to realize a few seconds later what she had done. Twilit let go immediately, stepping back embarrassedly with an enormous blush on her face.

“I’m… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean… I just got so excited, and this has to be the best thing I’ve learned in years and it's so amazing and… ” Twilit trailed off and shook her head, trying to get control of herself once again. Though still blushing furiously, she had managed to stop babbling. “So. That glyph. When do you want me to contact Neytiri, and where should I scribe the glyph? I’d suggest waiting till in the morning though, since I really don’t think contacting her very late would be a good idea.”

((I hope you at least ate something...))

730358

Kith's eyes opened slightly wider in surprise for a brief moment before they settled into a knowing gaze, embracing her back. Truth be told, unexpected hugs weren't quite so 'unexpected' as they seemed for him. When she pulled away abruptly he let her go, as if sensing that her departure would be sudden. Experience had its perks.

"Don't worry about it," he laughed warmly. It wasn't a laugh at her expense, but one of simple joy, glad he had brought her such happiness. "Learning is a precious thing, and so teaching is like giving a gift. I am happy to have given you something you will be able to use for your entire life," he said sincerely.

His warm smile shifted into one with a slightly teasing quality suddenly. "Though I am a bit surprised. Who would have guessed that such a warrior-mare would be so spontaneous or so gentle?"

738149

Twilit didn’t blush any harder at his comment, though that was because she was physically incapable of doing so. “I… Wasn’t always.” Twilit’s mind cast back to her time with the Zebras, focusing once more on Neytiri.

Twilit, currently in her late teens, lay curled on her bed, sniffling and shaking slightly. She hadn’t meant to hurt Star Streak, but the idea of being hugged scared her. The door to the hut opened, and an older zebra mare walked slowly into the single room. The zebra walked slowly over to Twilit, settling down on the bed beside her. “Twilit, dear, are you alright? You frightened us, running off like that.”

Twilit curled farther in on herself and replied in a muffled tone. “I’m fine, Shamaness Neytiri. Please leave me alone.”

Neytiri sighed to herself. “No, dear, you obviously aren’t. And you don’t have to call me Shamaness. Just Neytiri.” Neytiri reached a hoof out to touch Twilit’s back. When it made contact, she flinched slightly, causing Neytiri to sigh once again. “Twilit, please tell me what’s wrong. I want to help you.”

Twilit uncurled slightly and raised her head to look at her mentor of nearly a year now with wet, red rimmed eyes. “I… He scared me.”

Neytiri nodded slowly. “I’ve been watching you since you came here, dear. You never touch another, and only barely allow even me to touch you. Why is that? Are you afraid of touching others?”

Twilit nodded miserably. “I… I’m afraid that if anypony gets too close, they won’t like me anymore.”
Neytiri’s eyebrows scrunched together. “Now why would you think that?”

Twilit buried her head again. “If my parents or relatives won’t even touch me, why would anyone else want to?”

Neytiri looked at Twilit with sad eyes as understanding grew. “Oh, Twilit.” She moved closer and snaked a hoof under Twilit’s chin, pulling her head up to look her in the eye. “Your parents made an enormous mistake, and were wrong to do so. No parent should do that. Did they ever pay attention to you, or even touch you?”

Twilit shook her head, tears beginning to run from her eyes again.

“Nopony should live without knowing what a parent’s hug feels like. That stops now.” Neytiri reached forward and pulled Twilit into a tight hug. Twilit’s eyes flew wide open and she almost began to struggle, but something stopped her. A warm feeling began to spread from where Neytiri was touching her, and she slowly relaxed, allowing her own forelegs to wrap around Neytiri’s body as she began to sob harder.

They stayed like that for a long time, Neytiri stroking her mane softly. “See, dear? There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

Twilit nodded mutely into her chest, and looked up at Neytiri with her cheek still pressed against the shamaness’ chest to croak out a question. “Why did you say ‘parent’s hug’?”

Neytiri smiled lovingly down at Twilit. “I’ve never had one of my own, but I like to think of you as my daughter. That is, if you’ll allow it?”

Twilit drew back slightly, staring in disbelief at the elder zebra. Finally she moved forward, bowling Neytiri over in a hug and burying her face in her chest and nodding as she cried happy tears.

Shaking herself from her memory, Twilit smiled softly at Kith. “The zebras… Neytiri taught me so many things, aside from glyphs. Life lessons I should have learned long before then. I’m who I am today because of her. My love of fighting didn’t come until after my time there, strangely enough. You can thank the minotaurs for that.”

Feeling uncharacteristically bold from a strange mix of somehow comforting presence and the exhilaration of learning a new way to create glyphs, Twilit smirked as her more playful nature came out. “But why is it so surprising that I can be spontaneous and gentle, hmm? Did you see me as some sort of brute stumbling from one fight to the next?”

739386

"Oh not at all," Kith said with a kind laugh, the mirth clearly far from mocking. "If anything your fighting was graceful, entrancing... I admit I was so swept up in it that it is hard to separate the mare from the memories of such an elegant form of battle," he said warmly, his words never missing a beat despite her attempts to corner him with words. It was clear that he was not unaccustomed to jokes, or turning them about.

"You were fortunate to have such an influential teacher in your life, Twilit. I was too, and in fact had more than one. My brothers, my father, and even the king. I understand very well what it is your teacher, and your history with her, mean to you. It is not always just about teaching," he chuckled, the following smile fond and gilded with memories.

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Twilit managed to control her blush, by this point starting to get used to the sincere compliments Kith was giving. She did however return a bright smile at them, not disappointed in the least that her jibe hadn’t gotten a reaction. Twilit was slowly regaining her composure the longer she spent in the suave changelings company. Perhaps a few genuine compliments were all she had needed to get back to her normal self, having been very out of sorts from her loss.

“No, it isn’t. It’s the time you spend with people you love and respect. The time you spend growing, and helping them to grow in return.” Twilit replied with a far off look in her eye. Twilit shook her head as more memories of her time with Neytiri and the Zebras faded. “So, what were we talking about again?”

756310

"Well, if not about contacting your teacher, or about your beauty and stellar performance in the games, then I'm afraid I'm not sure," he said simply, privately glad to see her treating his endless stream of compliments more as if they were natural or deserved. He was equally pleased to feel the sensation of self-disappointment and sorrow fading form her, a sure sign that her thoughts were turning away from her loss in the games.

"Though there's no shortage of topics, if one knows where to look," he added, a small smile coming to his face as he glanced about the rows of books pointedly, before his green eyes settles back on hers. "Or if one has bold and brilliant company," he joked, gesturing to her to show that he had meant it in reference to Twilit.

"Tell me, did you witness the semi-finals of the Games? More specifically did you note the arena?" he asked, certain that the intellectual mare would have some questions regarding the incredibly strange and magical nature of the most recent environment projected into the tournament.

756349

Twilit smiled wider at the joking compliment. She suspected that Kith was trying to cheer her up, but couldn’t find it in herself to be offended. After all, a mare liked to be complimented now and then, especially after a loss like that.

“I did mean contacting Neytiri, though I’ve already said my piece about that.” Twilit replied. “The arena you say? Yes, I did see it. It was the most interesting one yet, though the round before was rather impressive as well. Might I ask what King Aurus was doing there in the first place? Or why it was so dangerous? I suspect from what he said that it was some kind of magical fallout.”

756433

"There was a great crisis, two years ago. All signs pointed to the ruined city of Ghindrav as the source," Kith said, his smile thinner by a few fangs than normal. "A terrible place, frozen in time. Water doesn't flow, dust doesn't settle. Only being in the present have any effect on the place, and even after their passing it retains whatever form they mold it to for eternity until altered again..." he said quietly.

"A place of incredible history, and incredible magic. But dangerous magic, magic that once brought the world's greatest mages to their demise. The amethyst dragons knew every secret of the arcane more thoroughly than anyone," he admitted, not ashamed to disclose that changeling knowledge of magic was far inferior to that ancient race.

"Yet, frozen in time or not, there are terrible things that live there... When Aurus reformed the earth of T'rahk Enox, not all of the magic was given back to the world... some was taken in by the long-dormant residents of Ghindrav, bringing them back to life... and hungry for more, they made it known they had woken up by destroying a city, and many lives to consume their magic," he said quietly.

756522
Twilit's smile vanished slowly, as Kith told the story, leaving behind a neutral (if slightly grim) look on her face. "Sun and Moon above... an entire city? How did I not hear about this?" Twilit took a moment to digest the news. "I take it that his near death experience was defeating these monsters then."

Deciding to take the conversation back to safer and less depressing grounds, Twilit smiled slightly and spoke again. "How long had the King planned on using a mockup of Ghindrav for an arena? And more interestingly, how did he manage to emulate the effects? Was it rune magic, or something else?" She asked the questions in a quiet but eager tone, eyes sparkling all the while.

756616

"I've been wondering myself just how long he'd planned to do it," Kith admitted, his smile seeming to grow more into its familiar shape once again. "I suspect that he had decided on it long before the match, but was reluctant to subject any other contestants to such a trial."

"As for the effects of the arena, even I don't know that," he admitted. "It must have been something he learned in that terrible place. I have never been, and never wish to be. What little we were able to scavenge from Ghindrav was the work of my brother, Kardak. He's lead many expeditions there in search of useful remnants of history: tomes, artifacts... and my hope is that one day he will return with an amethyst dragon's egg, still whole, the further he and his knights venture in," he said, tapping his chin with a hoof as he mused.

757229
Twilit shuddered, though her smile did no drop, at the thought of going into a place worse than what she had seen in the semi-final. "You're brother is a braver pony than I, Kith. I'll be honest, that place scares me from just having seen a lesser version of it in the arena. Still, the knowledge brought back must be invaluable. Have you found anything on runes hidden away in what has been recovered?"

Pausing, Twilit thought for a moment. "You said amethyst dragon egg... Isn't Twilight Sparkle's assistant an amethyst dragon? He is at least the right color, I believe."

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"He's the reason I suspect there might be more inside," Kith admitted. "The knowledge of runes and magic in general that we have been able to recover so far has been invaluable, and in reality we have only found a very small number of usable artifacts and records. Yet every expedition comes back with something new, so it's clear that there is much that was not lost in the Fall of the World," he said quietly, referring to the historical term for the great cataclysm that destroyed Ghindrav.

"And it is possible, if we could find am egg and hatch a female, that we might resurrect their long-dead race from the ashes of history... and retake Ghindrav," he said quietly.

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"The Fall of the World was the cataclysm they caused, wasn't it?" Twilit's eyes widened slightly at Kith's plan. "The advancements that could be made by taking back Ghindrav... I don't pretend to be much of a historian, but I at least know that the amethyst dragons were very advanced. Has Twilight's assistant... Spike, I think, been there? To Ghindrav, I mean."

Twilit let out a small yawn, noting the that it was growing late on a small clock to the side of the reading area. "Sorry about that. Been a long couple of days. You were saying?"

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Kith smiled sadly, disappointed that she was asking such astute questions, which he was not permitted to answer. "Perhaps it would be best to continue this at another time, when it is not so late," Kith said simply, half dodging her question and half in acknowledgement of her glance at the clock.

"Nights in Vemn Enox are better spent with other company, in other places," he chuckled, gesturing to himself and the library. "A pretty young mare in a city of adventures is sure to find more fulfillment somewhere other than the library, talking to a crackpot runemaker," he joked.

"Or perhaps the runemaker isn't so much of a problem," he mused playfully. "Perhaps you would find his company enjoyable over dinner and a fine evening in the city?"

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Twilit noted that Kith dodged her question, and mentally shrugged. Such things aren’t generally known to the public, after all. Either way, Twilit was okay with it. Ghindrav was a sensitive subject, and she was slightly surprised she had received as much information on it as she had. Besides, she understood that some knowledge was not meant for the public. There were things Neytiri had taught her about Glyphs that she wouldn’t share with the general public. There were also things that she would only teach to an apprentice, as Neytiri had for her. Otherwise, those secrets would follow her to her grave, for they were too dangerous. "Another time? That might be for the best. I'll meet you at the castle tomorrow morning to scribe the rune. You'll just need to tell me where you want it, and how permanent, as I have my own tools."

Twilit's smile widened as Kith spoke, again managing to control the urge to blush. "A crackpot runemaker you say? That sounds like fun, but only if you can put up with a deranged glyphscriber for the evening." Twilit collected Spina, and nodded to Kith that they could go, flicking a glance at her journals to remind him, lest he forget.

"Shall we?" Twilit asked, brushing her shoulder against his as she walked past.

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Kith smiled, glad to see that she had taken his refusal to answer well enough, and had even accepted his invitation to a friendly evening on the town.

"Hold on just one second," he said warmly, opening a portal of fire similar to those Aurus used. Grabbing her journals, he quickly vanished through the rings of green flames and the black void within, reappearing a few short moments later, straightening his hat and his cloak.

"Alright then... shall we?" he asked, following her closely. As the two of them exited the library, he reached a hoof up over his head, green magic glowing from his hoof as he brushed it upward and back in a sweeping motion, a phoenix feather coming into being, just barely trailing the magical aura of his touch, until at last it was whole, burning pleasantly with the glow of firelight in its usual place atop his hat.

"Much better," he chuckled, even sighing happily as the two of them made their way down the street away from the library, and towards dinner.